Defending oneself from harm was a natural instinct inbred in every species from their very origins. When one had more to protect than oneself, say when one was on a quest to find evidence to expose a traitor and a madman, with not one life but hundreds at risk, well, it was even more important to stay alive in order to do so.

Shepard tried out several more, similar points of argument in her head and wondered if any of them would be grand enough to convince Udina that getting into a gunfight in the Wards wasn't...technically...her fault.

She nudged one of the dead assassins with her foot.

Not a chance.

Kaidan came up beside her, his biotic barriers still glowing. "These are Saren's men."

"Probably."

"They were Saren's men," Ashley corrected, kicking the other body lightly.

"Should we wait for C-sec?"

Shepard gave that some consideration and shook her head. Hey, they were trying to find a C-sec officer. If push came to shove she could point that out. Of course they wanted to find Garrus for an entirely different reason, but details, details. "I don't think C-sec comes around here that much. Not on duty, at least."

"No one else seems particularly perturbed." Ash pointed toward the doorway of Chora's Den where the few that had gathered to watch the excitement had already disappeared.

Shepard shot a message to Udina's office to warn him and stepped over the other assassin as she moved toward the door of the club. "I hope Udina gets that message before the reporters get a hold of this."

Ash snorted. "Just watch, Commander, the sleazy ezines will start up with the conspiracy theories. They'll have you in bed with the dead Spectre and hunting Saren down to avenge him or something."

"What, Nihlus?" She thought that over for a moment. "Well, he was kind of hot."

That earned her stares from both Ash and Kaidan as they tried to figure out whether she was kidding or not. "Didn't know you had a thing for turians, Commander..." Ash said half jokingly, looking uncertain.

"I don't, I have a thing for asari, didn't you hear?" Shepard said cheerfully, sauntering in through the door of Chora's Den like she did it every day. She paused and cocked an eyebrow, tilting her head up to eye the stage that rose above the bar. Speaking of which.

Ash stared at the asari dancers for a moment as she came up behind the commander and sighed. "A million lightyears away from where humanity began and we walk into a bar filled with men drooling over half-naked women shaking their asses on a stage. I can't decide if that's funny or sad."

Kaidan wasn't quite gaping but it was close. He cleared his throat. "What? You don't think they're here because of the food? I see why this place is so popular, it's quite the, uh, view."

"Hey, Lieutenant, put your tongue back in your mouth before you trip on it," Ash said a little louder than was strictly necessary. Neither Shepard or Kaidan were in full armor but Ashley was, so they were already drawing odd looks as they moved through the club. Shepard was just glad none of the bouncers were taking issues with them...yet.

She blinked as she rounded the bar and saw one of the reasons for it. The bouncers had a bigger problem on their hands.

The bouncer guarding the back door to the club was krogan. As a race, they were intimidating and the bouncer was no exception, but the second krogan facing off with him was huge. Shepard glanced back at Ash and Kaidan, shifting so they could edge around the two without getting in the way. She tilted her head, listening out of pure curiosity as she passed while studiously not looking at them.

"...Fist told us to take you down if you showed up," the bouncer snarled.

"What are you waiting for? I'm standing right here," the big krogan replied, unimpressed. He took a step toward the bouncer, leaning forward. "This is Fist's only chance. If he's smart, he'll take it."

The bouncer edged back slightly. "He's not coming out, Wrex. End of story."

"This story is just beginning." The big krogan, Wrex, swung around so suddenly Kaidan had to move fast to the right to avoid him. Wrex glanced at them without interest, the dim blue and red lights of the club casting his craggy, scarred face in shadows, making him look like some kind of monster out of a nightmare. "Out of my way, humans, I have no quarrel with you."

And that, sugar, isn't going to change anytime soon if I have anything to say about it. Shepard simply stepped back as he strode through the crowd, sending people scrambling to get out of his way. She turned away and scanned the club. Udina and Anderson hadn't been very detailed when they described him so she wasn't entirely sure what he looked like. She actually walked right by the man, thinking to ask one of the bartenders about him when Ash inadvertently found him for her.

"Hey there, sweetheart. You looking for some fun? 'Cause I gotta say, that soldier getup looks real good on that bod of yours." A man sitting at one of the tables leaned across it and leered up at Ashley, who gave him a look that would have sent a wiser man running for the hills. "Why don't you set your sweet little ass down here beside old Harkin? Have a drink and we'll see where this goes."

Harkin.

Shepard turned back as Ash smiled at him sweetly. "I'd rather drink a cup of acid after chewing on a razor blade."

