Chapter 15: The Justicar
Sam leaned over her raised left knee, of which her foot had been resting on the coffee table, as she adjusted the seal on her greaves. She loved the feel of her new armor every time she put it on. She felt at home in her armor. Strangely enough she felt at peace in it, relaxed. It was a feeling Liara picked up easily, and though she felt it through the bond she didn't need the connection to know how Samantha felt, she simply read the body language of her bondmate.
The asari passed behind her wife and wrapped her arms around Samantha's waist and pressed her body into the one she held. "You're going after Samara first?"
"That's the plan. Thane won't make a move against Dantius until she gets back from her business trip. We've got a bit of time to get him. The way I see it, getting to him will be a lot easier once he's on the hunt for our old friend Nassana. He'll pop up at her towers sooner or later. But we don't know how long this Samara is going to be on Illium. She's here now, might as well go and get her." Sam leaned her head back on Liara's shoulder and planted a semi-upside down kiss on sultry purple lips. "So what can you tell me about this warrior?"
"She's a member of a monastic order that has been a part of my people's culture for a millennia. Justicars are very highly respected on Thessia and all other asari worlds. They are the highest order of law and duty for the asari. They see the galaxy in pure black and white; for them there are no gray areas." Liara turned Samantha so now she was facing her. "Be mindful when you interact with her. She will respect your status as a Spectre but I doubt she's accustomed to human humor and I doubt she's had much interaction with aliens period."
"Really? That's sorta surprising. Is she that young or just that secluded, or both like you were? But you'd think someone like her bringing law and order to the galaxy would have to interact with aliens."
"She isn't that young, she's a matron of later centuries very nearly a matriarch. As far as for Samara bringing law and order into the galaxy-Justicar authority extends only to asari space. If they leave our territory they do so only because they are after a fugitive."
"Must be one hell of a fugitive if it brings her all the way to Illium. This place is crawling with criminal activity, it must have her very twitchy."
"No doubt. I do no think she will engage a Spectre unless you impede her mission. You'll have to approach her carefully to propose an alliance."
"I'll be mindful. Don't worry so much. It's like you said, Spectres and Justicars are on the same side. We stop the bad guys; we defiantly got that covered with the Collectors."
Liara made a noncommittal sound of agreement. "Who will you bring with you?"
"Garrus and Tali," Shepard said without hesitation despite the fact she was busily checking her weapons over. She had given up the M-6 Carnifax for the N7 Eagle, a hand cannon Anderson had sent to her along with the new N7 Hurricane SMG. His idea of a good luck gift for going into the Terminus Systems to battle the Collectors.
Shepard secured the weapons on her hardsuit then withdrew a third weapon: the prototype M-622 Avalanche—a new heavy weapon that used cryo round technology. It was a cooling laser that collapsed the ammunition into a Bose-Ernestine condensate, a mass of super-cooled subatomic particles capable of snap-freezing impacted objects. It was extremely effective against armour, shields, and biotic barriers.
Before the science team had been disbanded it had been one of their inventions, along with a few other heavy weapons, but the 'cryo-blaster' had quickly become one of Shepard's favorites. Amongst her other favorites were the omni blade she had installed, which active testing had deemed perfectly functional, as well as her Thessian monomolecular katana. Shepard's on-going training with the asari had taught her the skills possessed of the new class of N7 biotics called the Slayers.
In particular, both Morwen and Aleena had shown the Commander how to more effectively use the shadow strike as well as the biotic slash. The latter technique was a unique shockwave channelled though the blade of the sword. After countless hours of repetitive training along with the echo game, Sam had grown in her understanding of her own biotics as well as a new found respect for the discipline it took to master it. Thankfully the Arcturus Academy now fully recognized the power of biotics and started to train N7 Adepts in their own specialist classes and not simply as vanguards like they had when Shepard attended in her mid twenties.
"I'll also be taking Miranda." Shepard winced, waiting for the inevitable fallout. She could almost start the count down. She got to two before Liara's voice rang out.
"Miss Lawson? But-why? You can't truly believe she is trustworthy."
"That's why it's necessary. She has to be seen as trustworthy or having her on our crew will never work. Tali and Garrus must see that she can be trusted and she must see and feel that I can trust her. Again, if she doesn't feel safe in our company then the squad will not be cohesive."
Liara opened her mouth then shut it. Her eyes blinked and widened as a thought occurred to her. "This is why you often paired up with Wrex and Garrus with Tali or I, as well as Lt. Williams. You also insured the Lieutenant was forced to work with other non-humans so she'd get over her prejudicial issues. She was never partnered with Kaiden after Eden Prime. You were creating bonds of trust."
Shepard shrugged giving Liara a lopsided grin.
"You are a brilliant leader my Commander," Liara praised her bondmate with a kiss to her cheek. "Until now I never considered your choices for our parings on all the planet-side missions you took us on, but it was all to build our strengths, individually and togetherness."
"The squad had to learn to relay on each other, which took time, and we didn't have a lot of it. Those missions helped to forge an unbreakable bond. I'll have to do it again with this new crew. We have even less time then we had with the race against Saren. This is as good a time as any to start. Actually this is the best time to start building that trust. I need to do this not just for my team, but for Miranda and myself. I need to know she's not going to shoot me in the back and she needs to know the same. I suspect she will somehow give information to TIMmy the first chance she gets, I'm not that naive, but trust has to begin somewhere-with someone."
"And that someone can be no other but the Commander of the Normandy who leads by example."
Another lopsided grin followed by a shrug. She reached out with her hand and cupped Liara's cheek; she always loved the contrast in their skin colors, one caramel the other sapphire. She loved the difference in their skin texture as well; the asari's scales were velvet soft. Sam was going to miss this, miss soft touches, miss just-because-kisses, miss making love. Sam leaned closer to her bondmate and planted a kiss on Liara's lilac lips, completely enjoying the taste.
"It's time for this Commander to go to work." Shepard placed another kiss on waiting lips.
