Mass Effect: The Requiem Saga: Genesis

Mass Effect: The Requiem Saga: Genesis.

Volume 3.

Chapter 19.

 

“Let’s go get ourselves a scumbag.”

 

Garrus: Actually, one moment, please. I’d like to stock up on my weapons before leaving. Is that okay?

You totally ruined the cool line.

“Sure. We’ll wait around here.”

Wrex: Be quick about it.

Garrus jogs off and Wrex and I take a short walk around.

Wrex: Hrm… C-Sec is confusing.

“Why’s that?”

Wrex: They’re a police force with regulations. I say, if you’re going to police a station filled with criminals and politics, I guess they’re the same thing, you need to crack down without the idea of yellow tape blocking your way.

“That’s dangerous thinking, Wrex. That could-“

C-Sec Officer: Okay, Jahleed. Let me get this straight. Your business partner… Chorban. He’s threatened you?

Hm? Chorban? The Salarian Scientist…?

Jahleed: Well, no, not exactly. But he wants to meet with me. I think he’s going to kill me.

I turned my attention to a Volus speaking to a C-Sec Officer in the room we’re in.

C-Sec Officer: And why do you think that?

Jahleed: I– I can’t really get into the details. But Chorban will kill me if I leave here unprotected.

C-Sec Officer: I can’t help you. Not unless you give me something more to go on.

Jahleed: I– I can’t. I’m sorry.

It was then that I stepped in along with Wrex, The C-Sec Officer walking off.

Jahleed: Hey there– oh. You’re not C-Sec, are you? Did you want something?

“I heard you speaking about a man named Chorban. I think I know him. What’s the problem, maybe I can help?”

Jahleed: My colleague is trying to kill me. And I thought we were friends.

I had to refrain from smiling. He sounded so serious while saying that.

“Uh… well, how do you know that?”

Jahleed: He’s changed. He won’t talk to me at work anymore, and… he started following me. Yesterday, he followed me all the way home. Just waiting for a chance. I don’t care what anyone thinks; he wants me gone. I know it.

Sounds like a lover’s spat.

“Well… if what you’re saying is true, I can go talk to him. I know him personally.”

Jahleed: Would you? That’s all I want: someone to talk to him. Tell him to leave me alone. He thinks he can just push me around, but you’ll show him, won’t you?

“I’ll give it a shot. Where is he?”

Jahleed: Oh, right. Well, he wanted to meet with me in the wards, near the markets. He said he just wanted to talk, but I know better. It seems you know him. You shouldn’t have any trouble. He’s just a scientist.

“I do know him. He wanted us to scan the keepers.”

Jahleed: The keepers? Well… even more reason to go after him. That’s against regulations.

“All right. We’ll stop by there.”

Jahleed: Anything’s possible with Chorban these days. Well, good luck.

After walking out into the lobby, Garrus rejoined the group and I informed him on the situation.

“Do you guys mind if we stop by there first?”

Wrex: No.

Garrus: No, I think we should stop there. Should we inform your friends to stop their scanning?

“Not right now, once we figure out what exactly is going on, then we can give them a call. Just send them a message to standby for news on the scans.”

Garrus: Roger. Let’s go.

The three of us stepped onto the elevator and as we did, Garrus tried to make conversation.

Garrus: So, what do you guys know about their security?

Wrex: Few bodyguards. A Krogan. ‘Bout it.

Garrus: Is that going to be a problem?

Wrex: As long as you don’t miss, don’t think so.

Garrus: No I mean… I guess I’m just surprised that you’re willing to kill your own, Wrex. Aren’t the Krogan just a few generations away from extinction?

Wrex: You don’t get it. For all your talk of honor and pride, the turians never had to test their principles in a real struggle. Anyone who fights us is either stupid or on Saren’s payroll. Killing the latter is business. Killing the former is a favor to the universe.

Garrus didn’t respond to that as we jumped off the elevator.

~X~

Down in Wards Access, we walked straight up to a large group of Salarians, headed up by the Salarian Scientist known as Chorban.

Chorban: Commander. I wasn’t expecting to see you again. Is there something you want?

“The truth. And trust me, I can handle it.”

Chorban: Uh… I’m not sure what you’re referring to. My experiments are…

Garrus: We’re not buying it. Jahleed told us you’ve been after him.

