Author notes: There's something I wanted to cover really fast. I've become (somewhat) known for putting out updates very quickly, roughly one a day. Considering that put's me at about 5-5.5k words every single day, and that I have very high standards for mechanical polish, you can imagine that I spend a great deal of time writing. The truth is, most professional writers can't maintain the pace I've been, not for very long anyway. They aim for about 2-3k words a day, or they burn out. That's what's starting to happen to me. It hasn't happened yet, but I can feel it coming. I've already realized that the speed I work at can greatly affect the quality of my writing, and that I need to slow down to keep it as high as possible. With that in mind, I want to let everyone know that my current speed is going to change. I'm not going to keep a fixed release schedule for new chapters, so some might take me a couple days, like they do now, others might take me three or four, and there's at least one that I know will take me a week+ to get right. I'm still motivated to write, but I need to pace myself. Keep in mind that I still appreciate feedback, and I read every review. I also try to respond to questions or concerns via PM as soon as I can. Let me know what you think, because the more I know, the better I can respond to my mistakes, so I don't repeat them.

Chapter 11: Before the Storm

"I see you've recovered quickly, Liara."

She whirled in place, and her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh. Commander Shepard. I didn't hear you come in."

"If you're feeling up to it, we have some questions for you."

"I… I suppose so. Doctor Chakwas' knowledge of Asari physiology is surprising. I hadn't expected her to be so well versed in treating other species."

"Chakwas is one of the best doctors in the Alliance, Liara. And doctors tend to make less distinction between Humans and non-Humans than most people. Karin in particular is like that: she's spent a lot of time learning about other species so she can help them."

Liara looked down briefly and rubbed her hands together nervously as she replied. "That seems rather atypical of Humans, Commander. Your species has always been focused on their own well-being before that of others."

"True enough I suppose, but be honest, which would you choose, all other things being equal: Human, or Asari?"

"Well… I suppose it would depend on the situation."

"Would it?" he asked. "Name a situation in which you would choose Human over Asari."

She thought for a moment. "I guess I would choose Humans to fight a battle against the Geth."

"And why is that?"

"Humans have much more advanced technology. They would be more likely to win."

"Exactly." he said. When Liara looked at him, confused, he elaborated. "You'd have Humans fight the Geth because we're better at it. The situations aren't equal. If I had to choose between an Asari biotic and a Human one, I'd pick the Asari every time, because they're better at it. Do you see what I mean?"

"So… if you had to choose between saving a wounded Human a wounded Asari, you would pick the Human?"

He sighed. "I don't know. I'd like to think that I value all life equally, and that I'd weigh the situation and determine which solution was the most logical. But I can't be sure of that. Karin's different. She would help the first person she came across, and if there were two, she would do everything she could to save both of them. She wouldn't focus on the Human first because they're Human."

"But you would?"

"Honestly… yes." he said. "But that doesn't mean I value Human life above Asari. I just know more about Humans than any other species, so I would know how best to help another Human. Knowing that, which would you pick?"

"I… I suppose I would pick the Asari for the same reason."

"Believe it or not, Liara, most Humans don't hate other species. Sure there are some, but there are people like that in every race, not just mine. And part of the reason for that is that we didn't exactly get the warmest of welcomes into the galactic community. Rather than First Contact being diplomatic and peaceful, it was militaristic and violent, and that put Humans in the mindset that the only way to get ahead in the 'verse is through force."

"But it isn't!" she exclaimed, her head snapping up and her eyes locking with his. "The Asari have gotten where they are because of diplomacy. Why can't Humans do the same?"

"We don't have the advantage of having discovered FTL technology millennia ago." he replied. "We also don't have thousand year life spans. If Humans are a part of the galactic community for long enough, I'm sure diplomacy will come to play a much larger role in the way we operate. Until then, the First Contact War is still fresh in everyone's mind, and we haven't had the time to forget it far enough to take that path."

"I… see. So you think that in a thousand years, Humans will get along with other species?"

"We'd better." He laughed slightly. "Either we'll learn to play nice, or we'll destroy each other, and Humans have always been resilient SOBs. I suppose you'll be around to see that, won't you?" His laughter faded. "Unless none of us make it that long." he added grimly.

