Time for the second chapter!

The Citadel – Zakera Ward

Lia'Vael nar Ulnay looked through the list of ships that were available. Most of the second-hand models were very old and basically falling apart, but there was one ship that peaked her interest. It was an old Turian medical ship that had fought in the First Contact War with the humans. Well, not really fought, but it had been there and taken a hit the turians deemed too expensive to fix, so now it was in a parking lot somewhere in Citadel space, wherever that volus kept them. She knew she'd have no problems fixing it because she was a damn good tech. And I'd be able to show it if someone finally hired me!

Yes, she was bitter. She'd thought it was a stroke of genius coming to the Citadel to make some cash before she did anything else. Oh, how wrong she'd been...

She walked out of the shop dejectedly. She was trapped, trapped in this ocean of souls all looking for a way to screw her over because of her race. It made her so angry. She walked past a warehouse of some sort where she saw a turian arguing angrily with a salarian about a refund. As she walked on, it occurred to her she might be able to fix the turian's problem when suddenly she was snapped out of her reverie by a bump in the stomach.

"Watch it, clanless," said a voice filled with malice and disdain from the ball of fat and enviro-suit that was the volus. That is every volus, she reminded herself.

"Sorry, I was looking straight ahead thinking of something," she started with a hint of sarcasm. "I didn't think of looking down."

The volus' round eyes blinked a few times, his breathing quickening. "Why, you... you insolent little tramp. I could, pay a krogan, to have you taken care of, permanently."

"Whatever," she replied, imitating his troubled breathing. "Maybe, you, should, watch, where, you're, go, ing, bosh', tet! Now leave me alone and go back to whatever it is you were doing!"

With that, she stormed off, away and far from him so that she would have nothing to do with him anymore. Back to the dealership. Maybe I can convince the dealer to keep the ship for a while if I offer him a good price. She knew when not to push her luck, and this was as far as she was willing to take this confrontation. Best to take it out on the used ship salesman. Volus had a reputation to sue you into oblivion if you weren't careful, but if they wanted to sell you something they were as civil as they could be. Which still wasn't really saying much.

What am I going to do with the rest of my day? Zakera Ward was as much of a pain to find a job in than the others. I could try to hack a bank terminal... No! Keelah, what am I saying? I couldn't possibly bring something I stole or bought with stolen money to the flotilla. People would ask questions.

She heard a commotion behind her and was surprised to see the Volus pulling a human C-Sec officer with one hand and pointing at her with the other. He started shouting "It's her! There she is! Arrest her!" and Lia got ready to run. No! I didn't do anything! Whatever it is...

"She's the pickpocket. I'm sure of it!" he started. "This clanless bumped into me and when I checked, my credit chit was gone!"

The human eyed her suspiciously. "Is that true, Quarian? I've seen you hanging around here, state your business on the citadel!"

With the attacks coming fast and harsh, Lia was initially overwhelmed. "I'm here to work and buy a ship, officer. Not steal!"

The officer was about to start speaking again when he saw movement behind the volus – which admittedly wasn't too hard, thanks to his size. Another quarian? He wondered. Too much of a coincidence for there to be two here. "Hey! You! Quarian! Come here! I need to speak with you."

To the officer's surprise, a stunning redhead in black armour and a damned near perfect brunette in a skin-tight body suit followed the new quarian. The redhead had very strange scars in her face and didn't look like she was in the mood to be fucked with, so he decided she would not be involved in the conversation, no matter what happened.

"What the hell's going on here? What do you want?" she asked angrily.

Oh shit, this ain't going to be easy, he thought, regretting his decision to call the other quarian over already. She clearly wasn't part of some gang. "Ah, I'm from C-Sec, my name is Tammert. Sorry, I just wanted to talk to your quarian, but didn't realise she was with anyone. Since she's not alone, I'll let you go and continue taking the statement, thanks. Move along."

"There's nothing to talk about," said the Volus, who the officer had ascertained was called Kortun. "I felt her hand go into my pocket. This clanless is a thief. And I want her arrested. You know what quarians are like, they take anything not welded to the deck."

