Hey look, an update! Rare, huh? I know, I know, I'm sorry. I'm trying to be better.
Anywho, less action, more feels/development this chapter.
Greenyoda987 is super awesome for helping me out with this chapter a million times over the month or so I've been sending it to her incomplete.
Shepard's heels rapped a sharp staccato on the polished floors as she stormed through her headquarters. "Tali, I'm coming up," she barked into her omnitool as she smacked the elevator call button.
"Of course, ma'am, is everything—"
"No it is not!" She stepped into the elevator and jammed the button for the floor below her own. Her expression darkened as she crossed her arms over her chest and waited impatiently for the lift to reach its destination. This was a disaster. Not entirely catastrophic, but this was still not acceptable. Oh no, she was going to figure out what the hell was going on. She couldn't afford lapses like this; they watched C-Sec like a predator watches prey and they had still missed the Executor's plan to name a trust fund after her. How in the hell had they missed that?! What else had they missed if something so small had gone unnoticed?
The doors opened with a cheerful ding and she strode out, down a narrow hallway flanked by one wall and a glass enclosure.
"Did something happen at the Benefit?"
Shepard stopped and turned to face the wall of glass, meeting Tali's gaze with a scowl. The quarian wilted a little and Shepard couldn't help but immediately feel guilty. It wasn't her fault, and she was the most loyal agent Shepard had; with a sigh, the human ran a hand over her face.
"You could say that."
Tali tilted her head only slightly and blinked wide, feline grey eyes at her in confusion. Not for the first time, Shepard was reminded that, under those environmental suits, quarians had a certain elegance about them; Tali had an open, innocent look to her, with high cheek bones and a delicate pout. Her skin was a pale lavender that Shepard envied, interrupted only on the back of her head by black feather-like crest similar to turians' fringe. Where a human would have been soft, she was angular, yet the curve of her waist and hips would have put many to shame. The sari-like robe she favored wrapped around her torso and fell in soft waves of purple silk to the floor. Tali wrung her hands absently, turning perfectly manicured nails over and over and causing the cuffs of coiled gold around her wrists to catch the light; a similar cuff circled her neck.
"I don't understand…"
"I've found out some… disturbing things about C-Sec. Some things that we should have been aware of. And I'm worried that some information is slipping our networks." Shepard raised a hand. "I'm not saying it is your fault, I'm merely saying I want to know how they've kept this from us."
Tali's eyes were wide with shock, but the emotion soon faded as her brow furrowed. "That's…" She spun and retreated back to her wall of console with a whisper of fabric across the floor. "That's impossible, there's no way we could have missed anything." Her hands flew over the consoles, eyes locked on the readouts flashing on the numerous screens.
"Executor Pallin mentioned inside sources, and being worried they had been eliminated," Shepard added and Tali froze.
"Bosh'tets." Her fingers flew into motion again. "How dare they!" The exclamation was out with a stream of muttered curses and her screens flashed messages faster and faster. Shepard understood her anger, but couldn't think of anything to say to her. "I'm scanning for any bugs or monitoring viruses, and unauthorized firewalls. There has to be something!" She slammed a hand on her desk with a growl and Shepard realized that this wasn't just a job to the quarian, but her pride. Someone had mangled her life's work, and they were going to pay if Tali had anything to say about it. "I'll have this sorted out Shepard, I promise. By tomorrow," she finally said, swiveling around in her chair, facing Shepard once again, an indignant expression plastered on her face.
"It's alright, Tali. I'm going to have Lieutenant Williams look into this in the morning; there's little we can do with our people spread all over the Citadel right now. When they return, we'll do something about it." She paused and sighed. "Perhaps I was a little over hasty in sending Mr. Taylor away so quickly."
Tali gave her a sympathetic smile as she stood. "You did what you thought was best, ma'am. I'd say it was the right decision."
Shepard chuckled. "I appreciate that, Tali. If there's anything you need…"
The quarian shook her head with a smile. "Shepard, you have given me far more than I ever could have asked for. My job, this…" She gestured to the room around her and chuckled. "I can live outside of a suit—probably the only quarian who can say that—and it's thanks to you. If either of us should be offering favors, it should be me."
