A/N: God this took longer than I expected. I really hope I can manage more than just one chapter per month; otherwise this will never get done. Granted The Citadel DLC brutally murdering my feels didn't help. (It is AMAZING btw, definitely replaced Lair of the Shadow Broker as my favorite DLC.)

For those of you who noticed, yes Nyn is the same Nyn that appeared in Chapters 7 and 9 in "One of those Relationships".

Also, regarding my use of measurements, I'll be trying to stick primarily to the metric system, but I will on occasion use foot, inches, or miles.

A word of warning, this chapter switches point-of-view fairly often without any breaks. I tried to make the switch as obvious as possible, but if there is any confusion, please let me know.

FYI, I made a few minor edits to the last chapter at Xti Attitude's suggestion. Nothing major, just a few little details that make the story flow better.

2: Night at the Museum

The 4-year old krogan looked down at the bundle in Alice's arms. She and Garrus had adopted the young krogan a few days ago, and they were finally introducing him to Carn.

"What's that?" The young krogan asked bluntly.

Garrus put a hand on Mordin's shoulder; the krogan was about the size of a five-year-old human, small for his age by krogan standards. "That's your new little brother Carn."

The krogan child stared blankly at Carn for a moment before turning to Garrus in confusion. "Why does he look weird?"

Garrus smiled and knelt down to Mordin's level "He's special, just like you."

Mordin frowned "Is that why Clan Leader Wrex is having me stay with you?"

Garrus sighed, they had tried to explain to Mordin why Alice and Garrus had adopted him when both his parents were alive and well without making him feel unwanted. The truth of the matter was that, because of his mother's extensive genetic tampering, he'd been born without the strong krogan immune system. The only way he would be able to survive to adulthood is if he got constant extensive medical treatment, treatment that was only available on the Citadel. Wrex couldn't always remain on the Citadel, Bakara had many duties as Councilor, and Wrex feared that some of the clans would challenge his rule if he had a weak little runt for a son. So, he'd asked Alice and Garrus if they'd be willing to raise Mordin in his stead, hoping that, if he was kept out of krogan society, Mordin would be able to grow and flourish without persecution.

"Not exactly Mordin," he said "Your mother and father think that, because you're different from other krogan, it would be best if you were raised in a more diverse environment." Garrus didn't need to bother simplifying his words like he would have for most young children; Mordin seemed to have inherited both his parents' intelligence and multiplied it.

Mordin frowned still "Does he not want me because I'm… weak?"

Insightful too, Garrus noted. He immediately shook his head "He does want you Mordin, but he knows that other krogan wouldn't understand you and because of his duties, he can't guide you like me and Alice can."

Mordin seemed to consider this. Alice spoke up for the first time "Would you like to hold Carn?"

Mordin hesitated for a moment before nodding. With Alice's help, he was soon cradling Carn in his arms. Big blue eyes fluttered open as Carn woke up. The infant hybrid saw who was holding him and seemed to study Mordin for a moment before giving an approving peep and cuddling deeper into his arms, eliciting a small smile from the young krogan.

…

"So," Carn said as he looked around the table at the other crewmembers of the Hermes, including Mars and Cyan's miniature avatars on the table. "Let me see if I have this right. Your boss wants us to go to the Citadel, the most secure place in the galaxy, and break into the Museum of Galactic History, during the biggest high-profile party of the year. All for a useless piece of scrap metal?!"

"Are you going to complain about every job we do?" Nyn said flatly.

"I didn't complain about the last job." Carn countered.

"The last job was transporting supplies to a small mining colony in the middle of nowhere." Cyan stated.

"And you have complained about every other job." Mort pointed out.

Carn glared at the drell. He'd been part of the Hermes' crew only a week and he was already starting to sorely regret it. Why did he let Lil' convince him to stay?

"Carn, this isn't just any old piece of scrap we're after." Lily said "This is a fragment of Sovereign that we're talking about."

"So?" Carn shot back "There are hundreds of fragments of Sovereign and other Reapers floating around out there. What makes this one so special?"

"It is all that's been found of Sovereign's core processor." Cyan explained "For the most part, any data that had once been on it has been wiped clean or corrupted beyond recovery, but it is still immensely valuable."

