I don't own Mass Effect. Bioware does.
Docking at another part of the wards, deeper down, Saren cautiously strode through the markets, carefully avoiding gaining attention as he wove his way to Chora's Den. Based upon a mole placed at the bar, Fist had an extensive security detail, including a mix of krogan, turians, and humans. It was nothing he hadn't faced before. Shooting the bouncer and shooting off the line at the door, Saren walked in before one of the guards noticed him.
"You're new here. What's with the fancy armor?"
The club was small and round with a bar in the middle and a circular platform above, and tables for dancers and patrons all around the walls. In the back was a hallway leading to management. Two on the balcony above with the dancers, six in total opposite to where he stood, three on his side of the club, two by the door and one sitting down at the bar.
He elbowed the guard to his left before shooting the guard to his right in his knee cap before finishing both off with two consecutive headshots. Tossing a flash grenade onto the platform, he charged at the third, smashing his head against the bar, rubbing his face against broken glass as he tossed him to the floor. The other guards began to rush him from the other side, led by a charging krogan. Biotically throwing the krogan against the two guards close behind, Saren took advantage of another guard's brief distraction, kicking him to the floor and plugging another two shots in him. Quickly reloading, Saren quickly killed the krogan to keep the two guards underneath him pinned before reaching for a bottle of wine over the counter. Tossing it against another guard, he rushed forth with a knife and stabbed the guard before using the corpse as a shield. Disposing of the remaining two guards below, he rolled back to cover as the guards on the platform shook off the affects of the grenade he threw. Picking up a bottle of ryncol, he tossed it up before shooting the bottle, igniting the platform at their feet. One fell and snapped his neck below as the other slowly burned. The guard he had tossed against the bar rose back up only to have Saren plug him through the eye before reloading a second time.
Walking through the door past the employee lockers, a two humans had their pistols trained on him before suddenly realizing the capability of their opposition.
"S-stop! Don't shoot! We only work here!" the warehouse worker on the left yelled.
"You boys should've thought about that when you read the job description," Saren scoffed.
Saren showed no mercy as he put three rounds into each. His mandibles flicking with pride, Saren strolled past the two corpses lying on the floor. He walked into the manager's office and almost walked in front of Fade's desk before two high-caliber sentry turrets fired at him, forcing him back to cover.
"Go away, Arterius! I haven't done anything!"
He grumbled with annoyance as he took out a pair of EMP grenades. Tossing one under each turret, both fizzled out in a smoking mess, before Saren rounded the corner and biotically charged down Fist, ramming him into a wall and dropping him to the floor.
"Hello, Fist."
"Please! I can get you what you want! Money! Women! Slaves!" Fist sputtered, whimpering between breaths.
"I'm more interested in Red Sand right now. Who's your supplier?" Saren demanded.
"I-I-I can't tell you that! They-!" Fist protested.
"Shame," Saren interrupted, "I suppose there are other ways of getting what I want."
"Blue Suns! Zorya! Oskar Frontier!" Fist gasped.
"Good. Thanks," Saren smirked.
Saren shot Fist in the head before breaking into a small office vault and taking his personal computer to verify the claim Fist yelled before his death. It took a few minutes for Saren to read through the data. Sure enough, it didn't take much effort to make Fist spill the beans. On his personal computer were long conversations about shipments of the narcotic to the Citadel with the newly formed mercenary group. Before leaving the Citadel, he quickly sent any data he found back to C-Sec for documentation. With that objective out of the way, Saren figured he should deal with the clients in question himself.
Zoyra had enough flora and dangerous fauna to leave any man lost for days on end. Landing not that far from the edge of the facility, Saren approached quietly, avoiding patrols along the border. With no one spotting him, the Spectre managed to reach the entrance with little trouble.
It wasn't long before he heard yelling in the distance. An argument. Dashing through the main entrance, he hid behind a series of pipes, careful to stay in the shadows.
"Oi! What's the meaning of this?! Get your hands off me, you traitorous wankers!"
Saren watched as two guards restrained another man.
In the middle of the factory were a total of six humans, all in Blue Suns armor. Four took to restraining and holding at gunpoint an older member while a man with darker skin and black hair paced about, ranting to the older man.
"You know as well as I do, Massani. The Blue Suns have to expand eventually."
"And what? Accept slavers to join our ranks? Mind you, slavers who attacked our colonies?! Stop being an idiot and pull out your head from your asshole, and use however many brain cells you have to think about this, Santiago!" the former senior member barked.
"We already did, Zaeed," the younger leader acknowledged, pulling out a large sidearm and holding it to the deposed leader's head, "we've come to the conclusion you've got to go."
