"Somewhere deep in the fabric of reality, our actions are recorded and remembered.", "You're the only friend I've made in ten years.", "I know how this will end. But I will not back down- I /can't/.", "I wanted you to have a normal life. Marriage, children... things I could never have.", and "It's a hell of a job, isn't it? Being the good guys."
"Somewhere deep in the fabric of reality, our actions are recorded and remembered."- maekso, irajii
Irajii watched her uncle work at his terminal, carefully balancing her sword on one finger. “Matu-tei. I have a question for you.”
Maekso twitched an eyelid to acknowledge her. “Speak freely, mohipeke.”
"Well," she began, adjusting the sword to see if it would balance better, "I was wondering. Why are we necessary? The taumakai, I mean."
Maekso’s fingers on the interface paused, then resumed their work. “I see your question and raise you another, tam-tei. Why are we not necessary?”
Irajii paused, watching the eerie green light of the lake on the other side of Maekso’s office wall glint off her sword and thinking. “I can see why the galaxy needs information brokers,” she mused to herself. “Governments run on a game of secrets. And our services to the females of our people are invaluable, of course. But we’re like a bigger, more complex Shadow Broker. Why do we continue to provide our services when there’s a more well-known competitor?”
Maekso didn’t answer for several minutes, tapping away at his terminal. Irajii was considering prompting him again when he sighed. “Come here, tam-tei. I want to show you something.”
Irajii hesitated, then sheathed her sword and walked over to stand behind her uncle. “What is it?”
Maekso sighed again and hit a few keys. “Our greatest failure.”
He pulled up a minimized window and started to scroll through, letting Irajii absorb the information. Names, dates, places, activities. All about…
"The genophage," she breathed, putting the pieces together. "We tried to stop it?"
Maekso nodded. “It was a horrific crime against everything we stand for. We did everything we could to sabotage it, try to stop it from being used. Equipment was destroyed, samples were lost, scientists went on sudden vacations and never returned. But the Rebellions had destroyed swathes of our network, and we couldn’t work fast enough.” He hung his head and said, in the quietest voice Irajii had ever come out of his mouth, “The makaiara at the time went out of his mind with desperation and guilt. His replacements didn’t fare much better. It was a very dark time in our organization’s history.”
Then he straightened up again and turned around, fixing Irajii with a hard look. “That is why we’re here. We cannot cure the genophage on our own without setting off a manhunt for every last agent in the organization, and we cannot hope to make amends. The best we can do is to continue monitoring the galaxy, continue making it a better place, and hope that whatever cosmic entity is watching our people accepts our atonement.”
"You’re the only friend I’ve made in ten years."- thorax
Axilus hummed and opened the bag of veflos his grandfather had sent along in his most recent care package, taking out a few of the little plants packed inside. "Thie, you mind if I burn it, or should I smoke?"
Thie glanced up from his omni-tool, then shrugged. "Go ahead and burn it. I could stand a little relaxation."
"Yeah, I thought you might. Gimme a minute." He put the bag away and grabbed the dish he always burned the drug in, then started carefully tearing the plants apart with his talons.
Thie watched, leaning up against the wall of their small cubicle. "What do you mean, you 'thought I might'?"
Axilus spared him a glance, then shrugged and looked back down at his work. "You've been pretty freaked out lately. Thought burning some good veflos incense might help you calm down."
Thie paused, his stomach doing somersaults, then slowly nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."
"No problem." Axilus shrugged, oblivious to Thie's suddenly-dry mouth and knotted throat.
Thie swallowed, trying to make his heart slow down from the gallop it had suddenly kicked into. He noticed. More importantly, he cared. "No, seriously," he managed to get out, his tongue thick and heavy in his mouth. "People usually don't give a damn about that stuff."
Axilus paused, reaching for the pocket he kept his lighter in, then looked up at Thie and flicked his mandibles out in a gesture Thie had learned was concern. "Well," he said, "that's what friends are for, innit?"
Thie considered, then nodded. "Y- yeah. Right." Friends. "Hey, Ax?"
"Hm?" By now Axilus had retrieved his lighter and was focusing on the drug in the dish again, starting to set it alight.
Thie swallowed. "Thanks for being my friend."
"I know how this will end. But I will not back down- I can’t.”- irajii, valern
Irajii looked out over the Presidium from her vantage point in Valern’s office, slowly clenching and unclenching her fingers around the balcony railing. The debris from Cerberus’ assault was still being cleaned up, reports were flooding in about something on Thessia that had Tevos calling Shepard to summon them back to the Citadel for the meeting and they’d have more for her soon soon we promise makaiara soon, and for the first time in her life, she felt her heart starting to slow.
