Chapter 121: Secrets, Lies, and Videotape

### Summary

Balak reaches out to Archangel with the intention of helping him take down the Marquis. Over the next few days,  Archangel asks for proof of identity, and intentions. Balak responds with some classified data. With Archangel satisfied, he tells Balak that he’d like to know where the Marquis is hiding at the moment, and what more gray-market companies he’s got. Balak has answers for both, and sets up a meeting.

Less than a week after Garrus’ injury, Shepard has a hallucination that Garrus has died and melts down, unable to handle the grief. In the grip of a full blown hallucination and panic attack, Shepard screams at the idea of being alone. Garrus holds her and tries to tell her he’s not dead, but she doesn’t believe him at first. Garrus gently tells her that she needs help, especially when he can’t be there, and she panics again, thinking he is going to leave HER. He promises that he’s always going to be there for her, and holds her until she falls unconscious again.

Dr. Chakwas calls in Dr. Bryson on a hunch as she regards the unusual implant found in Garrus’ skull during his surgery. The two doctors compare it to a similar implant discovered in Shepard during her scans at Helos. Dr. Chakwas makes the decision to withhold the information from the two of them for the moment, due to their lack of further knowledge and how disastrous the last week has been for them. Dr. Bryson is uncomfortable with this, but the idea that Chakwas doesn’t like it either allows her to relax.

Liara has a secret lunch meeting with Aelianus on a beach to talk about the hunt for the Marquis. She has an idea of buying up all his shell companies to help track him down. Aelianus thinks it’s a clever idea, but they would need an inside source to narrow which companies to target.

Balak meets with the Marquis again to discuss business. When Balak expresses discomfort with having two of the Marquis’ slaves present, the Marquis casually mentions that the two girls are physically incapable of telling anyone about what they hear- drawing Balak’s disgusted attention to a scar in the throat of one of the women.

Shepard has a therapy session with Sha'ira, and tells her how exhausted she is at the moment, and about her new household helper- Verity Scott, recommended by Dr. Rossi. She goes on to talk about how she currently feels disconnected from Viatrix, how she feels like she is failing to take care of her. Shepard has backslid again with staying in the here and now, having nightmares given how close she came to losing Garrus. She also admits to sharing a dream with Garrus, though she has thus far not told him because “he already shoulders enough of my bullshit. He doesn’t need more”. The ancient asari suggests that Shepard tell him anyway and let him decide how much he can take. Shepard noncommittally says she’ll think about it.

Balak meets with Archangel as planned after returning from his dealing with the Marquis. Archangel verifies his own identity by mentioning an operation of Balak’s that he’d ruined. After cursing him out for it (Archangel isn’t sorry), Balak hands over the intel he’d gained, impressing the turian vigilante. He goes on to say that he hopes to pull off the killing of the Marquis without the batarian population losing the support they need- or where it came from coming to light. As a casual afterthought, Archangel gifts Balak with their quarry’s actual name.

### Easter Eggs

#### Discord Highlights

Arguments over cream cheese, way more Elder Scrolls than you might expect, and istie being a nerd.