[center][h1][color=82ca9d]Nadara V’lanis[/color][/h1]
[h2][i]“Sunset”[/i][/h2][/center]
[hr]
[h3][center]April 10[/center][/h3]

By the time the team returned to the hotel after debriefing with Captain Riley, it was past midday, with numerous hotel guests already lounging by the poolside and younger guests gleefully splashing in the cool water, all of which Nadara eyed longingly. 

While enjoying the resort amenities was certainty still high on her list, the current top priority was a much-needed shower, followed by undisturbed sleep. Ever since the investigation in Cerro the previous evening, ([color=82ca9d][i]Goddess, was that only last night? It seems to have been days ago.[/i][/color]) everything happened one thing after the other in dizzying rapid fire. Focused on the mission at hand, Nadara had no chance to feel the aftereffects, but now that the adrenaline was wearing off, exhaustion was setting in quickly. Not to mention, her shoulder stung. She was told it would heal in a few days’ time and given a sling, which she wore dutifully until the moment the attending medic walked out of the room—it was simply [i]not[/i] flattering. The hospital doctors claimed she suffered nothing over and above a flesh wound, which was surprising given the strength behind the warp ammo Arminstan Banes had used. The man must be an extremely powerful biotic. Nadara made a mental note to request a few medi-gel packets from the hotel staff. She had some in her room, of course, but preferred to leave her stock for emergencies.

As she made a beeline for the elevators after greeting Liz at the courtyard, who welcomed everyone back with a smile, Nadara noticed some of her teammates heading toward the cigar lounge where they had first met each other. Curious, she followed suit and was surprised to encounter Outcast, unmasked at last, though mostly still covered by a hood. She finally understood his earlier reluctance to remove his helmet. His features were a distorted series of scars which, along with his eyes, had an eerie glow typical of implants. His visage was an unsightly mess, and Nadara half wished he would wear the helmet once more. Even the sound of his voice, now unfiltered by the headgear, was rough and grating to the senses.

He introduced himself as Randall Enzo and provided background information on himself and Banes. The details he offered answering Nadara’s questions about the strength behind the latter’s biotic abilities. When he finished his initial remarks and asked if they had any questions, Nadara had many. Namely, how could they be sure he was truly on their side, and not just playing double agent? How much interaction had he had with Banes? And why did he insist on wearing such a terrible ensemble? Surely, anyone with eyes knew how horribly unbecoming the long, hooded coat he wore was. She could understand the hood, there was a definite need for it, but there were more appealing options than the one he chose. Her eyes drifted over to Amina, and she wondered if they’d purchased their coats from the same vendor.

Before she had a chance to raise any of these questions, Zenn spoke up. [color=0054a6]“Well I still don't understand the solo act. If you and the SRN were already sharing intel what was the point of keeping us out of the loop? Could have saved us a trip if we had known you were already taking care of things in Cerro. Nadara could have gone to Thul's party."[/color] Nadara’s affinity for the Quarian increased drastically at this comment. 

[color=silver]"Cerro?"[/color] Enzo shrugged. [color=silver]"Didn't even know you were in the city until our...impromptu meeting. 

If you're asking for an apology, then fine. Sorry Sunset missed her party, and sorry I tossed you."[/color] Enzo looked back to Ranger. [color=silver]"On the bright side, you found a new friend."[/color]

[color=82ca9d]“Acceptance of your apology is pending,”[/color] she said, finally finding her voice. More pressing than any of her initial questions, was the one she ended up asking. [color=82ca9d]“Why were you AWOL during the raid? You did practically nothing—[i]and[/i] let Banes escape.”[/color] Her arms were folded, her eyes narrowed, and her tone accusatory. Nadara would normally not have been so confrontational during an interaction as benign as this, particularly when being (fully) acquainted with someone, but the circumstances were far from normal. She was tired, wounded, [b]dirty[/b], and simply didn’t yet trust the man. Even so, she realized she could have left that last jab out of it.

[color=silver]"If you recall, it was your plan to have me positioned near dragon's teeth. And it was also your call to have me on standby the entire raid."[/color] Enzo replied nonchalantly. [color=silver]"Don't accept my apology; accept your own absentmindedness.

Make no mistake, there's no one else in the galaxy wanting to catch Banes more."[/color] Enzo's voice suddenly tensed up. [color=silver]"I chased him around for thirty minutes, nearly crashed a dozen times before losing sight of him. 