Lia was flabbergasted at the accusation and insults. "What-? I was just walking by! I did nothing. Just because I'm a quarian-!"

Tammert also looked disapprovingly at the Volus. "I need you to stop, and take a deep breath ok?"

"You're mocking me earthclan! Just because the Vol-clan need-" replied Kortun, outraged.

The man rolled his eyes at his own stupidity. "It was a poor choice of words sir, I agree and apologise. My bad."

The redhead laughed. "Wow. Great investigation you're leading there, Sherlock! What a load of crap. You say you're falsely accused?" she added, turning to the Quarian.

Lia sighed before explaining her side of the story again. "I was walking to the used ship dealer when he barged into me outside the Sirta Foundation. He didn't stop or say he was sorry. A minute later, he runs up with C-Sec and accuses me of stealing his damn chit!"

The woman looked to be thinking for a bit before asking if the credit chit could have fallen out.

"I guess," answered the young pilgrim. "All I know is that I didn't take it."

The next question took Lia by surprise. "You spend a lot of time down at the used ship dealer's?"

Great. Another racist, just what I needed. Probably some merc who's in charge of security for that volus. There's just no escaping them. But she does have a quarian with her... maybe I can get a job! "Yeah, they've got a lot of nice models. I'd like to buy one and take it back to the fleet but..."

The redhead then said something even more unexpected. "Funny how every time I meet one of you pilgrims you're in trouble of some sort." Did she... just wink at that quarian? Who is she? "Your pilgrimage isn't going so well, I take it?"

"No," started Lia. And then the rest came flooding out, finally someone she could just release her frustration to. "I- I came here thinking there'd be a lot of work. EVA stuff. Salvage. Fixing all the damage the Geth attack caused. Everywhere I went to apply, signs said "Not hiring quarians." And the other people would give me mean looks."

The redhead nodded and turned to the volus. "So how does her running into you mean she stole your credit chit?"

"That's how pickpockets work," he replied. "They bump into you and use that as a cover for rifling your pockets. You can't turn your back on these clanless quarians. Thieves, all of them."

It was the other quarian's turn to get angry. "Quarians are only forced to steal when people like you won't let them have real jobs!" she shouted, clearly having a difficult time controlling her anger.

"And to think, that my taxes pay to support, you here." replied the volus scathingly. "Go back, to your fleet, clanless."

"I am clan Zorah, crew of the starship Neema. And you are an idiot."

"Shut up, volus," said Shepard angrily. "Tali, he's not worth getting worked up about."

Realisation flooded through Lia as she heard the name. Tali'Zorah vas Neema? The quarian who had helped save The Citadel? Who had killed more geth before ending her pilgrimage than most quarians did in their entire lives? The one who travelled with... Commander Shepard?

Tali warned the volus as she spoke to her captain. "My brain agrees with you, but my gut tells me that I should jack his suit's olfactory receptors so that everything smells like refuse."

Lia couldn't stifle her giggle. First you gang up on me, now you get a taste of your own medicine!

With the C-Sec officer staring at Miranda's boobs, Shepard decided to continue the investigation. "And you're sure you didn't leave your chit at the Sirta Foundation?"

"Of course not!" answered the volus angrily. "You think I'd make a mistake like that? I didn't even buy anything there, the chit stayed in my pocket."

"Okay. Officer Tammert, I'm going to do your job and go, you know, investigate."

With that she jogged off towards the shops with her friends. Forcing himself not to drool after the women, he managed to say something about bringing any evidence to a C-Sec officer, but he wasn't really sure what he was saying. When they rounded the corner, he turned back to his case, the two aliens looking at him angrily. Well, they would be, if I could see their faces.

"Okay, I'll need your full names, please," he said finally, getting the event report ready on his datapad.

"I am Kortun, of the Netwa'ark clan," said the volus.

The quarian followed with "Lia'Vael nar Ulnay."

I don't know how to spell those crazy names, but I'm just going to pretend I do. Man I hate this job...

"Age?"

"Fifty Galactic Standard Years."

"I'm nineteen," answered Lia.

Before Tammert could continue, the redhead was back. "Look I already told you, this is a C-Sec matter and I need you to move along."

