Chapter 30 – Dead Men Tell No Tales

Since docking her daughter's ship at the Citadel several days ago, Aethyta had barely set eyes on Liara. Not through choice, nor was it that unusual for Liara to squirrel herself away, but it was the Justicar's presence that bothered Aethyta.

Liara had tried to wave it off, like Samara was simply a guest, but Aethyta knew better, and was not one to let things lie. Not anymore. She made that mistake with Nezzie and had regretted it ever since. She wouldn't risk that with Liara.

She entered the hub of the Shadow Broker's network, always a strange transition when the outside of the ship looked like any other standard craft. Indeed, the Avastus may look innocuous but she packed a punch not only with the hidden heavy weaponry she was outfitted with, but also with the information that passed through her. Even now, Aethyta still got a kick out of the fact her Little Wing was the galaxy's most powerful information dealer. If the matriarchs knew, they'd freak... Was that what Samara was here for? No, it couldn't be. She'd been here for days and nothing. None of it made sense.

Looking around the space filled with busy screens and terminals, Aethyta saw it was occupied only by the prothean and drell on opposite sides of the room, their heads down as they scrutinised the information scrolling down monitors, and deliberately ignoring each other. The picture made Aethyta worry even more - Liara was even isolating herself within her ship.

"Hey, you," she called out to Javik, who looked up, his face falling into an even deeper scowl.

"Are you referring to me, asari?" He was already turning back to his screen by the time she sidled up to him.

"Yeah, prothean. What do you people do for fun?"

"'You people'? I am the last."

"From the embodiment of vengeance to the avatar of quibbling," muttered Aethyta. "Answer the question."

Javik made a rumbling sound. "I shoot things that irritate me."

Aethyta fought back her amusement. "That's it?"

"Right now, that would give me great pleasure."

He sent her a look of murderous intent that surely gave his opponents pause, but Aethyta just chuckled and moved in closer.

"You know, I don't think that glare's working in the way you want it to. Keep doing it and I'm going to get ideas, babe."

Javik stepped back like he'd been struck, a low growl following it at her latest win. "I am leaving."

"Too easy," Aethyta laughed at his retreat. "Talking about ideas…" she turned her attention to the smirking Feron, "why haven't you acted on yours?"

The grin fell away. "I, uh… ideas? What-"

"I mean with Liara." She noticed that Javik had stopped in the doorway. "Isn't it time you grew a pair and showed them to her?"

Javik had spun to face them. "You should not listen to her, drell. Any advances toward T'Soni cannot be reciprocated."

Feron frowned at the prothean. "What's the problem? Do I threaten you?"

"That is not the issue here-"

"You're warning me off," insisted Feron.

"I am simply advising you. Nothing can happen between you."

"Why? Because you want her?"

"Stop it."

Javik twisted to see Liara standing behind him.

"Thank you, Javik."

With a nod, he exited the room.

"Liara, I'm sorry," stumbled out Feron in embarrassment as she approached them.

"Do not be," soothed Liara, her hand reaching out, then faltering mid-way and quickly retracting. "Would you excuse us, Feron?" Liara requested before he could say anything more. When he'd left, Liara wheeled on her father. "Must you create tension between them? They are not play-things."

"That's a disappointing point of view," muttered Aethyta. "That was just a recreational distraction. In case you hadn't noticed, you've got two admirers there. About time you embraced some eternity with one of them. Or both."

"Father, please-"

"But that's not why I came," interrupted Aethyta. She stood squarely in front of her daughter, fixing her with a no-nonsense stare. "No lies, Liara. Why's a Justicar camped out on your ship?"

Liara stared at the floor for a long while.

Concern had Aethyta gripping Liara's hand. "Little Wing?"

"Little Wing," Liara scoffed lightly. "Sounds so innocent. But there is nothing innocent about me, father."

Aethyta didn't understand the shame on her daughter's face. "You've done something wrong?"

"Not yet. But I could. You created a monster," murmured Liara.

Aethyta frowned. "You? What in the krogan's quad are you talking about?"

"I am…" Liara exhaled, licked her lips and tried again. "I am Ardat-Yakshi, father."

