Airea felt sympathy for Kala, but ultimately no one trusted her. Airea was opposed to letting the Human near anything on the ship at all. There was no way of knowing if she actually was genuine or an agent of someone that was after the ship's schematics. Only time would settle it.<br/><br/>Airea's omni-tool lit up with a message from the Captain.<span style="color: Navy">Kala, your wanted inside.</span>She announced without further instruction, then looked angrily  at one of the dock hands as he dropped some device and began scolding him.<br/><br/><br/>***<br/><br/><br/>Ashana looked at Darion as he posed the valid question of how exactly they were going to get anywhere once they got to the Polarius trade tower.<br/><br/><span style="color: Purple">We ask.</span><br/><br/>Gilax was looking at them in utter disbelief.<br/><br/><span style="color: YellowGreen">But.. you... I told you what you wanted, you can't kill me!</span><br/><br/>Ashana shrugged at him, but before any shots were fired, the door to the room opened and Cantenelli spoke up from the burst of light that made Gilax once again cover his eyes.<br/><br/><span style="color: Blue">And we won't. As it turns out, there's a warrant for one Gilax Fuhlung for the attempted murder of an Illium security officer and other assorted crimes. The bounty was just posted.</span>He shrugged.<span style="color: Blue">Its not much, but its enough to make it worth our time to turn you in.</span><br/><br/>Ashana squinted against the light as he eyes adjusted. There wasn't a person in the room that wanted the Salarian alive, but here was the Human so called "captain" stepping in and trying to override their decision. Still, he was right, and just because Ashana wanted him dead didn't change that. The Salarian didn't know any of them and if someone was paying for his worthless hide, they may as well take the credits.<br/><br/>Cantenelli stepped aside, and an imposing Shadow walked into the room. It was the large and upset looking Turian Ashana had seen on the bridge. Falkris looked down at Gilax with a look of violent desire in his eyes, but he stood firm. Behind him the Quarian woman waited, shotgun in hand.<br/><br/><span style="color: Blue">As you were so kind as to complicate your arrival, my Turian friend and this Quarian will be escorting you to Illium security. I wouldn't suggest you give them any trouble. They aren't as forgiving as the rest of us.</span><br/><br/>Gilax yelped as Falkris' claw latched onto his neck and pulled him to his feet. Gilax shouted in pain as he tried to stand on his blood clotting foot and nearly fell. But Falkris caught him by the fabric of his shirt and dragged him from the room with Shira in tow. Ashana watched them go with mixed emotions.<br/><br/>As the elevator opened and Kala exited, Falkris and Shira entered with their prisoner. Cantenelli saw the Human and motioned her to come to him and the others.<br/><br/><span style="color: Blue">The shuttle is ready for you. Kala, your going with the ground team - </span>The Human paused and looked at Firas.<span style="color: Blue">If that is alright with you. Hopefully, the more of you there are, the more upset you look, the more obliging the door woman will be.</span><br/><br/><span style="color: Blue">Firas, Shria took the liberty of purchasing armor replacements for you. It's not cutting edge, but its certainly better than a chest piece with a dent in it. Its all in the armory.</span><br/><br/><br/>***<br/><br/><br/>It was a number of minutes before the shuttle took off again. Firas, Rajarr, Ashana, Kala, Darion were all there, and the shuttle was even heavy one Quarian. The Doctor had protested and request Sorv remain on the ship, but he hadn't pressed the matter when Sorv left. Ashana had commented on Sorv's now mismatched suit, but beyond that, she had said nothing.<br/><br/>She was silent on the shuttle ride, and kept her head down. It was all so much. It was all too much. Three days it had hardly been and now... everything was different. And what was worse, it was changing even more. First the ship, then Illium, now some Human captain. She was trapped inescapably in a whirlwind of events far beyond her control. It was all too much.<br/><br/>The shuttle ride ended sooner than she wanted it to. Before she knew it, they were on the move again, walking across a landing platform toward the tower. Its glimmer should have evoked something in Ashana, but it didn't. She had to focus on just one thing at a time.<br/><br/>The doors to the trade center opened and the group marched through the waterfall cascading halls and past the videos of the naked Asari business woman. Heads were turning as they passed and whispers followed. They were profoundly out of place, armed and armored as they were. Everyone here wore suits and dressed with rich adornments.<br/><br/>Several of the Asari associates placed their hands against their cheeks and spoke into small microphones on their wrists and shortly after an associate, smiling vainly, approached the group.<br/><br/><span style="color: Cyan">Welcome to Polarius trade center, what can we help you with?</span><br/><br/><span style="color: Purple">Serrah U'Vek.</span>Ashana said flatly and looked for a reaction. She received one immediately. The Asari continued smiling, but her eyes widened.<span style="color: Purple">We're sort of in a hurry.</span><br/><br/><span style="color: Cyan">Of course.</span>The Asari laughed nervously and said something into her wrist quietly.<br/><br/>The group waited a few minutes while the associate stood idle, smiling and sweating nervously. The woman knew who they were looking for and why, Ashana could discern that much. Ashana also knew that the associate knew they weren't expected.<br/><br/>The elevator in the center of the tower rose and out stepped an Asari woman with fine features, a tight black dress with a low neck that showed a healthy amount of pampered cleavage, and golden tattoos. The woman walked toward the group and stopped next to the associate.<br/><br/><span style="color: Yellow">Yes?</span>She asked, looking over the rag tag band with a hint of disgust.<br/><br/><span style="color: Purple">We're here to see the Shadow Broker.