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[Cainhurst Crow]

Vayne led the trio to their destination, the thick crowds of the citadels docking gates thinning out as the group made their way to the less well off districts, many going for the silversun strip instead or the more popular wards for their own time here. The group descended slowly, heading down to level 25. There were a couple people dressed casually here, their outfits marking them as staff here on the citadel, maintenance and dock workers, some appearing off the clock, others getting their breakfest's to start their shifts.

 

The atmosphere here seemed more relaxed, less crowded as they passed the occasional food seller or small restaurant joint. "You're gonna love this place, trust me. I ain't usually one for small shops like this, but here on the citadel its where you want to go if you don't want to get screwed over..." He chatted with the group as they turned the corner, vayne smiling as he saw their destination, "Well...there she is..."

 

The Onna-bugeisha was a small place, tucked away in the corner of the citadel, its building having an odd curving shape as well to accommodate. Its sign was holographic, and displayed a woman in what looked like knightly armor, with a katana and samurai helmet, atop a tank. To call it a bit confusing was a compliment, as the whole style was done in what one might call "chibi", and vayne didn't care as he walked forward towards the open door, a small and short curtain spelling out welcome to new guests.

 

"Welcome to the Onna-bugeisha..." A cheerful voice said from inside, a human in a simple white chefs outfit standing behind a counter with a clear screen to it, smiling as he greeted the group, offering them a seat in the ample space inside. It had appeared small on the outside, but the inside extended into the walls, giving the place twice as much room. A couple humans, some turians, a couple asari and salarians, sat scattered in the place, casually talking with one another. The atmosphere casual, and fun. "Please, feel free to seat yourself anywhere..." The man said, his french accent marking him as more of quebecian then true french.

 

Vayne walked up to the bar, motioning the others to follow, "Come on, up here's the best seat for what's next..." he said with a grin.

[Kel Riever]

At the TerF Rally

Jill Lodge wasn’t supposed to be out that much, at least that’s what C-Sec had tolr her.  They didn’t think her cover was blown, but they didn’t want to take chances.  They had a good thing going.  Jill operated under an alias for the Shadow Broker, blackmailed into service for years, and had been assigned as a courier for one or another important messages.  But she finally had gone to the authorities, who used her position to crack into the Shadow Network, and it has been a coup. 

Remembering the detective, Molly Hagen, who she’d worked with, Jill wondered how her task had been going, hunting down the leads she’d given…the one in particular she wished she hadn’t given, but there was no choice if she wanted to save her kids’ lives.  Jill hadn’t seen the detective in a long time.  Molly always had a way for putting things into perspective.

But being pent up for what could be years on end was no way to live.  And where else would Jill be safer than on the Citadel with C-Sec protecting her?  The first time she had broken protocol, Jill was terrified.  The second, still pretty much so.  After that, Jill didn’t believe she wasn’t under any kind of surveillance, so she was still cautious, but it turned into once, maybe twice a week that she would go out.

There was some sort of speech going on in the plaza nearby, a Terra Firma speech.  Jill couldn’t care less, just that it gave people something else to keep their attention on.  Outside the café where Jill sat, she could have easily turned an listened to all the words, but she was enjoying her margarita and smoke.  The café was devoid of customers as well, all but her having headed to the plaza.  Only the lone server, who opted to stay inside, attended to Jill infrequently.  Taking a heavy drag, Jill felt heat on her fingers.

“S**t.  I’m out.”

Jill got up to go into the café.  There was no bothering waiting for the man to come out.  She needed some more smokes now, as soon as possible, because she kept her own public appearances to a tight schedule.  When she got inside, it was quiet.  The server wasn’t around.  Jill called, “Service,” and looked around, not thinking anything much until she looked behind the counter.

Blood was everywhere behind the counter, against the lower shelves and floor.

Backing up with a gasp, Jill’s mind froze.  She bumped into something hard before she took her second step backwards to the exit.  Turning, Jill looked up to see she’d bumped into a dark grey turian who leered at her.

What came next was too fast for Jill to see.  Her right side shuddered and while she had the sense she should be feeling pain, Jill did not.  She peered down at where the shudder happened and saw her own arm lying on the floor.  Then the turian slammed a sharp knife like object into her open shoulder, with drew it, then left.

~ ~ ~ ~

Morgan was listening to the response from Amy Babylon when a newcomer to his right raised her hand and asked Amy, before waiting to be called on,

“I have a question:  is there a doctor nearby?”

