Mass Effect: Dissimulation
Chapter One
Matt stood firmly straight with his hands behind his back watching as the cargo ship that had just touched down seconds ago was now being unloaded methodically. The shipments would come in bimonthly, bringing supplies and any other form of material that the settlement needed. The colony wasn't the oldest in the Skyllian Verge but either was it the newest. The eezo mine here was one that flourished from the start, and hadn't stopped growing to this day. Humans from all across the galaxy would come here to find work, many of which were looking to start a new life. It reminded him of the tales and folk lore of the nineteenth century back on earth, men traveling west looking to strike it rich from gold mines.
It also reminded him of the lawless time his history studies told of, which was why he was here. Matt took off his cap and ran his fingers through his hair, stopping at the top to scratch an annoying itch that started up. He was the head of the security team for the colony, and he prided himself on being a damn good one. The tales of the Wild West popped back into his mind as he put his cap back on and made sure it was straightened out. The colony always felt tense, as if gunslingers would ride in on ships and start firing.
He walked from the inside of the landing pad's control room to the outside, taking long but slow strides across the pad to the ship's captain. "How we doing today, Matt?" Kyle said, looking up from the datapad that had the ships inventory on it.
"Just fine. How was the flight?" Matt replied extending his hand to shake the captain's hand.
"It's always a challenge flying into the Verge," Kyle informed handing the datapad to Matt's second in command, Tracy. She took the pad and went to the back of the ship to make sure everything on the list was received.
"You can never know with these damn quad eyed bastards out here," Kyle went on, walking with Matt to the back of the ship to watch the unloading process. "Had much trouble with them?" Kyle asked Matt after a short pause.
"No, I don't think any band of batarians would be stupid enough to hit this place. It's been a settlement for quite some time, and the bigger a place like this gets, the more security we get." Matt implied.
Kyle has been a friend of Matt's for four years, ever since he had to tell Kyle's family that their eldest son Josh was killed in a batarian raid during an attack on an Alliance controlled colony. Josh and Matt both enlisted the same time. Matt can still remember the face of Kyle's mother as he told her that her son had died saving a child from becoming a slave.
Kyle worked for a company that had a contract with the Alliance to fund colonies such as this one. The Alliance was stretched too thin to keep forces on every colony in the Skyllian Verge, so the colony had to hire their own security. Fortunately they could spare ships to escort cargo vessels like the one Kyle piloted to locations like this one.
"Matt we have a problem here," Tracy yelled out from atop the ramp of the ship's cargo hold. "The shipment of replacement tools we ordered isn't on board." She looked back and forth from the datapad to the cargo before looking down at Matt. "Without those replacements the mine could be down until the next shipment."
Matt shot Kyle a disapproving smirk cocking his head to the side. Kyle's look was that of amazement, and he walked up the ramp to Tracy. "Let me see that again" Kyle answered ripping the datapad from Tracy's hands angrily. "I can't believe this shit, the one time I don't inspect the cargo myself before takeoff, listen Matt I'm sorry, I can have those tools out here within a week. It seems some of my crew can't read a packing order form." Kyle finished, looking at his workers unloading the rest of the crates as they sheepishly didn't embrace their captain's glance.
Matt raised his hand to cut of Kyle from talking anymore. "It's ok Kyle; if it was anyone other than you I would demand a discount." Matt claimed looking at Kyle then at Tracy. She gave Matt a disapproving glace and walked off towards the warehouse to check on the supplies they had received.
"I will get those tools out here as fast as I can." Kyle spoke as the last crate of cargo was hauled off the ship.
"There is no rush, try and be safe out there Kyle" Matt expressed finally and gave him another handshake before the ship took off expediently towards the bright blue sky.
Matt knew that Tracy was upset about him letting Kyle off the hook about the missing cargo. She and he were eerily too similar. They stood average height, had dark brown hair and even shared the same green eyes. They even served in the Alliance. But one thing they didn't share was while he was just a normal solider, she served as a Corsair working outside of the Alliance jurisdiction, something she never talked about, but was the main reason he choose her as his second in command.
Now as he walked across the colony to the warehouse he could already see her staring him down. "How could you just let him go without getting anything back in return?" Tracy demanded as he walked past her and into the warehouse. Casey, another one of the security guards looked up from unloading the crates at Matt.
"He is an old friend and-" Matt was cut off before he could finish.
"I don't give a shit, Matt! This colony is on a tight enough budget as it is. We needed those tools, and if the Zach found out he would have both our heads." Tracy said folding her arms.
"Don't worry about Zach, we will have the tools in no time, and he's too busy enjoying being the head of the colony and all the perks that come with it to notice it if Kyle gets them here within the week." Matt said reassuring her.
"That's a big if" Tracy declared under her breath as she walked away.
"Alright, at least the new copy of Fornax came in." Casey said trying to easy the mood.
"You still ordered it after the first issue?" Matt asked perplexed.
"I find the asari body most pleasing to the eye." Casey said folding the pages open.
