Chapter 22

Outside Lirelia Police Department – Nos Astra – Illium

When Shepard landed back at the police station, she found quite the scene. Most of her crew had flown back to the Normandy and left her, Miranda, and Jack to finish off the paperwork with the justicar. As she headed for the station, her eyes immediately flew over to Pitne For who was now interrogating his assistant and former biotic god.

"You… told the spectre what?! Are you mad?!" snapped the volus as he smacked Niftu Cal with the back of his hand.

"I was under the… influence of red sand! Wasea drugged me!" said the volus in his defense.

Shepard's glare darkened and she marched headfirst towards the scene. There were two krogan standing guard who stepped up to her. "Alright Spectre, Pitne For has said he wants repre-" started one of the bodyguards before Shepard grabbed him with biotics and slammed him into the other, sending them both sprawling across the lot. Pitne saw the act and held his hands up just as Shepard raised her foot and kicked him directly in his head with the flat of her boot, causing him to roll backwards several times before coming to a stop.

The krogan tried to get up and grab their weapons, but Miranda swiped the weapons away with her biotics and Jack just glared at them with her overwhelming biotic aura, causing them to hold their hands up in surrender. "Drug smuggling, selling tainted red sand, and now abusing your employee?" she growled with a heated glare. "Pitne For, if I ever see you lay a hand on him again, you'll pray for a death as quick as your partner's!"

Miranda and Jack looked at each other in surprise before looking to Shepard. "You uh… alright there, Shepard?" asked Jack curiously. "I'm supposed to be the psycho bitch, remember?"

She let out a hissing sigh before turning around. "He was tortured, drugged, and assaulted for an entire day after his boss left him to die, and then he makes it back just to get assaulted again."

"Everything I did was… perfectly legal. Corporal punishment…" started Pitne For as he finally got to his feet and pointed at the spectre.

Shepard turned around, her biotics raging around her and her eyes and cheek scar glowing red in rage. "Siiiilence…" she hissed pure malice at him. Nodding once, the volus fell backwards and fainted.

"Thank you for protecting me, but I fear he will only retaliate… fourfold once you are gone," said the volus with a heavy sigh.

With her biotics gone, Shepard inhaled deeply. Miranda eyed her to make sure she was alright before turning to the volus. "Why would you still work for him?"

"I don't really have any choice. I've worked for him for fifteen years. I have nowhere else to go…" he said sadly as he scratched his head.

Snorting, Shepard turned to him. "Niftu Cal!" she snapped firmly. He stood straight and stared up at her.

"Y-Yes? What is it?" he asked more inquisitive than scared.

"If you ever want to get away from that abusive trash, then call this number," she said as she showed him the information. "You have a good memory?"

"With numbers? Almost flawless," he said as he scanned the number a few times and looked up to her. "But… what is it?"

"A… erm… friend of mine works here on Illium as an information broker. She absolutely needs more friends and could use a worker as loyal as you," said the spectre as she glared over at Pitne For. The krogan had gotten up again and were trying to stand him up again.

"I… why would you do this for me?" asked the volus as he clamped his suited hands together.

"Because I've dealt with plenty of abuse of authority and was lucky enough to be able to push back. Not everyone can do what I do without help. So, I try to help when I see it," she stated firmly. "The choice is yours though. You have to make the call."

"I will… thank you, spectre," said the volus as he looked at the ground, almost seeming lost.

Nodding, Shepard turned and headed to the police station. Jack grinned and stood next to him. "I'll stay out here with the biotic god while you canoodle with the fashies!"

Miranda rolled her eyes as they entered the police station. The asari at the front desk immediately pointed to an office off to the side. Shepard stepped inside with a knock on the door and saw Samara sitting cross-legged on the floor meditating while Anaya typed away at her terminal. The detective looked up and a look of relief crossed her features. "Oh thank the goddess…" sighed the woman as she sat back in her chair.

"No faith in my abilities?" asked Shepard sarcastically.

"Oh, I had faith. But I also know you have a flare for the dramatic and fully expected you to nuke their base off the map," said the asari as she leaned her chin on her fist. "So, did anyone survive?"

"Most of them believe it or not," said the spectre as she took a seat in one of the chairs. "She killed a grand total of maybe three people and Wasea's army was surprisingly compliant after seeing one of the crew blast a hole big enough to drive an aircar all the way through their building." She shrugged as she did the math in her head. "Mainly injuries, I'd say about a total of twenty killed including Wasea and Yara."