Liara got a concerned look on her face. "What do you mean?"

He sighed. "Follow me to the briefing room. I'll explain everything there."

Shepard messaged his team to join them in the briefing room, and he made his way there, Liara in tow. When Pluribus exited the elevator next to them, she started slightly and edged away.

"It's alright Liara. This is Pluribus. He's Geth, but he's not the same as the ones you met on Therum, or the ones who attacked Eden Prime. I'll explain more soon." She nodded, just slightly.

The trio entered the small briefing room to find the rest of the team already present. It was starting to get crowded in here.

"Liara, I know you've met some of them before, but I'd like to introduce you to the rest of the team. Sergeant Ashley Williams and Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko of the Alliance…"

Kaidan nodded and Ashley gave a small wave.

"… Garrus Vakarian, formerly of C-Sec, and second best shot on the ship…"

Garrus nodded to her, but then turned to face Shepard, an offended look on his face.

"… Nihlus Kryik, Council Spectre, Urdnot Wrex, bounty hunter, both experts in combat in their own ways…"

Nihlus nodded curtly, and Wrex grunted.

"… Pluribus of the Geth Consensus, and Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, also a Spectre, and an old friend of mine."

"This is quite a team you have, Shepard." said Liara. "To be perfectly honest, I' surprised there are so many non-Humans on it."

"Liara, it's like I said: I don't hate non-Humans, and each and every person here has proven to me that I can trust them. When you've stood beside someone in combat and kept each other alive, that's trust. Pluribus is a minor exception, but he's done more for the Alliance than just about anyone, and he'll have a chance to earn that trust. I'll explain later, but I'd like you to trust me on this for now. Can you?"

"Yes. For now."

"Thank you. I don't know how much you follow current events, but a little over a week ago, there was an attack on a Human colony, Eden Prime."

"I heard about that on the extra-net. The Geth attacked the colony." said Liara

He frowned. "Yes, they did, but it wasn't all of them. Pluribus managed to get me a message that the Geth have factionalized. The faction he represents is called the true Geth, and he's become our… well I wouldn't say ally, not yet, so let's call him a liaison. The faction of Geth that attacked Eden Prime are called the heretic Geth. A Turian named Saren Arterius was with them; he was commanding them in fact."

"Saren? He's a Council Spectre." said Liara.

"Was." Nihlus corrected. "He was stripped of his status a few days ago. We were sent after him."

"What does that have to do with me?" she asked.

Rather than answer, Shepard played the recording of Saren and Benezia on his omnitool. When Liara heard her mother's voice, she was dumbstruck.

"That… that was my mother. Oh mother, what have you done?" she whispered, hanging her head and shaking it.

"We think the Conduit Saran mentioned is a piece of Prothean technology." he continued. "And since your mother is working with Saren, and you're an expert on the Protheans…"

"That would explain why the Geth came to Therum. They wanted me." She paused for a moment, and then continued. "I want to thank you for rescuing me, Shepard. I don't know what the Geth would've done if they'd gotten to me first."

"No problem, Liara. Here's the thing: we need to know what the Geth wanted you for, specifically. There are plenty of Prothean specialists out there, and your connection to Benezia isn't enough to explain why they came for you, instead of an easier or less obvious target."

"Well, I study the fall of the Prothean Empire. I've spent the last fifty years of my life trying to figure out what happened to them."

"The Protheans were destroyed by the old machines." said Pluribus.

"The who?" she asked.

Shepard answered her. " 'Old machines' is the Geth name for Reapers. They're a large group, possibly a race, of sapient, gigantic, mechanical spaceships. According to Pluribus, they appear every fifty thousand years and wipe out all advanced life in the galaxy."

"My research has led me to a similar conclusion, but the trouble is finding proof." she said. "The Protheans left almost no traces of themselves behind, and those before them left even less. I'm still struggling to get my theories accepted by the scientific community, but I'm only one hundred and six, and my youth makes it difficult for my research to get the attention it deserves."

Shepard laughed. "Only a hundred and six? You look great for someone your age."

That earned him a surreptitious kick to the shin from Tali. He really needed to stand further away from her.

