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A week after James had met with the infamous Archangel of Omega, the Sole Calibrators returned back to the spiralling arms of the Citadel which welcomed them openly. Or at least as much as they would welcome anybody else when entering the Citadel. Docking themselves near the Wards, they headed towards the nearest clubs with their next objective, the overwhelming sense of blue now a sharp contrast from Omega's glaring red. Two turians, two quarians, a raptor and a krogan walked down the streets together, casting many an eye towards them for being so out of place together. "Alright," said Lirem, "what are we doing again?" "We're trying to find this Fin Torvan," said FG, "then we make him fess up about who he sold that medi-gel to." "And if he doesn't?" "I have my ways." "Don't crack the suits," said Areh, "kinda kills a volus real fast if you do." "Whysat?" "Depressurised, can't handle the gravity on other planets, you ever tried to sit in a gravity crusher?" "...no?" "Then yeah, don't break their suits." "Alright thanks...what are you guys gonna do?" "I'm gonna check the stores," said Leiah, "see what I missed, catch up on friends I got here, tell them about our wild and wacky adventures." "I'm going to look for some gigs," said Norem, "hopefully a bar around here might want some entertainment." "Sure," said Lirem, "pitchin' songs for creds, that's how we do it right?" "Only until the next big concert," said Areh, "which reminds me, isn't the Horizon charity thing coming up soon?!" "Yeah I guess, like...what, seven months maybe?" "SIX months actually." "Right, sure." "...you okay Lirem?" "Yeah I'm...I'm fine Areh." "You're not worried about this concert aren't you? Because I've been thinking up some great ideas for it, I've got some great song ideas that could really work!" "I dunno, I'm not sure if we're gonna be able to get to that stage even." "What?! Why not?! Is it 'cause of Tulan?" "No, well, maybe, I just, I dunno." "Aw come on Lirem it's perfect!" "The boss doesn't want us doing work for nothing, you know that." "Well fuck him, it's charity! You don't need a reason to do charity, what about our rep?! People see us go do this thing for charity and the fans'll love it! They'll think we're awesome because we're helping people and raising money for all those survivors, which I totally wanna do!" "Areh look we'll figure it out alright!? Let's just focus on other things for now." "Okaaaaay..."

The quarian was oblivious to Lirem's bad mood thanks to the band leader trying to suppress it. Norem shook his head slightly with an unseen sneer as if trying to warn him, whilst Areh replied with: "Did we get any of our albums resold?" "I dunno, I think Tulan said something about Star Jacker getting a revival somewhere." "Wait Star Jacker?" asked FG. "Yeah," said Lirem, "that was our first album." "Your first album was called Star Jacker?" "Yep." "...what does that even MEAN?" "Yanno, like jacking it with the plug feed like we do our speakers." "...ohhhhhh riiiight." "Pfffft pervert," said Leiah teasingly with a light smack. The group decided to split up for a while, wandering through the wards with their own agendas in mind. Jax and Areh went off to look at the game stores and find some hot new tech for their ship. Lirem and Norem went to try and find new gig opportunities with Lirem begrudgingly following along as his mood turned worse and worse. Leiah and FG went off towards the bar and had a few drinks whilst joking to each other about the weird people that walked past them, also some window shopping. Leiah went near the clothing stores once again with a little dance of fascination at the ballgowns and wedding dresses on display, a selection of clothing stores known as Zara's that she admired watching. James once again tried to find researchers or anyone that was into spatial technology, particularly that of rifts in dimensions. There were certainly more than he expected on the Citadel, though mostly they were quarian vagrants either too poor to have proper research equipment, or not enough education in higher learning to assist him proper. He tried contacting various labs, catching a scientist here or there stuck in a bar struggling to make jokes about photons or just trying to forget about everything. A few drinks plied into them offered him very little, but he was interested in learning that the reaper invasion that assaulted the Citadel months ago, came from deep space which was an anomaly that no one really knew. He tried to gather as much info as possible, but unfortunately the only person that knew enough of the reapers to help, was Commander Shepard. A human considered long dead for at least seven months, two of which were at least before James' arrival. He wondered on if he could contact any allies but they too had disappeared, their reports locked up into higher council records that he had no chance of getting into. He also made a small travel vid of his journey on the omni-tool for future, adding to his travel log of sorts as he walked around the hi-tech streets.

