Shepard went to see how Thane was settling in.

"Have a view minute to talk?" he asked.

"Of course, Shepard. Join me," said Thane gesturing to the chair opposite the table.

Shepard sat down. "Still talking to Kolyat?"

Thane nodded. "Yes. It's still difficult. But he seems less angry." He looked up at Shepard. "We'll hear my confession, Shepard?"

"I wouldn't talk to you if I didn't want to hear what you have to say."

"When I married Irikah, the hanar let me leave their service to raise a family. That I had no other skills, so I freelanced. When Irikah was killed, I pursued those responsible. Once I eliminated them, I had no goal. I accepted the Dantius commission because I didn't know what else to do."

"Not the healthiest attitude to take on a mission," said Shepard.

"You're right. It's not. Looking back now, it's clear I'd resigned myself to death." He shrugged. "I would have fulfilled my contract. If Nassana's guard caught me afterwards—it would have been a good death." He then leaned in towards Shepard. "But someone else was pushing to reach the target. Forcing me to move faster. Challenging me. I had to reach her first."

Shepard just stared at him. "I had no idea you'd planned to die in there."

Thane looked at his hands. "It wasn't a plan. My body had accepted its death. My mind been dead a long time." He looked up at Shepard. "Your mission gave me purpose. A cause to die for. A chance to atone. I was able to speak to my son again. I can leave my body piece."

"You've had a hard life," Shepard nodded. "You deserve some peace."

"Whatever may happen, my gun is yours."

Shepard past the mess hall and heard Kenny and Gabby talking to one another. They were discussing the kinetic barriers that Jacob was able to get hold of.

"The new armour reinforcements really flew off the gravimetric profiles," said Gabby. "But engines are good to go. I rebalance the Gilbourne coefficients and adjusted the anterior intakes on the second tier stabilisers."

Kenny blinked at her. "I love you when you talk dirty."

Shepard got a message from Kelly informing him that Samara would like to talk with him. The moment he entered into her quarters she broke her meditation.

"I am glad you came," she said as she got her feet. She then made her way towards the window and looked out into the void. "I must ask you for your help. That is not easy for me."

"It's all right," Shepard assured. "Just tell me what you need."

"When we met on Illium, I told you about a very dangerous person I was pursuing," she said without looking away from the window. "Using the information you obtained, I have located her. She's been going by the name 'Morinth.' I would like to apprehend her before she disappears again."

"Where is she?" Shepard asked.

"Omega. A nightclub named Afterlife—which seems a perfect place for her to hunt."

"How important is this?" Shepard asked.

"Killing her has been my focus for 400 years. It is the most important thing in my life and the reason I became a justicar."

She must been quite impressive indeed if she was able to escape Samara for that long. "Tell me about."

"She is an Ardat-Yakshi." That meant swat to Shepard, but thankfully Samara realised it. "It is a term of a dead asari dialect. It means 'Demon of the night winds.' But that is mythology. She is simply a very dangerous woman who kills without mercy."

"So is an Ardat-Yakshi a special kind of murder?" Shepard asked as he approached her.

"Morinth suffers a rare genetic disorder," Samara explained. "When she mates with you, there is no gentle melding of nervous systems. She overpowers yours, burns it out, hemorrhages your brain. You end up a mindless shell, and soon after you are dead."

Shepard frowned. "Why isn't this ever mentioned in asari literature or art?"

"When we were primitive there is much fascination with Ardat-Yakshi," Samara explained. "Some cultures worship them as gods of destruction. Now the asari have a place in the galaxy, and they don't wish this defect to be widely known. As far as I know, only three exist today. Two choose to live a life of seclusion. The third ran."

"Morinth," Shepard guessed.

"She ran, and I am sworn to kill her."

"I don't know that I can blame her for running," said Shepard.

"When she fled, she proved her addiction. She was not taking a great moral stand—she simply wants to keep killing. She is a tragic figure, but not a sympathetic one."

"So you hunt down these asari just because they're born with a genetic condition?" Shepard stared. Shepard found it hard to believe that the asari would do such a thing, he always found the most cooperative of all the Council species.