"I… th-thank you, John." she stuttered, her crests flushing slightly.

"You have to understand that for Humans, heck, for most species in the galaxy, being a hundred makes you an old man, if not dead. The only person in here that's older than you is Wrex. Although now that I think about it, I'm not actually sure how old Pluribus is."

"We're getting off topic, Shepard." said Nihlus. "Can we focus on the task at hand?"

"Right, sorry. The point is, Saren is searching for something called the Conduit, and Benezia is helping him. He believes it can bring back the Reapers, which would be bad, to say the least. Can you tell us anything about it?"

"I have heard of it, but only in passing." she said. "I only know that it's somehow connected to the destruction of the Protheans. But I must ask, how do you know about these Reapers?"

Shepard sighed. "I've… I've seen them. On Eden Prime, there was a device: a Prothean beacon. I got too close to it, and it showed me something. It was some sort of vision. I saw Protheans; they were running, afraid, dying. I saw the Reapers destroying them. I still don't fully understand what it means, though."

"Visions?" she asked. "That would make sense. The Protheans communicated by sharing thoughts and experiences with each other through touch. The beacons do so as well, but finding one that still works is very rare."

"Then why can't I understand it?"

"The beacons were designed for Prothean physiology. Anything you receive would be unclear, confused. Honestly, I'm rather surprised you survived the process; a lesser mind would've crumbled at the experience."

"This doesn't help us." said Kaidan. "We need information on Saren and the Conduit."

"My apologies." said Liara. "My scientific curiosity got the better of me. I don't have any information on either subject, I'm afraid."

"Even so, I'd like you to stay on the Normandy." said Shepard. "Your knowledge of the Protheans could come in handy, and considering you helped keep us from getting cooked by a volcano, your biotics could be useful in a fight."

"Thank you, Shepard. I feel safer here than I would elsewhere. Saren and Benezia would likely make another attempt to abduct me if I went anywhere else."

"Speaking of Benezia, can you tell us anything that might be useful?" asked Nihlus. "She's helping Saren, and despite her being your mother, we need all the intel we can get on her."

"Unfortunately, I can tell you very little." she replied, sounding guilty. "I haven't seen my mother in more than fifty years. You've spoken with her more than I in that time, Commander."

Suddenly, Joker's voice cut in over the coms. "Commander, you've got a message from the Council. They've got word on how the attack on the Geth went."

"Patch them through, Joker."

"Attack on the Geth?" asked Liara, sounding shocked. "When did this happen?"

"Listen and you might find out." said Tali

A set of five holograms appeared in the front of the briefing room.

"Councilors." said Shepard.

"Commander, did you manage to retrieve Dr. T'Soni?" asked Valern without preamble.

"Yes. She's here with me now, actually. Unfortunately, there isn't much she can tell us about Saren, Benezia, or the Conduit."

"That's unfortunate, but it may not matter." said Raan. "We've just received word from Admiral Hackett: the attack on the heretic station was a success. The entire defense force was destroyed, and the station was captured. About two hundred million of the Geth programs on it surrendered, but that accounts for less than five percent of the total. The rest either managed to transmit themselves to another station, or self-terminated."

"Two hundred million?" he asked, sounding incredulous. "That's… quite a few."

"Yes, it is." said Hannah. "We're having difficulty containing them at the moment. We were originally going to keep each program on a separate memory device, but that's obviously not practical. At this point, we're putting them in groups of about a thousand or so, and even then we're less than a third done."

"I assume the true Geth are proving helpful?" he asked.

"Yes, very much so, in fact." said Raan. "I have to admit, I'm surprised. I may have to… reevaluate my opinion of the Geth."

Tevos spoke next. "The point is, Commander, that the Geth… prisoners… are being interrogated by the true Geth as we speak. Hopefully, they'll discover something that gives us a hint as to Saren's next move. Until then, we have little for you to do."

"Why don't you take some shore leave, John?" said Hannah. "You could use some R&R."

Exiting the Normandy's airlock, Shepard, Garrus, and Tali were immediately greeted by a man in the uniform of an Alliance Rear-Admiral. Greeted wasn't actually the right word: 'ambushed' might have been a better way to describe it. Seeing him, Shepard came to attention and snapped a salute. He might be a Spectre, but he was still a member of the Alliance Navy.