James also found no luck in learning where Fin Torvan had gotten to, asking around carefully in order to not look too suspicious concerning the drug-smuggling gangster. With the right people, or rather the wrong sort of people to talk to, he eventually found out what happened to his quarry with much displeasure upon hearing the news, slowly reconvening with the rest of his group. He arrived last with Leiah, seeing the group talk to themselves before they noticed him. "Do you think Jacket's ever gonna wake up?" asked the krogan. "Course he will!" said Areh. "It'd be pretty shitty to just leave it like that." "Yeah but maybe they like, drop it off right there so it's like, it's over, the violence is done." "Ohoooo nononono the violence is NOT over by far. Look, that dude showed up at his apartment with that girl dead on the floor, he's got a mask too like he did, the only other guy in the WHOLE story that wore a mask!" "What about that biker dude at the phone company?" asked Lirem. "That's a helmet, that doesn't count. But yeah who the hell was he?! Why'd that dude come and kill us?! Who the fuck keeps leaving messages on our phone?!" "Well we know what uh 'Richard' meant by moving to a bigger house anyways...just didn't expect it to be a hospital." "I was expecting prison," said Norem, "seemed obvious to me." "Well I know one thing," said Jax, "we sure love hurtin' other people, got that answer out of the way." "Heh heh heh...that one was almost rhetorical." "Like when he starts twistin' that guy's limbs and he just sets him on FIRE!" "THAT WAS FUCKED UP!" squawked Areh. "I mean, not even because of that but the way they were like showing it all staticky and kinda flickery...almost made me start to wonder whether he even knows what he's doing or not." "I bet he ain't," said Lirem, "the guy's clearly insane and being manipulated by these people, whoever they are." "Yeah but how much of it is just HIM and how much of it just brainwashing? I mean, he's obviously got a mental problem and they're abusing that against him to make the perfect killer." "Whut problem you think it is? You read up on this stuff more than us anyway." "Uhhhh probably that dissociative mental disorder, I dunno, I just skim the psychiatry stuff I try not to think on that." "OH Areh," said Jax, "we gotta restock yer meds our supply's gettin' low after that uh Intai'sei fight." "Ohhhh yeah good thinking thanks...OH, there's James and Leiah!" "Hey guys!"

James greeted them as he walked back with Leiah at his side, sitting together with her before asking: "What were you guys talking about?" "Just a vid series we got into," said Lirem, "nothing important, you find out anything?" "Yeah...bad news guys. Fin Torvan got arrested." "AW seriously?!" said Jax. "Yeah like, three weeks before we got here, what the fuck right?" "Dumbass, should have done better to dodge the police, now whut do we do?!" "We gotta ask another way," said Lirem. "Ask through the police themselves." "Uhhh how?" "...by NOT asking them." "...I don' get it." "We hack into the records," said Norem. "WOAH WOAH WOAH!" blurted Areh. "Just-hold up, that's a big fucking step right there!" "Yeah seriously," said Leiah, "that's practically treason!" "Says the girl who admitted hacking into her own ship's security system!" "I was bored!" "Wait," said FG, "just...did you guys actually just immediately suggest we break into the police security system?" "...yeah?" said Norem. "...wow, and I thought you were the smart one." "I am." "Heeeey!" said Lirem. "Which is why I suggest that we need to find a way to get to the correct terminal in the C-Sec headquarters and open up the files, not like we're shutting down or anything it's just...a remote network location." "So basically spying," said Areh. "That's preeeeetty treasonous, I mean you know how many years we could get for that?!" "Oh sure, you're concerned about this when you've pirated who knows how many games-" "THAT WAS DIFFERENT, the Secu-ROM is a piece of SHIT, I paid good money for that evolution game and all I got was being locked out of every terminal because you HAVE to have it always connected, even on a planet that DOESN'T have extranet access, WHICH SOMETIMES WE DO, and-" "I'm just saying that this is not really much of a step-up." "Stealing from a game company that fucked you over is not a crime, no one cares! Stealing from C-Sec computers, THAT is something people care about, that's the police!" "You wanna say that a bit louder?" asked FG. "Because there's like five people over in that store that didn't quite hear you." "Oh fuck off, I'm serious here!" "So was I, they probably didn't so unless you wanna let everybody know about what we may or may not be doing, you might wanna turn down the volume a little." "...fine...but still, what the hell Norem?!" "Is there any other way?" said the turian. "Face it, we don't know where he is or what C-Sec know about his activities, but we can safely bet that they must know about his little deal down in Omega, meaning that the information about it must be down on their data records." "How do you even begin to break into a terminal inside C-Sec?" asked Areh. "I got an idea for this," said Lirem. "Firstly...hold up, one of 'em's coming now." "Fuck that was quick, act casual." "Saying the words 'act casual' is in no way not suspicious." "Just be yourself dammit!"