"But why do we have to steal it during the biggest social event of the year?"

"If you'd let me explain, I was getting to that." Lily said sharply "Mars, Cyan, pull up the map." A holographic replica of the Museum of Galactic History on the Presidium appeared above the table "Recently, a 'generous benefactor' donated the processor to the Council- meaning the Spectres stole it from his private collection. Naturally, since this is Reaper tech we're talking about, they wanted to lock it away in a vault somewhere, but the Museum got on its knees and begged to be allowed to put it on display as part of the Reaper War Exhibit they showcase every year in honor of the 24th anniversary of Victory Day. For the next week, the exhibit will be open to the public. We- and by 'we' I mean Mort- can use that opportunity to scout the place out."

"Why not just nab the processor during the week?" Carn asked.

"It's too well guarded," Cyan stated "The processor will be under constant surveillance and it is surely to be protected by mass effect fields."

Lily nodded "But on Victory Day itself, the Council will be having their annual gala to celebrate the occasion at the Museum. At midnight, the processor will be removed from display and placed in a vault to await transportation in the morning to whatever remote location they hide away all the Reaper crap." She pointed to a small room in a section of the Museum near the back. "During that time, we have a small window of opportunity to strike. Carn, you'll be our lookout, perched on the rooftops opposite the Museum with a sniper rifle."

"Why the hell do I need a sniper rifle?" Carn asked incredulously.

Lily shrugged "Just in case, besides you can look through the scope. Nyn will drive the getaway car while Mort and I sneak into the party, mingle until midnight, grab the processor, and get the hell out of there." She looked around the table "Any questions?"

Slowly, Carn raised his hand.

"Yes Carn?"

"How exactly do you expect to get into the party?"

Lily only smiled.

…

"Really Lil'?"

Lily rolled her eyes as her cousin's voice crackled over the com hidden in her ear. "Yes cuz?" she replied softly "Is there a comment you wish to make?"

Carn snorted "I believe your exact words to the guards outside were: 'Can't you see the sexy expensive dress, the diamond necklace, and gorgeous drell escort/bodyguard on my arm? Of course I was invited!'"

Lily shared a grin with Mort who had his arm linked in hers and was wearing an extravagant drell tux. "Hey, it worked didn't it?" she said as they moved further inside the Museum.

Laying down on a rooftop opposite the Museum, concealed in black armor and staring through the scope of his sniper rifle, Carn shook his head "God and Spirits, I just thought they'd have better security at this thing." He looked down the scope at the line of people waiting to get inside. He noticed a group of people bypassing the line completely and entering without being stopped. Zooming in on the group, Carn swore when he saw the familiar quarian female and geth platform in the midst of the entourage. "Shit."

"What's wrong?" Mort asked in a barely audible whisper.

"I just saw Councilors Raan and Magna arrive."

Lily's curse came through the com "Son of a bitch! Oh no, I didn't mean you handsome I… wait, where are you going? Come back!"

Carn cocked a brow-plate "Um… Lil'?"

"Sorry, Captain's trying to mingle." Mort explained.

"Trying being the key word here." Lily said, sounding grumpy "I think I just scared away my date for the night. Shame, he was cute."

"Captain, now is not the time to be shopping for a new plaything." Nyn said disapprovingly, speaking over the com for the first time that night.

Back inside the Museum, having just joined back up with Mort after briefly separating, Lily laughed "Nyn, it's always time to shop for a new plaything."

Carn could be heard clearing his throat over the com "Not that I find this conversation awkward or anything, but can we please get back on track?"

Lily smirked "Killjoy. Okay, so at least two members of the Council-"

"Three," Mort corrected "I just saw Councilor Bakara."

"Okay, at least three members of the Council are here, probably more, and there's Reaper tech on display, so there should be more security." Lily said "But why isn't there?"

Mort shrugged "There hasn't been a major crisis since the Reaper War, and any threats that do pop up are immediately dealt with by the Spectres. All of Council space is mostly united and at peace. And the Terminus Systems are too busy rebuilding to cause trouble. Maybe they've just gotten complacent."

"Nice theory" Carn said "There's just one problem with it."

"What?" Lily asked.