"Sir. Commander Shepard, ASV Normandy."

"Rear-Admiral Mikhailovich." he said, returning the salute. Seeing a mildly confused look on Shepard's face, he continued. "You don't know who I am, do you Commander?"

"No sir, I can't say I do."

"I command the Sixty Third Scout Flotilla; the unit you and this over-designed bucket of bolts were slated to join before the Council got their mitts on you." he said.

Put off by his tone and the open insult he had given his ship, Shepard's gaze and voice turned hard. "With respect, Rear-Admiral, the Normandy is a fine ship."

"The Normandy is hole in the ground the Alliance insisted on pissing credits into." he countered, his tone taking an aggressive bent. "We could've had a dozen Knives or three Discos instead of this thing, but noooo, we had to play nice with the Quarians and build a frigate with no use in a stand-up fight."

Tali let out a growl at the Admiral's words. They might not spend their entire lives on ships any longer, but insulting a Quarian's ship was far more offensive than even the worst insult to their person.

"Go to hell, you bosh'tet asshole." she snarled.

Mikhailovich's frown deepened at Tali's words. "Commander, contain your… attack dog… before she cost's you your command. My report to the Alliance on you is already going to be negative, and if you can't maintain discipline among your people during my inspection, they won't be your people for much longer." he threatened.

Keeping his tone under control, Shepard used his eyes to bore into the Admiral's as he replied. "Admiral, you aren't going to set a foot on the Normandy, so why don't you just walk away and forget it even exists."

A strange expression came over Mikhailovich's face, and he shook his head, but he did just that, walking away and mumbling as if he had made a wrong turn and gotten lost.

"Well that was odd." said Garrus, looking even more confused than Shepard. "I thought you were going to rip his head off for a second there, Tali."

"I considered it for a while." she admitted. "After all, being a Spectre has some benefits." She changed the subject. "How did you do that, John?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe I do have a silver tongue."

"Maybe. You certainly seem to enjoy using it on every woman you meet." she said, casting him a heated glance. Before he could respond, Garrus chirped in.

"Literally or figuratively?" he asked, his face completely straight.

Fighting back a blush, Shepard fired a return salvo. "Only Tali knows me that literally."

That earned him and Garrus slaps to the head. "Males." she said, as if that answered everything. Shepard couldn't let it go that easily.

"What's the matter Tali? Jealous?" he asked with a grin.

"Yes." she answered honestly.

That caught him flat-footed. "I… uh… really?"

"Forget I said anything." she said dismissively. "After all, why would you care?"

"Is this about back on Therum?" he asked, sounding remorseful. "Look, I didn't mean anything by it. It just popped out."

"That's not all that popped out." said Garrus under his breath.

Tali hit Garrus' head again before addressing him. "Stay out of this, Vakarian." She turned back to Shepard. "This isn't just about Therum. On the ship with Pluribus, you… you scared me, John. You didn't used to be like this. What happened to you?" she asked, somehow managing to sound hurt and concerned at the same time.

"I… I don't know." he said, his voice filled with guilt. "It started after Eden Prime. Seeing Jenkins go down like that brought back… memories…"

"Akuze?" she asked. She knew that story, as much as anyone did anyway. Not waiting for a response, she continued. "Losing people is never easy, John. I lost people under my command while I was in the Geists. If you ever need to talk, my door is always open."

He smiled at her slightly, his eyes warm. Here he was, supposedly the Spectre in charge of a mission to bring down a wanted war criminal and terrorist, and she was comforting him. "Thanks, Tali. That means a lot." Even in the moment, he just couldn't stop himself. "I'll be sure to bring my silver tongue." he grinned.

That earned him another slap to the back of the head, but it was playful, and she had no heat in her voice when she spoke.

"Bosh'tet"

When they finally made it off the elevator from the docks, they turned to left and headed for the rapid transit system.

"So, where do you wanna go?" asked Shepard, pulling up the console to summon a cab.

"I could use a drink; preferably the one you owe me." said Garrus, causing Shepard to roll his eyes.