See for yourself."[/color] Enzo handed the datapad to Nadara. On it were dash cam recordings from the jeep. Bane's motorcycle was clearly visible, zipping between traffic and through narrow streets, going twice the speed limit.

[color=82ca9d]“Excuse me - absent mindedness? You were asked to set up the explosives and then join the main assault team. We didn’t know you could set them up remotely, but if you could do that from the beginning, the fact you didn’t immediately join us upon setting up the grenades is suspicious. Nothing absentminded about my questioning.”[/color] Nadara glanced at the datapad briefly, but didn’t care to watch too closely. [color=82ca9d]“I have no doubt you chased Banes. This doesn’t dismiss my claim that you let him get away. 

As for nearly crashing—”[/color] Nadara paused for effect, motioning to the others around them. [color=82ca9d]“We all put our lives on the line today. It’s only right you did too after leaving us high and dry in the firefight.”[/color]

[color=silver]"Glad you got that out of your system."[/color] Enzo leaned back in the sofa. [color=silver]"Now, anyone else having anything meaningful to say?"[/color]

The audacity of this man! He was more infuriating than Kysar. Nadara strained to remain composed, her voice maintaining steady, though she couldn’t keep the ice from her tone. [color=82ca9d]“You’re avoiding my question about your actions during the raid. It’s pointless to ask if we have any questions if you won’t answer them.”[/color] She turned away from him. [color=82ca9d]“I’m out. This is going nowhere.”[/color] Hopefully, the others would have better luck getting answers out of him, and they could fill her in on the rest of the conversation later. 

For now, she needed to shower. Nadara wanted nothing more than to wash away the scum from Cerro, the disturbing smells from the meat plant, and the vexing memory of Outcast from her mind. 

When she arrived in her room, she was pleased to find that housekeeping had indeed cleaned the room, changed the sheets, and left behind a few pieces of chocolate to apologize for the inconvenience to one of their valued customers. They had however, left the items from Kaya untouched. Images of the Salarian’s body who had previously resided in this room sprang in Nadara’s mind, unbidden, and she shivered at the recollection of what she and other victims of Banes’ horrendous objectives had suffered. On the desk were a pile of drawings that Nadara had initially ruffled through without care. Now, she reviewed them again, more delicately. Among various animals, Nadara found one with a striking resemblance to Ranger. She separated that one from the pile and arranged the others neatly once more, deciding to present them to Liz for distribution as she saw fit. As for Ranger’s drawing, perhaps Zenn might appreciate such a thing. 

After peeling off her suit and the grimy underclothes she had worn to the meat plant, Nadara took a long and luxurious shower, taking pleasure in all of the lotions, soaps, perfumes, shampoos, and any additional toiletries the Mélia Resort had to offer, before drawing a bath and soaking in the hot water until her skin pruned. 

Wrapped in a thick, plush towel, she sank into the soft bed. Now, [i]this[/i] was what she deserved. Not crawling through unknown liquids, saving ungrateful Turians, and then being forced to lead a bunch of unruly excuses for teammates in a high stakes raid. 

The thrill of battle had been gratifying, though. Nadara supposed she’d quite missed the action, despite the drawbacks of participating in such an organization as the SRN entailed. 

When she opened her eyes to set the controls to dim the lights and lower blackout curtains, she realized something was missing from her room. Her purchases from the day before had yet to be delivered! Surely, they would be waiting downstairs and the resort staff had simply demonstrated a complete lack of client relations by failing to deliver them. Yawning, Nadara decided she would speak with management once she woke up. As far as she was aware, the next few days were unassigned, and she would have all the time in the world to reprimand those responsible, as well as finally enjoy her time as she’d intended all along. Perhaps Liz would be up for another party in the evening? Their celebrations had been cut short after all, and the woman seemed to know how to enjoy a drink. With pleasant thoughts of night clubs with thumping beats and swaying hips, Nadara fell asleep.
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/w0XWwEk.png[/img][/center]

[h3][center]April 13[/center][/h3]