There was a soft whoosh behind her. “Thought you might be here,” came a drawl behind her. “Nice view, isn’t it?”
She decided not to respond to the sarcastic note in Valern’s voice, instead sighing, pushing herself away from the rail, and turning to face him. “I’ve got news.”
"Is that supposed to surprise me?" Valern walked to his desk, motioning for her to take her usual seat across from him. "You always have news. I’d be more concerned if you didn’t."
She snorted and moved to sit, respectfully waiting for him to be seated before sitting down herself. “Fine, then I amend my previous statement: I have major news. Worrying news.”
"That’s more like it." He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers, peering at her over the tips. "Go on."
She reached into her left sleeve and pulled out an OSD, sliding it over to him across the desk. “As you know, we’ve been monitoring communications between all major government leaders to watch for signs of indoctrination. The files on this disc are copies of correspondence between asari matriarchs and Councilor Tevos.”
Valern’s eyes narrowed. “You think one of them is indoctrinated?”
"No, sir. While screening for indoctrination signs, we noticed they were arguing about something. Tevos is planning to tell Shepard about something the matriarchs don’t want her to." She shifted in her seat and leaned forward. "The asari are hiding something. With your permission, I’d like to direct some of our resources into a more thorough investigation. We have several teams in the Athena Nebula and can get someone there before anyone knows we’re looking into it. If need be, we’ll piggyback tech onto some of Shepard’s equipment. There’s a few salarian Spectres who owe us that much, at least."
Valern frowned and sat forward a little. “We both know that you’ll do it regardless of whether or not I give my permission. Why bother asking?”
Irajii reached over to tap the OSD. “There’s a lot of names on here. Whatever this is, it’s big. We could be looking at a cover-up so big the entire Republic is in on it. If we are, the Council will have to get involved. And the whole mess will be streamlined if you don’t have to go behind anybody’s back to get the information. I’ll bring our findings directly to you, whether it’s useful or not, and you can do your usual thing and say somebody else got the information. All I ask is for permission to act in an area where I have no power.”
Valern considered, then sighed and leaned back, covering his eyes with one hand. “You know if this blows up, the taumakai will get dragged in right along with us, whether I say you helped or not, yes?”
"Of course, Councilor. So you’re in?"
He sighed again and stretched out a hand for her to shake. “We’ll see it through, for better or for worse. Make it happen, Irajii.”
She smiled and shook his hand with a nod. “I serve at the pleasure of the councilor.”
"I wanted you to have a normal life. Marriage, children… things I could never have." - sayonara
Hiae stared straight ahead as xe paced down the hall of the hospital. Even in the heart of turian space and late in the Palavenian night, people stepped out of xir way. Xe couldn’t say xe blamed them. Xir face had been plastered all over the media in the almost-century since xe’d revealed herself- sometimes sympathetic, sometimes hated, always a scandal. Learning the techniques used by the Banshees in the war had earned xim some grudging respect, but inspiring other Ardat-Yakshi to start coming out of the woodworks hadn’t been nearly as well-received. Feelings on xim seemed to be mixed, but xe doubted xe’d ever be a welcome sight.
Xir destination was at the end of the hall, a quiet part of the hospital for the elderly who hadn’t lost their hearing yet. Xe couldn’t help but feel a tinge of relief that the nurse on duty at the desk was an asari; a turian wouldn’t be nearly so lenient as to let xim in, even if xe explained what a justicar was.
The form in the bed was staring out the window when xe entered, and his head swiveled around to look at xim, mandibles lifting slightly when he recognized xim. “Cyatiana,” he hummed. “Thought you wouldn’t make it.”
Hiae smiled. Hiae, justicar, Alvos, whoever you are- you’ll always be Detective Trelvos to me, no matter what you look like when you visit. Venari had certainly kept his word. Stubborn old man. “I couldn’t let you leave without saying good-bye, Ven,” xe said easily, the nickname falling off xir tongue as Cyatiana Trelvos resurfaced from decades buried.
Venari wheezed out a rickety laugh, breaking off into a cough near the end. “You did.”
Hiae stiffened. “That was different.”
He waved a hand. “I know, I know. Couldn’t get caught, and all that. I understand.” He settled back against the pillows propped up under his cowl and added, “You never did explain why you just up and vanished without telling me, though.”
