The Citadel XII

"She's not here! I don't know where she is. That's the truth!" Fist says, refusing to look Sampson in the eyes.

"He's no use to you now. Let me kill him." Wrex says, raising his shotgun toward Fist's chest.

"Wait! Wait! I don't know where the quarian is, but I know where you can find her." Fist shouts in a panic, quickly covering his head.

"The quarian isn't here. Said she'd only deal with the Shadow Broker himself." Fist explains.

"Face to face? Impossible! Even I was hired through an agent." Wrex says, vehemently expressing his doubt.

Sampson lowers his gun and allows Fist to stand up after the medi-gel takes effect.

"Nobody meets the Shadow Broker. Ever. Even I don't know his true identity. But she didn't know that. So, I told her I'd set a meeting up. But when she shows up, it'll be Saren's men waiting for her." Fist explains.

"Give me the location. Now!" Sampson threatens, pulling Fist to him by the collar of his armor.

"Here on the Wards! That back alley by the markets! She's supposed to meet them right now. You can make it if you hurry!" Fist shouts in fear.

After revealing the information Wrex pulls his shotgun, but much to everyone's shock Conrad raises his rifle quicker and places it behind Wrex's hump, allowing him to blast straight through to Wrex's skull if he depresses his trigger, causing everyone to freeze.

"What are you doing?!" Garrus shouts in shock, while Kaiden and Ashley draw their weapons on Conrad, though he doesn't budge an inch.

"Sorry, mate. You ain't the only one with a contract on this rat." Conrad says with an apologetic smile.

"Conrad… You think you got the quad to pull that trigger?" Wrex questions.

"You know I do. And this makes us 6 ta 3." Conrad says with a smirk.

"Bullshit! It's 5 to 4, you know I got that batarian slaver back on Omega!" Wex growls in objection.

"Fine, if ya admit I got the jump on ya for this one, mate." Conrad says pushing for a compromise.

"Deal, but you know how much I hate leaving jobs half-finished. You owe me a bottle of ryncal when this is over." Wrex relents, finally lowering and putting his shotgun away.

"Fine, by me, I'll take this bounty in and meet ya later ta settle the score. Besides, ya'll have more pressing concerns." Conrad says, lowering his rifle before going to secure Fist with some cuffs he had been carrying.

"He's right, that quarian's dead if we don't go now!" Garrus shouts, leaving Sampson with a choice.

"Alright! Let's go to that quarian!" Sampson orders, leaving Conrad behind with Fist, before rushing out of the back room and into the bar where a group of thugs had taken up position around the bar.

Ensuring another firefight takes place, but even without Conrad present, the team quickly takes down the inexperienced thugs before rushing towards the alleyway, with Sampson in the lead.

Sampson gets to the edge of the meeting just as the assassins approach the quarian.

"Did you bring it?" A turian assassin asks as he approaches her, slowly bringing his hand to her helmet's face shield before tracing it down her shoulder.

"Where's the Shadow Broker? Where's Fist?" The quarian asks before she smacks his hand away.

"They'll be here. Where's the evidence?" The turian asks once more.

"No way. The deal's off." The quarian says backing away.

The turian gives his accomplices, a couple of salarians a look prompting them to approach.

In response, the quarian throws an explosive in their direction before taking cover behind a crate. Stunning the assassins long enough to let Sampson and his crew swoop in to finish them off.

With the assassins dealt with the quarian gets out from behind her cover.

"Fist set me up! I knew I couldn't trust him!" The quarian exclaims in outrage.

"Were you hurt in the fight?" Sampson asks with concern.

"I know how to look after myself. Not that I don't appreciate the help. Who are you?" The quarian asks.

"My name's Sampson. I'm looking for evidence to prove Saren's a traitor." Sampson explains.

"Then I have a chance to repay you for saving my life. But not here. We need to go somewhere safe." The quarian says.

"We could take her to the human embassy. Your ambassador will want to see this anyway." Garrus suggests.

"Alright, let's rush there." Sampson agrees, prompting the team to rush to the human embassy without delay.

Once inside, they find Ambassador Udina passing in irritation, "You're not making my life easy, Commander Shepard. Firefights in the wards? An all-out assault on Chora's Den? Do you know how many-" Udina rants before turning around to notice the quarian.

"Who's this? A quarian? What are you up to, Commander?" Udina questions.

"Making your day, Ambassador. She has information linking Saren to the geth." Sampson explains with a smile.

"Really? Maybe you better start at the beginning, Miss…?" Udina questions, immediately changing his previously frustrated tune.

"My name is Tali. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya." Tali answers.

"We don't see many quarians here. Why did you leave the flotilla?" Udina asks in confusion.

"I was on my Pilgrimage, my rite of passage into adulthood." Tali explains.

"I've never heard of this before." Sampson adds with interest.

"It is a tradition among my people. When we reach maturity, we leave the ships of our parents and our people behind. Alone, we search the stars, only returning to the flotilla once we have discovered something of value. In this way, we prove ourselves worthy of adulthood." Tali explains.

"Interesting, what kinds of things do you look for?" Sampson asks, completely forgetting about their initial purpose in the ambassador's office.

"It often varies. It could be resources, like food or fuel. Or some type of useful technology. Or even knowledge that will make life easier on the flotilla. My sister accomplished a great deal on her Pilgrimage, and it is through our Pilgrimage, we prove that we will contribute to the community, rather than being a burden on our limited resources." Tali explains energetically.

"Fascinating, what about-" Sampson starts to ask another question much to the mounting annoyance of Udina, before Sapphire quickly elbows him in the side to get him back on track.

"Sorry for interrupting, do you mind telling us what you found?" Sampson apologizes awkwardly.