"Be careful," Liara uttered, pressing her body closer, exposing her neckfolds, allowing Samantha to draw in her scent—her pheromones. It was a natural biological response to entice potential lovemates or in the case of very close friends or bondmates it was an act of familiarization-an affirmation of their connection. The pheromones also marked their bondmates so all others know they have been claimed.
"Of course," murmured Shepard drawing in the scent as if it were the perfume of a flower, nuzzling the woman she loved that meant everything to her. Reluctantly she pulled away and tilted her up towards the ceiling. "EDI?"
"Yes, Commander Shepard?" the tinny voice of the AI came through the loft's intercom.
"Inform Tali, Garrus and Miranda to gear-up and meet me at the main airlock in ten. Also tell Miranda to get over to medical so Chakwas can reinstall her biotic-amp and remove the restraint collar."
"As you order, Commander," EDI answered without any hesitation or second-guessing the orders. Shepard knew of course that it would not be so with the trio she had called into service. But they were a good crew, at least two of them were, and they would do what was expected of them even if they didn't like it.
Within the prescribed time everyone was waiting at the airlock near the bridge. For a lack of anything else to do, and perhaps to simply distract themselves from the uncomfortable silence of the discovery of who was on the away mission, each party member was diligently checking and rechecking their firearms as well as gear and stock of medigel despite the fact they had done so even before their arrival at the checkpoint. Shepard sauntered up as if nothing was amiss. She allowed for their show of discomfort but the three knew well enough not to open their mouths and question the squad detail.
The Commander acknowledged each in turn then gave a small debrief of what to expect when they encountered Samara. Word of the day: best behaviour.
"No worries, Shepard, we won't give Samara cause to strike against us," Garrus reassured the Commander. The head nods of the other two supplemented this reassurance.
"Any idea where we find her, Commander?" Miranda asked
"The Port Authority- Tracking Office," answered Shepard. "Liara gave me the name of her contact there, an asari named Dara. She'll have the information we need to proceed. Radios and weapons check."
Once again each member checked their weapons, confirming they were all operational, locked and loaded. They tapped their earpieces causing them to click confirming they were receiving and operational.
"Five by Five, Commander," Tali said.
"Same here, ready to roll out," Garrus confirmed.
"I'm good to go Commander," echoed Miranda.
Shepard nodded." Move out."
MEMEMEMEMEMEME
The Spectre led the precession through the commons of the Nos Astra Markets. There was neither need nor time to stop at the stalls. The crew by now had either already made the purchases they needed or they didn't need anything on offer. Shepard was exceptionally pleased that she had gained all she wanted from Hermia's when she first saw the list in helping Gianna Parasini.
After aiding Ereba and Charr sort out their love-lives Shepard and Liara had hit the Gateway Personal Defense kiosk to better equip themselves for future missions. Like Garrus, Shepard had practically drooled over the armament upgrades for both weapons and hardsuits. Incidentally, GPD was headed by an asari who pretended to be an undercover cop trying to dupe Shepard in to believing the Eternity Lounge was actually a front for red sand dealers. Unfortunately for the asari she didn't know that the head bartender Aethyta was Shepard's Sire-in-law and that the Spectre was helping the Lounge's owner by entrapping the young maiden in her own schemes as she had previously done with Hermia.
Of course before the con-artist was busted she had given a healthy discount at Gateway (which was the same shop Tali and Garrus and previously made their purchases from) to Shepard for the supposed help. Even Miranda had benefited from the discount as she hd made several purchases which of course had to be cleared by Shepard even before she was allowed to lay down the credits to buy them. And until now the Cerberus operative hadn't even been allowed to handle the new gear. Lawson was still being monitored but she wasn't under such heavy scrutiny nor security. It was almost as if Shepard were giving Miranda just enough rope to hang herself with should she take the lead and run.
Lawson had already decided that wasn't going to happen. She was bound and determined to prove to Shepard and the crew of the Normandy that her intentions concerning the Collectors were genuine. Miranda wanted to stop the insidious insectiods just as much as they did. She was a part of Cerberus, but she wasn't evil. She had no alterative motive, no hidden agenda than to stop the menace to the colonies. Her attempts to exonerate Cerberus's image to the Commander as well as the others was not an overt action but out there in the open. Miranda knew of course she could not press the issue; she could only serve as an example of an elite operative of the pro-human group. True Cerberus didn't engender much trust amongst the aliens but hopefully those perceptions would alter once the non-human crew realized that as for Lawson herself and Chambers, they were honest in their claims they had no hate for other species. Cerberus was only there to ensure humanity's strength and continued growth and not remain the second class citizens they had been forced into by the dominate Council races.
Perhaps it was this line of thought that motivated Lawson to speak out now as she caught a glimpse of the beautiful city-skyline. "Illium is a cultural marvel, humanity can learn a lot from the asari's ingenuity."
Garrus turned, his mandibles flicked in astonishment. "I'm a bit surprised to hear you say something like that, Lawson. Cerberus praising a non-human and not wrinkling their nose at it in the same breath. Whatever will TIM think? He might be disappointed to hear his top agent offer such admiration."
"And imagine a turian taking orders from a human and not cringing or bragging his people are superior or could do better than any talking monkey," Lawson shot back in a light if not sarcastic tone. "I'm equally surprised. And for the record The Illusive Man has several top agents."
"As you humans say, 'touché'," Garrus smiled.
"If we ever take back the Homeworld perhaps you could say something similar about quarian ingenuity," Tali piped up not wanting to be left out of the conversation. "Rannoch had some very beautiful cities."
"The fact most the ships in the Migrant Fleet are three centuries old is already a testament to that," Miranda said.
Walking a head Shepard smiled: Ah team banter...good. Good way to break the ice and start hurtling those trust issues. Good on you Lawson to get to Tali by talking ships. She'll never shut up on it. If you can talk sniper rifles with Garrus you're pretty much good to go. Make them see you as a person and not a member of a fascists hate group. At least it's a start. Shepard of course didn't put any of her inner monologging into an open forum. She simply continued to listen to the three of them as she led the way to their destination in the lower area of the markers. As it happened the office Liara pointed them to go was very close to the Barrier Frontier's kiosk.
