A/N: Sorry for the long delay. Two reasons: (1) My company decides to deploy 'Cloud Servers', and that takes *a lot* of my time. (2) A 5.4kg 2-month old Bundle-of-Joy whose name is Stanley.
I dedicate this chapter to Stanley, my boy who doesn't realize he's still 2-month old yet already want to crawl, sit, walk, and talk :-)
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Private Dock 2205
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel
The three of them were trapped behind those cargo crates, shots from assault rifles and semi machine guns whizzing around them, some managing to hit the crates and chipping the boxes, bit by bit.
"We need to get to that control panel and shut the door!" Shepard yelled to his friends. "Or else they'll come in, and everything's lost!"
Garrus shouted back over the din, "It's a hail of bullets! We won't make it!"
"We have to!"
Thane glanced around his crate. A shot clanged against the crate's reinforced corner. He glanced at Garrus and Shepard. They were busy trying to peek around or over their cover, trying to land a shot that counts. He glanced back at the door, and saw the opposing forces coming nearer, almost reaching the entrance.
Taking a deep breath, he launched himself into a sprint.
"No, Thane! No!" Shepard and Garrus yelled as they saw their friend being mowed down by the force gathering outside the dock.
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Lazarus Cell —
— The Series
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Season 1 Episode 02
══ Ending and Beginning ══
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Nations will rise and fall. Wars will be lost and won.
Lives will begin and end. But a true friend is eternal.
~ Jon Koroluk
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Briefing Room 2
CSV MacArthur
"My sources in Citadel told me that security in Citadel has been increased since Shepard had been declared a wanted person," Thane spoke gravely. "They now insist on DNA tests for humans. It seems that entering through the passenger docks is out of the question."
"Not only that. They are closely watching the Serpent Nebula Mass Relay. Ships arriving at the Mass Relay will be intercepted by the Alliance first, before allowed approach to the Citadel," Garrus added.
"What? They perform space-boarding now?" Jacob asked, somewhat surprised.
"No, but they will... 'interview' the ship's captain, asking what business he has on the Citadel, who his contact is, where will you stay, and so forth," Garrus replied.
"All that for Shepard?" Zaeed remarked, shaking his head. "Bloody waste of resources, if you ask me."
Shepard just stood there, arms folded, brows furrowed in deep concentration. "What about the cargo delivery area? They strengthen the security there also?"
"Yes," Thane answered. "But there will be less guards there. We *might* be able to infiltrate, if a suitable diversion can be arranged."
"Hmm," Shepard scratched his lower cheek. "That means, we have to send in a diversion squad through the passenger docks. People who weren't on the Citadel's 'watch for' list."
"I can go in," Tali offered. "But a quarian on her own... well... you know what the Citadel people thought of us..."
"I will accompany you," Grunt suddenly piped up. "They wouldn't dare search for trouble with a krogan."
"Agreed. Citadel fear of krogan might still strong," Mordin concurred. "Two is not enough. Need at least four or five. I volunteer."
"With your broken horn, Mordin? I don't think so," Jacob said. "With all due respect, Prof, you'll stand out like a sore thumb."
"Broken horn, can be camouflaged. Silicone gel, with sepia and rust tint, easy to make false horn. Might not last long, but should suffice."
"Great idea, Mordin," Shepard approved. "That's three. What about you, Kasumi?"
"Aw, c'mon, Shep. You know me better than that. It'll be like walking in the park. Except easier. I'm in!"
"I can assist also, Shepard," Thane added.
"No, Thane, you'll be assisting me in the cargo area. I will be needing your stealth, just in case we have to take down unexpected guards. In addition, I'll be relying on your eidetic memory to guide me through the labyrinthine cargo area," Shepard said, getting a nod from the Drell.
"I will join the diversionary squad," Samara volunteered.
"You? With your bitchin' outfit? Get real!" Jack commented. "You'll be drawing attention like flies to a rotten corpse."
"Jack's got a point," Shepard said. "You need an outfit that's less... exotic. If you don't mind, ask Barbara for a nice, less... attention-drawing dress."
"I will," Samara nodded.
"Alright. Now, the infiltration team shall consist of me, Thane, Jacob, and Garrus. Jack, you and Zaeed shall stay on the docks. Try to keep people away from the ship. And Legion, I want you to assist Joker in watching over us. Patch into the Citadel's monitoring system, if necessary."
"Understood, Shepard-Captain," Legion affirmed.
"Fine by me," Joker quipped.
"One question, Shepard," Garrus raised a hand. "What's the rules of engagement?"
"Minimize casualty," Shepard bluntly said. "Do not fire unless your life is being threatened. And by 'fire', I also mean biotic powers."
"Aww, what's the fun in that!" Jack protested, folding her arms.
"There will be time for fun, but not now," Shepard replied sternly. "Alright, now to the second part of the mission: find and retrieve Kolyat. Who has any suggestion?"
"He's doing community service under Bailey's supervision, right? What about we pay the man a visit?" Garrus suggested.
"And walk right down the path into the lion's den? Thanks, but no, thanks," Jacob replied. "Why not just contact him and ask for information?"
"I concur. C-Sec communication, unlikely to be tapped. Except by salarian STG. But STG unlikely to be interested in Shepard like the Alliance. Possibility of success, significant. Recommend though," Mordin pauses to take a breath, "to send message from within Citadel. Communication from outside, suspicious."
"Then we'll need a place to lay low for awhile," Shepard said, scratching his lower cheek again. "Have to wait until Bailey's shift is over. Hmmm..."
"I like the sound of that 'Hmmm...', you obviously have something in mind," Garrus quipped, his mandibles flaring slightly.
Shepard grinned at his turian pal. "Tali, Garrus, what say you we pay a visit to good Dr. Michel again?"
"Ooh, I'd love to! I like her a lot. She helped me so much during my pilgrimage," Tali squealed with delight.
"Yeah, we know. We were there saving your bu— life, remember? ... Owww!"
Shepard shook his head. "No more shotgun lines, Tali?" he asked the quarian, half smiling half rolling his eyes.
"Action speaks louder than words, Shepard," Tali replied, mirth clearly heard in her voice, as she again resumed sitting nice and tidy after kicking Garrus in the shin. The said turian, however, sat there glaring at the quarian with the turians' equivalent of oh-just-you-wait-for-my-punishment look.
"But just barging on on this doctor... wouldn't that disturb her?" Samara asked, concerned about their etiquette. Or lack of it.
"Well, she *did* tell me, Tali, and Garrus to drop by when I'm in the Citadel... so I'm just taking up on her offer."
"I'm sure you'll like her, too, Samara," Tali added. "She's one of the most un-selfish individual I've ever seen in my life."
Samara nodded, smiling. "She is a just woman, then. I'll be honored to meet her."
"Alright, so we lay down low, meet Bailey, pick up Kolyat, then leave. Sounds easy to me," Jacob piped up.
"Except that we do not now exactly *where* Kolyat is doing his community service," Thane reminded.
Garrus suddenly went into a deep thought, "Hmm... that may cause some complications..."
"What do you mean?" Tali asked.
"If Kolyat's doing something menial for his community service, it would be easy. But what if his community service is done in a Citadel governmental facility? Or other places where there's a lot of C-Sec or Alliance people?"
"You have a point there, Garrus," Shepard replied, himself going into a deep thought of his own.
"We can just let the diversion team contact him. Or maybe even just two or three of us. No need to attract attention by having the whole group visiting him," Samara suggested.
"Look who's talking," Jack piped up. "An asari with an outfit men will do a double-take."
"Samara is right," Shepard quickly added before Samara got a chance to retort. "Only Thane and me will meet with Kolyat. The rest of you will secure a rapid transport back to the ship."
"Split into two groups again?" Garrus asked.
"No. This time, we'll barge through the passenger gate. Jack, Zaeed, when I gave you the signal, you open the gate from the inside."
Grunt punched his left palm. "That's more like it! Action, finally!"
"Do we get to kill people?" Jack asked, grinning gleefully.
"Try to make them unconscious but *alive*. Now Joker, make sure the ship's engines are warm. We may need to split immediately."
"You can count on me, captain."
"Good. Now, any questions? If not, then this briefing is con—"
Sounds of crashes, shouts, and general commotion from outside the Briefing Room interrupted Shepard's sentence. Shepard immediately turned around to face the door.
With a swish sound, the door slides open revealing...
"Miranda!"
She was still dressed in hospital garb, layers of bandage still wrapped around her head. It's apparent that she's still somewhat under the effects of drugs, judging from her hunching body, leaning against the doorframe.
"So, you're... leaving without me?"
"What are you doing out of bed, Miri? I thought you're still under orders to rest..." Shepard said as he briskly walked toward his girlfriend. A wise decision, for mere seconds later, Miranda tumbled.
