Author's Note: First, I do not own Mass Effect. I'm so sorry for the delay for this chapter. There was a family reunion and then enrollment and I just finished this. Hopefully the next chapter will not take longer. Enjoy the chapter. R&R so I'll know your thoughts and opinion of this story.
LAST CHAPTER
Ryan and his companions are already making plans to establish their own identity in the universe unfortunately things aren't going as smoothly as they thought, with several unknown individuals hindering their progress for unknown reasons, the rest of Ryan's companions hoped that Ryan has a plan. Ryan finally finds out the truth about what happened with Janus, Garrus and Chelsea.
Chapter Five: Loose Ends
January 22, 2173 – 7:30 PM
The Citadel – Citadel Heights Apartment #5
"It began a few months back, when there were several incidents regarding several biotics going out of control and harming the populace." Janus began to explain
"I heard about those." Shani added, "The media said that it was caused by some kind of virus or something that caused the biotics to go out of control."
"Rubbish!" Chelsea spat out angrily, "It wasn't a virus or anything. It was a drug."
"That was caused by a drug?" Wrex asked in surprise, "Then how come it wasn't announced to the public then?"
"It was announced alright, they said the cause of the incidents was because of accidental exposure of Element Zero at a defective ship. The actual C-Sec investigation was halted by Chief Simmons." Janus answered.
"For the record, I never issued the order to halt the investigation but my hands were tied." Executor Pallin explained, "I am assuming Chief Simmons orders were not exactly followed."
"That's right." Garrus answered, "We continued the investigation albeit discreetly so as not to arouse suspicion until we had concrete evidence."
"What was so special about those incidents?" Ryan asked.
Executor Pallin explained, "Those people were never actually exposed to Element Zero."
"What?!" Shani exclaimed in surprise.
"That's impossible!" Wrex stated in alarm.
"Regardless of how that happened, that what was happening." Janus told them, "Although we never suspected that was the case until after the last incident, when…"
"My childhood friend, Michael, who never had any biotic powers at all, suddenly went crazy and used his biotic powers to destroy the office building where he was working at, along with himself." Chelsea interrupted as she clenched her hands into fists.
"Yes, her friend was the first clue as to why the investigation was halted. Someone didn't want the truth to be found out." Garrus explained, "We went to his apartment as soon as we could and came upon several Blue Suns robbing the place. Needless to say, we stopped the Blue Suns from whatever it is they came there to do."
"We found several capsules of medicines on one of them and deduced that was what they were there for." Janus added, "We managed to identify all of the drugs except for one and we assumed that it was the one that caused Michael's death."
"Did you manage to get anywhere with the drug?" Wrex asked.
"Not really, we couldn't identify what kind of drug it is since we couldn't risk trying it out and we couldn't have it tested since we don't really know anyone we can trust to do it discreetly." Chelsea answered, "So we just kept it hidden away at Janus' apartment. You did manage to get it right?"
"Yeah, I got it." Janus answered as he showed the others a small box with a green colored pill inside.
"So what happened next?" Ryan asked.
"We couldn't go anywhere with the drug itself so we tried to follow as to where Michael could have gotten it by checking with our sources." Janus answered, "It turned out that it came from local drug dealer who was selling it for a Blue Suns commander."
"I went in to talk to him and after a tense situation found out that he stole a batch of the drugs from a convoy from a pharmaceutical company that his group was escorting." Garrus told them, "According to the commander, the drug was supposed to enhance a biotic's power to an insane level as well as provide biotic powers to those who didn't have it."
"Sounds like a dream come true for non-biotics." Wrex pointed out.
"Instead it became a nightmare." Chelsea muttered, "A lot of innocent people died because of that drug."
"What was the name of the Pharmaceutical Company?" Ryan asked.
"The name of the company is New Dawn Pharmaceuticals." Garrus answered.
"Cerberus…" Ryan muttered softly to himself.
"So if that's the truth…" Shani pointed out, "What happened to the families of the victims?"
"They disappeared shortly after the incidents and we were never able to find them again." Janus answered, "We did find out that Blue Suns came to visit the families shortly before they disappeared."
"So for all intents and purposes, the investigation was a dead end." Executor Pallin concluded, "So why are they still after you?"
"It's because I recently sent in the conclusive reports of our findings to Chief Simmons." Janus answered.
"Why would you do something stupid like that?" Wrex spat out in exasperation.
"Those victims and their families need someone to save them… or avenge them." Janus answered stoically, "C-Sec was created to ensure the security and stability of the Citadel but they also have to answer for the protection of its citizens. So I cannot just bow down to the whims and desires of these people. My honor demands that justice must be done."