In an instant, Morgan recognized the woman asking the question.  There was a well-dressed debutante just past her, and she winced as something spattered against her.  The debutante shrieked as soon as she recognized she’d been sprayed with blood.

“There was a turian that did this…,” the recognized woman said, then collapsed.

Morgan dashed over to the woman he recognized before she hit the ground.  When he caught her, he realized her opposite side arm was severed at the shoulder.  He looked into her fading eyes.

“Lena?”

In a voice barely audible, as two other screams of panic went up, Jill Lodge said, “Morgan, I thought you were dead…”

“Hold on, I’m going to take care of you!”

“I think…that…there was something…on the knife…running through my system.  It was her….you know that…even if she sent someone…”

'Lena' lost her life in Morgan’s arms. 
 

[Redbelle]

Amy saw it before the screaming started. The herd's attention was being drawn. It rippled from the back to the front, letting her trace her line of sight to the place where the commotion was occurring, expecting to see a demonstrator getting to rowdy. The press of bodies made seeing that far back hard but when she heard the first scream she knew her time on the podium was up.

 

Something at the back of the press conference had just gone horribly wrong.

 

"That is all the time I have questions. I'm sure you have releases to make. Thank you and have a great afternoon". Amy turned and walked off back towards the doors of TerF headquarters as the commotion rose and once back inside, away from the camera's and microphones, turned on Nigel.

 

"What was that? In the back? Who the hell disruptered my press conference"?

 

"I don't kno.....".

 

"Well find out dammit! No wait.....". She said holding up both hands. "There's an idea. Here's an idea. Don't rush me, thinking, thinking.... Yes! Turn off the sound system. Get it down now. Then call the emergency services. Then go find out what happened and if it will interfere with our debut. Of all the times..... this could be a good thing for us though. Just needs the right angle. Grud I hope a human didn't attack one of those aliens. Imagine the headlines! Well what are you still standing here? GO"!

 

Nigel immediately rushed off and in just under a minute Amy's omnitool flared with an incoming message from Nigel. "The systems off. I called C-Sec. They say they are aware of the situation.....".

 

"How far behind were we in alerting them"?

 

"Wha...."?

 

"What unit of time is a wha Nigel? Are we behind the curve? Never mind. Just get out there and find out what happened".

 

With that, Amy shut off her comm and walked back to her office and picked up her tablet. Scanning through the news services she found her ploy had worked. Those of the media services she deemed unreliable in reporting positively about the conference hadn't managed to get out a release, barring a few exceptions, the only ones reporting anything were the ones who she had released carefully packaged material to regarding TerF. Depending on the severity of what had happened out the front of the building however would depend on if the news cycle was interrupted to report on what had occurred. She'd need a story ready to go as soon as whoever it was started calling her asking fora statement.

 

'My fellow sentient's. We didn't do it. Go ask C-Sec'.

 

That would never wash she angrily told her self as she took a deep, calming breath and reached for a pack of cigarettes. Drawing one and lighting it she took a long drag and forced herself to think of the conference.

 

All in all it had gone rather well. Sure she'd gone for the jugular on the council and their priorities but she'd also framed it in the wider context that humanity were ready, willing and able to take on more responsibility for the price of exerting power political and military power in the galaxy. The grass roots nature of TerF would have those who worked the systems government put in place thinking about having one of their own in the seat of power calling the decisions. And the Shepard question......

 

Ugh..... For all the support she'd heaped on the military Shepard was a major pain the ass. While true he'd done humanity a great service the simple fact was that he'd done it alongside a group of terrorists and for all her calls not to judge a soldier of the Systems Alliance based on who he associated with, the simple adage, 'mud sticks', seemed about to rear its head where Shepard was concerned regarding Cerberus.

 

Why the blasted man couldn't have either stayed dead or come back to the military and led them to the victories he'd gathered under Cerberus was a mystery. A hero was a dangerous thing. Especially when they forgot that heroes and villains teaming up was supposed to result in the hero ultimately arresting the villains.

 

She was drifting. Only now mattered. She needed to craft press releases. TerF had to stay afloat in public opinion if they wanted to be taken seriously. That meant having the right answers ready and to hand when the calls started coming in.

 

She got to work.

[Kel Riever]

“I can help…”

The shout could barely be heard over the panicking crowd and distance.  A paramedic in an orange suit was trying to get through, someone on hand for the press conference.

Nearby, a man who’s feet had been rooted from the shock, blurted information as if it would be helpful.  “I heard her say a turian did it, before she talked to that man.”

