Chapter Four
Khalisah eyed the asari over the rim of her cup and sipped the hot coffee delicately. The Presidium buzzed with the voices of a dozen species as they passed by the little café Jacana had led her to. Some walked in groups, passing swiftly as they talked hurriedly over one other, gabbling in corporate speak as they scheduled meetings or conducted deals. Others were simply meandering through, there to enjoy the scenery. Couples chatted and laughed and children ran through the legs of the crowd, the more fortunate ones eager to escape their parents' watchful eyes and the less fortunate ones ready to pick the pockets of anyone unsuspecting enough.
Jacana was smiling cheerfully to herself as she stirred sugar into her own cup and pretended she didn't know she was being closely scrutinised.
She was pretty, in an asari kind of way, though probably quite plain next to others of her race. Asari skin tones ranged from vivid blue to deep purple, Jacana's settled at a light turquoise which complimented pale eyes of mint green. Like many asari she carried natural markings on her cheeks and her forehead which were soft lilac and looked not unlike rose petals.
While most asari favoured figure hugging dresses, often cut to reveal as much skin as they could legally get away with, Jacana was dressed in neat, black leathers, from her heeled boots to her designer jacket, which was worn casually over a plain white top.
It was always hard to judge asari ages, not just because they could live for over a thousand years. They didn't age in a way that was recognisable to other races, matriarchs seemed no less sprightly or energetic than maidens, quite the opposite in fact. Their skin didn't darken or wrinkle, their looks didn't fade. It was in the eyes that you really saw it, and the way they carried themselves. Maiden asari had an enthusiasm, a spark born from ignorance and irresponsibility and the idea that the galaxy was a playground built purely for their amusement. By the time they entered the latter stages of their lives they became stately, elusive figures, secretly carrying the knowledge of centuries that they felt no need to share with those they deemed too young to understand.
Looking at Jacana, however, she saw neither quality. She was no young maiden, that was for sure. Yet she didn't have the demeanour of someone who had lived long enough to lose all sense of purpose. Something that was certain however, she must have been born long before humanity had even conceived of space travel, something Khalisah never failed to find somewhat unsettling when speaking to the ageless beauties.
"So, Miss Aragem-
"Jacana," she corrected cheerfully before Khalisah could continue, "people only call me 'Miss Aragem' when they're attempting to talk down to me."
"Do people talk down to you a lot?"
She smiled and shrugged, "I'm a journalist. I ask questions they don't want to answer," something twinkled mischievously in her eyes as she blew gently on her coffee, "which of your lengthy names should I address you by?"
She paused briefly as she considered, "Khalisah, will do," she decided, she too hated being called 'Miss'.
"Pretty," Jacana mused before setting her cup aside and leaning forward on the table, "I suppose you want to know what information I have."
Khalisah inclined her head a little, "I was assuming you hadn't come to me empty handed."
"Never fear," a smile twitched on her lips and she pulled a datapad from inside her jacket and placed it on the table. As Khalisah picked it up she saw lengthy reports, scanner data and a recording of Commander Shepard and a group of quarians.
"What is this?" she asked curiously.
"Freedom's Progress," Jacana explained, "the last colony to be hit. Shepard was first on the scene with Cerberus, this is a record of everything they found."
"So she is working for Cerberus?" Khalisah narrowed her eyes sharply, "And you have access to their files?" Jacana's smile wrinkled her nose and she shrugged innocently, "How?"
"Contacts," she remained cheerfully vague and Khalisah knew there was no point in delving further, "Tevos knows about Cerberus too," Jacana continued, "even though she didn't admit it, she knew what you were angling at."
Khalisah looked up very slowly to see the asari still smiling at her, her gaze unflinching, "You were listening."
"Mm," she mused with a nod, "looks that way."
"But how? She has security measures in that office."
"Ah, yes, her famous security measures," Jacana chuckled softly and Khalisah felt her eyes narrow, she was starting to get the feeling that she was dealing with more than just a freelance journalist.
"What did Shepard find?"
"Empty buildings and a quarian on pilgrimage who survived the attack, there may have been more, this is all I've found so far."
Or it's all you're willing to tell me, Khalisah mused, you got used to playing these kind of games when you dealt in Citadel politics, maybe this asari was just being careful, or maybe she was up to something else. Either way, the information was too good to pass up.
"What are you hoping to get out of this, Jacana?" she asked, setting her coffee aside and feigning interest in the datapad as an excuse to lean forward and talk more quietly.
"Why, the truth, Khalisah," she smiled and flashed a set of perfect, milk-white teeth, "and joint credit for the story."
Naturally, "Is that all?"
She frowned and sighed, as though slightly saddened by Khalisah's suspicion, "I became a journalist to make a difference," she said genuinely, "to change things for the better. The same is true of you, I can tell. Whatever these attacks are, I'm sure they have implications for the rest of the galaxy. They need to be stopped."
Khalisah searched her peppermint coloured eyes for some trace of truth or trickery, but found nothing to help her in either case. Someone who could bug the asari councillor's office could be dangerous, and useful.
"Alright," she decided, taking a card from her top pocket and tossing it casually over to her, "meet me there first thing tomorrow."
Jacana took the card and frowned as Khalisah stood, "What will we be doing?"
"Turn up and you'll find out."