"That is a commendable attitude to have, Janus." Ryan praised, "Though you fail to see the larger picture of what might happen from your actions."
"And you can?" Garrus asked incredulously.
"Of course not, but that does not mean I cannot foresee possible outcomes that will be favorable to us." Ryan pointed out.
"So what actions will you undertake then?" Executor Pallin asked Ryan.
"Before I tell you what we're going to do, I notice that Sven looks troubled." Ryan answered.
Everyone looked at Sven after Ryan's statement and murmured their agreement.
"Hey Sven… are you okay?" Garrus asked.
Sven looked up at Garrus and then at Ryan before answering wearily, "No... I'm not okay. One of my business contacts has betrayed me."
"What do you mean?" Shani asked in concern.
"Nassana is threatening to kill my daughter if I don't follow her instructions concerning the company we were going to build." Sven explained sadly, "I'm sorry Ryan."
"Nassana… her name is very familiar…" Ryan mused to himself.
"Who is this Nassana?" Chelsea asked.
"She's one of my business contacts. She's interested in different antiques and was most helpful in keeping a business rival from buying me out." Sven answered sheepishly.
"So what can we do about her?" Wrex asked, "I vote we kill her off."
"No… that won't work. She's an Asari Politician and has countless followers, so a direct assault is pointless." Sven explained.
"She's a politician and she's an Asari?" Ryan asked, "Is her name by any chance, Nassana Dantius?"
"Why yes, that's her name. How did you know that?" Sven exclaimed in surprise.
"Interesting…" Ryan muttered, "I think I have a plan that's perfect in keeping her from interfering with our business."
"Sounds interesting… what is it?" Janus asked.
"Alright… We're going to need…" Ryan began to explain to the others.
January 22, 2173 – 9:00 PM
The Citadel – Ruark Mining Company Office
Kyle was hard at work securing the necessary assets they would need to perform their jobs when his brothers burst into the office.
"Kyle, is it true? Did we actually get a job after what just happened?" William Ruark asked incredulously.
"That's right. I finished transferring the money earlier to the company funds and I'm on the process of buying us a brand new frigate." Kyle told them.
"We're buying a new frigate?!" Brett exclaimed in shock, "Kyle, the frigate we used before cost us at least a million and now we're buying a new frigate?"
"I know that, but with the money our employer has forwarded us, we can afford it." Kyle answered smugly, since he hadn't informed them yet the exact amount Ryan had paid them.
"Fine… so what ship are you buying for us?" Will asked.
"I've decided to buy the Bastion." Kyle answered, "This frigate has everything we need to successfully scan the planets without incident, thereby giving us time to prepare for mining these planets."
"Interesting choice, what's the price?" Will began to ask as he looked at the view screen before staring at Kyle in shock, "2.5 million credits? Are you insane?!"
"How much did he pay us exactly?" Brett asked quietly.
"He paid us 25 million credits in advance." Kyle answered.
"Twenty-five million credits for five planets? Are you kidding me, Kyle?" Brett asked in shock as he reached for the data pad.
"Well? Is it true?" Will asked with apprehension as Brett read over the contract.
"It's true… everything is in order." Brett answered in a daze.
"This changes everything…" Will muttered softly.
"I know, that's why I'm taking every advantage we can get in making sure nothing goes wrong with this job." Kyle pointed out, "I already contacted several agencies that can provide us additional men in order to finish this job quickly."
"This also gives us a chance to hire more guards and better equipment for them." Will added, "This might be the perfect time to improve the training we can provide for the men as well."
"We lost a lot of valuable mining equipment during that battle." Brett pointed out, "So we should definitely set aside a portion of that money to replace them as well as buying better models."
"I'm already ahead of the both of you." Kyle answered with a smirk before handing over a data pad to Will, "I've already taken the liberty of setting aside a portion of the money for the expenses of both of your area of expertise. This still leaves us with enough to buy anything else we might need."
Brett joined Will as they studied the data pad that Kyle had given them before nodding to themselves and handing the data pad back to Kyle.
"Your recommendations have merit and the credits are more than enough." Will stated.
"The same goes for me." Brett added.
"Alright then, let's get started." Kyle stated, "We have a lot of work to do."