Another woman, frozen in the same way, asked Morgan as if it mattered, “What did she say to you.”

Morgan looked up.  The man was the reporter from the Interworld Herald that he’d seen.  Both he and the woman were pale, stricken with fear, paralyzed except for the survival mechanism that had them talking.  Past the two, and through the crowd, he could see uniformed C-Sec, also in attendance, trying to head his way.  Morgan had to go.

“I don’t know what she said,” Morgan lied, and gently set ‘Lena’ down on the ground.  He stood up, glancing at her one last time, then he fell back, and disappeared into the mass of fleeing people.  Neither the man or the woman even noticed, still staring down at the dead woman who they didn’t know.

Once he was away from the crowd, Morgan found a way to wipe the blood off his hand.  Even if Naleena could clear him, he didn’t want to be caught, so Morgan did his best to avoid cameras that would now be alert, searching for signs of suspicious people.  He quickly shot off a message to Naleena, in fact, that he had to catch up with her.  Then Morgan sent want to Jess:

Jess-

There’s been a problem on the Citadel at the press conference you gave me a recommendation on.  Are you still with Naleena?  I’ll head your way.  Watch your back, in the meantime and I think you should get back to the Medusa as soon as you can.

-Morgan  

Jess said she was at the Strip, so that's where Morgan headed next, trying to head in a path that would intercept her if she did start heading to the ship on foot.

[Redbelle]

Jess was still talking to Naleena when Morgan's message came in. She kept up her outward cheer as she messaged him back.

 

What's up? Assuming something imminent. Dangerous?

[Kel Riever]

J-

An old contact of mine has been assassinated.  Possibly a turian, happened at the conference.  Iyana's agents, on the move.  Get safe.

-M


 

[Redbelle]

Jess smiled up at Naleena. "You ever had one of the those messages where you had to drop everything and get to a safe place? Morgan seems to think Iyana's agents are on the prowl. You want to get out of here? We could order to go".

[Cknarf]

“Aboard the Vepr, we have nearly everything you can think of and then some. Or we did, rather.”

 

“My bad.”

 

“Fortunately, most of the remaining inventory happens to fall into the ‘and then some’ category.” Adir smiled. “Of course you will still find a crate or two of the most commonly issued weapons…” He pulled open one of the crates, revealing a group of 20 neatly organized M-97 rifles. He gestured to them. “As well as those commonly found on the civilian market.”

 

Adir opened his omni-tool.

 

“The ‘good stuff’ is kept in the holds.”

 

Five large sections of the floor began to open.

 

“There are weapons down here that, as far as the public is concerned, do not exist.” Adir started down the stairs. “Watch your step, dear.”

 

Frank and Iole followed him into the first hold. Frank tripped, but managed to recover.

 

“These prototypes, and you will know them when you see them, are not, and will not be for sale. Unless of course, Marius says otherwise. Mind your head.”

 

Adir turned a corner, ducking as he headed down the central corridor that connected the holds. He stopped at hold three.

 

“Everything from this point on, is for sale. Feel free to crack open a crate, and familiarize yourself with a weapon or two. If you happen to see something you like, please, do not hesitate to claim it as your own.” Adir gestured to his right, towards some crates of heavy weapons, that happened to be of asari manufacture. “Just be sure to make note of it, so we can update our records.”

 

“You sure you’re retired?”

 

“Old habits die hard, my boy.” Adir shrugged. “You two have fun. And be careful!” He urged. His wagging finger seemed to target Frank directly.  “I’m going to go find Marius. I need to speak with him about Bekenstein.”

 

Have fun?

 

Immediately after Adir left, Frank took off deeper into the holds.  There was a clang, and a thunk, followed by a distant yet loud "Aw f***!"

 

===================================================

 

Johnny successfully led his squad home, and gathered all of his gear. He said his goodbyes, and set out for the Janiri, carrying his footlocker.

 

===================================================

Septerax stood at his station, and looked over the message a second time, trying to understand what it meant.

 

[She’s all yours now, my friend. Take good care of her. -- Frank]

 

There was a loud thunk, as the newest member of the team placed his belongings on the counter.

 

“Welcome back. What do you have for me?”

 

Johnny removed his Phalanx, and set it on the counter. Next came his Hurricane.

 

“Hm.” Septerax immediately picked it up, and began examining it. “It’s about time the humans came to their senses and put a proper stock on these things.” He pulled the stock out.

 

“I uh… actually made that modification myself.”

