The Kilimanjaro had just docked at Arcturus Station, when Hannah felt a presence by her side and a light touch on her elbow.

"You want me to come along?"

Hannah turned to find Lucas next to her, his gaze projecting concern for her. "I'd say 'yes' if I weren't afraid that would attract possibly unwanted attention," Hannah whispered. "Admiral Hackett and I are old friends, so it won't seem out of ordinary for us to meet together, but if you're with me…"

Lucas nodded. "Okay."

"But, Lucas," Hannah spoke urgently, "be ready. I may need you yet."

"I'll be there whenever you ask me, Red."

"Thanks."

"See you on station." Lucas tapped his hand to his head in the resemblance of a salute and headed for the elevator.

Hannah turned her attention back where it belonged—the bridge of the Kilimanjaro. It was her duty to make sure the ship was docked properly, everyone off except the skeleton crew left on board to guard it. Hannah mused. They obviously weren't very good at their jobs since she knew Keta had snuck on board without incident. After this whole affair came to its conclusion, she promised herself she'd sit down and have an enlightening chat with Keta regarding the insufficiencies of Alliance Navy guards.

Once Hannah had seen that all crew were properly situated, she asked Novikov for permission to disembark. When he gave his consent, Hannah picked up the bag she had already packed from her quarters and left the Kilimanjaro. As she walked with the bag slung over her shoulder, she tapped on her omni-tool, connecting to Steven Hackett. She waited breathlessly to hear his voice.

"Admiral Hackett here," she heard in her ear.

"Steven, it's me, Hannah."

"Hannah. Welcome back home."

"Thanks. About that drink…"

"I knew you were coming in today. I've carved out an hour from my schedule for you. Where would you like to meet?"

Hannah considered. What if someone was listening in on this call? She didn't want anyone to be tipped off regarding where she and Steven would go. "How about I just come to your office and we go from there?"

"Alright. See you at 1300. Hackett out."

Hannah's heart thumped hard in her chest. Being clandestine had her on pins and needles. Obviously, she wasn't born to be a spy. She'd have the jitters constantly and never get anything accomplished.

Hannah reached her small apartment and punched in the key code, unlocking the door. She walked in, locked the door behind her, then dumped her bag on the small loveseat in her tiny living room. She strolled down the short hall to her room, where she promptly stripped and stepped into the shower. The warm water was a haven after all the excitement and tension that had assaulted her for the last two days. She tried to put thoughts of assassination plots out of her mind and just revel in the water caressing her body. Finally, and reluctantly, she exited the shower, throwing on a pair of loose fitting black pants and an aqua blue t-shirt she snatched out of her closet. Feeling more relaxed, she walked back into the living room of the apartment, her hair still up in a towel from the shower.

She had intended to enter the small kitchenette and grab a snack of some kind, but a voice from the loveseat had her jumping and stopping abruptly, fear gripping her heart.

"You look so different out of uniform."

Hannah put her hand to her chest, shaking her head, then laughed at the batarian sitting nonchalantly on the loveseat, her legs crossed. "Keta."

Keta smiled. "I figured this was the safest place to be. I don't want to risk discovery, not among all these humans."

Hannah took a deep breath, recovering from the scare. "I did lock the door, didn't I?"

Keta nodded. "Don't feel bad. There are very few locks that can keep me out."

Hannah thought again that she never wanted Keta on her bad side. "Want something to eat?"

"Sounds good. I didn't eat anything on board your ship."

Hannah stared. "You haven't eaten in two days?"

Keta chuckled. "In my line of work, fasting is a regular occurrence. I can go for thirty days if I have to."

Hannah's eyes widened. A whole month without eating? She'd never make it. She walked into the kitchenette and proceeded to rummage through the fridge. Since she wasn't on station much, the selection was paltry. She ended up throwing together some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She sat down next to Keta and handed her a plate.

Keta held the plate up at eye level, all four of her eyes inspecting it. "What is it?"

"A sandwich."

Keta set the plate on her lap and followed Hannah's example, bringing the sandwich up to her mouth and taking a bite. She nodded in approval, then stopped suddenly, opening and closing her mouth stiffly.

"What is this sticky stuff?" Keta's voice came out muffled.

Hannah bit her tongue to keep from laughing. "Peanut butter."