"Oww... my head..." she hissed in pain as Shepard deftly caught her in his arms. "... hurts ..."
There were sounds of people running to the briefing room, and within a couple of seconds, Shepard saw Dr. Chakwas and Dr. Karlsson, accompanied by three nurses, worry clearly etched on their face.
"Captain! Sorry... she insisted to see you, even taking one of the nurse hostage."
Shepard just smiled; he couldn't stop his growing admiration for the woman he loved.
"I... I couldn't let you go... just like that..." Miranda spoke haltingly, as she tried to stand up straight, still in the embrace of the captain.
"Shhh, it's okay, sweetheart. I'll be back in no time," Shepard softly replied, trying to calm her.
"I... I keep having nightmares... someone will die... Shepard... please... please don't go..." Miranda implored, begging to him, tears running down her cheek, as she rested her head on his chest plate.
"Shhh, don't talk like that... No one's going to die. Especially, not me," Shepard cooed to her, supporting her weight with his left arm, and carressing her cheek with the back of his right-hand fingers. "Look at me," Shepard said, making her turn her face towards him. "I'll be back. Safe and sound."
"P... promise?"
"I promise. And this is a promise I can guarantee, this time," Shepard replied, smiling lovingly at her.
Finally satisfied, Miranda smiled back... and passed out. Promptly the nurses stepped in and gently carried her out to a gurney, accompanied by a very concerned-looking head-shaking Dr. Karlsson.
"Will she be okay, doc?" Shepard asked Chakwas, who was still standing there.
"She'll be okay. Only that the past twelve hours, she's been mumbling in her sleep, moaning again and again, 'No, no, don't die!'," Chakwas sighed and shook her head. Looking at the captain dead in the eye, she added, "I have a bad feeling about this mission. Stay safe... Theo."
Shepard just nodded as Dr. Chakwas turned around and left.
The rest of the squad, even Jack, had the decency enough to not comment on what had just taken place in front of their eyes, busying themselves with soft chit-chats.
"Alright, squad. Let's go."
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~ o ~ O ~ o ~
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"Happy Thoughts" Catamaran
Near the Valhalla Threshold Relay
"Now I *still* think 'Happy Thoughts' a stupid name for a ship, but I can guess where you got it, captain!" Joker exclaimed gleefully as he executed another tight S-split turn.
"Can you... please just... pilot this damn boat straight?" Jacob protested from one of the plush chairs, his face having an unhealthy greenish tint.
"Hey! I thought you used to be a Corsair hotshot!" Kasumi teased the soldier.
"Corsairs don't fly twisting and turning into the lion's mouth. Straight in, straight out," Jacob meekly retorted before he groaned, "I'll *never* eat venison again."
Grunt murmurred something that sounded like 'weak', followed by a shaking of his head, as the krogan returned to his reading.
"Whaddaya talkin' about, Taylor!" Zaeed gleefully yelled. "This is one damn fun ride! Reminds of the time when I had to scram away from those bloody eclipse after stormin' their base. Why I had only this damn creaky-old shuttle..."
The other passengers of the ship just groaned as Zaeed started to recount yet another (obviously dramaticized) tale of his 'escapades'. All except Jack, who grinned and looked at the old merc with fascination.
Shaking his head, Shepard returned his gaze to the front-facing window. He was seated in the co-pilot's seat beside Joker. Even though he couldn't steer a catamaran if his life depended on it, he still found it fascinating to sit there behind the expanse of the forward viewport, watching the stars.
Yet his mind was thousands of miles away, as he recalled Miranda's words.
"You know, if you were Kelly sitting beside me, I would've rubbed your thigh and say, 'a penny for your thought.'"
Shepard managed to snort a chuckle. "I'll take the penny but you can spare me the rubby. No... nothing serious."
"Let me guess, you miss a certain female who usually struts around with skin-tight suits."
"Yes. Partially. Mostly I kept thinking about her ... nightmares."
The cockpit area went silent for awhile, only punctuated by the voice of Zaeed telling more of his tales, interspersed with groans and protests of disbelief from his involuntary listeners.
Suddenly the two humans felt a presence behind them. Turning around real quickly (or, as quick as he dared, in the case of Joker) they saw Thane slipping himself in a jumpseat behind Shepard.
"Geez! You scared the bejeebus out of me, Thane!" Joker exclaimed. "Stop doing that!"
"I'm sorry. Old habits die hard, I guess," Thane replied.
"Easy to see why they call you the galaxy's best, Thane," Shepard said, smiling.
Thane smiled back.
"So. What brings you up here to join us two traitorous humans, Thane?" Joker asked, turning back toward his controls.
Thane just shrugged. "I don't know exactly. Maybe I'd like to speak with you, Shepard. If you're not busy at the moment."
"Sure thing, Thane. Uh, is this something private?"
Thane shook his head. "No, it's alright for Joker to hear."
"Okay. So, what's up?"
Thane coughed once before continuing, "I have been thinking of what Miranda said, before we left the MacArthur."
Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"
"The one where she said that someone's going to die."
Shepard looked at Thane's face in silence for a couple of seconds before carefully continuing, "I think that's just some nightmare. Don't lose your sleep over that."
Thane shook his head. "No, Shepard. I do believe that is a bad omen. Remember I told you once about our belief? About how our souls and our bodies are separate?"
Shepard nodded.
"Dreams are part of a soul's life, just like memories are. But what differs dreams from memories, is that dreams are messages from the gods. Premonitions of things to come, instead of reminiscences of things that have passed," Thane explaines.
Shepard just sat there in silence.
"Shepard, if the time comes, please remember what you have promised." [1]
Shepard looked into the drell's eyes, and solemnly said, "I will."
There was a moment of silence as the drell and the human sat there, face to face, in understanding of each other.
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~ o ~ O ~ o ~
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"Happy Thoughts" Catamaran
On approach to The Citadel
The passage through the Citadel's Mass Relay was uneventful, and so was the cursory 'interview' with the Alliance frigate that approached them after the mass relay transit.
"So far so good," Garrus spoke first. "Let's hope that our infiltration will be as smooth."
"I doubt it," Thane remarked. "The Alliance frigate's captain seemed truly bored. Understandable, for this is not their duty. But the C-Sec; doing checks against people is one of their routine jobs."
"I was afraid you're going to say that," Jacob said glumly.
"The plan still holds, then, folks," Shepard commented. "Prepare your tools."
"Approaching Citadel. We're being hailed by by Citadel control," Joker called out from the cockpit.
"Alright. Samara, Mordin, yours."
Samara stepped up to the cam, and answered the hail.
"Citadel Control to ... um, 'Happy Thoughts.' Please state your intended business." A human greeted the asari through the vidlink.
"Greetings, Citadel. I am Matriarch Lwaxana T'roi of the asari republics. I came here with my mate to visit a dear old friend of mine."
Shepard couldn't help but admire the way Samara had tranformed herself into. Instead of her warrior outfit, she was wearing a greek-style light brown-colored dress, with a matching headdress, to boot. Her demeanor also changed, from a stern justicar into a noble matriarch. It suddenly pangs his heart when he realized, had it not been for Morinth, she *would* be a matriarch by then.
"Greetings, Matriarch. May we inquire the identity of your friend? We apologize beforehand, but this is a new security procedure being implemented."
"Her name, is Sha'ira."
"The asari consort? I see."
"Indeed. My good man, it will be very appreciated if you can provide us with a private dock. Due to my... uncommon relation with my salarian mate, we would much prefer to stay away from prying eyes. Credits will not be a challenge. If necessary, an upfront transfer will be provided."
There was a hush of silence as the human controller raised an eyebrow, undoubtedly thinking how... unusual for a long-lived asari to enter a relationship with a hypermetabolizing salarian. But to his credit, the human controller maintained his modicum of politeness.
"I see. I will transfer you to the Dock Authorities of the Kithoi Ward. They will certainly be able to provide you with VIP berthing."
"Thank you, my good man. Now, is there anything else you wish to inquire?"
"No, that would be all, matriarch. I apologize for disturbing your time. Enjoy your stay at the Citadel. Citadel Controller out."
As soon as the commlink shut, Samara turned around to see many eyebrows raised.
"Kithoi Ward Docks, eh?" Jacob was the first to comment. "That's real VIP. When I stayed at the Citadel, only dignitaries — or billionaires — are allowed berthing there. You surely impressed the man enough, Samara."
"More like VVIPs, actually. Hmm... Someone must've pulled on some strings to allow us to dock at the Kithoi Ward," Garrus mused, rubbing his mandible. "In any case, the security there is much more toned down. C-Sec didn't dare disturb the comfort of the VVIPs. I don't think infiltration will be difficult. Possibly no need for diversionary tactics."
"Still, it's a long way to the Zakera Ward," Tali added. "We might not be able to make a rapid exit."