"It manifests with maturity. When one is diagnosed, she is offered the chance to live in seclusion and comfort. If she refuses, it shows her addiction to the ecstasy she gets from killing her mates. There is no redemption for such a person."

"They have to choose between prison and death?"

"It is an addiction condition," Samara reminded. "Remember how adaptive we are. If Morinth does not want to be cured, she won't be."

Shepard nodded. "This is definitely worth of your full attention."

"She confuses her victims, with their feelings. They will do anything for her favour."

"We need to stop her."

"Thank you, Commander," said Samara gratefully. "There are no words to express what this means to me." Shepard made his way towards the door. "There is one more thing: this creature, this… monster. She is my daughter." Shepard came to a stop.

Shepard turned and looked at her. "You said this is genetic. How many children do you have?"

"Three," said Samara. Shepard feared as much. "And three Ardat-Yakshi are in existence today. It is as it sounds. Morinth was always the wild one—she was happy and free. But selfish."

Shepard tried to comfort her. "I cannot imagine what this is like for you."

"I do not want your pity, Shepard," said Samara brushing away his hand. "I do not accept it. My daughter's condition is my fault. And my redemption lies in killing her." Shepard just stayed silent, he felt sorry for Samara and what she must do. "Do not pity me. Simply understand my situation."

"How did all this happen?"

"I spent my youth on the move, adventuring. I killed people, mated with them, or just dance the night away."

Shepard found that very hard to believe, but considering that she was nearly 1000 years old he had to assume that she had quite an interesting life.

Samara looked at Shepard. "I learned so much, experienced so much. And my matron days came. I could finally sit back, and enjoy my family. But in one moment, it was all taken away."

"It sounds terrible," said Shepard.

"I sat in a med lab while a nearsighted doctor droned at me. And I learned that nothing was as I thought it would be. I gave up all that I possessed. I own nothing, claim nothing. All my knowledge will die with me. Now my purpose is to destroy my own children."

"Those moments change you." Shepard neutrality all too well after seeing his friends and family being murdered and the depth she witnessed on Elysium.

"And I've had hundreds of years left to live with that." She then turned to Shepard. "I say too much. Forgive me. Help me find my lost daughter. And kill her."

"We'll go find Morinth."

They soon reached Omega and the moment they disembarked EDI contacted them.

"The death count Omega is too high for me to pinpoint an Ardat-Yakshi's location," she said. "However, given the reputation of Ardat-Yakshi among the asari, Aria T'Loak may have tracked the movements."

"Thank you," said Samara.

"Aria does know everything that goes on in Omega," said Shepard. "And considering the threat that Ardat-Yakshi pose I imagine that she wants her out of Omega quickly and quietly."

They went to Afterlife and made their way towards Aria and sat down in the couch next.

"What do you need?" Aria asked.

"An asari fugitive is hiding out here," Shepard explained. "She's an Ardat-Yakshi. We need to find her."

Aria didn't look at all surprised. "I knew it. Nothing leaves a body quite so… empty… as an Ardat-Yakshi does."

"You haven't taken steps to kill her?" said Samara slightly surprised.

Aria shrugged. "Why would I? She hasn't tried to seduce me. Her last victim was a young girl. Pretty thing. Lived in the tenements near here. That's where I'd start looking."

Shepard got to his feet. "Thanks for the help."

"Good luck finding her. Better luck catching her."

Shepard and Samara went to the tenements district and went to the address that Aria had given them. When they opened the door they found the grieving woman, who have to be the girl's mother.

"Are you hear about my daughter?" she asked hopefully. "My Nef died a week ago, and no one seems to care. The medics said it was a brain haemorrhage, but that's not true. It was murder. Someone killed my Nef, my baby."

"I think she was murdered, too, and I'm looking for her killer," Shepard assured.

The woman goes to the feet and looked at Shepard with gratitude. "Oh, thank you! It's so hard when no one believes you. I'm all alone now." She then looked at them curiously. "Are you… one of Aria's people?"