Aethyta stared back at her, stunned and open-mouthed. Then that shock changed to anger. She took Liara's chin and lifted her daughter's gaze to hers. "You listen to me: you're no monster."

Liara's eyes glistened with unshed tears of fear. "Denying it, does not make it any less true."

"I know it's not true. So that's why Samara's here? She's taking you in, is that it? Well, screw that! She'll take you over my dead body!"

The fear that flashed over Liara was no longer for herself, and she grasped Aethyta's arms. "Father, hush! She will kill you without hesitation if she thinks you are standing in her way!"

"Well I am, and I don't care if she knows it. She should hear what I'm prepared to do for my girl. And it doesn't involve giving up on you and allowing you to be carted off to a glorified prison. Monastery, my ass-"

"She is not taking me in. Yet."

"She's not?" Aethyta was back to that state of confusion and she was getting a little sick of feeling dense. "That makes no sense. She's a Justicar. That damn stupid code demands it!"

"I know, but… I am not sure how she managed it, but…Shepard was there when Samara confronted me. She stood in front of me, father. Raised her weapon against Samara to defend me, and argued against it. Shepard reasoned that this disorder is fixable."

"Fixable…" Aethyta nodded eagerly. "Sure. Why not? You know, I bet no-one's ever damn well bothered to try."

"Just as Shepard said. She bought me time. But I think only Samara's respect for Shepard stayed her hand."

"Not very Justicar-like, but I'm not complaining. We need to get you a geneticist. The best."

"Shepard requested Dr Solus' aid. I have already visited with him. Now all I can do is sit back and wait in the hope that he can help me as he believes he can, and that Samara's patience does not run out beforehand."

Aethyta pulled her daughter into her embrace - one that Liara sagged into, holding on tight with relief and gratitude at her father's acceptance.

"Remind me to kiss Shepard for this."

Liara reared back and raised one brow with a knowing look. "Leave her alone."

"What?" was Aethyta's not so innocent reply.

oOo

Sitting in the study, Kaidan sipped his coffee while scrutinising a datapad he'd read a dozen times already. It detailed everything the scientists on Sur'Kesh had documented about their yahg subject before they'd fallen under Leviathan control. It still made for unnerving reading, and he'd faced one before. He knew now that he and Liara had been lucky the day they'd faced the previous Broker.

It wasn't just the size and strength of the yahg that gave them an edge; they had an agility with it that Kaidan had witnessed. These weren't lumbering giants. Their scaly skin was partially armoured, the triangular mouth lined with sharp teeth, and two large horns adorned their heads.

As if all this wasn't enough, it was their eyes that gave Kaidan the most concern. Four pairs of eyes that, the scientists had noted in their study, appeared to work well in easily tracking and even predicting the movement of their yahg subject's target. Kaidan had flitted over how they'd discovered that, beyond knowing it involved a lot of varren playing the part of prey.

It wasn't lost on Kaidan that the salarians had treated this yahg as little more than an animal. For a species as intelligent and aggressive as the yahg it must have been the ultimate insult, and Kaidan couldn't help wondering if the salarians had set them all on a course of conflict with the yahg even without the Leviathans influence.

Two familiar hands slid over his shoulders, bringing him back to the room and massaging away the tension he hadn't realised was there until Terra released it.

"Can't believe I've been sat here so long," Kaidan admitted to her. "How did it go?"

She'd left an hour ago to check on the young boy, Zac, who had been used by Kryek to get to Rorie. It had been important to her to make sure he knew with certainty that Kryek was no longer a part of this universe.

"He's happy. He's in a stable, caring environment, with food in his belly and friends he can play with. Zac can be a child again. When I told him about Kryek, he smiled and said he already knew he didn't have to worry anymore."

"He had faith in you, and I can't blame him," smiled Kaidan.

Terra kissed the top of his head. "What had you so focused?"

"I was just going over the files on the yahg."

"It doesn't get any better the more often you read it," she imparted, softly. "We have to make sure everyone in this fight knows just what they might be facing, and that we're probably still in the dark."

Lowering the datapad to the table, Kaidan knew if he'd read it a dozen times, Terra would have read it double that. "As horrible as it is that the salarians kept this yahg the way they did, I can't help feeling relieved they did, or we wouldn't even know this much. The yahg are evolved as impressive predators, and we're looking at facing them on their own turf." Then he groaned. "Except saying that out loud doesn't do anyone any good, and all I've accomplished is to ruin the happy place I was in."