The raptor turned to see a dark-skinned male human in very official clothes, a blue cottonfold suit with straps across his chest. He stopped behind James with the clear purpose of seeing him. "Mr. Campbell?" "...yeah?" "Detective Greg Davis, C-Sec Investigations." He flashed a badge from his omni-tool with a brief flicker, showing his identification easily which made the raptor more nervous. "Woah, shit um...wh-what happened?" "There's been an incident and we were wondering if you could assist us with our inquiries." "Whuh...what kind of incident? What do I have to do with it, I only just arrived back here!" "We should talk about this more privately but for now I'd like to escort you to the Huerta Memorial Hospital." "Hospital?! Wh-why?" "Someone you know has been badly injured and...he has specifically requested your presence." "...shit, really? But...who the hell do I know on the Citadel?" "If you'll follow me." "W-wait wait what's happening?!" squawked Leiah. "You can't just take him without an explanation!" "Ma'am, please, this is between Mr. Campbell and Citadel Security." "I'm included too!" "Why?" "Because...I'm his girlfriend!" James could do nothing but stare intensely off into space, struggling to comprehend what had just been said. Every other person at the table did the same thing too, with Jax blurting: "WH-WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN!?" "I don't want my James getting into trouble without me," demanded Leiah, "so I better be there too! I-" "Honey, calm down." The raptor turned towards her as he caught on to her game, slipping into the role easily as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "The guy just wants to talk, I'm probably not in any trouble because I've not been back here in months, you know that." "But, b-but-" "If you want to accompany us you can," said Davis, "but you'll have to wait in the hospital waiting room whilst Mr. Campbell and I conduct business. This is a private matter unfortunately." "...well...f-fine, okay then, but if anything happens to him I'm holding YOU responsible!" "Jesus christ calm down Leiah," said FG, "look, I'll be fine, let's go." With the trio off towards the hospital, Leiah pretended to make a call over the omni-tool privately through the comm unit in order to set a plan up with the gang. They relayed their instructions to her under the pretence of Leiah saying she would be slightly delayed in going to the arcade with some friends, all whilst taking down notes for what she had to do. It was a risky business, and there was very clearly the danger of being imprisoned or worse should this fail, but they had no other choice. Not if they wanted to find Facinus. Leiah however found herself being stopped at the front clinic desk as they made their way in through the hospital. A white pristine clinic of exuberant facilities and the utmost of care, from well-watered plants to the comfiest of seats in a large rectangular waiting room. The receptionists at their desk smiled and greeted everyone who came, the windows both behind and in front of the desk simply radiant with hot sunlight that washed into the place. Peace and serenity ruled this clinical kingdom. James almost felt like he was in a convent more than a hospital, seeing the gardens outside and down below waiting to be filled with picnics and staff outings. Despite the waiting room half-full with the sick and traumatised, it was a strangely calming place to him as the detective walked up towards the receptionists, a human and an asari at their own terminals filled with appointments noted. "Detective Davis, Citadel Security. I'm here to see Dahnus Drumarien." "Alright just a moment," said the male human, "and who is accompanying you?" "James Robert Campbell, we're on official Investigations business." "Alright..........yep you're cleared, he'll see you now." "Thank you."

