Disclaimer: BioWare owns Mass Effect. 20th Century Fox owns the Alien franchise. EA owns Dark Space.

Hades Nexus Cluster, February 23, 2177

1st Lieutenant Jane Shepard sat at the pilot's chair, looking at the VI personification of SHODAN, the USG Ishimura's ship-wide computer VI database, feeling relieved to find that something still worked upon the planet-fracker. If the ships' computers had been down, the chances of them escaping would have been slim-to-none. Seeing the VI still active was a relief, though the way it talked indicated that there might have been damage done to her core processors at one point in time. She wasn't sure if the presence of the bugs had damaged the ship, or some form of sabotage had occurred, but there was evidence enough that something had happened to the Ishimura.

"Hello, SHODAN." Shepard spoke to the VI, seeing that she had the option to address it with speech instead of just text requests. "I am 1st Lieutenant Jane Shepard of the System Alliance Marine Corps, sent by the Alliance to investigate the Ishimura. There seems to be a situation on board. Can you give me a status update on the ship, as well as the ships' logs?"

"P-p-p-process-ziiiinnnnnggggggg….." The VI spoke, its voice modulator distorting and acting out-of-sync with normal speech patterns. Someone had done a number on the system, it seemed to Shepard. "Error (error). Unrecognized personnel o-on BOARD Ishimura (ishimura). P-p-please contact Command Personnel-nel for access-zz of ship protocol."

"Fuck." Shepard grunted, accessing her Omnitool, the red holographic display going to her home page. She cued in her Specter Access Codes, inputting them in to reroute the security clearance, changing a subroutine of the root password by addling lines of code that would have her access as a master authorized user, creating a whole subfile that would read her as apart of the Command Personnel, along with a password to make it official. Queuing up the program, she slid her Omnitool into the workstations' dock, entering the code manually as oppose to wirelessly; a direct connection to such a system as the Ishimura's was needed as human Corporations generally made such servers impossible to access off-network to avoid hacking and data infiltrations.

"A-a-access…. Process (process) upLOAD in sync-nc." The VI spoke, its malfunctioning voice stuttering and fluctuating. "WARNING (warning) un-un-unauthorized user accesssssss-zzzzz $^&#…. Synchronization complete, access-zz of SHIP protocol (protocol) au-au-authorized. Hello (hello), A-a-agent Jane Shepard."

"SHODAN, please bring up ships' logs, status update, and location of crew to pilot's Helm." Shepard spoke to the work station, pulling her Omnitool out as she felt pleased that she was able to hack into the VIOS. She was by no means a programmer or software specialist, and she was afraid to have Rahe'Tarram or Cur Dileed hack into the system. It was obvious that the VI was already corrupted or damaged by the sound of its speech program. Having someone hacking into a VI could have corrupted it worse and shut it down completely, leaving them without access to the computer servers, or even its data.

"C-c-c-complying." SHODAN responded, the haptic display starting to bring up folders and access nodes onto the work station for Shepard to access. "W-w-warning. Data co-co-corruption (corruption) detect-t-t-tttted. Please recalibrate (calibrate) persona-a-ality SUITE to reload host data (data)."

"Oh, fucking hell." Shepard looked over to Captain Royce Mason, who had been standing to one side of her as she booted the ship's VIOS. "It's like someone loaded a damn virus into the poor thing. I hate the thought of hacking into the servers and making it worse, but we might have to. It'll give us access to the ship, its logs, maybe even locate the Ishimura personnel. At the least, we know where the hive might be located if there is one."

"I say do it." Royce nodded, mulling it over. "Without it, we'd be goin' through this ship blind and dumb. If all we got to do is play blender with a VIOS, then that's what we got to do. See what you can do t'make it happen, 'gel, and we'll see what we can find. Maybe we can fix the bloody ship from here."

"Since when has our luck run that good, Uncle?" Shepard asked, amused. That had Royce snort. "Go get your teams ready. I'll play with the system here and reboot it; even I should be able to do that. By the time you're done with marching orders, we should have something working for us for a change." She watched as the Australian-born N7 moved towards the room containing the lifepods, conferring with Master Chief Stacy Valentino and Specter Instructor Cavius Reminion to see how they would split the teams and saddle her with the support personnel as Shepard turned back to the Helm's workstation, her attention on the malfunctioning VIOS. "SHODAN? Master reboot personality suite and reload host data for full-spectrum access of core data. Master user permission and access granted."

