A/N
Hi everyone. Here is the second update for the month. I guess not as many people were interested in the last one. It has had the least amount of reviews since chapter three, seven years ago. I will keep it in mind. I had thought some people would be interested to see more things going on in the background, but I can always keep more focus just on the MC if that's what people want.
Anyway, if you want to read ahead you can see more on my pat-re-on. Bored Peasant's Written Works. There will be two side story updates next month there, the first will be happening in the next few days.
Special thanks to Aaron, Amorac07, Austin, Ben wanless, Brian, BuzzGrave, Chris, Christopher Herring, Eligah Moreno, Endervslender, Ezoz, Francisco J Guzman, Freeman, Hyaaa B1tch, Jason Bourne, Jebusno2, Jermaine Key, joshua scruggins, JotunAltHist, Lasted, liquidpotato, Luke, MathTheOriginal, Michael Scott, My Name is Klondike, Nathan Block, Nathan Duncan, Orangerazor120, Patiflops, Paul Fischer, Proxy, r4p16, Randall Cook, Ranger, Robert Tipton, Sam Tollefsbol, Sith_Paladin, sonic, Terror, The Senn Master, Thezombiegamer707, Tlingit97, Tristan d'conceicao, UtopiaKnight39, Voidwolf 1994 and Will Turner. You are all awesome and I appreciate you so much.
On with the story!
…
CHAPTER 48– RETURN TO THE CITADEL
(Brock POV)
Something I had experienced peripherally, but not directly, is that on a space ship, there is a lot of travel time between systems. Normally that isn't a big issue for me. There are plenty of things I could do on the Balrog to keep me occupied, whether it was training, checking my gear, checking in on the many projects that my people were working on, or just doing my own work.
As I lay on the surgical bed in the Normandy's Med Bay, I realised how spoiled I had been.
Doctor Chakwas wasn't clearing me to leave the medical suite until the ship had arrived at the Citadel, so I was stuck resting as much as possible. On top of that, while everyone did come by for short chats every now and again, even Wrex, all of them had other duties that were keeping them busy. I had my omnitool and could access some messages and do some work, but as I was still hesitant about my cyber security, I wasn't going to send messages about certain projects over an Alliance based server so I was stuck with the routine chats that the other members of the ground team came by for.
The only real exception to that was Liara. The little cutie was actually a little bit torn between wanting to come and look after me, and not wanting to stay in the same room that her mother was currently unconscious and restrained in. It was clear that the young, relatively speaking, asari was harbouring a little bit of a crush on me. I wasn't completely blind to that. Somehow, I guess she placed me higher than Shepard on her affection scale.
It did bring to mind my meeting with Manuel and made me think about what he had told me. I hadn't really allowed myself to be open to any romantic possibilities over the last two years, since I had arrived in the Citadel galaxy. It was completely understandable though. Throw away all of the angsty nonsense, people don't usually go through a massive amount of trauma, caused by their spouse, and emerge from it immediately ready to jump back in the saddle, so to speak. It takes a lot of effort, therapy and, most importantly, time to get through that trauma and open yourself up to the possibility of it happening again.
For me, I have been here for more than two years now. I had gotten past the physical trauma only a few months after arriving in this universe. Part of that, I truly believe, was because I had been the one to kill my torturers. I had removed any power they held over me when I killed them all.
The mental side of things… that was tricky. I had still been the same conversant and snarky person that I had always been. I flirted mildly with when that I thought would give a decent response to. None of that had ever progressed to anything, nor had I ever intended for it to progress to anything.
It's not that I wasn't aware that others were interested. Aleria certainly was in the early days, at least before the whole mess with Carlos. She probably still was interested, but I just don't think I can mentally fully recover from walking in and seeing his leftovers on her skin. It was always going to be in my mind if I went for her, which wasn't fair to her. She deserved more than that.
Persei was another one. She also had some jealous tendencies if she thought I flirted too much with other women and asari in her presence. It was one of the things that held me back a little. Another part of me worried that she had latched on to me after she had been freed from slavery and was interested for the wrong reasons. I had never talked about it with her though so I had no idea if that was true or not.