The two turned without a word as they headed into the private wards, with Leiah trapped in the waiting room unable to follow after. As she sat waiting in the midst of patients waiting to see someone to ease their pain, either mental or physical, she began to turn nervous and struggled to not fidget. She looked over at the open window hoping that the pleasant view would calm her, but after too many whimpering murmurs and half-sane rambling, she left the hospital to wait further outside of it, shaking to herself nervously. James passed through hallways of green and white, beyond gurneys and crippled walkers seeing salarian and human doctors mixed with asari doctors in turn. Eventually they reached one room, a small room where James instantly recognised the patient waiting. The name had taken a while for him to remember who it was, but the face made it all the more clear despite the scar now on his cheek. Dahnus Drumarien laid out on a hospital bed, feeding from a drip of thick blue blood being pumped into his body. A large bandage covered his lower waist, particularly focusing on one side where a lot of blood had been seeping through before, crust and coagulation covered underneath the salve. James had almost never seen a turian naked, and this was the closest he would ever get outside of a Fornax magazine. Out of respect to the wounded he shoved that thought from his mind as he stared at the police officer, the view from the window beside him quite heavenly upon him. "So you're finally here," said the turian. "I was wondering where you went." "...what's going on? Why was I brought here? What the hell happened to you?!" "Didn't Davis tell you? You're to help us with our inquiries concerning an incident...an incident which involves several people including you." "But...I...I wasn't even here, I've not been here for...for months!" "I know...in fact, I have a lot of questions for you owing to your stay on the Citadel. Firstly, didn't I tell you to stay on here and not go off on a ship without proper authorisation?" "I-um...l-listen, I-" "Let me finish. Secondly, why did you fight a krogan in a street only to raise the ire of the Blood Pack and become the target of quite a disturbing scene of gang violence, to which luckily no one but them was hurt in during a concert?" "YOU-...okay, look, can I explain myself maybe?!" "Yes you can, hopefully." "Firstly, I didn't plan on leaving here alright? I was forced off this place by a pack of assholes who wanted me dead, I HAD to leave or else they'd kill me, it's practically asylum!" "I see...and the reason they attacked you?" "I fought one of them, I dunno, it just got out of hand and I couldn't stop it." "Yes...we saw the fight being recorded on security footage and...quite a few reports came about how you started the fight by-" "HEY, woah woah woah no I didn't, I did NOT start that fight, he started it that fucking asshole-" "Quiet. You're in a hospital talking to a wounded police officer. Don't. Push me. Now speak with less vulgarity like a proper citizen." "...s-sorry. I was...he...he went up to a friend I was having lunch with, my girlfriend actually, and starts mouthing her off, calling her to go fix something because she's just a quarian." "And what was her response?" "She said no obviously, why should she, so he got angry, started threatening her, so I stand up and told him to back off." "And who landed the first blow?" "Well...um...I-I did."

