Chapter Text
"Why do we always find the bodies a day and a half late?"
Natalie shrugged. "Bad luck?"
With his nose shoved in the crook of his elbow, Haven nodded agreement. It seemed he’d never get used to that smell, sickening and wretched.
"Victim, identified as Andrew Hallister, died about 30 hours ago," droned a human Enforcement officer. "Died from blood loss. No signs of struggle, no traces of the killer. Murder weapon was a kitchen knife from the victim's own kitchen." She pointed toward the kitchen, behind Haven. “We were gonna handle it until we found out it was probably part of your case.”
“If you can even call it that,” Haven muttered, perhaps darkly, then mustered a polite half smile. “Thanks. Is there anything else you can tell me?”
She paused, then shook her head. “No, sir. We’ll get out of your way.”
"Thank you for your assistance, Officer Jean," said Shade from behind Haven. The officer gave it a puzzled grin and a grateful nod before leaving.
Haven spent a half-hour searching the apartment with Shade and Natalie’s help. Camnion had elected to wait outside at the skycar. He and Haven hadn’t spoken beyond niceties since their talk in Haven’s appartment, now two nights ago. Haven didn’t know why - he thought something had... happened between them. That they’d come to an understanding of each other, or made a connection, but now whenever they were together (especially alone) Camnion was wordless, like he was lost in thought, constantly searching for the words. Part of Haven didn’t want to interrupt him, in case that was the case, but the rest felt like it had been on the precipice of anticipation for far longer than is comfortable. What could he do but talk to him?
On one wall in the large apartment, perpendicular to the wall-window, what seemed to be Hallister's pride and joy was on display; suits of armor, weapons of numerous shapes and sizes and makes all mounted with love and care behind glass, all gleaming and polished. Military? Mercenary?
"What do you think all of this is for?" Haven asked, taking it all in. One suit of armor, made to mimick medieval earthen armor, caught his attention. A dragon was painted on its chest in what looked like blood. “This doesn’t look... ‘standard issue’ for a soldier or merc.” They were gaudy, flashy, and perhaps even of a sort to be detrimental in combat.
"Probably used the combat sim," Natalie answered. She was looking at the collection of submachine guns hungrily. "It's right across the way. I saw it before we came up. Do you think he had a will? Or can we, uh, aquisite these?"
"That’s not a word, Natalie. You’re thinking of ‘aquire,’" he said. "And no, I don’t think we can just take them.”
“Can we, like, impound them?”
“I don’t think he has them illegally, so probably not.”
“Damn.”
Haven snorted. “Y’know, Camnion wanted to take me to the sim. Next part of my training."
"He wanted to take you? I thought I was in charge of your training."
"You've been busy." He shrugged.
"Has the training been going well?" She sounded wary, almost. "You two don't exactly get on."
He almost didn't want to answer her. She was right - they didn't get on, or at least, it hadn’t. Now, things were more... complicated. "It's been going pretty great, actually," he replied at length, watching his tone. "I like training with him."
Natalie nodded, and he pretended not to notice the sly, warm look she shot him.
They’d gotten the results from Dr. Huddy’s lab a day ago - seven thousand and one wounds covered the body of the woman they’d identified as Kagami Preston, who’d lived alone and unemployed on Zakera ward for nearly a year before being evicted a couple months ago. She must have been living on Tayseri since then. It was peculiar - according to her records, she wasn’t military, paramilitary, mercenary, security, and never had been; why did she have an assault rifle.
Why so many more wounds than Keniston’s four thousand? Preston had been physically smaller than Keniston, and more wounds seemed counter-productive. Why such a secluded and low-level target? Any leads they may have had were thrown out the window, what with Preston’s lack of ties to Keniston, the Blue Suns, or Omega’s legends.
Mr. Hallister was in the bedroom upstairs, in the same state as Keniston and Preston had been - mangled and unrecognizeable, positively soaked in blood and lying in a pool of himself. Haven didn’t bother spending a lot of time trying to discern anything from the ruined thing, and let the Kithoi Enforcement officers take it. Natalie instructed them to take it to Dr. Huddy’s lab. Haven couldn’t be sure without Dr. Huddy’s analysis, but he imagined that maybe Hallister had less wounds than Preston, so there wasn’t a gradual escalation.
The murder weapon was laid out as if on display, like the others - a kitchen knife similar to Keniston’s laid atop the dresser conspicuously, glinting.
“Do you think it’s like a taunt?” Natalie surmised, looking at it whilst carefully setting it in a kinetic barrier case. “Like, ‘I know you want this, and I know you won’t be able to use it to catch me, so have it.’”