Those hands smoothed down his torso, teasing their way down, then crossing each other to stay maddeningly at his waist, her head now resting beside his.

"You're still here." Terra turned her lips to his ear. "I really enjoyed last night," she whispered.

In an instant she'd chased all thoughts of yahg away, and Kaidan twisted, pulling her onto his lap to hold her close, his forehead meeting hers as he drank in the playfulness in her eyes. "Me too. But how do we top that, tonight?"

"Got a taste for flouting the law, huh?" she laughed breathily. "Careful, General. You'll mar that pristine service record."

"I've got a taste for you. But you're right," he played along. "I'd hate to have a 'conduct unbecoming' charge."

"You'd be permanently scarred for life – with a red face," Terra teased.

"Ha ha," Kaidan said, dryly.

They heard the door chime, and little feet stampeded to answer it.

"Oh well," Terra sighed sadly, continuing their conversation. "I guess that rules out skinny-dipping in the Presidium Lake at midnight, then."

He made a throaty strained sound. "You're an evil temptress."

"Mommy!" called out Rorie. "Uncle Gus is here!" Then those feet were scurrying back to the lounge.

"And who'd have guessed Garrus would be my saviour," Kaidan added.

Unable to resist kissing him first, Terra stood, sliding the datapad out of his reach across the table to join the others that were sat in a sprawled pile. "No more. You already know everything there is."

Kaidan surrendered. "You're right. I'll just tidy these up. Anything to avoid being forced into the surreal adventures of a baby hanar."

Leaving him to it, Terra exited by way of the corridor and past the calming water feature she liked to trail her fingertips through as she went by. Baby Blasto was in full swing on the large screen, Rorie kicking her legs in excitement as she sat nestled between her grandparents who were dutifully keeping her company throughout the nonsensical animation.

Carrying on, Terra found Garrus flopped onto her sofa like he was exhausted, his head tilted right back and his hands over his face.

"Help me," came his muffled voice. He let his arms fall to his sides, his gaze begging her. "My father doesn't fly back to Palaven until tomorrow and there's a high chance that I'm going to buckle under the tension, fall to my knees, and confess every little sin I've ever committed."

"He cares about you," she said, stepping into the kitchen to get him a drink.

"I know. That's why I've lasted this long. But that mantra's wearing thin now. It's easy for you, but me and my father…. He doesn't know how to do all that family stuff. It's just…" he searched for the right word.

Returning to stand in front of him, Terra handed him the glass. "Awkward?"

"Painfully." He looked at the contents of the glass. "I need something stronger."

"Not this early in the day, you don't," she responded, sitting on the low table opposite him. "Don't run away from him, Garrus. He needs you."

"We're talking about the same person, right? Teryck Vakarian? The most rigid veteran officer C-Sec ever had? The turian who can find something to judge a deity for?"

"A man with strong opinions, yes, but also a man who tirelessly led the search for you. He would never have given up on you, Garrus. You should try getting him off-balance. Give him a hug. I did."

"You hugged my father?" he snorted in amused disbelief. "How'd he react?"

"Never felt someone tense up so much, but that's not the point. There was a time when you could never have conceived the concept of hugging a human."

"It's true. You wore me down with affection. Maybe you should go warm my father up."

"I'm sure that wasn't meant the way it sounded," joked Kaidan as he walked in from the back of the kitchen. Then a message alert had him retracing his steps back to the study.

"Don't be a coward," Terra insisted.

"I come here for salvation and this is what I get? 'Go hug your father'," impersonated Garrus.

"That sounded nothing like me," Shepard sniffed.

"You forget he's a model turian. I try that with my father and he'll either have me committed to a psych-ward, or I'll never see him again… Hmm. Maybe it's worth the risk…"

Shepard just shook her head in amusement.

Kaidan re-appeared. "Looks like you've got extended-family problems again," he announced to Terra. "C-Sec just called. Apparently they have a krogan in a stand-off in the Armax Arena and he says he knows you."

Garrus groaned. "Let me deal with it. I'll tell them he's disowned and to go ahead and put us out of our misery."