Dahnus still had his omni-tool as he took down some notes, seeing Davis do the same during the conversation as a means of corroboration, which made FG all the more nervous. "Wh-what are you doing?" "Simply writing down reports," said Davis. "This isn't an official interview like down at the station so we're just simply putting down our notes together." "Why both of you?" "Because I'm an eyewitness and of a different department from Dahnus. You're his case not mine." "Wait what, what case?!" "I was the one who processed you," said Dahnus, "therefore I have priority over you should I have to bring you in for questioning." "But...is this...is this about that krogan? Listen, I'm sorry but he was trying to kill me, he insulted my girlfriend and was gonna threaten to do her in, like do some bad shit to her I can't take that chance!" "Calm down, this isn't about that, that incident was resolved." "Wait....r-really?" "Yes, because nobody liked Mr. Korvun Ugrak, no one would come forward to report on the crime, so despite the evidence on video there is no one to incriminate you enough with, as well as the fact that the victim was far more unscrupulous in his sordid crimes than you, a rather clean-sheet vagrant who frankly has been marked more as a hero rather than a murderer. As a result, there has been no ground made in the report and it has been dropped." "...well...heh." The raptor proudly puffed up his chest whilst putting his arms behind his back, smiling a devil's grin. "I guess that means I'm the good guy here right?" "I'm not going to say you are yet." "Huh?" "You still left the Citadel illegally, so unless you have proof that you're with a crew legally I'll have to arrest you, perhaps give you a fine or a short sentence." "Wha-bullshit I'm part of a crew!" "Which one?" "The Centurion Eagle, parked out right there! I'm with the Sole Calibrators!" "Really?" "Yes!" "Then show me your work clearance, I presume you had that sorted?" "Um...I do, I totally got my clearance." "Well let's see it on your omni-tool." "...hhhh dammit." "What?" "It...got deleted," said FG shamefully. "I was-we had a-something screwed up on my omni-tool and I lost all my stuff like a month ago, I haven't gotten round to getting my work clearance back because nobody was asking for it, jobs dried up last month." "I see...can you get a copy?" "Um...I think I can, I'm sure my employer kept a copy of all our clearances like backed up on his data drives maybe?" "Then you will have to supply it within forty-eight hours to the proper citadel authorities, otherwise I will have to arrest you for illegally exiting the Citadel sectors until we can clear this with your employer." "...um...o-okay, listen I'm gonna call my boss and-" "Not yet," said Dahnus firmly. "Leave that for when we're done with this interview." "Don't you mean interrogation?" "Only when I'm behind my desk, now Mr. Campbell...there's a more serious matter I wish to speak with you." "Ah huh?" "...the reason we've actually brought you here is...nnngh...dammit." "You alright?" asked Davis. "Just the usual wounds, don't worry." "You never told me what happened to you," asked FG. "That looks pretty deep." "It's related actually to this. ...your weapon that we confiscated from you, has gone missing."

There had been very few times in his life when he felt the blood just suddenly blanche from his face. He could only remember about three times this same feeling came back to him, the dreaded shadow of fear sweeping over him to suddenly choke at his neck, a dark cloak with blood-stained clasp that turned his words hoarse, as he gasped with eyes turned tight like a fastened screw. His hands struggled to grab onto something as his legs went down beneath him, suddenly on the floor on his knees as his breaths turned fast. "...wh-...wh-whaat...WHAT!? WHAT!?" "Calm down, let me explain-" "NOOOO! YOU PROMISED, YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD KEEP IT SAFE! YOU PROMISED, YOU-...you...f-f-fucking IDIOT!" "HEY!" shouted Davis. "Turn your voice down, this is a hospital and you are talking to a police officer!" "A POLICE OFFICER WHO JUST DOOMED US ALL, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE!?! DO YOU!? I thought I was safe, I thought I was finally free from that thing but now, NOW NONE OF US'LL BE SAFE, WE'RE FUCKED! WE'RE ALL FUCKED AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF-GHHHK!" The turian finally had enough, suddenly swinging out one arm as his biotics poured through his veins and pumped straight towards his fingers, reaching out at James' neck and tightly grabbing him by the throat. The thick biotic field choked him harshly, strong enough to almost send him unconscious if Dahnus wanted to. But instead he pulled James closely to his bed, forcing him to be silent amidst choking gasps of panic, the raptor clawing weakly at Dahnus' face. "Be. Quiet. You've tried to prove to me that you are an able citizen, but I have seen nothing of the sort. You fight, you lie, you've killed and you've caused reckless disturbances. The only reason I haven't put you in jail right now is because nobody wants to incriminate you, you've managed to stay on the good side of these good people in the wards, and the only people you've actually hurt are thugs and gangsters that frankly this place is better off without. Now...listen to me." "H-hhhk-" "I am NOT responsible for the loss of your weapon. I was the one that tried to get it BACK for you, after someone stole it from the storage area. We don't know how it happened, we are very VERY sorry for losing your sacred item, but you are not going to get it back any sooner if you act like a damn child and humiliate yourself like this! Now...I'm going to release you, because I-huuk!" Dahnus started to spit up blood from his throat, his nose also bleeding suddenly from the glow of biotics around his wounded body. But he kept his grip firm on James, keeping him tight and dangling off the floor like meat dangling from a hook. Davis tried to come closer to help, but Dahnus' steel gaze warned him to stay back, before turning towards James. "I am going to release you...because I should not be using biotics actively whilst in this wounded state because it adds greater pressure to my body, and it hurts VERY very much...so if you force me to use these again I am going to make you personally responsible. Understand?" "A-ah huh." "Good."