Haven shrugged, leaving the bedroom. The smell of blood was marginally weaker outside of the bedroom, and he breathed carefully. “I guess so. It’s a confident move, and they’ve the power and skill to back it up.”
As he descended the stairs into the main level, the gleaming neon lights from outside the full-wall window outshone the fluorescent lighting of the apartment, throwing parts of the room into bright colors without the harsh contrast they might have without the white light. They were in Tiberius Towers, several stories up from the famous Silversun Strip, which Haven could see if he looked out the wall-window and down, but he was fine, thanks. When he and Natalie got in the elevator, apparently finished with their assessment of the scene, he was grateful.
"Scared of heights, Detective?" Natalie asked with a grin, spinning the barrier box by opposite corners with her fingertips in a way that Haven was fairly sure wasn’t safe. "I saw you avoiding the window."
"Shut up, Officer."
"Officer Duran is correct, Detective," Shade said with a suddenness that was never not jarring. "Whenever you would get within a couple meters of the glass, your pulse would heighten and your hands would begin to perspirate-"
Haven ignored it, face red.
Natalie was still laughing at him when the doors outside opened. Camnion's eyes widened in question and he kicked off where he was leaning against the skycar.
"The Detective is a sissy," Natalie said by way of an explanation. Camnion looked to Haven for some sort of confirmation, but the human just frowned.
"Let's go," he said, walking ahead of the three of them.
"Detective, the combat sim is just across the way," Camnion said, pointing to the building, which read 'ARMAX ARSENAL ARENA' in large gold letters. "We said we would go this weekend and here we are."
"Sounds fun!" Natalie said, looking to Haven. "You still queasy from the crime scene?"
"Shut up, fine, we can go," he said, and Natalie fist pumped. Shade looked at her with a whir of mechanical processes. "But first, let's eat. I'm starving."
--
Half of the restaurants were still in shambles, with construction crews and mechs gathering shattered glass and bent, burnt metal. There were a couple standing though, proud and bright and novel, with rainbow neon signs and lines out the door. Like always, Camnion knew the most about the restaurants and made a beeline. Haven, Shade, and Natalie trailed behind him like ducklings.
The line was relatively short, but they still waited a good twenty-five minutes before they got in, chatting idly. Inside, the food was as good as Camnion promised. It was obviously catering to a more alien audience, with little to no options Haven found familiar, but Natalie immediately found some strange dish "from the Tuchankan desert" that she'd apparently heard was good from a classmate of hers from the Academy, so both she and Haven decided to try it out. Neither of them could pronounce it, but it was actually pretty tasty. Shade earned a good many uncomfortable, distrustful, or just strange looks from passers-by but seemed unaffected, participating in conversation with the others. It even managed to startle a laugh out of their waitress.
Haven cleared his throat in the silence of a pause in conversation. “All the victims so far have been human.”
Natalie groaned around a mouthful of food. “Haven, it’s the weekend. Can’t we analyze this tomorrow?”
“Yes, but we can also talk about it now,” Haven insisted. “Don’t you think that means something? There aren’t that many of us on the Citadel - I don’t think it’s a coincidence. Especially with three people dead, now.”
She shrugged. “I mean, I guess? But the victims don’t have any other connections aside from species.”
“Maybe that makes the species connection all the more relevant,” Camnion suggested. “If it’s the only thing they share. Maybe the killer hates humans.”
“They all had firearms,” Shade said, sat motionless at the empty place setting between Haven and Camnion. “Perhaps that could be relevant?”
“Hallister had weapons?” Camnion asked.
Natalie nodded. “Yeah. He had this huge case of armor and guns - must’ve used the sim, I think.”
“I hadn’t thought about that,” Haven admitted. “Maybe the firearms are connected to each other, or someone else. I’m willing to try anything, at this point.” He shook his head, a feeling like frustration and worry throbbing behind his temples. “We only found Preston three days ago, and Keniston five days before that.”
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Camnion said. “That’s awfully close.”
“You think there’s gonna be another one soon?” Natalie asked, concern furrowing her brow, and Haven shrugged.
“I hate to say it, but-”
The whole table (along with half the restaurant) were pulled from their conversations to look over when they heard a loud, booming laugh from the bar. There was a krogan there in purple armor, an arm around an asari who was laughing too, though much more quietly. Haven wondered what was so funny, really, that it warranted a laugh that disturbed the whole restaurant.