"Officer Dara?" Shepard said walking into the Tracking Office.
"Yes, that's me." The officer looked up from her computer monitor, saw the distinctive wings of the Spectres on Shepard's blue and white stripped hardsuit as well as the smaller N7 insignia and sighed. "Ah, it's you, Commander Shepard. To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from an agent of the Special Tactics and Recognisance division?
Shepard got straight to the point. "I'm looking for an asari warrior named Samara."
Dara's blue face blanched several shades lighter. "Wait. Why? Do you have a problem...or did she kill somebody already?"
"Relax, I just need to speak with her." Shepard put out her hand to signal a halt in the slew of questions.
The officer visible shed her anxiety. "Good," a sigh of relief, "Samara is the first justicar I've seen up close. If I'm lucky things will stay peaceful. She went to the commercial space port a few hours ago. If you want to get there the pedestal on that balcony will summon a cab. Detective Anaya runs the local dock precinct." Dara leaned forward as to emphasize her next words. "Just be polite when you meet her. Justicars embody our highest laws and they usually stay in asari space. She's not used to dealing with aliens."
Sam frowned a little. That was exactly what Liara said. Samara wasn't accustomed to aliens. If that was true then this was going to be tricky. Hopefully she was simply unaccustomed to aliens and not xenophobic.
"Is Samara really that dangerous?" From what Liara said she got a different impression about the warrior—what was the real story here? There seemed to be a hail of conflicting reports.
"If you follow the laws you've got nothing to fear. And a Justicar would die without hesitation to protect the innocent. But their code orders them to stop lawbreakers often with lethal force in most cases. And everyone skits the law somehow on Illium. If someone tried to bribe her she'd be obliged to gun them down in a manner of honor. I'm hoping to avoid that."
Now Sam was more curious. "How come you're so concerned with other species coming in contact with her?" And why, she wondered, was Cerberus so interested in her and how did they even pray to entice her to serve their cause? By the sound of it any Cerberus agent attempting to get to her would be shot on sight.
Dara stared at Shepard for asking such a simplistic question. "If a Justicar kills an asari none of us questions it. But if she killed a human do you think the Alliance would understand her actions and respect her authority? You can't even figure out your own religions! It's a big diplomatic incident just waiting to happen!"
She had a point. Shepard had to agree there; there would be an uproar from the Alliance Consulate if that happened. Then bickering about unfair laws...she was a political shit storm waiting to happen and most of it would land on the human's shoulders for not keeping local custom and laws of a non-human planet.
"Tell me about the Justicars." Shepard wanted more than Liara's viewpoint; she wanted the views of another law enforcer. C-Sec and the Spectres were often at odds. Knowing if the Justicars and local law enforcement and security forces were the same or actually co-operated and in this case capitulated was useful information.
"They are a monastic order. They've given up their families and possessions to follow their code. Most of them are on some life-long mission but they will always stop any injustice they encounter, which can be a problem."
Which was what Cerberus was probably banking on: the injustice of the Collectors rubbing out so many colonies. They were playing on Samara's devotion to her code.
Dara looked at Shepard and shrugged "In some ways they are a lot like the Spectres undertaking personal missions."
"Spectres are authorized by the Council. Who do Justicars represent?"
"What?" Dara scrunched up her face into a heavy scowl. To her the question made no sense at all. Hadn't the human been listening? "That's like...I don't know a good human metaphor. They represent their Code. Our Code!" What couldn't be more simple to understand? The Justicar and the Code were one and the same, aliens were so thick sometimes, it was amazing to Dara they had even mastered intergalactic spaceflight. "It's more of a religious group than a legal branch. No law abiding asari would question a Justicar's orders. Nobody becomes a Justicar for personal gain. And they die before breaking their Codes."
Shepard nodded, gaining a better perspective on the upcoming crewmember. Codes she could deal with, hell she understood that kind of devotion, and even more she respected it. Even as a child Sam had lived by rules and regulations set down by her mother. It was a natural progression to follow them when she enlisted. There was a code to follow even as a Spectre. Regulations, codes and rules dominated the better part of Shepard's life, it was perhaps something she could relate to with the Justicar.
Liara said there were no greys in the Justicar's world, only black and white, every action dictated by a Code. If one understood the Code then there shouldn't be an issue to deal with those that kept it. Conflict ensued when one had no understanding of the obligations of the Code or those that held it. Hopefully such encounters could be avoided.
"Thank you for your help, Officer."
The asari nodded, "Spectre."
Turing her attention away from Dara, Shepard addressed her squad. "Lawson call the cab, let's move."
MEMEMEMEMEMEME
As the companions landed near the space port where Officer Dara had directed them they witnessed another cop marching determinedly up to a volus and his two turian bodyguards. With the hatch opening even as the skycar was landing, Shepard was just able to make out what the cop was demanding. If not for the white and gray uniform Shepard might have mistook the officer for the Justicar, but she tossed that aside fairly quickly. The demeanour just wasn't right. This woman was clearly a long time docks beat-cop, more than likely she was the detective Dara had singled out.
"Where do you think you're going?" the cop demanded forcefully.
The volus turned. "I'm taking my goods to Omega, Detective," he said as it was the most obviously thing in the world.
The cop held out her hand before her as a signal to stop moving and shook her head. "You're not going anywhere, merchant. Not until we solve this murder."
Murder? Hello. Shepard and the rest of the squad disembarked the vehicle and slowly approached the other group. She wanted to hear this.
"I had nothing to do with that! It was those mercenary thugs you can't seem to get rid of." The merchant's last comment was laced with condescension. The four from the Normandy winced in unison. Not the way to go if you wanted to win the favor of a cop.
"The victim was your business partner and I'm not ruling you out. I'll let you know when you can leave," Anaya said sternly.
