It was quite remarkable, thought Zaeed, how much of a mercenary's life consisted of waiting around. It seemed you were always waiting for the payment to clear, or waiting for your team to gather, or waiting for the right moment to attack. He stretched a little in his chair and looked around the comfortable reception area. He'd waited in stinking mud-pits on worlds that were barely out of the Stone Age. If he had to cool his heels, this was much more like it. He'd already turned down about fifteen offers of tea or coffee or something called delrach juice. The pretty little asari receptionist - Nyrath? no, Nyxeris - had finally figured out that he was quite content to be left alone. The windows on one side of the room looked out over an impressive vista of the city of Nos Astra.

Zaeed rose and strode to the window. Multiple skyscrapers surrounded this building, and at least three were much higher than their neighbors. He could just barely make out their tops when he craned his neck to look up. It was mid-afternoon, and the sunlight cast everything in an alternating pattern of shadows and golden glow. Aircars twinkled and swarmed in cross-hatch patterns around the skyscrapers. Zaeed looked down a bit. They were very high up. He wondered, idly, how much this office cost to rent.

Shepard and Garrus were in the inner office with their contact, an asari named Liara. She'd apparently worked with them during the takedown of Saren. He'd caught the look on Liara's face when she'd first seen Shepard. She had been very polite and formal, but Zaeed knew a look of love when he saw it. And so he'd begged off staying in the meeting, figuring the three of them would feel more free to talk about old times without some scarred stranger looming over them. Shepard was his boss for now, and Zaeed knew the importance of keeping the boss happy.

He heard the door open behind him, and turned to see his two comrades emerge. Garrus stalked out with a polite nod to Nyxeris, while Shepard hung back and murmured something to Liara. Zaeed saw the asari place her hand on the Commander's forearm in a comradely gesture. However, her face was oddly distant. She nodded at whatever Shepard had said, and dropped her arm. Zaeed gave both of the asari a little bow, and then trailed after Shepard out the door.

Garrus was already waiting by the elevator, his face a little more stony and unreadable than usual. He had his arms crossed and tapped one foot, and seemed to be lost in reminiscence.

Shepard spoke to the turian as they came up. "What the hell, Garrus?" he said. "What happened to her?"

"It's been two years, John."

"That's not that long," said the Spectre. He rubbed the back of his neck, something that Zaeed knew indicated more-than-usual stress in the Commander. "When we walked in, she was threatening to skin somebody with her mind!"

"You ever done work on Illium, Shepard?" asked Zaeed. "Getting paid what you're owed can get a little heated around here. There was this one time, I had to rig an explosive charge to a client's desk to get 'em to pay up." He smiled at the memory. "Heh. I didn't know asari could actually go pale."

"If you say so," said Shepard. The elevator arrived, and they piled in. "For a moment there, it felt like Benezia had been reincarnated."

The elevator was one of those glass affairs mounted on the side of the building. Zaeed kept a careful eye on the view. He hated being this exposed; a halfway-decent sniper could pick any one of them off without warning. Zaeed hoped that the elevator's glass was armored as a precaution. Liara had struck him as the cautious type.

"It's never coming back, is it?" said Shepard. He sounded tired, which surprised Zaeed. He'd never seen the Commander lack for energy. "I kept thinking that we could get all the old gang back together." He looked at Garrus. "You, me, Tali, everybody. But Tali's off doing whatever her mission is. Kaiden thinks I'm a traitor. Wrex has turned into a politician, of all things. And Liara's changed into somebody a lot colder."

Garrus shrugged. "I always suspected that our asari comrade was a lot less naive than she let on."

Shepard gave him a questioning look.

"Well, think about it," continued Garrus. "She'd never been around humans, and suddenly she's on a ship full of them. All of them regarding her with suspicion because of her mother. So yes, I could see her playing up the 'innocent, un-worldy teenager' angle to gain sympathy."

Shepard looked away, his face dark.

Garrus touched his shoulder. "Hey, it wasn't an act. Just an exaggeration. She does care for us. Especially for you."