"Me too, actually." said Tali. "I know a great spot in the wards called Flux. They have Quasar machines, and an awesome karaoke scene. Well, maybe not so much at this hour, but we could still dance."

"Well, I'm all for drinks, but I don't know about dancing…" said Shepard.

"John, I've seen you dance, and you dance beautifully. After all, you had the best instructors." she said.

"Instructors? Why would you need a teacher to learn how to dance?" asked Garrus, confused and mildly interested.

Shepard responded just a little too quickly, and through gritted teeth. "You don't, and I can't dance. Not in a club anyway."

"Oh, come on John." said Tali, almost pleading. "Dancing is dancing; in a club or in a ballroom, it doesn't matter."

"You studied ballroom dancing!?" asked Garrus incredulously. When Shepard blushed slightly and didn't answer, Garrus cracked up, almost doubling over in laughter. "Oh spirits… this I have to see." he wheezed between bouts of mirth.

Shepard turned to him, and tried to muster some indignation through his embarrassment. His mother had insisted on a formal education for her son, despite it being archaic in the extreme. And that had meant formal dance instructors, and even a voice coach. At least the Turian bastard didn't-

"He can sing too, you know." said Tali, positively relishing in making him squirm. "He has a beautiful tenor voice; perfect for the Duke of Mantua. Your performance in Rigoletto was quite nice, actually."

If Garrus had laughed before, he roared now, throwing back his head and letting out deep belly laughs, right in the middle of the crowded transit hub, all the while clutching his sides.

"You know I have the legal authority to shoot you, right Vakarian?" He barely manage to choke the words out, and he felt like his cheeks were about to catch fire.

"Hahaha… sure, but… haha… I would… ha… I would die happy." he said, his words barely intelligible through his continuing chuckles. If Turians had tear ducts, he would've been crying a river.

"Let's just get those damn drinks."

Garrus continued to pester him during the cab ride to the wards, laughing all the while. Fortunately, Tali had the decency not to tell any more sordid stories from his past. He tried damn hard to make sure nobody knew the more… juicy ones. Unfortunately, Tali and he had been all but siblings since she was born, despite the five year gap, and there was very little about his past she didn't know. She had secrets too, but he would hold onto those particular tidbits for another day.

Flux was a fairly upscale nightclub compared to others in the wards. It certainly made Chora's Den look like the shithole it really was. Where Chora's had Asari "dancers," Flux had several large dance floors, filled with members of a half dozen species moving to techno music. There was even a lone Hanar dancing with an Asari on one of them, though it looked damn peculiar, seeing the otherwise elegant creature try to… boogie. Where the Den had armed thugs in every corner to make sure nothing too violent happened due to the type of business that went on there, Flux had a handful of bouncers, mostly Krogan and Turian, with rather bored looks on their faces from nothing to do. And where Chora's usually had a lone Batarian bartender who looked more comfortable shooting people than mixing martinis, Flux had several waitresses to serve their customers. When they took a seat at one of the small tables, a young Human waitress came over almost immediately from talking with the club's manager, a Volus. She was wearing a revealing outfit, one that pushed, in a tasteful way, the bounds of propriety.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked.

"I'll have a tenth of Turian Brandy." replied Garrus.

"Make that two, mine on the rocks, please." said Tali.

"Vodka martini, shaken, not stirred." answered Shepard.

"I'll be right back with your drinks." she said with a smile. "My name is Rita, don't hesitate to call if you need anything else."

They sat there sipping their drinks for a few minutes, and they were on their second round, before Tali broke the rather awkward silence.

"It's nice to be able to enjoy a refreshing drink without having to triple-filter and sanitize it."

"Actually, I've always wondered: how did things taste in the suit?" asked Garrus.

"Well… have you ever tried to drink water that's just been boiled?"

"A few times, yeah." he replied. "In basic training, during the survival portion, we had to learn to live off the land. I guess that's something all militaries have in common."

"It tastes flat, even more flavorless than usual." said Shepard. He'd been in those survival courses too.

"Everything was like that. Turian food was a bit better, considering it was actual food, at least initially, but Quarian food took a while to get off the ground."

"I can imagine." said Garrus. "Getting seeds for dextro plants would've taken some doing, especially with in the quantity needed to sustain thirty million people."

