The crew stares at Gianna Parasini, now revealed as an Internal Affairs agent.
“Why does her voice sound different now? Fucking dumb to disguise your voice, isn’t it?” Alex asks Kaidan, looking for the easiest target who might back him up.
“I guess so,” Kaidan responds awkwardly.
“Also, where’s the drink we were promised, huh? I’m getting thirsty,” Alex goes on.
Shepard laughs, “What’s wrong, Kerber, are you in a bad mood?”
“Yeah, casually killing people because of these idiots playing their corporate games makes me angry… and a little thirsty as well,” Alex replies.
“In any case… Agent Parasini, what do you want from me?” Shepard asks, fixing her with an icy glare.
Parasini explains, “The Executive Board knows about Anoleis’ corruption. I’ve been undercover for six months.”
“Six months and we still had to do her work? She makes a much better secretary than an agent. At least she looks obedient and clueless enough,” Alex comments, unable to hold back.
I really admire the others. We casually executed a bunch of people, yet everyone’s acting like it’s nothing special. I’m kinda losing my nerves here… just a little.
“...Whatever your opinion of me—not that I care what you think, Butcher—I want you to convince Lorik Qui’in to testify before the Board. With his evidence, this planet can become profitable again.”
“There it is, profits. I really agree with you, Alex—these people are disgusting,” Tali says, resentment thick in her voice.
“Nothing new. Exactly how I envisioned them from the start,” Garrus says.
“It’s easier to simply kill those kinds of people,” Wrex jokes.
Shepard crosses her arms. “While I don’t fully share my lieutenant’s opinion, I have to wonder why you couldn’t have gotten some of his records yourself. You do work for him, after all.”
Parasini stares back at Shepard, clearly frustrated. “He’s a crook, not a moron. He doesn’t keep logs on his computer saying, ‘This month I stole three million credits.’”
“He’s paying off dozens of Elanus Risk Control Services! He’s seizing offices. If he can do all that without leaving a trail, we might want to spare him and recruit him into our crew. He’s a damn genius if he can manage that,” Alex mumbles sarcastically.
Parasini shakes her head angrily. “Qui’in’s testimony and records are everything I need to prove Anolei’s guilt in one package.”
Shepard begins to smile faintly. “If your Executive Board loses a few million credits, it’s not my problem. I have my own mission.”
“Yes, yes. Fate of billions and all that. I couldn’t possibly understand how important your work is. But if you help my investigation, I’ll provide whatever you need. Favor for a favor.”
“She is getting on my nerves!” Liara snaps, visibly angry. “However, in the long run, it’s better to remove the source of the problem. This agent only cares about her profits or her place in the corporate hierarchy—but Anoleis is the bigger threat.”
“Keelah se’lai, you even made the Princess angry,” Tali says softly, touching Liara’s shoulder. “That’s a real achievement.”
“Look, Shepard. I don’t like this thing either. You Spectres play fast and loose with the law. That’s bad for business.”
“I think I’ll be able to he—” Shepard tries to say, but Alex steps forward.
“Commander, I fully trust your judgment. May I intervene just this once?” Alex asks, now respectful.
“Sure, Kerber. Go ahead.”
Parasini appears visibly annoyed, barely managing to restrain herself from cursing.
“You know, I tend to record everything… proof is just so useful. I wonder what Anoleis would do if I provided him with footage of all this, and Shepard handed him the evidence—and your unconscious body. Not only would he fully back our operation, he might throw in a couple million credits!” Alex threatens her, his expression hateful, voice ice-cold.
“You… you wouldn’t dare…” she stutters.
“That would be my approach. As much as I despise Anoleis, he’s at least predictable. If his position is threatened and we toss him a lifeline, he’ll obey… at least for a while. However, that’s not my point. Thankfully for you, the Commander is fair—actually more than fair—and very just. But before we discuss any deal, you’ll spit out everything you know about Saren, Benezia, and Peak 15. Leave out a single detail, and I’ll fall to my knees and beg the Commander to follow my suggestion—which, I’m fairly confident, she’d do if I got desperate enough.”
“...Fine. Please, there’s no need for threats. I… I’ll tell you everything. I won’t hold back a single line. Please, let’s do the right thing, okay?” Parasini says, her face now incredibly pale.
Shepard crosses her arms. “Tell us everything now. If you provide useful information, I might agree with your scheme, and this can all end peacefully. So spit it out—what’s happening up on Peak 15!”
“Before the snowstorm, Hanshan received a Code Omega signal from them. Code Omega means a terminal breach of safety protocols. No one goes up until the crew sends an all-clear. Sadly, that’s all I’ve got. No one knows exactly what’s going on up there.”
“Why is Mo— Benezia here?” Liara asks.
