Arashu's Gift

Chapter 3

The clues to find the asari justicar Samara led them from Nos Astra's transportation hub to the spaceport. As expected, and much to her annoyance, Shepard realized it wasn't going to be a matter of simply asking where to find the justicar, and before she knew it, she found herself involved in the murder investigation of a volus merchant.

When they finally found Samara, she was in the midst of obtaining information from an Eclipse lieutenant. When she didn't get the answers she wanted, they bore witness to the justicar's strength and determination as they watched her strangle the asari against the floor with her boot, as though she were an insignificant ant. A quick conversation with Samara revealed she was on Illium tracking a dangerous criminal she had been hunting for centuries. In order to have her join the team and gain her full attention on the mission, they had to first assist her in her search. In the meantime, the detective would keep Samara in the precinct under her watch following a superior's orders.

Shepard and her team had to fight their way through hordes of Eclipse mercenaries, the majority of them asari and salarians, and their collection of mechs. Shepard was happy to have chosen two of her squadmates, so different in comparison to each other, specifically to see them in action and to complement each other: the test tube krogan Grunt with his direct and powerful style and, for the first time, the assassin Thane Krios.

Krios was equipped with a sniper rifle, a submachine gun, and his biotic arsenal. Shepard saw him knocking down asari commandos, salarian soldiers, and mechs with equal dexterity and speed. As she led the assault towards the Eclipse base, at the corner of her eye she saw him taking down mercenaries with biotic throws and finishing them off with an accurate shot of his rifle, all the while dodging bullets at the speed of light. He was skillful and stealthy. Several times Shepard noticed he would purposefully disappear into shadowy spaces behind containers or into corners, tricking the enemy into looking in a chosen direction. Seconds later he would reappear someplace completely different, launching biotic warps and taking them by surprise.

Grunt quickly adjusted to his new squadmate and took every biotic attack of Krios' as a chance to finish them off with his shotgun. On a few occasions Shepard heard Krios whispering prayers, offering adoration and gratitude to a deity unknown to her, as though he felt he owed his good aim to their grace.

When they finally found the information Samara needed, they returned to the spaceport and relieved the asari detective from her burden, taking the justicar away from the police station. Before everyone, Samara swore by her code to serve Shepard. She knelt and, wrapping herself in the blue glow of her biotic power, she lowered her head and swore loyalty and obedience with solemnity. Shepard didn't feel worthy of such an oath. It was known that the asari could reach up to one millennium of life and, judging by the depth of Samara's gray eyes, she couldn't help but wonder how much wisdom and experience she possessed. Regardless, the humility with which she had sealed her pact moved her profoundly.

Once they were back on the Normandy, Samara was formally introduced to Jacob, who acted as the official Cerberus representative. She only requested a room with a view of vast starry space, and so Shepard assigned her to the Starboard Observation on the third deck.

After going to her cabin and taking a hot shower, Shepard checked her private terminal and once again found herself confronted by the message sent by Admiral Hackett. He had sent it weeks ago, but Shepard had been unsure whether she'd have the strength to carry out what he was asking of her. Normandy SR-1 crash site located read the title.

Shepard rubbed her forehead and eyes. Her chest tightened as if something was crushing her against the wall as she felt herself break out in a cold sweat. She breathed out, exhausted. What was happening to her? She had never before doubted a superior's order, nor her capability to perform a job properly. This was no reconnaissance or combat operation – it was something much simpler, almost delicate.