Miranda… well, she had shown actual interest when I had run into her and danced with her, but I couldn't trust her. Not until she broke the chain that bound her to Jack Harper and Cerberus.
If I was to look inwards at the Normandy for potential romantic partners… well, that presented its own challenge.
Williams was an early favourite for me in the games, but this was real life. She had an abrasive personality that just rubbed me the wrong way. I honestly couldn't be bothered putting in the effort if I felt like I was having to fight for everything in a relationship. It didn't matter if she had great legs and a decent rack outside of her armour, it doesn't help the instant she opens her mouth.
Shepard… now that was a pickle. She was early on in her development. She was certainly attractive, better than the games showed, that is for sure. Almost like a Christina Hendricks character, though not as well endowed. Not as a lack on Jane's part, Christina was just stacked. She was very serious about everything though. In fact, if I just left everything alone, she was probably a good match for Alenko right now.
She has been changing though. She was more relaxed around me now, happy to make jokes when she came in to visit me. It was like I was dealing with two different Jane Shepards. It wasn't flirting, but comradery. Still, something told me that if I wanted to pursue something with her, it would probably take a while.
Tali, bless her little quarian soul, was just a little cutie. However, she was also a kid. Late teenager, maybe, legal adult by human standards, technically, but still a kid. While she might have been an option for Shepard in the later games, that was a few years down the track, timewise. Besides, I had a feeling there was possibly something growing between her and Hectar and even if she wasn't way too young for me, there was no way I was going to block off my friend that way.
That left Liara, so far as the Normandy people were available. I mean, sure, I could have considered Benezia but from the records that were available, even before the whole Saren thing, she didn't think too much of humans and had done her part in trying to curtail human influence spreading throughout the galaxy. Plus, I don't know of many real-life people that would be interested in a relationship with you after you had been with their mother.
Liara was still lacking in self confidence a little. She was hesitant to speak up and was pretty fixated on her work. But she was pleasant, a good conversationalist, a genuinely nice person, and a beautiful young woman, or woman adjacent. If I was to show interest, I have a feeling that she would go for it instantly, but I was still hesitant myself.
I wasn't the hookup, one-night stand type of person. It just wasn't who I was deep down. Had I done it before? Sure, twice, before I got together with my ex, and I hadn't felt any joy or satisfaction with it. Which is fine. Some people are just not wired that way, despite what Fornax magazine would try tell you.
Either way, while I was now willing to consider that sort of emotional attachments, I still needed to figure things out. And while there were some good options around me, it didn't mean that I needed to settle for what was in my current immediate vicinity. I could look around and see what, or who, else was out there.
Not Jack though. She might have a whole redemption thing going on for her but the old adage of not sticking your dick in crazy was a lesson I had learned the hard way. That way lies madness.
Doctor Chakwas stepped up to my desk with Liara, interrupting my thoughts. In Liara's hands was a black suit bag.
"Mister Nielson," Chakwas began in her stern tone, "I understand the reasoning that you have for walking around on the Citadel. That said, I am ordering you to be exceptionally careful. You still have another week before I would consider your organs to be fully secure and bonded. I don't want you to do anything before that week is up which would jeopardise your recovery. Is that clear?"
I raised an eyebrow at her, tempted for a moment to snark back at the superior attitude, but I ultimately decided to just nod. The woman meant well but had horrible delivery. It was no wonder that she did so well on a military ship.
"Good," she continued. "I understand that you will have your own physician on hand to assist you while you are on the Citadel?"
I nodded again. "Yes, I have had a private suite set up," I confirmed. "My own personal doctor will be there to attend to me."
"Very well," she replied. "Liara has taken the liberty of bringing up your suit for you to change into. We shall wait while you…" she faded out as I stripped out of the hospital gown without a care for my lack of clothing underneath. The only thing I had on were a pair of boxer briefs.
