Chapter 15 - On Thin Ice

Kaidan laid on his side, captivated by the exquisite face of the remarkable woman whose life he felt honoured to be a part of so inextricably. She was asleep, her position mirroring his own. Tracing a thumb softly over the scar along her cheekbone, he then ran it lovingly down her cheek to her jaw. She'd been quietly fretting about what they planned to do on Sur'Kesh, the weight of her task and its consequences should it fail, dragging her down with its magnitude. Here, she was peaceful in a way only deep slumber would allow in the wake of the Leviathans return.

The blue glow of the aquarium illuminated Terra's bare arm, making it look like biotics were alight beneath her skin. Caressing a path from her shoulder to her hand where it rested between them, Kaidan regarded the rings on her finger, smiling at the memories. The red diamond ring he'd given her when he'd proposed during her first-ever date, still stood proud and bright, despite the tarnished band that held it. She'd refused to get it prettied up – it had been through the Reaper wars and, like her scarred skin, it told a story of endurance through the worst of times. Next to it sat her wedding ring, given to her by Edi, at Joker's expense. Matching Kaidan's, it was completely unscathed, the tough materials used to construct it, living up to their reputation. Victory rings, Edi had called them. That they were here, together, four wonderful years later, was a glorious victory.

Leaning in, Kaidan pressed a gentle kiss to lush lips that smiled beneath his as she returned to consciousness. Her eyes opened to reveal the dark, warm pools of chocolate that welcomed him in to the beautiful soul beyond. He pulled her closer, wanting to feel every inch of her against him. She didn't resist, even though they would be arriving back at Sur'Kesh soon. They'd spent hours poring over the schematics and security details Liara had unearthed, and working out a plan with Kasumi. Terra had then devoted even more time to learn the lay-out off by heart, unable to rest until it was branded into her brain. As Kaidan shuddered with pleasure from his wife's touch, only one thing invaded his thoughts before his senses were completely reigned by the woman in his arms: this mustn't fail.

oOo

Leaving her own ship tethered to the side, Aethyta breezed onto Liara's vessel, the Avastus, which had been on route to rendezvous with Feron when Aethyta had called to announce her need to meet.

"Father," Liara greeted her. "I have to say, I am surprised you were out here in the middle of nowhere. What were you doing?"

"I just came from the Crucible site."

"The Crucible? Why?"

"Because I attended that damn matriarchs meeting you wanted me to. Hate that place. Filled to the brim of pretentious old hags who are more concerned with whether they look as young as maidens than with what's happening beyond their snooty little noses."

Liara knew that was true. They wore their airs and graces as a way to elevate them above the rest, and thought they knew it all. They knew nothing, because they weren't really interested in anything other than image. To the masses, the asari were still the more enlightened race, but there were those who knew the truth of how the asari clung to the remains of a tattered culture, and the matriarchs closed ranks because of it.

"Boring, as expected. Nothing particularly interesting. That was until Shepard brought me up to date over old pucker-face's deception and the empty research facility. That Dalatrass is a bigger menace than a hanar in heat. I've been saying it for years, but do the other matriarchs listen? Oh no. They just brush me off as paranoid while they kiss her ass. At least someone's prepared to listen to me - I advised Shepard not to tell the matriarchs."

As had the Primarch, thought Liara. Like Victus and Aethyta, she knew the matriarchs would be of no help; that they'd likely inform the Dalatrass because they saw a kinship with the more studious race than the more aggressive turians and humans. Not that they'd be so obvious in their choice; the matriarchs worked hard at keeping the illusion of cooperation and openness with their allies. That's why she'd urged Aethyta to attend the meetings – to stay in the loop. Liara also knew that Aethyta didn't mind half as much as she made out, because her presence irked the other matriarchs, which made it worth the self-sacrifice. "You mentioned a meeting," prompted Liara.

"There was a maiden who'd come in front of the matriarchs with a concern over her mother," continued Aethyta, getting back on topic. "A technician on the Kalioni, last sent to patrol the Crucible's no-fly zone. The kid had been in contact with her mother when they'd had to end their conversation to deal with an issue. The last thing her mother had said to her was that she'd call her straight back. That didn't happen. The other matriarchs took the stance that it was likely a communications issue, so are content to wait two days for the patrol ship taking over their shift to assist the Kalioni if needed. No surprise, there. Given what I now know about the Leviathans recent move, it seemed too coincidental to ignore, so I went to check it out. It's gone, Liara. The Kalioni's in pieces, and so is the Crucible."