"It's good…just…hard to eat." Keta downed the sandwich and Hannah walked back into the kitchen to get her a glass of water. Keta took it gratefully and chugged it down. "I've never eaten human delicacies."

Hannah chuckled. "Peanut butter and jelly isn't a delicacy. It's just plain and common."

"Oh," Keta said. "Well, it's a unique flavor. We don't have anything like it." Keta paused, moving her tongue around in her mouth to remove more sticky peanut butter from her teeth. "Did you talk to your contact?"

"He'll meet me at 1300."

Keta flipped on her omni-tool, glancing at the time. "Let's see. That's in about three hours."

"You're welcome to use my shower, sleep, relax, whatever."

"Thank you," Keta said, then sighed sadly.

"What's wrong?" Hannah asked, hearing the sorrow in her sigh.

"Nothing's wrong. It's just strangely right. No one's treated me with kindness for a long time. Feels out of place." Keta pulled her legs up on the couch, arms around them, her gaze suddenly distant.

Hannah stared at her, wondering what had happened to the batarian over the years. "How'd you get the scar?" she ventured.

Keta moved a hand up to the right side of her face and gently traced the scar that fell from forehead to chin. She bit her lip, then blew out a breath. "You would go right there, wouldn't you?"

Hannah immediately wanted to take back her question. "I'm sorry I asked about it."

Keta shook her head. "It's my most distinguishing feature now. How could you not notice it and be curious?" Keta paused a moment, then turned her eyes on Hannah. "I think it was, eight years ago now? Agents of the Hegemony found me…Guess who directed them to my location?"

Hannah spoke the name of the only other batarian she knew. "Balak."

Keta nodded. "He wanted his revenge, to hurt me, get me back."

"Because of me?" Hannah asked, feeling suddenly guilty.

"Oh, not only because of you. I had a couple other run-ins with him after the incident on the Citadel."

"So, he led the agents to you?"

"No," Keta spoke angrily. "That coward didn't have the guts to accompany them. He just found out where I was and told the government so they'd send their minions after me."

Hannah decided not to push any farther, not wanting to make Keta remember the details of the event, but Keta continued speaking after a moment of silence, her eyes focused now on her knees.

"I suppose you might understand my…feelings at being attacked by a group of angry batarians, seeing as how I found myself in a situation similar to yours. They surrounded me; one of them had a long knife, a weapon we carry only in homage to our ancestors. A gun is much more effective, though we sometimes use our knives when we are out of options…or to make a point. In this case, the agents meant the latter." Keta paused, biting her lip again.

"You don't have to tell me," Hannah asserted gently.

"I want to." Keta's serious eyes flicked over to Hannah. "I haven't told anyone. There was no one to tell. No one who would understand my fear and not belittle me for it. I'm sick of keeping it in. I can tell you."

Hannah nodded encouragingly.

"So," Keta continued, "despite the fight I put up, they eventually incapacitated me. The one with the knife held it to my throat and another…I don't know the word in your human language, if there is an equivalent."

"I'm sure my translator will work it out for me," Hannah said, paying attention to the comm in her ear.

"We call it ba'kis."

When Hannah heard the translation her heart sank in shock and compassion. The human word was "rape."

"Keta," Hannah stammered. "I'm…so sorry."

Keta didn't acknowledge Hannah's comment, but went right on telling her story, as if she didn't want to dwell on that part of it. "And after it was over, the one with the knife drew it down the side of my face, saying that disfiguring me would remind me that I was a traitor to the Hegemony."

Hannah stared at Keta with compassionate eyes, full of sympathy for the batarian sitting next to her. She reached out a hand to put it on Keta's shoulder. When she did, Keta jumped, her head jerking to look at Hannah.

Hannah abruptly removed her hand. "Sorry."

Keta blew a breath out her nose. "I'm not used to touch. At least, unless someone's trying to kill me."

"How did you get away?" Hannah asked softly.

"After they cut my face and beat me almost senseless, I pretended I was unconscious. Two of them were ordered to carry me back to their ship. Idiots. Leaving me alone with only two. It was easy to escape them. And so the Hegemony lost me again." Keta's eyes narrowed. "And later, they paid for what they did to me."

Hannah heard the fury in Keta's voice. "How?"

"It took almost all the funds I had, but it was worth it. The complex where their agents train was blown to bits. I never felt better than when I watched the video of that incident."

"You planted bombs?" Hannah asked, disturbed.