January 22, 2173 – 11:30 PM
Omega – Eclipse Headquarters
Nyreen Kandros was worried. Several of her companions noticed the change in her behavior after she had received a call on her personal number. They knew her as an unshakable warrior, a charismatic leader and a powerful biotic but now they saw her as something else… a worried sibling. They knew that she had her own family out there but she always told them that they could take care of themselves, now they weren't so sure. Especially after the confrontation Nyreen had with Jaroth, when she asked permission to leave for the Citadel, which had resulted in an argument between the two concerning her own duties and obligations to Eclipse. This was especially a bad time for Nyreen to leave since Eclipse was in the middle of a turf war with the Blue Suns and because Nyreen was a valuable asset to them, Jaroth wasn't keen on letting her leave them hanging just like that. So the rest of the Eclipse watched and waited as to what Nyreen would do.
Nyreen sighed as she sat down on the bench, located in the empty dining room since it was almost midnight.
"So what's bugging you?" someone asked Nyreen.
Nyreen looked up to see her friends, a human named Marcus "Deadshot" Arnel and a salarian named Eshin Adus, standing in front of her.
"Marcus… Eshin…" Nyreen muttered softly, "Nothing's wrong except my brother might be in terrible danger and there's nothing I can do since I'm stuck here."
"That's not like you." Eshin pointed out, "You always have a plan."
"Not this time. Besides even if I do have a plan, we'll be going up against our own group." Nyreen pointed out.
"True… we'll have to be discreet about it then." Marcus added, "We all know that most of us aren't here out of loyalty."
"Really now?" Nyreen asked mockingly, "What does that make you then?"
"A very good friend." Marcus answered with a wink.
"Regardless of what might happen, we need to get out soon." Eshin told them.
"What are you talking about?" Nyreen asked.
"You really didn't think we'd let you leave without us, did you?" Marcus asked in surprise.
"This is none of your concern." Nyreen pointed out, "This is a family affair."
"Precisely and you're our family, Nyreen." Eshin told her, "That's why we're going with you."
"But…" Nyreen tried to say.
"Give it up. We're going with you and that's final." Marcus said firmly.
"Fine…" Nyreen answered as she smiled faintly at her two close friends, "I suggest we get to sleep. We have a lot of things to do before we can leave."
The two just nodded their heads and left the dining room as they made their way to their rooms.
January 23, 2173 – 9:00 AM
Citadel – Citadel Heights Apartment #5
Ryan left his room and made his way to the dining room. Entering the room, Ryan noticed that Shani was doing something in the kitchen and that she was the only one left in the apartment.
"Where are the others?" Ryan asked.
"I'm not really sure. When I woke up, most of them have already left." Shani answered as she prepared her breakfast.
"I see." Ryan said as he opened the fridge to make his own breakfast.
After they finished preparing their breakfast, Ryan and Shani sat down at the table to eat.
"What's that you got there?" Ryan asked, peering at Shani's bowl seeing that it was different from her usual.
"Just something I whipped up. I usually just eat the standard nutri-paste that most quarians eat but today I thought I'd experiment a little." Shani answered him, as she sipped the food as it travelled through the tube to her faceplate.
"Well, hope it tastes good." Ryan said sincerely, as he ate his bacon and eggs.
"So what are your plans for today?" Shani asked, after they had finished eating.
"I'm off to the hangar to buy tickets to Earth." Ryan told her, "I have some business there I have to take care."
"Earth?" Shani mused, "I've never been to Earth before. Wonder what it's like over there?"
"You should come and join me then." Ryan offered.
"Are you sure? Won't I be getting in your way?" Shani asked.
"Not really. There's not a lot either of us can do these days so we might as well take the chance and go on a trip." Ryan pointed out to her.
"If you put it that way, I'd love to go with you." Shani said.
"Alright then, I'll just freshen up and then we'll go on ahead." Ryan informed her before he left the room.
January 23, 2173 – 10:00 AM
Citadel – Zakera Wards
Garrus was browsing the list of sniper rifles available at a well-known store that sold various types of weapons. After mentally comparing each of the available sniper rifles against each other, Garrus motioned for the attendant.
"Yes, have you decided yet?" The attendant asked.
"Yes, I have." Garrus told him, "I'll buy the Avenger I Sniper Rifle."
The attendant looked up in surprise, "Are you sure? That particular model is considered as the weakest of all Sniper Rifles that has been manufactured."
"I'm sure." Garrus answered firmly.
"Alright then, that will be 10,000 credits." The attendant told him.
Garrus paid the attendant and waited for the attendant to retrieve the sniper rifle and hand it over to him. After receiving the sniper rifle, Garrus left the store and made his way to his next destination.