"V-v-verifying (fying)." The synthesized voice confirmed, beeping several times as Shepard watched the screen flicker, the imagine of the green-tinged woman's face with its orange eyes disappearing for a few moments before coming back on. An inverted blue-grey cone appeared first, slowly loading upwards to red; an unusual loading bar, Shepard thought as she watched it slowly fill completely red, indicating that the reboot was finished. The digitized face reappeared, the screen flickering several times before resetting itself to normalcy, the VIOS's digitized feminine face staring back at her. "W-w-welCOME, Lieutenant (tenant) Shep-shepard. How may-may-mayyyyyyyaaaaaiiii *Warble* I assist (assist)?"

"Finally getting somewhere!" Shepard whooped, smiling. Finally something was going right! Sure, it still sounded like the sound card had been chucked in a blender, but now the VI recognized her, and wasn't giving her any crap about access issues. That was a step in the right direction. "SHODAN? I need access to the ships' logs, an update to the ships' status, the location of crew, and we need ship-wide communication access. There is an emergency, and we are emergency responders with the Alliance Military Command." Most human-made VI's were made with a military node just in case Marines or sailors had to access parts of the ships' network for emergency protocols, which Shepard was accessing now. It should give them unprecedented access through the ship, Shepard thought to herself as she chewed her bottom lip; unlocked doors, command nodules through the bridge, the ability to repair any software malfunctions throughout the ship… the works. Even the Corporations understood that not everything went according to plan, and that the men and women in Blue had to rescue the day somehow. "Let's start with this communications issue, SHODAN. We need to find out what is causing the distortion or interference that is preventing my team from communicating from one another. Analysis?"

"Process-cess-cessing, PLEASE hold." The VI told her as the face flickered a few times, the network still sadly trashed. Shepard pondered what could have happened to the VIOS; they were usually well-protected from data-manipulation, and the physical servers themselves were usually protected by iridium-reinforced steel. If someone had infected SHODAN, they would have had to built a worm virus specified for it, and the Corporations were usually quite paranoid about their data network accesses, and would have made sure it had the latest protection and defenses. Shepard's first thought was the involvement of another Corporation; hostile takeover. It made sense… but why a planet-fracker? Even if the Concordance Extraction Corporation had found something, she doubted there would be anything of note or worth on a vessel that was essentially the modern-day version of a whaler. True, the system was an unsurveyed system, and potential goldmines could exist in such places like the Yanlat System, but that would mean someone would have had to been on the Ishimura before; no one would be able to load a virus through a communications hub in fear of discovery or the garbling of transmission due to size and time. In order to do so, someone had to have been on the ship, or transferred onto it. But that would mean they (whoever 'they' were) would possibly be stuck on the ship as well.

A damaged VI, a Prothean Beacon-device, Xenomorphs, a busted-up ship, and us in the middle of it. Shepard thought to herself as she shook her heard, contemplating it. This all means something; something happened here, and these can't all be coincidences. Perhaps the ships' logs will give me some insights. Timelines. What went down, and when. When the bugs were first discovered. What started this comedy of errors?

"Lieu-lieu-lieutenant? Analysis (ALYSIS) completed-ded-ded." The VI intoned from the workstation. "Ph-ph-physical server disconnection (disconnection) nodessssszzzzz….. 1 through 35, communications. Inter-ter-ternal sensor ARRAY disconnection nodes… 1 through 14. Signal interference due to com-com-component physical error (error). Please contact MAINTENANCE p-p-personnel to check connections for optimum performance (mance). Error! Ship'sssszzzz log access unavailable, physical SERVER disconnection, primary re-re-relay."

"Sounds like we got us some walkin' to do." Royce commented, Master Chief Stacy Valentino coming up from behind him, grunting in agreement as she folded her arms across her chest. "We got our teams set up, 'gel. If you can get us the locations and how t' get there, we'll have Dingo, Cowboy, and Ghost head t' each one and fix the issues there. We get those up, we should restore enough access t' the ship where we can actually do our jobs effectively. Being able to tease you over the radio would be a bonus."