Chorban: You… spoke with Jahleed? Then you know about the data?

“Well. I didn’t. But now, you’re going to tell me everything about this data. Got that?”

Chorban looks back at his guards.

Chorban: You boys can go.

They filed out.

Chorban: Looks like my plans have changed. It’s not as bad as you think, Commander. Jahleed and I just got a little… over our heads.

“And?”

Chorban: The company we work for developed an experimental procedure to use in medical scanners. Jahleed and I saw even more potential. So we stole the plans and secretly developed a tool to scan the keepers. Can you imagine? A tool that can actually get readings from the keepers?

“That’s all good and well, but why is that over your heads?”

Chorban: The keepers are almost impossible to scan, and you can’t capture them or get samples. They just self-destruct. After centuries here, we still don’t know anything about them. Don’t you see? We were the first to scan them. Ever! You’ve seen it yourself, Commander. You know we can do it.

“That’s impressive, I’ll admit. But that doesn’t connect with why you want to murder your little volus friend. Your partner, no less.”

Chorban: I’m not trying to kill him. Jahleed’s job was to disseminate our initial findings. But… he decided to keep the data for himself. Maybe to sell it. I don’t know.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose at that.

Chorban: We lost our heads. We just couldn’t let an opportunity like this pass us by. Commander. If you’ll just continue gathering data for me… imagine what we might learn. And you’ll stand to make a little profit yourself.

I thought about this for a moment. This… wasn’t a cut and dry sort of thing. No black and white here. Sure, it wasn’t a huge moral crisis, but it was still a question or morals.

We might learn a lot from these things… and I don’t trust them.  And some money on the side… So… maybe…

“Well… fine. We’ll continue to scan them. It can’t hurt, right?”

None of my teammates objected to this.

Chorban: Very good. Maybe if you wouldn’t mind speaking with Jahleed. The data you’re gathering for me is useless if Jahleed won’t help me analyze it.

“We’re a bit busy… but we’ll stop by.”

Chorban: Thank you, and happy scanning, Commander.

Chorban walked away.

~X~

I, alone, approached Jahleed. The other two decided to stay in the markets and prepare to assault Chora’s Den while I talked with the volus.

Jahleed: Hello again. Did you have any luck finding Chorban?

“Cut the shit. You’ve been lying to me, Jahleed. I don’t like being lied to.”

Jahleed: Lying? Why would I lie to you?

“Did you not hear me? Cut. The. Shit. That data about the keepers that you didn’t mention.”

Jahleed: Uh, he told you? I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I was afraid Chorban would kill me to get the data, so I… well I was hoping you’d take care of him.

I ground my teeth together. This little rat thing was starting to piss me off. I had things to do.

“You wanted me to kill him? Gah. Piece of shit. No, I didn’t kill him. I’m scanning the keepers for Chorban.”

Jahleed: You’re… you’re helping us? But… well, if you say so. Well, if Chorban can forgive and forget, then so can I. I appreciate the help, Commander. I better go get that data analyzed.

I want to shoot you.

~X~

I returned quickly to the two by using the transit station. They were waiting right next to the market transit terminal.

“You guys ready?”

The two nodded and I drew out my assault rifle.

“Then let’s go fuck some shit up. Come on”

We went through the walkway before Garrus realized something.

Garrus: Ah, looks like it’s shut down.

Wrex: Fist knows we’re coming.

As the door opened for us, we approached a small army of bodyguards.

Bodyguard: Look out!

The bartender was the first to shoot, but I shot faster, taking him out first.

And then everyone at once began to fire. I slid into the bar counter as cover, the other two using the tables and walls.

“Kill these bastards!”

I popped out of cover and rushed down the right side of the bar, taking two of the criminals out immediately with quick bursts from my Avenger. And then, a shotgun blast struck the wall beside me, causing me to scramble back to cover.

Krogan Bouncer: You brought friends, Wrex? Hah!

Shotgun buckshots came at me relentlessly as I crawled my way out of the line of fire.

Krogan Bouncer: Fuckin’ faulty… gr…

The krogan started fiddling with his shotgun.

My chance!

I rolled out of cover and threw out my omni-blade, shooting to my feet and swinging the blade right into his torso.

Krogan Bouncer: Grnt…

The Krogan Bouncer spat out a bit of blood to the side and then grabbed my neck, throwing me against the wall.