January 23, 2173 – 11:00 AM
Citadel – C-Sec Headquarters
Executor Pallin was hard at work, signing the reports his subordinates handed over while discretely copying them to his omni-tool in preparation for the future. After finishing the last report, Executor Pallin decided that he needed a break so he grabbed his Raikou IV Pistol from his desk drawer and left his office.
"I'm going out for some air. I'll be back later." Executor Pallin told his secretary, who just nodded her head.
As he made his way out of C-Sec, Executor Pallin replaced the battery of his pistol for a new one.
January 23, 2173 – 11:30 AM
Citadel – Sven's Store
Sven leaned heavily into his office chair as he breathed a sigh of relief. He had spent the morning contacting his other backers and informing them what had happened with Nassana. They were shocked by what she had done and offered to intervene on his behalf but Sven told them that he would handle her himself. Most of them were surprised by what he had said while others were skeptical about his claim but eventually he convinced them that he would be fine.
Sven then went and prepared a data pad that would detail the new terms and arrangement between himself and Nassana, stating that he wouldn't back down and that if anything happened to his daughter, then he would ruin her career and future. After finishing the data pad, Sven read over it again and smiled grimly before activating his omni-tool to contact Nassana.
"Mr. Markelius, what a pleasant surprise. I take it you aren't pleased with our new business arrangement?" Nassana said when she accepted the call.
"You could say that." Sven answered tersely.
"So what can I do for you?" Nassana asked condescendingly.
"I'd like to meet with you to discuss the terms of our new arrangement." Sven answered.
"I see… well, I'm far too busy today to meet you but I'll send my agent to meet you at the same location at 12 noon today. He'll decide as to whether they are agreeable or not. Is that understood?" Nassana asked coldly.
"Yes." Sven muttered.
"Don't be angry Mr. Markelius, it's not your fault your weak." Nassana informed him before hanging up.
"Fucking bitch… you'll pay for this." Sven muttered angrily as he made his way to his room to get ready.
January 23, 2173 – 11:58 AM
Citadel – Presidium Plaza
Nassan's agent had arrived early at the meeting point and leaned against the column waiting for Mr. Markelius. He felt sorry for the situation that Mr. Markelius found himself in but business was business and he didn't want to risk his neck out for someone who couldn't protect him. Feeling slightly restless, he checked to see if he had his Raikou III Pistol with him again before moving to a nearby bench to sit down. He had no reason to carry the gun but he'd rather have it and not need it than need it but not have it. With nothing else to do, he checked on his surroundings to see if there was anything wrong. He didn't find anything of importance although he did notice a turian and human holding hands as they made their way around the plaza.
Snorting in disgust, "A human and a turian together… How disgusting…" The agent muttered darkly, "Wonder what his family would think of him."
"There you are." A voice from behind him said, interrupting his thoughts.
Looking behind him, he saw Mr. Markelius before growling at him "Don't sneak up on me like that again."
"Sorry…" Sven apologized as Nassana's agent stood up and motioned for him to a semi-secluded area of the plaza.
"So where are the terms of this new arrangement?" The agent asked quietly.
Sven didn't bother answering him and just handed over the data pad. The agent quickly read over the data pad before glaring at Mr. Markelius and then threw the data pad at him.
"What the hell is this?!" The agent asked angrily, "That thing is NOT what Nassana wanted. What the hell are you trying to do?"
"I won't just bend over to you or anyone." Sven answered, "If anything happens to my daughter, your both going down!"
The agent could only stare in shock at Sven's actions before grabbing his pistol and pointing it at him, "You disappoint me, Mr. Markelius."
"You're going to shoot me now?" Sven asked bitterly, "Go ahead. See what Nassana has to say about that because without me, that business she oh so wants will disappear since the other backers are pulling out."
The agent wavered at this unexpected news since Nassana really did want a new powerbase to branch out and losing Mr. Markelius would be very bad for business.
"If you don't fall in line and follow Nassana's wishes, not only will your daughter get hurt, Mr. Markelius." The agent threatened, "So will you."
Instead of answering, Sven rushed towards the agent in an attempt to get his gun. It happened so fast, the agent aimed at Sven and there was the sound of a gun being fired that echoed around the plaza. The agent could only look in horror as he was drenched in blood while Sven went down on his knees glaring up at him.
"You bastard…" Sven said before falling down on his face, blood pooling all around him.
The agent could only stare at the corpse of Mr. Markelius when he heard a scream coming from nearby. Looking at the source, the agent saw the human and the turian he had seen earlier. Looking back at the corpse, the agent was about to run away when he saw another turian running towards him.
"STOP! C-SEC! Stay where you are!" the turian shouted at him, as he tried to pull out his own pistol.