"The Crucible has been destroyed…" Liara could only wonder why. If the Leviathans were behind it then they must have felt threatened by it in some way. Yet there was little she could do to find out how, with the Crucible gone. Her focus had to remain on the pulses. "Did you retrieve the black-box from the Kalioni?"

"Am I the gorgeous result of asari/krogan loving?" Aethyta passed over the flight recording.

"Then I just need to pick up Feron and compare any readings. Thank you. I will spread the word to all concerned, and be in contact with you soon."

Before she could turn away, Aethyta caught her arm, perturbed by the lack of any response over her previous comment – no impatient sigh, embarrassed shake of her head, or disapproving frown. That wasn't her girl.

"What's going on Little Wing?"

"You know what-"

"Not the Leviathans. Don't play dumb with me, honey. I know you're too smart for that. You're not yourself." Aethyta watched in dismay as Liara almost shattered before her.

"No, you are right. I am not myself. And I never will be again. Everything has changed, and there is nothing I can do about it. I promise I will explain, when I'm ready... but not now. There is so much to be done, and I need to focus. It is already so hard... So please, do not ask me again."

Liara scurried away, leaving Aethyta to stare after her, truly troubled by her daughter's anguish.

oOo

The Leviathans watched through hundreds of eyes as the salarian ships landed at their final destination: the home of their most productive and strongest tools.

"The lesser races pathetic attempts to rebel will soon be proven futile," said the Second.

"Yes," uttered the Third. "We are on the cusp of their final lesson."

"Our supremacy is undeniable," finished the First.

The scientists would take their places within the new labs to use the data, the security agents' purpose would remain the same – to protect the buildings and its contents. As for the prize specimen that came with them… It was time to extend the area of their influence here; to bring more under their control. Then they would loose a fierce army that would destroy the child and all who protected her.

oOo

Through a combination of the Normandy's stealth drive getting them past the planet's outer defences, Cortez's excellent shuttle skills in staying under the radar as they closed in on the city, and finally, Liara's agents getting them from the outskirts and through the moonlit city undetected, Shepard and Kasumi stood hidden from view a short distance from the salarian building they aimed to enter.

The Dalatrass had created a status symbol, to be sure, overpowering the surrounding area with its size and structure, but above all, it had a strangely oppressive feel, made all the worse by the stark absence of plant life within its grounds. Nothing about it was welcoming. Grey, unembellished stone rose up with severity from gravelled ground, its design reminding Shepard uncomfortably of the Shroud on Tuchanka. The building was at odds with those found throughout the rest of the city, which were more like those on the Citadel. Two-storey-high thick railings encircled the area, keeping all at bay while maintaining the imposing view to those on the outside, lasers running along the top to deter any who might attempt to scale them.

They hadn't counted on Kasumi Goto.

After locating a blind spot in the coverage of the security cameras that scanned the area, and waiting for the patrol team to pass, they were ready to go. With practised ease, the thief scaled the boundary and placed a device at the peak that, when activated, acted as a reflective surface that caused the lasers to bounce back on themselves and created a gap wide enough for a person to pass. That's just what Kasumi did, kicking off from the fence into a perfect hand-stand in the gap she'd made. Then she launched herself off, performed a neat somersault, and landed with an astoundingly quiet crunch on that wretched gravel within the perimeter.

"Yeah, right," Shepard murmured wryly to herself.

Shepard had no such hopes of being able to copy that particular move, instead opting for a running leap to get as much height as she could, hauling herself up, and carefully straddling the fence without hitting the lasers before manoeuvring the rest of her over so she dangled. Hanging from one hand, she detached Kasumi's device leaving no trace of tampering for the patrol team to notice, and dropped to the ground. To her credit, she achieved the same soft touchdown as her partner had.

"Not bad, Shep," commended Kasumi, under her breath. "Not many could do that without making a racket. I see why you're such a successful infiltrator. Maybe I could learn something from you."

"Thanks. And ditto."

Most intruders would at this point have fallen foul of the heat sensors that lined the building's perimeter and raised an alarm at anything larger than the small creatures that might roam into the area. Thanks to Liara, they had known about that measure, their suits tinkered with to skew the internal readings to read hotter than it really was, hence the cold spreading throughout their thermals. It hadn't felt too bad when they'd first activated them on the other side of the enclosure, but already Shepard could feel the chill causing her to shiver. She tried not to – it was counter-productive.