He dropped James onto the floor as his biotics turned off, with Dahnus coughing up some blood onto his chest. It was at this point the raptor noticed that Dahnus had a small bell pendant on his chest, now covered in blue ichor before his coughing calmed down. But he was still more terrified by the prospect of the scissors now out on the loose, his eyes clearly shaken and widened with fear as the turian said: "What is this weapon?" "H-huh?" "That weapon of yours, it's certainly not natural." "And what do you know about it?!" "Because it's the reason why I'm now in this hospital." "...w-wait...you...you FOUGHT him-I mean-IT?!" "You could say that...what is it James? What the hell is that thing?" "It's...it's...it's evil." "What?" "It's pure evil, whatever the fuck that is, it's nothing but murder and death and it wants nothing more than to kill everyone it knows and just suck out their souls, feeding on the living like they were just...nothing. I...I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lie to you, I just thought you wouldn't believe me!" "After all you told me when you first arrived?" "This thing is cursed! It's cursed me and it's trying to murder everyone, it doesn't care about anything else! I never wanted to see it again, I thought you guys could keep it locked away forever, permanently! Then I could...I could...I-i-i...could finally be free...I just wanted to be free..." The raptor broke down into tears on the hospital floor, weeping to himself softly as the prospect of fear welled up in him. His heart turned weak, his soul wilting slightly with an aching pang in his chest of something missing, something he wanted never to return. For once the emptiness inside his chest was the one thing that could soothe him, the absence of a tumour he had festering for years. "I'm sorry," said Dahnus. "I wish none of this had happened...the person that stole your weapon, we cannot say who it was but...they managed to kill twenty-six people." "T-twenty six? ...I...I-i...oh god. Oh fuck no..." Davis looked down upon James weeping further onto the floor, his body shaking with a mix of pain and sorrow before the raptor could speak to Dahnus again. "I should have warned you...I'm sorry...I'm sorry I should have told you, I should have warned you! But-" "No. I understand...I would not have believed you. I would not have believed you until the day I fought it...the day it almost killed me." "How did...how did you survive?" "I got lucky...I can't explain it. I just did. Whatever was on my side that day I will thank it forever...because that thing....that thing was not of this galaxy." "...I know," said James softly, "I know that just...just...I wish I could fix this." "How?" "By...by not finding it, no, I don't want it to come back to me, I don't want it ever again. For the one time I was finally free, I had less nightmares, I was in control of myself, I could think clearly without worrying about the next time that he'd come up again...come up and...f-feed." "Rest assured that I will be personally on the lookout for this weapon once I recover, and I-" "No. Just...no."