"Miranda Lawson's on the Council, and she'll never get complacent."

Several floors above them, hiding in the shadows of a balcony overlooking the central room where the processor was displayed, the Last of the Protheans watched the crowd below.

"Javik," A human female wearing a form-fitting white evening gown with long, flowing black hair, and a face considered by many to be the very definition of beauty, untouched by the ravages of time walked up to the prothean and leaned her hip on the balcony railing next to him, nursing a wine glass in one of her white gloved hands. "Fancy meeting you here." She said, her voice flavored by a rich accent.

Javik's eyes briefly flicked to the woman before returning to the crowd below. "Councilor."

Miranda nodded and turned her own gaze down to the party on the first floor, the light from below reflecting off her striking face. "I see Shepard granted my request for Spectre presence." She glanced back at him "Still, I'm surprised you're the one he picked, aren't you supposed to be testing the Agent Raskos."

"Agent Raskos has a special talent for stealth and observation." Javik said "The Commander believed that this would be an excellent opportunity to test that. I am here merely to ensure he does not miss anything."

Miranda acknowledged this "Where is he anyways?" Javik's gaze briefly flickered to the Keeper maintenance catwalks where Miranda could just barely distinguish the shimmer of a stealth field flitting through the shadows. "Ah," she looked back down to the party. "See anyone suspicious?"

Javik pointed "That quarian. He seems incredibly interested in the Reaper processor."

Miranda followed Javik's finger to the quarian male that was trying not to look fascinated in the processor and failing miserably. She allowed a faint smirk to grace her lips. "You don't need to concern yourself with him, he's harmless." She paused for a moment before amending "Mostly."

Javik glanced at her "Really?"

Miranda nodded "Trust me,"

The prothean gave the quarian one last glare before resuming his vigil. The two Normandy veterans remained silent for several more minutes before Javik spoke again "I heard that you would be giving the speech tonight instead of the Commander. He is apparently not well enough to attend."

Miranda nodded, feeling a pang of guilt lance through her at the mention of the Commander's condition. She knew logically, that John's failing health was not her fault; she couldn't help but feel guilty about not being able to find a way to fix, or at the very least replace his cybernetics without killing him. "That reminds me, I had best get ready." She lifted off the railing and giving Javik one last nod turned to leave. The prothean didn't even bother to watch her go.

Down on the first floor, Lily was snagging a cheese kabob from one of the many servers as he passed by. She turned back to Mort "So, you said the processor is in the main room?" she said, casually pulling a cube of cheddar from the stake and popping it into her mouth.

Mort nodded "Yes, and no doubt it's under heavy surveillance. The speech should be in half an hour, after that the processor will… be…" Mort's voice trailed off as Lily popped the rest of the cheese cubes into her mouth at once, stuffing her cheeks.

"Wuh?" Lily asked, talking with her mouth full.

Mort sighed "Captain, we're at a gala, at least try to be formal."

Lily shrugged, swallowing her food. "I'm hungry." She said as she grabbed herself three more kabobs from another passing server. "Besides, it's not like anyone is watching."

"If they were, they certainly aren't now." Mort mumbled under his breath as Lily started chewing on another cheese cube.

Several minutes passed by at a crawl, Mort doing his best to keep an eye out while Lily ate a vast assortment of finger foods and flirted with several dozen guests… at the same time. Finally, the sound of a clinking glass echoed through the room, causing everyone to turn to the source. Councilor Lawson was stand on a slightly raised platform in the main room, waiting for everyone to fall silent.

Once she was sure she had their attention, Miranda smiled "Good evening." She said politely, her rich voice amplified by the small microphone she was wearing. "I welcome you to the 23rd annual Victory Day Gala." She looked around at her audience, noting she had their full attention "On this day 24 years ago, thanks to Commander John Shepard, the most devastating war in history was ended. Sadly, the Commander himself is unable to attend this night due to pressing concerns." Lily cocked an eyebrow when she heard that. "So I will be giving tonight's speech in his stead." Miranda paused for effect "This night, we remember those who lost their lives during the Reaper War, and honor the heroes who sacrificed themselves to give us victory."