"I'm here to help. Doesn't matter who sent me?"

"No one else on this hell-hole station gives a damn that my Nef is dead. If you can do something about it, I'll help you however I can."

"Did you daughter have a lot of friends?" Shepard asked.

"Not a lot, no. She was shy. She spent most of her time making her sculptures, not hanging out with friends. Something did change in the last you weeks, though. She started talking about an asari. Morinth."

"I see," said Samara grimly.

"I didn't like her. She kept dragging Nef out to clubs, and I'm pretty sure she sent my daughter drugs."

"What kind of person was this Morinth?" Shepard asked.

"I never met, but Nef talked about her like she was a queen. You'd swear there was no one else to alive when she talks about Morinth."

"That sounds familiar," said Samara.

Shepard turned and looked at her. "Samara, does Morinth control her victims with drugs?"

"She controls them through sheer will. The drugs are just a lifestyle. She loves the club, love the brass. She's a hedonist.

"So this Morinth did hurt my daughter?" said Nef's mother. "Is she the one that… that…?"

"I will bring justice to the one that did this," Samara promised.

Shepard nodded. "We swear to you: Nef will rest easy soon."

Tears began to flow down Nef's mother's cheeks. "I hope so. I hope so. Oh, my baby."

"Did Nef hangout anywhere in particular?" Shepard asked.

"She was always quiet, working here at home. Then, a few weeks ago, she started going out all the time, to the VIP area of that club down the street. I think you need a password or something to get in there. The change was so sudden, she just seemed… tired and distracted when she wasn't around Morinth."

"What kind of a girl was your daughter?" Shepard asked.

The tears started to come thick and fast. "My Nef had a fire inside her. She was shy, but she was creative and driven, and… the best girl a mother could hope for."

Samara looked intrigued. "She was creative? How so?"

"She was a sculpture. Several galleries were interested in her, said her work was fresh."

"Do you mind if I examine Nef's room?" Shepard asked.

"I didn't want to disturb anything. Her clothes, her art, her sculptures. Everything in is the way she left it. The way it will always be." She then placed her hands over her face and began to cry. "My baby is gone. She's gone, and nothing will fix that."

Shepard then placed an arm around her and she cried into his shoulder. "Thank you. I'm sorry. I just miss her so much."

"It's okay. We've all suffered loss," said Shepard. "I lost my family and friends a long time ago."

"I know what it means to lose a daughter," said Samara. "I will avenge her."

Nef's mother looked at them with a tearful face. "Thank you. Please, if it helps you find her killer, look through her things."

"We will be respectful," Samara assured.

"I'll examine her things," said Shepard.

Shepard began searching through Nef's room and found a note from Morinth, it mentioned an elcor artist by the name of Forta. Shepard then access Nef's diary which mentioned Nef entering into the VIP room at Afterlife by dropping the name Jaruut, dancing while taking a drug by the name of Hallex and a vid call Vaenia which apparently Morinth liked and it sounded as if it was about glamorous women.

"This is Morinth's work," said Samara. "She is attracted to artists and creators. Someone with a spark, slightly isolated from their peers. She impresses with sophistication and sex appeal. Then she strikes. The hunt interests her as much as the conquest."

Shepard nodded. "Anyone who's successfully hunted sapient beings for 400 years warrents caution."

"Morinth speaks to you on many levels. Her body tells yours that she'll bring unimaginable ecstasy. Her scent envelops emotions long hidden. Her eyes promise you things you always scared to ask of another. Her voice whispers to you after she is done speaking."

"She sounds more like a highly evolved killer than a genetic defect," Shepard noted.

"The condition has been present since my people huddled around fires at night. Perhaps it's symbiotic, rather than a defect." She then looked up at Shepard seriously. "Storming her den would be a mistake—she will have a hundred escape routes planned. She will go to ground and disappear for fifty years or more. This is the closest I've ever been."

Shepard rubbed his chin. "So we have to lure her out."

Samara nodded. "Exactly! Shepard, you read my mind. Afterlife VIP section seems her preferred hunting ground. You must go there alone and unarmed."