The footsteps of the second two-man patrol had them cloaking and heading across the courtyard to make use of the shadows cast by the building itself, timing their own steps with the guards' to ensure they weren't heard, and situating themselves directly under a camera where it couldn't detect them as their cloaks died.

They waited, barely breathing, as the two salarian agents approached. Then Kasumi was fading out again, and Shepard imagined the thief creeping up behind them and hacking an omnitool in order to copy the entry-code. When Kasumi materialised beside her sooner than she'd anticipated, Shepard jumped.

"Okay, I'm officially impressed," Shepard whispered, her lips trembling with cold as they made their way over to the small entrance used by the security personnel. Kasumi recreated the identification code to bypass the entry system.

"This is pretty standard stuff when you aim high like I do," imparted Kasumi, casually.

They cloaked as they entered, quickly heading straight for the security station, the lay-out just as Shepard expected. It was manned by two more salarians, facing a multitude of screens that flicked from one camera view to another, but when you couldn't be seen it didn't matter. A few strokes of Kasumi's omnitool and she'd hacked into the nearby security sever and dealt with all the cameras in the building, one by one, checking to confirm there were no people in the images before effectively taking a snapshot. The images that rotated on the screens were now nothing more than a collection of freeze-frames. It wouldn't prevent them being seen by those patrolling the corridors, but they intended to stay cloaked whenever possible.

Finding a more secluded area, they re-adjusted their suits, welcoming the warmth that slowly reheated their shivering bodies, and would hopefully stave off the mild hypothermia. Moving further into the main part of the building, they were focused on getting to the top floor where Linron's office resided. Being on the hundredth floor, they'd decided to get there the express way.

"Ever ridden an elevator from the outside?" asked Kasumi while they pressed themselves into an alcove, knowing their cloaks would fail shortly.

"I have. Whilst being attacked by Cerberus. We also had to hop from one to another in mid-flight."

"Damn it. You've got me beat! Is there anything you haven't done?" Kasumi shimmered back into view, as did Shepard, the two women looking at each other.

Shepard sighed with weariness at the thought of what she'd done over the years. "This is new," she murmured, then reactivated her cloak and crossed the spacious reception lobby to call the elevator. They kept to the side, one person exiting, unaware of their presence, and leaving the cab empty. Inside, Shepard punched the ninety-ninth floor – only the Dalatrass had need to go right to the top - and wasted no time in getting up onto the roof, Kasumi already there.

Crouching for stability, the elevator raced them upwards, the displaced air buffeting them as they rose. Once they arrived, they slipped back down into the lift and exited, then took the single flight of stairs to the top floor.

Although they knew what to expect in terms of floor-plan, no one had any idea just what security measures the Dalatrass had in place within her terminal. But it was time to find out.

oOo

Leaning in the entrance to the Hollows, Wrex looked out at the emerging oasis' that dotted the landscape. In the distance, the buildings of Urdnot could just be seen, and it was all in peril.

"We have bought time."

Wrex grunted back at Bakara as she came up behind him, his gaze remaining on the view. "What does it matter? The result will be the same. There's no going back from this."

"There has to be, Wrex. We must not lose what we've suffered so long to achieve."

He nodded slowly. "I say we bring Shepard in."

"I agree. She's respected by many here. Her words will add weight to our own. She may be able to calm this – on both sides."

"Damn salarians. They couldn't just leave us be," he growled.

"Do not lose yourself to your own rage, Wrex. Composed heads will save us all, not heated ones. All of our children's lives depend on it."

They started for the tomkah. This call would be made in the safety of Urdnot's camp. Settling in the seat, and listening to the engines rumble, the wheels crunching over the hard sandy roads, Wrex realised there was once a time when the thought of bringing in outside help would have seemed weak even to him. Krogan needed no one to aid them in battles. How wrong and juvenile that was. He wanted Shepard's help. He needed it. He couldn't face the possibility that they would all return to that state of precarious existence.

Salarians… He'd like nothing more than to obliterate every single one of them, and he had to dig deep to find the logic in denying himself revenge.

oOo

Kaidan despised waiting when it came to getting Terra back within reach, and, like Kirrahe, he lingered restlessly in the CIC. His edginess was made all the worse by the fact that she was out of radio contact – the damn scramblers that surrounded the building prevented them from communicating. He had absolutely no idea what was happening down there.