Liara blushed a dark purple colour, let out a cute little eep and fled to her room at the back, almost running into the door as she tried to get through before it opened fully.
Chakwas watched her go, her lip twisted in wry amusement. "You could have waited for us to leave, Mister Nielson," she said with a slight reprimand in her tone.
I shrugged as I slowly put on the white long-sleeved shirt that Liara had brought up. While I was still on painkillers and so didn't feel any pain, I felt like my skin was too tight and was pulling if I stretched the wrong way. "It's not like you didn't see everything for me before," I said. "I have nothing to be ashamed of."
The corner of her mouth twitched a little further. "Yes, and I am sure that she will appreciate remembering it another time," she said. "But still, I would hope that you remember your manners and not parade around half naked if not receiving life-saving surgery."
I paused for a second, then nodded. "Fair enough," I replied. "I apologise to you and will do so to Liara when I see her next."
"Good," she said. "Now, we will be arriving at the Citadel in the next half hour. You will be allowed to leave the medical centre with your escorts then. Until then, just get dressed and sit tight."
The next forty minutes were a bit of a blur. I continued to get ready, most of which was making sure I didn't look like I was in pain, in case there were any paparazzi watching me depart the Normandy. It was entirely possible; after all, not many billionaires joined a mission to hunt a rogue Spectre with a new Spectre. It made me news worthy.
Still, the Normandy smoothly parked at the Docks near the Presidium and we disembarked. I walked slowly out of the airlock, but did my best to make it seem like a casual stroll. No need to make it look worse than I needed it to look.
That said, I saw a welcoming committee waiting for us when we departed the ship. Torrin was standing off to the side, ready to pick me up. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one there waiting for me. There were three reporters waiting for us, complete with their drone cameras floating behind them. Two of them were for me, an asari and a turian female, both of whom were seeking to address the rumours of my injury that had probably spread from Jane's reports to the Citadel, or maybe even some loose lips in my own company. They were concerned more on the business side of the news than they were about my person, with most of their questions focussing on how my injuries would affect my work output.
Thankfully, they were not a big deal. I spoke to both of them and assured them that I was still working and in fact was getting ready for the next Pokemon update, which was happening in a couple of months. I refused to speak more on it at that time though. It would have been poor form to make those sorts of announcements without the gaming company that was working for me, fulltime now since I had bought a majority share price of their company to ensure that no one had more say in my games than I did. Still, they were the ones bringing the games to life and I wouldn't take that away from them, especially as I could not do a single thing without them.
Once they left, I saw that the third reporter was still giving Jane some issues. More annoyingly, I remembered exactly who this reporter is; Khalisa al-Jilani. She was throwing out a whole bunch of inflammatory questions at Jane, demanding to know why she was abandoning humanity to play pet for the Citadel, why was she justifying alien aggression against the Alliance… that sort of thing.
Honestly, I was impressed that Jane didn't just punch the woman. She was clearly wearing on the Spectre's patience but Jane, it seemed, had managed to develop more of her politicking. Or perhaps, she just remembered being in front of superiors asking stupid questions and not being able to retaliate.
Either way, it was an interesting spectacle to witness.
Eventually, Jane finished up and left the reporter stewing behind her.
"I am going to head off to the Alliance Embassy," Jane said tiredly. And I need to make contact with that asari that was looking to hire me. Dantius. I will be taking the job, but I want to make it clear that I am not someone's attack dog that way." She smirked. "Maybe I can get a bigger pay out of her for her bad behaviour."
I chuckled. "Good luck with that," I replied. "If you need me I will be at my orphanage resting. I will be back at the ship about an hour before departure if I don't hear from you."
She nodded and bid me farewell, the rest of the ground team making their way to wherever they wanted. Liara gave me a smile and headed off to the Kithoi Ward. She was looking into a lead about something prothean that had come up while she was away.
With everyone else gone, I followed Torrin to an aircar.
"How is the treatment going?" I asked.
"Pretty good," he replied as the aircar took off in the direction of the orphanage. "I have another week to go before I can rejoin."