"Then we won't go to the Zakera Ward," Shepard decided, as he sat on an empty seat. Resting his elbows on his knees and tenting his fingers, he mulled for awhile before asking, "Joker, how much time do we have?"
"About forty minutes, captain."
"Alright, change of plans. This is what we're going to do..."
The squad huddled in a circle as Shepard told them the new plan.
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~ o ~ O ~ o ~
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Citadel Space Traffic Control
The Presidium at The Citadel
"Ali, I have to take a leak. Could you take over my queue for awhile?" the human controller said to the turian controller sitting beside him.
"Sure, Brad. Taking over in 3... 2... 1... done. Have a nice leak," Ali replied, quickly adding, "Uh, bad metaphor?" as she saw Brad rolling his eyes.
Smiling Brad just said, "I really need to give you a course in human metaphors over dinner."
Ali just flared our her mandibles, and asked, "That a promise? Dinner date tonight?"
"That's a promise," Brad replied, winking as he rose from his seat.
"Going somewhere, Mr. Smith?" a stern-looking human asked Brad as he was about to exit the room.
"I need to go to the bathroom, sir. Ms. Aletheia Jolius is handling my queue while I'm away." The turian waved her hands to emphasize Brad's report before going back to her queue.
"Alright. Don't take too long. We expect more traffic in the next 30 minutes."
"Something I should know, sir?"
"Just a bunch of salarian bigwigs visiting the Council. They'll dock at Kithoi, no doubt bringing a lot of their newest espionage toys. But that's not our concern. Our only concern would be the number of entourage ships they are bringing in."
"I see. I'll be back as soon as possible."
Brad left the ATC room and went upstairs. He prefer using the men's bathroom upstairs because it's less used. Entering one of many empty stalls there, he sat down and typed a message into his omni-tool.
—
From: Brad Smith
To: Donnel Udina
Subject: They are arriving
Sir,
I have directed the "Happy Thoughts" catamaran to dock at the Kithoi Ward, per your instruction.
Rgds,
—
Brad
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~ o ~ O ~ o ~
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Near Private Dock 2205
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel
"This uniform is itchy!" Joker protested vehemently. "Why can't I just wear my 'I Kicked The Ass of a Spectre and Lived to Tell About It' T-Shirt? It's 100% genuine cotton, and much more comfortable than this!"
Joker was, for a change, wearing a light brown jacket with matching trousers, over a cream shirt, with a brown tie.
"Sorry, Joker. No can do. Now you have to play the part of a personal pilot of a very influential asari matriarch," Shepard replied, smiling, as he himself donned the same outfit.
"Come on, Joker. You look good in suits," Jacob teased him.
"And you look like a damn stockbroker yourself," he shot back.
"Don't forget these," Kasumi handed out Balmoral bonnets[2] to the three humans.
"What? I'm so *not* wearing bunny tails on my head!" Joker exclaimed in disgust.
"So what Joker? You think you're fucking uncomfortable! Fuck, I have to wear this... this... fucking outrageous SKIRT!" Jack shot back.
Joker mentally calculated his chance of survival against an irate Jack. Finding it nil, he decided to just swallow his embarrassment and shut up.
Zaeed crept up behind Jack and tapped the girl's shoulder. "For what's it worth, I think you look beautiful in one, queenie. Besides, we make a good bloody match," he said with a wink.
Zaeed's words calmed Jack a bit. "Yeah right... just don't expect to see me wearing fucking skirts again in a short time... if ever!"
"Fortunate that MacArthur provided us these outfits. Never expected these. Very good fit, even. Like tailor-made. Interesting," Mordin piped up, as he tried out his salarian garb, also in brown theme, except with dark brown highlights.
Shepard shrugged. "The Illusive Man must be behind this. I never ordered them. When we're leaving, Captain Van Persie told me to check out the cargo."
"Hmph. Nice of him," Jack commented sarcastically.
Seeing all squad members — except Thane, Kasumi, Garrus, Grunt, Tali, and Legion — had donned their outfits, he repeated their plan.
"Alright. Now, Joker would be Samara's personal pilot, and Tali's her mechanic, so you both must disembark with Samara and Mordin to arrange for flight supplies. Zaeed and Jack, you both also disembark for cabin supplies. Grunt will act as Samara's personal bodyguard. Jacob and I will tend the cargo, to help Garrus pass the checks. Legion will stay aboard and man the sensors. Thane, Kasumi, you both can take care of yourselves, right?"
Thane just nodded, while Kasumi cheerfully answered, "Yes we can, Shep!"
"Alright. After insertion, Joker, Zaeed, and Jack will all return aboard. The rest will find a way to stay low, contact Bailey and arrange a meet with Kolyat. Joker, take us in."
Joker brought in the Happy Thoughts onto Private Dock 2205 smoothly, even when handicapped by the claimed-to-be-uncomfortable outfit. Soon, the magnetic clamps steadied the ship with nary a jar, and he hailed the Dock Authorities.
"Kithoi Docks, the Happy Thoughts catamaran has docked successfully. Request permission to disembark."
"You have permission to disembark," a voice from the other end of the commlink repliad. "And I have to commend you; that was the most perfect docking I've ever seen in my entire life. Perfect position. Almost no need for mass effect adjustment. Well done, pilot."
Joker shut the commlink, and turned around to face the squad, his face smug with pride. "Say again who's the damn best pilot in the galaxy."
Sheard grinned and flashed a thumb up to the pilot. "Okay, damn best pilot in the galaxy, open the doors and let us disembark."
The squad disembarked, led by Samara and Mordin who walked down the ramp, her hand held in his.
A turian and a human greeted the 'couple'. "Welcome to The Citadel. I am Crassus Lavariss, the dockmaster of Kithoi Ward Docks." the turian said with great decorum.
"Nice to be of your acquaintence, Mr. Lavariss. I am Matriarch Lwaxana T'roi of the Asari Republics. And this," she turned her head to face Mordin, "is my mate."
"I am Nasurn Seluma Aegohr Riposte Tarden Shosta [3]. More commonly known as, Tarden Shosta. We prefer, no one knows of our status. Gossip, not good," 'Tarden' paused to breathe. "Live coverage by Galactic News Network, worse. Will end up in 'Oddities of Galaxy', no doubt."
'Lwaxana' nodded. Inwardly she was very impressed at how Mordin acted so expertly. "And this here," she gestured to Joker, Tali, and Grunt, "is our entourage. Our pilot Jeffries, our mechanic Shiya, and our bodyguard Gord." The human, the quarian, and the krogan nodded as they got introduced one by one.
"We are honored to know you all. I assure you that here, your privacy is guaranteed. The Kithoi Ward Docks treats its client's privacy *very* seriously," Lavariss replied, again very decorously. "And this is my deputy dockmaster," the turian added, gesturing to the middle-aged human beside him.
"Arnold Greene, at your service," the human introduced himself, nodding politely.
"Mr. Greene will tend to your needs as long as you dock, including any... discomfort if there are to be snooping eyes. Now, if you please, let us take care of the usual formalities so that you will not be impeded from your itinerary any longer."
"We will need to bring our pilot and our mechanic to arrange for the needed fuel and perhaps any spare part for our journey back to the asari republics. And also my flight attendants will need additional supplies," 'Lwaxana' explained.
"Certainly. Your needs will be taken care of at the office. Mr. Greene will assist your flight attendants."
Samara, Mordin, Joker, Tali, and Grunt left with Lavariss, leaving Greene with Shepard, Jacob, Zaeed, and Jack.
"How may I help you, sirs and ma'am?" Greene inquired.
"Please, just call me Ted," Shepard replied. Gesturing to Jacob, 'Ted' added, "LeBron and me, we have to discard some waste. While Zee and Jacqueline," he gestured to Zaeed and Jack, "have to acquire food supplies."
"I see. Well, the refuse processing is over there," Greene pointed to a door near the back end of the ship. "As to supplies, there is a supermarket here at the docks."
"Can you take us down there, Arnold," Zaeed drawled.
"But of course," Greene replied. "Ted, I will be accompanying Zee and Jacqueline to the supermarket. Afterwards, I need to get back to the office. I have to oversee a group of salarian VIPs docking in. Anyways, if you need something, you can use the terminals here to page me," he said to Shepard, indicating at the terminals lined up on one side of the berth. "Now, if you will excuse me."
"Of course," Shepard nod back politely. After 'Zee' and 'Jacqueline' left with Greene, he turned to Jacob, and whispered, "Now, that's smooth."
"Too smooth," Jacob replied. "I already see three security cameras. Garrus still must go out in the crates. And we can't use the terminals here to contact Bailey. Too traceable."
Shepard nodded affirmatively as he made his way back aboard the ship. Inside, he tapped his omni-tool, and opened a comm line with Thane and Kasumi. "Thane, Kasumi, infiltration successful?"