This was an opportunity he couldn't afford to miss, killing a coup in the making, and the former leader of the mercenaries in one swoop could create a power vacuum. He pulled a grenade from his belt, pulled the pin, and threw it. The resulting explosion startled the Blue Suns, allowing Zaeed to gain the upperhand and free himself.
Zaeed charged at the young Santiago, initiating a struggle between the two of them as they fought for the hand-cannon. The group failed to notice the damaged machinery nearby until it violently exploded. As they walked to the fallen leader to finish off what was left, Saren began open fire on the group, killing two guards. Meanwhile, the rest of the facility began to catch fire, explosions rang throughout the under-maintained structure, and various workers were caught in the fiery mess.
"Just let him burn, let's go!" Santiago ordered.
The surviving guards reluctantly abandoned the workers caught on fire. Santiago also retreated, leaving both Zaeed and Saren facing one another. Zaeed stumbled to his feet, suffering from a minor concussion.
"About time one of you lizards broke into my place of work. I'm pretty confident I made it apparent this planet is off-limits to people like you," Zaeed growled, spitting the blood out of his mouth.
Saren folded his arms.
"Then let me know when you're done being stubborn, Massani," Saren commented.
Massani simply chuckled.
"Knew there was something I at least liked about you turians. For all the head-butting both sides do, at least some of you are in the no-bullshit camp. For the sake of the old adage, you up for a good one-on-one?" Zaeed sneered before drawing a knife.
Saren snarled as he drew his own blade.
"Gladly."
The two men wrestled with hardened steel, narrowly dodging falling objects as the facility continued to burn around them.
"I do admire the operation you're running here," Saren growled, trying to thrust his blade down on Massani.
"It was going rather fine until you showed up."
Rolling the two, Zaeed put himself on top, now having the blade hang over Saren's face.
"So what was that clash of words from earlier then?" Zaeed retorted.
"I came here for an objective of my own," Saren growled, "so what was your purpose here?"
"I…started this damn company!" Zaeed grunted, "little bastards were trying to revise management."
Saren didn't respond, but he pushed Zaeed's blade away from his neck with his free hand. Saren noticed a bit of falling machinery, causing both men to narrowly crawl out of the way. The two raced through the smoking factory, attempting to finish off the other by occasionally shoving their opponent closer to some flaming hazard. Reaching a clearing, near a landing platform, the two fell to their knees, coughing from the smoke, barely able to climb back onto their feet.
"I don't know what you're getting at, but this is my goddamn company. No one is taking it from without a good fight," Zaeed hissed, pointing his blade at Saren.
"Having former colleagues restrain you before nearly executing you doesn't seem like a fair fight, Massani," Saren growled similarly.
Zaeed nodded in agreement. The Blue Suns leader's com-link went off.
{Sir, Zaeed and the intruder have been spotted along the South side of the facility. Should we hold fire?}
{Negative. We don't need him anymore. Open fire,} Santiago hastily answered.
Massani struggled to answer through his damaged voice receptor.
"Dammit! Hold your fire! Hold your fire or I-!"
Mortar shells rose up in the distance, angling down towards them.
"Spirits! Look out!" Saren cried, as the two dove off the side of the railing into the jungle below.
Rolling to a halt, Saren flopped onto his back, watching Zaeed struggle with his suit coms device.
{The factory has been lost. All remaining Blue Suns are advised to withdraw.}
"Fuck! Santiago, heed my warning, you filthy snake!" Zaeed snarled, "the Blue Suns may not be mine anymore and you probably can't fucking hear me, but listen closely when I say I will find you, and I will kill you, slowly and painfully!"
He finished his diatribe before ripping the electronics out and stomping them underneath his boot, sputtering expletives with each stomp. All the while, Saren slowly staggered to his feet.
"That went well, For now, I'd like to propose a gentleman's agreement that we part ways after this mess without farther bloodshed. Neither of us seem to be in an advantageous standpoint to say otherwise," Saren interrupted humorlessly.
He stuck a hand out a hand in agreement, remembering what Nihlus had told him about human customs.
"I like your style, mate," Zaeed chuckled, "I suppose I'll accept."
The two waded painfully through the jungle back to Saren's shuttle as the Blue Suns abandoned the Red Sand factory. Passing Zaeed some medi-gel, Saren slid into the pilot seat and took off.
"Awfully convenient that you arrived when you did. Can't imagine myself surviving a shot to the head at that range. You're Spectre Arterius, right? I see you rather frequently in the news," Massani quipped as he slathered the gel on his bruises and burns.
"That is correct," Saren nodded.