He stood up facing the turian sternly with a fearful look in his eyes. "If you ever see that thing again...you have to do two things. One, do not touch it with your bare hands, just-find some way to contain it again. Two...take it to the nearest fucking planet and throw it into the lava. Make sure it burns...permanently. I wanna make sure that nothing ever touches that blade again." "Am I to understand that we have your permission to dispose of this weapon?" "Yes. Absolutely." "Then we shall do so. Thank you for your patience, and...one last thing." "Huh?" "...show him the vid." As if on cue Davis waited with a datapad from his pocket, revealing a vid of a very familiar scene. The raptor on a front lawn of some wealthy estate, striking out against a deadly female assassin in dark clothing before Dahnus asked him: "Who is that female?" "...wha...where did you get that?" "We tracked you through the band's activities, you obviously escaped with them after the concert shooting so we put out feeders for anyone of your description. Hardly a bobby pin in the haystack." "Needle, in the haystack," corrected Greg. "I...I don't know," stuttered James, "she...she's an assassin, that's all I know." "How do you know this?" "Because...well she, tried to stab the councilor, who does that?!" "Maybe a terrorist does." Again James' face turned white, making him choke in not gasping out at this noted observation. However Dahnus asked an unusual request following this as he said: "Davis, could you give me and Mr. Campbell a few words in private? I want to ask him some things that are...confidentially related to his case." "Sure." He walked out understanding as the door closed behind James, leaving him alone with the turian who said simply: "You know who she is, don't you?" "Um...why, is she famous or somethi-" "Don't." Dahnus pointed towards James fierce with judgement, eyes glowering intensely. "Don't...fuck with me. Who...is she, and what do you know about her?" "I...I-i-i-um...hokay...I...I tried to chase her down to the dockyards, and found that she had teamed up with someone who I later found out was...in this turian terrorist group called-" "Facinus?" "...yes." "I see. How old was she?" "Um, like, I dunno, sounded pretty old to me, not like real young maybe over fifty, sixty?" "Hmm...tell me, did you find out anything else concerning her actions or any plans made by her fellow terrorists?" "Wh-why?" "Let's just say there's an old case I want to close, permanently." "Uhhh, right, I-...I-i don't really...I just know they're part of this terrorist group and I didn't-" "Why didn't you report it?" "Wha-they already reported it didn't you see the VID your friend had back there?!" "Ah yes...forgive me I'm...thinking that our talk is finally over and I need to rest a little." "Yeah, listen I'm sorry about all this, I mean...you don't deserve this." "No?" "Well no, you're not a bad guy I mean...you helped me get on my feet a little back when I first came here. I'll get that permit for you soon, where do I drop it off at?" "If I'm not recovered by then, consult Detective Greg Davis at the Citadel Security headquarters in Zakera Ward. Ask for him specifically so that way he can process all the data for you." "Alright thanks...I'm sorry." "Just don't get into any more trouble and that will do more than an apology. For my sake. Have a good day Mr. Campbell and please...stay safe." "You too officer."

He slowly walked out of the room with a nod to Greg Davis before passing through back towards the clinic entrance. Leiah was nowhere to be seen, and in his fearful distraction of trying desperately to look everywhere around the waiting room for quarians, he found himself bumping into a female turian. Thankfully his startlement was cut short by seeing the sky-blue marks on her face, as well as a much kinder, younger set of eyes than what he was expecting. "OH shit sorry sorry I wasn't lookin-" "It's okay, don't worry." "Um, hey, you seen a quarian girl around here, kinda bright blue suit on her, like your markings maybe?" "Hmmm...there was one, she was waiting outside the hospital, looked very nervous, is she a friend of yours?" "Yeah, she is." "Better go to her then, you don't wanna keep a lady waiting." "Heh, thanks you uh take care." "Bye now." The turian waved him off as she waited whilst at the windows, turning towards the reception area once her name was called a few minutes later by the asari receptionist. "Shara Drumarien?" "Yes?" "We're ready to escort you now." She had been in to see him every two days since the accident happened. At least her mind wanted to believe it was an accident, torn between deciding whether intentional assault or ill-timed circumstance was the lesser of two evils in her head. Davis passed her in the hallway with a few words of sympathy, as well as some pithy snark about her husband being frankly impossible to kill at this rate. It was now her fourth visit to see him, her second without Jarren who, despite being scared and mournful of his father's condition, was reassured that he would soon be back on his feet. The sight of him looking actually worse than before by the look of the blood dripping from his mouth did not reassure her. The two said nothing for the first two minutes, the sounds of machinery beeping to itself rhythmically giving the slightest atmosphere in the room of how easy one's life could be taken. The slightest change in beat, the swiftest alteration in sound, would be like the heart itself stopping in the middle of one's life. All people feared the sound of silence in hospitals. Dahnus knew he would never hear that sound, despite his wife's clear signs of distress as he waved a hand to her, beckoning her to come near. She did not resist, as he took her hand and pulled her close for a kiss. A blood-stained kiss they had not shared in years. "Remember the last time you tasted that?" said Dahnus. "That was the day I first met you...the real you." "It was," said Shara. "After beating my face in right after I cracked your jaw." "Pistols tend to have that effect on me...you fight dirty." "You talk dirty." "No, that's still you." "Pfft...how are you feeling?" "Sore but I'll live, no major changes in my body, the doctor says next week I should be up and running." "Taking some time off from work I hope." "They have to, they'll have to force me off work either way so...yeah." "Th-that's good." "You alright?" "Y-yes I'm...I'm fine." "You've been crying." "Well...dammit just...hhhhhh..."