"Uncle…" Shepard growled, making Stacy laugh as she went over and ruffled her fiery red hair, making the Marine cry out in admonishment. "Who are you leaving me with?"

"Tela and Rahe'Tarram for primary defense, the Protheanologists, Porol, Cur Dileed, Ripper, Bitch and Tibevius." Stacy replied, making Shepard nod slowly. With the exception of Tela Vasir, Rahe'Tarram nar Sofis, Sergeant Rita Vrataski and herself, none of the others had any real combat training, only simple firearms familiarization and proficiency. Four out of ten shooters wasn't the best of odds in case of an emergency. Still, at least they all had high-grade weaponry and armor. That alone should make up for most of the others' short-comings.

"Well, go out and have fun fixing the ship while I sit here and play Minesweeper."

Boredom; a soldiers' constant companion and worst enemy. 1st Lieutenant Jane Shepard sat at the helm of the USS Ishimura as she fiddled with the ships' computer, SHODAN interjecting occasionally with status updates of the vessels' many problems. Communications were still down, but thankfully, Omnitool text-burst was still in full swing, and Shepard was receiving updates from Master Chief Stacy Valentino, Captain Royce Mason, and Specter Instructor Cavius Raminion periodically as they went through the ship to restore some of its functions. The rest of Team Valkyrie stayed at the Helm Room, safe and secure for the moment. Rahe'Tarram nar Sofis had somehow managed to remember to bring a deck of cards, and a rather intense game of Skyllian Five was now in full swing, the Quarian Specter Recruit facing off the pilot Tibevius Victonius, Sergeant Rita Vrataski, and Specter Recruit Porol Lamal. Unfortunately, everyone was in full cheating mode; the Salarian was a card-counter, the Quarian had extra cards stuffed in her suit, the Turian growled and threatened everyone, and the N3 blatantly called out on everyone's tricks while trying to slip extra credits from Lamal's ever-growing pot. Thosw who weren't playing were engaged as well; Cur Dileed had a wager with Bastila Shan on every hand deal on who would be the winner of said hand, while her grandmother Ellen Ripley and Doctor Liara T'soni commented on the game, trying to guess what lie or cheat would be used next by whom. The only one who wasn't involved besides Shepard was Tela Vasir, who was sitting on the floor in what the Human Specter called the 'Asari Lotus Position' the Asari Specter obvious meditating. It was something that Tela tried to do every day if time permitted, and Shepard wondered if it were an Asari thing, with their incredibly long life spans, or if it was something that Tela merely come across to find her own personal sense of peace.

You're brooding, Dhan'rana. Tela thought to her, the Specters' eyes never opening as she sat there on the cold, hard deck of the floor, still in her meditative trance. At least the others are distracting themselves and occupying their time. You, my young Maiden, are brooding. That isn't helping anything.

I don't feeling I am helping anything. Shepard admitted through the bond that she shared with Vasir, her mood dark and depressed. I… never liked this part, the waiting. I spent years waiting for Pop when he was off on missions, helpless and powerless when I was a kid. At least Mom was on the ship whenever we were assigned, and I could technically see her whenever I wanted. Now? I feel like I'm trapped again. I hate that feeling.

I understand, Jane. I truly do. The Specter replied as she opened her blue-violet eyes, her gaze going to the human woman she had bonded with. When I was part of a Commando Team, my Sisters were just that; my Sisters. There was one incident on some airless rock where one Huntress, Aleea D'hana, was trapped in a cave-in, separated from us. I remember, the three of us trying to biotically lift the boulders away to get to her, our air supplies limited. She… she put a pistol to her head and ended her life for our sakes as we had a quarter-hour remaining of breathable air to spare us from dying trying to save her. I… I had never known such pain and turmoil as I did that day, beating on a rock to rescue a woman I considered family. When I see your memories of the Iwo Jima, I can't imagine how you endured that as a child. I was two centuries old, and Aleea's death had a profound effect on me. You were forced to watch your own mother die in front of you, trapped in a lifepod in the void at less than a decade of age. Never doubt your own strength, Jane Catherine Shepard, for you are both a survivor and a warrior.

I… thank you, Tel. The Marine replied, feeling a little bit better. How do you do that, always seeming to know the right thing to say? Asari wisdom in action?