"We're in the wards," Thane replied. "We'll be scouting for suitable place to regroup here before we continue to the Zakera Ward later today."
"Good. Text us all when you find one. Shepard out."
Ten minutes later, a pair of humans can be seen carting out a crate through the refuse processing door.
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~ o ~ O ~ o ~
·
Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel
"Now this is a nice place. Totally worth getting smuggled out of a ship in a crate," Garrus quipped. He was sitting on one of the sofas, his left hand holding a glass of dextro-wine, his right wrapped around Tali, who was leaning tenderly against his torso, sipping a glass of the same liquor through a straw. "Why can't we always stay in places like this when we go on a mission? They even have dextro snacks and liquors!"
"Have to admit, humans know best the concept of comfort, luxury, and sumptiousness," Mordin concurred, the salarian opting for a non-intoxicating blue-colored drink. "Not efficient, but every once in a while, why not?"
"No complaint from me," Grunt piped up, enjoying his bottle of Ryncol. "Damn good Ryncol. I might pass out."
Tali pulled out the straw from her suit's feeding orifice, and added, "Yes, back in the flotilla, all this space will be considered a waste. Still, nice place to crash in. The quarters at the MacArthur are nice, but this..."
"You got that right," Jacob exclaimed from the far end of the room, smoking a cigar. "Damn! Genuine Havana cigars! Compliments of the house! I bet it cost a fortune to have these imported; even from Bekenstein!"
"You should say, due to being imported *through* Beke," Kasumi corrected. "Those damn Bekenstein importers placed a hefty markup for all products that go through their hands. Of course, that makes them filthy rich, so they're good jobs. A heist on Beke is sufficient for me to live luxuriously for six months."
Shepard just smiled at the squad's enjoyment of the room. "Well, enjoy it while it lasts, people. Thane and I will take a walk."
The squad gave the two men the customary 'see you later's and 'be careful's. As they were about to enter the elevator, Samara approached them. "Shepard, Thane, do you mind if I tag along?" She was already wearing her usual warrior outfit.
Thane and Shepard looked at each other, before giving in. "No problem. Let's go."
The elevator ride was nicely fast, one more indication of the human influence in the design of the hotel. In no time at all, they found themselves leaving the hotel lobby and strolling around the streets of Kithoi Ward.
"Funny. I've been to Citadel several times, but never visited Kithoi Ward," Shepard pondered. "Always stayed at Zakera Ward."
"So am I, Shepard," Samara said. "Although mostly I jaunted all over the galaxy to search for... her."
"I've been here twice. Always a job," Thane allowed. "No time to admire the view. Which is good."
They stopped at an open plaza. The view around them was awe-inspiring. Unlike the all-business metallic color theme of the Zakera Ward, the Kithoi Ward was awash in earth colors. Shades of sepia, light brown, faint green, and light blue were all around them. The throng strolling around them were also not the hurried rush of people like they usually met in Zakera Ward, but more relaxed... and much more upscale.
The three of them sat on a crescent-shaped bench on the plaza, in silence as they give time to their senses to drink and enjoy the atmosphere.
It was Samara that broke the silence.
"Thane, how long did you leave Kolyat?"
Thane took a deep sigh. "Too long. When I left him, he was just a scared ten-year old boy. When I found him, he was a lost eighteen-year old man, down his path of destruction."[4]
"Eight years?" she said softly, her words more a statement than a question. "Did you not miss him all those years?"
"The desire to avenge Irikah's death had consumed my soul, I shut myself to my son," Thane replied, regret deeply etched in his face. "The rage subsided after I killed those responsible for her death, leaving just a regret. Something I hope I can atone for."
"You have been given a chance. Please do not let that to waste," Samara spoke softly.
"Thank you. I won't," Thane promised. "What about you?"
"Uh, what?" Samara asked, quite surprised.
"About you. Your kids. Or, did you not have any?"
"I...," Samara choked as she tried hard to control her emotions.
Realizing her distress, Thane quickly said, "I am sorry, Samara. If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to tell me anything. I will understand."
"No... I... I will tell you...," she tried real hard to control her breathing, and finally succeded. Taking a deep breath, she started, "This... has been a burden I've carried with me for four centuries. And only recently had I shared this... burden with someone else. With Shepard." She nodded back when she saw Shepard, who sat on the other side of Thane, nodded when his name was mentioned.
"I have... killed my daughters."
Thane sat there upright, struck hard by her statement. But he decided to keep silent, to let Samara explain further.
"I mated with another asari. She's a pureblood, like me. We had three beautiful, intelligent daughters. And all three were found out to be... ardat-yakshis."
"'Demon Of The Night Winds'," Thane replied, softly.
Samara looked at the drell with surprise. "You know about ardat-yakshi?"
"Let's just say, that I once had a ... job, involving one," Thane replied. "They mate with others, and in the process burn out their partners' nervous system. Impossible to diagnose during childhood, but testable upon reaching maturity. Most voluntarily entered the ardat-yakshi monasteries. Some didn't. It was one of those... runaways, that I was contracted for." [5]
"I see," Samara nodded. "That was what happened. My oldest had an... accident. My second took the test. They both voluntarily entered the monastery. But my youngest...," Samara took a deep breath to prevent her voice from breaking. "She rebelled, ran away, and started a spree of murder across the galaxy.
"I was racked with guilt. So I took the oath of the justicar, and promised myself that I will stop my youngest's destruction, even if it costs me my life."
Samara stood up and took a couple of steps away from the bench, her back against the men. She doesn't want Thane and Shepard to see how devastated she was, as she added, "And thus, I sealed the fate of my daughters. The day I sworn to carry out the duties of a justicar, Rila and Falere — my oldest daughters — lost their mother to the Code. And the day I met my youngest, I lost her forever to the goddess."
Samara tried hard to control her emotions.
But still, a teardrop managed to find its way down her left cheek as she continued, "Now, after I stopped my youngest for good, what do I have left? Nothing, but the Code, and a regret that will haunt me for eternity. A regret over a mistake I will never have a chance to atone for."
Rubbing that wayward teardrop from her cheek, Samara spoke softly to Thane, without turning to face him. "That is why Thane, please, do not waste this second chance you have been given. I wish to spare you the devastation I felt."
Thane stood up and approached Samara. To everyone's suprise, including the drell himself, he hugged Samara from behind. "What was past is past," Thane spoke. "Regret will not ever bring back the dead. It is to honor their memories that we must continue living, and correct what we have the power to."
Samara turned around in Thane's embrace, and laid her head on the drell's chest. "Thank you for listening, Thane. And those are beautiful words."
Shepard just sat there, watching everything that had just unfolded before his very eyes with awe. He let the drell and the asari stood there embracing each other, before he stood up himself, and gently spoke, "Thane, Samara, let's find a public terminal and send Bailey a message."
Thane reluctantly released his embrace, and Samara elegantly separated from him. Both nodded at Shepard and followed the captain to a nearby terminal.
·
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
·
C-Sec Headquarters
Zakera Ward, The Citadel
Captain Bailey was enjoying an uneventful day. More so because he had planned to have half his day off. Finally he'd have the chance to speak with his estranged son over the vid-link. A 'ding' from his personal terminal, however, filled him with a sense of foreboding. He turned to face the terminal, and tapped the 'Read' button.
—
From: Anonymous
To: Capt. Bailey
Subject: Drell meeting
My drell wishes to meet yours, talk with him, and take him home. Let's talk about this, say, in the Wings of Gold bar at Kithoi Ward, 21:00 tonight. Time is of the essence.
Your Friend
—
S
—
Bailey sighed. His desires were torn between wanting to meet this 'S', or still taking the rest of the day off.
Finally he made up his mind. "Lieutenant O'Connell! I think I have to cancel my plan of going off early. Have Kolyat Krios report to me this evening, after shift end."
I'm sorry Tommy[6]. I'll make it up to you. Somehow.
·
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
·
Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel
Sunset at Kithoi was a sight to behold. Unlike the abrupt cut-to-nightfall that the all-business Zakera Ward prefer, the Kithoi Ward authorities had decided to gradually tone down the artificial lighting, to superficially resemble sunsets, although minus the setting sun itself.
Thane was sitting alone on the balcony — sealed against the vacuum outside, of course — enjoying the ever-changing scenery of Kithoi sunset.
His mind recalled one of the many sunsets he'd experienced, when his Irikah was still alive. When Kolyat was still a boy. When they were still... a family.
·
The sun of Kahje slowly touches the horizon. A smell of spring is in the air; of grasses growing, of flowers budding, of life beginning cycle anew.
Irikah is beside me, leaning on my shoulder, eyes closed enjoying the moment. The last minutes when the day dims, and night takes over. She is breathing contentedly, her hands resting on my chest. I can smell her soft perfume wafting through the air.