Harkin snorted, taking a drink. "You trying to hurt my feelings? You gotta do better than that. After twenty years with C-sec I've been called every name in the book, princess." His eyes shifted to Shepard, looking her up and down appraisingly. "Well, hello there, blondie. You should talk to the princess there..."

"Call me princess again, you'll be picking your teeth off the floor."

"Get her to loosen up and the three of us could have a real good time."

Kaidan was starting to look thunderous. Shepard tapped the edge of the table to get Harkin's attention before he said something to piss either one of them off enough they left him in a broken heap. "I was told you were the one to get information on a C-sec officer. A turian named Garrus."

"Garrus?" Harkin snorted again.

"You know him?"

"Damn hothead. Still figures he can save the world. Always bucking heads with the executor. He'll pay for it soon enough. The executor loves to put us lowly field agents in our place. Just look at what happened to me."

That was a clear invitation to ask about it but Shepard wasn't interested in hearing. "You know where he is?"

Harkin stared at her for a moment, then his eyes widened. "Wait a minute here...you're one of Anderson's crew. Poor bastard is trying to bring Saren down, eh?" He laughed suddenly, more bitterness than humor in the sound. "I know where Garrus is. But you gotta tell me something first. Did Anderson let you in on his big secret?"

Shepard's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. "Secret?"

Harkin took a long drink, obviously relishing knowing something they didn't. He ran a finger slowly along the rim of the glass. "The captain used to be a Spectre. Didn't know that, did you? It was all very hush hush. The first human ever given that honor."

She felt Kaidan jerk ever so slightly beside her. Shepard managed to cover her own surprise a bit better, but it was a hard thing.

Harkin stared at them, his piggy little eyes gleaming maliciously. "And then...he blew it. Screwed up his mission so bad they kicked him out. Of course, he blames Saren. Said the turian set him up."

"That's ridiculous." Kaidan's voice was low pitched but Shepard didn't have to glance at him to know he was pissed off. Harkin's sneering tone was as insulting as a backhand slap. If he was getting to Kaidan that bad, she didn't even dare glance at Ashley.

"Think what you want. Ask him yourself if you don't believe me. He can't lie to you, I bet." Harkin leaned back in his chair and his self satisfied smile had Shepard clenching a fist.

She forced herself to relax, meeting Harkin's gaze. "Garrus."

Harkin shrugged. "He went to speak to Dr. Michel. Over in the med clinic on the other side of the wards."

Shepard turned and walked away without another word, glancing at her companions. Kaidan had a hold of himself, no surprise there, but Ashley looked like she was giving some serious consideration as to how much damage she could inflict before the bouncers got to her. "Don't bother, Williams, you try and kick him in the balls you'd have to waste hours trying to find 'em first." She pitched her voice just enough so it would carry. Petty? Yes. But satisfying? Oh, yes.

Ash snickered. "Besides he can't really afford to lose the brain cells." She frowned suddenly as they escaped the club. "You think the captain really was a Spectre once? Why wouldn't he mention that?"

Shepard just shook her head, not wanting to buy anything Harkin had said. "Doesn't matter."

"Harkin's an ass. He was probably just trying to mess with our heads," Kaidan said firmly.

She told herself he was right. Although a small voice in her head pointed out the fact there was clearly a history between him and Saren.

The sound of a frightened woman's voice was the only warning they got as they entered the Med Clinic. Kaidan saw Shepard, a few feet ahead of him, glance to the left and suddenly bring her foot down hard, the sound cracking through the room. He didn't bother questioning why she'd given up the element of surprise, coolly focusing on the group of thugs spinning around to face them. One of them dragged a young woman in a medic's outfit in front of him, snarling at them. "Who the hell are you?"

"Let her go!" Shepard moved to the right making the thug turn slightly to follow her.

Kaidan saw movement out of the corner of his eye and felt a click of understanding in his brain as Garrus Vakarian spun around the open barrier dividing them from the thugs and took the one holding the woman down with one clean shot. The woman stumbled away as the remaining thugs looked around wildly, suddenly confused as to where the danger was coming from. Kaidan was already moving the second Garrus swung the medic out of the line of fire, pushing her behind a line of crates and dropping behind them himself.

It wasn't much of a fight. The thugs were well armed but they were obviously more used to threatening innocent civilians and other thugs, not really good preparation for going up against three marines and an officer. They literally had no where to turn except to back toward a pair of pillars in an attempt to find cover and only one of them made it. He still didn't last long.

"Udina's going to end up getting a message an hour at this rate," Ash commented. She moved around to make sure they were dead.

