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"Why didn't Anoleis cancel your pass?" Garrus asked.
"And why would he do that?" Lorik was genuinely surprised. "There is nothing outside but snow and hungry nathaks."
"I've always dreamed of looking at hungry Nathaks." I purred. A omny-tool unfolded above the hand. "Liara, my sweet, stop chatting with your clanmate." A soft, melodious chuckle sounded in the headphones. Rex, baby, did you fall asleep out of longing? The Krogan's angry growl was like balm on my nerves, Nihlus gurgled with laughter, and Garrus openly laughed. "Don't forget to bring my favorite dress." Tali, don't leave our baby unattended. He's so... mmm... nervous...
I cut the connection. Nihlus covered his face with his palm and silently trembled in a fit of hysterical laughter. Garrus, on the other hand, was just laughing out loud under Lorik's uncomprehending gaze. Literally a minute later, elegant blue hands were placed on my shoulders.
"I see you haven't missed me." Liara purred, glancing suspiciously at Lorik.
"I always miss you, sweetheart." I smiled, remembering the "exploits" of Azari, who had drunk light alcohol.
Liara immediately took the hint and blushed.
A gun case thudded onto the table, and the Krogan's voice, growling with anger, muttered:
"Your "dress"..." The expression on Lorik's face will long and joyfully warm my heart throughout many rebirths!
"Thanks, Rex."
The Krogan looked at my pleased face, appreciated the fucked-up face of an unknown Turian, chuckled, the lingering anger faded.
"We have to leave you. But you will wait for us, won't you? We'll just be a few minutes... I will try on a dress, we will please your "guests" with our personalities... And we'll be right back!"
A card was placed on the table.
"This is a pass to my office. It will allow you to activate the elevator. As soon as you leave the bar, turn right. The elevator is not far from the entrance to the garage. The materials are on my computer in my office. The encryption key is on this one." A small device landed on the table next to the card. "Insert it into the socket, and everything will start by itself. Lorik grinned and added: "And try not to get blood on the carpets."
"We will be very careful."
With a soft, relieved laugh, we left the company of this representative of the militant people and went to look for an office. Lorik had described exactly where the elevator he was looking for was located: a flashing red panel glowed in the gloom just before the turnoff to the garage. One touch of the card to the touchpad, the soft rustle of the doors opening, and the elevator carried us down.
Lorik's office is almost an exact replica of the bar's premises. The same anteroom with the reception desk, now empty, two doors leading to the office and office premises, the same murmur of water flowing over decorative plates. Everything is exactly the same. There was no one on the left. There are five on the right.
"The five sentients are behind the left door." I put the box on the counter and opened it. One Turian. The rest are people. With what pleasure I pulled off the golden-green obscenity — words cannot convey! Bron'ka... My beloved Bronka, how I've missed you! Humming a tune that came to mind, I quickly donned my armor, connected the internal equipment, and put on my visor. The weapons slid easily into place: the familiar Harpoon, the Predator large-caliber pistol, and the assault rifle of the same name. She jumped up. Everything is in place, the armor fits like a native one. I tossed my dress and shoes into the trunk and laid out my assault rifle.
"Ready."
Garrus jerked his head toward the door.
"Dare to attack?"
"You know how power corrupts."
Garrus grimaced. I must have remembered one of my colleagues.
"Liara, try to keep your head down and put up your shields. If it comes to a shootout."
The Asari nodded. Nihlus touched the sensor and the doors began to move, allowing us to enter a spacious hall with a massive square column in the middle. On the left is a wide staircase leading to the second floor, where Lorik's office should be located. Two ERKS fighters stood in front of the column: a Turian and a human male, and they were frankly bored. The Turian reacted first: raising his rifle, he asked dryly:
"Stop! Hanshan Security Service. This office is closed! Who are you?"
"Spectr of Nihlus Krayk." Nihlus replied calmly. "I am in this office with the permission of its owner."
"Ki'Ina?" The man raised his rifle. "Do you work for him? He's under investigation!"
Nihlus choked on this suggestion. The Turian from ERKS looked at his colleague as if he were an idiot and wisely retreated.
"I am the Spectr of the Council! And I ONLY work for the Citadel Council." Nihlus' icy rasping voice carried far into the silence of the office. You are so much... Are you incompetent for not knowing widely known facts, or do you want to insult me?"