</span>Ashana took a step forward and stared levelly at the Asari she assumed was U'Vek. Her fingers rested at her hip next to her pistol, ready to lift it if the Asari proved troublesome. They were too close to be brushed aside.<br/><br/>The Asari smirked, naturally.<span style="color: Yellow">Of course Ashana, Firas Vaklinras, Darion Syler, Kala Whiteriver, Sorv'Ayen Nar Bravin, Rajarr... We have been expecting you. Right this way.</span><br/><br/>Now it was Ashana's turn to be caught off guard.<br/><br/>Serrah U'Vek lead them to the elevator she had arrived from and drew a small card from her cleavage. She inserted the card into a nearly invisible slot below the elevator's call panel before returning the card to it's place between her breasts. The elevator's two lights, up and down, turned red and displayed the word "unavailable" above them. The Asari remained though. A moment later, the elevator arrived and she stepped inside, waiting for the others to file in. fortunately, the elevator had ample room. The key pad continued to read unavailable as the doors closed.<br/><br/>The elevator slowly began to descend, traveling down at a comfortably increasing speed. The elevator passed numerous trading halls as it traveled down the tower's hundreds of stories. It took a fair amount of time but eventually the base of the tower's interior was clear. The elevator showed no sign of slowing it's descent as it very rapidly approached the ground. The Asari woman stood with her hands clasped before her, completely unfazed by the elevator's approach.<br/><br/>The elevator plummeted into the ground and continued. The view turned to blackness as it's journey became subterranean. A moment later the elevator began to slow and stopped. the glass doors opened with a chime and the two armed guards stepped forward. Their armor was black and white with a red crest on their chest.<br/><br/>The guards gave them no trouble as the Serrah U'Vek exited the elevator and walked into the underground compound. There was very little glitz and glamor, unlike the Polarius towers above. Instead it was bare paneling and supports. There were at least a dozen guards in the room they entered, all patrolling and watching them. Doors and hallways broke off here and there, as did several staircases, but the group's Asari guide continued straight forward.<br/><br/>She approached a door on the far side of the room, flanked by two guards with flame throwers. Neither so much as looked at them the woman stopped in front of the door. A moment later it opened and she stepped inside.<br/><br/>The room was rather small and dark, but had numerous active consoles with rivers of data along the walls which gave a glowing illumination. In the center of the room was a desk with a glowing console imbeddded in its surface that glowed a dark blue-green. There was a single chair behind it. On the chair behind sat a Salarian whose hands were clasped on the desk before him. The Salarian was unmistakable. The Shadow Broker agent.<br/><br/>Ashana walked into the room cautiously. She didn't like being in it, and she didn't like being near the Salarian. He was too powerful to be comfortable around.<br/><br/><span style="color: SeaGreen">Please, come in.</span>He said invitingly. His voice was deeper than most Salarian, but it had that same quickness to it, the same lack of breathe.<br/><br/><span style="color: SeaGreen">I am Forrun, the Shadow Broker's liason here on Illium.</span>He raised a hand.<span style="color: SeaGreen">There is no need to introduce yourselves, we know who you are.</span>He clasped his hands together.<br/><br/><span style="color: SeaGreen">Normally, caution and process dictates who stands before me. But today, we both face unique circumstances. As it stands, we both have something the other wants. You see, we have had a great interest in a particular package that was being transported on the Bekket, one that was removed from the ship.</span><br/><br/>Ashana frowned.<br/><br/><span style="color: SeaGreen">What did you find on the Bekket transport?</span>He asked, his tone as unwavering as his features were. Ashana felt a chill run down her back as she realized she couldn't read the man. He was too neutral, but beneath it, Ashana felt a capacity for indescribable violence.<br/><br/>Ashana looked at Sorv, hoping he would oblige the agent with the information he recovered. The Salarian's hands and eyes went to work on the console in his desk as Sorv accessed it. It was a painfully quiet moment as the Salarian looked over the logs from the Bekket. Then, at the end, his eyes fixated on a line of data and for the first time, Ashana saw a twinge of emotion. His lips parted slightly and his head turned a degree, then his eyes darted about, thinking.<br/><br/>He went about striking keys on his console and images began flashing, logs of data. Ashana couldn't read any of them. they were too far away, but shortly the Salarian was looking between two things, his eyes bouncing back and forth. The Salarian slowly sat back and clasped his hands before his face.<br/><br/><span style="color: SeaGreen">How... interesting.</span>He muttered then looked up at the group.<br/><br/><span style="color: SeaGreen">As some of you may be aware, there was a bombing on Lorek, recently. More specifically, there was a bombing at an Asari consort house. What you are most certainly not aware of, however, is that a Shadow Broker agent was assassinated in the bombing. We have had no leads and no information on who killed him or why... until now.</span><br/><br/>A large holographic display appeared behind the agent. The display was split into two sets of data, one Ashana recognized as the information from the Bekket, the other looked like a ship registry log. A moment later, the registry number they had gained from the Bekket was highlighted, and an identical number was highlighted on the other screen as well.<br/><br/><span style="color: SeaGreen">It would seem that whatever ship attacked Ren Kalga's cargo was logged as arriving shortly before the bombing... and departing shortly after. It would seem the thief and the assassin are one and the same.</span><br/><br/><span style="color: Purple">Who does the ship belong to?</span>Ashana asked.<br/><br/><span style="color: SeaGreen">No one. The name and information on it are fake.</span><div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>