Chapter Seven

The card Khalisah had given Jacana was from the reception desk of the human embassy, it was nothing more than the embassy's contact details however and it wasn't going to get her much further than the front doors. She had no idea if Khalisah wanted her to wait at the reception desk or outside and she didn't much fancy hanging around in either spot, embassy security tended to be tight.

Though just as she began to consider her options, she saw Khalisah already standing outside the main doors. And she wasn't alone. She seemed to be speaking to a krogan, interviewing him judging by the video drone floating above her shoulder. Whatever she was saying was clearly provoking him, but as riled as he was getting she wouldn't back down. As Jacana approached she heard their voices getting louder and, quite abruptly, the krogan hit Khalisah with a punch that sent her staggering backwards into her own drone. As the drone clattered to the floor the krogan stormed away and Khalisah was left massaging her jaw. Bizarrely enough, she seemed to be smiling.

Jacana approached her, frowning curiously as the human gave her a triumphant grin, "Do you always have that effect on people?"

"Only when I need to," she held up her hand and Jacana saw a silver security pass glinting in the light, "the krogan works for embassy security," she explained, with a mischievous edge to her voice that both surprised and intrigued Jacana, perhaps there was more to Khalisah than she had first thought, "shall we let ourselves in?"

She led Jacana away from the main doors to a side entrance marked: Staff Only, which the krogan had presumably been guarding, and slid the pass over the console. Before Jacana had a chance to question or argue, the door had clicked open and they were inside.

"You know, there are easier ways to pick a man's pocket," Jacana muttered as she glanced around the empty corridor.

Khalisah simply shrugged, "I've learned to use my natural talents to my advantage."

"Getting punched?"

"Yes."

Jacana had no idea why they were breaking into the human embassy, but she was getting the impression that Khalisah was enjoying keeping her in the dark so she let it play out. There was no harm in giving her the reigns for a while, might even be interesting.

They strode at an impressive pace through a maze of back corridors and security rooms, avoiding several checkpoints and slipping through security scanners with a device Khalisah used to mask their presence. She was no amateur that was for sure.

As they rounded a corner they saw two human security officers crossing the corridor ahead of them and Khalisah quickly pushed her back out of their view. As Jacana peered in close around her shoulder to get a look at them, she could smell the scent of perfume on Khalisah's skin and in her hair and briefly wondered how the cash-strapped journalist acquired her beauty products.

"Aren't there cameras?" she whispered as they watched the officers pass.

"You're not the only one with a few tricks up her sleeve," Khalisah muttered, intriguing Jacana even further.

As the way became clear they moved on and eventually they emerged in the heart of the embassy where the offices of the highest diplomats were located. Jacana had listened in on many a conversation within these walls though she had never actually visited in person.

"Here we are," Khalisah led her to the nearest door, which held the name: Admiral Anderson. Jacana looked at her curiously from the corner of her eye but didn't voice the many questions that were running though her mind as Khalisah raised her hand and knocked sharply on the door.

"Come in!" the voice that answered was both weary and irritated and Jacana was sure his mood was not about to improve as Khalisah marched into his office, the locks of her hair bouncing with her stride. Jacana could tell instantly that this was not their first meeting.

Admiral Anderson was seated behind a desk facing the door. While he still carried a military title, Jacana knew that the old soldier was more of a military advisor to Councillor Udina these days and, rather than being in uniform, he wore a human style, cream suit which he was clearly uncomfortable in. As he looked up, his already irritated expression dropped like a stone.

"You."

"Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani, Westerlund News," despite clearly not needing to introduce herself, Khalisah did it anyway, striding powerfully towards the desk and tossing her card down in front of him. He eyed it distastefully.

"How did you get in here? No!" he added quickly before she could respond, "Forget I asked, I probably don't want to know anyway," his eyes lingered briefly on Jacana, "and who the hell are you?"

Jacana took her chance, adopted her best naïve-but-likable smile and leaned forward to take his hand eagerly between both of hers, "Jacana Aragem, freelance journalist. It's an honour to meet you, Admiral, you're an absolute legend."

She hadn't convinced him, but then she hadn't really expected to. Anderson's expression was completely blank and even verged on bored as he blinked, looked between them and nodded, "Uh-hu, good cop, bad cop, is it? I get it."

Jacana let her expression fall to one of genuine concern, "I don't know what you mean, Admiral."

"Of course you don't. Let's get on with this shall we? What do you want?"

It must surely have been Anderson's dislike of his job that stopped him from calling security and having the pair of them thrown out, Jacana mused as she and Khalisah sat in the two chairs opposite his desk. Some part of him liked that they had made the embassy look bad by sneaking in past their security. Some part of him wanted to let slip a few secrets that were never meant to leave these offices and some, small part probably enjoyed hearing the diplomats and the politicians being slandered in Khalisah's news reports. All of this was likely what Khalisah had been betting on, had they gone to Councillor Udina's office they would already be back out on the street.

Jacana watched Khalisah as she positioned herself in her chair, smoothing down the ripples of her dress and flicking back the locks of her hair so that they settled softly about her shoulders. There was a precision to her every move as she sat back and scrutinised the admiral for a moment, pretending to consider her words carefully, though Jacana could tell they were already well rehearsed.

"You spoke with Commander Shepard recently."

"So did you," Anderson replied and a twitch at the corner of his mouth told Jacana that he had enjoyed watching it. Shepard had, after all, utterly destroyed Khalisah's attempts to interview her and made the journalist look a complete fool during a live broadcast. Khalisah didn't flinch now though, instead smiling calmly.

"I'm sure your conversation was more enlightening. Particularly regarding Cerberus."

Anderson sighed softly, dropped the datapad he had been working on and pointed at Khalisah across the desk, "Now let's get one thing straight: Cerberus is not part of the Alliance, they are a rouge group, an embarrassment to humanity and a stain on the galaxy."

"Yet Commander Shepard is working for them," Khalisah replied swiftly, "you know it, the Council knows it, the question is: why haven't you arrested her?"

Jacana could see where she was going with this, Cerberus weren't just mavericks they were terrorists. The Alliance had the right to arrest anyone who worked with them, as did the Council. Instead they had reinstated Shepard's spectre status and let her walk free. The Council may have just wanted to avoid the publicity of arresting the Hero of the Citadel but the Alliance? Maybe they thought she could do some good with Cerberus.

"Do you know something we don't, Admiral?"

Anderson leaned forwards across his desk, his eyes twinkling as they met Khalisah's gaze, "You wouldn't be recording this, would you?"

"Of course not."

Jacana believed her. She had the feeling Khalisah wasn't looking for proof right now as much as facts, if there was anything she wanted to make public, she could find the evidence later.

It seemed Anderson believed her too as he leaned in further, "Then what if I told you that Cerberus has spent the last two years bringing Shepard back from the dead because they think she's our best hope? Maybe I think she's our best hope too."

"Against what?"

There was a meaningful pause before he answered, "Do you really think Sovereign was built by the geth?"

Khalisah blinked and then briefly turned away, shaking her hair down to hide her expression as she bought herself time to form a response.

Useful trick, Jacana mused.

"Admiral," she began, using an itch on her nose as an excuse to lengthen the pause further, "are you alluding to some kind of cover-up?"

"I'm not alluding to anything," he sat back suddenly, "but I will say this: we lost half the human fleet in the battle for the Citadel and no one is jumping to help us rebuild. If you want to help humanity, Miss al-Jilani, you can do it by gaining us support on the Citadel, not ridiculing our greatest hero."

Khalisah considered him for a long while, "Thank you for your time, Admiral."

He snorted as she stood to leave, "Funny, I don't remember offering it."