"Noveria does not enter the Citadel Space! Your credentials here are invalid!"
In response, a hard look from a Turian fighter.
"Valid! The Spectr of the Citadel Council has full rights and privileges in the territory of Noveria in accordance with the agreement concluded by the Board of Directors and the Citadel Council! I'm sorry, Spectr."
"Nihlus nodded benevolently."
"However, your companions are breaking the law. You have the right to carry weapons, as do your TWO escorts."
I silently took out my ID card and handed it to the fighter. The Turian glanced at my status, blinked in surprise, and lowered his weapon.
"I'm sorry, Spectr."
Yeah... The hierarchy trains its population with a bang. The man choked on air.
"The spectrum? Is she? Dalisar, you gullible idiot! You..." Then his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed to the floor.
"I'm tired of it," I said calmly.
Dalisar looked at his uncooperative colleague and casually asked:
"Is he dead?"
"In a swoon." I replied. "I prefer not to kill unnecessarily, and he definitely led to conflict."
The Turian nodded cautiously. I smiled wryly and said softly:
"You do understand that we will enter this office anyway, take what we need and leave? Dalisard nodded slowly. There are four of you. You, the sniper on the stairs with the Punisher, who won't even have time to blow through our shields in the time it takes for OUR sniper to remove it, and two more behind the column. One with a Lancer, the other with a Banshee. We can kill you all here and we won't get anything for it. Unless we quarrel with the sergeant and kill her if she decides to avenge you. And she's a hot-headed and impulsive girl who doesn't listen to reason.
The Turian nodded dumbly.
"Even if one of you miraculously survives, I don't think Matriarch Benezia will forgive the death of her daughter, Liara, and Saren Arterius", Dalisar flinched at the sound of the rebel Spectre's name "he will ignore the death of his only student. Do I need to explain how long and happy your life will be with SUCH attention?"
Dalisard threw up his hands.
"I get you, Spectr! Come on in. I hope there won't be any unnecessary conflicts between us."
"I really hope so."
We moved on. The evil Rex, passing by, pushed Dalisar with his shoulder so that he could barely stand on his feet, and growled:
"Get" out of the way!"
I turned around and met the angry gaze of a disappointed Krogan.
"Rex, this is petty!"
"He talks too much!"
"He saved the lives of his colleagues, no matter how stupid they were, and this is a worthy act."
Rex waved him off, but at least he stopped being angry. At least the krogan cooled down as quickly as it boiled and didn't take any bullshit to heart.
We got the data without any problems at all. Dalisar followed us, but he didn't bother us. Already on the way out of the office, a full of rage flew at our backs:
"You shouldn't be here."
I turned lazily. Oh, what people... Kyra showed up.
The blonde's gray eyes widened in surprise and narrowed sharply when she recognized me.
"It seems to me that we are not represented... miss..." I said with a grin, shaking the Predator.
"Are you going to show respect?" the woman snorted. "Sergeant Kira Stirling, Elanus Risk Control Service."
"The spectr of Irene Shepard." I said indifferently, meeting his direct gaze. "Is there something you want to tell us, Sergeant?"
"For what you've done, Anoleis will kick you off the planet."
"He won't risk it." I grinned at him. "Or have you decided to personally play the hero?"
Kira flared up with rage.
"Your people are working for a bribe." Garrus reported. "You're not on duty here and you're breaking the law."
The rage turned into rage.
"You are violating the orders of the port administrator!"
"We are fulfilling the task of the Council." Nihlus rasped indifferently.
"And it will be fulfilled, regardless of the money spent and the blood spilled. You should step back." I finished my colleague's unspoken phrase.
"The end justifies the means, right?" The blonde literally spat it out.
"THIS goal justifies ANY means." I said dryly, and the uncooperative lady sank to the floor. You should not look into the eyes of a mentalist when he has free time. Take her to the infirmary. He'll wake up in a couple of hours. And it would be better for her if the thought of... revenge didn't enter her blonde head. She won't survive our third conflict.
"Out of the way!" Rex growled and pushed some guy out of our way.
