The Official Private Messages Thread.

PM to HereToHelp Yeah. I don't know you. I have no reason to trust you. You might be right on the Citadel front, but I'd rather have people I know help.

Private Message to VigilantVanguard Sarah,

I wish I could tell you what the right thing to do is, but nothing I decide could be right for you; even if I happened on the same answer you come up with, it'll only be right when it's yours. As difficult as this is, I have faith you'll get through it.

All I can offer is a question, which I think is the one you need to answer - find peace with a reply to this one, and my feeling is that other things will become easier to grapple with. The question is this: is she worth it? Either way, you're facing a long struggle, a battle - to reunite with her and overcome this very serious rift together, or to accept that what's happened is too much, and find a way to go forward without her. Both paths will be a battle, but I remember you saying you're stubborn, and I believe it - that whatever you set your mind wholly to, you will achieve it. So is she worth fighting for?

I'm not saying that's an easy decision, or even that it'll make life much easier once you've made it; that struggle's going to be there, and it'll be something you'll have to face day after day. But as you say, you're stuck between choices now, thinking one path one moment, another the next. If you can firmly set your feet on one of those paths, and not look back whichever way you choose to go, I believe you'll succeed in whatever you choose, and ultimately be happier for it.

And don't worry yourself about my time. You're my friend, you have the right to ask (and besides, much as I like to think I'm a good conversationalist, I know darn well it's not talking that people are paying me for).

Love,
Daia

Private Message to Asharia T'Saeri Asharia,

I won't pretend I can even imagine what you're going through. I know how strong you are, though. Stay strong for your girls, and you'll see them again soon. (I know, I know, perky optimism... but it's the only worldview I've got. If I can share any of it, it's yours.)

Love,
Daia

Private Message to VigilantVanguardOK, protip. Hacking is not magic. It does not work the way they present it in Alpha Streets. End of story. I was sorely disappointed in everything besides the action sequences.

Private Message to HereToHelp, 1st Sgt. Natalie King, Asari_Promiscuity
After a heated discussion yesterday at our home, Chris and I have less-than-amicably parted ways. Items were thrown.
I've signed the papers she mailed me and sent them in this morning, and she's saying I need to think about the baby and that we need time apart. She's expecting that all of this will blow over, she said to my face.She said I needed to think about the baby. I've done nothing BUT think about this baby, and she's the one that endangered us both!

She's gone a complete 180 in the last year and she's not the same person I knew on Bekenstein.
I don't want that kind of person in the life of my son, I don't care how hard I have to fight to keep her out.

Private Message to Stardust
I cannot and will not authorize a pending security clearance change at this time.

Direct Message to Mekan of Omega Mekan, something you might be able to do for certain. I got a so-called "Anonymous Message" from what I assume to be the kidnappers on the day of the kidnapping. I'm able to access it remotely from this secondary omni-tool (the police have the 'tool that it came from).

If you could somehow find out where it came from and get me the information, I'd be appreciative.


That was the message, metadata intact.

Private Message to VigilantVanguard Hi Sarah,

I'm very sorry that's how it turned out - I don't mean that to suggest it's not the right decision, but you know me, always the optimist; I hoped it wouldn't come to this for you two. You're quite right though, people can change so much - sometimes the changes draw them closer, sometimes set them apart. When the latter's the case, ignoring it often does more harm than good, no matter how difficult and painful it is to admit it.

I can understand how Illium would have some pretty sour memories for you, but I'll offer the invitation anyway: if ever you're here for whatever reason, you're always welcome. It's likely we'll have the odd Citadel trip now and then as well, so I'm hopeful we'll see one another often. And your son, too, once he arrives - or I should say, vacates his current premises. :) (Don't worry, I can behave myself around children - I've been 'Auntie Daia' to generations of turian and salarian relatives, and no harm done.)

Love,
Daia

Asharia. Sundowner.

I have here with me a young warrior, with battle teeth from the Reaper War, who has declared her intention to "help her best friend Holly," and about the only choice I got in the matter is to sit here and let her go, or go with.

We're on our way.