Miranda continued on for several minutes, talking about how the galaxy had united to stand against the Reapers, how bonds were formed that had endured the peace. She mentioned the heroic sacrifices of Legion and Mordin, both giving their lives for the future of the geth and krogan respectively. A few cameras hovered around her as she spoke, recording the event. Lily got bored and decided to tune out the remainder of the speech, but thankfully it lasted only a few more minutes. Once the human Councilor stepped down from the platform several guards moved to the processor, floating in a mass effect field and shielded as a precaution. The Reaper processor was only a meter in height, a shard of twisted circuitry and fried wires that had been warped by the destruction of Sovereign. The guards swiftly removed the processor while most of the guests were focused on Miranda, taking it away to the safe where it would be secured until it was transported to a top secret location in the morning.

Lily followed the guards with her eyes, watching until they vanished from sight. She waited for several minutes, mingling to avoid suspicion, and then, when she felt enough time had passed, she got Mort's attention and nodded to where the guards had taken the processor. The party was open to most of the Museum, so nobody noticed when Lily and Mort left the central room. They took the long way to where the safe was. Because it was in a blocked off wing of the Museum, Lily and Mort couldn't approach the safe without being detained, so they settled for a remote view of the door from the end of a long hallway.

"So, now what?" Lily asked Mort, eyeing the guards in front of the safe room. "How do we get in there?"

"There's always Plan B."

"No." Carn said sharply "I am not blowing up the parking lot!"

"Don't be a wimp." Nyn challenged.

"I'm not! People could get seriously hurt!" Carn shot back.

"Relax, both of you," Lily said "Plan B is a last resort; we need to be subtle with this." She turned to Mort "Is there any other way into the safe?"

"It wouldn't be 'safe' if there was." Mort stated.

Lily swore "Alright, maybe we can tunnel our way into it."

"With what?"

Lily ignored Carn's question "What's above the safe room?"

"16 feet of solid metal."

Lily swore "And below?"

Mort thought for a moment "Three feet of solid metal and a Keeper tunnel."

Lily's eyes lit up "Then that's where we'll tunnel through. Nyn?"

"Yes Captain?"

"Take the car to the nearest Keeper tunnel entrance and wait for us there. Mort and I will use our omni-lasers to cut up to the safe and bring the processor to you to make our getaway."

"Wait, are you telling me that you had a Plan B when you never had a Plan A?" Carn asked incredulously.

Lily smirked "I like to improvise."

"IMPROVISE?!"

Lily ignored Carn's grumbling and turned to Mort "Do you know where the nearest tunnel entrance is?"

Mort nodded and stood up "Follow me."

The closest tunnel was actually located in a small, dark corner of the Museum that few visited: the volus exhibit. Unfortunately, they weren't alone when they got there. "Scram." Lily snarled at the two asari making out in the corner. Once they were alone, Lily shook her head "Some people have no self-control."

"You're one to talk." Mort grinned.

Lily winked "Hey, I've resisted the urge to fuck your brains out all these years."

Mot rolled his eyes and activated his omni-tool. Sweeping the room with his omni-tool, it wasn't long before he found the tunnel's hidden entrance and opened it "Ladies first."

Lily placed a hand over her heart "My, my, you are a gentleman." she drawled like a southern belle "And they say chivalry is dead!"

She quickly removed her heels and ducked into the dimly-lit tunnel, activating her omni-light. Mort ducked in right after her, closing the entrance behind him. Once they entered the tunnel, they had to shut off their coms, not having any reception within. Keeper tunnels were short and wide, like the Keepers themselves, so they had to hunch over a little.

As they crept down the tunnel, Lily whispered "I'm surprised you found the entrance so quickly."

Mort tapped his temple "Eidetic memory, remember? I used to play in these tunnels with the other duct rats when I was a kid. I know what to look for with a Keeper tunnel." He shrugged "Having a map of the tunnels in this area helps of course."

Lily nodded "Think Nyn will know where to go?"

"The general area yeah, she has a map and I told her where we would probably come out beforehand." Mort smirked at Lily "You may like to 'improvise' Captain, but I prefer having a plan."

Lily cocked an eyebrow at the drell "Are you saying you predicted I would go for the Keeper tunnels?"