"That's manageable. How about her thing?" asked the detective as she nodded towards Samara. The justicar broke her meditation and looked up at Shepard as well.

"I've got the information you need," said Shepard as she turned to Anaya. "I've also go a pretty good idea who killed the volus merchant, and why he was killed. You might wanna bring Pitne For in for questioning."

"I'd love nothing more," said the detective with a grin. "You looking for a job, Spectre? You've been here a day and already lightened my load a ton."

"Thanks, but I'm pretty sure my crew member out there would turn me into a folding chair if I became an actual cop," said Shepard with a grin. "Either way, I've got much bigger shit to deal with unfortunately."

"Understood. Well, pass me the information and I'll get on it. You and her can have the office for the moment," said the detective as she stepped outside the office and began screaming at a patrol to help her wrangle the toxic merchant in.

Samara stood to her feet and gave a genuine smile, though it was slow and deliberate, almost confirming Shepard's theory about her potential condition. "You are effective at what you do, Shepard. I appreciate your assistance."

"I'm sure I'll come to appreciate yours in the days and weeks to come. Now, according to one of the victims in the Eclipse compound, Wasea was on a call while they were pumping him full of drugs. He overheard the person on her comm say that the target was sent to Omega," said the spectre as she leaned back against the wall.

"She has been there before, but I have a few contacts there as well," said the justicar as she eyed Shepard. "Was there anymore?"

"The name Morinth came up," said Shepard as she eyed the woman curiously. "The only time I've ever heard that name was in regards to some very lowkey assassinations."

"Your ship is private?" asked the justicar curiously, getting a nod from the human. "Then I shall tell you there. Let us leave this place."

Ship Observatory – SSV Normandy SR2

Once they were inside the small room, Samara stared out across the landscape that showed through the window. "Glorious…"

"It's got a view," said the spectre as she leaned against the door she had just closed. "So, who is Morinth?"

"Morinth is a pseudonym she took when she started taking money for her kills," said the justicar solemnly as she stared out the window. "Her true name is Mirala Syreen, and she is what is known as an Ardat-Yakshi."

"Ardat-Yakshi?" asked Shepard curiously. She had seen it referenced a couple times in asari culture, but never knew the origin of the name, nor what it meant.

"Ardat-Yakshi is a phrase brought over from a dead asari dialect that means 'demon of the night winds.' But with the mythology removed, they are asari who are predators who feed on others," said the older woman.

"What? Like vampires?" asked Shepard, wondering if the asari even knew what a vampire was.

"An apt comparison, but no," she said as she turned and looked at Shepard. Perhaps it was the lighting back on Illium, or maybe Shepard's adrenaline made her ignore it before. But she couldn't help but notice the woman's eerie, almost glowing, green eyes. They pierced her to her core. "Shepard, I will tell you about Ardat-Yakshi. But I must refrain from speaking about Morinth herself. Perhaps I will tell you one day, but for now I ask that you respect my privacy on the matter."

"As long as you tell me what's going on before I'm required to help you, that's fine," said the spectre as she eyed the woman.

Nodding silently, the justicar continued. "Ardat-Yakshi are asari born with a condition," she said as she looked down for a long moment before looking back up at Shepard. "Have you ever melded with an asari romantically, spectre?"

Shepard's brow rose suspiciously. "I hesitantly say yes."

"Then you know that when you connect with them, when you truly become one, you experience everything. Their love, their joy, and if you're close enough, you experience their memories and their passion. It's a very bonding experience," said Samara as she sat down on the floor again. Signaling Shepard to follow, she continued. "Imagine meeting an asari more beautiful than anyone you've ever met, more alluring, more arousing, more of everything. Now imagine that the part of you that wanted her grew stronger until eventually you made contact. Now, imagine you're about to meld, and instead of feeling joy and passion, you felt as if your nervous system was making contact with a live wire."

Shepard frowned at the comparison. "They bait you in and kill you?"

"Once they have access to your nervous system, once they touch you, it's all but over. The consciousness of both the predator and prey vanish from the world, and they only see each other, as with normal melding. But an Ardat-Yakshi cannot meld normally, even to learn. They thrive off pain and suffering. It's narcotic to them, so what they do is they connect to your nervous system, and then subject you to the most excruciating pain you've ever felt in your life. They activate every nerve in your body and you die in agony while they savor the pain without coming to any harm." She closed her eyes and sighed. "They are rarely spoken of in asari society today. Our leaders wish to maintain an image of purity, diplomacy, and patience. So, having something like this talked about frequently would harm the image they try to maintain."