Krogan Bouncer: Puny little shit.

He began to close his grip tighter and tighter on my throat. I tried to rip his hand off of me with the one not holding the blade, but I wasn’t able.

Wrex: Shepard! Brace!

Krogan Bouncer: Wre-

Wrex: Raaaaghhh!

Wrex charged in full force against the krogan, throwing his body into the air. A staple move of the krogans of old. I fell to the ground, retracting my omni-blade, trying to catch my breath.

Wrex: You okay?

“Hhhnh… hhh… y-yeah…”

Wrex: Then get up. We got work to do.

I nodded and pushed myself to my feet, holding my assault rifle at the ready as Garrus and Wrex finished off the last of the thugs in the bar.

Garrus: Wait!

As Wrex and I approached the corridor leading to Fist’s office, we stopped at Garrus’ command, and a barrage of bullets shot out.

“Fuck. Thanks!”

Garrus didn’t respond, he just slowly set his sniper rifle down on the bar counter and aimed.

Garrus: Hm…

He presses down on the trigger and a shot rings off, causing the canister of fire-suppression liquid to explode, killing the two thugs inside the corridor.

Garrus: Let’s go.

“Right.”

We rushed in and went through the door to find a few workers there. One of them clumsily pulled his pistol out and aimed it at us, prompting the others to do the same.

Warehouse Worker: Stop right there! Don’t come any closer.

Garrus: Warehouse workers. All the real guards must be dead.

I knew they were just civilians needing to pay their salary.

Warehouse Worker: Stay back or we’ll shoot!

But they were scared as well. And trying to appeal to them might not work and could slow us down. Maybe injure one of us. And they are working for a criminal willingly. You’re not on Omega, you have choices.

“See that krogan there? I killed him with my bare hands. What do you think is going to happen if we get into a fight?”

Warehouse Worker: Uh… well… uh…

The other warehouse worker sighed and put his gun away.

Warehouse Worker: Aw, screw Fist. He doesn’t pay us enough for this.

They scurried away and we made sure everything was in order before continuing on.

Wrex: It would’ve been quicker to just kill them.

Garrus: Shooting people isn’t always the answer.

Wrex: Are you sure? It solves most of my problems.

I chuckled as we ran into Fist’s office, where he waiting for us. He got his assault rifle ready.

Fist: Why do I have to do everything myself? Time to die, little soldiers!

Two defensive turrets activate and begin to fire.

Garrus: Go go go!

We jumped into cover behind his desk. Wrex and Garrus, on either side of me, preoccupy the turrets with their own gunfire.

Leaving Fist ripe for the taking.

I rolled back and, before anything could take a shot at me, I burst forward and hopped onto the desk, leaping off and tackling Fist into the wall.

Fist: Gah!

I rained down my own fists onto his face and body as Wrex used his biotics to slam both turrets together, destroying them. As they joined me, I backed off from the now bloody Fist, pulling out my pistol.

Fist: Wait! Don’t kill me! I surrender!

I kneeled down in front of him, shoving the barrel into his kneecap.

“The quarian. Where?”

Fist: She’s not here. I don’t know where she is! That’s the truth!

Wrex: He’s no use to you now. Let me kill him.

Fist: Wait! Wait! I don’t know where the quarian is! I swear!

I angrily pulled the trigger, shooting his kneecap.

Fist: AAAAAGHHH! FUCK! FUCKING SHIT!

Garrus: Shit, Commander…

“Where?”

Fist: I… I… ag-agh…  sh-she isn’t here… said she’d o-only deal with The Shadow Broker himself…

Wrex: Face to face? Impossible! Even I was hired through an agent.

I put the barrel to his other kneecap.

Fist backed up against the wall, my pistol still keeping with his other kneecap as he did.

Fist: Nnh… Nobody meets The Shadow Broker. E-Ever. Even I don’t know his true identity. Kah… shit… But she didn’t know that. I told her I’d set a meeting up. But when sh-sh… shit… she shows up, it’ll be Saren’s men waiting for her…

I immediately pulled the trigger.

Fist: AAAAAHHHHH! AAGH! NAAAH! N-NO! AGH!

I slammed his head against the wall to shut him up and then leveled the pistol with him.

