Chapter 10
Gathering
Author's Note: Just so you know, I have not abandoned Fighting For a Purpose, I am just staking a short break from it to clear my head. I'll be back in a week, two tops. Another thing, I have received a review or two, from people claiming that the UNSC should have threatened to retaliate if the Council did not investigate Saren further. One seemed like an honest opinion (doctor anthony) while the other seemed more like flaming/ a troll (mikefrom belgium) no offense. Let me clear this up, the Humans are trying to prevent a war, not start one, they're trying to establish good terms with the Council, not set up a powder keg that could result in war. I don't know about you, but I rather be on good terms with the collective of aliens boarding our territory, instead of in the middle of a Mexican standoff. Humans aren't the kind of species that go around looking for trouble, and declare a full blown war over every single thing that goes wrong, that's what Jiralhanae do. I got a couple complaints about this when I wrote about the First Contact War, saying that Humanity should have kept fighting the Turians. No offense, but it seems like some of my reviewers are looking for a story where the UNSC decimates the Council and becomes the dominant species in the galaxy (Kind of what Cerberus wants, unfortunate implications there) If you are looking for that, let me give you some advice, stop reading this story right now, I am not going to, nor will I ever, write a story like that. Humans are not war hawks, and we try to avoid war at all cost, because war is pure an utter chaos that breeds death misery and destruction, and I am never going to write about the UNSC going around and declaring wars so easily. The First Contact War was a misunderstanding, why should a war be declared on an entire species for the incompetence of a handful of leaders? Also Saren was acting on his own and the entire Council should not be to blame, and maybe the reason the Council was unwilling to see the truth was that they were unwilling to sacrifice one of their own to the new guy (a little stupid of them, but I imagine we would do the same thing). Try and see things from their point of view, and not just your own.
Wow that rant went longer than expected. For those of you that these rant was not directed at I apologize, and for those who it was, I'm sorry but this story is me projecting my voice across the internet, about how I think this would work. I respect your opinion, but I'm writing this story the way I see fit, and not the way you see fit, if you disagree, well, too bad. Alright, enjoy.
"This is where we can find Barla Von right?" Taylor asked as he, Rebecca and Demas walked through the finical district of the Citadel.
"Yes," Demas said, as he stopped outside an office door, and pressed the button that opened it. "I have made many rounds through this area, acting as security for RSN diplomats and businessmen." As the three walked in, they saw a Volus standing behind a desk, typing on a keyboard.
"Ah," Barla said, looking up at his guests "Greetings Earth and Sangheilos clan, how can I assist you?"
"We were told that you were and agent for the Shadow Broker," Rebecca said, looking at Barla "Is that true?"
"Yes," Barla said cautiously "I'll have you know my dealings break no laws, Council, UNSC or RSN. So if you are here to prosecute me, you are wasting my time."
"We're not here for anything like that," Taylor said "As a matter of fact, you could say that we're here to buy."
"Oh really?" Barla said in an interested voice "What did you have in mind?"
"Saren is a threat to the UNSC, and by extension the RSN," Demas said calmly. "We would prefer to settle this matter without armed engagements with the Council. Is there any chance that you would have anything that could help us?"
"Hm," said Barla "You have expensive taste, normally this kind of information would cost an arm and a leg. However today is your lucky day, and due to unique circumstances, I am willing to give you some information for free."
"Just like that?" Rebecca asked "You're giving us extremely valuable information without asking for anything in return?"
"Oh, it's a very worth while investment for me you see," Barla said "You see, Saren and the Shadow Broken aren't exactly on good terms right now. Saren and the Shadow Broker used to have quite a healthy relationship, but recently Saren has turned on the Shadow Broker."
"Does this guy suffer from Chronic Backstabbing Disorder or something?" Taylor asked in an exasperated voice.
"Quite," Barla said "As you might imagine, the Shadow Broker is quite upset about this. The whole thing doesn't make much sense when you think about it, Saren isn't stupid, he wouldn't have turned on the Shadow Broker unless there was something much greater to be gained."
