Chapter 113: Velvet Gloves and Gauntlets

=== Summary ===
After the arena match, Shepard (clearly unhappy) walks with authority and rage back toward the locker room, ignoring the press and waiting fans. When she arrives, she realizes that Garrus is in profound distress and Dr. Chakwas is trying to strip him of his armor to check for injuries. James and Shepard help finish stripping the hardsuit from him and Chakwas expresses in frustration that there is no physical injury for her to treat- but Garrus is purring and the last time Shepard heard him make that noise was after the rocket struck his face on Omega. Desperate to help, Shepard attempts to take on Garrus’ pain.
That night they try to hold each other, traumatized from the VI experience feeling too real. The comfort they find in each other is not up for the task tonight.
Khonine and Balak talk about their options for the necessary capital for rebuilding their civilization. Khonine suggests going to Shepard, who has already pledged to help them. Balak points out that Shepard doesn’t do backroom deals and no batarian will respect him if he accepts help from her. He assures Khonine she won’t have to feel guilty for what she doesn’t know about. Khonine chides him for lying to himself.
Balak pays a visit to the Marquis’ home on Digeris to secure what he needs as a business deal. The Marquis is happy to assist- he just wants forty percent of every state-owned business or capital, preferential treatment in contract bids, and a shadow vote worth twenty percent of all eligible voters. Balak balks over this last demand, but the Marquis has him over a barrel and they both know it.
Very early in the morning, Admiral Steven Hackett is parsing through data and confirms his worst suspicions before passing the information on to Hannah Shepard: though he may as well as be a ghost, Robert Minkowski had traveled to Palaven, stalked the Primarch, sabotaged his helmet, and had sniped the eezo core in an attempt to kill him.
=== Title Meaning ===
=== Easter Eggs ===
==== Discord Highlights ====
The bloody Marquis keeps showing up everywhere, bitching about scanning planets, and istie apparently starts singing out of nowhere?