Shepard gave a dry chuckle. "Oh, don't I know it."

The elevator doors opened and the three walked out into a huge glass-covered atrium. This was one of the main trading floors for Nos Astra. It was filled with sunlight, huge computer screens, and the bustle of people desperately trying to make staggering sums of money. Zaeed did a quick scan for any threats. Nothing obvious so far. They moved through the space, towards the exit the street.

"Let's get Jacob and head back," said Shepard. "We've got two ops to plan for. First, we have to make contact with a drell assassin who is apparently doing a hit on an old acquaintance of ours."

"Who's the target?" said Garrus. Zaeed noted that the turian was also scanning the trading floor. Shepard was staring at the ground as they walked, still mulling over the meeting with Liara.

"Remember Nassana Dantius?" asked Shepard.

"Oh, spirits. What has that idiot got herself into now?" Garrus shook his head.

Shepard grinned. "Everything bad, apparently. And she's making enemies like crazy, including one who had enough money to hire Mr. Krios."

"Thane's here?" asked Zaeed.

Shepard looked over at the mercenary. "I was going to ask how the hell you know him, but you seem to know everybody."

Zaeed shrugged. "We don't run in exactly the same circles, but we've crossed paths once or twice. I don't know much about him. Thane sure doesn't talk a lot."

They moved out into the street, which was not quite as crowded as the trading floor. There was low, constant hum from the aircars overhead.

"After that," said Shepard, "we have to go find a Justicar and see if she's up for a suicide mission. That will be interesting."

Zaeed scratched behind his ear. "Justicar...they're some kinda asari knight or something, aren't they?"

Shepard nodded. "Sort of. They travel around righting wrongs, protecting the innocent, and all that. Apparently their training is hellish and they are very tough. Our candidate has been a justicar for four hundred years or so. That's definitely somebody you wouldn't want after you."

"I didn't think they ever left asari space," said Garrus.

"Well, this one has" replied Shepard. "And she apparently has a thing for lost causes."

"Then she should fit right in, eh, Shepard?" said Zaeed with a raspy chuckle. And then he caught the tail. There were two of them, an asari and a human male. He had seen them on the trade floor, apparently engrossed in price fluctuations. And now they trailed behind the trio, apparently engrossed in each other.

Zaeed looked back ahead and dropped his voice. He kept his tone casual. "Gotta possible tail. Two people. Asari in a red dress and a guy in a blue suit."

Shepard nodded. "They were on the trading floor looking at the stock prices for Elkoss, weren't they?"

"Yeah," said Zaeed. Well, that was another lesson learned. Shepard was always paying attention, even when it didn't seem so.

"How do you want to handle it?" asked Garrus.

The Commander cocked his head. "My guess is they're not really after us," he said. "Liara mentioned she had quite a few enemies around on Illium. They're probably just getting info on who's meeting with her."

"So we ignore them?" That didn't seem like a good idea to Zaeed. He didn't like being tailed on general principle.

"Nope. We owe Liara a solid for her help." Shepard thought a bit more. "Okay, when we meet Jacob at the weapons dealer we should split up. Zaeed, you go in and talk to Jacob. Garrus and I will head for the Normandy. Keep in touch, and we'll see if they follow us or you. I don't think our tail is likely to split up. Whoever they don't follow will make the intercept."

"Do we want intel, or to send a message?" Zaeed asked.

"Send a message," said Shepard. He gave a mirthless smile. "I don't think it would hurt to let everybody know that Liara has some really nasty friends."

Zaeed matched Shepard's smile. He was finally glad he'd tagged along.

They walked by the weapons shop, a plain storefront with a really gaudy sign that promised easy death for one's enemies. Zaeed peeled off and headed inside while Shepard and Garrus crossed the street. The number of pedestrians was significantly lower, and he could tell their tail was having a harder time keeping a low profile.

