A Matter of Time and Space: Chapter 3

A Matter of Time and Space

DEBRIEFING

Citadel Embassies, Presidium, Citadel – 07:30 GSD – 4th May 2185 CE

"SSV Perugia? P-E-R-U-G-I-A. Do I have that correct?" the asari clerk asked.

"Yes," Valni confirmed. "Any non-classified data you can find would be greatly appreciated… Recent moorings. Crew roster."

"I'll certainly see what I can do," the clerk assured her. "Though a lot of this information may be restricted. Couldn't the human embassy help you?"

"I haven't been able to go through official channels. All my inquiries were rebuffed or forwarded to other departments. I've been bogged down in bureaucratic red-tape."

"That can happen, yes," the purple skinned asari agreed. "My suspicion is they're being deliberately evasive. The human embassy doesn't want to release the information. But, I'll do some digging and see what I can find. It may not be much, though," she added. "I have your details on file. I'll contact you as soon as I find anything."

"Thank you. I appreciate that," Valni said and moved away from the desk.

The Citadel Embassies teemed with individuals from every species. Looking back, the queue for the information desk stretched all the way to the mezzanine safety barriers in the middle of the room. She had feared she wasn't going to make the front of the queue before her meeting.

Valni made her way through the crowds; narrowly avoiding a volus who almost spilled his drink all over her dress blues. Valni side-stepped the small alien man; the volus barely acknowledged her and continued on his way without a backward glance.

"Jerk!" Valni muttered under her breath.

She wandered over to the viewing area by the main stairs leading up to the embassies and stood watching the skycars rush past the window, feeling an unexpected twinge of apprehension about the debriefing.

Valni fidgeted slightly at her jacket. It had been a while since she'd worn her dress blues and the neckline was chafing.

I really must get it adjusted!

She cast an envious glance at the asari dressed so elegantly in fine gowns. In comparison, turian fashion was distinctly plain and functional

"Severan!" a voice called out to her.

Valni turned. Captain Miklaius, dressed in his smart blue and black dress uniform, was signalling to her from the stairway.

"They're ready for us now," he added.

Valni followed him up the wide staircase. Two guards were standing at the top of the stairs, flanking the bright corridor.

Miklaius swept on past them, past the C-SEC office on the left, and finally pulling up at a set of doors directly opposite the Spectre Offices.

Captain Miklaius flashed his pass to the guards at the door and they were allowed in.

The office was light and airy. Three high-ranking turian executives sat behind a wide desk in the centre of the room, their backs turned away from the balcony and the view of the Presidium. Valni noted that the one in the middle had the rank of Admiral. Two young aides flanked the desk, standing ram-rod straight as they waited patiently for any instruction from the executives. In the corner of the room, another turian man dressed all in black was resting comfortably on a sofa, gazing at Valni with an air of open curiosity.

Valni gave the man the once over. He was barefaced – his grey carapace unmarked by colony tattoos – and he had no insignia on his epaulettes, which suggested that he was either a civilian (which was highly unlikely), or that he was important enough that he didn't need to show his rank. Valni suspected the latter.

As they approached, one of the executives started the recording tool set into the desk.

Valni and Miklaius strode forward and stood at attention, giving the officers a formal salute.

"Arriving as ordered, Admiral," Miklaius said, his silver mandibles twitching slightly in disapproval. It was an involuntary tick that only happened when he was irritated. His eyes darted towards the black-clad man lounging on the sofa. Miklaius was a military man through and through and followed all orders to the letter, but he distrusted military personnel who hid their rank, and always had trouble hiding his emotions. Valni smiled. Miklaius, while a fine commanding officer, did not have a good poker face.

"At ease," the admiral ordered. Miklaius and Valni relaxed their posture. "This debrief is brought to session. Presiding are, Admiral Quaris, Commander Brang and Lieutenant-Commander Trinnus. In attendance are, Captain Miklaius and Warrant Officer Severan… Right, let's start!" Valni noted that the admiral hadn't mentioned the name of the man in the corner. The admiral drew his fingers together as he leant forward on the desk. "This is a review of the recent operation in the Hades Nexus," Admiral Quaris said. "Some thirty civilians, turians, asari and humans, were rescued from slavers by the crew of the Seventh Fleet frigate PFS Vistoffia under the command of Captain Miklaius. There were no civilian casualties, and only three of the slavers were killed in the action. And of those casualties, the wounds incurred by the slavers appear to be friendly-fire. A very impressive result. You are to be commended, Captain."