After about six hundred years or so of mistakes to learn from, one would think I would have learned a thing or two. Shepard could feel the smirk coming from the Asari. You kind has its own wisdom, Maiden, do not doubt the strength that Humanity possesses. Just look at your actions upon LV 426, or even little Rebecca Jorden's. I believe you said that your people are at their very best when they are looking in the very face of the worst odds. From what little I've read about Earth's history, I would have to agree. The Matriarch opened her eyes, and looked Shepard. Jane? There is something I need to tell you. Something… difficult. Away from the others.

Shepard nodded as she stood from the Helm, walking toward the escape room that held the lifepods behind the Helm Room as Tela followed her. She gave Rahe a glare when she heard the synthsized version of kissing coming from the Quarians' vocalizer, making most in the Helm chuckle as both Human and Asari Specter stepped through the hatch and Vasir pushed the button that would close it behind them. The Thessian slowly turned to Shepard, taking a deep breath, and she realized that she couldn't feel anything through their bond; only silence. Yet she could see that Tela was bothered by something. What was wrong?

"Jane, I… I must confess to you about something that… a mistake that I have made." The Asari Specter began, taking another deep breath.

"Dhan'rana, I am an Operative of the Shadow Broker."

1st Lieutenant Jane Shepard stood there in the small room, partitioned away from everyone else, as the words that Matriarch Tela Vasir had spoken washed over her, her brain finally catching up with what the Asari Specter had said… and all that it implied. Shepard, of course, knew of the Shadow Broker; a mysterious information broker that was linked to criminal organizations, espionage, intrigue, assassinations, and a whole slue of crimes. No one knew who the Shadow Broker was, or even his race, but all feared him appropriately. That Tela Vasir would admit to it… there was no denying that it was considered treason according to Citadel Law and the Specter's own Code.

"Oh my Gods, you're not kidding me, are you?" Shepard asked, feeling her voice breaking slightly as she looked at the Asari, seeing the seriousness on her blue face. The woman that she loved… worked for the Shadow Broker? "Why are you telling me this? Why now?"

"Two reasons; one good, and one bad." Vasir admitted, closing her eyes for a moment. "When we were clearing some of the hallways, I noted some marks that usually indicate a Network Center for an Operative to use. It is possible that we might be able to send out a message through the Broker's Network for help, even with everything else that has gone wrong. As I understand it, it uses different protocols and technologies that we do not use for our Omnitools or our communicators. It is a possibility that I wanted to bring up, but…" The Thessian paused, seemingly trying to hunt for the right words. "I don't know how else to tell anyone without persecution but you, Jane. I trust this to you."

"Oh Gods, Tela…" Shepard rubbed her face with both hands, the stress inside of her having just jumped about a thousand percent. "You're telling me that you've been working for the Shadow Broker while as a member of Special Tactics? How long?"

"95 years." The Thessian replied, and the Human Specter did the math; Tela had been a Specter for 104 years. "I should tell you the story, I just… I don't know how. It is painful to me, and it is linked to the reason why I became a Specter in the first place."

Shepard found herself looking at the Thessian woman standing in front of her; no, staring at her. Every emotion was in turmoil inside of her, raging in her soul as she looked at the woman who had confessed to her. What she had admitted to was punishable by death! And she just went and told Shepard this! Why?

"Tela… you have been patient with me." Shepard began slowly, working hard to control herself. "I can't imagine that our relationship has been easy for you, me knowing so little of your kind, and dealing with my own emotional and racial obstacles. I… will let you explain, and I will listen. I just… please do not tell me that everything that you've said to me was a lie." That fear had come to her, large and maddening.

"No, not that." The Asari quickly shook her head, her face determined. "It is next to impossible to lie to a bondmate. I could perhaps hide something, but eventually you would have discovered it on your own, dhan'rana. What we have between us is true, but this I would rather you hear it from me, that I earn the opportunity to explain it to you, so that you may understand why I did it. It wasn't out of greed, or power, or anything so trivial as that.

"Jane, I did it out of love."

On the planet of Illum, Detective Tela Vasir of the Illum's Security and Investigations Office found herself falling in love.

