A/N: Interesting canon facts: Salarian names are very long; made up of homeworld, nation, city, district, clan and given name. Rare salarian females (10% of offspring) are almost always kept on the homeworld out of tradition and respect, controlling the political balance through shrewd negotiation. Salarians have no concept of romantic or sexual attraction. Biotics are rare, and prized by their Intelligence Services.
He came to for the second time in silence and cold, white sheets. His first thoughts were full of panic, a continuation of the chaos around him when he'd passed out. Why was it so quiet? Where was he? Where was the child? Where was Ceryx? Oh spirits, Lavern. Was he even still alive?
A warning beep coincided with his rising heartbeat and it startled him before he realized what it was. A heart beat monitor. His blurry vision slowly recognized the sterile room as one belonging to the Tayseri Ward Hospital, and he slumped back. An asari nurse came bustling in.
Half an hour later he sat in the Ward's Captain's office, watching the older turian frown at a report. Vereus had been discharged from the hospital with no more than a minor concussion and damaged armor, and he'd staggered out after a quick wash. The captain looked up, face haggard.
"I just can't believe this. Thirty eight dead, fourteen hospitalized." His dark look deepened as he passed the datapad over. Vereus scanned the report. A turian eatery had been completely vapourized, families and children were just... gone. "There's barely enough left for victim identification. So far as we can tell, all were turian victims except for four Quarians, on their pilgrimage."
"Oh spirits. Why?" Vereus mumbled, horror etching his features as he flipped through footage.
"We have no idea. None!" The captain sank into his chair, head in his hands. "How can this have happened Vere? This is my district, my people, and I'm helpless to protect them."
"I don't know, sir. I don't think we could have been prepared if we'd tried. Is this true? No traces of the explosive device at all?" The captain nodded slightly. Vereus watched his superior in concern. He knew something was really wrong, but why tell him? A sergeant? Maybe the captain just needed a confidant for a little peace of mind. It was unlike him, but then these were more than unusual times. He scrolled down the report and then suddenly froze. Blinking, he placed it carefully back on the captain's desk.
"Sir," He began, subvocals relaying his discomfort. "There was some... sensitive data on there. You might want to revise that-" He stopped as the captain's head shook, and he looked up.
"Relax Sergeant, you're cleared for it."
Vereus' mandibles made a few little circles in the air before he replied. "How? Sir, I'm only a Sergeant, in Enforcement. There's no way I'm cleared for this."
"You are now. You're being transferred to Investigation. You know that the docks better than anyone, and your relations with humans blow ours out of the water. Orders straight from the brass. You're to go see the detective in charge straight away."
Vereus blinked once or twice. Then he slowly stood up. "Sir, I-"
"No buts, Sergeant." His tone changed, becoming gentler and he shifted in his chair. "Vereus, I've known you for years. The only reason you haven't been promoted is that I know that there's no place you'd rather be than down on that dock, helping out the recruits and people-watching.
"But now, we need those skills. I need you to stop this, and I know you will. There's going to be a lot of interspecies tension, and I'd rather have you out there stopping wars, than in here at risk of being blown up again."
"Stopping wars, sir?"
"Hm, yes. You'll see, now go Sergeant."
Vereus nodded and turned towards the door.
"Oh, and Ver?"
He stopped and looked back at the concerned face, weathered with age and stress. "Yes, sir?"
"Be careful."
Enforcement Officer Sergeant Vereus Okranos, was feeling confused and alone, following the directions uploaded to his omnitool. He'd been in his position for ten years and he felt that it was part of him. He'd looked after the dock, and he'd helped countless subordinates grow and excel. It was his place. And now what? Transferred, with new people and into a job that seemed to come with some very worrying possibilities. He sighed and stopped in front of a door. Tayseri Ward: C-Sec Investigation. His subvocals clicked nervously as he knocked.
"Come."
He pushed the door open. A surprisingly tall, slender figure stood up as he entered. Large eyes blinked at him as the detective gestured for him to sit. They took a seat themselves and leaned back, purple eyes observing him. A few moments passed before the detective spoke.
"You seem restless and surprised... Acting Detective."
His mandibles fluttered in panic. "Yes, detective," he managed.
"And now you seem even more so. Care to tell me why?"
"Well, I-" He hesitated, glancing up at the serious face across from him.
"Well? Ask, man! I'm not here for your entertainment."
He coughed politely. "I- I'm sorry, detective. I didn't mean to stare. I was just, surprised. I haven't seen many salarian C-Sec officers."
The detective looked ready to snap at him again, but he continued quickly, "and in truth, I've never seen any female salarians. Culturally, I'd been told that they're closely watched over, kept back for safe jobs. So yeah, I'm surprised. Although, you've probably heard this far too many times. So I'm sorry for inadvertently annoying you." He gave a small smile, which he hoped would lighten the mood, while not seeming flippant.
The salarian shifted. Large eyes narrowed, and her dark eyelids closed upwards in a salarian slow blink. Then her lips twitched into a smile.
"Clever, Okranos. Bordering on smartarse, but I'll give you that one anyway. Hm. Turian observation of other species unusual. Ability to read emotion and avoid anger, even more so. I am impressed."
"Thank you," he said.
"Good. Now then, what else troubles you?"
Vereus relaxed slightly. "Well ma'am, to be honest I've been told almost nothing. I don't really know why I am here, or how the humans are apparently involved, or why you're referring to me as Acting Detective. Mostly though, I'm wondering if my friend is dead or alive."
"Ah, yes." She looked down at a datapad. "The constable, a Lavernis Ceryx. He is fine, stable. Minor burns, fractured wrist, should heal completely within two weeks. Turian physiology remarkably real resilient. Hm, good. You will need it."
"Oh," he blinked. "Uh, why?"
She ignored him. "Probationary Acting Detective status instated ten minutes ago. Under my supervision. Exemplary record, intelligent officer, good with race relations, wasted on herding civilians. I need your input. Your knowledge of the area, people and social interactions will come in handy. Plus my old partner is dead, so you will do as a replacement."
"Dead?" He asked hoarsely.
"The human involvement... is more difficult. In short, we don't know."
"Oh," he breathed an inner sigh of relief. "So they're not involved?"
"Yes. No. Complicated." The detective took a deep breath, and began to speak slower.
"Complicated. You see, human residue found at the bomb site."
"Residue?" He asked, relief evaporating.
"Yes. Residue of vaporised human. Levo-amino-acid traced."
"Ah." He fell silent with a slight shudder and watched her pace behind the desk. She continued.
"The human was the closest to the source of the explosion. Human in turian bar? Oddity. That close to explosive? Not coincidence. The tensions high, many factions are upset as a result of theRelay 314 Incident, on both sides. I am assigned because I am impartial, you because you are the closest a turian can come to impartial in this. Is this correct?"
Vereus nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess."
"Why is that? Why would you be impartial?"
"Why not?" He rallied.
"Fair point."
They stared at each other for a while.
He almost jumped as she stepped forward, a gloved hand thrust out. He took it carefully, in talons much larger than the delicate salarian hand.
"I am Senior Detective Nasurn Aegohr Khan Ish Maurus Il Saul," she said. Again her mouth twitched into that little smile, as she saw the nervous flutter of his mandibles.
"However," she continued, "I will be Detective Saul to you, Acting Detective Okranos."
He nodded. "Yes ma'am."
"Now, to the armor locker. Yours is too weak, need heavy armor for this job!" She called back, already leading the way out.
"Uh, why?" He asked, eyes wide. She just kept walking, and he trotted forward to catch up.