"Make sure you get some practice in," I said. "Use the simulators and get some exercise. I don't want you to be rusty for when you do."
He gave me a grin when he heard that, clearly happy that I was not going to stop him from coming back.
We made small talk until he dropped me off at the orphanage before heading back to the hospital. It was good to see him again. I was looking forward to having him join me back on the Normandy.
Liserias was waiting for me at the aircar station when I landed. When I stepped out, I noticed that she wasn't alone. Klara was standing with her, waiting too. The moment she saw me, the little girl threw herself at me, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug.
"I missed you," she whispered. "I was scared."
I just held onto her as I let her grip me as tight as she could.
My medic was glaring at me the moment I landed. "When you are no longer injured," she said without preamble, "I am going to hit you."
I grinned. "Good to see you again, Liserias."
She helped me inside, with Klara clinging to me the whole way, and led me to the offices on the left-hand side of the orphanage, where one had been converted into a hospital room of sorts.
I settled down on the bed, with Klara climbing up on to my left side and cuddling into me. I put my arm around her, feeling her body shaking. I guess she was scared of being abandoned, or having another parent die on her. My poor little girl was looking for some comfort. Well, cuddles were one of the best ways.
"It's ok," I said softly, keeping my voice as soothing as possible. "I'm alright. I'm ok."
She turned her head into my side, hiding her face. "I was really scared daddy," she whispered.
I pulled her in closer. "I know sweetheart," I murmured into her hair. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to worry, but I am safe and I am here with you now, ok?"
I felt her nod, but she continued to shake and I felt wetness through my shirt as she cried silently into my side.
Liserias looked on tenderly for a long moment, before looking up at me. "Always remember," she said softly, "that you have more people relying on you than you realise. Don't do anything stupid."
I gave her a wan smile. "That's the last thing I want to do," I said, knowing that it was only a recent thing for me. I had honestly been stuck so deeply in my own head that I had not thought about how my being gone would affect Klara. "I'll be more careful."
She knew what I couldn't say right then. While I would do my best to be more careful, and would be getting better gear to help, there were no guarantees in combat. With the way the future was likely to unfold, there was always going to be some risk associated with the work we do.
Not that I could say that to Klara. My poor daughter would just get worked up over it all. I wasn't trying to be insensitive to her concerns, I was just trying to be realistic to my situation. She was going to worry about me, and I was going to be fighting for the future of the galaxy. Fighting was risky.
Some slight snores came from my side and I saw that Klara had fallen asleep cuddled into me. I looked down at my little girl fondly, warmth spreading through my chest.
"She has been worried ever since she heard you were hurt," Liserias said softly. "She hasn't been sleeping much; always wanting to hear news. You should give her, her own omnitool so that you can keep in contact directly. It's getting cruel for her to worry and wait for a message to be passed to her through Persei or Malaea."
I nodded. There were plenty of options for parents to give their children 'safe' omnitools and restrict access to the various programs out there. Though, considering that she knew Hectar, if she could convince the quarian, there would be no app in the galaxy that she couldn't get downloaded.
After a few more minutes of just enjoying her presence, I carefully passed her on to Liserias to take back to her room. I would make sure that I would keep her with me while I was awake to help her be less worried.
Persei entered the room just after Liserias left, moving to sit next to my bed. "It's good to see you," she said softly. "You look much better than you did during our call the other day."
I gave her a wan smile. "I still feel tender, but I am going alright," I said honestly. "Thank you so much for keeping things going for me."
She gave a small smile of her own. "You're welcome," she replied demurely.
We sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, just enjoying a moment of peace. While I was uncertain about romantic prospects still, I knew I could count on Persei as a friend and confidant at least.
"I am going to do more to relax," I said out of the blue.
Persei blinked and looked over at me, surprised by my sudden outburst. "Excuse me?"
I sighed. "After this mission is done, I am going to spend more time on doing things I enjoy, just to help me wind down a little from time to time," I explained. "You know, not focussing on the galaxy or the company. Just spend time for me."
