Chapter 3

Bright Lights

Ilium was an asari world, and yet it wasn't exactly an asari world. While no one could deny that the asari were a significant presence on the planet, Ilium was technically not a part of Council space. This had many benefits, especially for the many corporations looking to operate outside Council regulations. Slave trade, widely condemned across the galaxy, could still be found on Ilium, usually under the more consumer friendly name of 'indentured servitude'. Most drugs and illicit substances were available, provided one had the proper licenses.

Despite all that, Ilium was no Omega. There were no dark alleys or pollution choking the air; it was a lush garden world. The world's ambient heat kept most of the ground settlements near the polar regions, but the most thriving populations lived near the equatorial territories in massive clusters of sweeping skyscrapers. There, far above the heat of the planet, the more fashionable of the galaxy's criminal element did their business.

For the most part, it was safe. After all, the corporations couldn't do business if it was actively dangerous for consumers on the planet. As long as a person kept his, her, or its wits about them, Ilium was well worth visiting.

Finn docked the Ulasomorf at the city of Kelruga, as per Liara's instructions. According to the information she had given him, Kelruga was one of the larger commercial centers, which would have made it easy for the missing agent to blend in to the crowds while she waited for pickup.

"Says here that there's a pretty hefty security force here." Jake told Finn as the docking clamps engaged. "The boss says it shouldn't be a problem, but to try and not piss anyone off."

"Hey, I'm the figure of sociality." Finn said.

Jake chuckled. "Yeah, I remember how you dealt with that batarian on Omega."

"That was different. He had it coming to him."

"Uh huh."

"Well, what about you? I seem to remember you having a bit of a problem in Kilikan's Casino."

Jake snorted. "It's not my fault I'm so damn sexy. Poor VI couldn't help but grow attatched to me!"

"Inside voices." Mannon said from her console. Turning to face Finn, she asked, "So, who's going with you?"

"Huh?"

"Who are you bringing with you to pick up Agent Krios?" Mannon asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "I hate to say it, but our group stands out a bit too much for us all to go."

"Ooh!" Jake hopped up in his chair and started bouncing on his hind legs, one of his front paws waving excitedly in the air. "Me me me me!"

Chuckling, Finn patted his friend on the head, saying, "Easy there; of course I'm bringing my big bro along. As for the others … well, how about you, Darsan, and Kyra?"

The intercom crackled to life. "Can't, sweetie. The engine still needs a little work."

Finn glanced at the intercom. "Do you always eavesdrop on people?"

"Only the ones I like, sweetie. Don't have too much fun on Ilium, okay?"

As the intercom deactivated, Finn couldn't help but sigh and shake his head. "Okay then; just you, me, Darsan, and Jake. Eri, Xyn, and Kyra should be more than enough to keep an eye on the ship."

A grin crossed Finn's face. "Besides, it's been awhile since team J-27's been out and about."

"Team J-27." Mannon repeated, an amused look on her face. "Cute."

Finn tapped the intercom button on his console. "Darsan, meet us in the cargo bay. Everyone else, hang tight for the moment."

"Meet you there, bro!" Without another word, Jake took off for the cargo bay.

Chuckling, Finn said, "Just like a puppy."

As he rose from his seat, Mannon asked, "Are sure it's a good idea to take him along?"

"He's my brother." Finn told her. "Besides, his sensors should help us spot trouble before it hits us. You know him as well as I do, Sherle."

"I know, but …" She glanced down the passage Jake had taken to the cargo bay before asking, "Has he seemed a bit strange to you lately?"

Finn thought about Jake's recent behavior. Other than his recent deja-vu regarding Javik and Liara, Jake seemed to be his usual jovial self.

"Nope." Finn said, shaking his head. "Can't say he has. Why? Have you noticed something?"

She fidgeted in her chair. "I don't know; ever since we joined with Liara, he's seemed a bit … absent-minded. Like his mind's been elsewhere."

"That's just Jake." Finn patted her on the arm, saying, "C'mon; we've got an agent to pick up."

Darsan and Jake were waiting near the departure door. Thankfully, Darsan had given up his highly-conspicuous suit, though as usual he refused to part with his hat.

"Excited; I'm ready for the mission, Finn!"

"Easy there." Finn said, patting Darsan's massive arm. "It's just a pickup. According to Liara, there shouldn't be any trouble."

"As far as she knows." Jake said, wagging his tail end. "C'mon, Finn! Let's go!"

Finn threw up his arms in mock offense as he said, "Okay! Fine! We're going!"

Kelruga was a beautiful city. They say that it was built at the optimal altitude for the residents to enjoy the most spectacular sunsets. As the sun slowly fell below the horizon, a multitude of colors and light shone across the reflective faces of the skyscrapers high above them. It was quite a sight.