"My crew deserve the honours, admiral," Miklaius replied.

"I'm certain they will receive their due." The admiral turned to Valni. "As the specialist on the ground, would you run us through the events leading up to your assault of the slaver's base, Officer Severan?"

"Certainly, Admiral," Valni agreed. "We were on routine patrol in the Hakate System; monitoring an increase in traffic to that sector. The planet Ker is often used as a haven for mercenaries and slavers. We surmised that a group we'd been monitoring had a base of operations on the surface, but it was shielded against background thermal imaging so it didn't show up on sensors. Luckily, we detected a heat signature from one of their shuttles. It matched the signature from a shuttle used in the kidnapping of three asari civilians. It was a careless mistake that we exploited."

"You got lucky?" Lieutenant-Commander Trinnus asked.

"Indeed, sir."

"Luck is a soldier's best friend, Officer," the admiral said. "That and a full pack of thermal clips! Please continue."

"The base was heavily fortified; a direct assault would have incurred heavy casualties, and likely endangered the civilians. Captain Miklaius ordered me to try and infiltrate the base in order to bring the defences down from within. I landed a tactically cloaked shuttle a kilometre from their hideout, then trekked across the surface, bypassed the alarms on the external ventilation shaft and entered the base. Once inside I incapacitated any hostiles I encountered and engaged their leader in hand-to-hand combat. After he was defeated, it was a simple matter of disengaging the base defences."

"That summation hardly does your actions justice, Severan," Quaris said approvingly. "My congratulations. You must be highly skilled." The Admiral looked down at the computer tablet in front of him. "However, there is one small matter that needs clarification. In your report you mentioned the slaver leader had an omni-blade…"

"Omni-blade, sir?" Valni asked.

"A prototype mod that was being tested for consumer use. It's being trialled by R&D teams, but the mod wasn't supposed to be released to the public for several months," Brang, the man to Quaris' left said.

"Which begs the question how did a slaver based in the Hades Nexus get hold of this mod?" Lieutenant-Commander Trinnus asked.

"We're not sure yet," Brang replied. "It's unlikely the slavers stole it. Most probably someone sold them the mod."

"Which would suggest they had contacts within the R&D labs," the admiral said. "Practically every species had a hand in its development. Any number of them could be involved…"

"Even a turian, Admiral?" Miklaius asked.

"That's hardly a creditable theory," the man sitting on the sofa piped up. It was the first time Valni had heard him speak. He had a thin and reedy voice. "Any normal turian would readily admit their guilt if asked directly. They would be a liability to a smuggling operation."

Valni shook her head. "With respect, I have encountered plenty of turian slavers and mercenaries in my time. To suggest that a turian criminal could not master the ability to lie is, quite frankly, rubbish! Criminals, by their very nature,have to be deceitful. A turian criminal even more so."

"Officer Severan brings up an excellent point," the man in black replied. "There have been many turians who have concealed their activities from their superiors, and then later been punished for their actions. Officer Severan is a case in point." Valni turned her head sharply, glaring at him. The man grinned wolfishly. "In order to rule you out as a suspect, did you supply the plans, Officer Severan?"

Valni was really starting to dislike this man. She was seriously considering slapping that stupid grin off his face! Instead, she gave him a sweet smile. "No, I didn't… Did you?"

The man's smile did not extend to his eyes. "Your file mentioned your candour towards superiors. Such directness is admirable, Officer. You like to aim right at the heart of the matter."

"I generally find that gets the best results," Valni replied.

"No doubt." The man was now watching Valni like a predator studying its next meal.

"We'll need a list of everyone involved in the mod's development," the admiral said. "You're a credit to the uniform, Severan. Obviously the information about the mod is not for public consumption."

"Of course, sir," Miklaius replied.

The admiral turned to the man in black. "I am satisfied with the report. Was there anything else?"

The turian on the sofa inclined his head slightly. "There is one more thing. Would you mind clearing up some details for the Hierarchy, Officer Severan?"