Shepard nodded. "She'll come after me."

"You can draw Morinth out. She'll certainly flee if she catches sight of me. But she won't be able to resist you. You are an artist on the battlefield. You have the vital spark that attracts her. Your power will draw her in."

Shepard nodded. "Time is wasting. Let's get over there."

"I agree. We can talk more once we're there."

"But first a change of clothes," said Shepard. "Somehow I don't think armour will lair Morinth out."

Once Shepard change into his formal wear he made his way over towards Afterlife's VIP section. He was at once stopped by a guard and Shepard mentioned Jaruut from Nef's diary believing it to be the password.

It was indeed the password he entered inside and he found that Samara was already inside hiding behind some crates. He made his way over towards her making sure no one had spotted him.

"You must going alone—Morinth will be watching," said Samara. "Like any predator, she is cautious. You must pique her interest enough that she will approach you. When you are face-to-face, subtly encouraged her to invite you to her apartment. I'll follow discreetly and when you are alone, I'll spring the trap."

She then looked at him with a very concerned look. "Know this: until I get there, you are in great peril. She will be planning to inflict horrors on you. If you are not careful, you will want her to."

"How can I sparked her interest when I'm not even talking to her?" Shepard enquired.

"Courage or suicidal bravery would attract her. Hurt someone in defence, and she will be excited; but pick a fight, and she'll be bored. Show skill at smoothing through a nightclub crowd. She will be intrigued. She'll want you the moment she sees you. The rest is just a matter of overpowering her caution."

"How do I convince her to take me home?"

"She admires strength, directness, and vigor. Modesty, chivalry, or meekness frustrate and bores her. Violence excites her. You've killed, Shepard—she'll like that."

"Okay, what other things have we learned about Morinth that can help us here?"

"According to Nef's journal, Morinth likes dancing while on drug called Hallex. Nef's journal mentioned David called Vaenia. It seems to have something to do with glamorous women. Morinth sent Nef a note saying she likes the eclor artist Forta. Well, Shepard—that's everything we know."

"Let's get started," said Shepard.

"Shepard, we only have one chance at this. Any mistake, and Morinth will disappear. If you're the least bit unsure, come talk to me. I will wait here." She then placed a hand on Shepard shoulder. "And Shepard: thank you. I do not share this burden easily, and you are the only soul I can imagine sharing it with."

As Shepard was making his way to the dancefloor he encountered a young man who is crazy about Morinth. Shepard took this as his opportunity to learn more about her discovered that she liked the concept known as Expel 10.

When Shepard made his way onto the dancefloor he found that the turian was making an appropriate advances onto an asari dancer.

"Don't be like that—I got creds," he said. "We'll go back to my place. I got simple tastes."

The dancer glared at him and shoved him back. "Back off, asshole. I'm a dancer, not a hooker."

The turian leaning closer towards her. "You got a mouth on you! I'll enjoy watching you use it."

Shepard took a step forward. "The lady asked you to step away."

The turian glared at him. "What the hell? I'm just looking for a good time—this isn't your business."

The turian marched towards him and the dancer looked away as he heard the sound of fists being flung. She opened her eyes and saw the turian flying right past.

"Good times are over," said Shepard.

The dancer smiled at him. "Thanks for that. Security was asleep."

Shepard then ran into a couple turian thugs that were planning on to beat down on a guy. Shepard gave them warning to back away, but they ignored him and ended up face first on the floor.

Shepard continue to wonder around dancing and drinking and then made contact with a nervous-looking guy.

"Um… Hi. I need help right now, and I don't know who to ask," he said. "You're human and you don't look high, so you're it. Can you help me out?"

"Slow down and tell me what the problem is," said Shepard calmly.

"Right. Slow down," he said taking a deep breath. "Sorry, I just don't know what to do. My friend Moirall is doing a piece on Omega gangs. She's hanging with Florit—he's the worst of the worst."

"Your friend could get hurt."

He nodded. "Yeah, and she's going to. See, Florit's on to her. His gang is on the way here, and they're going to make a mess of her. I have to get a message to her, and fast."