The room. It covered the entire floor, save for the hallway where Shepard stood, and operated as a self-contained hyperbaric chamber. Pure air went in and everything else was sterilized at regular intervals by minute UV pulses. It had been an ordeal to find an engineer willing to construct it, and even harder to find someone to approve the experimental sterilization protocols, but it had been done. And the look on Tali's face when Shepard had shown her… Shepard smiled.
"You've earned it, Tali, a thousand times over. And I take care of my people." After a brief pause, she added, "If anything comes up, be sure to—"
A sound from the adjoining room caught her attention and Tali stiffened. It sounded awful lot like a man's voice… Shepard grinned knowingly and Tali immediately held up her hands.
"I swear, Reegar can't hear us, Shepard. I had the rooms soundproofed and—"
"Relax, Tali. I know. I trust you." And she did. Tali was her most loyal agent and the only person she felt she could count on with knowledge of her identity and the inner workings of the Family. Her expression softened and she waved a hand absently. "Let me know what you have tomorrow morning. And… have a good time."
Tali visibly relaxed, a smile spreading across her face. "Thank you, Shepard," she said as a blush darkened her cheeks.
The human woman nodded in reply and quickly showed herself out; somewhere deep in her gut, she was jealous. Jealous of the peace Tali had, jealous that she didn't have to hide behind a name and a mask… jealous that she could live. A low sigh escaped her as she returned to the elevator, closing her eyes as the artificial gravity attempted to tug her down against the elevator's lift. Maybe she could call Liara… No, no, she had a job to do… An act to keep up. They both did. The doors slid open with a light chime and she forced herself out, into her office. The lights remained off as she glided through the darkness; here was where she had murdered her share of men, of traitors and spies. It wasn't a place of business, it was a killing ground. She shook her head as the hidden panel slid open and the bedroom—her only space—glowed in the light of dying candles. All but two had burned down, their wicks smoldering, and the atmosphere had gone from sensual to sinister. Dark.
Shepard kicked her shoes off and began peeling the gown off of her body, leaving each garment in a trail to her bed. Alone. Two Hallex went down easy, but the red sand burned through her nostrils and she grimaced against the pain; she'd be surprised if she didn't start getting nosebleeds. But as the tingling feeling spread from the top of her head down through her body, her concerns melted away in a rush of chemicals. Her pulse pounded in her fingertips; a humming vibration ran down her spine. She sighed and fell backwards onto the silk sheets, the luxurious fibers sliding along her skin. And yet it did nothing to change what she felt in her heart. She was lonely.
Her head lolled as she lifted her omnitool, sifting through the various screens, back alleys, and rabbit holes she'd set up until her personal contacts appeared. Here, there were only two entries: John and Liara. The line opened, buzzing in its infuriating way until a velveteen voice answered: "Hello?"
Shepard stared up at the gilt-patterned ceiling as one of the remaining candles flickered out, leaving her in almost total shadow. Why had she called? She was lonely, sure, but that was normal. It was a lonely job, sitting on the top of the mountain. Yet she had signed up for that. She had known it from the beginning. She had seen what it had done to the Illusive Man before her—it was how she had gotten so close—yet sitting in her room, alone, the isolation finally hit her. She had no family. She had few real friends—maybe only one. And for all they pretended to be in love, Shepard knew that if she died, Liara would miss her, but she would carry on. And the feeling was mutual. A warm body to keep the loneliness away… that was all they were to each other, when push came to shove. She wanted more. And yet she wanted nothing. She had climbed to her place at the top by severing all ties; she cared for no one else. Everything she did, she knew she cared for no one; she would protect her people, but that was duty with no emotion. Feelings… Did she even have them anymore?
"I miss you."
Garrus shifted the Executor's arm over his shoulder, knees protesting under the older man's added weight. He huffed out a breath as they continued down the empty stretch of the Presidium. The man had drunk far too much, and it was up to his "top officer" to escort him home safely. More like carry him…
"I'm fine, Vakarian," Pallin slurred, "I can make it back my—"
He stumbled and Garrus hauled him back up again. "With all due respect sir, no you can't," he retorted dryly. Even if Pallin remembered this the next day, it would be unlikely it would ever be brought up again; being drunk at his own event would no doubt be very embarrassing for the Executor. "Your apartment shouldn't be far." Pallin grumbled something indistinct and Garrus rolled his eyes. Best to keep him talking to be sure he was still awake… "How long have you known Ms. Shepard?"