Shepard stood, resigned to saving Grunt from himself, when Rorie came running in.

"Can I come see the naughty krogan, too?"

"You don't miss a thing do you?" observed Garrus. "You can show him how he's supposed to behave."

"Yay!"

Kaidan turned to his parents as they stretched out after their stint on the sofa. "Looks like it's just us. How about we get out of here for a bit? Take in the Presidium."

"Sounds good to me," said Alex.

Lena nodded with enthusiasm. "That would be lovely."

"Enjoy the peace while you can," Terra kissed Kaidan, then Rorie's hand was in hers as they left the apartment with Garrus in tow.

oOo

An exhausted Bau had made it out of the network of vents that had facilitated his ability to remain undetected. It had taken a lot of time but he was satisfied he had something to warn the Council with. He'd worked through the night, and so he'd been prepared to have to linger in place until the darkness provided him cover again, but when he'd peeped out it was to a thick blanket of greyish-white fog. The heat was still there but there was a moistness in the air that produced droplets of water against anything it touched, the ground beginning to soak it up. The absent sound of rumbling vehicles indicated that the weather had stalled any external work. That was a boon for him, though he'd have to keep alert for any sound of nearby yahg he wouldn't know were there until he was right on top of them, and the damp ground meant he had to be careful where he tread so he didn't leave tracks.

Once he'd made it further out from the base, he skirted the perimeter searching for any sign of the others.

He heard the growl first, freezing in place. Then there was a crunch, not of feet on ground but of teeth through bone. This wasn't a yahg. The group had come across these animals before, within the forest. They were slightly bigger than a varren, but much leaner, the muscle defined. It wasn't just the mouthful of fangs or the clawed feet that made them dangerous; it was the fact that those feet were more like hands, capable of grasping and climbing. They were perfectly suited to the changing environment, able to use the trees to traverse the denser forests as well as the shafts of rock, and slim-line enough to do it fast. It meant they could attack from the ground or above. Their only saving grace was that these animals appeared to travel alone, and Bau and his group had clearly presented a situation a lone creature was reticent to test. Now, however, he was alone. He needed to get a clear line on it before it saw him with the same four pairs of eyes the yahg had, but that meant having to get closer over the rocky terrain.

He took a single step and waited, the sounds of its eating filling the air. Another step, and the fog gave way enough for him to see the animal, its leather-like back to him. That was good. He detached his pistol with its silencer; he couldn't make too much noise so close to the base. Another step and he was ready as the head reared. There was a soft spot, right between the ears that swivelled in his direction, and he pulled the trigger before it could turn its head. Placing the entire clip in the back of the head, Bau watched as it teetered and keeled over, then closed in as he re-loaded. It was still alive, twitching limbs signalling brain damage but its eyes followed him none the less as he moved into its line of sight, the mouth pulling back into a snarl. Another empty clip and it was dead.

Now he could focus on the purple blood that smeared its muzzle and teeth, and he saw the cracked armour through which the flesh beneath was torn. Deyra. Or rather, Deyra's torso, her head and limbs absent. From the amount of blood that covered the ground, Bau guessed she'd made it this far alive. Then he caught the blue blood. Tagarin had said she was going to help Deyra, and it looked like she'd succeeded until here. He looked for signs of her body and after finding one of Deyra's legs, he found a severed arm belonging to Tagarin. The omnitool was lit. Had she been sending a message?

Detaching the tool, Bau retreated into less open ground. Playing the unsent recording, Bau watched Tagarin's harried face appear on the screen, her breathing harsh from running.

"We've been discovered. Choi and Rebus are dead, Deyra is badly wounded."

Bau could see Deyra just beside Tagarin, her whole chest-piece bloodied.

"Don't know about the Spec-." Tagarin broke off, looking over her shoulder, clearly skittish, then exchanged a glance with Deyra. In a flash, a group of yahg swarmed them, and within seconds the omnitool was recording from the ground. Deyra was literally pulled apart.

Bau had witnessed many things, but never this level of savagery as they twisted and wrenched her limbs with frightening ease.