"What you want me to do?" Shepard asked.

"She and I have a code. If you go over and say two words to Florit, my friend will get the message and get out of there. The two words are 'terminal,' and 'eternity.' In that order." He looked at him pleadingly. "Please tell me you can do that. She's going to die."

"I can do that," Shepard assured.

"Thank you! Thank you. Remember, 'terminal' and 'eternity.' In that order. Just work them into a sentence."

Shepard nodded and made his way over towards the table where Moirall and Florit were sitting.

"You need something, man?" Florit asked.

"Is there a public extranet terminal around here?" Shepard asked.

Florit stared at him. "In a club? You don't have an omni-tool?"

"That is a pretty strange question," Moirall agreed.

"I get by on public terminals. My omni-tool's been broken for an eternity," he said looking at Moirall.

Moirall's eyes widened realising that Shepard was giving her the cold.

Florit was completely oblivious by this. "That's a tough break. I'm done talking to you now."

"Hey, Florit," said Moirall getting to her feet. "I have to pee."

"Yeah? Hurry back, Moirall," Florit called. "I'm ready to head out."

Both Shepard and Moirall then put as much distance from Florit as possible.

Shepard continue to wonder around the club wondering whether he will ever make contact with Morinth.

"My name is Morinth," said a voice. Shepard turned and saw an asari leaning against the wall and her skintone were similar to Samara. "I've been watching you. You're the most interesting person in this place. I've got a booth over there in the shadows. Why don't you come sit with me?"

Seconds later the two of them were at a booth sharing some drinks.

"Some might I come here and there is no one interesting to talk to," she said. "Some nights, there's just one person. Tonight, it's you. Why is that?"

Shepard shrugged. "You and I want the same things."

"Do we?" Morinth asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You know anything about art?" Shepard asked.

"It speaks to the darkest places in me. What about you?"

"Do you know the artist Forta?" Shepard asked.

"I didn't think anyone around who knew him," she said pleasantly surprised. "He's sublime. Art comes in many variations. I've seen vids that were more powerful than a sculpture sitting in the gallery."

"Do you know Vaenia?" Shepard asked sipping a drink.

She smiled. "My favourite. The two actresses are so glamorous."

"I'll have to watch it," said Shepard taking another sip.

"We could do that together."

That was the reaction that Shepard was hoping for, he just needed her to a bit more interested in him. "What you think of the music here?"

"Dark rhythms, violent pulses," she said shuddering. "It stirs something primitive in me. What about you?"

"I'm curious about a band called Expel 10."

"They get into my head and tell it to pieces," she said taking a sip of her drink. "They're concert is soon; maybe we should go together. You can lose yourself in the music here. There are ways to enhance that. You know?"

"Would you think of Hallex?" Shepard asked.

"It's slithers through my soul," she said blissfully. "Seems like we share some interests."

He could tell that he was almost there, he just needed one more pull. "I've travelled all across the galaxy."

"It changes you, doesn't it?"

"Real travel means going to dangerous places," said Shepard in a dangerous like voice.

"Where you can see and do things most people can't imagine," Morinth nodded.

"Yes."

"When I travel, I find myself drawn to dark, dangerous places."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Violent places?"

"Violence is the surest experience of power."

"Violence is a means to an end. Power is that end," said Shepard in a forceful voice.

Morinth smiled at him. "Do you want to get out of here? My apartment is nearby, and I want you alone," she said seductively.

The two of them then made their leave and out of the corner of his eye he saw Samara hiding in the shadows. Now all he had to do was keep her busy long enough for Samara to show.

The moment they entered into Morinth compartment Shepard began to examine the place. Morinth commented on a few things in the room and eventually Shepard sat down on the couch next to her.

"I love clubs—people, movement, heat," she said with a smile. "I can still hear the bass, like the drums of a great hunt, out for your blood. But here, it's muted—and you're safe. Is that what you want, Shepard?"

"People feel safe right before they die," said Shepard.