Pallin laughed, listing to one side until Garrus tugged him back on track. "Ah, she got o you too?"
"Got to me?" Garrus scoffed, bumping the door control of the Executor's complex with his elbow.
"She gets to you," the elder insisted, "makes you curious. You can't stay away." When Garrus shot him a skeptical glance Pallin snorted. "Oh not like that, she's just magnetic. I don't like humans, but she's alright."
Garrus gave a light chuckle. "Is that why you named the fund after her?" he asked, steering Pallin toward the elevators.
"No, she donated over 5 million credits, that's why," Pallin retorted, stepping back from the younger turian to lean against the wall as they waited. "But, if anyone deserved it…"
"She didn't seem thrilled," Garrus pointed out, crossing his arms loosely over his chest. Maybe he should let the subject go… The way Pallin was starting to grin like a lecherous old man—wasn't he, though?—was beginning to make the younger officer uncomfortable. It wasn't anything like that, he just wanted to know…
"She hates attention," Pallin finally answered as the elevator dinged its arrival, doors sliding open. "Strange, isn't it? She attracts so much, but it almost scares her."
Garrus followed him in, keeping an eye on the older man to make sure that he didn't fall over and brain himself on anything. Like the floor. "You're close?"
Pallin snorted. "Hardly. We talk business—C-Sec fascinates her—and she and the missus go for lunch. But you two seemed rather friendly."
There, the grin was back and Garrus shook his head, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. "It's nothing like that, sir." When Pallin's grin didn't fade and he merely raised a brow, Garrus scowled. "I don't have a… a human fetish, or anything like that, sir," he bristled.
Pallin laughed. "Of course not, traditional boy like you."
Garrus's expression was one of shock. Since when was Pallin sarcastic? He quickly composed himself, though. "Well, she said she wanted to see me again, but I'm not—"
"Vakarian, you will see her again, dammit!" the Executor cut him off, pointing a finger in his face. "She is our biggest contributor; if she wants to see you, you go. If she wants you to get on your knees and call her 'Your Highness', you do it and kiss her feet while you're down there!"
The elevator opened again and Pallin went to stride out, tripping over his own feet and forcing Garrus to catch him again. With a sigh, Garrus helped him down the hall to his apartment, knocking. After a brief pause the door opened, revealing a turian woman bearing the same marks as the Executor. She was a bit shorter, only reaching Garrus's shoulder, but the way she stood in the doorway, one fist propped on her perfectly sculpted waist made Garrus feel like he was a child again. The Executor's wife glowered at her mate, but sighed and opened the door wide, gesturing for Garrus to bring him in.
"Thank you, Detective. I'm sorry you had to bring him all the way back over here," she said, voice betraying her exhaustion. She followed as Garrus moved to sit the Executor in a large armchair, adjusting the gauzy robe around her body.
"It's no trouble, ma'am," Garrus replied automatically. Really, it was a pain in the ass, but he wouldn't tell her that.
"Well, I'll be sure he remembers that he owes you his thanks in the morning. Good night, Detective."
With a grateful nod, Garrus showed himself out. But as he began the journey back to his own apartment, he found himself thinking. Really, he was too busy with the case to be catering to the whims of an eccentric benefactor—and it sounded a bit too much like prostituting himself for the Executor's benefit for his liking—so how was he supposed to tell her that? Other than his preoccupation with stopping a crime syndicate, he had no real reason to refuse to see her… How could he politely decline an invitation to see her again?
But… But he did want to see her again… She was interesting, and maybe he did need a break every now and again. Even after being dragged to the event, he was in a much better mood afterward than he had been in days. It wouldn't hurt to get an outside opinion now and again, if she was as interested in C-Sec as Pallin said… He didn't have a thing for humans, anyway so that would never be an issue. Huh. Maybe he would see her again…
He looked down at his omnitool, intent on sending her a message, but paused when he saw the time. 0200… It could wait until the morning.
I promise, more espionage and cloak-and-dagger-y stuff to come!