Zaeed walked up to Jacob, who was perusing a really nice-looking assult rifle. It couldn't hold a candle to his beloved Jessie, but it was still a nice gun. The younger man nodded as he walked up. "Jacob," he said in reply, then leaned over the case as if looking at the rifle as well.

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"Got a tail," he murmured to Jacob. "Asari in red, guy in blue. Going to see if they follow us or Shepard, and bag 'em." Jacob didn't look around and instead flicked his eyes up to a larger, reflective display above the case.

"Got 'em," said Jacob. Zaeed felt a little swell of pride. The kid was finally learning how to be subtle. He followed Jacob's example, and in the reflection saw their quarry walk right by the shop.

"Shepard," said Zaeed over his comm, "looks like they're sticking with you."

"Got it," said Shepard's voice. "There's a couple of alleys between us and the ship. We'll use them. It should give you a good opportunity."

"How do you want to handle this?" Jacob asked Zaeed.

"You leave first and follow 'em," replied the mercenary. "I'll follow you. I'd better keep well back, since I'm more noticeable. Guess it's my fault for being so pretty."

Jacob nodded. "If I see a good spot to take them down, I'll let you know. How hard are we hitting them?"

"Nothin' that would put 'em in the hospital. We just wanna scare 'em"

It almost went smoothly. Jacob was turning into a halfway decent tracker in Zaeed's opinion, and the younger man had no trouble keeping up with Shepard's tail. The first alley was too open to the street, and Jacob wisely didn't try anything there. It was a different story for the second alley. Zaeed saw Jacob turn the corner into the second alley. "This one's got a little dogleg section," said Jacob over comm. "Making the intercept."

The mercenary began sprinting as soon as he heard Jacob's call. He reached the corner to the alley, and snuck a look around the corner. He was just in time to see Jacob's back disappear around the 'dogleg'. Zaeed pelted down the alley and again peeked into the next section.

The human in the suit was crumpled and unmoving against one wall, but the asari was still up. She'd apparently pulled a weapon, and Jacob was wrestling with her gun-hand. The armorer was a lot stronger than the asari, and he was winning the contest. But then the asari gestured with her other hand and Jacob flew into the opposite wall in a pulse of blue light. Zaeed could hear the grunt as the air was forced from Jacob's lungs.

Zaeed had already crossed half the distance to the asari by the time Jacob hit. He was moving more quietly, but must have made some sound. The asari spun around, just in time to see Zaeed's pistol pointed at her face.

"Evening, darlin'," he said. "Why don't you drop the gun and put your hands on your head? That way I won't have to ruin such a pretty face." He could see the alien thinking about trying a move, but then Jacob pushed himself up off the wall. The younger man looked a little rattled, but otherwise unharmed.

"Two on one, darlin'," said Zaeed. "I wouldn't take those odds." After a little pause, the asari slowly placed her gun on the ground and placed her hands on her head. "That's better."

Jacob moved up to Zaeed's side. He picked up the asari's gun, and trained it on her as well. "You're really fast, lady. That was a good throw," he said. The asari didn't respond. She didn't even seem to react, actually. She just looked at them both with no expression.

"She's probably ex-commando, I'm guessing," said Zaeed. "Right, darlin'?" The asari still said nothing. "Hey, kid," continued Zaeed, "You want a free punch at 'er, as payback for gettin' tossed?"

Jacob shook his head. Zaeed smiled at the asari. "Well, it's your lucky day, darlin'. He's a nice guy." His gun whipped forward, smacking the asari alongside her head. The alien fell to her knees, but still didn't make a sound. She glared up at Zaeed. There was a nasty-looking cut just under her crest. Purple blood began to trickle down from it.

"Now me," growled Zaeed. "I can be a right bastard." He smiled in a way that he knew made his scarred face even more unsettling.

"I'm not telling you anything," said the asari.

Zaeed shrugged. "Fair enough. We don't want to know anything. We just want you to spread the word around. We don't care if you play your little spy games. But we do care about Liara herself. If so much as one little tentacle on her head gets harmed, we will hear about it."