 

“Ha. I bet your armorer was pissed.”

 

Johnny smiled.

 

“You won’t have to worry about anything like that aboard the Janiri.” Septerax set the weapon down, as he rounded the counter. “That kind of thing is encouraged around here.”

[Redbelle]

Ten minutes after he had departed, Nigel returned, triumphantly holding a data chip in one hand.

 

"It was an assault. Someone was assaulted and died in the back row....".

 

"Ooooh GREAT! There go my headlines"! Amy grumbled.

 

"....Buuut it was a human. Witnesses say she made a deathbed statement that it was a Turian that attacked her....".

 

"That's Brilliant"! Amy's entire posture changed from down to up in a heartbeat. "That's just the headline we can capitalize on".

 

"And apparently there was another human they think this Turian killed in a cafe.....".

 

Amy sat down nodding. "Better.... Much better.... Go on".

 

Nigel's eye's were squinting slightly as he regarded her. "....Yeeeeah.... Anyway. I paid a nearby stander for a picture he took. It's a good image of the one who died and the person who tried to help her.

 

Amy held out her hand and snapped her finger's until Nigel handed her the chip. Amy wasted no time sliding it into her data reader and sat back to look at the image of a man holding the obviously wounded woman. "Hmmm, he's certainly handsome. Very easy on the eye. Looks slightly desperate but obviously in charge..... Find him and get a statement. If we move fast we can spin this. Let's see, lets see..... We stand together? No... Their not standing.... Maybe something about innocent blood? Find out who that woman was. If she has so much as a parking ticket then we'll go with 'Who let this happen'. We can point the finger at C-Sec and ask why they didn't have a larger presence at the conference".

 

Amy looked again at the picture and waved it to the side. "Find that man though. First reaction. Get it while he feels it. And get his number as well. Ask if has plans. Maybe not tonight. To soon. Ask if he's free tomorrow night and book a table at that Sushi place. Classically handsome, strong jaw. Haggard but strong. We have a poster boy in the making here to lead our fight for greater human representation in C-Sec. Imagine him in uniform......".

 

Amy certainly was. The mental picture was yummy.

[Kel Riever]

Iole

The trip down into the holds got the blood running in Iole.  Then, at the sight of old Republics weapons crates, she was practically hopping.  Heavy weapons, had her actually hop, and then she spotted something behind the heavy weapons, in a case made of some sort of plastic.  Iole had to push in carefull to see the case, shoved towards the back.

"Void take my soul..."

Iole pulled the case out, noticing that it was relatively clean, with only a little dust coating it.  She cleared the other weapons and read the military jargon on the top.  Inwardly she gasped, and opened the case.  Lying inside the blue velvety shaped interior, were two, black and silvery pistols. 

"Frank, you have to be putting me on!"

Unable to contain her excitement, Iole pulled the two pistols out and gripped one in each hand.  She searched for the activation button on each, a thumb switch just at the top of the handle.  Three silvery, smooth prongs, extended outwards from the barrel, running parallel to it, in a perfect triangular patter on each pistol.  Then the prongs began rotating around the barrel.  A low, electric hum emanated from each weapon.

Pointing the pistols in a harmless direction, Iole swung around, aiming them as if she was tracking a target.  Her golden eyes caught the flickering light of the rotating, silvery prongs.  "Do you know what these are?  Do you?!  I am holding in my hands two, almost three hundred year old Illuminators!  These were co-designed by the STG and the Armali Council in 1895 during the Geth War, because the Council feared the Geth would continue to expand from Rannoch.  Illuminators were the first real attempt to come up with a good shield stripper so that biotics could get through, and they were breakthroughs in disruptor technology.  They aren't as durable as today's guns, and you had to use both of these together, but the idea was you could hold them and still use your biotics." 

Iole flicked the thumb switch on each Illuminator off.  The prongs slowed, and returned to their positions wrapped around the barrels.  "I can't believe what I've got in my palms," she said, her eyes full of fascination.

[Kel Riever]

Tallis

There wasn't much happening on the dock outside the Janiri, or at least that's how it felt to Tallis, because she was practically exploding with need to find Naleena.  Plenty of work was going on all over the high tech vessel.  Emboldened by the activity, and her fear of time passing, Tallis guessed if she went down the elevator, the only main access to the dock level with the Spectre's ship, she could catch Naleena the second she appeared, without missing her.

Yes, Tallis was stepping away from the ship, but this was important.