"How common is this condition?" asked Shepard as she sat cross-legged across from the justicar, mirroring her pose.

"It's extremely rare. There are only three known Ardat-Yakshi in existence," said Samara as she looked sullen. "We still haven't isolated the cause of the condition, and it only develops during adolescence when it's far too late to do anything about it. But we do know that it has only ever been recorded among asari who were born to an asari mother and father."

"Oh…" said Shepard in surprise. "So, the 'pureblood' stigma comes from that?"

"Yes and no," said the older woman with a small smile. "Asari society is all about the picture of progress. Even if we are not making progress, we have to look like we are. Which means that when we choose a mate, we have to look like we're trying to learn and gain from other species. A pairing between asari teaches us nothing new, and the child will not have the father species to teach it new languages and cultures. It's a practice of keeping up the appearance that we are always looking forward."

"I… see. So, purebloods are stigmatized because they go against the image that the asari are so open-minded and diplomatic that they would mate outside their species?" asked the spectre as she leaned her elbows on her knees.

Samara nodded slowly. "Ever since the Citadel was discovered with the salarians, the amount of asari movies that showed asari couples dropped significantly. And with every new species introduced to galactic society, it drops more and more. There may have been five movies that came out last year showing an asari couple and even then they were not at the forefront of the movie. It is truly seen as a shame on an asari for them to pair with another of our people."

"It's terrible that they're stigmatizing people just to keep up this image," said Shepard as she frowned at the idea of Liara being bullied over the concept.

"It is. And it certainly doesn't help the image of a same species born asari that they have the potential for the Ardat-Yakshi condition. While it wasn't the cause, it certainly didn't help the image," said the woman knowingly.

"Thank you for the information," said Shepard as she began to rise. But Samara stopped her.

"Before you go, spectre, I must devote myself to you," said the older woman as she took Shepard's hands into her own.

"I'm not sure what you mean," responded Shepard as she crossed her legs again and held the asari's hands.

"It's a ritual among the justicar. Occasionally, it becomes necessary for a justicar to suspend adherence to their code in order to fight a greater evil. Sometimes, small justices must be set aside so that larger ones can be exacted. This ritual is known as the Bellivalis and is usually only used in times of dire need," said the woman as she looked up into Shepard's blue eyes.

"But you're going to use it now?" asked Shepard curiously.

"Like the Ritual of Conscription, the Bellavalis is a tool to be used when necessary. And right now, you need my cooperation to stop the collectors and the reapers. While I have faith that your morality will not clash with my code, I mustn't risk being put into a situation where I endanger the galaxy because you did something that breaks my code," said the older woman with a small grin. "Once the mission is over, we can then discuss any violations of the Code you may have committed."

Shepard noticed the emphasis that she put on the word 'discuss,' but ignored it and shook her head. "Fine fine. I doubt I'd ever do anything deliberately evil or unjust. But if I ever come across a decision like that, I'll ask your counsel first," said the spectre with a nod.

Samara closed her eyes for a long moment and her biotics lit up the entire room as they surrounded her body. When she opened her eyes, her eyes were dark pools of the abyss. Unlike with melding, Shepard couldn't see any part of her pupil or iris within the depth of the darkness. "We are Justicar. Our Code is our life, our guide, and our will. But the universe is a place of violence and darkness that must be repelled with the light of justice. To spread this light and meet out justice to an ever growing darkness, I will align my Code with yours. Your orders will be mine to follow. Your battles, mine to fight. And your victory, mine to achieve."

The biotics flashed brightly and then were gone in an instant. Shepard blinked rapidly to get the shiny light spots from her vision, then eyed the justicar curiously. Her eyes had returned to normal now, and she was smiling softly. "So? That's it?"

"That's it. I will fight your fight, Shepard, as long as our bargain is kept," said the asari as she placed her hands on her lap.

"Right," said Shepard as she finally stood up. Stepping to the side, she gave Samara a full view of the landscape again as he headed for the door. "Just one last question." The justicar turned her head towards Shepard. "The Ardat-Yakshi you're chasing, her last name is Syreen."