I rub her cheek with the back of my hand. I glance over the field, away from the tree I am sitting against. There, over there, I see Kolyat running around happily, chasing a flying insect he just found in the bushes.
I call out to him. "Son, day is ending. Let's go home."
He looks at me with a pained, disappointed expression. "Aw, dad. Can't we stay for a little while longer?" he whines.
"No, Kolyat. We are going to eat out tonight, remember? Come now. Let's go home, change clothes, and prepare for our dinner."
My wife smiles at me. Gently, she says to me, "You haven't forgotten your habit of punctuality, it seems, Thane."
I smile at her. "It is what I am. I am not like you, who must always be late."
She snuggles closer to me. "And if I hadn't been late for my shuttle, we would have never met."
My smile goes wider, and I kiss the top of her head. "Yes. It was... the mysterious ways of Arashu."
Kolyat seems to have resigned himself to his fate, although not without sulking. Bearing one of his most intense — but at the same time, cutest — frowning face, he approaches us.
Jacob's yell from inside the penthouse broke his reverie.
"Dinner's here! Come and get it while it's still hot!"
Thane didn't feel like dining. He was so anxious to meet his son again, that hunger was completely forgotten.
We have returned to our home, the three of us. The night is complete, and young Kolyat is already yawning continually.
Irikah and I tuck our little boy in his bed. "Dad? Mom?" my son, fighting his sleepiness, tries to say something.
"Yes, Kolyat?" Irikah replies.
"Today's a *yawn* beautiful day. Will it be like this for the rest of our days? You, me, and dad? Always together?"
My wife smiles. "Of course. Now, go to sleep, Kolyat."
Kolyat finally gives in to his drowsiness as he mumbles, "I love you, mom. Dad."
We watch our son slipping into a peaceful sleep; his breathing calm and contented. Silently, we slip out of his room.
Irikah seems to be in deep thought. I gently ask her, "Something in your mind, love?"
She turns her head to face me, a sad smile upon her beautiful face. "I... I am just thinking... will we always be like this, Thane? Will... won't your job... what if... what if I lose you? What will I say of our promise to Kolyat?"
I look into her eyes, and with conviction, I reply, "I will be retiring. Although I do not know what talent I have but for destruction, I will retire. For you, and for Kolyat."
Irikah smiles at me. That beautiful smile that she reserves for me, and me alone. The smile that always manages to melt my heart. Every time. Then she leans against my chest.
"Promise me you'll never leave us. Promise me you'll always come back to us... for us. Promise me... we'll always be a family."
"I promise."
·
Thane snapped back to reality. I promised her, he mouthed silently. He pulled his legs to his chest, folded his arms around his knees, and broke down in sobs.
I am... sorry i have... broken my promise to you... Irikah... Kolyat...
·
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
·
Jathra-Amun Elementary School
Zakera Ward, The Citadel
Kolyat was about to call it a day. All his duties were finished, and he felt good about it.
Indeed, he had had a good day. As part of his community service, he had spent the day with duct rats, helping them with basic education. They looked upon him as a big brother, and it never cease to lift his heart to see the hope glimmering in their eyes, the hope that one day they will leave their poverty behind.
But that didn't mean the day was not exhausting. It was, and particularly so as today, he led them through calisthenics and other sports. 'Physical Education', the social services workers would say. Something that they decided would be best delivered by him, thanks to his athletic body and — ahem — background.
He smiled. What his father had failed to provide him with, he determined he would not fail the kids. But he couldn't help but wonder... hope... that his father can see him now. Instead of a destroyer of lifes, he had become a builder of lifes.
Suddenly his private terminal chimed to life.
—
From: C-Sec
To: Kolyat Krios
Mr. Krios, Capt. Bailey requested your presence in his office, 19:00.
He sighed. He had planned on going straight to his bachelor's pad and crashed out. But with Capt. Bailey, 'a request' was just an euphemism of 'an order'.
Not that he hated the man. If anything, he owed the human his freedom. Were it not for the Captain pulling on some strings, he'd be rotting away in the Citadel's jails.
But then again, the Captain's... extracurricular activities were... solidly in the gray area.
He sighed and and wondered, which merchant he'd again be... 'persuading' for 'security fees' tonight...
·
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
·
Ritz-Carlton Hotel
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel
Thane woke up with a start. He was still groggy when he felt someone approaching. His finely-trained instincts immediately took over his body. Without any sounds, he stood up and slipped to the side of the door. The door slid open, and Samara stepped out. He moved for the kill.
"Thane!" Samara shouted, her hands extended a barrier in reflex.
Her shout managed to shake him fully awake. He managed to stop his forward movement and rolled to his side, avoiding the barrier.
"Samara!" Thane shouted back, as she shut down the barrier. "I am sorry. I did not mean to attack you. I... fell asleep, and was surprised."
Samara just nodded. "They have trained you well, I see," she commented.
"Not something I am proud of now," Thane replied, gesturing politely to the bench.
They both sat down in the dark balcony.
"You haven't had dinner," Samara observed.
"I... wanted to eat alone."
A silence.
"You've been thinking of my words at the plaza."
Thane sighed. "Indeed. Not just that." Seeing Samara raising an eyebrow, he continued. "I was also thinking of Miranda's words. Her... nightmares. It was an omen."
Samara nodded. "I see," she simply said.
Another silence.
"May I help you achieve clarity of vision for the coming moment?"
Thane gazed into her eyes. They just looked at each other, no words being exchanged. Then he nodded.
Gently Samara placed her hands on either side of his head. "Look into my eyes..."
Thane gazed into the asari's eyes. He had often heard of the asarian mind-meld, but never experienced one himself. With fascination, he watched as Samara's eyes transformed into a seemingly bottomless void, her voice wafting as if coming from a far away place...
"... embrace eternity ..."
·
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
·
Presidium Junction
Zakera Ward, The Citadel
"Come on boy, move your sorry butt," Bailey hissed at Kolyat as he jumped out of the transit.
"What's the rush?" Kolyat protested. "Wings of Gold will still be there two or three hours ahead. It's not like another reaper's going to materialize and lay waste to the Kithoi Ward tonight."
"Yeah, maybe. Maybe not. It's not the pub I'm concerned with," Bailey snapped back as he threw Kolyat a datapad. "It's them I am concerned with."
Kolyat took a brisk pace behind the similarly brisk human Captain, as he glanced to the datapad. What he saw, froze him instantly.
"Don't stop, boy! We gotta move our asses faster! Look, there, another transit. Let's take that to the Presidium Junction of Kithoi Ward."
Kolyat and Bailey jumped into the transit, and sped away to the junction point where the Kithoi Ward was enjoined to the annular Presidium. But the young drell could not take his mind off the announcement he'd seen on the datapad.
Shepard and the rest of the Cerberus terrorists were thought to be spotted at Kithoi Ward. Be on the alert.
·
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
·
Citadel Fleet Command Center
The Presidium of The Citadel
"I've sent out the early alert, sir," the young Lieutenant informed her superior. "Alliance Personnel on the Kithoi Ward had been put on alert."
"Very well, Rothmans," her superior, a marine commander in combat fatigues, replied. He turned around to face a trio of Salarians wearing STG uniform. "Gentlemen, I've raised the alert level of the Alliance. I sure hope that you haven't raised a false alarm, or I swear to God I'll hang you all by your cloaca!"
The leader of the salarians, a Major by the name of Resh'tay, just brushed off the threat and replied smugly, "Yes, we are quite certain. How else would you explain this footage," he gestured to a vidscreen playing back Shepard strolling down the streets of Kithoi, along with a drell and an asari. They were soon covered by a conveniently placed canopy, but there was no mistaking him.
"And how exactly did you acquire that footage? To the best of our knowledge, we *don't* have a security camera at that position," a stout human Captain inquired.
"Human surveillance equipment, unshielded, easy target to be overridden and tapped," the salarian second-in-command explained. "Fortunately, you have high-definition sensors. Makes the magnification and face-recognition work much much easier."
The human commander nodded. "Alright, thank you for sharing your find with us. Now, can you help us pinpointing more accurately where they are?"
Major Resh'tay shook his head. "Not yet. But we have identified potential contacts, and are now running analysis on their private communications. Shouldn't take long."
The commander shook his head. Private communications? Kiss those 'secure channels' bye-bye.
"So, in return for your information in apprehending Shepard and his gang, what do you want?"
The major smiled. "We know of your... dealings with warlords. Lord Darius of Nonuel, for example. We know that such dealings will gravely injure the Alliance's cultivated image. So to help prevent such… unfortunate outcome, we will be interested in... some donation."
The commander went pale as he asked stutteringly, "h- how... how did you..."
The salarian trio just smiled. "We are the STG. It is our *job* to know."