Hiae paused, then lowered xir head. “I’m sorry, Ven. You were… I loved you. I truly did. But you know why I couldn’t stay. If I stayed, you might have wanted to get married, and eventually I’d have to explain my condition. I didn’t want you to be saddled with a burden you didn’t know existed until it was too late. You deserved better than I could ever give you.”
Venari was quiet for a moment, then hummed softly. “I understand. I suppose I should thank you, on that note. The partner I got after you disappeared?” His mandibles flared out proudly. “Married her six years later. Greatest woman I ever met. Not too bad on the eyes, either.” He chuckled to himself. “Even put up with all my hunting for you. Helped me, sometimes. Mandibles had the cutest tilt to them when she listened to me go on about it.”
Hiae smiled. “I’m glad you found happiness, Venari.”
He hummed thoughtfully and dipped his head. “Yeah, yeah.” He sighed and leaned back, his crest brushing against the wall behind him. “Have to admit, though, I’m glad I got to see you again before I die. Won’t be long now, I figure. Aviria is already beyond the veil. I’d hate to keep her waiting.”
One of his mandibles twitched in a signal Hiae thought he’d forgotten, and xe inhaled sharply. “Venari, I couldn’t-“
"I’m not asking to meld with you, Tia. Just end it already. I’m well past the day they gave me, and you’d hate staying in a hospital in your last days, too. Just make it quick."
Hiae considered. He had a point- hospitals were terrible places to die- but xe didn’t want to kill xir oldest friend, either.
But his eyes still held that note of pleading xe’d never been able to resist, and xe sighed, moving over to him and gently taking his head in xir hands. “Find peace in the embrace of the Goddess, old friend,” xe whispered. “Quick of claw and fleet of foot, spirits guide you safely home.”
A twist of xir wrists, a loud snap, and Venari Pallin was dead.
"It’s a hell of a job, isn’t it? Being the good guys."- desephira
Sephira panted and slumped to the ground, her back to the wall of the sniper’s nest they’d hastily erected in an old storage building on the fringes of Cipritine’s warehouse district. Everything ached. The edges of her plates were screaming from strain, her arms were numb, her throat was sore from shouting directions at anyone and everyone. “Solas,” she gasped out, pulling up her omni-tool.
The drone flickered to life and bounced, spinning around. “Yes, Lady Sephira?”
"Go watch things for me. Fire on anything blue and riddled with tech."
"Of course, Lady Sephira."
It buzzed off, and she was alone. She took a deep, shuddery breath, then let it all out in one quick whoosh. She was too old for this. Maybe she could close her eyes, just for a moment. They could manage fine without her for a few minutes.
Her eyelids fluttered shut.
Then they snapped open again maybe a minute later when someone barely a few feet away cleared their throat.
She looked around wildly, then froze when she saw thick, stark, blood-blue lines marring alabaster-white plates.
Desolas lowered his mandibles and tilted them out in his trademark scowl. “What do you think you’re doing?”
She frowned and flared out her mandibles. “Taking a break,” she challenged him, tipping up her chin. “I’m tired." This had never been her favorite game, she remembered. Desolas was higher-ranked than her, across the veil or not. Instinct urged her to duck her head, let him tell her what to do. But nobody, not even a dead general, could tell her when she could rest.
Desolas didn’t seem to have gotten the memo. He tilted his head down to show his crest, growling low. “So is everyone else, Actinus. You can’t just sit down because your claws hurt.”
A snarl ripped out of her chest, surprising her with her own ferocity. “Watch me, entofal. I’m old, and tired, and you’re dead.”
"So will you, and everyone else in this bunker, be if you don’t get your damn rifle back up," he snapped. "Quitting isn’t an option right now, Actinus. Look around you. There’s children here. You’re really going to tell me you’d let the Reapers kill children?”
She scowled, then chuffed and lowered her head. “No.”
"Didn’t think so." Desolas snorted, then crouched down. "Listen to me. Sixty-two years ago, a new recruit beat the shit out of a man for making her feel worthless. Where is that recruit now?"
Sephira snorted. “Sixty-two years and two Madelivio boys older, Solas. I’m old.”
"And I’m dead.” He shook his head and brushed her hand with a talon. “Look. The right thing to do is never the easy thing, or what you want to do. But keep pushing through. Help is on the way. I promise.”
She regarded him for a moment, then sighed and unfolded her rifle. “If you say so, beautiful.”
"I do. Now get your ass in gear, Actinus, there’s a war to win."
