Your decision to meet with the descending shuttle personally seems to have been a good one, as there are a lot of very nervous guards standing around, looking at the thing like it's a ticking time-bomb.
"Stand down boys." They relax slightly, but far from completely as the doors open and a single
black and red armoured figure steps forth, utterly unconcerned by the very visibly drawn weapons.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?"
"A bunch of very paranoid folks, so let's skip the mystery act." You stride forward likewise, your target barking out a laugh and coming forward to meet you while shaking his hand.
"Ah, Raynor. Good to see you, though I wish it was under better circumstances." He grasps your outstretched hand in a firm shake as you lean in.
"Let's head to my office, we can talk there without anyone... listening in."
An imperceptible nod follows as you escort him to your rather heavily armoured car and head towards your command centre while he asks various questions about Lightning.
"I've got to say Raynor, I'm quite impressed. Not many people dumb enough to set down here. Fewer who could pull it off too." You take the compliment and were about to offer him a glass of whisky before suddenly stopping yourself.
"I probably shouldn't give this to you, should I." He stops half way through getting out something that looks like a blue cigarette before cursing and shoving it back into his pocket. "Yes, and you shouldn't smoke this either, hasn't been adapted to human biology yet. Don't want to send you into a fit over a smoke of all things."
As you settle down in your chair and pour yourself a glass, he fishes up his own flask and you take the chance to study Tiberius Martem. He seems… worn. His plates are greyer.
"So, I think I can guess what brings you all the way out here to the boonies." He smirks back at you.
"Yes, I've been ordered to help deal with the recent Terminus madness, but that isn't the only reason I'm here."
At this he goes serious, very serious. "The Primarch himself gave me a priority mission to investigate a certain individual, one who from your description was behind the attack on your colony." The tension in the room was starting to rise as he continues, taking a short swig from his flask. "I need
every detail you can give me on the attack."
You lean back, raising an eyebrow at his statement. "I think I can do you one better." You use your omnitool to call up the recording of your conversation with the Turian commander and watch as Martem's face contorts in fury.
"Yes... that's him alright." His growl gets across that this isn't the normal scummy low life, but to you that pirate was just one of many. Well, maybe not many, an entire military cruiser wasn't a common sight in the ranks of your average criminal flotilla.
"Mind elaborating for me there, buddy? To me this is just random jackass number three million."
He snorts, viciously jabbing a talon at the frozen arrogant image.
"That! Is Gulian Ompricor, son of the late General Ompricor. Got into the academy on his own merit as a commissioned officer, father made sure things were kept above board. No deliberate nepotism."
He's working himself up into a frenzy now, seemingly prepared to start shouting. Discipline wins out and he reigns himself in, albeit still quivering with rage. "Turns out he'd been using funds to hide certain… indiscreet activities, and when he started to run out he began embezzling. I'm not sure what was running through his mind, but military funds are watched very closely. An investigation was launched the moment money started vanishing, but he caught wind of it and knew that when he was discovered he'd be lucky to escape a firing squad."
Breathing heavily, he massaged his crest, trying to calm down. "He was commander of a patrol force assigned to protect colonies in the Traverse. A distress call came in, 'Batarian raiders, send help' and he ordered his ships to jump right there. And when they arrived, they found themselves falling right into a Batarian ambush."
He looks at you and grimaces. "See if this sounds familiar. He contacted a group of known slavers, provided information on the colony's defences, blackmailed an insider to sabotage them and the distress arrays. The colony had fallen well over a day before, its communications disabled and the distress signal modified to ensure that they'd know where reinforcements were coming from and when they arrived, and then he ordered his men to stand down."
At this point he's worked through the rage, he just sounds drained. "He sold nearly four million Turians into slavery, as well as every single man under his command. He took the cruiser he still uses as a flagship and a massive pile of credits as his prize, then vanished into Terminus."
After a story like that you only really have one response. "Holy shit." That's just… beyond anything. You've met bastards before, but nothing ever approaching that.
Martem nods. "Shanxi was a national humiliation, but him. He's a national disgrace on every level and shook the Hierarchy to its very foundations. And this is the third time Blackwatch have been sent for his head."
That makes you start yet again. Martem is one of the best soldiers you know. To evade him twice meant, well, you didn't even want to think about it. "How in the blazes is he still alive? Luck of the devil?"
He frowns. "No idea what a devil is, but yes. Luck the first time. Second time, I don't know how many credits he spent doing it, but he anonymously hired Wrex. The best Battlemaster in Terminus."
He sighs, casting his mind back. "We had him dead to rights, but then a Krogan Battlemaster drops a building on us and starts going through my best troops like a buzz saw. Wrex has standards, so he turned around and went for Gulian himself after we told him who hired him, but at that point it was too late. We lost him."
He takes a massive draft from his flask, finishing it off. "But, here you've found his trail again, ain't that right?"
He nods. "Indeed. Thanks for keeping his goons in one place. They probably won't have any information worth a damn, but even a little may help us a lot."
"No problem, but still, something doesn't quite add up." Marten raises an eye brow, implicitly asking you to continue.
Changing the image on your omnitool, you show him the communicator your boys found. "See anything weird here?"
His eye's narrow. "Comm tech, human… yes, I do." He looks back at you. "And it was a human that planted this? Not an Asari?"
"No, he was human. Why'd you think the rat would be an Asari?" He shrugs. "Only non-humans on the colony at the time, so I assumed he didn't have time to sink his claws into one of you. But if he did, then the rabbit hole deepens, yet it does gives me another line of inquiry."
Leaning forward and sighing, he looks straight at you. "Let's leave this for now, my people will deal with the prisoners. I've got something I need to ask of you. If I'm to operate out here, I'll need a base. I'd use the normal ones, but they're compromised thanks to a recent data breach, so I don't know which ones are good and which ones are not."
You frown as you understand what he's saying. "I'll make sure its hidden and won't cost you a penny."
Result: Information on attacker, mysteries deepen, re-establish friendly contact with Tiberius Martem, Blackwatch commander, prisoners aid Martem's search. Request for basing.
[] Accept: Blackwatch covert facility will be constructed. While not illegal, some members of the Alliance will look poorly on you for allowing it, but the Turians are willing to pay a fee for the land effectively. Will aid Martem's investigation.
[] Decline: Too much of a risk.
PRAISE PRAISE TO
@EternalStruggle!