The flight into Svalbard was less than desirable. The shuttle was only able to perform slightly better than stalling throughout the entirety of the journey due to Sevipia’s steady piloting skills. As it was, it did stall a few times, particularly during the worst of the turbulence, which itself seemed never ending. Nadara couldn’t believe the SRN hadn’t provided better maintenance on their aircraft during the leisure days in Havana. However were they to be expected to perform at any level of competence if their equipment was horribly subpar? The crowning glory was when Ranger’s canine sensibilities were unable to handle the constant rocking of the ship, and the animal proceeded to vomit profusely. It hadn’t been until then that Nadara realized she could have lived with all of the other inflight issues just fine without also dealing with the disturbing sights and smells that came from the contents of the dog’s stomach. Thankfully, the event didn’t inspire any of her other teammates to react similarly, and by the time they were tucked together in Charles’ land vehicle, Nadara didn’t even notice the space was even more cramped than before. She was simply grateful to breathe air that wasn’t laced with regurgitated dog food.

In truth, Nadara had been quite excited to experience what Svalbard had to offer. Yes, the cold temperatures meant she would need to take extra precautions with her wardrobe, but that was easily corrected with some astute shopping on the extranet before departing from Cuba. Despite the unforeseen consequences of defeating the Reapers leading to devastating repercussions relating to VIs and the Geth, which ultimately splintered even to communications and the extranet, the prioritization of communication ensured that message boards, commerce, and banking were back online in no time. The correct dosage of shopping therapy would ensure she was able to thoroughly enjoy the snow-covered European Archipelago.

Nadara had established a copious amount of credit with Sartorial Nexus, known throughout the galaxy for their high fashion, and was able to secure a delivery to the SRN base prior to her arrival. Sartorial Nexus was the premier destination for fashion-forward individuals seeking unique and high-quality clothing options. Aside from personalized styling services, they offered exquisite tailoring, interstellar fashion trends, and exclusive designer collaborations. Nadara was particularly excited for one collection she purchased by Vara Sang, a Turian fashion designer known for her avant-garde creations and innovative use of bioluminescent fabrics. [color=82ca9d][i]I only hope I don’t run into any further delivery issues…[/i][/color] she thought, recalling the difficulty she had with the Mélia Resort. 

Shaking her head free of the memory, Nadara left that to the past. They were in a winter wonderland now. Amazingly, the SRN was able to locate yet another idyllic setting untouched by the war. More and more, it was confirmed that joining this organization had been the right move for her. Before leaving Cuba, Nadara had secured an initial contract agreement for exclusive rights to partnership with the resort once her company was established. With an island getaway confirmed, she could turn her sights toward a winter package. Snow sports, hot springs, fine dining, and large windows to enjoy the views from beside the warmth of a fireplace. Surely, Nadara would be able to locate all of these things in the untouched snow country.  

Her dreams were momentarily dashed when they arrived at the SRN base in Longyearbyen, where the seed vault Charles was going on about was located. Either the refugees would need to be cleared out, or she would need to pursue her venture in another city. Nadara considered all these options as their host droned on about details of a recent murder. When he deemed their next few days would be free, some of the initial spark returned to Nadara’s eyes as she considered next steps and potential day trips, that is, until Charles described what their living conditions were to be. Her face must have betrayed her thoughts because the SRN President was quick to speak up.

[color=87CEEB]“I understand this leaves much to be desired, Ms. V'Lanis. Rest assured we're working on improving comfort through the creation of an SRN hospitality division. In fact, I could think of no one better to head this division than you."[/color]

[color=82ca9d]“I would be honored,”[/color] she said with a wide smile after the shock wore off. [color=82ca9d]“And to be quite honest, sir, I already have a number of ideas I can see the SRN implementing.”[/color] Things were just getting better and better.

Or so they seemed, until she reached the staff housing complex. At least she was met with a delivery from Sartorial Nexus sitting on her cot, along with the rest of her items. 
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/w0XWwEk.png[/img][/center]

[h3][center]April 14[/center][/h3]

Nadara awoke to a demanding pinging noise coming from her omni-tool that refused to be dismissed. Eyes bleary, she pulled open the message.

[hider=ENCRYPTED - BIOMETRIC VERIFICATION REQUIRED]
[code]
URGENT
From: Matriarch Lidanya V’Lanis
To: Nadara V’Lanis
Re: Urgent Directive - Apprehend Janiri Danya
[/code]

Nadara,

You are hereby entrusted with a critical mission of utmost importance to the safety and stability of our people. The Asari High Command has received credible intelligence regarding the whereabouts of Janiri Danya, an individual of significant concern. As an Ardat Yakshi, she poses increasing danger every second she is not apprehended. Your location places you in closest proximity to the asset.