"I see," she said, looking at me with raised eyebrows. "I take it your injury has put some things in perspective for you?"
I gave her a lopsided smile. I knew that she would be smart enough to understand without me having to spell it out for her. "Basically," I said. "It was essentially shoved in my face that I had spent nearly no time over the last couple of years doing any real living. I have been working so hard trying to save the galaxy that I am forgetting what it is I am trying to save."
She gave a slow nod as she considered what I was saying. "Good."
I blinked at the short answer she gave. "Good?" I repeated quizzically.
She gave me a stern look. "I have been with you for two years," she said firmly. "In that time I have never seen you take a break. You have always worked at a pace that most would find boggling. Your mind is always engaged in strategies and plans that will boost our chances against the reapers. It doesn't matter if it is a business venture, or a trade agreement. Even the slave raids are a way for our ground teams to keep their skills sharp and give experience in infiltration and rescue, not just the benevolent result of freeing people from a horrible life. Everything about you is focussed on the coming invasion.
"Now, that's not bad, but I have seen many people working at half your pace that all ended up burnt out because they didn't make the time for their own rest. You have a strong constitution and a strong mind. That has helped you. But you too will eventually break to the pressures put upon your shoulders if you don't find a way to vent them from time to time."
I gave a heavy sigh. "Well, at least it's happening now?" I said uncertainly, as if asking permission. I don't know why but it felt like I was being scolded by my mother.
She pursed her lips together in distaste but gave a nod. "I will look at a range of options for you to get some relaxation in," she said. "Do you wish to do what many do and book for the Consort?" She couldn't hide the tiniest hint of reproach at that.
I shook my head. "No," I denied. "I have no desire to see the Consort. That's not my speed. Let's start with something simple. How about booking me a massage before I leave the Citadel?"
She raised her tattooed eyebrows at that. "Some people would consider it an honour to see the Consort."
I shook my head. "Not me. The massage is fine."
She nodded. "I will make a booking for you." She gave me a smile. "And for what it's worth, I am happy that you are taking these steps."
The chime on my desk interrupted our conversation as Malaea was sending a message to get my attention. Seeing as I didn't hear any gunfire, I assumed that it wasn't just another attack on the orphanage.
I gingerly reached over to the terminal and tapped the intercom. "Yes, Malaea?" I asked. "Something wrong?"
"Not exactly wrong," she replied, sounding hesitant. "But I do have the salarian councillor standing in front of me. He wants to meet with you. As in, right now."
I looked over at Persei, who gave me an exasperated look, before looking away.
"Sure," I replied. "Send him in. Only two guards though. The rest can wait at the front with you until we are finished."
"I'll pass on the message." She clicked off without waiting for a further reply.
We stayed seated for a few moments as we waited for the salarian councillor to make his appearance. Finally, after longer than I thought he would take, the door hissed open and Councillor Valern entered, with two salarian soldiers at his back. Neither of them looked like Spectres though, so I imagined that they were just regular soldiers on guard duty.
I stood slowly as he arrived, in his ceremonial robes and his hood raised. Clearly, the man had no desire to move around incognito, as those robes made him stand out like a sore thumb.
"Councillor," I greeted him. "Welcome to my little slice of orphan paradise."
"Mister Nielson," the salarian replied shortly. "I am relieved that you are well."
"I'm sure you are," I agreed without sounding smug. No need to rub in the proverbial boot that I had hanging over his head. We both knew what the Salarian Union stood to lose if I died mysteriously. The only reason they didn't make me 'disappear' was that the same thing would happen. The Union would be destroyed by the rest of the galaxy.
Not that I cared all that much. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. I just needed to make sure that nothing happened against them before the reapers were defeated.
"Let me introduce my assistant, Persei," I said, gesturing to the asari with me who had also stood when the salarian entered the office. "Before she joined me, she was a slave on Camala, but before that she was an ambassador for the planet Lessus to the hanar."
He clearly didn't want to, but even the salarian knew that there was always a place for manners. "I am pleased to meet you," he addressed her, sounding stiff and formal.