The Matron had been a Detective on the Asari-ran planet for fifty years, and found her job to be enjoyable. She hunted criminals, investigated crimes, and generally filled her days with work. Yet all that changed when she was seeing her four hundred and fiftieth year, when she met Soyen T'mala. Soyen had just hit her Matron years, a business woman working for Illium Exports as a negotiator. How they had met was a simple thing, really; Tela had investigated what looked to be fraudulent corporate espionage, and somewhere along the way, Soyen was a witness to the crime. Somewhere, during the investigation, the Detective had found herself thinking of the Asari business woman, and took a risk asking her out on a date. Much to her surprise and relief, Soyen said yes.

For fifty years, life for the couple was bliss.

Tela had never really been in love before; flings, a few romances, but none had ever lasted a decade. Yet with Soyen, Tela knew she had found the one; the one she wanted to be with, to bond with, even father daughters for. Every morning, she woke feeling lucky to have Soyen, and she went to be holding onto the Asari business woman, grateful to have her. She was even preparing things to ask her to bond with Tela.

And then a stranger went and ruined it all.

There had been no signs, no clues, and no warning the day Soyen had answered her door to a stranger. Tela never did understand how it came to be that she opened her door to someone she didn't know, all the Detective knew was that she came home to find Soyen in the grips of something dangerous, something deadly.

An Ardat-Yakshi.

Decades of police work and being a Commando had Tela's Carnifax pistol out of her holster, pointing at the filthy creature, but it was already too late. The Asari Detective had never fought one of the Demons of the Night Winds, so she didn't understand the dangers, just the legends. She tried forming a barrier to protect herself… and felt herself being drained of her biotic energies, sapped by the creature. Tela gasped as she felt weakened, her very will being sapped out of her as the Demon sucked her of her natural defenses and offenses, leaving her weakened and with a heavy pistol in her hand.

"So sweet when they try to fight back, isn't it?" The Arat-Yakshi asked Soyen, shivering in the grips of the creature as it licked the side of her face sensually. "Poor little Matron, so ignorant. Did you not know that we Demons can drain you of your biotics when you try to use them? You should have shot at me first; we can't generate our own. No matter, now I have yours." The throwback smiled as Tela got onto rubbery legs, aiming her pistol at the thing.

"Back, Demon. Unhand her!" Tela growled, her sights on the creature's head.

"Whatever you say, Detective." The stranger replied, a bulb of blue energy growing in her hand as she launched it at Tela. The Asari Detective went with natural instinct and tried to protect herself with her own biotics… but found nothing to use. The bolt hit her in the chest, and she was slammed backwards into the wall of the house, knocking her to the floor, causing her to lose her breath. Tela groaned as she tried to get up, looking at Soyen's fearful eyes as the creature took her love's face in her filthy hands.

"I would love to play with you, Detective, but I did not come here to toy with my food." The Demon spoke as her eyes grew dark, ready to meld. "I simply came by for a quick snack."

"NO!" Tela screamed, trying to scramble to her feet as another bolt of biotic energy hit her, freezing her body in stasis as she looked on in horror, unable to move or talk. The Demon smiled at her, her dark eyes returning to Soyen, who trembled with fear as the Ardat-Yakshi began to forcemeld with her, the Asari beginning to spasm and convulse in her hands as the creatures' consciousness joined with her own. Tela fought the stasis with all her might, trying to move her body, trying to access her biotics, but nothing worked. She watched, unable to turn her head, as the creature melded with the woman she loved, Soyen's body shaking so violently that the Detective could hear her bones snapping, flecks of blue-purplish blood splattering about as Soyen T'mala bled from her nose, eyes and ears. It seemed to last for an eternity, yet the convulsing stopped, and the Ardat-Yakshi simply let go of the Asari in front of her, watching as she slumped to the ground, dead.

"Oh my, that was a tasty morsel." The Demon smiled, sauntering her way towards Tela, a predatory grin upon her face. "She loved you dearly, you know? I could taste it on her memories. She was prepared to ask to bond with you, to mother your daughters. It looks like I came just in time to savor it." Tela's answer had no words, just a primal scream that started from the very bottom of her soul as anguish and rage echoed out. "Oh, how delightful, Detective! I can't wait to play this game! Hunt me down, little Asari, and I will very much look forward to savoring our next meeting… along with your life."

"And that's how I met Pharye Myraria."