Her screams were short-lived, and only the roars of satisfied yahg could be heard as they held up the pieces of rendered flesh like trophies, her head the last to be thrown aside in contempt. But Tagarin, her right shoulder socket horrendously empty, was forced to her knees, her body shaking violently at the trauma.

Bau was glued to the screen, needing to know what happened to Tagarin.

The group of yahg made way for an individual. This one was clearly in charge, and Bau recognised the markings – the Sur'Kesh escapee.

"Why are you here? What do you know?" The voice was deep. The yahg's or a Leviathan? Bau didn't know.

Tagarin, in severe pain, clamped her mouth together. When they pulled her remaining arm from her body, her agonised scream seized at Bau, making everything inside him tense, his stomach roiling.

"What do you know?"

Tagarin wavered on her knees, her eyes rolling in her head, and still she said nothing. The yahg leader said something to a nearby yahg, who sealed Tagarin's wounds with a grey substance, while the leader bent low to address her face to face.

"I will know your mind."

That had to be a Leviathan. Seeing Tagarin being dragged away was enough for Bau to know what he had to do next. They would place her in front of one of those artifacts, and then the Leviathans would gain knowledge of just how much they knew, and they'd been debriefed on a lot, including the measures they were working to put in place against the Leviathans pulse. Copying the recording, he attached it to the information he'd gathered. Finishing with a brief message, Bau sent it and headed back towards the base.

oOo

It was unusual to see Armax so empty. When an officer pointed to the main arena, Shepard strolled over to the balcony, Garrus following with Rorie sitting proudly in the groove of his armour, like she was royalty and he was her walking throne.

When they looked down both Shepard and Garrus were instantly left open-mouthed.

"Wrex!?"

Wrex looked up and grinned, "Shepard," his voice carrying through the silence, and echoing.

"Hi, Uncle Wex!" waved Rorie.

"Midget."

"I'm officially dumbfounded," uttered Garrus. "I was expecting Grunt. You know, the young, carefree one who doesn't seem to know any better?"

Shepard gestured at the officers surrounding him. "Didn't you tell them who you were?"

"They didn't believe me," grumbled Wrex.

"Why didn't you have them call Bakara to clear you?"

Wrex mumbled something under his breath. "I did. She refused. Said it was time I practiced my diplomatic skills."

Shepard and Garrus looked at the circle of twenty armed officers, all with guns still primed and aimed at him, and all looking thoroughly pissed.

"I don't do diplomacy," Wrex shrugged.

Shepard couldn't help but snigger.

"Do you have to encourage him?" complained Garrus. "He'll end up getting shot for sure."

"Don't shoot!" called out Rorie, suddenly concerned. "Let my Uncle Wex go!" she ordered them.

"Yeah, that," Garrus sighed out to his men. "Without the 'my Uncle' bit. And an extra r." He was getting some weird looks now, and Shepard was sniggering again. "Just let him go. Nothing to do with me you understand. Shepard's making me do it. Damn Spectres, think they run the place."

Rorie bent to look at him. "It was me, Uncle Gus, not mommy."

"Ssh. You're making me look bad."

With the situation lightened, the officers did as instructed.

Five minutes later, they were in a cab, Garrus driving and Wrex taking up most of the back-seat with Rorie draped over his head, looking at him upside down.

"Why aren't you on Tuchanka?" asked Shepard.

"Came to help you find the pyjak. Only you skipped out shortly before I arrived and left me here without a cause."

"Can I have a pyjak?" Rorie asked, brightly.

"No," Shepard said firmly.

"Aww," Rorie whined.

"Pyjaks are small and irritating," Wrex told her. "They've already got you for that."

"What's ear-tating?"

"You. Do you know what happens when I have nothing to occupy me?" Wrex continued to Shepard, ignoring Rorie, whose face was getting pinker as the blood rushed to her head. "I get bored. I spent the whole time trying to beat your score in the Armax Arena."

"Any luck?"

"Luck? It takes skill. Which apparently I don't have any longer," he muttered in distaste. "Couldn't touch your score."

"There was a glitch in the system that pitched everything at me at the same time."

"I was told that. When I demanded they do it again, they said no."

"Just face it. You're old and past it," ribbed Garrus.

What followed was an unimpressed silence where even Shepard could feel the eyes boring into the back of Garrus' head. "And then?" she moved them on - Garrus didn't need any more holes in his head.