"Right…so what then?" Zaeed asked.
"We'll be going our separate ways on the Citadel," Saren answered, "I can't image that this Santiago managed to freeze all of your assets yet."
"I've got a few personal accounts under various pseudonyms on the Citadel. It'll be enough to keep me going until I recover from this mess," the former leader added.
Saren set the shuttle to autopilot before getting up.
"I'd like to help, but I've got other matters to attend to," Saren explained as Zaeed tossed him a pack of medi-gel.
"Thanks, mate," Zaeed smiled.
The instant Saren returned to the Citadel after being away for a couple of days, he received a message from the medics that Jane had finished recovery. After landing his shuttle in the docking bay, Saren and Zaeed parted ways and then the turian Spectre made his way to the Presidium, arriving at the Huerta Hospital. Saren waited in the lobby, scrolling through the latest news articles on his omni-tool when Jane walked out into the front lobby. She felt lucky the staff provided her some decent clothing such as a casual blouse and a pair of clean pants as a start. She scanned her surroundings until she spotted Saren in one of the lobby chairs, compelling her to approach him.
"Saren?" Jane paused.
"Ah, Jane. I've taken the liberty of finalizing your citizenship here on the Citadel. Is there anything you'll immediately need exiting the hospital?" Saren greeted, turning off his omni-tool.
Jane took a moment to think over the question.
"If I were to request anything," Jane replied, "then maybe I could make a list of books that I would want to read, and a shelf to place them on."
Saren stood up and guided her outside.
"I'm sure we can pass by a good library on the way back to my apartment," he acknowledged, hailing a taxi.
Saren and Jane boarded the taxi without hesitation and when the Spectre relayed the destination to the driver, the taxi hovered into the air traffic.
"So. Why books of all things?" Saren asked, "I mean, not to imply that there's anything wrong with a good book, but I guess I see it as something rather trivial or benign."
"Since I have a place to call home now," Jane clarified, resting her head on the back of her seat, "I might as well make the best of it."
Saren shrugged in response.
"Fair enough. Like I said, I do know of a good library on the way back. What particularly did you have in mind?"
Jane peered through the window, watching the scenery as it passed by.
"Perhaps something related to adventure," Jane replied, "and maybe some resourceful material which I could learn from."
He paused, contemplating the state he found her in.
"I see. Take the time you need," Saren advised, "we won't be going anywhere soon."
Fifteen minutes passed before they were dropped off at a public library in the wards. The instant they stepped inside, Jane scanned their surroundings, feeling herself relax in such a tranquil place. After a moment, she located a directory and took a few minutes to browse which genres could be found in which sections. While she did, she made a list of genres to look into, including science fiction, adventure and fantasy for fiction, and for non-fiction, she included history, math, science, and miscellaneous instructional material. And to top it all off, she included turian culture on the list.
"That's quite an ambitious pile you have there," Saren commented, eyeing the holobooks Jane had collected.
Jane carefully read through the titles before she returned her gaze towards Saren.
"I may not be on Earth anymore," Jane replied, "but I wouldn't prefer to give those who despised me the satisfaction of my defeat."
"You couldn't have ticked off anyone that big," Saren muttered, sifting through the various titles as they went through checkout.
He paused for a moment as he picked up a text on turian culture, raising an browplate at the notion.
"I thought I'd learn more about your race," Jane explained.
Saren didn't bother inquiring further before bringing the books to another taxi and setting off back to his apartment. Once they arrived, Saren led Jane inside.
"Until you have a proper place, you can live here," Saren explained, "I've set up the guest bedroom, acquired levo-based food, and set up whatever other things you'll need."
"Thank you, Saren," Jane nodded.
Jane stepped into her new bedroom and took in her surroundings. If anything, she started to gain the impression she found a shelter for herself, and she felt calmness at that thought.
"I left the spare key on the kitchen counter," Saren explained, "if you need anything else, just let me know."
With that, Saren disappeared into his own room. Jane took some time to sort the books on an empty shelf before she picked out a holobook on turian military. After that, she stepped out into the kitchen, finding the spare key and stashing it into her pocket for later. She then looked around the pantry, feeling the small urge to make some hot chocolate for herself.
Saren's injuries from the day before had more or less recovered, giving him time to sit down and write his report. While a big source of Red Sand on the Citadel had been cut off, a majority of the Blue Suns crew present had escaped. Sending the report, he quickly put on jogging gear and stepped back out of his room.
"Jane, I'm going for a run. I'll give you my omni-tool number in case…what's that smell?"
Jane paused and turned her head towards Saren.
"I-I was just making hot chocolate," she explained.