"By all means," Valni agreed.

The man turned to the admiral. "May I have the room?"

Incredibly, Admiral Quaris nodded as he acquiesced to the request. He stood and left the office, closely followed by his subordinates and aides.

Valni and Miklaius looked at each other in astonishment. Somehow this man had just dismissed an admiral!

The black-clad turian rose from the sofa and wandered over to the balcony, gazing at the view, his back to the two officers.

"A pleasant little office," the man said wistfully. "I did have my eye on it for a while, but I understand it's been earmarked for the human councillor. I should have expected that, of course. Humans are always demanding more space, more power, better conditions. They want breathing room! They remind me of the krogan in that regard. How long before we have to deploy a virus to neuter them from breeding, I wonder?"

Miklaius cleared his throat. "You have us at a disadvantage. I didn't hear you name."

The man turned to face them. "Inquisitor Passcal. Hierarchy Office of Internal Affairs," he announced. "I'm investigating Warrant Officer Severan."

Valni couldn't hide the look of shock on her face.

"And what do Internal Affairs want with a member of my crew?" Miklaius demanded.

The man ignored the captain and addressed Valni directly. "You recently made an enquiry about the movements of the SSV Perugia and Alliance Engineer Kenneth Donnelly, correct?"

Valni nodded. "Yes. Yes, I did. May I ask how you knew that?"

"We've been monitoring your extranet searches and all personal calls to and from the Vistoffia. Any suspicious activity or queries made regarding your past contacts are immediately flagged-up to my omni-tool."

"What?" Makliaus exclaimed. "You've been monitoring my ship? My crew?"

Despite this revelation, Valni seized the initiative. "Do you have any information about him?" she asked the Inquisitor.

"Would you like to sit down?" Passcal asked. He was smirking.

"I prefer to stand. What's going on?"

"You knew Alliance Engineers Kenneth Donnelly and Gabriella Daniels."

Valni nodded again. "I knew them, yes. They served briefly on my former ship – Arcadias."

"How well did you know them?"

"I was… friendly with Engineer Daniels. Our relationship was professional, but I didn't know her as well as I would have liked…"

"And Engineer Donnelly?"

Valni hesitated. "Why do you want to know?"

"Just answer the question, please."

"Is Kenneth in trouble?"

"'Kenneth' is it?" the Inquisitor observed. "Interesting that you should call him by his given name…"

Valni ignored the snide remark. "Are they alright? Has something happened to them?"

"I just need you to answer the question. How well do you know him?"

"All the details are all in my file…" Valni began.

"I'd like to hear it from you," the Inquisitor insisted.

"I don't understand the relevance of this line of questioning."

The Inquisitor stepped closer. "According to Captain Verress, you were expelled from Arcadias when it was discovered you were having an inappropriate liaison with a visiting alien. This… Engineer Donnelly. The Captain's report stated that you were intimate with him! That alone is grounds for censure…"

"Since when is the personal life of my crew any of the Hierarchy's damned business?" Miklaius demanded.

"Since the alien she was so friendly with became involved in a conspiracy!"

"What conspiracy?" Valni asked. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that…"

"Is that so?" Miklaius replied drawing himself up, his mandibles twitching fiercely. "Well, until you are at liberty to discuss it, my Warrant Officer and I have no further comment on the matter. This conversation is over!"

Miklaius turned to leave. Valni hesitated briefly before following her commanding officer.

The Inquisitor waited until they were in the doorway before calling out. "They've defected!"

Valni stopped in her tracks. She turned to face Passcal.

"Both Donnelly and his friend Daniels have taken employment with a known terrorist group and turned their backs on the Alliance."

There was a shocked pause.

"I don't believe you," Valni said quietly.

"Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant. The fact remains that your former lover has turned traitor! Joined a terrorist organisation. And you ask me how this is relevant?"

"No!" Valni shook her head. "He wouldn't do that. Not willingly."

"Can you be so sure? You knew him for, what, five weeks before your activities got you expelled? Hardly enough time to get to know him. Well, not his mind, at any rate. I'm sure you became very familiar with his body!"

Valni and Miklaius moved back towards the Inquisitor. "Where are they?" she demanded.