The mercenary leaned over and shoved his face right into hers. He glared at her with his pale, prosthetic eye. "I wouldn't want to be you, in that case. 'Coz Liara has got a lot of friends. And not all of 'em are forgiving and gentle like I am."

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Donnelly wanted to meditate, but thinking back on his talk with Kelly in the hangar he thought he should at least go somewhere outside his quarters. The starboard lounge seemed like a good bet, and sure enough it was deserted. He figured the off-duty crew were all over at the port-side lounge, drinking at Kasumi's improvised bar.

He sat in lotus, and began to breathe more slowly. Beyond the window was the flickering blue pattern of FTL flight. It was a nice bit of visual white noise, and he rapidly dropped into a meditative state. He had a brief notion that he should have come here a long time ago, and then let the thought go. After a long while, he stirred and lifted his head up.

"Thank you," said a gentle voice at his side.

"GAH! Oh, sorry ma'am. I didn't hear you come in."

An asari sat in lotus beside him. She was dressed in red leather armor, with a brass choker covering her long neck. Her blue forehead was adorned with..some sort of red tiara? He didn't quite recognize it.

Her eyes were filled with pure blue-white light. Her hands were held out in front of her, palms up. In the air before her hovered a pulsating orb of a color that matched the glow in her eyes. Donnelly was speechless. He thought Jack's swirling aura had been an impressive demonstration of biotic power, but he had never even heard of anything like this.

He almost said something else, but hesitated. The asari stirred, and the orb vanished. The glow in her eyes faded, and she turned her head to smile at him. The force of her look seemed to pin him to the floor. Her eyes were very pale blue and ageless in their depth. They were kind, but had steel just below their surface.

"I should apologize, not you," she said. "I intruded on your meditation. I'm afraid I was a little greedy. I have been meditating on my own for too long, and I could not pass up the opportunity for companionship."

"Er, it's no bother, ma'am."

"Please, call me Samara." She offered a hand, and he shook it.

"Of course. I'm Marcus."

"Shall we continue?"

Donnelly had been planning to hunt down Zaeed for a drink, but that could wait. "Why not?"

----------------------------------------

Garrus leaned against a bulkhead on the hanger deck and watched with half an eye as Zaeed and Jacob sparred. The two men were shirtless and using pugil sticks as a new wrinkle in their usual training. Jacob was clearly stronger, but Zaeed was just as clearly the more experienced. The mercenary's torso was speckled with old scars, in stark contrast to Jacob's pristine and sculpted body.

Jacob had just scored a nice little hit on Zaeed's side when Garrus turned to Samara. Their new recruit was also leaning against the bulkhead, watching the match with apparent interest. He still wasn't sure what to make of the asari. She hadn't really spent much time yet interacting with the rest of the crew or the ground team.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" he said. The red-clad asari gave him a little smile, and nodded.

"I have to confess," continued Garrus, "I'm not familiar with the Justicar Code. How flexible is it?"

Samara blinked, and tilted her head. "The code is absolute, and must be followed. It has over five thousand different sutras which cover every possible situation."

Garrus rubbed one talon on his chin. "Perhaps I misspoke. Let's say one encounters a criminal, but one who has perhaps a good reason for committing their crime. Stealing food when starving, for example. What does the code say to do then?"

"Ah," said Samara, "you are speaking of mercy." Samara pondered a bit. "The stereotype of the justicars is that they are inflexible and merciless. The first is true, the second is an exaggeration. The code contains many instances where mercy may be shown."

"I see." Garrus gave her a wink. "Don't worry, I'm not planning on testing your mercy. I was just curious."

Samara replied with a larger smile. "Of course. There is much misinformation out there regarding my Order. For example, I once saw a visual representation of the Justicar armor. The artist had gotten most of it correct, except that here," Samara indicated her upper chest, "instead of protecting as it does, they had the armor opened like this." Samara then trailed two hands down from her neck, indicating a plunging neckline which reached well below her breasts.

Garrus chuckled. "Well, I suppose that certainly could act as a distraction."

"And they had high heels on it too, for some reason."