"Oh, I see. Just worried something might be burning," Saren replied, "anyways, here's my number. I'll be out for about an hour. Think you can handle yourself?"
"Yes," Jane nodded.
After Saren gave Jane his number, he stepped out of the apartment. It didn't take long for Jane to finish her hot chocolate, so she sat down at the table and read the holobook in her possession while she sipped her beverage.
Saren slung his water canteen over his shoulders and began to run off. Jane would probably need time to think over what she'd want to do as a career on the Citadel, so he left her alone in the apartment while giving himself time to clear his mind and get some fresh air after narrowly crawling out of a burning factory. It took a short while for the Spectre to make his way towards his usual trail.
He'd always felt fearful of the burning sensation one would get when inhaling smoke. It felt like he was on the verge of drowning, and clean air would always taste infinitely sweeter once he cleared his palate of the musty, bitter taste of smoke.
"Hey! Saren! How're you today?"
Nihlus ran up alongside, tapping his omni-tool before throwing the headphones he'd bought himself around his neck.
"You also needed fresh air, Nihlus?" Saren asked between deep breaths.
"And it's good to know you still do too, you fossil," Nihlus chuckled, "so how's the human coming along? Jane was her name, right?"
By then, Saren and Nihlus jogged along the path that led into the park.
"Yes," Saren answered, "and she was released from the hospital today."
"Hmmm, that's good to hear. Mind if I meet her later?" Nihlus asked before throwing back on his headphones.
Saren nodded before he returned his focus on the trail. Any other thoughts he did have were interrupted by Nihlus' singing as he continued to listen to whatever songs he had on his omni-tool.
"We can go where we want, we can leave your friends behind…"
Saren didn't bother to listen to Nihlus's singing voice as they passed by a tree.
A long while later, Saren and Nihlus finished with their jog, so they returned to the elder Spectre's apartment and headed inside. There, Jane was in the middle of taking a few notes in her omni-tool while she read a holobook in the living room.
"I'm home, Jane. I'd also like to introduce you to my protege, Nihlus Kryik," Saren called over, taking off his shoes.
Nihlus chirped with interest.
"My my, she is a pretty thing."
Jane paused in her tracks and set down the holobook before she stood to her feet and approached the two turians, extending her hand.
"It's pleasant to meet you…Nihlus," Jane said softly.
"Likewise, Jane. You seem to be doing better than when Saren first told me about you," Nihlus returned, accepting the handshake.
"Thank you," she smiled.
"You two can keep talking, I'm going to wash off," Saren told the two as he walked to his room to get a change of clothes.
With Jane alone with Nihlus, she sat back onto the couch and continued reading the holobook, which caught Nihlus's interest. He craned his neck over her shoulder.
"So, what are you reading?" he asked.
Jane tilted her head upwards for a moment.
"I thought I'd read about turian culture," Jane replied.
Nihlus glanced away shyly.
"Heh, really? I mean, I find human culture rather interesting myself. What do you think?"
"I'd say your culture is pretty impressive," Jane answered, pausing in between, "in a good way."
"How so?" Nihlus asked, "I find human culture interesting because of its diversity. That a single species could have so many facets to it."
Jane responded by pointing to a section covering turian military customs.
"I'll be looking into turian biology next," Jane continued.
That stopped Nihlus in his tracks.
"Okay, that's some next-level devotion right there," Nihlus commented, "I hadn't bothered looking up the biology aspect of humans yet."
Nihlus sat down next to Jane.
"I thought I'd catch up since Saren saved my life," Jane said.
"I can imagine," Nihlus sighed, "I can't imagine that you ever got a proper education with the living conditions you were in, right?"
Nihlus looked through the stack of other books that Jane had rented.
"In the city where I came from," Jane clarified, "if you have no money, no identification or no parent, you get left behind."
Nihlus tsked in response.
"That seems so counterproductive. They could at least provide services to those who have no way of achieving such instead of leaving people like you to rot. Just how many more like you are there on Earth? No offense."
"There are lot more people in that city that have it worse than I do," Jane answered, "and many of them don't survive past their twenties…if I recall."
"Okay, now that's fucked up. Even a salarian can live twice as long," Nihlus spat, "unfortunately, Earth politics are not my profession, and there's not really much I can do about it as a turian."
Jane didn't say anything further, so she went back to reading. Minutes later, Saren emerged from his room.
"Well, it's good I caught you when I did, Saren," Nihlus said, rising from the couch, "by the way, what sort of plans do you have for the future, Jane? Job? Your own place?"
"I'm sure I'll find something I can do," she proclaimed.