The agent turned around and ran as fast as he could, with the other turian chasing after him. The agent barreled his way down the walkway, shoving several other civilians in an attempt to slow down the C-Sec officer. After exiting the plaza, the agent saw a nearby hover taxi that had just touched down. Seeing an escape route, the agent ran towards the taxi.
The agent pulled open the passenger door and pulled out his pistol and shouted at the passenger, "Get out of the car if you want to live!"
"You think?" The passenger growled angrily as he grabbed the pistol from his grasp.
The agent could only stare in shock as he was pushed to the ground by the passenger, a krogan… a very angry krogan.
"You need to be taught a lesson." The krogan growled as the agent tried to crawl away in fear.
Just then the C-Sec officer arrived on the scene. The agent heaved a sigh of relief as the C-Sec officer pulled him up and cuffed his hands.
"Thank you for your assistance." The C-Sec officer informed the Krogan, who just grunted.
"Just doing my part, officer." The Krogan answered before climbing back into the hovercar.
The C-Sec officer pushed the agent back towards the plaza as various spectators stared at him. Once they had reached the scene of the crime, they saw two other C-Sec officers in the area, a Turian and an Asari.
As the pair approached the two other C-Sec officers, the officer holding the agent called out to the two other officers, "Report."
"Victim is named Sven Markelius, age 38. Single gunshot wound to the heart. Death was instantaneous." The turian officer reported.
"There was this data pad beside the body, sir." The Asari officer added as she handed over the data pad to the officer, "I think this could be the reason for the murder."
The officer quickly read over the data pad, smirking slightly as he read it before pocketing it in his pocket then faced again at the two officers, "Alright then. Stay here and secure the body while I bring the prisoner back to Headquarters."
"Sir yes sir." The two officers said as they saluted.
As the officer led the prisoner to the hovercar, he grinned softly as he muttered softly, "They're good…"
January 23, 2173 – 12:30 PM
Citadel – Nassana's Office
Nassana was in the middle of a meeting with a potential business partner when an aide burst into the conference room.
"Excuse me, miss. I have a message for you." The aide apologized profusely as she handed over a data pad before leaving, "They said this was urgent."
"Very well, but don't make a habit of it." Nassana said firmly, as she received the data pad.
"Excuse me for a while, while I read this." Nassana apologized to her companion as she activated the data pad.
Nassana could only stare in shock as she finished reading the data pad, informing her that her agent had been arrested for killing Mr. Markelius. Nassana quickly composed herself when she realized that companion had noticed her behavior.
"Is something wrong?" her companion asked.
"Nothing's wrong. I was just surprised because someone sent me a love letter." Nassana lied.
"Is that so?" her companion beamed, "Then congratulations are in order. I'm glad you found someone."
"Yes, I'm glad for that as well." Nassana said, "If you'll excuse me, I must talk to the person who delivered this to me. I'll be right back."
"Of course, I understand." Her companion answered, as Nassana left the office.
As soon as Nassana had left her office, she quickly made her way to a nearby office and went in.
"Nassana, this is a surprise. What brings you here?" the person inside the office asked.
"I need your help, counselor." Nassana stated simply.
"I'm listening." The counselor said as Nassana told him about the situation.
Meanwhile back in Nassana's office, her companion sat back down on the couch with a smile on his face as he sipped his coffee. A few minutes later, Nassana entered her office again.
"I'm sorry but I'm going to ask you to come back at another time. Something of importance just came up and I have to leave right now." Nassana informed her companion apologetically.
"Of course, I understand. I'll come back at another time then." Her companion said as he stood up and left the office.
As soon as he left, Nassana activated her computer and accessed her private files and went to work.
January 23, 2173 – 1:00 PM
Citadel – Citadel Heights Apartment # 5
Shani sat at the sofa, idly reading a magazine as she waited for Ryan to come back from his shopping trip, when her omni-tool beeped loudly. Shani quickly activated her omni-tool and what she saw made her ecstatic as she ran to her room to grab the newly purchased laptop and placed it at the desk in the living room. After plugging her omni-tool to the laptop, Shani began to work correlating the necessary data.
Shani was so focused into her work that she didn't notice Ryan had arrived until he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Come on Shani, lunch is here. Let's eat." Ryan informed her.
"Of course, let me just finish…" Shani began to say before Ryan dragged her away from the lap top and to the dining room.
"Let's eat." Ryan repeated again as he helped Shani sit down.
"Okay…" Shani said surly as she began her own preparations to eat as well.