·
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
·
Wings of Gold Pub
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel
The pub looked quaintly like an 'old western' saloon, again an indication of the rising human influence in The Citadel. Painted in a wood-colored texture, it even came complete with a swinging double-door. Of course, the inside was as far as possible from the dingy, smelly drinking holes of yore.
But the Wings of Gold Pub was without uncertainty not a dance bar. It was an honest-to-goodness dive bar, where one could drown one's sorrows in liquors, alone or in a group.
Which was why a drell, a human, and a turian sitting in a nondescript booth at a dark corner of the pub did not draw any attention.
"They should be here by now," the drell spoke in a near-whisper, somewhat nervously. "It is already 21:05."
"Relax, Thane. The Kithoi's some distance away from Zakera's Mid-Ward. We'll give them another 5 minutes," the turian replied, but feeling uneasy himself.
The human just sat there in silence, his finely-honed instincts also making him on edge. There was nothing specific that made him edgy, just... some gut feeling. Just in case his hunch was right, he told the Samara to wait in the hired aircar outside the pub. The rest of the squad he had sent back to the docks; he had ordered Jacob to prepare for the worst.
Every creak of the double door sent a jolt to the three men, half expecting to see a human and a drell walking in, but also half expecting C-Sec officers to burst into the scene.
Impatient, Thane hissed, "Let's leave, we've been stationary too long-"
"Wait! Here they are."
A human and a drell barged through the double doors, with a very brisk pace, almost like running. Scanning the pub, they quickly saw the trio waving at them, and rushed to the booth.
"You have to leave, now!" Bailey hissed urgently.
"What? Wait-"
"I don't know how they do it, but they know you're here," Bailey said as he threw his datapad on the table.
The instant the datapad hit the table, the headline changed.
Shepard and company spotted in Wings of Gold Pub, Kithoi Ward. All C-Sec and Alliance personnel, close in IMMEDIATELY.
"Shit!"
·
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
·
Alliance Citadel Fleet Command
Presidium, The Citadel
"There you have it, admiral," the salarian spoke smugly. "Shepard's exact location."
"Impressive, I must say. So, you're using the STG's latest toy to find him?"
"Latest, indeed. This is the only working prototype of our device."
"This powerful technology- it fits in your omni-tool?"
The salarian shook his head. "Oh no. The device is actually installed on our ship, the Moth'dard. This omni-tool just provide a remote ability to control and view the device itself."
The admiral just nodded.
"Now about the deal..."
The admiral raised a hand. "Wait. If the STG is in the know, why not do it through official channels? Why this under the table quid-pro-quo?"
"I never said that the STG knows, admiral," the salarian team leader answered, smirking.
The admiral raised an eyebrow.
"Had the STG found out about this, there will undoubtedly be a political roar, a public hearing. No. The three of us found out about it, and we decided to just... capitalize on it, so to speak."
Realizing what the salarian was implying, the admiral's lips thinned into a line. "I see... let's talk about this 'sensitive' issue in my office, then."
·
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
·
Wings of Gold Pub
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel
"You set us up, Bailey?" Garrus asked the human captain, his voice as cold as liquid nitrogen.
"No! I swear to God, I don't know about this! Why do you think we half-ran to this place?"
Suddenly they heard sirens blaring outside.
"C-Sec!"
The unmistakable sound of someone shouting through a bullhorn was heard.
"Commander Shepard. Mr. Garrus Vakarian. Mr. Thane Krios. This is Citadel Security. Come out with your hands held high."
Shepard quickly contacted the squad through his communicator. "Samara, move the aircar to the back of the building, stat! Jacob, have Joker warm the engines and someone jam open the dock's door!"
As the group stood up, Bailey suddenly grabbed Shepard's arm.
"Punch me!"
"What?" the former commander asked in puzzlement.
"Punch me! Hard! So that I can say you manhandled me, instead me getting accused of letting you all fugitives run away!"
Shepard nodded. Apologetically, he started to say, "Okay. Please forgive me, for-"
Without completing the sentence, Shepard punched Bailey real hard, knocking the captain out with one hit. At that very instant, two C-Sec officers rushed in through the door.
"Halt! C-Sec!" one of them shouted.
"Go!" Shepard himself yelled to his friends. Totally unnecessarry, actually, since they had already sprinted to the back exit.
The rush of the panicked pub customers trying to exit through the front doors impeded the C-Sec officers and helped the quartet with their getaway, as the C-Sec officers didn't dare to shoot, afraid of hitting innocent parties.
Behind the pub, Samara was already waiting in the aircar with all doors open. The quartet piled in, with the men frantically yelling, "Leave! Leave!" Nodding, Samara whacked the transmission to 'Drive' and stepped hard on the pedal.
The C-Sec officers barged out of the pub's backdoor just seconds after the aircar lifted off.
"Shit! They got away!" one of them exclaimed. "HQ, suspects are getting away in a dark blue aircar, registration number AXP-21264. Request assistance!" The other C-Sec guy barked into his radio.
"Affirmative. Calculating vector. Stand by for orders."
·
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
·
Kithoi Ward Private Docks
Kithoi Ward, The Citadel
Samara brought down the aircar hard, making it screech to a halt on the Private Docks' parking area. All of them rushed out of the aircar and ran toward the dock where the catamaran was berthed.
They stopped in their tracks when they saw a pair of armored guards bearing assault rifles, and quickly hid themselves behind the bushes.
Shepard began hissing out orders to the squad. "Alright! Take your aims! On my mark..."
"Wait! Something's going on..." Thane remarked.
The five took a peek over the manicured bushes. They saw a silhouette of someone approaching the guards from behind.
Two flashes, and without sound, the guards fell to the ground.
"It's safe to approach now, Captain Shepard." The mysterious person called out to the squad.
Recognizing his voice, they stepped out from their cover and approached the man, surprise clearly etched on their faces. He was Arnold Greene. This time, he's not wearing his official outfit, but a black stealth armor instead.
"Greene! What the...?"
"Shh! Now go quickly to Dock 2205. I've hacked the power system, the blast door is now operable only through the direct control panel inside the blast door. Good luck, and godspeed."
The squad, except Shepard, immediately continued their trek to Dock 2205. The captain just stood there with a questioning look.
Greene just smiled as he whispered, "Fellow Cerberus operatives must help each other." After giving Shepard a quick salute, the deputy dockmaster slipped away into the darkness.
Shepard just shook his head as he ran after his squad.
The five had almost reached the doorway to Dock 2205, when they heard the unmistakable whine of hover-personnel carriers. Turning around, they saw three of those vehicles landed in the Private Docks' parking area.
"Alliance! Go! Go! Go!"
They just managed to reach the doorway when the shots rang.
"Samara! Take Kolyat and run to the Happy Thoughts! Have Jacob unlatch the ship, blow the clamps if necessary! We will hold the enemies and shut the blast door!"
The asari and the young drell immediately complied. Garrus and Thane took position behind several storage crates, taking shots at the Alliance soldiers to provide Shepard with covering shot. Shepard himself ran to the direct-control terminal on the other side of the doorway.
Shepard was about 5 meters from the direct-control terminal when about a half-dozen ropes fell from above the dock's doorway.
Commandoes!
Alliance personnel bearing assault rifles rapidly rappeled down the ropes, all firing at him.
his shield started to shimmer. He glanced at his shield indicator. Shit! Shield at 50% and failing!
He glanced over his right shoulder, and noticed a set of cargo crates. Quickly he did a tiger-jump over the crates, and took cover.
The situation was grim and hopeless.
The three of them were trapped behind those cargo crates, shots from assault rifles and semi machine guns whizzing around them, some managing to hit the crates and chipping at them, bit by bit.
"We need to get to that control panel and shut the door!" Shepard yelled to his friends. "Or else they'll come in, and everything's lost!"
Garrus shouted back over the din, "It's a hail of bullets! We won't make it!"
"We have to!"
Thane glanced around his crate. A shot clanged against the crate's reinforced corner. He glanced at Garrus and Shepard. They're busy trying to peek around or over their cover, trying to land a shot that counts. He glanced back at the door, and saw the opposing forces coming nearer, almost reaching the entrence.
He closed his eyes for a couple of seconds, his mind briefly recalling the vivid clarity of his purpose that Samara had earlier helped him found. He opened his eyes. He knew what he had to do.
Taking a deep breath, he launched himself into a sprint.
"No, Thane! No!" Shepard and Garrus yelled simultaneously when they realized what their friend was up to.
Shepard and Garrus could only watch helplessly as they saw Thane being mowed down by the combined firepower of C-Sec and Alliance. They could only provide a token covering fire; the suppressing fire from the opposing side was just too effective.
They watched with horror as Thane's shield flared bright several times, before flickering out about 1 meter in front of the terminal.