If the volus merchant was sneering under his helmet no one could see it, but his body language sure as hell implied the expression was there. "What about that Justicar that just showed up? Everybody says she might go crazy and start killing! I need to leave!"
Defiantly not the way to go Shepard thought.
"She will only kill the unjust-so you have nothing to worry about Pitne For. Find me at the station if you need me." The cop turned and headed back into the station leaving the merchant and his guards to linger at the docks.
"I'm checking this out," Shepard tossed over her shoulder approaching the squat alien. "If Samara is after this murder we have a few snags if she's unwilling to leave before it's solved. I can't wait for Illium CSI to get their act together."
Pitne For was muttering under this breath as Shepard approached. Cursing his partner for being stupid enough to get himself killed on a world that actually observed the laws. If he was going to get shot, he should have had the curtsey to do it on a world like Omega that didn't give a pyjack's chrome ass if he lived or died.
"What do you want? I already have mercs wanting to kill me like they did my partner! I don't need any more trouble."
The twin turians stepped up but hesitated once they saw the Spectre insignia on Shepard's hardsuit then took a step back. They weren't paid enough to put their lives on the line facing a Spectre.
"As if that weren't enough," Pitne-For went on as if he hadn't noticed his lack of backup "an asari Justicar showed up this morning. All the natives are scared of her. I've got to get off this world!"
"Why so nervous? Has Samara actually done anything yet?" Shepard inquired
"The asari say that the Justicars are lethal in a fight and if they so much as smell corruption they start shooting." His respirator took in a long hissing breath, "The thing is corruption isn't that hard to find around here."
"Tell me how to find the Justicar," demanded the Commander.
The volus pointed to an area just beyond Shepard's right shoulder. "She's in the alley where my business partner was murdered. A detective sealed the area so you will have to talk with her if you want to go there."
A small nodded. "Why do you think it was mercenaries?"
"Dakni Kur was cutting through the back alley last night when someone killed him with a shot gun. I saw his body this morning—they used modded rounds. That means Eclipse mercs."
"You must know something about these Eclipse."
"I occasionally do business with them. But only in well lit places- with my guards. And only after creds clear. This is a scummy bunch even by mercs' standards. They sell red sand and all kinds of illegal items." He seemed very desperate to shift the blame and focus well away from him. "And they are all cold-blooded killers."
If they were dealing red sand and other contraband, Pitne For was no doubt one of their suppliers. It sounded like a deal gone wrong to her. Shepard asked, "Why would these mercs kill him, and why do you think they are coming after you too?"
Pitne For shrugged. "I have no idea. We're innocent merchants! But they killed him, so they must be after me too! I have to work the angles and get out if here."
Seems like you're trying to work the angles on me buddy-boy. No deal! And if you're innocent I'm a two headed thresher maw, Shepard thought. Aloud she said, "You don't seem too broken up over your partner's death." Shepard voice took on a defiant hard line edge to it.
The volus was either deaf to tonal inflections or he simply didn't care. "Dakni Kur knew the risks when he took to spacing. Right now my worry is me." He shook his head. "It's unhealthy to be a volus in Nos Astra port right now. Especially a volus named Pitne For!"
"I should go," Shepard said and turned on her heel heading for the one person who at least would give her an honest answer.
"That guy's dirty," Garrus muttered as they headed for the police station. "He makes my carapace itch."
"Yeah he makes my skin crawl too," Shepard nodded in agreement. "That detective should be able to shed some light. We need access to the alley anyway if we want to talk to Samara."
The detective, as Dara before her, had been typing up a report when her office was invaded. Looking up she titled her head slightly in an asarian version of a raised eyebrow. "Nice guns. Try not using them in my district. What can I do for you?"
"I'm looking for an asari warrior named Samara," Shepard said sitting down in the chair opposite the detective's desk. The placard on the edge of it proclaimed what the Commander already suspected; this was indeed Anaya.
"If you got a score to settle with Samara take it somewhere else-I've got more than enough trouble already." Anaya's voice betrayed her frustration and no doubt several days lack of restful sleep, if any.
"I need to recruit Samara for my mission, then we will be on our way. "
"Sounds important."
"It is," Shepard answered shortly.
Anaya was clearly impressed. "Justicars usually work alone, but they are drawn to impossible causes."
"We've got that covered," Tali piped up. "We're up against the Collectors and what their doing to human colonies. We're going to stop them."
"Huh! First it was Saren and his Geth and that Sovereign thing now the Collectors?"
"So you know who we are?" Miranda asked.
"How may human Spectres are there?" Anaya asked right back. "Look, if you're getting her out of my district I'll get you to her ASAP. She's at the crime scene."
"You're letting her into a sealed crime scene?" Shepard wondered just how closely related were they to the Spectres. It seemed they had the same authority or at least they had on asari worlds.
"I'm a cop—I'll work with a Justicar all I can." Anaya confirmed the Spectre's wonderings. "Besides, she's been looking at crime scenes longer than both our lifespans combined. She knows how to handle herself."
"You're awfully anxious to get Samara out of your district."
"My bosses want me to detain her. They're worried she will cause some cross-species incident. But her Justicar Code won't let her be taken into custody. If I try it she will be forced to kill me."
Shepard frowned-what kind of law enforcement officer was that?
"I have no interests in dying so if you lure her away with some big noble cause before I have to carry out my orders, I'd be thrilled to help you."
"Your superiors are sending you to certain death for no good reason. You have a right to disobey," Shepard said sharply.
"We can disobey suicidal orders?" Garrus jibbed quietly to the others. "Why wasn't I told about this?"
"That's about twice a day," Tali tossed back.
"Most of the time I'm not stupid about it. I can't say the same for Anaya's superiors," Shepard remarked.
This gained a fraction of a smile from the officer. "I'm a cop and I know my duty. I've been ordered to detain her and I will, unless I can get her to leave my district first."
"Samara would kill a cop?" This still wasn't making any sense to Shepard and more and more by the sound of it she's didn't want this woman on her ship. "That doesn't sound very just!"