Jrudek

In an alcove, out of sight, Jrudek prepared himself.  His Kishock, Raider and Terminator were loaded and ready, his Slaver armor set with all its accessories.  Last, he checked the poison he'd prepared, as a backup if he should fail with his initial plan.

There were never any details shared about what Project Amgarak was, or where it originated, but somehow, it was responsible for developing the poison Jrudek was in possession of.  It was overtly expensive to obtain, and would cause permanent damage in smaller doses over time, Jrudek suspected.  But the dosage of what he obtained would put an individual on a timer from which there was no return without the sole antidote, apparently also developed from the same source; Di-Isolyn Neuropovayzene.  Due to the overload of the poison, but the short span of time the chemical was in system, as deadly as the poison was, a full recover could be expected with the antidote administered.  The contact who'd gotten Jrudek the chemical cocktail was long since dead, but it didn't matter. Jrudek had enough.

With everything in order, Jrudek stepped into the stream of pedestrians moving through the Citadel, unaware of anything out of the ordinary.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Naleena & Jess

 

"Sh*t! Just when I thought I could have a quiet evening with a friend," Naleena said, and dropped 700 CR on the table, more than enough to cover the tab and the tip for the waiter. "Let's go. I'll have something delivered later after I've ripped someone's head off." She sat for a moment and took a deep breath to calm herself then stood.

 

The food arrived as they were leaving. "But madam, your food is ready."

 

"I'm sure it's wonderful, but I've been called away on official business. I cleared the tab. Give the food to that young couple over there," she said noticing a couple who seemed to be having a romantic evening out and looked like they'd saved for the dinner. (Paragon +9)

 

"Let's head back to the ships," Naleena said. "I'll drive. When we arrive, with Iyana on the move be ready for anything." She loaded a magazine she had loaded with every other round AP and hollow point into her SIG P226 and they left the restaurant.

[Kel Riever]

Morgan had avoided C-Sec, and had gotten beyond the cordon that was forming to keep everyone who was still on the scene of the TerF press conference contained.  He was doing his best to move quickly without arousing suspicion, even though he burned to break into a run.  After cutting through a set of kiosks to get to a set of stairs that curved to a lower level, Morgan's years of shadowing and losing followers set his senses off.  He glanced at the reflection in a large pane store window in the corridor at the foot of the stairs, trying to see who was behind him. 

Was he being followed by someone not in a uniform?

~ ~ ~ ~

By the time Jess and Naleena were half way back to where their ships were berthed, the murder at the TerF rally was hitting the newsfeeds and running on various screens across the local area.

Citadel NewsNet brings you the story first.  At a rally held by the Terra Firma political party, a member of the crowd has been killed.  Details are pending on the cause of death but C-Sec has determined it is a homicide and the killer is still at large.  One eye-witness reports hearing a gunshot, while another says they saw someone sprayed with blood.  C-Sec has locked down the area and are searching, no longer allowing anyone to get into or leave the area, a prominent part of the Citadel.  We will keep you up to date on more information as we find out about it.  Stay tuned to Citadel NewsNet...

~ ~ ~ ~

Jrudek spotted Captain Stone, accompanied by the Spectre he had familiarized himself with and had been cautioned about.  Fortunately, he had moved into the corridor behind them and they hadn't noticed him.  The crowd was heavy, providing plenty of cover from being spotted, and perhaps someone who wasn't as much of a veteran wouldn't be able to close to make a shot.  Of course, for Jrudek, it was all a matter of timing.  He needed only seconds to take out the Spectre, deliver his package, and be off before anyone could react.  The crowd would work in his favor. 

Cycling the poison, Jrudek made sure he could grab the datacube quickly, when he needed.  He kept his Omni-tool deactivated, but prepared it for his attack...


 

[Redbelle]

Nigel had sent a search through the Citadel network for the man in the holograph. The one Amy wanted. Not know who he was no challenge as the Citadel traffic system kept a record of all the comings and goings of everyone so he was surprised when his search resulted in no positive hits.

 

Not to be thwarted he had expanded his search and found a customs image in the docks. Apparently the man had left a ship. Named the Medusa? He brought up a search of the people aboard and likewise, found the records sketchy but one leapt out at him.

 

Captain Jess Stone. Commander of the vessel. She to had left the ship and was on the Citadel.

 

Well, if he couldn't find whoever the man was, chances were good he could ask the woman he presumed was his commander.