The turian was helping the doctor to her feet. "Dr. Michel, are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, thanks to you. All of you." The doctor looked shaken but she stood upright, keeping herself steady. She was a pretty woman with sharp, tired green eyes. She probably dealt with violence on a daily basis, it didn't take her more than a minute to regain her composure.

"Ah, there you are." Shepard strolled up to them.

Garrus looked over at her. "Perfect timing, Shepard. Gave me a clear shot at that bastard."

"And a nice shot it was."

"Sometimes you just get lucky."

Kaidan had to agree with Shepard, the shot had caught son of a bitch right between the eyes. He shook his head and stepped up beside Ashley as she joined them.

"They work for Fist." Dr. Michel was saying.

"Isn't that the guy that krogan was looking for back in the strip place?" Ash murmured.

"They wanted to shut me up, keep me from telling Garrus about the quarian."

It took Kaidan a moment to register that. Quarian. He'd never even seen a quarian. The nomadic race responsible for the creation of the geth were rarely seen outside of their fleet.

"She came to my office a few days ago. She'd been shot but she wouldn't tell me who did it. She was scared, probably on the run. She asked me about the Shadow Broker."

Kaidan stiffened a bit. Captain Anderson had mentioned the infamous information broker when he'd suggested they pick someone other than Harkin in their search for Garrus.

"I think she wanted to exchange information for a place to hide." Dr. Michel glanced over at Garrus and shrugged.

Shepard tapped her foot lightly, her eyes narrowed in thought. "What did she do?"

"I put her in contact with Fist. He's an agent for the Shadow Broker."

Garrus shook his head. "Not anymore. Now he works for Saren, and the Shadow Broker isn't too happy about it."

Dr. Michel's eyes widened. "Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker? That's stupid even for him. Saren must have made him quite an offer."

Kaidan rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed, wondering how the hell this had gotten so complicated so fast.

Shepard nodded even though he hadn't said anything. "Yeah, way too many criminal elements getting involved than I like."

"The quarian must have something Saren really wants," Garrus said.

Kaidan was making some quick deductions. "She must have something that proves Saren is a traitor."

Shepard looked at Dr. Michel. "Did she mention anything about Saren? Or geth?"

"She did! She said the information she wanted to trade had to do with the geth."

"She must be able to link Saren to the geth. There's no way the Council can ignore that!" Garrus said, sounding excited.

Kaidan didn't share it, feeling more alarmed by the minute. "But, wait...wait a minute. If Dr. Michel sent her to Fist and Fist is working for Saren now..."

Shepard looked at him, her expression calm. "I do believe we'd better pay Mr. Fist a visit and thanks to our big krogan friend, we actually know right where to go." She looked over at Dr. Michel. "Do you have somewhere to go where it's safe?"

The medic waved her hand. "Garrus already called for someone to come here. I'm not letting Fist drive me away from the clinic, what if someone comes in needing help and no one is here?"

She reminded him so much of Dr. Chakwas as she said it Kaidan had to smile in admiration. Shepard smiled as well, nodding at her.

Ashley was already moving for the door but stopped short as Garrus stepped forward. "This is your show, Shepard, but I want to bring Saren down as much as you do. I'm coming with you!"

Kaidan found it a little disrespectful that he declared it like that rather than asking but admitted Garrus would definitely be helpful. Shepard looked startled at first and cocked her head, studying the turian for a moment, those gray eyes seeming to look right through him. Ashley, on the other hand, was scowling and looked even more displeased when Shepard seemed to come to some decision and grinned at Garrus. "Try and keep up."

"What krogan?"

Shepard looked over as they walked to the rapid transit terminal. "Hm?"

"You said something about a krogan letting you know where Fist was," Garrus said, falling into step beside her.

"The bouncer at Chora's Den was arguing about Fist with a big, scarred krogan. He sounded like he had something to settle with Fist. I think that puts Fist in trouble because I would not want that one looking to settle something with me."

"Was his name Wrex?"

Ashley was startled into speaking: "That's what the bouncer called him."

The turian nodded. "He's a bounty hunter. The Shadow Broker hired him to take Fist out."

"Ah. I think I'd like to get to Fist and ask him some questions before he does then. I don't think there will be enough left of him to question otherwise," Shepard said, settling into the cab.

"I think he's still at the C-sec Academy, they brought him in after Fist complained," Garrus had settled in the seat behind Shepard and leaned forward to talk to her clearly. "I don't know how long they can keep him, though, since he hasn't done anything. Yet."