"It is," said Samara quietly.

"And I've looked into your history. Matriarchs drop their last names and justicars have no need for them. But before all that, your name was Lesinda Syreen," said the spectre as her brows furrowed.

Samara stayed silent for a long moment before looking back out the window. "It is as it appears."

Shepard felt the pain inside her heart from the revelation. But instead of saying what didn't need to be said, she turned and left the room as quietly as the grave.

Biotic Training Room – SSV Normandy SR2

"Your biotics are good. You've gotten better at using them every day. I'd even go so far as to say I'm impressed with your progress. But you're still falling into the default behavior of most humans," said Miranda with her arms crossed. "It can be simple enough to throw someone into the air and shoot them with your gun. But there are going to be times when you don't have your gun, and your biotics are going to need to do the killing for you."

"The fuck am I here for? I kill just fine with my biotics," growled Jack as she sat on the floor leaning back on her arms.

"Because you're extremely powerful, but unfocused. That biotic attack that smashed through the Eclipse base? You could cut an Alliance cruiser in half with that kind of power if you focused it rather than just letting it explode out of you," said Miranda with a grin.

"And what, you're gonna teach me how to do that, little miss hourglass?" asked Jack sarcastically.

"Actually, I found another teacher," said Miranda as the door to the room opened. "I'm a human, I probably know more about biotics than most humans. But I cannot teach you better than someone who has had them and used them effectively for nearly a millennia."

Shepard, Jack, and Jacob all looked up at the figure of the asari woman stepping into the room. Even Grunt, who was just sitting in the corner on his datapad looked up to see her. Shepard nodded. "I'm glad the Cerberus ideology of human superiority isn't clouding your vision, Miranda," said the spectre as she stretched out her arms.

Samara walked forward and sat in front of them all. Jacob eyed her curiously. "Uhh… we gonna practice sitting down?"

"How advanced are you?" asked Samara curiously as she eyed them all.

"I can create micro warp fields, Shepard can alter her speed and movement, Jack can crush a small ship with hers, and Jacob is… Jacob," said Miranda with her hands on her hips.

"Ouch," said the man as he put his hand over his heart. "That's alright, I'm fine being the hot one."

Jack snorted. "Oh please, boy scout. I hate the Cerberus bitch over here but even I can admit she's hotter than you."

"Damn," said Jacob with a shake of his head.

"Jacob is a mix of combat utility and biotics. But he's better with weapons than biotics," said Shepard as she looked back at him. "We all have our talents, Jacob. No need to get defensive."

"Have any of you discovered your inner world?" asked the justicar as she looked among those present. Even Miranda had a blank look on her face. "I'll take that as a no…"

"What's an inner world?" asked Shepard bluntly.

"Biotics have a unique awareness of their own nervous system. They use it to direct dark energy in the form of biotics. While any person can run their finger over their skin and feel the sensation, only biotics can feel things without being touched," said the asari as she looked up at them all. "You feel the universe moving around you at every moment. The entire expansion of the universe is powered by dark energy. It is everywhere around us, and biotics of all species can feel it. But unless you're told this, most people don't because their mind treats it like static and blocks it out. Like breathing, you don't truly become aware of it until you're told you about it."

"Holy shit…" said Jacob in shock as he looked at his muscular arms. "My mind is blown right now."

"This unique awareness gives you access to a tool you can use in many different kinds of situations. For those with high stress lives, it can be used to relieve pressure from your responsibilities. For the more combat oriented, it can keep you focused and deaden pain. And for those captured by enemy combatants, it can even be an oasis from torture," said the asari as she breathed in heavily and closed her eyes.

"Wait…" said Shepard as she scratched her head. "Do you mean the void?"

"It is only a void because you have not trained yourself to see it any different," said the woman. "Close your eyes and be still. Slow your breathing. Allow your body to drive itself, and focus all of your senses inward to your own mind." Miranda sat down and did as she was bid. Closing her eyes, she inhaled slowly, then exhaled. It was very light, but she could sense it. It was like feeling the invisible glow of static electricity all around her body. "Now, feel the flow of dark energy around you, feel as the universe expands every second we're inside of it. And allow yourself to drift into that energy as if it were a pond."

Within a matter of seconds, Miranda was shocked as she felt the world around herself vanish as if she had linked with another. But she saw no memories, she felt no emotions. There was only darkness. She noticed, as was the case every time she visited this darkness, that she had no clothing on and she was simply floating in place. But she was surprised to still hear Samara's voice as if from on high.