"That's why it's imperative that we take him down now," Demas said, a hint of impatience in his voice.
"Yes," Barla said "From what I've heard, Saren has an agent on the Citadel, a small crime lord named Fist. Fist used to work for the Shadow Broker, but left him for Saren. The Shadow Broken is very unhappy about this, and hired a Krogan bounty hunter named Wrex to kill him. Wrex is currently at C-Sec headquarters, if you hurry you'll probably be able to catch him before he leaves."
"Why would he be at the C-Sec headquarters?" Demas asked "It hardly seems like a smart place to be."
"I doubt the visit was voluntary," Barla said "Krogan don't exactly have an admirable reputation on the Citadel. Most likely they hauled him in for questioning, probably because he had an arsenal on his back."
"He might prove to be a valuable ally," Taylor said "Krogan are usually good fighters."
Demas nodded "I agree," he said as he turned to face Barla. "I thank you for this knowledge, but we must depart."
"Be careful," Barla said as Demas, Taylor and Rebecca turned to leave. "Wrex plans to kill Fist, I doubt that he plans on leaving him alive long enough for you to get information out of him.
"Amazing," Ashley said in a dry voice, as she Kaiden and Shepard entered Chora's Den. "Humanity's come so far, and made it this far, and we are surrounded by men drooling over half naked girls." Ashley shook her head "We're so similar in some ways that it's almost sad."
"Aliens aren't that different from Humans," Kaiden said "They've got their saints and sinners just like we do."
"I never said that we were different Kaiden," Ashley said, smiling slyly. "Or did you automatically assume that because my grand-father was the commander of the Marine garrison on Shanxi, I'm xenophobic?"
"Um," Kaiden said nervously "That's not it at all."
Ashley let out a short laugh "Of course it isn't."
Shepard resisted the urge to smile as he approached a table where a single man was sitting, drinking some sort of alcohol.
"UNSC," he said dryly, spotting the ODSTs approaching him. "I could have been a Marine you now, instead I joined C-Sec. Biggest God damn mistake of my life.
"You Harkin?" Shepard asked, stopping in front of the man.
"Yeah," he said gruffly, taking a swig of his drink. "What do you want?"
"I was told that you could help me find a C-Sec officer called Garrus," Shepard said, spotting a couple of empty glassed on Harkin's table, and wondering how intoxicated the man was.
"Garrus huh?" Harkin said "Anderson put you up to this didn't he? Before I tell you where he is I gotta ask you something. Did the Captain let you in on the secret."
"We just need to know where Garrus is," Ashley said harshly.
"Ah, but it all comes together," Harkin said "Captain was a candidate for the Spectres, but he blew it big time. Lot of civilians ended up dead, and he said that Saren set him up."
"That's nice," Kaiden said, in an uninterested voice "Now, you were telling us where Garrus is."
"Last I heard he was nosing around Dr. Michel's office, her clinic is on the opposite end of the Wards," Harkin said.
"We'll be going now," Shepard said, as he Ashley and Kaiden walked away, not paying heed to Harkin.
"What an ass," Ashley said in a disgusted voice. "If he thinks he could've made it as a Marine, he's got another thing coming."
"You think that he was telling the truth about Anderson being a candidate for the Spectres?" Kaiden asked, looking at Shepard "At that he messed up his mission."
"Maybe," Shepard said "Udina did say that Anderson had a history with Saren, maybe that's what he meant. Still it's not important," he said as they approached a Citadel Rapid Transit station. "What is important is that we find Garrus and see what he knows."
"This doesn't look like a police headquarters," Rebecca said as they descended into the C-Sec academy. "More like a military HQ."
"They take security seriously around here," Taylor said, as the rounded the corner, to see three armed officers surrounding a Krogan with a vicious scar on his face. "That Wrex?" he asked as they approached the small group.
"I don't see any other Krogan around here," Demas said as they drew close enough to hear what was being said.
