January 2171, The Argo
"Staff Lieutenant Vakarian, stand down."
Garrus looked at his commanding officer, Commander Tredan, and then back at the sniveling scientist, Dr. Roka. Standing down was the last thing he wanted to do, however he eventually followed orders. Though he did drop the scientist to the ground rather harshly.
"I didn't have anything to do with the attacks, I swear." The simpering doctor was apparently also a fool.
"You are standing in the facility that created O-E. Do you honestly take us for idiots?" Garrus roared at the small human male.
The male was shaking on the ground. He hadn't even pulled himself out of the crumpled heap Garrus had left him in. "I'm just a … researcher. I … I didn't tell them to use it."
"Biological warfare is illegal for a reason, Doctor." Garrus put so much venom into the last word that Dr. Roka cringed. "Tell me why this drug was invented. I am aware that you were the leading researcher."
"We … I was paid to discover a way to neutralize biotic threats. I wasn't told why or even who."
"Does neutralize mean murder? Because that is what you have been doing. I find it hard to believe that a respectable scientist would create such a weapon."
Dr. Roka looked sharply at Garrus with the first emotion other than fear he had exhibited. He slowly stood up and straightened his back. "You soldier types don't understand. It was near impossible to get research money for my own projects. I was paid handsomely for this and I won't be lectured on medical ethics by god damned turian. I might have ignorance to fall back on, but what is your excuse for releasing the genophage?"
Garrus grabbed the front of Dr. Roka's jacket and pulled him close. "I hope the money was worth it, because you are going to spend a very long time in prison for the murder of thousands of asari."
The doctor started to seize, his eyes rolling back in his head, and foam forming at his mouth. "Spirits, we need a medic in here! We've got another one."
He laid the doctor on the ground, but he knew it was too late. Tredan walked over from the computer console to look at the dying man.
"Already? I thought we had taken enough precautions. Aren't we jamming the signal?"
Garrus rocked back to sit heavily on the ground. "Apparently it wasn't enough. I'm getting damn tired of this shit."
He really was tired of it. For the past seven months the Argo had been hunting Cerberus. Mostly they had only found abandoned facilities, but this time was different. This was an active lab. The information about the facility came through rather unsavory sources, but Captain Victus followed the lead anyway. Apparently even the Shadow Broker did not wish war with the batarians. Of course the Hegemony had long since denied responsibility for the attacks, but the Council of Sisters was still livid. Especially considering that the attacks while much smaller on scale since the Malindra, were still ongoing.
The Argo had only managed to capture three other Cerberus operatives. All three of them had a device at the base of their spine that could be remotely triggered to release a deadly neurotoxin. All three of them were dead. The Argo crew really thought that this time would be different though. This time they had thoroughly jammed transmissions before attempting to take the base, however that apparently was not enough.
"Commander Tredan? We had a bogie slip through. What's your situation?" The radio sputtered.
"We've lost Dr. Roka. Repeat, Dr. Roka is dead." Tredan grimly informed the Argo.
"Understood. Did you get a thorough copy of the computers?"
Garrus gave Tredan an expectant look. He wasn't sure if they had and honestly he had forgotten about that part of the mission after he had seen Dr. Roka.
"No. The signal must have wiped the databanks as well. We are on our way back now." Commander Tredan motioned for Garrus to stand and they began picking their way back through the moon base. "What is the status of that bogie?"
"It was a small unmanned craft broadcasting a signal. We were unsure of its intent, but we have taken it offline now."
"If they were able to send a physical craft to broadcast the kill switch signal, then there has to be somebody close. Very close." Garrus mused as they continued to walk.
"I agree, but I'm sure the Argo has already scanned for ships."
"They can't have jumped to FTL without us picking them up. They must still be here. We can find them."
"Well we'd better hurry then."
By the time they made it back to the Argo, the ship's sensors had picked up the location of the Cerberus craft. It was small. Large enough for only fifty people at the most. It was also stationary. When the Argo neared the vessel it didn't even try and flee. In fact the ship radioed the turians and requested permission to dock. Captain Victus cautiously agreed, however he had a full twenty man contingent with him when the airlock opened.
A small, although to Garrus most humans were small, dark skinned human male was the only person to greet them. Though his physical stature was not imposing the manner in which he held himself was complete arrogance. The man casually took in the turians and seemed to dismiss them and focused on Captain Victus.
"Captain Victus, I have a proposition for you."
"I do not make a habit of negotiating with terrorists." His response was cool and immediate.
"That is a good policy to have. However I am merely an emissary and definitely not a terrorist."
"I believe the council, especially the asari ambassador, would disagree with that claim."
"Perhaps though I believe that what I have to offer will change her mind."
Victus was silent for a moment, clearly considering his words and trying to find an answer within them. "And who are you, exactly?"
"I have already stated that I am an ambassador to Pluto."
"Is that supposed to be the new name of the Illusive Man?"
The man visibly twitched at the title. "That is the name others have given him, not one he chose himself. You may call me Charon."
Garrus growled at the man. "How about we call you by your actual name, Ian Rodriguez?"
Ian turned his head quickly to Garrus and a flash of something, fear perhaps, resonated in his eyes. His mouth opened as if to ask a question, but Garrus cut him off. "If you're not a terrorist, then how do you explain Mindoir?"
Ian, because it was definitely Ian, took a half step backwards before catching himself. Victus turned to Garrus and gave him a warning look that was silently commanding him to shut up.
"Why don't you tell me the offer that this … Pluto wishes to make to the council?"