"The honour is mine, Councillor," Persei said demurely, with a slight bow.
"Now that introductions are out of the way," I cut back in, "would you like to take a seat?" I gestured to an empty chair in front of my desk.
The salarian moved as stiffly as his voice suggested as he stalked over and sat rigidly in the proffered chair. "Thank you," he said as I took my own seat.
"I know that the demands placed on a councillor are significant," I said looking at the salarian curiously. "And while I believe that I may know the reason that you are here, I think it would be best if you said what it was you came here to say so that you will be able to return to your work at your leisure."
The salarian gave a jerky nod. "Indeed," he replied. "I believe that you know how concerned I would have been if you had died from your accident. The risk to the entire galaxy would have been catastrophic! Surely you must understand that this is unacceptable to be putting yourself at risk?!"
I raised an eyebrow at him as he nearly shouted out the last part. I could see that he was legitimately concerned. After all, the risk of exposing the foul deeds of the salarians to the galaxy would mean devastating the Citadel community. Still, I wasn't going to be living in a foam box and letting the galaxy pass me by,
"Yes," I replied flatly. "How catastrophic it would be for the Salarian Union to finally realise that actions have consequences. That being one of the big three wasn't enough to prevent you from the threat of exposure, followed by annihilation." I narrowed my eyes at him. "Though, if something like that were to happen, I imagine that there would be another genophage ready to go for your current allies, isn't that right?"
He jerked back ever so slightly at the implication. I continued before he could respond.
"But on that term, allies, I have to wonder if the Union actually believes that term to ever apply to them? Do you have anyone that you would ever act for unselfishly? Do you have anyone that you would trust implicitly? I doubt that. So far, the Dalatrasses have all smiled with hidden blades in their hands at any peace conference. They are making the situation in the galaxy more unstable than ever. They have for more than a thousand years. And even now, all you are waiting for is the right moment to finish the job, cripple the asari and the turians and slide a knife in their backs."
The face on the salarian might have been made from steel with how hard his jaw was clenched. I couldn't see his hands, but I could tell that Persei was watching him and his guards closely. Just as I knew that he would risk acting right now, out of fear of what might happen if he went after me or my people.
"I can see how it might look after having seen the footage you recovered from your raids," Valern bit out. "But truthfully, there is no genophage option prepared for anyone else. We do value our allies."
I looked at him deadpan. "The evidence from your dalatrasses suggests otherwise. Though I suppose I could accept that there was no genophage for those races. If only because they are smart enough to come up with a cure for it."
The salarian pursed his lips. "As you say," he conceded. "However, we have strayed from the original purpose of my being here. Your health and safety are all that stands between us and chaos, Mister Nielson. Surely you can see that you staying somewhere safe is the best thing for the continued peace of the galaxy?"
I considered his point. It was certainly true, so far as his point of view was. However, I wasn't going to take it just because it was easy. The reapers wouldn't care if I was being kept as safe as possible. Knowing how to fight them was the best thing I could do for myself and the galaxy. Otherwise, we were just going to be defenceless.
"I can see why you think so," I replied, giving him a concession that was meant to placate him a little. "However, you don't have all of the information I have. And I am sure you can appreciate that I can't give you everything. All I can say is that over the next five, maybe ten years, every person in the galaxy will be better off knowing how to defend themselves to the best of their abilities, myself included."
He stared at me for a long moment. "I do not take you to be an alarmist," he replied cautiously.
I shook my head as I stared him right in the face. "I really am not."
For a full minute we locked eyes, searching for something that the other might reveal. Finally, he relaxed a little in his chair.
"Very well," he said, his voice sounding tired. "I concede that you have information that I don't have which causes you to believe that you fighting is necessary. I will just have to implore that you take greater measures to ensure your safety and security. I don't have to remind you the outcome if you should fall."
I nodded. "Don't worry on that account," I said easily. "I have already started taking steps to make sure that I am better protected."
He gave a small sigh of relief. "Thank you."
When he didn't stand up after a few seconds, I raised my eyebrow at him. "I take it there is more?"