"General, I've got an incoming call-"

"Shepard?" He had to hold himself back from lurching towards Traynor. Despite his impatience, he knew it was far too soon. Had something gone wrong?

"No, Sir. Sorry. It's Urdnot Wrex. He's asking to speak with Shepard, urgently."

"Put him through to the war room. I'll take it."

"Yes, Sir."

Hustling into the war room, Kaidan was already uneasy. Wrex never called urgently. Nothing bothered the krogan leader. Whatever this was, it was guaranteed to be a krogan-thumping headache.

oOo

Emerging onto the Dalatrass' floor was like walking into a penthouse. The door from the stairwell opened onto a foyer complete with an unstaffed reception desk and expensive but uncomfortable-looking sofas, set amongst marble-like floors and walls. The light was only dimmed here, hinting that someone was still working, despite the late hour. So far the only people they'd come across were those on guard….

Shepard made a gesture and they split in two directions - Shepard heading right, into the boardroom.

"This is some personal quarters she has here," came Kasumi's hushed voice. "The Dalatrass likes to chill out in style. Very nice… Think she'd notice if I took a painting or two? Ooh! I could slip that little statue right into my suit."

Deciding that Kasumi would look but not touch – this once – Shepard chose not to answer. Her gaze was fixed on another door at the opposite end of the room on the left. The office. She remembered that it had two entrances – one from the boardroom and the other from her quarters.

"I'm at the office door. Hold on. I've got a sensor, works to magnify sound. I'll attach it, see if I can pick something up."

Standing in the boardroom as she waited, the tension inside Shepard ratcheted, helped along by the inordinate silence punctuated only by the whisper of her own inhalation. If there was someone on the other side, it would be Linron.

"It's occupied. Guess the Dalatrass is a serious workaholic. Not so good for us."

Shepard could have sworn, retreating back to the reception area, Kasumi joining her.

"What now?" questioned the thief.

Chewing on the inside of her bottom lip, Shepard considered how to get this done. "We need a distraction. Something that will draw her out."

"Easy. Fire alarm." Without further ado, Kasumi went to the terminal at the reception desk and hacked into the system, setting off an alarm on the eightieth floor. Cloaking for good measure, they tucked themselves against the reception desk, observing Linron exit from her private area and enter the elevator that had arrived, complete with four security staff to escort her to safety. The moment the lift doors closed, Shepard and Kasumi hurried into the office.

"She's cautious. She still locked down her terminal." Then Kasumi shrugged, still studying the machine that sat on the large, solid desk. "No matter. We'll get through, anyhow." Her omnitool was running over the processor. "Hm. Very sophisticated."

"Is it going to be a problem?"

"Please," Kasumi retorted. "I could do this in my sleep."

"Liking the confidence," answered Shepard. She needed to hear that, her nerves stretched taut. Letting Kasumi do her work, Shepard moved to what she knew was a one-way window, looking down at the gathered personnel, Linron in their midst, gesturing wildly in agitation. In less than seven minutes the alarm stopped, and they were re-entering.

"That was fast," muttered Kasumi.

"They're salarian. They're nothing if not efficient." Shepard turned in place, her eyes running over a chess-board that sat next to the terminal on Linron's desk. The pieces were large, one side made from obsidian, the other like alabaster, all lined up and facing each other, two armies ready for the first move.

"Well, I'm just as quick. I'll have this cracked in three… two… one! … Damn it!"

Joining Kasumi at the desk, Shepard spotted the piece of hardware that had emerged from the terminal. "Retinal scan. Should have known it would be more than a simple hack."

"Hey, it was a hard hack," pouted Kasumi.

"I don't see a way past this."

"Don't be such a pessimist."

"Realist. Kasumi, Linron will be back any moment."

"Good. We need her." Kasumi opened her omnitool again, and gave Shepard a grin.

"No way. You have something for that, too?"

"You should have more faith, Shep."

"Pull this off and I'll never doubt you again."

"Stay here. I'll get the scan and send it to your tool. Then I'll do something to distract her while you get the data."

"It's going to be tight."

"It's going to be a thrill," smiled Kasumi.

They both heard the ping of the elevator's arrival.

"Showtime," Kasumi announced, vanishing from view.