"Right … " Ian cleared his throat while casting one last wary look at the menacing Garrus. "Pluto would like to turn over the locations of the batarian renegades responsible for the tragic attacks of the past few months. Our organization was hired to produce the chemical known as O-E. We take no responsibility for the batarian usage of the drug. This base is in the Terminus Systems and, as such, is not in the jurisdiction of the council. We have stayed perfectly legal. However, once we were sure that it was our compound that was being used; we would be remiss if we did not turn over any information we have on the extremists. I would also ask that any and all personnel be returned to us immediately. As I'm sure you must realize that there was no illegality to our activities in the Terminus System."
"As I'm sure you are aware, all of the staff on the base are dead." Garrus could almost feel the rage thrumming through Victus' subvocals and wondered how the human wasn't sent running by them. Perhaps human ears weren't sensitive enough.
"That is most unfortunate." Ian had responded far too quickly and with a notable lack of remorse for the lives lost.
The captain eventually led the wretched man back to the conference room for the call. Garrus stayed behind to talk to Commander Tredan.
"This can't really be happening."
Tredan looked at the younger turian and nodded his head. "As much as I would like to pretend it isn't, it is."
"But we can't just let them get away with this. They have clearly orchestrated the whole event. The hell of the past six months is their entire fault. What about the men they've installed with kill-switches."
"What proof of their involvement is there? None. We don't have anything. We haven't been able to actually catch them doing anything. The closest we have gotten was that last lab and as soon as we breached it, this guy shows up. Clearly we are getting close to them and they are cutting their losses."
"If we're getting close, then we just have to keep going. We can bring them all in."
Garrus was fervent, but Tredan was sadly shaking his head. "The council will agree to this. I know it doesn't feel just, but if the council doesn't agree then I can promise you that Cerberus will force a batarian conflict. Maybe we will also succeed in wiping the organization out, but war with the Hegemony is too great of a price."
Garrus closed his eyes and rested his head against the cold bulkhead. "So the council gets a few hundred batarian 'extremists' and strings them up for their crimes. The masses feel better, because 'justice' has been done and the real criminals get to fight another day. This is a shallow victory."
Tredan clapped a hand on Garrus' shoulder. "This is the real world of war and politics, every victory is shallow."
"I could use a drink." He groaned.
"I'll buy you one the next time we get shore leave."
July 2171
"That top is absolutely scandalous."
"Good. Now is it closer to 'throw that woman over my shoulder and charge for the nearest darkened room' or is it 'screw the darkened room I'm getting her naked right now'?"
Garrus sighed and looked Lia who was adorned in an almost sheer, red, floor length skirt with slits in the sides up to her hip bones and a "shirt" that was more of a scarf that had been cleverly wrapped to barely conceal her perfect waist. It was also made of that same sheer red material. She looked gorgeous, but he did not want to share her beauty with the entire Citadel.
"It is more along the lines of 'I'm not going to let you off the ship, because I don't want to spend the night fending off droves of males'."
Lia purred with pleasure. "Well that's not what I was going for, but I'll take the compliment. Now we need to leave before the club fills up."
"No, seriously you need to change."
Lia placed one hand on her hip and stared him bemused. "Garrus Vakarian just because you outrank me, does not mean you are the boss of me. I look charming and I'm wearing this."
Garrus made a show of grumbling at her, but he knew when he was beat. "Alright we'll go, but I am getting very drunk tonight. Tredan has owed me that drink for over six months now. I think I have accrued some interest on that debt."
They met Tredan outside of the ship in the docking bay. He was dressed in a similar fashion as Garrus was, but where Garrus was wearing black accented with his own Vakarian blue; Tredan was wearing a muted grey with slashes of his dark red. Garrus was suddenly aware of how attractive Tredan was by turian standards and immediately took a defensively possessive stance around Lia.
If Tredan noticed he had the grace not to say anything about it. "There you are. Took you long enough."
"It really has been far too long. Haven't you boys been planning this for almost half a year?" Lia responded while nudging Garrus to stop him from hovering.
"We have." Garrus gave Lia a false wince at the gentle jab to his side. "However, someone decided that Palaven wasn't good enough for a couple of drinks." He looked pointedly at Tredan.
"What can I say? The Citadel has a lot more to offer."
"What can the Citadel possibly have to offer that our home planet doesn't?"
Tredan waited till they were all tucked into the rented aircar before he responded with a wild grin. "Asari."
After Tredan confessed to his love of the blue beauties, Garrus relaxed quite a bit. Even the club that Tredan had picked was blessedly turian-free. Technically he still had to compete with the plethora of asari and even some humans, but as far as he was concerned they had nothing on Garrus Vakarian. He ended up drinking maybe a little too much. Maybe more than just a little.
"Another one!"
"Wait, which mission are we on now?" Tredan was definitely more inebriated than Garrus.
"Uh … shit. Did we drink to the dam break on that elcor colony?"
"I think we drank twice to that one. Though the gravity was so horrible … I could probably drink again."
"What about the tow we gave that hanar ship?" Lia was trying to get in on the game, but she rarely went on the same missions as the other two.
"I wasn't there!" Tredan and Garrus loudly answered together.
"Well it was really interesting. You know their engines are completely different from ours and …"
She was rudely interrupted by both males laying their heads down on the bar and snoring.
"Wait, I got it." Garrus popped his head up and signaled the bartender for another round. "We'll drink to Mindoir."
"That is a good one." Lia admitted raising her filled glass.
"We might even need several drinks to wash that one down." Tredan added with a smirk.
"To Mindoir."