“Next one is going in your head. Where is the fucking meeting?”

Fist: H-Here on the wards… oh god s-so much… The back alley by the markets. She’s…ss… suppo-supposed to meet them there right now. You can make it there if you hurry…

“Hm. Garrus, put some medigel on him. And call C-Sec, I-“

I stood up to leave, but Wrex pulled his shotgun out and shot Fist in the head, blowing most of it away.

Garrus: What are you doing?!

Wrex: The Shadow Broker paid me to kill him. I don’t leave jobs half done.

I turned right in Wrex’s face.

“You don’t do that again, you understand me?!”

Wrex: How many people died because of him? He brought this on himself. Besides, we have more pressing concerns.

Garrus: That quarian’s dead if we don’t go now!

My stomach twisted again. I know I don’t know her but… I can’t have that happen. For some reason, I won’t let it go down that way.

“Let’s go! Now!”

The three of us ran out of the office, me at the helm, but as we got out of the corridor, an ambush awaited us.

“Shit!”

A guy span around the corner to attack me, but I slid down and grabbed his legs, taking him down quickly. I grabbed his gun from his hand and shot one of the thugs and slammed the gun down on his head, leaving it there.

“Take them out!”

Wrex and Garrus mowed down the rest as I made my way to the door by myself.

“Take every one of these guys out! I’ll meet you both there!”

Garrus: Shepard, wai-

I sprinted on ahead, through the walkway and transit station and right up the stairs into a red room, then up another flight of stairs, and that’s where I saw the meeting, with one of Saren’s assassins blocking the view of the quarian.

Assassin: Did you bring it?

Quarian: Where’s The Shadow Broker? Where’s Fist?

I know that voice. Holy shit. I know that voice.

The assassin began to run his hands down her suit, trying to find anything on her.

Assassin: They’ll be here. Where’s the evidence?

The quarian slaps the hands of the assassin away.

Quarian: No way. The deal’s off.

I know that attitude. I know her.

But just then, several of the salarian mercenaries held their guns up, approaching her slowly.

“Hey! Tali! Look out!”

The quarian named Tali’Zorah nar Rayya looked at me and then turned around, seeing the salarians coming up behind her. She throws some sort of device, causing a small explosion to distract them as she runs away.

Tali jumps behind cover and pulls out her pistol, taking her shots as I run down the staircase, firing away at them as I do so.

“Keep firing! Don’t stop!”

The two of us shoot at Saren’s men, but one of them sneaks up on us and grabs Tali over the barricade, pulling out his omni-blade.

“NO!”

I finish up the last guy I can see in the room and run over to Tali, using my newly enhanced speed and strength (slightly but whatever) to pull back and release a tremendous punch with my right hand, planting his face against the wall and holding it there. I think I might have killed him on impact.

“Hrnh…”

Tali: Keelah… how-

KRA-KOW!

Guh…

I took my hand away from the assassin’s head and touched my side, pulling my hand back up to see blood on my glove.

Oh… God…

“Hngh…”

Wrex and Garrus run into the room to survey the scene and look across to see a person in armor holding a sniper rifle. He reloads his sniper rifle and puts it on his back. The person’s codename is Spartan, a mercenary employed by Saren.

Spartan: One down.

Spartan aims his rifle at Tali’Zorah next, but I see it coming.

“Get down!”

I take the crate she’s hiding behind and pull it up and push it into her, throwing her to the ground and blocking her in the corner.

KRA-KOW!

“Gakh…”

Another bullet. This time in my shoulder.

I fall to my knees on the crate.

“S-stay…”

I whispered to Tali.

Garrus: Oh god no. Commander! W-

Spartan then presses a detonator on his bracer.

BOOOOOMHHH!

The walls explode in, Garrus and Wrex jump back onto the stairwell to not get hit while I’m blown away. I don’t think… oh god… I don’t think she got hurt.

I fall onto the floor and lay there for what seems like an eternity, probably only about five to ten seconds, but that feeling is cut off when I am hoisted onto the mercenary’s shoulders.

Spartan: Spartan incoming. Target acquired.

S-Spartan…?

I can’t think of anything other than that word as I’m brought out of the alleyway and shoved into some vehicle. The world goes black very quickly.

Oh… well. This has gone to shit.

And then I fall unconscious.

To Be Continued…