1st Lieutenant Jane Shepard stood there, feeling the pain that Tela was emanating through her bond, unable to control it as grief and sadness saturated the Thessian's soul. She didn't even think it over; Shepard merely encircled her arms around the smaller Asari woman and held her tightly as Tela began to cry, holding her as the six-century old Specter wallowed in her grief. Shepard could tell that Tela had never told anyone this, that she was first the Asari had shared it with, the thought radiating through their bond as Shepard felt her own emotions rocked by it, wanting to cry herself.

"That's why you did it? To hunt her down?" Shepard asked, still holding the woman she loved. "You became a Specter to hunt her down. You made a deal with the devil to finish the job."

"I… couldn't find her." Tela admitted, pulling her head from the cusp of Shepard's shoulder, wiping at her tears. "Then a Broker Operative came to me, told me how Pharye had earned the wrath of the Broker, yet the last three unit he had sent had failed. Told me that they needed an Asari who was bold enough to face one of the Ardat-Yakshi down, one who wasn't ignorant to their threat. I… agreed. I had been trying to find her for nine years without any luck, but it was believed that the Shadow Broker's Network was even more extensive than the Specters. I just… I wanted her dead."

"Dhan'rana, I understand." The Human Specter replied, and she did understand; what she would have done to hunt down the Batarians that killed her mother! "I am not sorry that I killed that bitch, I'm just sorry you weren't there to see it."

"I saw your memories of it." Tela correct her, a small smile on her lips. "Watching you choke the life out of her was quite satisfying the first time I glimpsed it in your sleep. So was bashing the back of her head in with a lamp. I quite approve." That had Shepard chuckle. "Yet the moment I realized that Pharye was dead, I felt… I felt this weight lift off me, and I wasn't disappointed that it wasn't my hands that did the deed. I saw the footage when you first arrived at the Citadel, and when I realized you had killed her… all I felt was relief. I didn't understand why at first, why I wasn't mad that someone took my revenge away from me, but I do now. While my reason to hunt her down was right, how I did it was not. I had lost the right to do it, while you had killed her defending a child. If anyone deserves praise for what they had did, I want you to know that I thank you for doing what I could not. I fear nothing more in this galaxy than Ardat-Yakshis. They are our genetic predators, our downfall. Perhaps that is why a lone Human Marine was able to beat her when so many Asari fail."

"I didn't have any biotics to steal; I can see why that would throw you off your game." Shepard admitted. It was like someone taking her guns and using them against her. "I bet she stole this armor just to lure you in, never changed the name because she got off on it. Godsdamn monster. Glad I bashed her head in and nuked her body. Bitch."

"Jane, I tell you this because… because I know what I did was wrong, but I put it on the mantle of trying to stop… what is it that you humans call it? The greater of two evils?" To that Shepard slowly nodded her head as Tela Vasir continued. "I traded what was more precious to me for the sakes of revenge, yet the Broker never did more than just give me information of where Pharye had been, making me hunt her for decades. After a while, I… I couldn't do it anymore. I had lost five specialists and one Specter trying to kill her, and the Goddess knows how many people she's killed in the meantime. When I told you about our decisions when there seems to be no right one on that rooftop when you let that human man go?" The Marine indicated that she remembered, letting Carter Burke go because it had been them that had taken him. "This is why I told you. I won't apologize for it, but I do regret it. I think you understand that."

"I do." Jane Catherine Shepard replied with a sigh, feeling bone-tired, the stress of Tela's emotions and her own wearing her out. "I am sorry that happened to Soyen, and that you had to watch that. I… I know what that is like, to watch the ones you love taken before you before your very eyes, powerless to do anything about it. I had to watch my mother die suitless in space, along with so many others on the Iwo Jima. Had I been older, I don't think I would have been any different, doing anything in my power to hunt the Batarian pirate ship that murdered so many Sailors and Marines in Alliance Space. While I would love to go after that ship, realistically, how many of the pirates serving on it would be the same ones from back in '61? It's been fifteen years. They're probably all dead anyhow, and I doubt I would ever find out their identities."

"I guess at least I had a monster whose face I knew, someone I could chase." Tela admitted, taking Shepard into her arms and holding her close. "I… won't lie, I feared doing this. The Broker, he is… ruthless. If he finds out that I've told you, he will kill us both. Slowly." That had the Human Specter snort.

"Tell the asshole to get in line. Better yet, invite him. Perhaps we could make use of the Xenomorphs and…" Shepard's words stopped in their tracks as it dawned on her what they could do.