"Wrex," said a Human C-Sec officer with a grim look on his face "Several people have reported you making threats about Fist in his bar. Stay away from there or we will be forced to act. This is your only warning Wrex."
"I don't take orders from you," Wrex said plainly "And you should know, I will kill Fist." It wasn't a threat, it was more like Wrex was stating a fact.
"Do you want me to arrest you?" the C-Sec officer asked angrily.
Wrex chuckled "I want you to try," he said, leaning forward and challenging the officer. When the officer did not reply, Wrex began to walk away when he spotted Demas, Taylor and Rebecca watching him. Walking towards them, he stopped in front of Demas and bluntly said "What do you want?"
"I'm Demas 'Mortam," Demas said "Me and my associates here are working under Commander Shepard to bring down Saren. Barla Von pointed us to you, he said that you could help us."
"Hm, wise man," Wrex said "We may have a common goal in mind. I've been hired to kill Fist, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to leave him alive for a few minutes to squeeze some information out of him."
"You seem a little eager to cooperate," Taylor remarked, a little taken a back that someone so massive was so willing to work with them."
"My people have a saying," Wrex said "Seek out the enemy of your enemy and you shall find a friend." Demas extended his hand, and Wrex grasped it and shook it. "I've got no love for Saren, I'll help you take him down."
"Glad to hear it," Demas said, as he approached a nearby Rapid Transit Terminal. "We're going to Chora's Den, I'd like Fist to answer a couple of questions for me.
"Why do you think Garrus is doing snooping around here Shepard?" Ashely asked as the approached Dr. Michel's clinic.
"Who knows?" he replied as he pressed the button that opened the door. "Maybe he saw someone suspicious around here, and he's investigating why happened to..." Shepard broke off. Inside the clinic, Dr. Michel was surrounded by three armed men, and they didn't look too friendly. Out of the corner of his eye, Shepard spotted Garrus crouching behind a low wall, a pistol in his hands. The thugs appeared to not have noticed him."
"I didn't tell anyone, I swear to God," Michel pleased with the thugs, as Shepard, Ashley and Kaiden all unholstered their weapons.
"That was smart doc," one of the thugs said, leered at her, "Now if Garrus comes along you stay smart and...Who the Hell are you?" he shouted, having noticed Shepard and the others, as he raised his pistol. With amazing reflexes, Garrus leaned around the wall he had been crouching behind and fired a single shot. The bullet tore through one of the thug's brains, killing him instantly.
Taking advantage to the momentarily stunned thugs, the ODSTs opened fire, causing the thugs to quickly collapse underneath the fire. "Perfect timing Shepard," he said as he holstered the pistol "You managed to distract them so I could get a clear shot at him."
"Glad that I could help," Shepard said warmly before turning to face Michel. "Are you alright doctor?" he asked.
"Yes," Michel replied weakly, clutching at her chest "I think so."
"What were those men doing here?" Ashley asked, looking at the doctor.
"They...they wanted to keep me from telling anyone about the Quarian," the Michel said.
"I'm sorry, what Quarian?" Kaiden asked.
"Not too long ago, a Quarian came in here, she had been shot. She refused to tell me who did it, but she did say that she needed to get to the RSN embassy. She said she had something big, something that people would be wiling to kill her to make sure that it stayed a secret."
"It could be evidence of Saren's guilt," Garrus said as he glanced at Shepard.
"Where is the Quarian now?" Shepard asked.
"I don't know," Michel said, shaking her head. "She said that she was going to meet up with a Major Domo named Iasa 'Cirate and she would make sure that she was safe. But judging by the way those men found me, they're tracking her down, most likely they'll try to kill her and Iasa."
"Do you have any idea where they are?" Shepard asked.
Michel shook her head "I'm sorry, she refused to tell me, and the second the Medi-gel did it's job, she left."