She turned away from him to not show her own tears, struggling to pull them back in as she gasped heavily to regain herself. But even that could not hide the smallest streaks of fear, trickling down her cheeks to turn her face more glossy by its paint, the sky-blue shimmering slightly to become like the sea of tears. Her voice started to turn more shaky as she ranted: "You know, I TRY not to care too much because I know what a cop must feel like wandering around out there on the streets taking down punks and dealers and such. I try not to worry, I know you'll come back and it's just another day! But when they told me what happened to you, how you fought that killer alone and they found you bleeding out in a parking lot like some hooker in a bad alley, just...just..." She struggled once again putting her head into her hands, breathing deep as her husband could hear the stifled weep that she made. "The first time in this entire marriage I was ever damn scared of losing you...even after the Sovereign attack I wasn't this scared, but this! This just...oh spirits I just, hearing what happened to you after Jarren's recent things I...I'm sorry I just, I just got panicked I mean...I don't want you to bleed out in some useless back alley, the thought of you like that alone without someone to be with in your last moments just-J-JUST...spirits!" "Shhhhh Shara...Shara, it's okay. I'm not going to let that happen. I didn't let it happen last week." "What happens if it does?! What's gonna happen, when you are out there against some dangerous horrible monster and Jarren will have to hear or even SEE on the news that his brave father fuckin' DIED, that...the bad people won...do you h-have any idea how much that's going to-" "No." He grabbed her arm sternly. "I don't. Because I'll never let that happen. I promise you, I will live to see my son grow up, I will live to see you turn old and grey along with me, and I will live...to see the end of my career when I choose to end it. And when I do, I will return home, I will sit with you on an old sofa and kiss you just as much as I ever would." "Dahnus..." "I may not be able to stop every criminal out there...but I will never let them win by taking me down. You know I never would." "...to think that I almost contemplated shooting you back then." "You never could." "Why?" "Didn't I just tell you? I'll never let criminals win by taking me down." "Snrrrk...hmhmha ha ha! Ohhhh...you make me regret more and more what I did back then." "Because of the law?" "No, because you keep saying stuff like this and it sounds like a damn cop movie, seriously do you guys watch Blasto and rip off his stuff or is it the other way round?" "The other way round." "Dammit! I owe a friend thirty credits." "Hhha ha ha...long as I have you and Jarren...I'm not going anywhere." "You promise?" Dahnus simply lifted up the bell from his neck and rang it sweetly before her, causing Shara to do the same as the two rang together. A mutual promise. One they knew by heart to be nothing but truth. "So long as these bells ring," said Dahnus, "oh sweet maiden of the shore-" "-my heart will not stop," said Shara, "nor shall it ever weep." The two could only embrace as softly as possible, their bells kissing upon each other's tongues as their own did the same, hoping for a brighter future to dispel their clouded fears.