"Then C-Sec came and told me to leave," shrugged Wrex.

Garrus gave a choking, knowing laugh. "What did you do to get them there?"

"Just some friendly threats, is all."

"There's no such thing as a friendly threat," Garrus retorted.

"Is if I don't mean it."

"Then it's not a threat," argued Garrus.

"Can you put your head inside your shell?" asked Rorie, saving them all from an impending argument.

"What?" Wrex's attention was now completely on the small creature hanging from his head.

"You have a shell like a tortoise. They can hide inside it when bad things try to eat them and it keeps them safe."

"They sound like wimps. Krogan don't hide; we fight."

"So you can't?"

"Never tried." Wrex then proceeded to retract his head in a hugely comical attempt to accomplish it. After a few seconds of his head plating hitting on his hump to the sound of Shepard's hysterics, he gave up. "No."

"Aw," responded a disappointed Rorie.

Shepard settled back in her seat, still giggling. Her family was crazy, but she loved them all. Then a question grabbed her. "If he's not in the arena, where's Grunt?"

Garrus' face fell. "Oh no."

oOo

He'd followed the trail of blue blood back to the underground passage, and Bau was now back in the vents. He'd had a good idea from his earlier recon where they might have put Tagarin.

Closing in on the row of rooms that were relatively empty, he found one that was no longer such. Tagarin was lying on the floor, her whole body still shuddering in shock. Bau guessed they didn't need her anything more than barely alive. An artifact glowed just a few feet from her. Not a concern for him at present, his field would protect him, but with no omnitool, Tagarin was exposed.

Considering his next move, Bau decided there was only one. Tagarin wasn't going to survive out there…. His silenced pistol in hand, Bau aimed through the grating and fired. With the short, soft 'putt' sound, Tagarin's body instantly stilled, the shot to her temple ending her torment as well as the Leviathans attempt to gain access.

Wasting no time lingering, Bau hustled away. He needed distance and fast. The commotion back in the room proved that the Leviathans were unhappy. He'd known his action would give away his presence. He would be hunted.

oOo

Hackett exited the elevator and strode through the Council Chamber, Coats falling in beside him. Up ahead he could see Kaidan waiting with his parents, serious faces all round. He'd already given both Kaidan and Terra a brief rundown of Bau's report. A shitload of ships…. It was more than they'd ever expected to face, and the rest of the infiltration team had failed to identify what was happening within those other buildings. They had to speed things up and get out there, fast.

His omnitool bleeped with an incoming message, and Hackett was almost reticent to open it - the last one had brought extremely bad news.

He felt the relief when he saw the sender.

Package delivered. Condition: damaged.

Zaeed

A little something to brighten a day which was quickly going to hell. He glanced at Coats, but the man was purposefully looking forward in order to maintain Hackett's privacy, so he tapped out a response.

Expected some damage.

Let me know when and where and I'll fulfil my end of the bargain.

Steve

"There's Ganpa!"

Rorie's excited voice echoed loudly around the quiet and orderly Chambers as she barrelled out of the elevator behind him, leaving behind Terra, Garrus and Wrex. Hackett immediately stopped in order to catch her in the hug she always wanted from him and offered in return.

"Hi, Uncle Matt," she smiled over at Coats.

"Hello, Cherub. You get bigger every time I see you."

"That's because I eat lots," she said seriously to Coats' amusement.

Then Kaidan's parents were there to take her, leading her back out to the Presidium, to distract her with playgrounds and ice-cream while the rest of them planned their next moves in order to keep her safe; to keep them all safe.

Hackett watched Terra's eyes following her daughter's departure, Kaidan doing the same as he joined her, his fingers lacing with hers.

Rorie's angelic face was smiling beautifully while she waved at them all as the doors closed.

Then she was gone, and they all stood there for a few seconds longer, Rorie's absence ringing louder than her voice had. Terra turned, with a look to Kaidan first, then to Hackett.

She didn't need to say anything. Hackett knew: the sooner they got this done, the sooner they could get back to that little girl.

Without a word, he turned in place and resumed his purposeful stride towards the waiting Council. The frame-work had been put in place. Now it was time to act on it. They were going to Parnack.

oOo