Thane kept running. He completely ignored the fact that his shield had failed. A shot hit his left shoulder. The pain was great. He ignored it. He reached the override terminal. Another shot hit his calf. He fell to his knee. He forced himself back up. Several shots tore through his back armor. The pain was excruciating. His vision started to waver.
Kolyat! I must save Kolyat!
He punched the emergency close button, the same time a shot punctured his side.
The suppressing fire died for a moment as the huge blastdoors shut close real fast. There were yells heard as C-Sec and Alliance personnel tried desperately to reach the door before it closes, but it was a futile attempt.
As the blastdoors closed tight with a resounding thump, Thane slumped to the ground, his right hand grabbing his side, vainly trying to stop the bleeding.
Shepard and Garrus ran as fast as they could toward the grievously injured drell as they heard a couple of explosions and the unmistakable whine of the catamaran's thrusters. Wasting no time, they slung Thane between them and hobbled as fast as they could to the ship.
As soon as the three entered, Joker hit full reverse and quickly left the dock, before punching full ahead and aiming at the inter-ward space, desperate to get away from The Citadel.
Avoiding the spires of the Kithoi Ward, the catamaran just cleared the edge of the Kithoi Ward when the commlink crackled to life.
"This is the Alliance Citadel Fleet! Halt your ship and prepare to be boarded! Repeat, halt your ship and prepare to be boarded!"
Grim-faced, Joker ignored the orders as he plotted the course to deep space, mentally plotting the weaving path between the various vessels he saw, hopefully close enough with them to prevent the chasing Alliance frigate from having a clear shot at the catamaran.
"This is your final warning! Halt or we'll open fire!"
Joker grunted as he forced the catamaran into a tight Immelmann's, simultaneously losing the frigate's tracking and hiding behind a big freighter.
"Dammit! We're losing him! Hail all frigates and cruisers! The catamaran *must* be stopped!"
Joker smirked as he saw a gap ahead. He punched the FTL button, and as the catamaran zoomed ahead —
— the weapons officer of the SSV Iwo Jima slammed his fist on his tracking display. "Shit! We lost it sir! It already entered FTL hyperspace."
The captain of the Iwo Jima shook his head, as he brave himself for the dressing down that will inevitably happen to him, for he was very, very unlucky to have Rear Admiral Mihailovich on board at that time.
There was a pregnant silence on the bridge before the rear admiral snorted, turned around, and walked to the elevator. No one dared to say a word as the stern admiral passed them.
"Either he's a damn good pilot, able to outmaneouver you all despite his being crippled," the admiral said loudly as he entered the elevator. "Or you all suck!" he yelled toward the bridge as the elevator door closed.
·
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
·
Happy Thoughts Catamaran
Somewhere in FTL Hyperspace near the Serpent Nebula Relay
Mordin and Zaeed had laid Thane down on the dining table to give some medical aid to the drell. The salarian and human pair was trying hard to stop Thane's bleeding. They were both fighting the Grim Reaper whose smell hung so thickly in the air. But handicapped with not enough medical equipment on board, it was a losing battle. [7]
The rest of the squad watched with grave concern as they also felt the tangible taste of death in their mouths, maintaining some distance between them and the emergency operating table to allow Mordin and Zaeed do their job. The pair of medics ran around the drell's body, cauterizing, suturing, applying medi-gel, they did everything they had in mind.
Shepard caught Mordin's eye. There was a deep regret in the salarian's eyes as he shook his head nearly imperceptibly.
Suddenly Thane opened his eyes. Frantically, he searched for Shepard. "Sh-... Shepa-... Shepard,"
Shepard pushed aside some of the squad members to approach the table. He grabbed Thane's right hand, and tried to calm the drell. "Shh, don't talk. You'll be alright..."
The drell coughed some blood. Shepard grabbed a nearby napkin to wipe the blood from Thane's mouth.
"P... please... remember... you pr-... promised..."
"I remember. I remember! I swear to God, I swear to you, Kolyat will be a fine man you can be proud of..."
Thane coughed again. "Thank you... K-... Kolyat...?"
Kolyat approached, standing beside Shepard. "I am here, father," he replied, trying mightily hard to control his emotions, and utterly failing.
"It... It's time for... for your dad... to answer Kalahira's call... and be... be reunited with your mom... again," Thane spoke belaboredly. "P-... pl... please," Thane coughed up more blood, "l-... listen to Sh-... Shepard... I entrus-... entrust you to him."
The younger drell couldn't hold his emotions much longer. "Please don't leave me, dad? Please don't leave me...," he cried, begging to his dad to not die.
Thane smiled weakly. "Ah, but Arash-... Arashu has been so kind to... to allow me... to meet you again," Thane spoke, his breathing getting shallower and shallower. "May... Arashu... keep watch... over us all... Kalahira..."
His body suddenly went stiff, then slumped, and then still.
The ship fell silent.
No sound was heard, except the thrum of the thrusters, and the sobs of warriors mourning a fallen comrade.
And the crying of a son losing his father for the second time, forever.
·
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
·
Cerberus Officers' Quarters, CO-15
CSV MacArthur
NOOOOOOOOO!
Shepard woke with a start, his body drenched in sweat.
It was... just a nightmare...
Apparently he had screamed, since his girlfriend was looking at him with great concern.
"You had that nightmare again, Theo?" Miranda sofftly said to Shepard, as she gently rubbed his upper arm.
It was just a nightmare...
"Yes... that... that... awful dream... the squad dying... blood... blood everywhere... you lying on the ground... I... I called out your name several times... but I lost you..." Shepard stuttered, his hands covering his face as he belabored in breathing.
He never told me that part... Miranda hugged him tight. "Don't worry... it's just a nightmare... Thane's death hit us all hard..."
They just sat there together on the bed as Shepard silently cried out his distress. Finally, he managed to control his emotions. Miranda relaxed her hug when she felt him calming down.
"Let's go to sleep again, hon... we have a mission in three hours..."
Shepard nodded, and laid down his head on Miranda's chest, her arms around him.
Within minutes, only gentle snores could be heard as the two lovers eked out some final sleep before they have to leave for Illium.
·
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
·
Cerberus Central Command
Somewhere in the Galaxy
The Illusive Man was sitting on his chair, a glass of 2133-vintage Earth Burgundy in his hand. His brows furrowed in deep thought.
There had been a good news. But that was dwarfed by two bad news. Very bad ones.
The good news was that Cerberus — with the help of EDI, who was successfully 'rescuscitated' when the Normandy docked in the MacArthur — managed to uncover important information on the Shadow Broker. Valuable information that undoubtedly would be very utilizable by Liara T'soni to find out where the Shadow Broker's lair was, and likely to deal him a strike that'd take care of him for once and for all.
Unfortunately, that good news was tempered with a very bad news: the loss of Thane Krios.
The Illusive Man knew that Thane was dying; the drell might even not make it until the Reapers' arrival. But the Cerberus leader had expected he could leverage the assassin's extensive network of informants and acquaintances to help reinforce the 'resistance force' against the Reapers.
And that would never happen now.
The loss of such a valuable resource was one of the two reasons why he couldn't grant the squad too long a moment of respite, to give them the chance to mourn their fallen comrade. Were it not for the time they didn't have, he'd gladly give them some time off.
But time was at a premium, so he had asked Shepard to prepare to meet Liara at Illium barely a week since the loss of Thane Krios, to assist her in utilizing the information Cerberus gained. An act that he hoped would secure an alliance between Cerberus and the information broker, where he could leverage and also ally with *her* network.
But the second reason, which also was the second *very* bad news, weighed his mind even more.
The Alliance's actions at the Citadel were practically a declaration of war against Cerberus. And this introduces two complications for him.
One, Shepard and the squad must now be extra careful in their missions, especially to worlds where the Alliance hold sway. The Arcturus mass relay would, for the time being, off-limits for them and the Normandy.
The second complication was even more dire.
He tapped a button on the chair's armrest, bringing up a set of holoscreens in front of him. With one-handed taps and swipes, he brought up the waiting vidconf connections on the screens. Within seconds, he's virtually face-to-face with several high-ranking Cerberus officers all over the galaxy.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," he politely addressed his subordinates, pausing to sip his wine. "I will get straight to the point. It seems that the Alliance can no longer be considered our ally. I believe it is time for us to invoke the Phoenix Protocol."
There were gasps of surprises as the officers tried to contain their shocks. But, one-by-one, they concurred and acknowledged their superior's instruction.
"You all know what you must do. Cerberus depends on you. Now go, and godspeed."
One by one the vidconf connection dropped, until The Illusive Man was again alone in the dark, staring at the star gracing his office wall.
He knew that within hours, even minutes, the Phoenix Protocol would activate myriads of sleeper cells, prepare thousands of new communication matrices, and set-up hundreds of new untraceable funding lines.