"Have you ever heard of Cerberus?"

Valni paled. Naturally, she had heard the name before. A human supremacist group; the existence of the organisation hadn't been fully released to the public. Few outside select military circles knew they existed. Well-financed but elusive, the organisation was known to be responsible for several assassinations and had been linked to unethical experiments. But no-one was sure where their money came from or who their operatives were.

"Always the same where humans are concerned – they can't be trusted. Turn your back on them for an instant and they'll drive a knife into it. Donnelly was approached by Cerberus towards the end of '83. They made him an offer. Within a year Donnelly had accepted a new position within the group. Daniels quickly followed him. The Hierarchy have officially branded them as terrorists. Consequently, any individual who were close to them is under suspicion. And I would say that a woman who stooped so low as to share her bed with aprimate most certainly qualifies!"

"My Warrant Officer's private life is not a matter for discussion, Inquisitor."

"That remains to be seen. Donnelly, Daniels, and, by association, Severan, are persons of interest in my investigation. And I have been authorised by the Hierarchy to bring this matter to a close by any means necessary. So I will ask you again: Are you still in contact withformer Alliance Engineer Kenneth Donnelly?"

Valni tried to swallow but her mouth was dry. "No, I'm not.

"Why were you trying to discover his whereabouts?"

"I… I was hoping to speak to him… We were forcibly separated. I wanted to tell him there were no hard feelings. Perhaps even remain friends…"

"You had no intention of resuming your relationship?"

Valni scowled. "I've been told that's no longer possible," she said bitterly.

"What was the nature of your relationship? Was it purely a sexual arrangement?

"That question is entirely inappropriate!" Miklaius said firmly.

"Experimentation between species is not unheard of, Captain. I'm trying to determine whether Severan has strong xenophilic tendencies, or if she genuinely harbours feelings for this alien."

"You're out of line, Inquisitor," Miklaius warned, but Passcal ignored him.

"I understand your sister is also fond of alien species, Severan. She has been observed in the company of two salarian companions. Their interactions were… not entirely platonic. Evidently, these predilections are not confined solely to yourself. Do such loose morals also extend to the rest of your family?"

"That's enough!" Miklaius exploded, his jaws set and mandibles flaring. "I have an army of friends in Hierarchy Command. Plenty more than you do, I imagine. You will cease this line of questioning immediately, or, by the Spirits, I will bury you, Inquisitor."

"You're welcome to try, Captain." His eyes hadn't left Valni's face. He watched her for a long moment before speaking again. "Well, your troubling fetish for humans aside, your conduct on the Vistoffia has been exemplary. Captain Miklaius speaks highly of you. It would be disheartening to see that trust has been misplaced."

"It hasn't been misplaced," Miklaius said. "I will vouch for Severan's character."

Passcal was still staring at Valni. "Your role in this has yet to be determined. But if I find you've been collaborating with terrorists I will recommend that you be charged with treason. You will be executed!" The man gave a cold smile as he gestured towards the door. "We will be watching you, Severan. Have a pleasant day."

Ever the soldier, Miklaius saluted and exited the room. Valni quickly followed him out. They walked down the corridor at a brisk pace, their speed never slowing until they'd reached the top of the stairs leading down to the main lobby. Suddenly, Miklaius pulled up short.

"What the Hell was that?" he exclaimed, turning to Valni.

"I don't know, sir."

"Cerberus? Is that the kind of company you're keeping, Warrant Officer?"

"Sir, I swear to you, I had no idea that Ken… that Donnelly and Daniels had done that! I never imagined that he'd join… I thought… I thought I knew him…"

Miklaius read his Warrant Officer's expression; genuine shock was etched across her face. Based on her time spent on Vistoffia, and her past service to the Fleet, he had never known Severan to tell a lie.

Finally, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I believe you. And I'll be demoted to civilian life before I let some bureaucratic upstart throw false accusations at you, Severan."

"Thank you, sir."

"Your personal life is your own. I won't let the Hierarchy besmirch your name because of one mistake."

Valni recoiled slightly, biting back a retort. She had never considered her past relationship with Kenneth to be a mistake!

But after such a revelation, doubt was creeping into her heart.

Have I misjudged Kenneth?