"Livestock was harder." she said. "Transporting seeds is fairly simple, even if acquiring them isn't. Have you ever tried getting dozens of animals to cooperate on a week long voyage through interstellar space while they're trapped in a crowded ship? Calling it a pain would be like calling John… forceful."

Garrus laughed, but Shepard wasn't as amused. They'd had enough fun at his expense for one day, thank you very much. "Subtlety was never my strong suit, Tali. That was your area of expertise." He grinned. Maybe bringing out one tidbit would be alright for now. "You know, like that whole pyjak situation."

That got her attention. "Oh, no you don't, John. We promised never to bring that up, remember?" she said, a little bit nervous.

"Funny, that's not how I recall it." he said, tapping his chin in mock deliberation. "As I remember, you, ah… requested that I not tell your friends. Of course, you can't keep it from them forever."

"OK, I'll bite." said Garrus, his voice already slightly amused, and more than a bit curious. "What's the story this time? If it's anything like the last one, it should make perfect blackmail material for la – OW! What'd you do that for?" he exclaimed, reaching down to rub his shin where she had kicked him.

"You deserved it." she said. If she was a few years younger, and Human, she'd have stuck her tongue out at him.

Shepard had seen the kick she sent his way coming, and had managed to avoid it. "When Tali was twelve, she decided that she wanted a pet, but her parents wouldn't let her get one. They were afraid she'd get sick, and considering that she'd only received the treatment for her immune system a few months before, it was a reasonable concern. Although I think a teenage version of her would disagree." he said, a mischievous grin on his face. "Long story short, she managed to get ahold of a live baby pyjak somewhere, but don't ask me how, 'cause she never told me. She managed to sneak it past decon on Kish, where she grew up, and took it home."

Tali started blushing furiously, but he dodged her surreptitious attempts to break his shins under the table.

"How in spirits name did she manage that?" asked Garrus, his body already beginning to shake in amusement.

Shepard continued, his face in a wide, toothy grin. "At the time, most Quarians could go without suits, but a lot still wore them out of habit or fear the cure wouldn't take. She managed to… smuggle it past security in hers by using enough tranquilizers to put down a varren, and wearing a suit five sizes too big. I think the guys at the checkpoints were either sleeping, drunk, or trying too hard not to laugh to bother stopping her. When she got home, she tried to hide it in her room on a leash, but the damn thing chewed right through it and went on a rampage. Her parents were not amused."

Garrus laughed almost as hard as he had before, and Tali finally managed to land a couple of kicks under the table. After a few seconds, Shepard joined Garrus, and eventually, so did Tali. When they had calmed down enough to think straight, Shepard looked down and noticed his drink was gone. He tried to flag down Rita, but she was too busy arguing with her boss to notice. Eventually, he gave up and walked over to where they were standing.

"-ease Doran, you have to do something. She's my sister, and she's your friend. She could get hurt, or worse." she said.

"What do you – tic – want me to do? – tic – Jenna is an adult, and – tic – she can make her own decisions. – tic – There are customers waiting, Rita. – tic – Please, get back to work." replied the Volus, gesturing towards the Commander.

"Is there a problem?" asked Shepard.

"I'm sorry sir, it's nothing." she said with a small bow. "I'll get you more drinks right away, on the house."

"Just tell me."

Rita looked uncomfortable, but she answered anyway. "I… well… my sister Jenna used to work here, but she moved to Chora's Den a few weeks ago. At first I didn't understand it, but then she told me a guy from C-Sec had recruited her to gather information for them. Jenna's a waitress, not a spy, and I'm worried something might happen to her."

"Well, I'm tempted to repeat what your boss just said, but I can understand you being worried for her. Just out of curiosity, did she do this on her own, or does C-Sec have something they're holding over her?"

Rita looked even more uncomfortable as she tried to answer. She probably hadn't been expecting anyone to figure this part out. "Well… Jenna… she…"

Shepard stopped her with a raised hand. "I'll take that as a yes. I don't need to know what it was, I was just curious. I can't say I disapprove of the idea behind her punishment, but if the situation is dangerous, C-Sec shouldn't have just thrown her to the wolves like that. I'll see what I can do… after we get another round."