Ash watched him out of the corner of her eye, biting back a scowl. She liked having him along less and less with every step. This was Alliance business. What did they know about this turian anyway? For all they knew he could be working for Saren. The assassins had been turian, after all.

Ashley had never worked close to a turian before. She'd never wanted to. She was aware that the human and turian governments were trying to mend fences over the First Contact War, and that the Normandy had turian design as well as human. She tried not to think about it. The fact the Alliance officials made noises about making peace with the turians and then turned around and quietly condemned her family name never failed to piss her off.

Oh, well. It was just one turian. She could keep an eye on him. And watch Shepard's back.

Shepard, however, seemed bound and determined to put dangerous aliens right in the position to carve her spine out.

That was the only reason she could think of why that damn scary krogan was following them as they raced to save a quarian.

Ashley had reluctantly started to admit having the turian with them proved useful. The second they'd hit Chora's Den they'd been in the middle of a firefight. Kaidan and Shepard were both good with a gun but not great, which was okay since they were balanced out by all the biotic and tech crap that they could do, but having another gunslinger on the team made for short work of their enemies.

By the time it ended, Shepard was standing behind the bar, looking around at the litter of bodies. There was a beep and she lifted her omni tool. The way she winced gave Ash a pretty good idea of who was trying to reach her. Shepard met her gaze and casually deleted the message without answering it, then placed a hand on the bar and vaulted over.

Apparently, that attack had used up all of Fist's guards in the club because when Shepard hacked the back door and got through into the warehouse in the back, they'd been met with two clearly terrified men dressed in simple tunics. There was no way they were gunmen, it only took Shepard a moment to convince them that now would be a good time to get a new career and less than that for them to take off without a glance back.

The turian watched them go. "Wouldn't have thought of that..."

Of course not. "Shooting doesn't solve everything."

He shot her a look but she had no way of telling what expression it was with that weird face. She assumed it wasn't friendly.

Shepard glanced over. "I like saving lives instead of taking them when I can, despite all evidence to the contrary." Something about her voice had the turian turning his head from Ash to the commander even as she turned away. Ash had heard that undertone in Shepard's voice a couple times before; an edge of laughter, like she was mocking herself instead of someone else. The turian watched her for such a long moment Ashley almost called him on it but Shepard was already leading the way toward the office in the back.

Fist was ready for them with attack turrets that had Ash's shields down to minimum by the time they managed to take them down. Not surprisingly, Fist himself wasn't that tough. She would have made a comment about overcompensating but frankly she wasn't in the mood and neither was Shepard. "Kaidan, watch the door." She hauled Fist to his feet roughly and shoved him against his desk. She nodded to the two of them and they kept their guns trained on Fist. He was talking fast, begging for his life, offering money, information, anything, all which Shepard ignored, moving around the other side of his desk and poking through it. She finally looked up and spoke casually: "Where's the quarian?"

Fist turned his head to look at her, his mouth frozen open in mid plea. He hesitated, visibly, and the turian shifted beside Ashley. Whatever Fist saw in that move got him talking again. "She's not here. I don't know where she is."

"Liar..." Shepard's voice took on pleasant, almost cheerful tone that creeped Ashley the hell out.

Fist glanced back at Shepard again, his eyes wide. She smiled at him and Ashley actually saw him gulp. "She isn't here, I swear! She said she'd only deal with the Shadow Broker himself."

The turian made a disgusted sound in his throat. "No one deals with the Shadow Broker, he only works through his agents."

"Ah, but I bet she didn't know that. Did she, Fist?" Shepard's voice was still low and pleasant and she continued whatever she was doing- probably hacking his files- as if they were just having a nice business conversation.

"Commander, there's gunfire out there," Kaidan said abruptly.

Shepard looked up. "Check out as much as you can without actually going into the club."

Kaidan disappeared down the corridor and Shepard turned expectantly back to Fist.

Fist closed his eyes. "No, she didn't. I told her I'd set a meeting up and she fell for it. No one meets with the Shadow Broker. Ever. Even I don't know his real identity." He looked angry all of a sudden. "If she's stupid enough to come in trying to play that kind of game without knowing something like that she deserves..."

"You don't want to finish that sentence, sugar, you really don't."

"You're not fooling anyone. You set her up with Saren's men!" Garrus snarled, taking a step toward him. Fist scrambled back but he had no where to go, even if he got around the desk, Shepard was right there.

"So why don't you just tell us where you sent her and we'll all be on our way?"

"If I tell you, you have to..."

Shepard lashed out and dragged him across the desk. "The location, Fist."