"Now, reflect on things that make you feel safe, things that make you happy. It could be a person, place, a book, a painting, a scent. Anything at all," came the instruction. Miranda closed her eyes and focused and she felt things materializing around her. She found herself standing, now fully clothed inside of a coffee shop. The smell of roasting beans hit her nose and immediately her nerves were putty as she sat in one of the cushioned seats. Looking up, she saw numerous rows of shelves with books packed into every available inch of space.

Then she looked over and noticed her sister sitting in a chair at a table nearby. She held her own cup of steaming coffee and a book on environmental engineering. Miranda smiled brightly as she felt the warmth inside of her grow. It was then that Miranda's eyes widened slightly. The small shop had a large solarium-like window on one side with dim sunlight shining through and on the other side crammed in between the bookshelves was the coffee bar. And sitting behind the bar typing away on a terminal was the fiery-haired spectre.

She found herself confused for a moment but ignored it as she took in the sights and sounds of everything that made her happy.

Jacob focused on his happiness, what truly made him happy as the asari instructed. When he opened his eyes, not only was he dressed in his usual uniform, but he was also standing over the cleaning bench of the armory aboard the Normandy. Looking around, he noticed that his mom was sitting in a chair nearby combing the braids out of her hair with a wide-tooth comb. But aside from that, not a single detail was changed, leaving him to sigh to himself. "Damn… I am boring…"

Shepard opened her eyes and found herself sitting in her quarters. She thought for sure it'd be her old quarters from the first Normandy, but thinking about it the quarters in the new one were definitely better. The ceiling above her was as clear as glass, allowing her to see the stars around her lighting up the darkness of the galaxy. Then a familiar sound hit her ears and she turned to see a fish tank that took up an entire section of the wall. Fish of every kind were swimming around nabbing at the food that was automatically dispensed to them. Standing up from her desk, she turned to look down at her actual lounge and bedroom and her eyes widened.

Liara was sitting cross-legged on the bed working on datapads. Surprisingly, she had the eyebrows that she had recently gotten cosmetically implanted. She supposed she couldn't unsee them now that she had seen them. She was also wearing her familiar doctor's smock that she wore aboard the old Normandy. At her desk next to her bed, Garrus was sitting and cleaning his rifle. Tali and Grunt were on the couch, Grunt staring wide-eyed at her hamster while Tali gave it some food. And her walls were decorated with pictures of her other crew members that she either hadn't gotten to know well enough or hadn't seen in a long while. She simply grinned and stepped down the stairs before sliding onto her bed to help Liara with her datapads.

Suddenly, Samara's voice came back. "Once your inner world is established, come back to reality."

Shepard frowned but knew she could come back to this place at any time she wanted now that she knew what it was. Closing her eyes, she removed herself from the stream of the universe, and her eyes opened again. She was back in the training room with the others.

Samara opened her eyes and looked at them all. "Do you understand now?"

"Just… a quick question," said Miranda as she raised her hand. "Is everything in there something that comforts us?"

"Your mind knows what gives you comfort, even if you choose to deny it. But it matters little," said the justicar as she placed her hands on her knees. "Nobody can see inside your world unless you choose to share. So, enjoy what you enjoy. It is the one place in the galaxy where you cannot be judged."

"Why? What was in yours?" asked Jacob as he eyed the XO.

"A coffee shop. Yours?" asked Miranda curiously.

"My mom. And uh… the armory," he said, getting an eyeroll from Miranda. "How about you, Jack?"

"Fuck off," snapped the convict as she got to her feet. With a sour expression on her face, she immediately left the room without another word.

They watched her go, and then Shepard raised her hand. "It's nice that we now have our own little internal safe rooms. But how does that help us with biotic training?"

"You cannot progress in your training without meditation. Meditation takes place in your inner world. And while you meditate, you use your biotics," she said before closing her eyes and presumably going to her own world. "The energy you use while meditating is the same you would use expending it during battle. The more you use it, the more powerful it becomes."

"So, it's just like working out. The more we do it the stronger we get?" asked Jacob as he leaned forward onto his knees.