The Illusive Man sighed. The Protocol had been planned by Cerberus' founders a long time ago. Under his command, Cerberus had grown a resilience that rendered the Protocol redundant, enabling the organization to still operate and rebuild itself even when their enemies managed to bring down a majority of their cells and funding lines.
But this time, the stakes were too damn high. He couldn't risk *any* down time in Cerberus operation if he wanted humanity - and, by extension, the galaxy - to survive.
The Reapers were coming.
Only Cerberus were prepared.
·
~ o ~ O ~ o ~
·
Councilor Udina's Residence
The Presidium, The Citadel
Female reporter: And now, an update for the much talked about incident on the Kithoi Ward last week.
— Title screen: Kithoi Ward Terrorist Getaway —
Female reporter: As we all know, last week the usually calm Kithoi Ward experienced an excitement when authorities descended upon Shepard, the once-Spectre who is now associated with the human-supremacist terrorist organization Cerberus. A combined force of C-Sec and Systems Alliance managed to intercept the group when they were having a meeting at the Wings of Gold Pub in the Ward.
— Short footage: Wings of Gold Pub —
Female reporter: Unfortunately, they have been tipped off by Kolyat Krios, the son of a drell assassin, Thane Krios, whose reputation in the black world of crime is said to be 'legendary and unparalleled'.
— Stills: Photos of Kolyat Krios and Thane Krios —
Female reporter: The group slipped off after disabling Captain Armando-Owen Bailey [8], who was the first C-Sec officer to reach the scene of meeting.
— Footage: Capt. Bailey interview - Begin —
Off-screen reporter: Captain Bailey, why did you let them get away?
Captain Bailey: You think I can single-handedly apprehend them? Remember, they still are the guys who managed to bring down Saren and his geth cohorts during the Battle of the Citadel!
Off-screen reporter: But you did fight back?
Captain Bailey: Hell, yeah! I didn't get this broken nose because I fell drunkenly on a table, you know!
— Footage Ended —
Female reporter: After a wild chase through the streets of Kithoi, the authorities finally managed to surround them in the Kithoi Ward Private Docks. Yet again, they managed to slip away after disabling the facilities' electrical system, wreaking havoc with tracking equipment, and rendering the authorities unable to stop their escape.
— Short footage: Kithoi Ward Private Docks —
Female reporter: We have been notified that new progress is being made on this case. An anonymous informant had earlier today provided a security footage which indicated a possible inside help.
— Footage: Security Camera of KWPD - Begin —
The security footage showed the entrance of the Kithoi Ward Private Docks entrance. Two armed guards were watching the entrance, when a shadowy silhouette — unmistakably turian — approached and shot them in the head, the flashing muzzle twice illuminating a silencer being used.
— Footage Ended —
Female reporter: The footage you just saw, plus the sudden disappearance of Crassus Lavariss made the authorities suspect the turian Director of the Kithoi Ward Private Docks to be somehow involved with this incident; a suspicion confirmed when, during a lawful raid on Mr. Lavariss' apartment, authorities found evidences that possibly linked Mr. Lavariss to seccesionist organization in Taetrus, who in recent times has been escalating their confrontation with the Turian Hierarchy.
— Camera panned to show exit of Kithoi Ward Private Docks Administration Building —
Female reporter: Mr. Arnold Greene, the Deputy Director of Kithoi Ward Private Docks- here he is! Let's talk to him!
— Camera followed reporter running to the exit of the building —
— Camera showed Arnold Greene being mobbed by reporters —
— Camera zoomed on Arnold Greene —
Off-screen reporter: Mr. Greene, any comments on the recent implication of Director Lavariss' involvement on the incident?
Arnold Greene: I am very, very shocked. I truly do not believe that Mr. Lavariss had any connection to any terrorist organization. He had always been a model citizen, a good and kind superior, and definitely one of the most law-abiding citizens of the Citadel.
Off-screen reporter: With Mr. Lavariss missing, who will be in charge of the Kithoi Ward Private Docks?
Arnold Greene: The board of commissioners has held an emergency meeting, and it was decided that for the time being I will be the Acting Director until further notice. Now, if you'd excuse me, I have to go to the Presidium...
— Arnold Greene, flanked by security officers, parted the throng of reporters and entered a waiting aircar which immediately sped away —
— Camera zoomed out and panned back to reporter —
Female reporter: As to where Shepard and his group are currently located, authorities confessed that they have no clue yet.
— Footage: Admiral Hackett - Begin —
Admiral Hackett: No, we do not know yet where they holed up.
Off-screen reporter: Did the Alliance not track the exit vector of their vessel?
Admiral Hackett: We did. But it was a false vector. Either their pilot is damn good, or they have the technology to mask the actual exit vector. Maybe both.
Off-screen reporter: Why didn't the Citadel fleet intercepted them at the mass relay?
Admiral Hackett: Lady, the 'safe' space around the mass relay extends one thousand kilometers in all direction. There is practically no way for us to make the relay outgoing-secure with the millions of square kilometers of perimeter area around it. With the messed up exit vector, we have no way of knowing from which direction they will be approaching the relay.
— Footage Ended —
Female reporter: This is Emily Wong, reporting for the Citadel News Channel.
— Scene cut to news studio —
Male anchor: Thank you Emily. Now, after the break, more stories on the fatal accident of the salarian vessel Moth'dard, which broke apart when it undocked yesterday, killing all members of the salarian trade group on-board.
Female anchor: And also the lighter side of life: Love in all the unexpected places. How a human and a turian managed to ascend interracial differences, the story of Brad Smith and Aletheia Jolius. Stay tuned.
— Commercial Break —
Udina clicked the remote, turning off the vidscreen. Then he turned his chair to face the guest seated beside him.
"So, they got away?" Udina asked, more a statement than a question. "And you also managed to pin the blame on Lavariss. Good job, I must say."
Arnold Greene just smiled. "Not really that difficult. With the Alliance dying for a scapegoat, a short doctored footage is all that we need. It helps that Lavariss *is* involved with the turian's own insurgency militia."
Udina nodded. "And now with him out of the way, you can control the smuggling channels in and out of Citadel. It still surprised me, though, how fast Shepard was discovered."
"Cerberus has proof that it was the 'salarian trade envoys' that did it. They must've hacked into the CCTV networks of the Kithoi Ward establishment, and run an advanced recognition algorithm against the video stream."
"Hmmm," Udina pondered Greene's reply. "For what purpose?"
"Trusted sources within the Alliance told us that the salarian wants a quid-pro-quo. In exchange for helping the Alliance, they want a part of the red sand deals the Alliance had been making with warlords."
Udina raised an eyebrow. "You sure about this?"
"Very positive, sir. Our informant was there when the salarians stated their price."
The human councillor pondered again for awhile, and asked, "So, Cerberus decided to," he did a swiping gesture with his hand, "take care of the salarians?"
"No, sir, we did not," Greene shook his head.
"What?" Udina became confused. "If it's not you guys, then who?"
Greene just smiled as he stood up and prepared to leave. "Why, the guys who will lose a lot of money and influence, of course."
"You mean..."
"The Alliance."
Udina whistled his surprise.
"Now, sir, if you will excuse me..."
"Of course," Udina rose also from his chair, wanting to escort Greene to the door.
"Oh, by the way - sorry I forgot - the final 50 million credits are being transferred to your account, as we speak. Sorry for the delay. It takes some effort to ensure untraceability."
Udina just nodded as he held the door open for Greene.
"Thank you for your time, sir. It's nice doing business with you. Cerberus is grateful," Greene nodded, then left.
After closing and locking the door, Udina returned to his chair, leant back, and clicked a button on his remote.
The room dimmed, and Beethoven's Ninth started wafting from the speakers.
He smiled.
With more humans on top positions, not to mention the additional millions of credits with which he can grease more palms, his position was more secure than ever.
Life is good.
·
·
Footnotes:
[1] See "Last Rites", Chapter 5
[2] Look up "Balmoral bonnet" on wikipedia
[3] According to MEwiki's entry on salarians, their full names consist of: Homeplanet Country City District Clan Given.
[4] I really can't find Kolyat's age. Since drells life expectancy is just 85 years, the ages here just seem… right.
[5] Yeah, the Codex said that there had been no Ardat-Yakshi before Samara's daughters. Doesn't make any sense.
[6] I cannot find any reference to Bailey's boy's name. So, I pull this one out of thin air.
[7] "Last Rites", Chapter 2 established Zaeed's 'field-medic' ability. Again, not from canon.
[8] Look up Armando-Owen_Bailey on MEwiki
·
Author's Note:
"Lair of the Shadow Broker" takes place right after this episode; I won't write it down. I think. Should I write it down? Naah. What do you think, anyway?
I'm hard pressed for time to publish this chapter, so no blog update. Not yet.