 

Picking a comb out of his breast pocket, he smoothed his hair before setting it back and headed out. Shortly after he had left the area a warning alerted him that C-Sec had cordoned off the area, preventing him from returning. No matter. He had his own task to focus on.

 

He hurried to where the transit system told him Stone was headed.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Naleena got on her com while in the shuttle to both vessels. "Iyana's team is on the move. Full alert."

 

****

 

Dahlia received the message and passed it to Anika. She left her station, grabbed her Claymore and positioned herself near the airlock awaiting orders.

 

****

 

Selani contacted Tallis who was wandering on the docks outside the Janiri.

 

"Acknowledged. Acknowledged." Tallis replied. She was looking for Naleena, and now not only to tell her something but to provide assistance if necessary.

 

****

 

"Jess, I'm going dark. Be on guard. I have your back," Naleena said as she exited the car, looked for the darkest corner which was next to a Starbucks. When she got there she hit her tactical cloak, and drew her pistol. Staying near the wall, she found another corner that had the vantage point where she could see Jess and track her all the way to the Medusa.

[Redbelle]

Jess looked around. Confused by the sudden departure of her companion. "You've got me"? She said to the emptiness. "Whose got you"?

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Naleena on the docks.

 

"I'll be alright," Naleena whispered into her com.

 

Naleena began scanning the area for anything and anyone non-friendly who didn't fit the profile of normal. She was looking for one or more predators. Perhaps some, like her, would be cloaked, but that wasn't Iyana's style. Iyana used more of a bold approach. At least that's what Naleena thought.

[Kel Riever]

Jrudek saw the Spectre become alerted.  He wasn’t sure how, but he suspected more than a frightening newscast to spook the asari.  It made his situation difficult, but not impossible. 

A trained assassin, she wants to be in control of the situation.  She’ll head back to her ship, which removes her from the scene, removing herself from the calculation.  Having no disposition for abandonment, however, means…she’s more likely to be moving to observe, to protect.  The Spectre will seek a vantage point.  A tactical cloak was a great tool, but far from perfect.  Best to let the instincts take over, search high, in this case believe the eyes, they will know something is out of the ordinary when they see it.  There….

Jrudek saw it, a place on a balcony up one level, by a planter where no one would accidentally bump her.  The light fell just slightly wrong, and Jrudek knew it was well worth the shot.  She’d pick him out soon anyway.  Jrudek dosed his drug cocktail.

“There you are,” a man in front of Jrudek said.  He wore a shart suit and was just ahead, angled in his path towards Stone.  “Captain Stone,” the man called out, louder, “A moment of your time, please?”

Jrudek’s arm flew up as he slipped just behind the man for cover.  His omni-tool was already deployed and he fired his submission net towards Naleena.

[Cainhurst Crow]

Essul was awoken to the sound of his coms going off, snapping to attention as he heard the news. He stood up and made his way the armory, looking to dawn his armor and weapons and help out however he could. He checked his omnitool, "25 minutes" was on the timer, counting down as essul nodded his head. That meant he'd have 27 minutes before his next dose.

 

Opening the locker, he reached out and checked his dosages. His own, and his back up, both there ready to go. With a simple nod, he pulled out the chestpiece and got to work getting suited up.

[Redbelle]

Jess looked up at the approaching man who came forward, his hair and suit immaculate as was his smile. "You must be Captain Stone. My name is Nigel. I work for Terra Firma. As you know there was some commotion out the front of our offices this afternoon and we were hoping you could help us find this man....".

 

He held up the image of Morgan cradling the dead woman in his arms. "Naturally we do not want to cause any disruption but we hope that....".

 

Jess clucked her tongue, and before Nigel knew what had hit him the wind went out of him as Jess ploughed a punch into his midriff that had him doubled over before Jess's hands gripped the back of his head and brought it down as her knee came up to connect with the soft cartilage of his nose.

 

The scene did not go unseen as the commotion drew everyones attention as people yelled and people near the two drew away as Jess threw Nigel to the ground. "IYANA'S NOT GETTING HIM! YOU HEAR ME! I DON'T CARE HOW MANY PEOPLE SHE SENDS"!

 

"I DON'T KNOW ANY IYANA"! Nigel screamed, suddenly aware that blood was pouring from his nose. "I ONLY CAME TO FIND THAT MAN IN THE PICTURE! SHE WANT'S HIM"!

 

"SO YOU ADMIT IT"! With Nigel on the ground Jess sidestepped and kicked him solidly in the ribs. "HOW MUCH IS SHE PAYING YOU"!

 

"WHO"!