"In a manner of speaking. It's not like a muscle training that requires strain to break apart and build up the muscle. It's more like handling hot a hot pain. If you start handling it without any practice or protection, you'll burn yourself. That burning is overtaxing your brain. The more you handle the hot pan, the more you get used to the heat. The more you adapt. Every biotic with an amp is fully capable of outputting their max power at any time, assuming their amplifier can carry the load. But if Shepard tried to exert her full force on the first day she found out she was a biotic, she could have cooked her brain inside her skull," said the woman with a small smile.

"Yeah, I almost already did that," said the spectre as she scratched her head. "Doctor Chakwas was not happy…"

"The more you handle the pan, the more you get used to the heat. The more you use your biotics, the longer you'll be able to use them, and the more powerful they will be without taking a toll on you," she said with a small nod of her head.

"So, we just meditate every day that we aren't using our biotics in a fight?" asked Jacob curiously as he scratched the stubble on his chin.

"An hour a day at least. More if you can," said the justicar as she looked down for a moment. "Just… make sure not to get lost in your own world. Many who lose loved ones can find solace in such a place, and if allowed will wither and die clinging onto those comforts."

Shepard eyed her curiously wondering if she knew that from experience. Brushing the thoughts aside, she closed her eyes again and sunk back into her world, her body lighting up with biotics and the world fading from around her.

T'Soni Information Offices – Lavinia Trade Building – Nos Astra - Illium

She had put a hold on parsing the information her own agents had given her for a while. While finding clues to the Shadow Broker's agents, and eventually the Shadow Broker themself was indeed important, her focus had been on finding the last crew member that Shepard said she was looking to hire. Samara was easy to find. She walked shamelessly among the crowds of people without worrying about hiding her justice from the world. But an assassin, especially one as skilled as Thane Krios was a much harder target to find because they specifically didn't want to be found.

That being said, she was very good at her job and didn't intend to fail in her duty to Shepard. She had put feelers out a few days ago looking for any kind of odd occurrences of death. With Thane Krios, his tactics for taking out a target were always highly intricate and bizarre. Just on the information she had gathered for him thus far, she knew of only three confirmed kills of his.

The first was a turian banker known for gambling a little too hard on the stock market. He had bet a bit too hard in one direction and lost not just his own fortunes, but the fortunes of many investors that allowed him to use their money. He was trying to drown his troubles away at a bar when he 'accidentally' swallowed a device that inflated inside his throat. He stumbled around the bar begging for help, but no amount of assistance saved him before he choked to death.

Another was an asari on Omega. She was a drug dealer and had apparently sold drugs to the wrong person's child. After the child had gone critical in the hospital, Krios was hired. And he did his job by adhering a small device inside her mailbox. As she went out to open it, it triggered the device which launched a spike directly into her chest cavity and into her heart.

Finally, a human diplomat that had stepped on the wrong toes by trying to muscle his way into the military industrial game. He was deathly allergic to wasp stings from Earth and ended up dead in his room in New York City via a swarm of wasps.

It was actually rather disturbing how calculated each of his kills was. The turian's death had to be timed precisely at the moment he swallowed the device that had been hidden in the ice. The asari was killed because the spike fired from the device inside her mailbox was measured to the centimeter and aimed directly where the assassin knew her heart would be. And after finding out the human's allergies, Thane would have to have transported a box containing the wasp nest into the man's home and then pickpocketed his epipen to make sure he couldn't save himself.

"Goddess, what am I doing? If I look much deeper into him, he's probably going to come after me," she said as she rubbed her eyes. Then a chill immediately went up her spine as she heard a voice come from the darkened corner of her room.

"Many information brokers seek to employ my services. I'm more likely to think you're a client," said the raspy voice from the corner.

She looked up with her eyes wide open but could barely make out any movement. "Thane Krios?"

"That would be me," said the man as he finally stepped out of the shadows. The drell had deep, dark eyes not unlike an asari during a meld. They were an eerie pitch black that only looked darker in the shade of her office. "I would ask how you got in here, but I guess that's part of your skillset, isn't it?"

"Moving among the shadows is a common skill among the Seekers of the Illuminated Primacy," said the man as he stopped in front of her desk. "Doctor T'Soni, I must admit that you have earned my curiosity. You already employ plenty of doers like myself. So, why would you be looking after me?"

Liara took a deep breath as she rid herself of her earlier surprise. "I suppose this does make my job easier," she said before turning to him in her chair. "You know of Spectre Jane Shepard?"