Janiri escaped our confinements and has eluded capture for many years. We believe her tracking chip was tampered with, disabling real-time location retrieval, but the recent removal of the chip has triggered backup alarms that alerted us of her presence and prompted us to take swift measures to bring her into custody. We trust your expertise and determination to handle this task with the utmost professionalism and efficiency.

Your objective is to locate, apprehend, and secure Janiri without delay. Time is of the essence. Exercise caution and thoroughness in your pursuit, ensuring the safety of yourself and your team (should you have one) throughout the operation.

Upon successful capture, you are to transport Janiri to the designated Asari military contact (attached) for further assessment and containment. This mission carries significant weight, and your success will be a testament to your dedication and commitment to the protection of our people.

Remember, Nadara, your duty is to the Asari Republics and the safety of our citizens. This task may present challenges and moral dilemmas, but you have proven yourself capable of making difficult decisions in the past. Trust your instincts, rely on your training, and execute this mission with the diligence and professionalism that defines our military.

May the goddess guide you in your endeavor. Report back with updates on your progress and status.

Sincerely,

Lidanya V’Lanis
Captain, Destiny Ascension 
Asari Forces, Sol
[/hider]

Nadara groaned loudly and turned on her stomach, face buried in the thin pillow the SRN staff housing was outfitted with. ([color=82ca9d][i]I should start taking note of these things...[/i][/color]) It’d been decades since she had left the Asari military, but of course, it should be no surprise they still tracked her location. The worst of it wasn’t even that she had been assigned the detail—Ardat Yakshi were to be taken seriously, after all, and she knew it was her duty to comply with the request—or even that the message dripped with the sarcasm and distrust that only her mother could code into her military babble. The worst of it was that the Asari contact that had been designated for pick-up was Lidanya herself. Did she not even believe Nadara capable of a simple ‘apprehend and deliver’ directive?

[indent][quote]
[b][code]Lidanya:[/code][/b]
[code]I’ve received confirmation that you have received and read our secure message.[/code]

[right][b][code]Nadara:[/code][/b]
[code]Message received. You couldn’t have trusted me to deliver Janiri to anyone else, could you? Always micromanaging.[/code]
[/right]

[b][code]Lidanya:[/code][/b]
[code]You misunderstand. This retrieval is important enough for me to personally oversee it.[/code] 

[right][b][code]Nadara:[/code][/b]
[code]Sure.[/code]
[/right]

[b][code]Lidanya:[/code][/b]
[code]I have secured transportation to Barentsburg, which should be a short trip from your current location. I will arrive in a few hours. Update me when you have secured Janiri.
[/code][/quote][/indent]

Rolling her eyes, Nadara closed the message and lay on her back for a few more minutes, staring at the gray ceiling. Was everyone’s relationship with their mother as complicated as hers was with Lidanya?
 
She tried to soothe her own frayed nerves from the interaction with the knowledge that this would be the easiest money she ever made. Janiri was still unconscious in the hospital, and she was certain the SRN would loan her a vehicle for the delivery. Asari High Command didn't need to know those details of course and regardless, extra fees would be charged. Early wake-up call, request given during leisure day, [i]and[/i] having to interact directly with Lidanya – this wouldn’t come cheap.

After getting dressed ([color=82ca9d][i]Vara Sang, you’ve done it again![/i][/color]), Nadara made her way to the hospital where both Katya and Janiri were being observed. She showed the necessary documents to the nurses, who called the doctors to confirm before releasing Janiri into Nadara’s custody. They even allowed her to use one of their mobile gurneys. The SRN operative she spoke to about loaning a vehicle was still getting coffee and rubbing the sleep from their eyes when she approached but they gave her no difficulties. The keys were in Nadara’s hand before the mug of coffee was even a third of the way finished. Even the drive to Barentsburg was smooth, and before she knew it, the handover was completed and she was back in Longyearbyen, sitting in the mess hall where a good number of folks were still enjoying a late breakfast. 

Eager to place more distance between herself and Lidanya, Nadara hadn’t even bothered to scout Barentsburg for any amenities it offered. That could be done another day. What she needed now was to shoot something. Sitting at the back of the room, she put on her virtual reality glasses and switched on the gamepad she always kept with her.