Shepard readied the data disc and her omnitool, working to button down every uncertainty and fear until she was steady and focused. They were so close, and though it seemed impossible, this is what Kasumi did – successfully. If this was an enemy stronghold she'd have none of this insecurity, Shepard reasoned with herself. Only it wasn't. This came with a doozy of a consequence not just for herself, but also the Alliance.

Left with that concerning thought, she could only relinquish the situation to Kasumi's hands.

…

Kasumi watched from the shadows as Linron exited the elevator but stood in the foyer surveying the area thoughtfully. That was bad… She suspected something. They had to get this done and leave.

Cloaking, she walked right up in front of the Dalatrass and started the scan, moving with the Dalatrass as the salarian leader slowly turned, walked to the boardroom entrance and searched the room with her eyes. Kasumi didn't even dare swallow, waiting for the scan to complete. A subtle vibration signalled the scan was done at the same time as her cloak warned her its time was up. Kasumi deftly scooted around Linron, re-appearing directly behind her, then promptly cloaking again. She backed away and sent it to Shepard, then continued to watch Linron scrutinise her environment.

…

Shepard opened Kasumi's file and it formed into a sharp holo image of Linron's eye. Angling it in front of the retinal scanner, she mentally prayed. As good as it looked, she had misgivings about whether it could get the detail required to fool the machine. She was rather startled, and extremely relieved, when the terminal lit up with full access. She could've kissed Kasumi at that moment. Her fingers raced over the keypad for what she'd come here for. In seconds, she'd located the files and started the copy, perturbed at the size. This would take time.

…

Having been satisfied with the boardroom, Linron went into her personal area and was giving it the same inspection she had previously. Kasumi was glad she'd left the statue she'd been so tempted to take as a trophy; Linron would have noticed it missing for sure. There was nothing out of place, of that Kasumi was certain, but then Linron was striding towards her office with purpose, and Kasumi had to think fast, sending a false call to the reception terminal. Linron stopped at the chime, turning towards her reception, but instead of going to answer it as Kasumi thought she would, the salarian opened her omnitool and locked the office doors.

"Don't bother trying to leave. Security's on their way." Linron folded her arms as she spoke loudly through the office door.

Knowing how important Shepard was to the fate of… well, everyone, Kasumi was on the verge of sacrificing herself in the hope that it would give the Spectre a chance to get out. Before she could drop her cloak, she received a message from Shepard – the Admiral wasn't expecting to get out of this one, but she did want Kasumi to. Settling out of sight of the arriving STG agents, Kasumi could only wait for her chance.

…

The doors unsealed simultaneously and Shepard knew what was coming through. Linron's well-armed security agents swarmed in, guns raised as they encircled her, shouting at her to put her hands in the air. She did as she was told, not fighting back when she was forced to her knees, her hands wrenched behind her back to be secured in cuffs. They searched her but found no weapons; shooting anyone wasn't ever going to be an option so she'd left them behind. After removing her omnitool, they backed away, and Linron approached, a self-assured look on her face.

"Shepard. I'd wondered why my agents weren't responding to my calls. Was it you or Kirrahe who disposed of them?"

"I wouldn't harm them. They'll turn up tomorrow. I just needed some time."

"To break into my office? You've over-stepped, Admiral. You understand that your Spectre title means nothing now. The Council won't protect you from this, and you've placed your precious Alliance at odds with me. Salarian ties to the other Council races are far stronger than humanity's, regardless of your success with the Reapers. This will not go unpunished."

Linron turned to her desk and removed the data-disk from her terminal. "You almost succeeded. Hoping to take down our planet defences perhaps? Make it easier for your beloved krogan to gain their revenge?"

"You know full well what I came here for. I want to know what the Leviathans took from that research facility."

"The Le-?" Linron faltered at that information, processing the implications of such powerful influences at work, then recovered her cool stare. "Take her to a cell," she snapped to her agents.

As Shepard was dragged to her feet, Linron stepped into her space.

"You won't ever see the light of day again for what you've done. And neither will this." She placed the data-disk on her desk, picked up the obsidian king-piece from her chess board, and slammed it down on the disk before replacing the king neatly in its place.

Shepard stared at the shattered remains that had contained the files as she was hauled out of the office, Linron ordering the room sealed and guards posted at each door; the whole building was to be searched for other intruders. The only thing left for Shepard to hope for was that Kasumi would make it out.

oOo