"I didn't. I hired someone else to do that."

A memory from five years ago came back to Hannah: she and Lucas sitting side by side, pouring over pirate data files. "You hired pirates."

"Yes," Keta said. "You pay them enough, they'll do anything for you."

Hannah still felt uncomfortable. "How many of the agents died?"

Keta shrugged her shoulders. "What does it matter? I got them back for this," Keta pointed to her scar, "And that's all that mattered."

Hannah contemplated the hurt and angry batarian next to her, all four of her eyes hard. Hannah had killed batarians herself, but only in defense. It would never have crossed her mind to attack them so underhandedly. But then, she hadn't been raped and cut up by them either. She sympathized with Keta, even though her moral feelings weren't entirely quelled.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer of a shower and sleep," Keta spoke quietly, her eyes clear now, drawn back from the past.

Hannah pointed down the hall. "My room's at the end. Take all the time you want."

Keta stood and strolled down the hall. When the bedroom door slid shut, Hannah laid back on the loveseat. She thought wistfully how nice it would be if no one ever suffered. Everyone seemed to have his own cross to bear. For her, it was Daniel's death. For Ernesto, it was Mindoir. Lucas had a broken relationship and a son he didn't know. Keta bore a scar, a reminder of the most painful event of her life. Hannah drew in a slow breath. What would Jane have? She didn't want Jane to have anything. Jane had been hurt by her father's death, but had overcome. She'd fought at Elysium and stood strong, proving her resiliency. Hannah hoped that Jane had reached the pinnacle of any suffering she'd ever have to face in her life. At the very least, Hannah was going to make sure she didn't suffer an assassination.

At 1245, Hannah left her apartment, Keta assuring her she would follow and show up wherever Hannah ended up meeting her contact. Hannah compelled herself to walk casually down the hall, trying to pretend nothing was wrong. When she reached Alliance headquarters, she punched in her own personal code and the door opened. She made her way to Steven's office, now on the third level since he'd been promoted to admiral. She approached his office slowly, peering up and down the hall, looking for any unusual loiters, but there was no one. She assumed most of the staff was still out to lunch.

Hannah touched the panel outside Steven's door and heard a chime inside the office. The door slid open within a couple seconds and Hannah saw Steven sitting at his desk, his hand on the button to open the door. He nodded at her.

"So…" Steven started to say, but before he could utter another word, Hannah crossed the room and shoved the data pad she had been carrying onto his desk, pointing at it with one finger and pressing another to her lips.

Steven looked down and read the script that had been typed out: We can't talk in your office. It might be bugged. We'll need to find a place to talk privately and yet, in public.

When he read the message, Steven looked up at her, his eyes hard. Hannah read apprehension in his gaze, but he nodded.

"Welcome back, Commander," he spoke formally.

"Admiral," she answered.

"So where do you want to go for that drink I promised you?"

"How about we just walk and find a place along the way?"

"Fine with me." Steven stood, gesturing towards the door. He followed Hannah out into the hall, down the stairs and out onto the station. They walked next to each other, ambling aimlessly.

"Where do you suggest?" Steven asked as they walked.

"Where do you think will be safest?" Hannah returned.

"There's a park not far from here."

"It needs to be more private than that."

Steven took a breath. "Would a bar be alright?"

"I think so. More noise to drown out our conversation."

"Gem's, then."

"That's fine."

They walked through several halls, past restaurants and shops. After a while, they found themselves in front of a bar already doing good business, but not so crowded that they couldn't find a private booth in the corner, effectively its own room. Steven ordered a couple drinks from the server, then turned his striking sky blue eyes on Hannah.

"Talk to me, Hannah. What's going on?"

"We need to wait a little, for a friend of mine."

Steven leaned back in his seat. "Alright." Hannah knew he trusted her and was glad all those years ago Steven and Daniel had become friends. She'd kept up with Steven over the years, though at times keeping up had meant only occasional e-mails to check in. As Hannah contemplated the man across from her, she realized how old he looked now. He was only three years younger than her, yet his hair and thin beard were already mostly gray. His face bore the wrinkles of stress more than age. A scar was evident from his right cheekbone to his lip. Hannah wasn't sure where he'd gotten it; it came from one of the numerous campaigns he'd been involved in. Hannah thought Steven Hackett looked like a man carrying the burdens and troubles of the Alliance Navy.