"Shani don't be like that please?" Ryan asked as he sat down beside her.
Shani just looked at Ryan before nodding her head again, "Alright, I'll forgive you this once but next time, don't forcibly drag me to eat."
"Alright, I promise it won't happen again." Ryan said as he crossed his heart with his hand.
"Okay…" Shani said before asking, "So we're leaving in two days right?"
"Yes, in two days we are going to Earth." Ryan confirmed.
"I wonder what Earth is like. I hope I'll find something for my pilgrimage there." Shani mused to herself as she ate her lunch.
Ryan on the other hand was deep in thought of the possible complications he had to face on Earth.
January 23, 2173 – 2:00 PM
Citadel – C-Sec Headquarters
Executor Pallin stared at their new prisoner intently from outside the interrogation room. Sighing heavily, Executor Pallin activated his omni-tool and called up an old friend.
"Old friend… how are you?" Pallin asked.
"I see… If you must now, there's a reason I called you… I need a favor…" Pallin explained to the person he was calling.
"Alright… I'll see you soon then… Thank you so much old friend…" Pallin answered in gratitude before cancelling the call.
Staring back at the new prisoner, Executor Pallin sighed heavily before standing in front of the door and motioned for the guard to activate the door and went inside.
"Hey, you're that cop that arrested me. When do I get to speak to my lawyer? I have rights too, you know." Nassana's agent asked condescendingly.
"Murderers don't have rights as far as I'm concerned." Executor Pallin said, "Fact of the matter is you were caught red-handed with your gun pointed at the victim when he died."
"I might have had my gun pointed at him but I didn't fire." The agent pointed out.
"So how did he die then?" Executor Pallin asked quietly.
"I don't know how he died but I did not fire my gun." The agent insisted.
"You know… I know your father, Jayrus …" Executor Pallin said slowly as he sat down in front of the prisoner, "It would distress him greatly knowing what you have become.
Upon hearing his words, Jayrus began scrutinizing Executor Pallin carefully before crying out loud in surprise, "You're Venari Pallin… my dad's best friend!"
"I see you remember me, Jayrus." Executor Pallin said sadly, "It's unfortunate that the circumstances of our meeting is not what I had hoped for.
Jayrus just stared at his hands as he muttered, "It's not exactly what I had planned…"
"So what was your plan then?" Executor Pallin asked, "It seems to me that you had the power to do whatever you wanted and look at what happened. An innocent man is dead and his daughter is being held as a captive for blackmail!"
Jayrus could only keep quiet as he began to realize that everything he had done since he left Palaven had only made things worse for him. He realized that the debt he owed to Nassana since she saved him from death has been paid for in blood.
Looking up at Executor Pallin, Jayrus asked "What can I do?"
Executor Pallin stared at Jayrus for several minutes before offering him hope, "Come clean with us, Jayrus. Tell us everything about Nassana and most importantly where is the daughter. If you cooperate, you won't be serving time. Instead you will be brought back to Palaven and recruited into Blackwatch."
"Blackwatch?" Jayrus exclaimed in shock.
"Yes. So what is your answer?" Executor Pallin asked.
Just then the door opened and another turian came inside the room, which drew the attention of both Executor Pallin and Jayrus.
"Alright Executor, I came here as fast as I could. So what can I do for you, old friend." The turian asked.
"Ah Nihlus, glad you could make it." Executor Pallin said as he stood up to greet his friend.
Jayrus could only stare in shock when he heard the name of the other turian.
"Nihlus, I'd like you to meet Jayrus. Jayrus, this is Council Spectre Nihlus Kryik." Executor Pallin said as he introduced them to each other, "He's here in an unofficial capacity but he deserves to know the situation."
"So what is the situation then, Executor?" Nihlus asked.
"Jayrus here works for Nassana. He was arrested for killing an innocent man whose daughter has been kidnapped by Nassana." Executor Pallin explained.
"I see, things are beginning to make sense now." Nihlus stated, "So you need me for what exactly?"
"Aside from taking Jayrus here to Palaven and making sure no one finds out what happened to him after his disappearance… nothing really big, I need your help in taking down Nassana." Executor Pallin said with a smirk.
"Ah… I see your favors are getting tamer as time passes." Nihlus pointed out with a smile, "Sure… what do you need?"
Meanwhile in the C-Sec Headquarter lobby, a well-dressed human approached the desk officer.
"Excuse me, where might I find the prisoner known as Jayrus Viryn?" The human asked.
"Let's see now…" the officer said as he activated the console and began a search for Viryn, "Viryn… Viryn… ah, here he is. He's at the interrogation room right now."