The councillor became rigid and stiff again, defaulting to the 'councillor' setting that he must have ingrained by now. "There is," he replied.
He brought his hands up on the desk and clenched them. "There was an attack a few years ago," he explained through stiff lips. "It was on a convoy going through Union space, but skirting close to the borders of the Terminus systems. It was moved in complete secrecy, however it was still attacked by a large and prepared pirate fleet. The convoy managed to escape, though they were badly damaged and two of the escorting frigates were destroyed.
"You have shown that pirates do keep records of their activities," he said, sounding somewhat apprehensive. "Do you happen to know if you have captured any records for someone being hired to attack a ship called Silk Gloves of Fortitude? Or anyone in particular with Soltus as a family name? Or perhaps, Lekoso?"
I stared at him, frowning thoughtfully. "I am not sure off the top of my head," I replied slowly. "I will have to have someone check the archives. I take it that, seeing as you were using two different family names, it was either someone related to you through one of your marriage contracts, or perhaps a sibling of yours who had a name change due to a marriage and breeding contract?"
He gave a single sharp nod. "It is not commonly known," he said softly, glancing at Persei before looking back at me, "but four years ago, my wife was on that convoy. The convoy was in fact a cover for her to be able to travel. The reason isn't important. But I have never been able to find out for sure which pirate group was involved, or how they knew to find the convoy. I must admit that I am hoping that you would have that information."
I pursed my own lips as I thought of the details I had been given. "How large was the convoy?" I asked. "And do you know how large the attacker's fleet was?"
"The convoy was small," Valern replied instantly. "It was done that way to increase the secrecy. Smaller convoys attract less attention. All told there were only six vessels. A light cruiser, two frigates and three corvettes. Still, they were armed sufficiently to escape capture. The sensor data showed a medium cruiser and three frigates belonging to their attackers."
I gave a slow nod as I considered that. "That would eliminate the majority of mercenary groups that we have gone up against," I said. "The obvious answer is Blue Suns or Eclipse, as both of those groups would have the ships you mentioned. "I presume that those have been scratched off your list of likely parties?"
He nodded. "My sources have been able to disqualify either of those groups from being the perpetrators."
"Then that would leave the batarians themselves as the most likely suspects," I mused. "I will have to have someone go through all of our information and see if they can find anything relating to them. If not, I will reach out to some of my other contacts to determine if they know the culprits."
I fixed him with a curious look as another thought occurred to me. "Have you reached out to the Shadow Broker?" I asked. "Surely the galaxy's largest information merchant would have a decent chance of knowing who the attackers were."
"The Shadow Broker might have such information," Valern confirmed, sounding more normal now that we were talking about something more mundane. "However, they are also a large criminal organisation with unclear aims. The price for such information might be more than the galaxy is willing to pay. After all, I don't think he would really just want money from a councillor."
I nodded. A good point there. Until I managed to get rid of the Shadow Broker, I wouldn't trust anything that that yagh gave me to now be done without an agenda of some kind. Valern was clearly of the same mind here.
"Very well," I accepted. "I will contact those in my organisation that assess all of the information we have collected to see if there is anything that we can give you."
Valern have a nod. "Thank you," he stood. He hesitated for a moment. "And, please, if you do find anything that substantial against the dalatrasses again, inform me first so that I may try to fix whatever they have done."
I narrowed my eyes. "I make no promises on that score," I said. "Depending on what they have done, I might just decide to make some moves of my own. And I can promise you that if I do, the Union isn't going to like it. I will, however, consider it once I have the information."
The salarian grimaced. "I suppose that it is the best I am going to get. Farewell, Mister Nielson. I hope to hear from on you that other matter soon."
With that he departed, his guards in tow.
We waited for a long moment as I listened to him and his guard detail leave the premises. Persei made to speak, but I raised my hand and stopped her. Raising my omnitool, I activated a useful program that Hectar and Chop had collaborated on to detect any electronic bugs.