"Tela? You said you knew where this Network Server was, right?" The smile that grew on Shepard's face made Tela begin to look quite worried.

For a Hub of the Network of the Shadow Broker, the terminal wasn't very impressive.

1st Lieutenant Jane Shepard sat at the desk of the hidden room that was located in the Flight Deck, by where she had found the Audio Recording Device made by Benson, right by the bathrooms that Tela Vasir had cleared herself. She went into the ladies' room, and looked for the corner that the Asari Specter had told her to look at; the last stall on the right, upper right hand corner. Humanity's First Specter looked at the HUD of her Kuwashii Visor, seeing the readout of her radar as it pulsed out, bringing back any telemetry of movement or shapes, and continuously came back in the clear. Shepard pulled out her Specter Gear HMWP Mark X Pistol, switching it to armor-piercing, explosive effect, pointing it at the back wall of the stall in question when she reached it, giving a quick breath to relax herself. She was alone in the room, having traveled back to the Flight Deck via the Tram by herself while Tela minded those remaining in the Helm. If she was going to do what she had in mind, then Shepard had to do it before communications and any other devices meant to capture video and motion were running, otherwise someone else among the Specters or Marines might start asking the right questions. Tela of course didn't want Shepard going off on her own, but the only way that would have worked was to bring all ten of Team Valkyrie to this certain spot of the ship without telling anyone why. It would be easier for Shepard to go discretely for a few minutes, enact her plan, and come back. That didn't make the Asari Specter happy, but it was her plan; the Thessian wouldn't be able to pull it off. Shepard found the spot to press thanks to the two interesting scratch marks that indicated where to press, and pushed at a discolored spot on the steel wall in just the right way, just like her dhan'rana showed her.

The wall behind the toilet slid open, revealing a simple chair, desk, and terminal.

"The Broker's Network works off of Quantum physics, linked by Quantum computers over a Quantum Network." Tela had told her quickly as she led Lieutenant Shepard towards the Tram Station, no one realizing that they had walked off yet. "I don't rightfully understand how it works, save that it is impossible to intercept, and it doesn't follow the rules that our Light Networks use. It is very possible that you can communicate with someone instantaneously at another point of the galaxy with no interference. I've certainly never had any issues at my terminal." That had the Thessian lock up in silence, admitting her role in things.

"How do I get in?" Shepard asked simply, leaving any other discussion for a later date. She hadn't asked how involved Tela was. She was afraid to find out.

"Simple; put your hand on the reader, as it isn't biometrically locked for a particular user." The Specter replied quietly, her blue-violet eyes searching for any listeners. "It is meant to go in only one direction; out. You will be answered, but you won't be able to receive anything other than audio from the terminal. It is, essentially, just a highly advanced communication device."

"That's all I need in order to get into contact with the Broker? It seems… simple." Shepard admitted as they approached the Tram. "I guess having to find it and the technology is really the wonder behind it. Smoke and mirrors." Tela shook her head at the euphemism; obviously, she had no idea about the Wizard of Oz. "I'll go, head there as quick as I can, and come back. For right now, my grandmother and the rest think we're cuddling or something, and they won't disturb us. I have to do this now. Lives depend on me doing this."

"I understand, Jane, just…" Fear and worry pulsed through the bond, and Shepard knew that the Asari feared for her, being by herself. "Do not go and get yourself killed, Maiden. There is… there is much I need to tell you. Some good, some bad, but you deserve to know. But, most importantly… I love you, Jane Catherine Shepard. I don't want to lose you." That had the Specter rock back on her heels for a moment. Tela had never said the 'l' word before. She hadn't, either.

"We'll get through this, my dear." Shepard promised, not specifying between Tela's admissions or the Ishimura itself; both were the same in her mind, and she sent it through her bond so that Tela would understand. "I knew this wouldn't be easy for us, but I'm still willing to give us a shot if you are."

"I am." The Matriarch replied, the relief in her voice matching the relief that passed through their bond. The Asari pulled Shepard in for a quick, passionate kiss, tinged with passion and desperation, the je'dai straining between them as Shepard reluctantly pulled away, Tela's emotions echoing through her. "Come back to me, Maiden. I don't want to lose you, too."