"Thank you for your help doctor," Garrus said before turning to face Shepard. "Shepard if you don't mind, I'd like to accompany you. Saren is a disgrace and a traitor to my people, and if I can help you take that bastard down, just say the word."
"You had me at if you don't mind," Shepard said, as he extended his arm, and Garrus shook it. "Looks like we might have hit a dead end," Shepard said as he raised his hand to his COM unit. "I'm going to see if the others had any luck with Barla Von. Demas are you there? We hit a dead end, we know that there is a Quarian with vital information that might be about Saren, meeting with a Major Domo called Iasa 'Cirate. Did you find out anything useful, or where we can find those two?"
"Shepard, we are a little busy at the moment," Demas replied.
"Why, what are you doing?" Shepard asked.
In Chora's Den, Demas grimaced slightly as he answered Shepard. "Oh nothing that important Shepard, we're just trying to not get killed by every last employee in Chora's Den," he said as he used his anti-gravity pack to propel himself to the center platform on Chora's Den.
"What?" Shepard shouted through the COM lines "Demas what's going on?"
"I'll explain later," Demas hissed as he fired his plasma rifle at one of the thugs on the bar, which had aimed his gun at him. The thug fell to the floor, dead. "If I hear anything about a Quarian or Iasa 'Cirate I'll let you know." Demas took his free hand away from his COM unit and drew his other plasma rifle.
"Jesus how many men does Fist have?" Taylor shouted in frustration, launching a Warp at one of Fist's men, causing the man to collapse in pain. A single bullet from Taylor's DMR finished him off.
"Less talking, more killing!" Wrex roared, as he gunned down three men with his assault rifle.
"Taylor I'd never through that I say this, but listen to the Krogan!" Rebecca shouted as she blew the chest of one of Fist's men open with her shotgun. "I think that's all of them," she said as Demas jumped down from the platform.
"Fist is most likely hiding in the back room," Wrex said as the four of them walked through the door that lead to said room. As they did, two men with pistols stood in their way.
"Get back!" one of them shouted.
"Warehouse workers," Taylor muttered "We must have killed all of the real guards."
"If I were you I'd leave this place," Demas said "We're are going to have a little chat with Fist, and it would be a shame if two people with full futures ahead of them, died to protect a man that has a sealed one."
The workers hesitated, then lowered their pistols. "Ok," one of them said "I never liked Fist anyway."
"Come on man," the other one said as they walked by the others "I hear they're hiring at the Flux.
"Never would've thought of that," Wrex said, looking at Demas.
"We don't like to always use our guns as a first response," Rebecca said, as they moved forward, into Fist's private office.
At first it appeared deserted, but then Fist stood up from behind the desk, aiming an assault rifle at the intruders. Before he could fire it, Rebecca had fired her shotgun under the desk, hitting Fist's legs and causing him to fall over in pain. "Now then," Demas said, as he holstered his plasma rifles, reached around the desk, and grabbed Fist by the neck. "I do believe that you have some information that we are interested in."
"I don't know where the Quarian is I swear," Fist said in a panicked voice.
"What!" Demas shouted "The Quarian, you know about her?" Fist looked like he regretted ever opening his mouth. "Where is she?" Demas asked, venom thick in his voice.
"I don't know," Fist managed to croak out.
"Funny," Demas said, as he took an energy sword from his belt and activated it, holding it up to Fist's throat "I don't believe you."
"Alright, alright," Fist said in a panicked voice "I don't know where she is now, but I do know where she's going to be. I managed to find out through one of my contacts where she's supposed to be meeting the Sangheili that's supposed to take her to the RSN embassy. Except when they get there, they're going to find Saren's men waiting for them."
"You set up an assassination?" Demas asked in an enraged voice.
"Oh god please don't kill me man," Fist begged "They're meeting here on the Wards, in the back ally near the markets, right now as a matter of fact."
"Fine," Demas said, as he dropped Fist, deactivating his energy sword as he did so.
'You're..." Fist said hesitantly "You're not going to kill me?"