"Your life partner? I do. A very talented former Alliance N7 who saved millions of lives on the Citadel years ago," he described as he looked her in the eyes. "I had heard she seems to have returned from an early grave."

"She came to see me and asked if I could help her find you," said the asari woman plainly.

"To what end? From what I've heard of her activities since resurfacing, she certainly doesn't need me to kill anyone," he said before turning his head to cough lightly.

"She wants you to join her squad. Recently the collectors have been harvesting human colonies. She plans to put a stop to them and whoever is directing them," she started, realizing that an explanation on the reapers right now wouldn't do her any good.

"She wants me on her team?" he asked curiously, his large eyes blinking rapidly.

"She does. Would you like her information, or should I tell her that you're declining?" asked Liara as she slowly lit up her omni-tool, making sure he saw every movement.

He turned away from her and stared out of the window and into the starry night sky for a long moment. She wondered if he was thinking it over, or just trying to be dramatic. But finally he answered her. "I have one more job to do here on Illium before I was scheduled to leave," he said before turning back to her. "If she wishes to ask me to join, tell her to meet me in the penthouse on top of Dantius Towers tomorrow. I will be there when the sun reaches the horizon, and I'll be gone when it disappears behind it. That is her window to speak with me."

"Dantius Towers, does that mean…?" she began to ask before shaking her head. "I'll adjust my contacts with that in mind. I'll let her know."

"Thank you Doctor T'Soni," he said as he opened his own omni-tool and passed her some data. "And should you need to contact me for anything else in the future, a vid call would be preferable to investigation."

"I will keep that in mind," she said as she looked down at her omni-tool to see the data transfer. When she looked back up, she was shocked to see he was gone. "Goddess…" she said shaking her head before turning her chair back towards her terminal. Suddenly, her comm lit up. Answering it, she spoke, "T'Soni."

"Noble Liara, I have a volus here named… Niftu Cal that says he was sent by Shepard about a potential job?" came Nyxeris's voice over the comm.

"Potential job?" asked Liara curiously as she leaned back in her chair. Sighing heavily, she activated her kinetic shield belt. "Send him in." She didn't know if this was some ploy to assassinate her or if it was legitimate. But she was going to be prepared regardless.

When the door opened, as her assistant said, a squat volus walked in and looked around the place. His eyes focused on the window at first, seemingly awed by it. But then he turned to her. "Oh… hello… er… Noble Liara…"

"You may call me Doctor T'Soni," she said as she eyed him up and down. If he was an assassin, he didn't look equipped for the part.

"D-Doctor T'Soni," he said nervously as he did the same thing that Tali used to do and began fidgeting with his hands. "I'm sorry, perhaps this wasn't… a great idea."

"You said you were looking for a job?" asked the doctor as she tilted her head curiously. "How did you meet Spectre Shepard?"

"She… she rescued me from the Eclipse compound," he said as he looked at the ground.

Liara nodded knowingly. "You were part of Pitne For's trade group, then?"

"I… I was. But Shepard punched my boss and… said I should get a job somewhere else," he said as he looked up at her. "She gave me your number and I… thought it best to meet you in person."

"What work did you do for Pitne For?" asked Liara curiously, now believing him more than before. Shepard would absolutely destroy someone for abusing an employee.

"I did mostly administrative work. I scheduled meals, his day planner, meetings, even what time he should go to bed," said the volus shyly. "From the looks of it, you already have an assistant… so I doubt you need-"

"Do you know Nos Astra well enough?" she asked as she leaned her head into her hand.

"I… I've spent most of my time… here in Nos Astra since Pitne For partnered… with Eclipse. I've been here the better part of a decade… and know the city well," he said as he eyed her curiously. "Why do you ask?"

"How about we start you as a courier. I tell you to pick things up, you pick them up and bring them here. I tell you to deliver something, you deliver it. Does that sound good?" she asked as she pulled something up on a datapad and held it out for him.

He sighed solemnly. "Back to the bottom rung then…" he said as he took the datapad. Looking at the information, he looked like he stopped breathing momentarily. "That's nearly triple my former salary."

Liara stared at him incredulously. "That's a living wage," she snapped, now understanding the assault that Shepard had committed.

Looking up at her, he simply held the datapad to his chest. "When can I begin?"

Captain's Quarters – SSV Normandy SR2

"Dantius Towers…?" asked Shepard on the comm call. "Dantius?"