Private Message to AshariaAsh,

I'm...not really sure how much insight I can provide. The guy who took me...he did it because he thought he was providing a better life. We - and I say we, because this was the biotic cult kidnappings that happened on the Citadel prior to the war, so there were dozens of us - we treated rather poorly, but in an effort to break our wills and more or less brainwash us. You write crime novels, I'm sure you can see the difference where motivation might be concerned.

I don't know where exactly you are, but if the missing children spree on Earth is in your area...well, I'm not sure what I can give you. I don't want to sound harsh or cruel, but unless they find the guys real soon... There's a good chance your girls are alive, right now, but I don't know how long that'll last. Nothing from the articles give any motivation, save a racial one, so I can't tll you what about it all turns the kidnapper on. Criminal psychology was never, ever my forte, and it's been quite some time, but there's always something about it that makes them happy about what they're doing, and in some cases, they might even recognize it's wrong and have sympathy for the abducted.

I work with a couple biotic charities on Earth - orphanages and the like, that sometimes have asari children. In the wake of the recent kidnappings, they've started networking between them, in case any missing asari shows up. I've asked them to keep an eye out for your girls. I wish I could do more.

And...Right now, I know you're worried and scared about your children - and spirits, I don't blame you - but you and I both know the pissed off 'mama bear' who wants to fucking kill whoever took her kids once she finds them is more of a mask and a shell than anything else. It's really, honestly okay, to just feel. A lot of people take 'being strong' as being unabble to show what they're really feeling, but that's not true. If you need to cry, cry. You're their mother, not a geth.

Let me know if you need anything, okay?

~Halley

Private message to user:VigilantVanguard Hey Sarah,
I can't imagine how hard a decision it was for you, and how tough you must have it right now, but I'll tell you this. When I was a little baby my parents realized it wouldn't work between us and decided to split up before I was too old to suffer from a harsh parental breakup, instead of forcing it and pretend for my sake.
I never suffered from them not being together, and since they had time to sort the emotion out by the time I was bigger, they were amicable in parenting me.
So if you felt like this relationship wasn't going anywhere good, and you had good reasons to come to that conclusion I think, you may very well have made the tough but good choice for the kid.
Hang in there.

Direct Message to Asharia T'SaeriOn it.

I'll need some equipment. No expenses from you needed, I can get in touch with certain successful people who have done business with me in the past. I can exchange some favors.

Encrypted Message to Mr_SandmanWhat up, Nik?

I need a terminal with [these] specs sent my way.

You'll get it back intact, I only need it for about a week. Just gotta borrow it for something a bit processing-power intensive is all. I'm willing to work for the privilege of borrowing your gear, as usual.

Direct Message to Sundowner77 Sicaria,

Right. Hopefully the police will be done with my house in the next couple days so I can get there and prep a room for you two. Be careful.

Direct Message to Scientific Pursuits Linya,

The police should clear my house for me to return to it by tomorrow, care to help me clean it up? Maybe we might find something the police didn't.

Private message to AshariaCan do - we've just landed in... what was it, Myamy? We're just transferring over to an aircab, anyway. Shouldn't be too long.

Private Message to Asari_Promiscuity
Thank you.

You're free to visit whenever you're on the station (provided you give a call beforehand.)
I've been doing a lot of thinking on everything that's been going on. I happened to look at some of my earlier posts, and my posts nowadays- I post without thinking and shut my brain off, trying to be as friendly as possible, when that's not me. I'm just going to slow down with my posts until my son's born. I need to think about my life. I need to think about what I've become.
I'm an embarrassment to anyone who calls themselves an Alliance officer. I've let my personal life and my need for acceptance cloud my judgement.

See you soon.

Sarah

Encrypted Message to User: Mekan of Omega[From the Desk of Nikolai Aleksanders]

Mr. Mekan,

Your request will be delivered to an address of your choosing on Omega within twenty four hours.

Do remember that we're keeping a running tab.

Sincerely,
Nikolai Aleksanders; CEO and Chairman

PM to VigilantVanguard Hi Sarah,

How are you? I didn't see or hear from you since that day in the court yard.
What has been going on, did you have a chance to talk?