 

"WHO YOU WORK FOR"!

 

"NOT ENOUGH! SHE ONLY PAYS MINIMUM WAGE TILL YOU PASS THE GRADE 3 EXAM"!

 

"AND WHAT'S THAT"?

 

"DEALING SUCCESSFULLY WITH HIGH PROFILE CLIENTS"!

 

Jess grabbed his jacket and with a heave, raised him from the ground and threw him against a nearby piller before grabbing one hand in her's while her forearm pressed into his throat. "SO AN ASSASSIN AND A LIAR! WHERE IS SHE"?

 

"WHO"?

 

"IYANA"!

 

"I DON'T KNOW ANY IYANA! I WAS TOLD TO FIND YOU BY MY BOSS"!

 

"WORKING THROUGH INTERMEDIARIES? TYPICAL COWARD! SO NOW SHE SENDS INEPT KILLERS TO DO HER DIRTY WORK"?

 

"I'M AN INTERN FOR A PRESS SECRETARY I JUST WANT TO FIND THAT MAN SO MY BOSS CAN MAKE HIM AN OFFER TO HELP RECRUIT PEOPLE! I'M SORRY"!

 

By now camera's were flashing and people held up their omnitools recording the proceedings. Suddenly a voice sounded and from behind Jess and Nigel, the sea of bodies parted as two C-Sec officer's arrived.

 

Jess threw Nigel at their feet and Nigel grabbed the ankles of one of the two Turians sobbing as he clutched him. "Oh thank you... <sniff> thank you!... I just wanted to find him... <sniffle> She told me he was important and wanted dinner tomorrow".

 

"Officers.... Arrest that man". Jess said glaring down at him. "I suspect he's in league with a known pirate who murdered my crew and was responsible for two deaths outside TerF HQ an hour ago".

 

Both officer's looked at her. At the man weeping at their feet, then at each other as one brought a comm up and spoke into it. "Dispatch.... We're going to need some backup".

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Naleena on the docks

 

Naleena saw the submission net coming toward her and rolled behind the planter. Her TC disengaged, yet she was able to figure out the general direction from where it was coming. After it smacked and trapped two civilians, she leaped over the railing and dropped to the lower level with her gun in hand. Civilians began screaming and scattering. It was chaos.

 

She saw the Batarian. Aside from Jess and the man at whom she was shouting, he was the only one who wasn't running. She targeted a dark channel at him and let loose, then took cover behind a planter.

 

There were a couple of C-sec guards hiding behind their posts.

 

"I'm a Spectre!" Naleena shouted to them. "Call for reinforcements!"

[Kel Riever]

The man in the suit was as perfect a distraction as could be imagined.  Whatever reaction he caused, and the position of his blocking body from Stone, had her completely not notice Jrudek as he fired off his submission net.  Passerbys, also completely distracted and by a seeming complete stroke of luck, caught nothing more than the glimpse of Jrudek’s actions out of the corner of their eye at best, and didn’t understand what they’d seen in the time frame of seconds.  If they reacted, most of the crowd was busy trying to snap frames and videos of Stone bringing the suited man to his knees.

His target dodging the submission net, Jrudek still had purchased time, as the cocktail of drugs passing through his veins began shrieking their pain.  Jrudek’s teeth grinded, and while he was positive he was about to be made, he put up his defenses.  Shield and Blade Armor activated just as he was hit by a dark channel, which tore at him with its pervasive field.  Groaning with the added pain, his defenses held against the onslaught. 

With the heightened reflexes enabled by his combat drugs, Jrudek saw that the two C-Sec officers, who sensed nothing but the scene with Stone and the suited man in front of them until then, started to become aware that something else was happening.  It was Jrudek raising his armor, and the launching of the biotic attack that caused it.  The batarian slaver knew that he could ill afford to be outnumbered further, so as he began to ran, he fired a salvo of blades, aimed so the spread would catch each officer.

The Spectre had called out, “I’m a Spectre!  Call for reinforcements!”

It was too late, as both Turian C-Sec officers caught blades aimed with an expert hand just beneath their jaws.  Each had a surprised look on his face as the blades slipped through the weakest part of their armor, just above the neck collar, through into their throats.