"She would die defending an honest cop, but she'd fight an army of dirty cops to the death. I admire her dedication, but her presence is still a big problem. I need her gone before I carry out my orders."
"Understood. How do I get to the crime scene?"
Anaya gestured with her head. "It's around the corner-go outside, take a left. Look for the police line. I'll send word to let you in." Shepard made to rise but the asari's voice made her pause. "But be careful—the local Eclipse mercs have been all over that alley lately.
"This crime scene you mentioned. What happened?" Despite the fact the Commander knew Dakni Kur was killed she wanted the true facts, not some dirty slimeball's version of events.
"A volus merchant was killed. It was a professional hit. We're not sure if he was a junkie looking for a score and got tagged or if it was something else as a motive. I'm thinking it was the local Eclipse mercenary band, I can't prove it. But if the volus was dirty too then maybe it was a deal gone bad."
Exactly what Shepard and Garrus mutually thought.
Having fought the Omega Eclipse, Shepard knew the more details she had about them the better. The Omega branch loved their mechs and the majority had been salarians. But these were the 'Sisters' which meant asari—which meant heavy biotics.
"Eclipse mercs are professional killers; they sell red sand, trade illegal weapons tech-smuggle criminals off world. They control some back allies around here." Anaya scowled. "We haven't been able to find their nest yet though." The last words were spoken as if it was a personal slight against the Force that the Sisters hadn't been uprooted. It also sounded like a vow. Anaya was bound and determined to flush them out and bring them down.
Having heard conflicting reports and still unsure as to whether she wanted Samara as a part of her crew, Shepard had one last line of inquiry. "What can you tell me about the Justicars?"
"Humm... humans might call them warrior monks. They live by a complex Code that compels them to punish the wicked and protect the pure. They've been apart of asari culture for a millennia." A faint smile of distant memories fell across the asari's lips. "I read adventures stories about Justicars when I was a child. Seems every asari youngling wants to grow up and be a Justicar."
"What do you think of Samara personally?"
"She's been a Justicar for more than three of your lifespans. Whoever she was before she signed up that person is dead."
The opinions continually teeter-tottering almost made Shepard dizzy. "You seem nervous about Samara's presence."
A slight nod. "Asari admire Justicars. But we also know that they kill without mercy when they find corruption and Justicars never leave asari space. Why is she here?" Anaya shook her head. "I doubt it's to investigate some corrupt volus."
"Thank you." Shepard was now fully on her feet. "I have to go."
"We should find Samara before the detective goes after her." Garrus said.
"Shepard, considering who our team-mate is do you think it's wise to still um... bring Miranda?" Tali glanced to the older human woman.
Shepard looked to the Cerberus operative then to her most trusted companions. "If Samara goes after a member of my crew she doesn't get on my ship." It was the only thing she said before turning and heading in the direction the detective gave them. The answer stunned Miranda to the core. She had not expected to be defended. If anything she thought Shepard would turn her over to the Alliance or worse yet, allow this Justicar to kill her for being a part of Cerberus.
As soon as they crossed the holographic white and blue police line one of the patrol offices reported that Detective Anaya had told them to allow Shepard and her team though but that they should watch themselves due to the heavy merc activity in the alleys. They were apparently waiting for back-up before making a move.
Garrus leaned over and whispered to Tali. "Pft, Shepard is the only back up they need."
Tali grinned behind the faceplate. "And us of course."
"Oh that goes without saying."
Shepard turned to address her squad and told them she didn't mind the banter but now wasn't the time. After crossing the police line they were in the hot-zone. "Alright you heard those cops; we're going deep into heavy merc territory. I don't have to tell you to keep eyes and ears open, we have don't know the tactical situation of the area or enemy numbers. Watch your HUDs, watch the blips. Eclipse Sisters means asari and that means heavy biotics. Particularly watch out for singularities, warp-field deployment and shockwaves. So keep your barriers and shields up. They'll most likely be armed with shotguns and assault rifles though there maybe a few snipers. Eclipse love to use clankers, assume heavy mech use.
"Take offensive positions. I'll take point, Tali right flank; Lawson cover our six, Garrus walk drag, snipe anything in yellow and black armour."
"Copy that, Commander," the turian confirmed he had heard the order. He pulled the
M-98 Widow from the weapons rack on the back of his hardsuit with his finger flagging the trigger just as the others were doing the same. "I'm on it."
The alleyway looked more like a warehouse than streets. Massive cargo holders aligned the byway thus creating their own paths and 'structures'. On the left side going up was a small flight of stairs. Shepard signalled for her team to keep well alert and to take sides two by two, flanking each side giving each other the best cover possible in order to clear the blind corners. Looking to Tali, the Spectre tapped her left wrist twice on her omni tool then first making an 'O' with her fingertips she then whirled a single digit about in the air before using two fingers pointing at her eyes ending her pointing to the blind alleyway. The hand signals' message was clear enough: 'Send out Chatika to give us a visual.'
Tali closer her hand into a fist and nodded it as she did with her head 'Yes ma'am.' Obediently the quarian activated her omni-tool summoning her drone and silently typed in the commands that would send the little holographic device into the air far above their heads. The little orange globe bounced twice before whizzing straight up into the air and around the corner. Seconds later the Normandy's flagship ground team was awarded with a holographic depiction of the scene: four asari and two mechs surrounded by even more crates in a dead end. Not exactly dead end but it was partitioned off by waist-high duroplastic barriers and the open air. It was sheer dropdown or a hell of a long way up. Either way, unless the 'Sisters' had a gun ship they were cut off. In essence the Eclipse had cornered themselves into a murder hole. On the other hand the crates offered minimal cover for a fontal assault. Shepard's team would be forced into a bottle-necked approach.
"Get the rest of Bravo squad prepped. Alpha squad went after that Justicar twenty minutes ago and they've gone dark," one of them, presumably the platoon leader, said through Chatika's transmission.