"I've worked with you for three years Captain," Mort chuckled "I think I can safely say that I know how you work."

Lily was about to throw back a flirtatious remark when she noticed something in the tunnel up ahead. "Hold up," she whispered, raising her hand "Someone got here before us."

Further down the tunnel, right below where the safe room should be, was a cylinder of solid metal 3 feet tall beneath a hole in the ceiling. Frowning, Lily crept toward the cylinder and with Mort's help, climbed on top of it and up through the hole into the safe room. Looking around the dark room quickly, Lily could barely make out the silhouette of a quarian male kneeling in front of the Reaper processor with his omni-tool active, muttering to himself.

"This doesn't make sense…"

"Um, excuse me?" Lily spoke up suddenly "This is my heist."

The quarian started "Keelah! I swear I didn't touch it!"

Lily groaned as the quarian's voice echoed through the safe "I really hope this room is sound-proof." Casually, she reached into her cleavage and pulled out the small compact pistol she had hidden away there. "Now, if you'd be so kind as to step away from the freaky Reaper brain."

The quarian stiffened "No."

Lily cocked an eyebrow "'No'? Buddy, do you have a death wish or are you jus' stupid? `Cause common sense dictates you don't tell the sexy chick with a gun pointed at your head 'no'."

"You're a thief." The quarian said sharply, his back straight. "You're here to steal the processor."

Lily rolled her eyes "Yes Captain Obvious, I take it from that comment that you're not?"

The quarian shook his head, the faint blue glow of his faceplate the only source of light in the dark safe. "I-I wanted to study it, see what I could salvage from its memory banks about… They wouldn't let me, so I snuck in through the Keeper tunnels."

Lily gave him a deadpan look "You broke into the safe room, practically leaving the door wide open for anyone else to come through, all because you wanted to study it?"

The quarian winced "M-My research is important! I didn't think anyone would find the processor worth stealing." At Lily's continued deadpan glare, he blurted "I'm not the best at thinking things all the way through okay!"

Lily smiled "I can relate, but that doesn't change the fact that you're between me and my prize, so if you would kindly step aside-"

"No."

Lily's eye was starting to twitch "You're really starting to get on my nerves, you know that? I don't have time to play around here. Mort!"

"Could you give me a hand?" Mort called from the hole, "It's higher than it looks!"

Lily sighed and knelt down next to the hole, looking away from the quarian for a moment yet still keeping her pistol trained on him. "You have got to start going to the gym." She said as she tried to pull the drell up with her free hand.

"Hitting stuff is your specialty Captain," Mort quipped "I'm just here to look pretty."

"I was actually talking about you losing some damn weight." Lily said, straining to pull Mort up "Jesus, what are you drell made of, lead?" She had just about gotten Mort's head and shoulders clear of the hole when she looked back and saw the quarian had activated his omni-tool and was scanning the processor again. "Hey! Get away from there!"

She released Mort, who fell back down the hole with an "Ack! Captain!" and got to her feet, training her pistol on the back of the quarian's head.

The quarian shrugged "Relax, I'm just finishing up my scans." The quarian deactivated his omni-tool and stepped aside "There, all yours."

Lily, needless to say, was a tad bit suspicious of the quarian's sudden change of heart. "Alright, what's the catch?"

She could see the quarian's glowing eyes widen behind his sapphire mask "W-What do you mean?"

"You really expect me to believe after you were so adamantly protecting the processor that you all of a sudden changed your mind?" Lily asked incredulously "How stupid do you think I am?"

"Um… very?" the quarian said hopefully.

Lily glared at him "Very funny, now tell me what's wrong with it." When the quarian hesitated for a moment, Lily made a threatening motion with her gun "I'm not exactly the most patient person you know."

"It's a fake." The quarian said "A very good fake, but a fake."

Lily cocked an eyebrow skeptically "And you know this how?"

The quarian shrugged "Let's just say that I know a Reaper relic when I see one, and that the museum experts aren't as good as they like to think they are."

Lily, considered this for a moment. True, this quarian could be lying but she doubted it, and if he was right, then she'd just wasted a lot of time and effort for nothing, and would have to tell her boss that she'd failed. That was something she did not relish doing. Suddenly an idea popped into her head and Lily lowered her gun. "Well, I guess there's not much point in me sticking around then."