Someone else slid into a chair at their table and Hannah recognized Keta, although the hood of her cape was pulled far forward again to hide her mask. Steven ran an eye over the figure that had joined their party and looked to Hannah, who nodded.

"Okay. Now, tell me."

Hannah took a long breath, ready to launch into an explanation. "This friend," Hannah waved her hand at Keta, "came to me on the Citadel." Hannah paused, then spoke on, deciding she had to mislead Steven. "He's an assassin."

Steven's eyebrows rose. "And a friend?"

"You remember when I was attacked by batarians my first time on the Citadel?"

Steven nodded. "How could I forget? I felt I'd let you and Daniel down."

"My friend here was the Good Samaritan."

Steven's blue eyes flicked to the caped figure, then back to Hannah. "I understand."

"He doesn't take on assassination work anymore, but lately was contacted regarding…" Hannah hushed as the server returned to their table, placing two drinks on the table. Hannah pulled hers over and took a sip. Steven put his hand around his own drink, but didn't bring it to his lips.

"Continue," Steven commanded.

"He was hired to carry out the assassination…of Jane Shepard."

Steven sucked in a breath, now picking up the glass and taking a long swig. "Alright. I'm starting to see what's going on here. He came to you instead of taking her out." Steven turned to Keta and nodded, acknowledging the integrity of her action. Keta nodded back.

Steven continued. "And when he doesn't kill her, they'll send someone else. Do I follow?"

Hannah nodded. "Jane's only safe for now."

"Why not tell me this in my office? What makes you think we have a breach in our security?"

Keta now spoke, her voice projected in a deep tone through the modulator. "Whoever has hired me keeps sending me updates regarding where Jane Shepard has been and where she is going."

An angry breath escaped through Steven's nose. His jaw set and he shook his head. "Jane's on confidential missions. No one should know about them."

"I had assumed that," Hannah said. "She doesn't even tell me what she's up to."

"So someone is a mole. On her ship or maybe even in my office or someone connected to the Council."

"It looks that way," Hannah affirmed.

Steven leaned forward, his elbows on the table, rubbing his chin with his hands. "Jane's mission is vitally important. She can't be compromised."

"And we can't tell her about this," Hannah said. "My friend says that her ship or even she herself could be implanted with a listening device."

Steven nodded, then slapped his left hand down on the table while bringing his right up to his face, combing through his beard. "Okay. We can't tell her, but we know she's safe for now. The best we can do is find out who put this contract out on her."

"I agree," Hannah said, "but we can't be sure who to trust on this. So, I'd like to ask you for a big favor, Steven."

"What's your plan?"

"Give me a ship and a pilot. My friend and I can find out who's behind this, stop them before Jane's in danger and hopefully discover how they are getting their information."

"And I can work from my end, checking out my staff and the Council as much as possible," Steven returned thoughtfully. "And maybe figure out someway to verify the people on the Normandy are trustworthy."

Hannah nodded.

"You'll need a tech specialist."

"I have someone in mind."

"Who?"

"Lucas Cox. He's on the Kilimanjaro with me."

"Cox…I recognize the name…" Steven rubbed his temples, thinking. "Yes, I know. He created a new encryption code, sent it in a few days ago. It's good. We're already using it. He'd be just the man for the job."

Hannah smiled. Lucas would be glad to know his code was already receiving high praise.

"Just you three and a pilot," Steven stated. "I know I can trust you, Hannah. And you have the greatest motivation to see this mess resolved." He looked to Keta again. "And if you trust, whoever this is, then I do, too."

Steven leaned forward and fixed Hannah with a gaze. "Meet me in hangar 56 in forty-five minutes. I need to cancel a meeting, get some ears to the ground immediately, but I'll be there. Pack, bring what you need and call Lieutenant Cox." Steven stood, saluted to Hannah who saluted back and marched out of the bar, a man on a mission.

"That was easier than I thought it would be," Keta commented, leaning back in her chair.

Hannah thoughtfully watched Steven walking down the hall through the bar windows. "I think Steven Hackett would do almost anything for me, out of an obligation to my deceased husband."

"He's a good asset," Keta asserted.

Hannah smiled with half her mouth at the term. An asset. Keta must see most people that way in her line of work. "He's not just an asset, he's a good friend," Hannah murmured quietly.

"Even better," Keta concurred.