Shepard singled the go-ahead for a tiered staggered advancement. In such a confined theatre for battle the two in front would be forced to near permanent crouch if the two covering their six were to engage without friendly fire. Taking the stairs at a measured pace Shepard dashed behind the crate to her left, Tali to the small alcove on her right. Miranda slipped in behind as did Garrus.
As soon as the turian was in position he raised the sniper rifle and took aim. Tali was already working on sabotaging the shields of enemy mechs even as Miranda began to overload the armor of the asari. Shepard pulled the trigger on the cryo-blaster hitting the first target square in the chest before the Eclipse sister could react to the intrusion. They recovered swiftly however.
"A Human! Open fire!" screamed the same vanguard who had barked the orders a moment ago. No sooner than she had her team members raised their assault rifles and fired, two of them threw well aimed warp fields. Had Shepard's team not already pulled up their barriers and shields the fields would have torn into their bodies like tissue paper.
"Deploying a high impact shot!" Garrus called out. The sound of his Widow rang out in the cluttered corridors. The shot craanged onomatopoeically into a mech's head and tore it clean off its metallic shoulders.
The second mech, now under Tai's control, turned on its masters and started shooting. It was cut down by one of the mercs but not before it had landed a kill shot to her gut.
At the same time the mech's head flew off by a sniper shot, Shepard pulled her biotics inwardly, pooling them into every muscle as she shot out from cover and rushed the two standing asari with her omni blade on her left wrist and katana in the other. Left in her wake was two bodies and puddles of purple blood, the Sisters clearly underestimated the human biotic.
A quick looting of the dead bodies revealed that the only things of pertinent value were a couple of credit-chits and thermo-clips. No Intel, no indication of enemy numbers or their locations. There was definitely nothing on the corpses that concerned the Justicar.
Any information was going to be utterly irrelevant in the next few moments regardless if the 'Sisters' had possessed information because after crossing the second police line and going through the a sealed hatch, the Shepard and her companions crossed paths with the one they sought. Their first introduction was something none of them was likely to forget in a very, very long time.
A body of an asari sailed screaming into the air landing mere feet away from the Normandy crew. The body splattered wetly on the ground, the head was crushed like an overripe melon upon impact. Four heads looked up.
Two and a half stories above the pavement, stalking like a sleek jungle cat, Samara approached her next pray. Her body enveloped in biotics, her face impassive, calculating, it held no expression in the face of the wrath that was held in that of her quarry's face.
"Those were my best troops!" gasped the lieutenant circling back away from the matron before her. Fear and anger clouded her voice as she spoke. Her Carnifax hand cannon pointing directly at the heart of the Justicar felt heavy in her trembling hand.
"Tell me what I want to know and I will be gone from here," Samara said smoothly as if asking for a cup of tea at a café. She held no weapon in her hand; her own pistol was still in the holster at her hip. She circled around following clockwise the merc's own movements. "Where did you send her?"
"You think I would betray her? She'd hurt me in ways you can't even imagine," the 'Sister' shot back shaking her head. She looked around her, her eyes frantically searching for back-up, a way out, anything to get the Justicar off of her.
Samara passed back the way she had come, never lifting her gaze from her pray. "The name of the ship," she demanded evenly in the same calm tone. "Your life hangs on the answer, Lieutenant." The Code demanded her to give this one a way out as she wasn't her primary target.
"You can kill me, but one of us will take you down Justicar!" The lieutenant foolishly believed she had a chance, a way out. She raised her weapon but her finger never got the chance to pull the trigger before she was hoisted straight up into the air by unseen hands and tossed over the Justicar's shoulder, through the plate-glass window and down onto the street below.
Samara sprinted the two steps to the broken pane, used her biotics to float her down to the ground and stalked up to the Eclipse Sister who was still alive. The younger asari crab-walked backwards for each step the Justicar took to get closer. Vainly the merc tried to cover her face with her hands but she couldn't stop the red booted foot from taking position at her throat.
The voice that spoke now was several degrees colder, more demanding. "What was the name of the ship she left on?"
The Eclipse Lieutenant struggled with the foot but it wasn't going to be moved. Defiant to the last she spat out, "Go to hell."
"Find peace in the embrace of the Goddess." The Justicar was standing at a perfect angle so that with a mere twist of her foot she snapped the neck caught between her heel. The crunching of vertebra was all that followed her words.
She must have felt the presence of others for when she looked up she saw two humans, a quarian and a turian approach her. All armed but none of them had their guns trained on her; in fact they were all locked in their places on the armor. Calmly she walked out from the scattered crates keeping her eyes trained on the obvious leader, the seemingly younger, dark haired human female.
"I am Samara, a servant of the Justicar Code. My quarrel is with these Eclipse Sisters, but I see four well armed people before me." Ss she spoke she continued to walk so that when she finished speaking was face to face with the leader. "Are we friend or foe?" the Code demanded such an introduction. What was to follow was up to them.
"I'm Commander Shepard of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance and I need your help on a critical mission, Samara." Shepard swiftly introduced herself then with an after thought added the greeting she had learned when a younger asari meets an elder they respect. She touched the fingertips of her right hand to her forehead then brought her hand down palm-side up as if to take in the tutelage and wisdom of the matron into her own open mind.
It was a very slight upward turning of the corners of the Justicar's lips but it was clear she was honored by the very formal greeting she had never expected of a human much less a Spectre.
"You honor me," Samara said her voice full of serenity. "But I am in the middle of an investigation."
Shepard wasn't going to be so easily turned down. "I'm going up against suicidal odds in taking down the Collectors and I need the best-that's you."
Even as she had been walking up the presence in front of her she now knew was the first human Spectre and Samara felt and saw the Commander's aura. It glowed a brilliant blue tinged only with the slightest of dark purples. In many ways it was nearer to that of a fellow Justicar's. There was a set determination and strength of will, pain soul deep and something more...something deeper still.