She hurried off to get their drinks, and Shepard made his way back to the table. Rita worked fast. He'd barely managed to sit back down before three more drinks were in front of them.

"What was all that about?" asked Tali, her speech ever so slightly slurred as she worked her way through yet another drink. Quarians reacted more strongly to booze than most other races, but Tali seemed to think she could hold her liquor far better than she actually could. Considering the possibility for hilarity to ensue if she kept going, Shepard was tempted to let her, but he decided better of it.

"Apparently Rita's sister Jenna is working undercover at Chora's Den for C-Sec. She's worried she might get hurt."

Garrus let out a low whistle. "I can see why. I think I was at Chora's at least once a month the entire time I worked at C-Sec. It's not a pleasant place."

"Yeah, and apparently C-Sec has something on her." said Shepard. "I'm not sure what, but they're holding it over her so she cooperates."

"If she did something illegal, she deserves having to pay for it." replied Garrus. He'd been in the force for a long time, and he'd always tried to play by the book, as infuriating as it was at times. The idea of letting a criminal off because they had relatives that worried about them didn't make sense in his mind.

"Garrus, it's one thing to hit her with a fine, or even a short stint in lockup, but she could die doing this." Shepard countered. "If whatever she did was severe enough to warrant that particular punishment, they wouldn't have let her walk away. They shouldn't be playing fast and loose with her life like that just because they can."

"She didn't have to cooperate." he countered. "She could've just served her time and been done with it."

"Garrus, she's not a hardened criminal, she's a civvie that made a mistake. Prison may not be as dangerous as Chora's, but I'd hardly call it pleasant or easy. I think we should do something, or at least get some more info."

He hesitated for a long moment before responding. "Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt to check it out. I still have plenty of friends in C-Sec that should be able to point us in the right direction. Plus, having two Spectres there should make things go a lot smoother." Garrus stood and turned towards the door, but Shepard was having none of it.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked pointedly.

"I… oh fine. You win, Shepard." he said, reaching for his credit chit. "But I'll get you next time."

"I hope you do. After all, I need you to watch my back out there, and you can't do that if you miss every other shot." he said, completely deadpan.

Garrus made a choking sound, but couldn't get out a response before Shepard and Tali left the table with him sputtering in place.

After short cab ride, and several choice words from Garrus that Shepard's translator couldn't make out, they found themselves back at C-Sec, and Garrus led them to an office where a Turian friend of his worked. A nameplate on his desk read Det. Tonn Chellick.

"Garrus." he said, looking up from the files he'd been reviewing. He sounded happily surprised when he spoke. "Wasn't expecting to see you when I woke up this morning. Or any morning, really."

"Good to see you again, Tonn. We were wondering if you could give us some information on a Human female. Name's Jenna. One of your people has her working as a mole in Chora's Den."

Chellick sighed and shook his head gently. "Not one of my people, Garrus. Me. I'm sorry, but you're not with C-Sec any more, and I can't disclose any information about the case to you."

"Then disclose it to me." said Shepard firmly. "My Spectre authority lets me work on C-Sec cases at my discretion."

Chellick sighed again, but pulled up a data file on his omnitool and transferred it to Shepard's. "We caught Jenna in possession of Red Sand. Not enough to resell, and she doesn't use, but it was still enough to land her in jail for six months. She claimed it was for a friend, but she wouldn't say who."

"Detective, she's risking her life out there, and she's doing it because she's afraid." said Shepard, locking eyes with Chellick. "What you're doing to her is pathetic, and you know it's too dangerous to let her keep doing it. Let her go, and I won't use my Spectre authority to make you."

"I'll let her go." he said simply.

Shepard waited for further response, but when none came, he headed out. He dropped Rita a quick message with his 'tool to let her know, but as he went to close it, a message came through from the Council.

"John, this is Raan. We've got a lead for you on Saren. One of the heretic Geth we captured gave us some information about an attack on a corporate colony in the Attican Beta cluster. It's on the planet of Feros. We'll give you more information on the way."

Edit: Woooooo! 10k views. In less than half a month, for an unknown author, I'd say that's pretty good.

Timestamp 3/20/2014