The quarian blinked "Huh?"

Lily shrugged "It's a fake, why would I want that?" She gave the quarian a knowing look "Provided of course you're right."

She fought the urge to smirk when she noticed the quarian bristle "I am!"

"You sure about that? You don't seem like a Reaper expert to me." Lily taunted "In fact, I bet you're just guessing. You couldn't find a Reaper relic even if you had flashing neon signs pointing the way!"

The quarian growled "You don't know anything! I've been studying the Reapers my entire life! I even made a program that could detect Reaper signatures even when deactivated! I-" the quarian froze, suddenly aware of what he'd let slip "I… probably shouldn't have said that."

Lily's grin would have made the Cheshire Cat proud. "Nope."

…

Carn returned to the small hanger in the wards where the Hermes was docked on foot. Once the boarding ramp had lowered, Carn found Lily, Nyn, and Mort already there, in the midst of a heated argument. Taking off his helmet Carn frowned at his crewmates "What's going on?"

Lily's eyes brightened when she saw Carn, running over to him and slinging an arm around his shoulders. "Carny, cuz, buddy!" she turned to glare at Nyn and Mort "Tell these two that I would never do something without considering the consequences!"

Carn gave Lily a puzzled look "What are you talking about? You always do things without considering the consequences."

"Ha!" Nyn barked, smirking triumphantly.

Lily glared at Carn and removed her arm from his shoulders "Traitor," she accused.

"I don't even know what's going on!" Carn said helplessly.

"Your cousin kidnapped a quarian from the gala." Nyn said flatly.

Carn blinked at Nyn, speechless "Huh?"

Lily sighed and started to explain how she and Mort had snuck into the safe room to discover that a young quarian male was already there examining the processor, how she found out it was a fake, and how she'd tricked the quarian into letting slip he could find the real one. "So naturally, I decided to take him with us. He was… less than pleased by the prospect."

"He tried to burn you alive with an Incinerate and sic'd a combat drone on you before you knocked him out." Mort said lightly "I think he was a bit more than 'less than pleased'."

"Do we know who he is?" Carn asked.

Lily shrugged "Does it matter?"

"Yes!" Nyn and Mort said simultaneously.

"He could be Councilor Raan's grandson for goddess's sake!" Nyn said angrily.

"Where is he?" Carn asked.

Lily gestured with her hand towards one of cargo holds walls "I stuffed him in one of the hidden compartments."

Carn nodded "I'd like to at the very least speak with him."

Meanwhile, the quarian had regained consciousness and was silently cursing himself in the dark, cramp compartment. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

[I told you this was a bad idea]

Stow it, Dex. He bitterly told the geth in his suit through their neural link. Is there any way you can contact the rest of the geth? Maybe tell someone what happened?

[No, the ship's AI detected the signal I sent out and is currently blocking any attempts at communication. While it appears that they are unaware of my presence, I cannot bypass their firewalls.] There was a pause as the quarian no doubt figured the geth was calculating something. [It is odd.]

What do you mean?

[The ship's AI appears to have a split personality.]

Really?

[Well, either that or this ship has two AIs, but what would be the point of that?]

Before the quarian could answer, the door to the compartment opened, temporarily blinding him as light streamed in. Squinting, the quarian's eyes widened beneath his faceplate at the sight of the familiar human/turian hybrid looking in. "Carn?"

Shock shown clearly on the hybrid's face "Kal?"

"You know him?" the human female standing behind the hybrid asked. The quarian's eyebrows rose, he hadn't been able to see her clearly in the dark safe room but now… Is that…

The hybrid turned to the female; his expression bewildered "Lily, its Kal." When she continued to give him a confused look he elaborated "You know? Kal'Zorah?"

Realization and horror dawned on Lily's face.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-"

A/N: Let me guess, everyone saw that coming?

I'm planning to have every single surviving squad member show up at least once before the end of the story and they'll all get their own little segment in the Epilogue -provided of course they've survived that long ;)

Remember I need feedback to make this story successful, especially on Lily, Carn, my other OCs, and the dialog.

Hopefully I'll be posting again sometime before another month has passed!