Morinth nodded. "It's true, we're never safe. I have never understood the fascination with safety. Some of us choose differently." She then made her way over towards him and sat on his lap as she looked into his eyes. "Independence over submission. I think we share that, you and I."

"You compare us, but you're nowhere near my lead," said Shepard in a firmed voice.

"So strong," she smiled. "I need this." She then sat herself next to him and their eyes met. Her eyes suddenly went black and Shepard could feel her entering his mind. "Look into my eyes, and tell me you want me. Tell me you'd kill for me. Anything I want."

Shepard could definitely tell that she was more powerful than Liara, but he looked at her firmly. "I'm not the victim you were hoping for," he said.

Morinth's eyes returned to normal and she stared at him. "But you… who are you?" She then realised the truth. "Oh, no—I see what's going on. The bitch herself found a little help."

They then heard the sound of a door opening and turn to see Samara entering into the apartment with her biotics flaring.

"Morinth," said Samara before slamming her daughter into the window cracking the glass.

"Mother," said Morinth slightly winded.

"Do not call me that," said Samara pushing Morinth further into the window.

"I can't choose to stop being you daughter. Mother."

"You made your choice long ago."

"What choice?" Morinth then unleashed a powerful pulse that pushing Samara back freeing her. Samara floated up into the air as Morinth use her biotics to lift up the couch. "My only was being born with the gifts you gave me."

She then slammed the couch into Samara, who knocked it aside and causing her to lose her concentration and fell to the floor. Morinth then approached Samara with her biotics flaring.

"Enough, Morinth!" Samara yelled knocking her back with a biotic push.

The two of them quickly got back onto their feet and created a singularity that clashed with one another. Shepard waters are furniture floated around them is a power struggle between mother and daughter began.

"I am the genetic destiny of the asari," said Morinth. "But they are not ready to reveal this, so I must die."

"You are a disease to be purged, nothing more," said Samara.

Morinth looked at Shepard. "I am a strong she is—let me join you!"

"I am already worn to help you, Shepard," said Samara. "Let's us finish this."

Shepard looked at the two of them the choice between a ruthless bringer of justice or a dangerous serial killer. It was a no-brainer. He grabbed Morinth's arm and twisted it causing her singularity to collapse.

"End of the line, Morinth," said Shepard.

"And they call me a monster!" she glared.

Samara then slammed her back was with a biotic push. Sheppard then watched as Samara approached the fallen Morinth, who tried desperately to get away. However, Samara placed her hand over her throat and closed her eyes.

"Find peace in the embrace of the goddess," she said.

She then slammed a biotic fist right towards Morinth and Shepard looked away. When he looked back he saw purple glow on the floor and Samara moving away from the remains of Morinth as her biotics dissipated.

"I am ready to leave this place and get on with my life," said Samara. "Are you ready to go, as well?"

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Shepard asked.

"Shepard. What you want me to say? What can I say?" said Samara, her face on moving. "I just killed the bravest and the smartest of my daughters. There are no words. I will try another time. For now, show mercy on a broken old warrior and let us leave."

Shepard nodded. "Let's go."

Rick was on his ship to hologram of Anderson.

"So no new leads?" Rick asked.

"As if there were any to begin with," Anderson sighed. "However, the Council have confirmed what we already know about the Collectors and they are deeply concerned. I think they might be starting to believe the presence of the Reapers."

"Because it's similar to how the geth turned our people to husks?" Rick asked.

"Exactly," Anderson nodded. "The timing is unusual to say the least and they wonder what caused the Protheans to undergo such dramatic changes."

"And the only theory they have those of the Reapers," Rick finished.

Anderson nodded. "I believe they're starting to believe that Shepard was right about the Reapers. However, it could already be too late and were having our hands full with the Collectors."

"So the Council is in a deadlock and they don't know what course of action to take," Rick surmised.

Anderson smiled. "It seems as if Shepard is not the only soldier with a keen diplomatic mind."

Rick shrugged. "Not every soldier shoots first and asks questions later. I'll let you know if I find anything on my end."

"Then I'll make my way back to damn bureaucracy."

Rick then saw the hologram faded and then made his way over to the bridge.