My scan of my office came up clean. I slowly walked back along the hallway, scanning the whole length of it. When I made it to the lobby area, I saw that Malaea was doing a scan of her own. After we finished nearly three minutes later, we found nothing.
For good measure, I continued to scan as I returned to the office. Once I returned to my desk, I opened my terminal and activated a special program. It would cause some very specific machinery hidden in the walls to give off an electrical pulse. Nothing powerful nor harmful to any living beings, except maybe the hanar. It just sends out a small electrical burst that would cause any unshielded electronics to backfire and short out. Like a tiny surveillance bug.
Nothing happened. I leaned back in my chair. I guess that the lizard man was sufficiently scared that I would suspect him if anything was found. Good to know.
"Are you sure that you want to get that close to another councillor?" Persei asked softly. "If other people found out, it would put a bigger target on your back."
I nodded. "I know," I replied. "Considering that so far, all of our business has been away from suspicious eyes, I think we are ok. That remains to be seen though."
I shook my head to clear it from those thoughts. "For now, I want to hear about how the extra security teams I had brought here to the Citadel are going? I have a few places I want us to start putting them, so we are going to need to organise some accommodation. And we need to do an immediate recall of all our assets on Ilos. We need everyone off there as soon as we can. The geth and Saren will probably be there soon. Send them to Eden Prime. There is going to be some pretty interesting stuff there when we continue digging."
Persei just nodded, opening up her omnitool to start taking notes. "I also want to talk about having a spare team to reinforce you if needed," she said sternly as she tapped away.
I sighed, knowing that this was another fight I wasn't likely to win.
…
1 film, 4 reviews
The Godfather
Thessian Suns Publication
By Helia Mis'audis
This was a masterpiece in cinematography for its time. The casting was excellent, the script was magnificent. The acting was remarkable. The characters were engaging and, from what little I know of the Underworld, the interaction between crime families was accurate and was portrayed very well. The cutthroat nature of it all was shown exceptionally.
The only thing that I wish was better would be the interaction between Michael and Kay. It had the markings of an abusive relationship, based on deception and power. It made me feel bad on Kay's behalf, though I do suppose that was the point so well done, I suppose.
Sur'kesh Leaf Script
By Silarn Moduk
A fascinating view of old human crime syndicates and how they interacted with each other. An engaging tale of betrayal, respect and revenge, through the lens of the criminals, instead of the police or the 'hero' as we so often see. It was a captivating look at how it all worked.
For those interested in watching, I would caution that there will be plenty of references that will need further research. I would recommend a look at the history of World War 2, which will give more understanding into the main actor's character. Definitely worth the watch.
Palaven Daily Call
By Marticus Lossus
An interesting vid, though one that does both match and conflict significantly with turian culture. It was an interesting and engaging story. The common themes of betrayal and ambition are ageless principles that are as old as time itself. Here, they are well told and certainly enjoyable. Anyone who watches this would be entertained.
On a side note, I do wish they gave more of a background on Michael. After all, we see him in a military uniform in the first part of the vid. As a former military man, I would be curious to know how that went for him.
The Krogan Word
By Ognut Grax
What the hell? I get that this was a take on some of the old gangs from a long time ago on Earth, but what the hell did I watch? Who the hell puts a horse head in someone's bed that way?
There were some good scenes though. Like when they went for a drive. And I think that last mob guy to lead the family was going to be more vicious. I might have to look at the sequel to see if I'm right. Coz if not, I just wasted two hours of my life on mind games.
I coulda done that by watching salarians write poetry.
…
A/N Caught up with a few background plots, a catch up with Torrin and Liserias, and Valern is coming out for a visit. A bit of a filler chapter, I know, but there is still some stuff happening and it wouldn't feel right if I just forgot some plot points or just did time skips until Brock was ready to start shooting again. The galaxy has plenty to offer and sometimes it is important to stop and see what else is going on.
Anyway, as I said at the start, the next chapter is mostly written and should be posted in the next few days. After that I will focus on the poll winner. Thanks everyone for all of your support. See you soon!