"Well, I guess we're done here," the krogan said. "Wanna get back to the sim, Siri?"
The asari nodded, and Haven had never seen one who was such a deep, ink-dark blue. "Of course," she said, and the pair of them left.
"Haven, you're staring," Natalie said, poking his side, and Haven spun around.
“Did you see them?”
Camnion frowned. “Everyone did.”
Haven glanced back over his shoulder, but the pair had disappeared. “Do they fit the Zrek and A’nao description?”
He looked back in time to see Natalie roll her eyes. “Haven, you don’t think-”
“The description is simply asari and krogan, Detective Mai,” Shade said. “Many asari seek krogan partners for their longevity, due to their similar lifespans. Such pairs are uncommon, however, due to the krogan’s reputation, but not unheard of.”
“But- we’re on Silversun and-”
“I’m still not convinced Syllius wasn’t telling us a ‘fairy tale,’ as Duran put it,” Camnion interrupted. “Besides, the Zrek and A’nao story is only connected to Keniston. It could have no bearing on the rest of the case.”
Haven didn’t have a reply for that - Camnion and Natalie were right, probably, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe they weren’t.
--
The crowd inside the Armax Arsenal Arena was dense and loud, overwhelming. Haven wanted to grab hold of someone's hand, a childish impulse to keep himself from getting lost in the crowd, but refrained. He stayed close behind Camnion's back as the turian pushed his way through the crowd, C-Sec armor granting him just enough authority and intimidation factor. On vidscreens mounted up high, Haven could see what was going on in the sim from every angle he could imagine - a violet-plated krogan biotic charging a Cerberus Centurion, an asari with the darkest blue skin Haven had ever seen pulling Guardians up into a singularity, her barrier glinting over the silver markings that laced her brow and forehead, under her eyes, and down her chin. Something about them made her look like a queen, regal and powerful.
"Kill streak! Three, four, five!"
Camnion shoved past the last few people to get to the glass viewing area, directly above the sim itself. He leaned up against the rail to look down, and Haven followed his example. A couple patrons grumbled or even protested, but no one tried anything.
"We're gonna have to wait for them to finish," Camnion shouted over the commotion while the VI called out "Maximum kill streak!" to raucous cheers.
Haven nodded, then turned his back to the spectacle to look around. Off to one wall he saw a VI terminal, a female turian glowing orange and pink and transparent. His mind was still on the cases, despite the ample distraction around him, and he thought that he could at least make sure Hallister really did use the sim, just in case. And- and Haven remembered, unbidden, that Syllius had said Keniston had been on Kithoi Ward the night he’d died. Had he been here? Used the sim? A weak connection was better than nothing, and- and maybe that could be why Preston had had the rifle.
"I'm gonna go use the VI," he said, unsure if Camnion could hear him. He weaved his way back through the crowd.
He stopped in front of it, unsure how to- Did he say hello? Was there VI etiquette? How did he-
"Hello, Detective Haven Mai, guest of Officer Laius Camnion. Welcome to the Armax Arsenal Arena.” He imagined it was smiling - it was hard to tell its expression with a semi-transparent head. “How may I be of assistance, Detective Mai?"
"I have a couple questions about some users, here." he said, trying not to feel strange for interrogating a VI.
"Most information is classified, Detective. Unless you have a membership or a warrant, I can only tell you what is publicly available."
Haven nodded. He could work with that, for now. “Can I just- Alright. Is there a user here with the name Andrew Hallister?"
The VI nodded. "Mr. Andrew Hallister is a respected user of the Armax Arsenal Arena. His high score is: private."
"Why is it private?"
"Any user can set their scores to private at any time," it said. "Our records show that Andrew Hallister is deceased. If his settings were public before, they were automatically set to private upon his death."
"Alright. How could I access his score, if I wanted to?"
"A C-Sec warrant would allow access," it said, helpfully. "Do you require anything more?"
"Yes, I have more names," he said. "Is there any user with the name Terrance Keniston?"
It nodded again. "Terrance Keniston is a respected user of the Armax Arsenal Arena. His high score is: private."
"How about a Kagami Preston?"
"Kagami Preston is a respected user of the Armax Arsenal Arena. Her high score is: private."
"And the match goes to Vugira!"
Haven jumped at the loud announcement, turning around. Camnion was motioning for him to come on, while the vidscreens showed the krogan and asari duo embracing. He gestured for Camnion to wait.
"Who are they?" he asked the VI, pointing at the vidscreen.