"I'll come back with my shield, not on it." Shepard replied softly as she stepped onto the Tram, turning to face her lover as the doors slowly closed between them. "Je t'adore, ma cheri." Shepard whispered in French as she placed her hand on the ceramic glass of the Tram's window, seeing Tela placing her hand on the same spot before the Tram began to move, taking Shepard away from the woman she loved, alone, towards the Flight Deck.

"Okay, Tela. Here's to hoping that someone answers the phone." Shepard muttered to herself as she found the biometric scanner in question, removing the glove off her right hand and placing her palm print upon it. The device was meant for hands with three fingers or five, a small globe that seemed to be made of glass, yet electricity sparked inside the globe. The electrical energy touched her hand, not shocking her thankfully as Shepard watch the terminal come to life.

"This is the Broker. You have a report to make?" A synthesized voice came for the terminal, dark and menacing, impossible to tell the gender or species of the owner.

"You can say that, fuckface." Shepard replied, her voice grim and filled with steely determination. "My name is 1st Lieutenant Jane Catherine Shepard of the System Alliance Marine Corps, and an Agent of the Office of Special Tactics. I found your little Network, Smegal, and I'm going to hunt your ass down. I really hope that you aren't some slimy-ass Salarian frog who cries in the fucking corner like a little Hanar at the thought of getting his hands dirty, because I'm going to personally kick in your fucking door and make you my bitch."

Shepard had to wait a good ten seconds for a response on an instantaneous communications device.

"You… dare?" The voice came back, ugly and mean, the synth disguise unable to hide the malice behind those two words. She couldn't help but think that she just talked shit to one of the most feared creatures in the galaxy, and royally pissed him or her off. Good.

"Please, you fucking coward. Don't act like a Krogan, because you're not." Shepard goaded, her hand still on the globe. "I know your kind; some wanna-be tough sleezeball hiding behind safe walls. Do yourself a favor, Broker; reach down in your pants, and try to feel for whatever your species considers testicles. When you realize you can't find them, it's because you don't possess any, so don't act like you do. Hide behind your goon army on whatever little dark planet you've set up to avoid detection, because you are a cowardly little bitch that talks a mean game, but has no fucking bite what-so-ever. You are pathetic, and I can't wait to crush you under my boot so I can scrape you off and move on to bigger, juicier, braver targets that like getting down and nasty in a fight."

The silence, as they said, was deafening. It also lasted quite an unusual length of time.

"I will personally see you dead, Agent Shepard." The voice spoke, the malice increasing. "What I will do to you…"

"Fuck off." Shepard let go of the globe, the communication ceased. The Human Specter leaned back in the chair and let off a sigh, hoping that neither Uncle Royce or Auntie Val will have heard of her latest plan; they would flip their shit, and she wouldn't blame them. She had tossed the dice, and it seemed that the Shadow Broker himself had taken the bait. He would be coming personally to see her dead.

"Looks like we got ourselves a ride." Shepard replied to no one in particular as she pulled out her Mark X Pistol and proceeded to put a dozen rounds into the terminal.

A/N: In System Shock, SHODAN is actually an acronym for 'Sentient Hyper-Optimized Data Access Network', but since this sounded too close to 'Artificial Intelligence', I changed it to 'System'. Yes, SHODAN is a Rogue VI-cum-AI posing as a wrecked VIOS system. What? Computers can lie. Just look up Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Starshield Sentinel.

Minesweeper… did anyone ever figure out how to actually beat that game consistently beside flagrant random pressing of buttons?

I still like Tela's explanation as to why she worked with/for/alongside the Broker. There will be more to this. Again, this isn't exactly the Mass Effect you know and love. In the game, I have to admit that Tela did have a point; sometimes bad/evil men have their purposes and uses, especially if you use them to stop others like them. Tela wasn't so much a villainess as she was someone who just so happened to be on the other side of things at that moment. Had she not been hunting Dr. Liara T'soni, who is to say what differences would have been made?

Smegal - You know, Gollum?

Je t'adore, ma cheri - French for 'I adore you, my dear', or 'I love you, my dear'. See? That French class in High School had more uses than just impressing teenaged girls. And it did, BTW.

And that's how I'm going to handle the LOTSB revelation. It's conclusion, on the other hand? Not here yet :)

Shepard: 1. Broker: 0