Do you need anything?
hugs
Taleeze

Encrypted Message to User: Mr_Sandman[Address here]. Thank you. All tabs will be paid accordingly in a manner of your choice, Mr. Aleksanders, you have my word on that.

Encrypted Message to User: Asharia T'SaeriOK, Ash, got some news.

Whoever sent that message did it via a disposable omnitool. It's a generic knock-off of a Serrice model, practically dirt-cheap, which implies we're dealing with either people who aren't idiots, or at the absolute least are credit-pinchers. I may have pinned down where it was bought: Either a tech-shop called TorsionTool in a shitty part of town in Ft. Lauderdale, or a grey-market dealer who generally hangs out near the local military base going by 'Alex.' I've done some more digging into both.

This Alex guy seems the most likely lead, and I'll explain why. I did some digging on DarkNet, and according to some sources I got in touch with, he's almost certainly got smuggler or military ties - nothing concrete, but that's speculation from people who've met the guy themselves, so it's probably not a bad assumption to make. The possibility exists he has a couple of corrupt marines covering his ass or moving gear his way off the books, but again, nothing concrete. If we had someone get in touch with him directly, maybe observe him a little, we might have a bit more proof. He's got a track record of giving preferential treatment to certain customers, particularly human isolationist groups, so I'd be careful if you bring non-humans around him.

For the sake of full coverage, I gotta say TorsionTool ain't above suspicion. Mechanics shop, shitty part of town, switched over to general tech work and sales for the sake of staying afloat after the war. Small-time business, one shop. No more than maybe a dozen people on payroll. Stands out as a non-discriminatory business - no discrimination against ANY customer, emphasis theirs'. Public forums about tech-shops in the area confirm that attitude. Now, they almost certainly make protection payments to a local gang, and this gang is a NASTY crew. I've seen worse here on Omega, but not many. I took the liberty of looking into some of the gang's activities, and it's some gritty shit. Be careful if you go around that area. I'm NOT joking.

And, going off the message you gave me from the kidnappers, and the leads I've dug up here, I need to say that whoever we're dealing with probably knows enough to work with the grey market instead of getting in touch directly with the black market. You don't get that approach from people who are rookies to criminal activity; I think we're dealing with professionals here, and there's not much worse than professionals with a radical bent to them.

And that 'tool? It's intact. I managed to trace it to its current location. That might be critical. It could have valuable information on it. Can't just tap into it from here, so I need to get physical access. If you can recover the omnitool itself and ship it to me here on Omega, I could get at any information it might have. Not sure what leads it'll give us, but we want to follow any possible avenue.

Private Message to Taleeze
Pretty awful.

Chris and I have split up.

The baby's coming in September.

I've been in the house for several days now.

Private Message to VigilantVanguardSarah,

Damn. I'm sorry to hear that. Just...be careful. Think things through. Going through the courts to get sole custody is a bitch and it'll damage what little amiability the two of you still have. Shutting one parent out of your son's life is a big and irrevocable decision to make. He's going to wonder about it one day.

Hope you're doing okay.

-Nat

Encrypted Message to 1st Sgt. Natalie King
I'm really not. I've been feeling lost. It's weird not having her around, and I'm still going to have to get used to that.
I've been preparing for the boy's arrival and I've got a nursery all set up in my new housing. I'm working on hiring a nanny to be there when I can't be. I'm really anxious about the future.

I want to hunt the men that kidnapped me down like dogs, but I won't. I can't. I have a son to think about.
Did you know she didn't go to C-SEC until she was confronted about it?

I'm just trying my best not to think about it. I'm just staring at the ceiling tile in my bedroom. He's been kicking a lot lately.
How is your kid?

Sarah

Private Message to VigilantVanguardAll I can advise you do is take advantage of whatever support you've got on-base. The shrinks, lawyers, all that shit. They can help you out more than a NCO on the other side of Alliance space can.

You and your kid will be fine, Sarah.

Shiori is doing okay. She's been teething so that's been...interesting to put it one way. I love her to bits. Hope's been having a hard time of it-nightmares and stuff like that, but she's making progress.

-Nat