"Ravanor Vugira is a respected user of the Armax Arsenal Arena. Her high score is: Nine-thousand, six hundred and ninety-four. Her companion is Esirya Thaanis, a guest. Her high score is: private."
Haven nodded. "Thank you. I'm finished."
"Please enjoy your day at the Armax Arsenal Arena," it said, then fell silent. Haven went to follow Camnion and Natalie into the locker room. Shade was staying above - only three were allowed at a time into the sim, and it was willing to wait.
Down the stairs, Vugira and Thaanis were leaving the elevator. They were definitely the same couple from the restaurant bar. Haven noticed their armor - Vugira, the krogan, was wearing armor the same bright violet of her plates. Thaanis hadn’t been wearing any before, but now was wearing yellow and black, a symbol like a sun emblazoned on her front. He recognized it, vaguely, but couldn’t place it.
Natalie seemed to notice it too, but she knew what it was, and approached the asari with her Tempest. "Excuse me, but I'm gonna have to take you in." She was in full Enforcement mode, something Haven didn't see often.
"Excuse me?" Thaanis sounded bemused, smirking. Haven's first impression of 'queen' was reinforced.
"We don't tolerate gang activity on the Citadel." Natalie gestured with her SMG at Thaanis's armor. "Eclipse armor. I have to take you in." Camnion didn't intervene - he'd already moved past to change into his own armor. He was already in his C-Sec issued suit, but he seemed to have conjured another set in deep green, perhaps kept in storage here. He was stripping into his undersuit, and Haven was half watching Natalie and half watching the turian's hipbones. The jut was much more severe without the armor on.
"It's a keepsake," Thaanis said. "I'm not part of Eclipse anymore, human." She said 'human' like a curse, like something foul she'd peeled from her boot. Haven recalled her viciousness in the sim, fighting human enemies. A grudge against Cerberus, or something more?
"I have to take you in, ma'am," Natalie repeated once more. "It's my job." She made to grab the asari's arm, but she deftly dodged, laughing condescendingly and glowing faintly purple.
"I'd like to see you try."
With that, she took the stairs gracefully, quickly, with a laughing Vugira on her arm. Natalie went to follow her, but lost her in the crowd, returning to Haven and Camnion with a curse.
Haven rented a suit of armor from the VI, as well as an undersuit. Camnion was fastening the clasps on his greaves, and Natalie was bouncing from foot to foot - she wasn't changing, content with her C-Sec armor,, and was itching to get into the sim. Seeing Camnion in his undersuit was... interesting . Though the suit's material was fairly thick, the pull and stretch over plates, where they started and ended and bent and arched, were clearly distinguishable without the protective metal. Haven noticed the strange prongs on his calves, and the two toes of his feet, and the strange boniness of his carapace more distinctly than he had before. Some part of him that sounded like Sanctuary said he should be disgusted, or at the very least weirded out, but in all honesty he felt a stirring of attraction in the pit of his gut at the sight. And- well, that wasn’t new, he had to admit, but it was startling in its strength. He wondered, absently, exactly what Camnion’s plates felt like, textured and hard and alien. He tried not to stare, but equal parts curiosity and attraction made it kind of hard.
He noticed Camnion's eyes sticking to him when he was pulling on his undersuit and wondered if that was only curiosity.
--
"It's combat night in the Armax Arsenal Arena!"
The armor was heavy but strangely fluid, and Haven felt his heart pounding already as he stepped out into the simulated terrain. Camnion had chosen all the settings while Natalie was confronting Thaanis, so Haven hadn't had any idea what he was in for. Frankly, he still didn't. But as he pulled out his Predator, which felt more and more natural in his hands every day, he steeled himself with a deep breath and a tightening of his jaw. He could do this.
As the voice counted down to the start of the match, he wasn't so sure.
"Get in cover!" Camnion instructed over the comm reverberating through his helmet, and Haven did so, ducking behind a waist-high wall the way he saw Camnion and Natalie doing, his heart in his ears.
"G-got it," he said, and he heard Natalie sigh. He looked around but couldn't see either of them anymore, like they’d blended into the map.
"You'll be fine," Natalie said, soothingly but with an edge like she was tense. The sound of gunfire filled the air as geth spawned - a probably smart choice for Haven, with his tech-based abilities, though he couldn't help but think of Shade.
"C'mon, Detective!" Camnion said. "You can't just hide behind cover the whole time."