"No," Demas said "I'm not." Fist let out a sigh of relief. With lighting reflexes, Wrex drew his pistol and fired a single shot at Fist's head, killing him instantly. "But he is," Demas said looking at Fist's body.
"Shepard," Demas said, raising his hand to his COM unit "The Quarian is meeting with Iasa in the ally behind the markets down her on the wards. But Fist stationed men there to take them out, we're heading there now, and I suggest that you do the same."
As he lowered his hand, he glanced at Rebecca, Taylor, and Wrex. "Let's move!" he shouted.
Tali walked forward cautiously, one hand resting firmly on the handle of her shotgun, as she scanned the hallway, looking for a Sangheili clad in red armor. Spotting one at the end of the ally, she walked forward slowly, stopping in front of the Sangheili.
"Are you Iasa 'Cirate?" Tali asked, looking at the Major Domo. The Sangheili turned to face Tali and nodded. Iasa had traits seen in most Sangheili females. She was much more slender, as a result she would be quicker than males, although not as strong. Because of this, females tended to exercise their speed to their full potential, most noticeable when they used their energy swords.
"You are Tali'Zorah, correct?" Iasa asked quietly. Tali nodded. "I was told that you had acquired vital information, may I ask what it is?"
"It's evidence that proves that Saren attacked that UNSC colony," Tali said softly, not wanting to be over heard.
Iasa's eyebrows raised in obvious shock. "Saying that this data is vital is an understatement," she said, looking around to make sure that they were not being overheard. "I can see why you wanted to get it to the ambassador. We should go now, I feel exposed standing out here with such vital intelligence. "Once the ambassador has this we can..." Iasa broke off, as she saw a Turian approaching them. "Curses," she swore, as she glanced to the other side and saw two armored Salarians approaching them. "They must have anticipated that we would be meeting here." Iasa glanced at the shotgun on Tali's back, her hand still gripped around the handle. "Think you can take the Turian?" Iasa asked.
"I'm not completely helpless," Tali replied.
Iasa smiled "I know," she said "Wait until I make my move."
As the Turian approached them, the Salarians intentionally keeping some distance, he spoke to Iasa. "Pardon me, but I couldn't help but overhear you, and I do believe that you have some information that doesn't belong to you. If you would be so kind as to..." the Turian was interrupted, as Iasa darted towards the Salarians, activating an energy sword in both hands. As she shot towards them, she swung both blades, severing the Salarians in half at the chest.
The Turian fumbled with his rifle, but before he could level it, Tali had drawn her shot gun and fired it at the Turian's face. The Turian stumbled back as his kinetic barriers collapsed, and Tali pumped her shotgun, firing another burst at the Turian, killing him. "Well, that was easy than I expected," Tali said as she holstered her shotgun and Iasa deactivated her energy swords.
"You aim was steady, a useful trait in battle," Iasa said "Most non soldiers would be shaking at the very best."
"Well, I've already been shot at," Tali said "I guess I've gotten used to it."
Iasa nodded "Very well, I suggest that we get out of here before more assassins arrive." As they began to walk away from the corpses, there was a large commotion from around the corner, and three ODSTs and a Turian in C-Sec armor came blazing around the corner.
"Are you two alright," the middle ODST asked, slightly out of breath. "We heard that someone had arranged an attack on you."
"We are fine," Iasa replied "They need more than a couple of untrained thugs to kill RSN personal."
"The data's fine too," Tali said "It proves that Saren was behind the attack on Eden Prime."
"Good," the man in the middle said as he raised his hand to his COM unit "Demas, they're alright, they were able to take care of the assassins, we'll meet you at the Embassy."
Author's Note. I kind of crammed a lot in there, but I decided I didn't want to do three or four chapters of running around the Citadel. Don't expect other chapters to be this long, I highly doubt that will happen.
Hey I have a question, I'm thinking about buying Starcraft 2 can anyone give me a recommendation on that, I'm a complete newcomer to the Starcraft series so I have no idea what do to about it.