"I found the credit chit," she said, ignoring him. "You forgot your credit chit at Seronis Applications. The clerk is holding it for you."

Nothing but Kortun's breaths could be heard for a few seconds as everyone pondered the information.

"Oh. Well. The quarian could have stolen it," the diminuative alien finally said.

"And on that note, I'll close this event report. But I'll be watching you," said Tammert point at Lia. "Get a permanent residence or I'll run you in for vagrancy."

Lia knew the man had said the wrong thing when he saw the blood seemingly run into Shepard's iris, giving her red eyes to complement the hair.

"Are you two serious?" She started, her voice full of anger. She bent down to the volus and looked him right in the eyes. "You falsely accused this girl of stealing from you. All you have to say now is that she 'could' have stolen it? No. You're going to make this up to her somehow. Or I will find you."

After shoving the ball away into the crowd, Shepard turned to the officer, standing up again and moving right into his face. "And you. She gets harassed and insulted by this guy, and you throw in a threat to arrest her for vagrancy?"

Who the hell does she think she is? Better put her back in her place. "How about if I run you in for obstruction of justice? How would you like that?"

The woman's face fell for a second, showing a straight face he only just recognised. She seems familiar. Damn it, who is she?

"Obstruction of justice?" replied Shepard, cocking an eyebrow. "First of all, it took me about two minutes to allow justice to happen, and you've been standing here so long doing nothing since Christ knows when. That's not obstruction, that's enabling. Secondly and, let's face it, more importantly: you're going to run in a spectre?"

"Aw shit". Screw this, I'm outta here.

The C-Sec officer walked off without another word.

Gratitude was flowing through Lia's mind. "Thank you, thank you so much. I really thought I was going to be in trouble then. I wish I could give you more than just words..." she added, sinking her head and wringing her hands together.

"Hey, don't worry about it," said Shepard. "That C-Sec guy was an ass and the volus was a fat, round, bumbling idiot."

"Thanks again. How come you know so much about quarians? It's unusual for humans. Although from what I hear you are unusual!"

Shepard gave a hearty laugh, the quarian's innocence reminding her of better times. "I had a quarian help me defeat Sovereign. She helped me on my crusade against Sovereign, I allowed her to collect data on the geth. Oh, and we're good friends!"

They laughed.

"Well," started Lia, "thanks for saving everyone from the geth. They really nearly-"

"Oh goddamnit it wasn't. The geth," interrupted Shepard harshly. "The reapers are our enemy and I'll be damned if I'm going to let that stay a secret. Stop getting distracted by the geth!"

The redheaded woman had shown Lia the same red eyes she had threatened the volus with and now she was scared.

"I'm sorry, Lia," she then added awkwardly after a nudge from Tali. "It's been a stressful day. Look, are you going to be okay?"

"Yes, I'll be fine," answered the vagrant. "I mean, most nights I eat nutrient paste in a turian shelter, but I'm surviving." Please offer me a job please offer me a job please!

"We're glad to hear it, Lia'Vael," said Tali. "Good luck, I hope your pilgrimage starts working out better soon."

And then they were gone. Keelah! Lia'Vael nar Ulnay, you are such a Bosh'tet! Why didn't you just ask for a contact, a name, anything to get you started... Only then did she notice the little light flashing in her HUD indicating that she'd received a message. Turning on her Omnitool she keyed in her password...

Subject: Kortun Netwa'ark

Dear Ms Vael!

You have been strongly recommended for the position of mechanic aboard my merchant ship, the Cashcow. The man who recommended you is normally strongly against the clanless, so you must have very impressive abilities or powers of persuasion. Regardless, he owes me a favour if I employ you, and I couldn't possibly let the opportunity for such power go unused.

You will receive fifty credits per hour and bonus accomodation and food. Should you require medical care when aboard (No old sicknesses will be treated unless life-threatening) it is available.

Report at the docks in an hour, we'll be leaving soon.

Regards

Pitne For

Dock 49

Delivering Biotic Enhancement Products to a neighbourhood near you!

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Well, I introduced a quarian and a volus, so I hope everyone's at least a little happy :)