Haven wanted to argue, but Natalie shouted about low shields right after, and he swallowed his fear. He topped over his cover, targeted a random geth, and triggered his overload. It froze for a moment in a starburst of blue. Someone took aim and it dropped, then dissolved. Natalie whooped, but Haven was too nervous to be excited, as yet. He activated the drone kit attached to his omni-tool (and he was glad he’d taken to keeping one on him, since the Blue Suns incident) and took a deep breath, then raised his Predator. He exhaled and took the shot once, twice, three times into a simulated geth trooper and it jolted before collapsing. He didn't have time to revel in his victory, however, because he felt a painful pulsing feeling all over as his shields were battered with answering fire. He overloaded another geth, this one glowing with its own shields, and ducked behind cover.
"Nice job!" Natalie said, encouragingly. She was out of breath from effort. "Keep it up!"
They managed to rack up a kill streak of six, with Haven contributing only one, by the time the round ended. Natalie sprinted for the bonus and barely got it when the enemy spawn indicator appeared right above her. Haven and Camnion moved in tandem to new cover.
"Shit," she muttered over the comm, elbowing the first geth to spawn in the photoreceptor. It mewled, strange and low and bitty as it stumbled back, and Natalie took the opening to take it down with her submachine gun. When it disappeared she quickly rolled behind cover, and switched to her shotgun. "Camnion's getting it next time - that was close."
"Fine with me," Haven said, voice shaking but trying to be normal. Natalie chuckled.
"Whatever, next time pay attention," Camnion interjected. Haven could see him from his new cover, and watched as he fiddled with something on his Avenger until it glowed blue.
"Don't tell me what to do," Natalie said, over the VI announcing "Kill streak!"
Haven was distracted, watching Camnion and dredging up the courage to top over his cover again, when he was hit. Like, physically. He jumped up, searching for his attacker and he was hit again - and there, he saw the telltale shimmer of a tactical cloak. A geth hunter. He overloaded it, and it materialised, stumbling back like the one Natalie had hit, but it regained its footing much more quickly, aiming its shotgun. Haven backed up, drawing up his pistol to shoot when the shotgun blast got him in the stomach, doubling him over. His combat drone sent out a pulse, and the weakened geth froze in place for a second. Haven fell to his knees, trying to start breathing again, and he did, but at double time. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes.
"Shit, guys-" he wheezed, and the next thing he knew there was a loud bang and the geth's head exploded, body jolting and sparking as it fell. Haven breathed for a moment, gathering himself, before looking around for who'd saved him. Camnion was looking at him.
"You alright?" Camnion asked, surprisingly gentle, and Haven nodded. Camnion widened his mandibles and exposed needle-like teeth in a grin. “Pay better attention next time, Mai.” Haven flushed, though whether it was exertion or something else was beyond him.
When the round ended, it was Camnion's turn to chase after the 200 point bonus. He barely got it in time as it was clear across the map, and his labored breathing could be heard over the comms.
"Having difficulties, Officer?" Natalie said, snickering. Camnion glared at her.
"Next one, we race," he said, and he sounded almost playful, a challenge in his voice.
Haven could hear Natalie's smile. "You're on."
The next round, Haven was more proactive - he was more used to the armor, now, and his own weight under it. He triggered his drone first thing, and immediately ducked into cover when he saw a rocket headed his way. He noticed a geth hunter out of the corner of his eye, approaching Natalie, and overloaded it from across the map. Natalie gave him a harried "Oh! Thanks," before bashing it in the chest with her SMG twice, pushing it back so she could shoot it more effectively.
Camnion took care of himself, and Haven could tell he was experienced, at least here in the sim. He knew exactly how to rack up a kill streak, and with a little coordination with Natalie, got as high as 8. He didn't talk to Haven much beyond the occasional order to stop hiding, which by this third round he didn't even need to do.
"Your drone's down," Natalie said. "Just, ah- Thought you should know."
Haven nodded, but she couldn't see him. He pulled it up, then went to take a shot at a hunter while his powers reloaded, but his gun just clicked uselessly. He crouched behind cover to reload, but discovered - he was out of thermal clips. He topped over cover again, overloading at random while he looked around to find- there, by Natalie. An ammo crate. He didn't want to get closer, and nearly decided to only overload for the rest of the match, but then he remembered his cloak. Shade had only just installed it for him the day before - he hadn’t had the chance to really mess around with it, but- well. Now was as good a time as any.
"Cloaking," he said, "I'm not a hunter, try not to shoot me. I'm out of thermal clips."
"Careful," Camnion said, and Haven nodded again (which he really needed to stop doing) before making the gesture and stepping out of cover.