There were no people willing to detain us. We calmly left the Synthetic Insights office, but only Nihlus went to Lorik for a pass, and we waited before turning into the garages. However, I didn't get bored for a long time, because after about eight minutes, a direct connection with Nihlus turned on, and I became an invisible listener to an entertaining conversation:
"The Board of Directors knows that Anoleis is a corrupt official." I was surprised to recognize Gianna Parazini in the quiet female voice. "I've been working undercover for six months." Don't you get it, Gianna is a security guard? There was something like that in the game, but at that moment I was too lazy to do side quests, and I didn't talk to this lady, just giving the Turian his data. Apparently — in vain.
"I want you to convince Ki'in to testify before the board of directors."
"And how can I help you with this?" Nihlus rasped.
"The information you took from the Synthetic Insights office." She can help with the investigation.
"You're too late. I've already given it to Lorik."
"What?" Gianna was definitely confused. "It was the best opportunity... Why did you give it away?"
"I need to get to the Top of 15." The Turian said dryly.
"I would help you too! It would have been longer, but is that a reason to let a criminal go free?" The desperation in the girl's voice was clear.
"I don't have time." Nihlus dismissed Gianna indifferently.
"Nothing better could have been expected from the Spectr! You never give a damn about anything except your assignment!"
There were hurried footsteps retreating.
"Did you hear that?" A quiet, vibrating voice was barely audible over the noise of the music.
"I heard it. Let them solve problems with their management themselves. We have enough troubles of our own. Did you get a pass?"
"Yes. I'll be right there."
They let us into the garage with a creak. But they missed it. It seemed that in a little while, and one of us would grab a weapon. I was close to it. The feeling of problems drilled into my brain and wouldn't let me calm down, and it wasn't about the geth that would be waiting for us in this garage. There's something else here...
The door closed softly behind us. I activated the rifle, slowly approaching the massive box.
"Be careful. There might be Geth here somewhere." Behind him, the Harpoon disintegrated with a soft rustle. I didn't need to look, I already knew that our sniper understood the task and would do everything in his power. Liara, Tali. Keep your head down, stay out of the fight. Cover with shields if... A booming shot cut me off as Garrus found his first target. The Geth-hunter yelped and fell to the floor. A second shot and the synthetic went silent. Geth creaked somewhere ahead, and massive silhouettes appeared behind the boxes. Stormtroopers! One, two... Three, four! The rifle hit him in the shoulder, and he didn't even slow down. Another shot! A harpoon went off behind me, and my stock jerked. The Nihlus rifle was aimed somewhere under the ceiling, the partner jerked sharply, shifting the sight for a quick target. Something appeared behind the box. I shifted my aim and fired as soon as some Geth got in the crosshair. The crimson stroke of a hunter's murderous shot whistled overhead.
A grenade flew past, detonating, and the roar of Rex's shotgun. I put the Harpoon on the floor, took off the Predator: the stormtroopers were rapidly approaching!
The pop of the biotics coincided with the roar of a detonated mine. A scarlet streak flew over the Krogan's head, Garrus' Harpoon roared loudly, and the hunter fell off the wall. The stormtrooper fell in a pile of scrap, Rex shouted something in his native language, and I leaned out from behind the box, firing short bursts at the Krogan-shot stormtrooper.
Nihlus jerked me sharply by the shoulder, and I find myself on the ground. The box shuddered from the impact of the rocket and began to slowly fall towards us. With a pop of biotics, the box slowed down its fall: Liara poked her head out from behind the shelter, shining with a blue halo. Grabbing my rifle, I rushed to another crate, but a rocket exploded nearby and threw me against the wall.
For a few moments, I fell out of reality, trying to reduce the focus. They grabbed me under the arms and dragged me behind a drawer. A little to the side, Rex turned the stormtrooper over with a sharp kick and put a shotgun charge directly into the light bulb. Faster! Faster! My vision cleared. I picked up the rifle and aimed at Geth. A shot, a shot, the whistle of a cooled barrel, change the sight, a shot at a stormtrooper shot down by Garrus. Rex finished off the third one. The roar of a stormtrooper in my ear. The last enemy fell to the floor.
"The freaks..." The rifle fell heavily to his knees. "Are there any wounded?"
A short roll call and Nihlus response:
— Everyone is safe.
The Turian extended his hand and helped me up, carefully examining the scorched armor.
"I'm safe. I just got a little concussion. My ears are ringing and I can't hear very well."
In the best movie traditions, when it was all over, the doors opened and Maeko and four ERKS fighters flew into the garage. And, instead of trying to figure it out, the brave captain started with a hit-and-run:
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