Video Game Spin-Offs: Mass Effect "Foundation" #8

(Spoilers ahead) At this point in the comic series it's obvious that both Cerberus agents, Rasa and Kai Leng, have been failures at every task assigned to them.  It's no surprise that the opening sequence in #8 is an argument between the two of them about their inability to get anything done.  In the midst of this argument they are interrupted by the Illusive Man requesting their immediate presence at a nearby Cerberus facility.  Both Rasa and Leng know that nothing good can come out of this meeting and that they are going to pay for their mistakes.

When they arrive they find out that they are being sent on separate tasks.  Kai Leng makes it known that he is unhappy about his time working with Rasa and warns her that it wouldn't be a good thing if they crossed paths again.  Miranda then informs Rasa that despite the difficulties in the previous missions much of the information she has provided has been very useful--particularly in regards to the top secret Lazarus project.  Instead of the admonishment Rasa expected she is sent on another important mission to steal classified files from the spectre offices on the Citadel.

Rasa dons a disguise and pretends to be a Cerberus defector offering up important data to the spectres.  Unfortunately for her the spectre who interrogates her is none other than the crooked Tela Vasir, an asari who tangles with Shepard in Mass Effect 2 as part of the "Lair of the Shadow Broker" DLC.  As Rasa is about halfway through downloading the files, Vasir enters with guards and tells Rasa that the gig is up.  Rasa tries to dodge the questions about her identity, but realizes it is fruitless.  Vasir threatens to blow Rasa's identity and instead gives her back the data disc but with an additional virus that will infiltrate the Cerberus systems.  Rasa has no choice but to go along with the plan.

Realizing that she has failed again and that she has no choice but to betray Cerberus, Rasa decides to grab a few drinks before heading back.  As she downs her drink she realizes that there is something wrong and someone has poisoned her.  She stumbles out of the bar to find help only to be berated by a turian C-Sec officer for being drunk in the Presidium.  The poison overcomes her and she starts to black out.  As she is falling unconscious she briefly wakes up to find her assassin, a drell, has carried her into a back alley.  In a lucid moment she tells him that she doesn't want to die because she hasn't lived her life.  The assassin has mercy on her and decides to reverse the poison.

Rasa's life flashes by as she fights the poison.

When Rasa wakes up she is back on the Cerberus base under medical care.  She's still out of it, but is aware enough to attempt to warn Miranda anout a virus Vasir has planted on the data disc.  Miranda doesn't hear it, but does manage to find and isolate the virus before it can activate.  The mission turns out not to be a total failure and the Illusive Man decides to reassign Rasa to the Lazarus project.

This issue was one of the ones I enjoyed.  I felt like it gave some meaty background details that fed into the stories of Mass Effect 2 and 3.  Rasa is a tough character to completely hate and I wouldn't be surprised to see her make some sort of appearance in the next Mass Effect game.