Shade had said it would last ten seconds, and he counted to ten under his breath, slowly. He nimbly navigated the battlefield as quickly as he could, sidestepping most of the gunfire. Standing up and moving around gave him a better chance to see his surroundings - extremely bright, especially on the one wall where the "sun" was blinding. They seemed to be on a ship of some sort. Everything was tinted rusty-red.
Nearer Natalie, he scooped up a couple clips and tucked them away, reloading his pistol right as his cloak timed out. First thing, he took out another cloaked hunter that Natalie kept glancing at while she tried to focus on another, closer to her.
"Thanks, Haven."
"No problem."
He mourned that he could no longer watch Camnion from this position, but after only a minute or two, the match was over. The bonus spawned in the middle of the arena as a commercial message was read out, and both Camnion and Natalie sprinted toward it.
"Aha!" Camnion shouted, holding his assault rifle in the air. "Got it!"
"No you didn't, I did!" Natalie said, pushing him and laughing. "I was here way before you!"
"Not true!" He wobbled, but regained his footing. He shoved her with his shoulder, but she didn’t budge.
Haven got out from behind cover and walked toward them, unable to keep the smile off his face. He found the control on the side of his helmet, and the visor slipped away so he could see them more clearly. This had been a lot more fun than he'd anticipated. He wasn't very good yet, mind, but it had been exciting. He holstered his pistol and found his hands shaking from adrenaline. He approached the others as they walked out of the arena.
"Have fun, Haven?" Natalie asked, slinging her arm over his shoulders with a clang of metal on metal, dragging him closer to her level to do so. He nodded.
"Yeah, actually," he said, and his voice was shaking with excitement. "I don't- I didn't think it'd be that fun, but that was actually really cool."
"I knew it was a good idea," Camnion said smugly. "Wanna go one more time?"
Haven nodded, reloading his Predator and stepping into the elevator.
--
<-ding now.>
Shade couldn’t freeze, per se, as it was already standing motionless on its own in the crowd, fielding curious and fearful looks from its occupants, but it felt a jolt of dread. Not another intercepted transmission, not now. Mai and Camnion and Duran were in the sim below and it- it didn’t like watching them destroy hordes of simulated geth, but watching Mai progress to hiding behind cover like a child to actually being an aid to the team was interesting.
Only now, it couldn’t focus.
<Oh, already? I thought it would be another hour.>
<’Parently my name’s on a watchlist.>
<Oh my God. How’d it fit?>
<Shut up. I just escaped C-Sec. Had to pay the pilot double to get her to leave early.>
<If I had to do that, you’d kill me for wasting credits.>
<’Cause you’re not a commander, Derricott.>
It was the same pair as last time - Derricott and T’ersava. Shade considered sending them a message requesting that they change the frequency of their communication so it could stop eavesdropping. It didn’t do so, however.
<Yeah, yeah. What’re you doing when you get back?>
<Melane just said Sederis wants to see me personally. Like, in the flesh. >
<I’d shit my pants.>
<Yeah, I’m fuckin’ terrified.>
Sederis- Jona Sederis? Shade recognized the name - she was the founder and head of Eclipse.
<Niavarae T’ersava, come out with you hands up!>
<Fuck, Gero, I gotta go. I’ll call ya back when this shit’s over with.>
<Bye, Commander.>
“Bye, Commander.” A snort, a sound of warm laughter from somewhere behind Shade. “Dumbass.”
Impulsively, Shade turned around to identify the speaker. Gero Derricott was a human male, skin a touch darker than Mai’s with hair just as black, but cropped much shorter. He had a massive burn scar on his neck and the bottom of his face that made his smile look pained. He looked up at Shade when it turned to stare.
“The Hell are you?”
Shade was quiet for a time, and Derricott frowned, turning as if to leave.
“I am Officer Shade, of Bachjret Ward C-Sec, Investigations Division,” it said.
Derricott’s frown deepened. “You’re a cop?”
“Yes.”
“I guess that’s my sign to leave,” Derricott muttered, quiet enough to go unheard under the crowd. Shade heard him anyway.
It didn’t respond. Derricott grimaced and left toward the exit.
Should it stop them? They- both T’ersava and Derricott- were Eclipse. It knew that they were and had proof that they were, stored in its memory banks. They were criminals and it was C-Sec. Shouldn’t it do something?
But, Shade rationalized, its evidence was ill-gotten (if through unintentional means) and- and it hadn’t heard any word of Eclipse activity or any trouble they’d caused on the Citadel since the station had been moved back to its proper system.
It did nothing, and watched Derricott leave.