As they walked down the docking bay, they were met by an asari woman in a stunning evening dress. Of more immediate note, however, were the two armed security mechs flanking her.

"Hello there!" Finn said, giving the woman her best smile while trying to ignore her entourage.

"Greetings, Finn Cresste." The woman said pleasantly, bowing slightly. "Your docking fee has been processed and accepted. Welcome to Kelruga, the crown jewel of Ilium."

Glancing out the window at the magnificent cityscape, Finn said, "I can see why it got that name."

Shaking his head, he said, "Anything you'd recommend we see?"

"That depends on what you're looking for." She said, smiling. "If you're looking for a place to stay, the Andraste's Arms Hotel is considered the best in the galaxy. If you need a drink and some companionship, you couldn't do better than the Jumi's Tear. If you're looking for entertainment, may I recommend The Bowerstone Pub; The Siren's Call are performing there at the moment."

"Siren's Call, eh?" Finn said, scratching his chin. "I caught part of their act on Neukaara. Wouldn't mind seeing them again."

"Very good, sir." She said, standing aside. One of the lines on the floor began to glow, a small beacon of light slowly starting forward. "Follow the beacon, and it will lead you there, sir."

"Thanks, Miss-"

"Miirial."

Finn bowed his head respectfully. "Thanks for the help, Miss Miirial. A good day to you."

"And to you as well, sir."

As she walked off, Mannon poked Finn in the ribs. "Watch it, buster, or I'll tell Kyra."

"I'm just being polite." Finn said defensively. Shaking his head, he said, "C'mon; let's follow it."

"Concerned; what about the mission?" Darsan asked.

"We've got some time. Besides …" Finn checked his omni-tool again to verify the information. "The Bowerstone Pub's our meet-up location with Agent Krios."

The little beacon led the group out of the station and into the city proper. The town proper was just as lovely in its own way; asari architecture was full of sweeping pillars, smooth walls, and buildings that seemed to flow naturally from the ground. Several large parks had been established. Most were filled with native asari plantlife: graceful Jubaal trees with sweeping blue branches covered with amber leaves, robust genki bushes with wildly colorful blooms, and healthy paena vines growing on the trees, nearby buildings, and pretty much anything else that sat still for too long. It wasn't all asari, however; one park, admittedly smaller than the others, was populated by oak and pine trees, while another had trees that looked to be made entirely of some crystalline substance.

"Surprised; hargast trees." Darsan said as they passed the crystal forest. "Healthy grove, too. Impressed; they aren't easy to maintain."

"I'll bet." Jake commented. "Not careful about how you prune a branch, and it'll take your arm with it."

As they continued walking, Mannon let out a sigh. "It's hard to believe, isn't it?"

Finn nodded in agreement. "Definitely worth the trip."

"No, I mean us." She said, gesturing to me and Darsan. "The three of us-"

"Ahem." Jake said, his cartoon face narrowing its eyes at her.

Blushing, Mannon corrected, "The four of us, I mean. If you told me a few months ago that I'd be on Ilium today on a secret mission for the Shadow Broker, I'd have thought you were nuts."

Finn chuckled and patted her on the arm, saying, "It feels like ages since we were all on J-27."

A silence fell over the group for a few minutes before Darsan said, "Curious; do you miss it?"

"J-27?" Finn asked, surprised. He considered it for a few moments before saying, "Yeah, I guess I do. A little, anyway. Only having to worry about keeping the station together, spending most of my days reading or tinkering with the Gradisian … it was simple."

"I spent most of my days just staring at that damn communications console." Mannon said. "I swear, J-27 was placed at the perfect spot to avoid transmissions."

"Cheerful; oh, that was intentional." Darsan told her. "I was a bit surprised when the Alliance expressed interest in setting up a listening post. I'm sure they had their reasons; be damned if I knew what they were."

Jake let out a laugh. "And now we're super secret agents, out to stop the Illusive Man and his Reaper army!"

Finn bowed down as he continued walking and rapped his fist on the top of Jake's monitor. "Say it a little louder, why don't you?"

Chuckling, Jake bounded out of Finn's reach and started walking beside Darsan.

"Contemplative; still, it will be good when we can start rebuilding."

Finn and Jake nodded in agreement, but Mannon seemed surprised. "You're still planning to rebuild the station?"

"Matter-of-factly; of course! Bigger and better than ever. I had a massive insurance policy on that junk-heap. Don't you worry; the money's all safe and waiting for us to get through with this whole mess about the Illusive Man. Excited; just imagine it! A proper station, with levels and gravity lifts; I've been looking for some sponsors for proper hotel and restaurant facilities. We'll all have proper rooms too; no more having to sleep in the workshop."