"Is that so, I think it's time that I should step in." The human said with a grimace, "Thank you for your assistance, officer."
Leaving the desk officer, the human made his way to the interrogation room, waving his ID card at any officer that asked who he was. After arriving at the corridor where the interrogation rooms were located at, the human made his way to the door that was guarded by C-Sec officer.
"Excuse me, is this where Jayrus Viryn is being interrogated?" the human asked.
"Yes, who are you and what's your business here?" the officer asked warily.
"My name is Harry Fritch and I was retained to represent Mr. Viryn by his employer." The human answered, "As such, I demand to see my client and to be present when he is being questioned."
The officer looked blankly at Mr. Fritch before chuckling softly, "I'm sorry to say this Mr. Fritch but you're services will no longer be required."
Mr. Fritch was surprised by the officer's statement, "What does that mean? I'll have you fired for denying Mr. Viryn's rights."
"It's not my call, Counselor." The officer explained, "There's a Council Spectre inside along with the arresting officer, Executor Pallin. So you see this is above the civilian court but if you want, I'm sure they would LOVE to meet with you and find out how you got to be retained to represent the suspect."
Mr. Fritch was aghast at the situation he now found himself and did not wish to be interrogated himself by a Council Spectre, so he tried to excuse himself "No… there's no need for that. I'll just be on my way then."
Just as Mr. Fritch was about to leave, the door opened to show two Turians leaving the room. Mr. Fritch knew who the two Turians were but could do nothing about it.
"Officer, what is the meaning of this and who is this man?" Executor Pallin asked the officer.
"Sir, this is Harry Fritch, a counselor who was retained to represent the suspect by the suspect's employer." The officer explained.
"I see." Executor Pallin mused as he scrutinized the person in front of him.
"I'll take it from here, Executor." Nihlus stated as he grabbed the arm of Harry Fritch who just whimpered as he feebly tried to resist but a glare from Nihlus silenced him.
"Alright then, I'll leave it all up to you, Spectre. Let me know what you find out after your talk." Executor Pallin said before leaving the corridor.
"Come here, Mr. Fritch. We have a lot to talk about." Nihlus exclaimed as he dragged the terrified Mr. Fritch into an adjacent interrogation room.
Once the door was closed, the officer standing guard just snickered at what had just transpired, "This is much better than comedy."
January 23, 2173 – 4:00 PM
Citadel – Zakera Ward
A small group of people quietly made their way through the back alleys of Zakera Ward towards an inconspicuous warehouse that was hidden away from the main area. The group was composed of a Turian, a Krogan, a Human and an Asari.
Everyone in the group was wearing the Titan V Medium Armor except for the Krogan who was wearing the Titan V Heavy Armor. The Krogan was equipped with a Tornado V Shotgun and a Thunder V Assault Rifle. The Human was equipped with a Thunder V Assault Rifle and a Stiletto V Pistol. The Asari was equipped with a Thunder V Assault Rifle and a Stiletto V Pistol. The Turian was equipped with a Thunder V Assault Rifle and an Equalizer V Sniper Rifle.
As the Turian led the group through the back alleys of Zakera Ward, they finally arrived at their destination. The Turian stopped at the edge of the wall and held up his hand to signal to the others to stop their movement and remain quiet. The Turian peered out from his location and saw that the entrance was being guarded by Blue Suns and contacted their other companion.
"Archangel, this is Havoc, requesting for an update to your status." Havoc whispered into his omnitool
"This is Archangel, I'm now at Overwatch." Archangel stated.
"What's the sitrep?" Havoc asked.
"I can see three Blue Suns patrolling the area near you. There are no guards stationed at the roof. Be advised that Ghost is scouting inside the building." Archangel reported.
Do you have a clear shot?" Havoc asked.
"Yes, I have a clear shot at the three hostiles. Be advised there will be a 4 second delay between each shot." Archangel reported, "Do I take the shot?"
"Negative. We'll need to time it right, Archangel." Havoc answered.
"I understand, will maintain current status until situation has changed." Archangel said before cutting the call.
"Now what do we do?" The Human asked Havoc.
"We'll maintain our position and continue surveillance for the moment, Garnet." Havoc answered.
"I want to kill them all now." The Krogan growled softly.
"Easy there, Wrath." The Asari whispered, "This is a rescue operation. We don't want to arouse any suspicion although I would love to go right in and destroy everyone."
"Artemis is right… about not wanting to arouse suspicion." Havoc pointed out quietly.