Even he wasn't stupid enough to push his luck, starting to babble again. "Here in the wards. The back alley by the markets. She's...she's supposed to meet them right now. You can make it if you hurry!" Ashley was pretty sure he was fibbing about the last couple things but Shepard obviously wasn't willing to take the chance. She released him abruptly and he staggered back. Even before he could regain his balance he was blown forward, the back of his head disintegrating in a red haze. He slammed against the desk and collapsed in front of it, twitching.

Ashley was already spinning. The big krogan they'd seen in the club earlier stepped out of the doorway, his gun lowered. Ash still almost pulled the trigger on impulse when she registered the field that wasn't a kinetic barrier rippling the air around him. She recognized it, because she'd seen the same shimmer of energy around Kaidan and Shepard. He's a fucking biotic...

Kaidan. "Where's Kaidan?" She demanded, glowering at the krogan, who looked entirely unimpressed at the guns aimed at him.

"He's right behind him, Ash, stand down. Both of you," Shepard ordered, coming around the desk.

Kaidan edged around the krogan and stared at Fist for a moment before looking up at his commander. "He was killing off the rest of Fist's men. He helped me."

"I told you, I have no quarrel with you." The krogan moved forward and checked to make sure Fist was dead.

"Thanks for letting him tell us what we needed to know before you killed him." Shepard said after a moment. "Wrex, right?"

The krogan turned toward her. "And you're Shepard. You're going after Saren."

Everyone stared at him in shock and Shepard blinked. "So much for discretion. Does everyone know that?"

"Only the ones that are smart enough to see that bastard for what he is. I was thinking I'd come along." He stated it, though he paused as if waiting for an answer, which was more than the turian had done.

Damn it, commander, this one is even less trustworthy than the turian! Ashley thought.

Shepard obviously didn't think so. Whatever she saw as the looked at him she was obviously satisfied with because she nodded a bit. "Why the hell not? We have a quarian to save in a hurry."

So here they all were.

And there she was.

At least, she assumed that was the quarian. She'd never seen one before but she was a lithe figure on odd, bent backward legs, like turian legs, swathed from head to toe in a skintight bodysuit complete with a hood and a mask.

Shepard motioned for Ash to take the opposite side of the alley and moved quietly as a turian approached, flanked by a pair of guards in armor. Ash wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying but the quarian took a step back as the turian ran a hand down her arm in a manner that would have made Ashley take a swing at him. She happened to glance over at the commander in that moment and felt a jolt go through her. Shepard's face had gone completely blank but her eyes glittered coldly as she stared at the turian, her fingers curling around the butt of her pistol.

The quarian jerked back suddenly and threw something. A small explosion shook the alley and she dodged away, running toward them. She almost skidded to a halt when she saw them blocking the alley but then Shepard opened fire on the bodyguard coming up after her and she lunged forward, ducking behind a crate just to Ashley's right as she moved down the alley.

Ash felt a ripple through the air as the remaining bodyguard swung on them. He dropped his weapon as his body twisted painfully in mid air. Ash glanced back to see Wrex glowing, his red eyes fixed on the twitching figure. When she shot the bodyguard, it almost seemed like she was putting him out of his misery.

The turian fared better at first but caught between the closing vice of Garrus on one side and Shepard on the other, even taking refuge behind a wall didn't save him. Eventually he put himself in range enough for Shepard to overload his shield and Garrus shot him down.

"Fist set me up! I knew I couldn't trust him!"

No expressions showed through visor of the quarian's helmet but she certainly sounded angry. Kaidan was looking her over for injuries. She brushed him off, with a nod of thanks and stood up turning her head toward Shepard as she approached. "I can take care of myself. Not that I don't appreciate the help. Who are you?"

"My name is Shepard, and you are?"

"Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. Tali."

"Well, Tali, actually we went to Fist, who pointed us to you with some persuasion, because we're looking for evidence against Saren Arterius. To prove he's a traitor."

The quarian jerked a bit at the name. "In that case I have a chance to repay you for saving my life. But not here." She looked around. "Somewhere safe."

Shepard's lips curved into a wicked smile. "I know just the place."

Udina kept his back to them as they came in, punching the buttons of the console in front of him a bit harder than he needed to. "You're not making my life any easier, Shepard." His voice was low. "Firefights in the Wards? An all out assault on Chora's Den? Do you know how many..."

He turned around.

Ashley had to admit that despite the discomfort of being surrounded by so many aliens, the look on Udina's face when he took in the scene before him-with Tail standing next to Shepard, Garrus leaning casually against the wall and Wrex, his eyes gleaming, leaning in to look at the ambassador through the doorway- was absolutely priceless.