The pugil-stick session was over. Shepard stepped into the center of the mat. "Okay, Jack, front and center."

The biotic snorted, and walked out with her hands on her hips. "Fine, Boss, what's it to be? Whacking each other with padded sticks?"

Shepard gave her a smile. "You did well on Horizon. I was pleased with how you fit into the team. But I did notice you had a problem with the husks."

Jack glared up at him. "I did not. I was throwing those bastards around pretty good, as I recall."

The Commander just looked at her. "You handled them physically, but how did you do mentally?"

Jack rolled her eyes. "What difference does it make? They got squished. Squished is squished."

"You were frightened," said Shepard. He leaned forward, almost looming over her as he stared at her. She finally had to drop her gaze.

"Okay, fine. I found them creepy. So what," she muttered.

"Fear can lead to panic. Now, on Horizon you kept your head. But what about the next time? Training is all about getting you used to things that make you uncomfortable, so that next time you won't even have to think about it."

Jack raised her head again. "Okay, so how do we do this?"

Shepard leaned back. "I know you aren't shy about getting in melee. I'm guessing your problem with the husks was way in which they rushed you. They move fast, they don't have any concern for their own safety, and they just keep coming."

She nodded, reluctantly.

"Good, that's what we'll work on. Pay attention, people, because all of you are going through this drill as well." He turned and took ten paces away from Jack. He turned again and planted one foot behind him. "I'm going to rush you, just like they do. Ready?" he asked Jack.

Jack shook her head. "Not you, Boss."

"Sorry?"

"It isn't a fair test, and you know it. You're a hell of a lot faster than any husk. You'll hit me before I could even blink."

Shepard considered for a bit. "Okay, so what would you suggest?"

Jack pointed at Samara. "Why not the newbie? I'd like to see what she's made of."

The Spectre looked over at the justicar. Samara smiled and nodded her acceptance. Shepard turned back to Jack.

"You realize," he said, "that Samara is over nine hundred years old. Much of that time has been spent in combat. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"

"I'm fine with it if she is. Whaddya say, Blue?"

Samara raised one eyebrow, and walked forward onto the mat.

"Okay, Samara," said Shepard, "I think you get the idea for the drill. A fast, all-out attack with no hesitation."

Ssmara nodded, and stood to face Jack. Shepard trotted off of the mat, over to Garrus.

"John," muttered Garrus, "this is not going to be pretty."

"I know," Shepard muttered back, "but she asked for it."

Garrus regarded the justicar as she bowed slightly to Jack. For once, the 'psychotic biotic' didn't make any sort of smart remark, and just nodded.

"Are you ready, Jack?" asked Samara.

"Yeah." As the word left Jack's mouth, Samara became a blue blur that smacked into her with astonishing speed. Jack was left flat on her back, with Samara standing over her. The young biotic started laughing, which surprised Garrus.

"Okay, Blue. Good one. I really misjudged you." Jack rolled over and got to her feet. She put her hands up and began bouncing, moving lightly around the much taller asari. "But now I got you figured, I think-"

There was another blue blur, this one ending in not quite such a straight-on impact as before. Jack spun away from Samara and fell to one knee. She had apparently split her lip on the last blow, and grinned up at Samara with a bloody, fierce grin.

"That's a really nice one, Blue. You might just be faster than our boss-"

Another blur, but Jack wasn't there this time. She rolled away from the attack and struck out with a kick. Jack's leg was sheathed in a blue biotic aura, and the blow crashed into Samara's side. The justicar tumbled onto her stomach with a woof of expelled air. Garrus saw Jack leap at the asari's defenseless back.

Samara pivoted one hip in an impossibly flexible, fluid movement and sent a kick back behind her. The foot connected solidly with the side of Jack's head with a smack that echoed throughout the shuttle bay. The rebuilt side of Garrus's face twinged in sympathy as Jack slammed into the mat and rolled bonelessly.

"Aw, crap," said Shepard. "Dr. Chakwas is going to be pissed at me. Again."