"I sense the truth in what you say, and it humbles me. The collectors are a worthy foe. I would relish the chance of testing myself against them. But I seek an incredibly dangerous fugitive." She turned away from the human and pointed to the bodies of the dead mercs. "I cornered her here but the Eclipse smuggled her offworld. I must find the name of the ship she left on before the trial goes cold." She looked back over her shoulder to Shepard hoping the young Spectre understood her position.
"I wish you were willing to go with the human, Justicar," a new voice said from behind the Spectre's crew. It was Detective Anaya. "I've been ordered to take you into custody if you won't," she fished. Clear regret laced the words spoken as well as the inevitable acceptance of what she knew was to follow.
Samara recognized the reluctance within the younger asari. "You risk a great deal in following your orders, Detective," she said pointedly. "Fortunately I will not have to resist. My Code obligates me to cooperate for one day. After that I must resume my investigation."
One might have thought the tension would have left the younger asari but her shoulders were as taught as ever. "I won't be able to release you that soon."
"You won't be able to stop me," came a causal if blunt response. She could not force the detective to disobey her orders and after a day the Code compelled her to fight her way to freedom.
Shepard stepped between them. Despite the calm visage there was clear tension. Both asari reluctant but willing to carry out the mandates of their callings, one their Code the other to her superiors.
"So wait, after a day you break out and kill anyone who gets in your way?" Tali asked
"I'm afraid so," Samara answered the quarian.
"Maybe there is a way to get what we all need," the human offered.
Samara's head nodded just a fraction. "I see a way. While I am in custody, you find the name of the ship. Do that and I will be free to join you. Then the Code will be satisfied."
That wasn't quite the answer Shepard was looking for but it was more of a positive one. "Tell me more about Justicars," she asked. The Spectre had a healthy respect for the other but she needed more Intel, a clear definition of what or rather who she was recruiting.
"We are individuals who have forsworn family, children—worldly processions aside from some weapons and armor. We travel asari space righting wrongs defined by the ancient Code set down a millennia ago."
"Illium might be dominated by asari but it isn't in asari space," Shepard pointed out.
"My quarry fled to this planet and I am sworn to hunt her down and I will follow anywhere she goes. It is rare for Justicars to leave asari space but I must follow her every move. If I suffer for it I accept that."
"A moment a go you refused to give up your hunt now you'll swear to follow me?" Shepard frowned. What kind of code what it that allowed its devotees to bend like that? One day in custody then you kill anyone that gets in your way the next...and on the other hand you get a clue to an investigation and allow the case to hang in the air awhile you join another cause.
Samara understood why the human was so confused. Without contest the Code might seem contradictory though it was anything but. "If I stay I will be compelled to kill many innocents to escape incarceration."
"Like me," Anaya tossed in which drew Shepard's attention before it was pulled back by the matron's serene voice.
"I may be killed-and my quarry will be free to continue her murdering. If I come with you and survive your mission I am free to resume my investigation. To do that I need the ship's name to track her next hiding place. It is a simple choice."
"It does make sense," agreed Miranda, "Any chance is better than no chance."
"They are not very good odds, but at least you still have them," followed Garrus to which Tali nodded her head.
"This Justicar Code seems quite strict," Shepard gave voice to her thoughts.
"It may seem so but this is my way. The expedient path may foster faster results but it does not make it the right one."
Shepard mulled this over for a moment, allowing the words to sink in and germinate within her consciousness. Her next words were an obvious choice. "Do you have any leads?"
"The volus merchant Pitne For is tied to this. The Eclipse mercs are preparing to kill him," Samara answered as she started to move towards the way out. With a slightly raised hand she motioned for Shepard to stand aside thus allowing her to move past. "Get the truth out of him. He may know a way into their base."
Explains why he's in such a rush to leave this planet behind thought the Commander.
Anaya stepped up to her 'guest', "Well I got to get back to my station. And, I guess I have to take you with me," her voice was maudlin. She sure as hell hoped Shepard was as good as they said she was and was able to find the name of that ship. Maybe she could call in sick tomorrow? Probably not. Damn it to hell and back. Maybe this was the price she was paying for sending her bondmate out on their vacation a week early and not going with her... to think she could have been on the sunny beaches of Serrice not guarding a Justicar and not dying in twenty-six hours. Blast and hell!
Samara's only answer to that was a head nod but she did address Shepard one last time before she left. "Thank you, Shepard. Their leader Wasea must have a record of the ship name. She may be more lucrative than Pitne For."
"Do you really have to take her in?" Shepard asked Anaya.
"Trust me; I'd release her right now if I could. It's an honor to have a Justicar here but I can do without the honor of having her kill me."
"I'd like to avoid killing you, Detective. Unfortunately the letter of the Code dictates that I must, I will. There is only the Code."
Anaya couldn't help but shudder. "She says this kind of thing like what to eat for dinner."
"You're not going to lock her up?" asked Shepard.
"Any attempt to put me in a passive restraint system will be regarded as a hostile action and I will be forced to attack," Samara said instructively.
"Yeah, that," Anaya said. "She gave her word she would come to the station. That's good enough for me and fortunately it's good enough for my superiors. Just get that name as quickly as possible."
"I will," Shepard vowed gaining a little better understanding of Samara and the Code, but she was still a long way off from fully grasping the depth of what the Code dictated and what it did not. It might be more of a hindrance if Samara was forced to choose to follow the letter of her Code and Shepard's orders. That was something she could never allow.
"Didn't I say that little bowling ball was hiding something?" Garrus quipped as the four companions watched the two asari depart. "Its amazing he's not leaving dust trails in his wake he's so dirty."
"But if he knows something why didn't Samara press him?" Tali looked at the fallen bodies of the Eclipse Sisters. "I mean she didn't give them much of a chance to hide what they knew, why is he still walking around? She wouldn't even have to do that boot-neck trick, all she'd have to do is pull the plugs on his methane tank and let in the atmosphere."
"Don't think it much matters right now," Shepard said. "Come on, let's just go find out what he knows."