"Amen to that." Finn said, rubbing his back.

"And this time, you'll both be full partners." Darsan promised them. "We'll run the station as a team!"

"You can keep the administration stuff." Finn told him. "I'll stay with maintenance, thank you very much."

"You, Jake, and Kyra?" Mannon asked curiously.

Finn blushed. "Maybe. We'll see."

"Satisfied; then it's settled; I'll handle the administration duties, Finn and Jake will head the Maintence Team, and Mannon, you can head up the security team."

"Head of station security, huh?" Mannon mused, a smile crossing her face. "I think I could handle that."

"Assuringly; it'll be great, Mannon, just you wait. Might even hire Eri as your second in command, if you're both okay with it."

"Uh, sure." Mannon said. Finn noticed she looked slightly uncomfortable, and made a mental note to ask her if something was wrong.

The Bowerstone Pub was a fairly large establishment. The outer façade had been designed to look much like that of an old-earth pub; stone walls, thatch roof, wood planking on the walls. There were even horse stalls, used mostly for parking. An old wooden sign hung beside the main entrance depicting a knight riding a pig.

Inside, however, was pretty much your standard pub; a large bar dominated the wall to the right of the entrance, a small stage covering the left. The space in between was filled with tables and chairs.

The pub was about half-full at the moment. Most people were sitting near the stage, no doubt there to watch the Siren's Call. As they walked in the door, however, the bartender glanced at them and said in a firm voice, "No bots allowed."

"Excuse me?" Finn asked, glancing at Jake.

"No bots allowed." The bartender repeated. This is a pub, not a garage."

Jake tugged at Finn's pants. "It's okay, man. I wanted to have a look around anyway."

"Cool. We'll meet up at that fountain beside the crystal park, okay?"

"Gotcha."

As Jake took off, the rest of the group headed into the pub. As Finn and Mannon sat down at a table roughly in the middle of the establishment, a human server with a bit of a rough look about him hurried over with a stool for Darsan.

"Welcome to the Bowerstone Pub." He said, pulling a small notepad from his belt. "What'llya have?"

"What's on tap?" Finn asked curiously.

"Asari Honey mead, Surlie Brothers Wine, and ale."

"Just ale?" Mannon asked, raising an eyebrow at the bartender.

"S'right. It tastes like old boots, but it'll get you drunk. A fine choice for the thrifty pub-goer just here for the show." The server said, nodding toward the stage.

Shaking his head, Finn asked, "Got any crystallic, by any chance?"

"Not a chance. If you're looking for something exotic, though, I've got a bottle of Xemptarian Wine. Gotta warn you, though; packs a hell of a punch."

"Sounds fine to me." Finn glanced at his friends. "What about you guys?"

"I'll try the mead." Mannon said, nodding at the server.

"One Xemptarian Wine and one Asari Honey Mead." The man glanced at Darsan, asking, "And a Visproy Spritzer for you?"

"Surprised; you read my mind."

Chuckling, the server said, "We get a lot of your people here. Best Spritzer on Ilium, they say."

"Eagerly; Indeed? Then I shall await it with great anticipation."

As the server hurried away, Finn glanced through the other pub-goers. Most were human or asari, though there were a few salarians right next to the stage, and a rather annoyed looking yahg sipping from a tankard that was as big as Finn's head.

Finn quickly looked away; the yahg weren't too happy with anyone they thought might be disrespecting them, and unfortunately, they interpreted pretty much any action as one of disrespect.

"Did Liara say when she was going to get her?" Mannon asked curiously.

"No. According to her notes, though, Agent Krios would know when we were docked. She's probably on the way now."

The server came back in a few minutes with their drinks. Finn raised an eyebrow at the small glass of blood-red liquid the server set in front of him, but the sight of what looked like a ice-cream sundae with a massive curly-straw sticking out of the top startled any other question from his mind, other than, "The hell?"

"Curious; you've never had a Visproy Spritzer before?" Darsan asked them.

Mannon glanced at the crystalline bowl in front of her with a hint of disappointment. "I wish I had."

"Informative; one scoop chocolate, one scoop vanilla, one scoop cherry, drenched in a whipped cream liquor and whipped cream with chopped nuts, all topped with an authentic cherry." Darsan picked up the cherry with two massive fingers and slipped it into one of his mouth slits. His eyes closed a moment later, a look Finn could only describe as ecstasy in his eyes. "Delighted; delicious!"

Shaking his head, Finn lifted the tiny glass and raised it to his mouth. The intense smell of alcohol coming from the liquid immediately made his eyes water. Closing his eyes, he took the tiniest of sips from the glass.