Jrudek didn’t bother watching as he took note of the Spectre’s position.  Her cloak could be activated again soon, he knew, but he could make a detour to avoid her until he could get closer to Stone.  The floor they were on now had its own balcony.  While feeling the rise of pain from his drugs and the ongoing effect of the dark channel, Jrudek took three might strides and hurdled the rail to fall off onto the floor just below.  He needed a hall, something that would have the approach of an enemy known, to minimize the advantage of a cloak.  Fortunately for Jrudek, there was an inner passageway nearby, its walls plastered with animated advertisements.  The crowd here was thick too, and confused not having seen the source of the commotion but hearing it. 

Unlike with others who passed the advertisements, none of them cued to Jrudek, as if his movements were obscure to their targeted advertising sensors.  

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Naleena on the docks

 

Naleena watched where her quarry went. She saw the power conduit going to the wall ads in the area and fired her pistol at it, hitting it knocking out the ads. The emergency lighting in the passageway came on almost immediately. The report of her pistol had the effect of causing the crowd around her to scatter.

 

Jess heard the gunshot.

 

"Jess, whatever you're doing, I need your help," Naleena said over her com. "There's an assassin. A Batarian in blade armor. He's taken a shot at me. He's retreated down a passageway nearby. You'll see it. I turned out the lights. I'm looking for another way in. Keep an eye on the entrance and don't let him out."

 

Then she saw it. A keeper opened a passage. She activated her cloak, ducked behind three civilians moving left, then switched to two moving right and into the keeper tunnel. The keeper went right and she went left parallel to the wall of the corridor. Come on, come on. Where's the exit? She thought as she stalked her prey like a cat. Her heart raced like it hadn't raced in months. She  could almost smell him.

[Redbelle]

Nigels world was cracking around him.

 

One moment he was being beaten by the captain of the man he himself was trying to locate. The next he had found refuge at the feet of two Turian C-Sec officers, both of whom now lay dead as he kneeled before their bodies. The woman was still behind him looking between where the disturbance had arisen and him.

 

"That your backup"? She asked as a hand went to the grip of one of her guns of a gun that looked more like a hand canon.

 

Nigel, snapped. "I'M SO SORRY"! He screamed as he scrambled up and fled in whatever direction would take him as far away from the brute woman as possible. Sadly his mind was obviously in flight mode and didn't stop to consider the only route away from her that was open was the route that had opened to allow the other person who had fired a net to flee as well.

 

Jess watched him go and opened her comm. "Anika. We got Iyana agents. Get down to here. I'm going after a runner".

 

"Captain no. Get back here! It could be a trap".

 

"Relax luv". Jess said as she sent a file to Anika's Omni-tool. "Get Duncan to send that to C-Sec. One male in a suit and another I didn't get a good look at. Since we're being reputable today we may as well get the Citadel on side".

 

"Bounty's"?

 

"Wanted posters".

 

"Aye. On my way".

 

"Hurry luv. Your girlfriends with me. She might not leave anything for you if you don't skidaddle down here fast".

 

Cutting her comm Jess reached for and drew Sinbad from her holster before running in the direction the others had gone.

 

Stopping at a corner, Jess peered out around the corner as she toggled her drone. The Omnitool replicator spat out an orb she caught in her hand before tossing it to the side and the orb transformed into it's standard configuration. "Keep an eye about me luv. We're looking for bad guys". Turning the corner, gun drawn and pointed, she started stalking after the ones who had run.

[Redbelle]

Amy was still drafting press releases for any eventually she thought were likely when someone called her up and pointed her to C-Sec's information channel on the Citadel net. Raising an eyebrow and drawing her remote, she tuned in and found herself looking at a picture of Nigel. A ticker ran underneath a picture of his beaten, bloody features, telling her that he was wanted for questioning and was considered armed and dangerous.

 

Sighing, Amy commed her secretary. "Get those intern applications for me to review when you have a moment. Looks like we're going to have an opening soon".

 

Amy disconnected before the secretary could ask questions.

 

Nigel was out. Bad enough he'd appeared on a public channel looking like that. Rumors of criminal actions, if allowed to reach her office, could set back TerF's work in gaining a reputation of fairness and justice.

 

Then a thought hit her and she commed her secretary again. "Oh, and call C-Sec and tell them I'd appreciate it if they could not shoot Nigel on live television. I'd rather not sacrifice him..... Then get one of our drones out to record everything. If they do shoot him I want it on memory".

 

Amy sighed as she sat back and pulled out another tablet and set to filling out another press release. Aside form calling C-sec all she could do was worry and worry wouldn't help Nigel. Whatever he'd allowed himself to get into, he'd obviously allowed it to take control and now he was getting a lesson in press.

 

Control the story, or you'd never last long in the business.