It took less time returning to the port than it did going into the alleys, mainly because the companions didn't have to fight their way out as they did going in.
Pitne For looked up at the shadows crossing over him. His suit's optic registered the Earth Clan Spectre which caused him to puff out a sigh of relief when he saw that it wasn't the insane Justicar. "Hello again, Earth Clan. Did you speak to the detective?"
Shepard wasn't going to play the 'I'm-an-innocent-merchant-game' with this little shit and she was going to let him know it as well.
"You said you didn't know anything about any of this. You have one chance to change that statement. Why are the mercs after you?"
"What do you mean, Earth Clan? I'm just trying to get my goods off this station."
Shepard pulled her gun and pointed it at the manatee–basset hound like head of the volus. This was Illium after all; they had street rules just like Omega. Playing good-girl wasn't going to cut it. Not here.
The volus knew he had over played his hand. He cringed back and threw his arm up at the level of his eyes. "Oh Dear! Please put that away I'll be corporative I swear!"
"Tell me everything," the Spectre demanded her voice calm but cold, yet she could not keep the ghost of a sneer off her face.
Pitne For swallowed hard, his respirator making strained hissing notices trying to catch up to his hyperventilating lungs. "I smuggled a chemical that boosts biotic power in combat. It is also toxic." For a moment he turned his back on Shepard. His pacing was that of a trapped rodent.
Shepard's phantom scorn became etched in stone. Yet another asshole poisoning biotics!
"I may of um...forgotten to mention that to the Eclipse. So they are perturbed and want to kill me," he said almost matter-of-factly as if it was no real concern to him that biotics were dying because of his double-dealing.
"Sounds like you're a swindler and your actions finally got the better of you."
"True and true. But I haven't survived this long as a merchant without being able to tell when there is a deal in the making-you want something," he said smugly.
"The Eclipse recently smuggled someone off world. I need the name of the ship she left on."
"I don't know about their people smuggling operations." Pitne shook his bulbous head. "But they must keep records in their base." Pitne-For knew of course this titbit wasn't going to be good enough for the Spectre so he offered a little more. "I do have a pass card they issued me to bring my goods in. Well, they took that one," he shrugged, "but I happened to made a copy."
The merchant was just about to offer a deal for the purchase prize when he saw the Spectre flex the fingers of her fist making the knuckles pop one by one. So...no money then. Fine. "Here, take it. But be careful, each Eclipse Sister commits a murder to get her uniform. They are all dangerous."
"Pft, we've delt with their kind before," Garrus snorted "Ever hear what happened to them on Omega, in what they've come to call the Archangel's lair? That was us."
"Oh! Yes, that. Lost a lot of business when those three branches went down."
"Too bad for you. Guess you won't be killing any more biotics there with your 'goods', will you?" Miranda practically growled. The idea of the deliberate destruction of biotics had gotten under her skin as well.
"Tell me more about this chemical you smuggled in," ordered Shepard.
"It's called Minagen-X3. And it's very, very um...illegal. Anyone with biotic powers exposed to it becomes more powerful. The higher your exposure the more powerful you get. But too much of it and you die."
Shepard and Miranda shared a look. Right now letting the Eclipse Sisters go after this little shit seemed like a very good idea.
"That's the part the Eclipse found disagreeable." Again the volus' manner was nonchalant. He may not be as good at reading people as he claimed because he certainly missed that this news rankled both the biotics before him.
"You've been in the Eclipse base. What do you remember?" Distain dripped from the Spectre's mouth.
"It's a series of docking bays where the Eclipse keep their pirate ships. They are well armed and they've got mechs. And they are all murders. Like I said, everyone of them kills someone as a part of their initiation."
"You're not so innocent in taking lives either, Pitne For. If I find out one kid died because of this chemical I will personally hunt you down no matter where you go and I will put you away for a very, very long time. A Spectre's authority may not mean much out here on Illium but rest assured ...their law system won't take kindly to innocents dying."
"Maybe so, Earth Clan, but even here you have to have proof. And you don't have any," he drawled. "And Illium doesn't have innocents, everyone skirts the law here."
"I wouldn't be so arrogant," Tali shot back. The volus' indifferent attitude was grating on her as much as it was the others. She was half tempted to tell Chatika to poke a hole in his suit to see if his ego deflated, but she resisted the urge. "Isn't the detective waiting for proof you didn't have anything to do with you're partner's murder? She might find your apathy proof positive that you're as guilty as any of the Eclipse Sisters. You smell guilty and I could turn off my olfactory sensors in my suit and I would still smell your stink."
Shepard laughed at the quarian's cutting remarks. When she let it out Tali had a wicked sense of humor.
Pitne For's expression was unreadable and yet he came off as glaring at the 'clanless' vagabond.
Ooh that got you to shut up. Shepard smiled at her chief engineer. "We should go," she said to her squad, ignoring the volus. "We have a name to find and a detective to save."
As they strode for the elevator Pitne-For had indicated to, Tali turned to the only other human. "So how exactly was Cerberus going to press gain someone like Samara into your psychotic humans-only club anyway. If she will kill a cop for doing her duty what made you think she wouldn't kill you for doing your crimes?"
Miranda looked over her shoulder to the station then back to Tali and finally to Shepard. "That's were pressing Shepard into working with us came in. I doubt even I could have convince the Justicar to join us or that our intentions with the Collectors were pure."
"Yours might be Lawson, but I doubt your Illusive Man is that cut and dried. He's up to something. I feel it in my gizzard he's up to something dirty."
"Like I told Shepard, he'd be the first to admit he's no saint but he does want to stop the Collectors."
"But they're right, Miranda, what makes you think that's all he wants?" Shepard asked.
The older woman scratched the space under her clavicle. There was that blasted thing again! The thing was, she didn't know. Cerberus never wasted what they could use. And the Collectors have a hell of a lot of tech, most of it Reaper that her boss would love to get his hands on.
"You're silence is your answer," the Spectre commented.
Miranda was still silent when the four of them piled into the waiting elevator car.