Parasini responds with a shrug, “Something to do with Peak 15. She arrived after we received their Code Omega, an automated warning of a containment breach. She came with an escort of Asari Commandos. They took the last shuttle up to Peak 15 with a load of crates. No idea what was inside. The Commandos wouldn’t let anyone near them. They seemed heavy, though.”
“Yeah, might as well slap a sticky note saying ‘I am a Geth’ on the crates,” Alex jokes.
“What’s a sticky note?” Ashley asks, genuinely confused.
“A note that is sticky!” Alex replies with a grin.
“I think that’s all we need. I’ll contact you shortly,” Shepard says, waving Parasini away, who appears visibly conflicted.
“So what now, Commander?” Kaidan asks.
“You could go to Anoleis like Alex suggested as a joke, convince Lorik Qui’in to testify, or just hand over the evidence to him directly and preserve the status quo,” Liara summarizes the options clearly.
I wasn't joking…
“Alenko, Williams, you’re with me,” Shepard announces decisively. “We’ll talk to the Turian, Lorik Qui’in, and then accept Parasini’s offer. I’ll squeeze out some extra benefits, so there won’t be any unpleasant surprises while we’re here. Garrus, Tali, prepare the Mako. Our current clearance allows for two people to get into the garage, so we’ll leave as soon as Anoleis is dealt with. Kerber, Liara—both of you, calm down a little. I need you to be clear-headed for later. How about actually getting that drink you joked about?”
“What about me?” Wrex grumbles.
“Heh, first time someone overlooked you, Wrex? Maybe you’re shrinking,” Garrus jokes.
Wrex curses quietly, then silently heads toward the bar.
Shrugging his shoulders, Alex follows after him, Liara close behind.
Taking a seat at the bar, Alex immediately calls out, “Give me something refreshing! The more colorful the better, make it sweet!”
“Human… words can’t express my grief hearing that order,” Wrex growls. “Give me the strongest drink you have! Make it Krogan-sized!”
Liara sits down next to Alex, quietly ordering something non-alcoholic.
“Will you be alright, Liara? We all know how this is likely to end…” Alex says gently. “You could stay here if you wanted. It probably wouldn’t make a huge difference.”
“No… I have to go through with this. I must confront… Benezia,” Liara responds, her expression tightening.
“Look, whatever your relationship with your mother was, she’s obviously controlled by… Sovereign. We won’t be encountering your mother on Peak 15, only a mind-controlled entity without free will. The best thing we can do for her now is… free her,” Alex says grimly.
“I… I know. And I’ll be ready,” Liara says, her eyes hardening with resolve.
Alex stares into her eyes for a moment and feels his cheeks flush slightly. Quickly, he grabs the glowing blue drink placed in front of him and drinks half of it. As he stares into the vivid liquid, he glances at Liara, noting the striking similarity between the drink’s color and her skin.
I'd better at least explain what’s going on to Menchi and the Princess. I also need to send Menchi the documents I stole from Synthetic Insights. Might as well send her my credits too, except for a few thousand. She’ll need resources to develop the [Omnigel] and [Medigel] recipes.
Alex looks at the [Synthetic Insights documents], then activates the item by connecting the Datastick to his omni-tool.
[Synthetic Insights documents]
World: Mass Effect
Quality: Blue
Type: Data-Stick
Note: Classified Documents belonging to Synthetic Insights.
Note: Can’t be taken out of this mission.
Alex quickly transmits the data and his credits, then finally sends her a message.
[Alex: Menchi, I’ve picked up these documents. If you find the right buyer, you could earn a fortune. Maybe try Barla Von, one of the Shadow Broker’s agents? I’ve also sent you my remaining credits. We’re heading to Peak 15… wish me luck! I’ll see you soon.]
“May I ask… who are you texting?” Liara inquires curiously, staring at him.
“My sister. I guess you weren’t part of the crew yet when we briefly met her on the Citadel,” Alex explains.
“Your… sister? You have one? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in meeting her,” she admits, taking a thoughtful sip of her drink.
“Well, I also have a cool pet. Maybe you’ll get to see them both,” Alex says with a smile.
“A pet? The only useful pets are varren! They’re obedient, loyal, practical, and if you don’t need them anymore, they make for a tasty snack!” Wrex interjects enthusiastically.
“It’s a cute spider, not a nasty, smelly varren,” Alex says dismissively, clearly unimpressed by Wrex’s choice.
I remember I still have that Varren meat in my inventory… I should give it to Menchi soon.
“I’ve studied the animals present on your planet. Spiders are rather unusual pets, aren’t they? That’s an… interesting choice,” Liara says diplomatically.
“Sometimes you don’t exactly get to choose. Meeting her was… kind of fateful. You’ll be surprised when you see her,” Alex says, emptying his glass.
“Shepard should be done soon anyway. Before we head to the garage, I need to handle something very important.”
“What is it? Do you need help?” Liara asks with concern.
“I… need to go to the toilet.”
“...”
“...”
“...”