It wasn't too bad at first; the wine had a strange flavor that Finn couldn't place; fruity, but he could quite determine what kind of fruit. There was another flavor there, though; something else, something that could only be described as primal. When it hit, Finn's eyes flew open. While there was no alcoholic kick, it felt to Finn like the universe was in a wild spin. Feeling extremely light-headed, Finn managed to set the glass down without spilling it and immediately let his head hit the table.

"Finn!" Mannon's voice sounded startled.

Finn felt someone pat him roughly on the back, followed by the server's voice saying, "Give him a minute or two, and he'll be fine. If they don't pass out in the first few seconds, they come out fine."

"What the hell was that?" was what Finn wanted to ask. As he opened his mouth, however, all that came out was a blue-green mist. Once it was gone, Finn felt his disorientation fade away.

As he lifted his head from the table, Mannon asked, "Are you okay?"

"I think so." He managed, still feeling a bit light-headed. "I think … something to eat …"

"Ah, good thinking." The server said, whipping out his notebook again. "Never drink on an empty stomach, that's what I always say. What'llya have?"

By the time they gave their orders, Finn felt more or less like his usual self. Still, he had the presence of mind to order a glass of water with his sandwich; there was no way he was touching the xemptarian wine again.

Something bumped against the back of his chair. He glanced back to see a small human woman whose face was mostly obscured in her hood.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said, bowing politely. "I'm just so clumsy today."

"Not a problem." Finn told her.

As the woman moved away, Mannon asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Finn said, waving it off. "Just … didn't expect the wine to do that. Yours okay?"

"Mmm-hmm." She took another sip from her bowl. Finn could smell the scent of honey coming from the amber liquid.

"I've always been partial to the mead myself." Agent Krios said before taking a sip of her own bowl.

If Finn had been drinking something, he would've spit it out. "Agent Krios?"

She looked identical to the hologram Liara had shown Finn; red scales that went blood-red around her throat, slender athletic build, and jet black eyes. She sat in the seat next to him as though she had been there for hours.

"Please, call me Hylia." She bowed her head to each of the group in turn before returning her gaze to Finn. "I'm sorry if I startled you; I'm just used to being quiet, I guess."

"It's fine." Finn told her. "We're here for you, after all."

"Excellent. In that case, we should leave immediately."

"On your way?" The server said as he returned, our food in tow. "You're leaving?"

"Sudden change in our schedule." Finn said, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm sorry, but could we get all of that to go?"

"Well, sure, but …" The server seemed a bit flustered. "You'll miss Siren's Call."

Finn activated his omni-tool and paid for the meal. "We'll have to catch them some other time."

The server seemed confused, but he hurried off and returned a few moments later with a few food and drink containers. As he poured the group's drinks into the to-go cups, Darsan asked, "Curious; why must we leave now?"

"Believe me." Hylia told them, "Auntie Liara will want to see the information I found immediately. The sooner we're in a secure place, the sooner I can tell you more."

With food and drinks in tow, Finn and company left the Bowerstone Pub and made their way back to the docking bay. Finn couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed; he had hoped to see a bit more of the city during their stay. Still, at least the mission went off without a hitch. After how much trouble he and the others had during their flight from Cerberus, he supposed he was due a little normality for a change.

Remembering Jake, Finn activated their two-way communicator and said, "Yo, Jake; we met up with Krios a bit early. Better start heading back."

"You got it, bro."

Hylia glanced at him curiously. "Jake?"

"I'll explain when we get back to the Ulasomorf." Finn told her.

As they walked towards the bay where the Ulasomorf was docked, they were met by Miirial and her two security mechs.

"Hello again." Finn said cheerily as they approached.

To his surprise, the security mechs lifted their pistols and aimed straight at the group.

Stopping dead in his tracks, Finn asked, "What the hell? What's going on here?"

"I am sorry for the inconvenience sir." Miirial stepped forward and activated some kind of hand-scanner. As she scanned Mannon, she continued, "We just received reports of a break-in at the Bridgemont Museum. Apparently, the thief made off with the Creator's Tear."

"The Creator's Tear?" Finn asked as the asari moved on to Darsan.

"A valuable jewel found in the core of the moon of Dresnu. According to legend, the jewel shows the way to a fabulous treasure. I don't know about that, but the gem itself is worth a considerable amount of credits."

"So what's this 'Creator's Tear look like?" Mannon asked curiously as Miirial scanned Finn.

The light of the scanner focused on Finn's waist. Her smile dropping from her face, Miirial reached into Finn's right pocket and pulled out a glittering tear-shaped blue jewel about the size of a golf-ball.

"Like this." She said grimly.