"It's named after Nassana Dantius. An asari that you gave a black eye years ago for her using you to kill her sister," said Liara knowingly.

"Riiiight!" said Shepard as she snapped her fingers.

"She hated that I became the best broker in Nos Astra because she had no choice but to use my services," said the asari in amusement.

"Did you bring up my divine retribution?" asked Shepard with a grin.

"Not exactly. I did ask her why she was no longer working in the Embassies," said the asari hidden behind a snicker. "I believe I gave her a permanent eye twitch."

"Good. Though from the sound of his instructions, she might not have much to worry about at all soon," she said as she pulled up the blueprints of the tower. "Given he's going to be in the building at the same time as me, I'm probably going to be met with resistance."

"It's Nassana Dantius, Jane. Even if she were alone you'd probably be met with resistance," said the doctor with a chuckle. "By the way, did you send a volus my way?"

"Right… sorry, I meant to send you a message ahead of time but I got caught up talking to Samara about her… target," said Shepard as she scratched her head. "In any case, I've gotta go check on a few of my crew members before I prepare for tomorrow."

"Alright," she said and paused for a long moment. "Jane, I'm glad you finally came to see me."

Shepard felt her face burning. "Me too. I should have just slapped myself and did it to begin with. Sorry about that."

"It's fine. You were literally weeks out from saving the Citadel and then Cerberus wakes you up and puts a whole new disaster on your plate. I can't blame you," said the doctor gently. "In any case, stay safe when you head into Nasanna's building. While I have no doubts that you could kill everyone in that building just by looking at them, I'll be very upset with you if I have to get Cerberus to resurrect you again."

Shepard snorted as she imagined Liara dragging her dead body back into the Illusive Man's office to demand he fix her again. "I'll try to keep myself in one piece," she said with a grin. "Love you."

"I love you too, Jane," responded Liara as she ended the call.

Shepard inhaled sharply as she set the comm aside and thought about her crew. She was very satisfied with Garrus's growth since he had finally spoken to Sidonis. He seemed more like his normal self than he had since she had found him on Omega. And it healed her heart to see him actually having fun with Tali and joking with Jeff in the pilot seat.

She found herself wondering if others among the crew were going to end up with similar issues that needed fixing. Despite her own insecurities, she had been called a great leader by everyone from basic all the way up to her spectre induction. She knew what those words meant, and she did agree that she cared for her crew. But she found herself wondering as she thought through all the members of her crew. If they all had the same kinds of issues Garrus had, or needed guidance away from a path of darkness, would she be capable of helping them all? Would she have to let some of them get swallowed by the void of their own choices?

She leaned back and looked into the large, bulbous eyes of her hamster staring at her from the wall of its cage. "Do you think I'm capable of helping everyone?" She chuckled at him as he stood as still as stone with the exception of his hands moving a piece of dried apple up to his mouth. He snapped into it with his teeth, immediately crammed it into his cheek, then continued to stare at her. "You're right, all I can do is try."

"Spectre, do you believe the hamster is speaking to you?" asked EDI curiously.

"No EDI, it's a vibe thing. You'd have to know more about humans to understand," said the woman as she got up from her seat and headed for bed.

"I… I see…" said the confused AI.

CODEX ENTRIES

Bellavalis | Culture | Asari
The Bellavalis, meaning 'treaty' in asari Y'Valtic, became known as a ritual in the monastic rites of the justicar order. It's a ritual where a justicar suspends their honor and code for a set amount of time. This time can be a set amount of time, such as days or years. Or it can be as vague as "until this mission is done." It's typically used in times when a greater evil threatens many, causing the justicar to have to fight alongside those they might consider unjust. It is listed in the Justicar Code under the Book of Rites.

Ritual of Conscription | Culture | Asari
Another ritual listed in the Book of Rites; this ritual involves a justicar temporarily recruiting a non-justicar in order to aid in a fight. While temporary, it gives the individual the authority of the justicar to do as they see fit to meet out justice in the world. Due to the ease with which this rite could be abused, many have never performed the ritual, while the few who have only do so on those they absolutely trust.

Seekers | Culture | Hanar/Drell
A very sugarcoated name for the assassins and collectors of the Hanar Illuminated Primacy. All drell who serve under the primacy are given a classification. A seeker class servant is technically only supposed to find the target given to them by the hanar. What they must do next goes unsaid on any form of documentation but is taught relentlessly when they are young.