"Geez… couldn't you have come up with a better codename than that?" Artemis asked in exasperation.
"Well you are a hunter, Artemis." Wrath pointed out.
Suddenly there was a soft ping that alerted Havoc to an incoming call, quickly activating his omni-tool, Havoc was surprised to find Ghost contacting him.
"Ghost, what's the situation?" Havoc asked quickly.
"I have the package. Need assistance now." Ghost answered before cancelling the call.
Havoc quickly contacted Archangel, "Weapons free. Take them out now. Ghost needs backup now!"
"Understood." Archangel replied as he cancelled the call.
The team watched as the three patrolling Blue Suns were taken out one by one with a headshot, their shields unable to withstand stopping power of Archangel's Sniper Rifle.
Seeing that the entrance was now empty, Havoc pulled out his Thunder V and led the charge into the warehouse. As the rest of them ran after Havoc, Wrath took out his Tornado V while Garnet and Artemis took out their Thunder V. As soon as Havoc reached the door, he stepped aside and motioned for Wrath to break through the door. Wrath just grinned at Havoc's instructions and charged straight through the door.
As Wrath tore through the door by his charge, the rest of the team ran inside the room surprising several Blue Suns who were guarding the exit. The team took advantage of their surprise arrival and quickly cut down the surprised Blue Suns.
Wrath stood up gingerly mumbling, "That was fun."
"Come on let's move." Havoc said as he exited the room on the other side of the room with the others following after him.
The team burst into the warehouse expecting to engage with the enemy but all they found was Ghost accompanied by a young lady as they made their way to the exit.
"What took you so long?" Ghost asked.
"There was an ambush at the entrance, had to take them out first." Havoc explained as they noticed over a dozen Blue Suns lying dead around the warehouse.
"I see." Ghost answered in surprise, "I didn't think they had the brains to do that."
"It doesn't matter anymore, we have the package." Havoc stated.
"Excuse me? Can anyone tell me what's going on?" The young lady asked, "First I was kidnapped for absolutely no reason and then he shows up and starts killing my captors."
"I'll let someone else explain to you what happened. First we have to get you out of here." Havoc answered her, "Wrath and Artemis, take her to the safe house. Keep her safe."
"Understood." Wrath and Artemis said as they accompanied the young lady out of the warehouse.
Havoc activated his omni-tool, "Command, this is Havoc. We have secured the package."
"That's great news, Havoc. We'll take it from here. Command out."
Meanwhile Garnet and Ghost were exploring the warehouse for any Blue Suns still hiding when they came upon across a crate with a familiar labeling.
"Havoc!" Garnet called out loudly, "There's something you need to see!"
Havoc quickly ran towards Garnet, who just motioned to several crates that were stacked together.
The crates all had the logo of New Dawn Pharmaceuticals.
January 23, 2173 – 5:30 PM
Citadel – Nassana's Office
Nassana angrily made her way back to her office after an impromptu session with Mr. Markelius other backers who threatened legal and illegal actions towards her if they find evidence that she was behind the murder of Mr. Markelius, a claim to which she vehemently denied. To make things worse, she hadn't heard from her agent or the counselor that she had hired to set him free. All in all, her day was getting worst by the minute.
Arriving at the door, Nassana was about to unlock her office door when she noticed that it was already unlocked.
"I locked my office before I left… Didn't I?" Nassana muttered softly as she made her way into her office and turned the lights on.
"Welcome back, Nassana." A voice said from her seat, which was facing away from the door.
"Who the hell are you? I'll call security." Nassana threatened as she fumbled to get her Raikou II Pistol from her bag.
"Why Nassana… don't you recognize your own business partner?" The voice said, as the chair turned around slowly to reveal the last person Nassana ever expected.
"Sven?!" Nassana gasped out in surprise, as she dropped her bag.
Notable Original Characters of mass Effect:
Ryan Tan (Human) [Command]
Shani (Quarian)
Chelsea McGee (Human) [Garnet]
Januarius "Janus" Kandros (Turian) [Havoc]
Sven Markelius (Human)
Shadow (Turian) [Ghost]
Kyle (Human)
Brett (Human)
William (Human)
Marcus "Deadshot" Arnel (Human)
Eshin Adus (Salarian)
Jayrus Viryn (Turian)
Canon Characters of Mass Effect:
Urdnot Wrex (Krogan) [Wrath]
Garrus Vakarian (Turian) [Archangel]
Nyreen Kandros (Turian)
Aleena (Asari) [Artemis]
Executor Venari Pallin (Turian)
Nihlus Kryik (Turian)