"More like the krogan." Matt shot back jokingly, as he picked up a box and started to unload it onto the shelves.
"So what's with you and Tracy anyways?" Casey asked folding the magazine in half and placing it in his back pocket.
"What's your concern? Looking to ask her on a date?" Matt spoke not looking at him but at what he was doing.
"No! It's just seems you to fight more than anyone I know." Casey mentioned, picking up a crate and taking it to an empty shelf. He was almost twice as young as Matt. He came from his home of Japan where he used to work as a bouncer for a bar in his town. He always seemed eager to learn more about aliens and space. A hopeless romantic when it comes to the ideals of the life one can live in space. He soon found out that it wasn't as exciting as the extranet made it seem.
They finished unpacking everything in its place and walked outside to the dimming of the sun. The colony was on top of a massive mountain that housed the millions of credits worth of element zero. The warehouse was at the edge of the mountain with a huge canyon that separated itself from the other mountains on the planet.
"Want one?" Casey asked ripping off the cellophane on a wonderful smelling cigar.
"No thanks, Tracy doesn't like me smelling like an ash tray." Matt remarked not taking his eyes off the canyon.
"Look over there." Matt blurted out pointing across the canyon to the other side; Casey squinted his eyes and saw shifty looking cows grazing the top of the mountain side.
"Oh yeah beautifully weird creatures aren't they?" Casey said as stands of smoke rolled out of his mouth.
"Beautiful world." Matt whispered and walked off back towards the heart of the colony.
Matt made his way back to the security station located in the middle of the vast colony. He had to turn in and make sure the night crew was on time and ready for their shift. But as head he was always on call. After he stripped his uniform off and made sure everything was running smooth he left.
He picked up some exotic flowers that were natural to this planets ecosystem, for Tracy. He knew that she wasn't going to let her anger go with a dozen flowers, but at least it showed her he cared enough to try, and plus he thought to himself opening the door to his apartment these are her favorite.
She was already showered and in her nightgown watching the evening news on the extranet feed. "Dinner is on the table." She said coldly not looking up from the news.
"Smells good." Matt replied walking to the front of her and handing her the flowers. She took her eyes off the news and forced a half hearted smile. He tried to smile back but instead just went to the table and sat down.
She got up and put the flowers in a vase that always seemed to be needed when they fought. She opened the refrigerator and got out the distilled water pitcher and poured him and herself a cup, taking the seat across from him. Matt looked up from his grilled chick breast and vegetables, only to have his breath taken away. He always seemed surprised at how much more beautiful she became with each day. The red of her nightgown only heightened her facial features even more. Her hair was tied up in the back and she had her hand resting on her chin looking at him.
"What?" she asked, letting her hand fall back down to the table, taking a sip from her cold glass that now had condensation built up on it.
"Every day you become more and more beautiful and it-" Matt start off before being cut off by Tracy rolling her eyes and letting out an aggravated sigh.
"Listen Matt, you don't have to come up with some bullshit to try and make less angry, I've already forgiving you and I wanted to-" Tracy was saying, but before she could go on it was Matt's turn to cut her off.
"I wasn't making up anything, you do become more beautiful." He said sincerely.
"Damn it Matt, I'm trying to tell you something." She said inadvertently raising her voice. Matt stopped talking and looked into her eyes with his full attention, taking off guard by her stern voice.
"I'm sorry, but please this is hard for me to talk about" she said reaching across the table and taking his hands into hers. "Growing up in an orphanage on Earth, I had no one I was really close with; it wasn't until I was with the Corsairs that I finally felt true love for the first time." She went on after standing and looking at the news that was still on the screen.
"His name was Kordell. He took me under his wing when I first started. He was a Corsair several years before I first joined." As she went on Matt got up leaving his dinner and shut off the vid screen and sat down on couch, so he could look into her eyes as she talked.
"We were sent to a turian system to do some reconnaissance work on one of their main military bases. We were perfect for the mission because if we were caught the Alliance could disavow us. The fucking mission went to hell and we ended up fighting for our lives." She added with a harsh raspy sound in her voice that made it seem that reliving these events were just as bad as being there.
"Kordell held off a room full of turians as we evacuated to our ship. I didn't even get to tell him how much I loved him." She finished looking down at the floor. Matt stood up and took her in his arms, not knowing what to say. She started to cry on his shoulder and all he said the only think he could think of. "I'm sorry."
"That is why I get so upset at you when you do things to jeopardize yourself." Tracy said ending their embrace and bringing a hand up to wipe her tears away.
"What do you mean? Not asking for a refund from Kyle will get me killed?" Matt asked quickly regretting how jokingly it sounded after the story she just told.
"You and the Peppers haven't exactly been a great terms as of lately." She stated, and she was right. Zach Peppers' father had started the Peppers colony years ago. Coming here with nothing he had had the good fortune of finding the planet rich with element zero. Something Matt had respected.
But that respect for the Peppers died with the father. His son Zach grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. He ran the colony like his own personal play ground, Matt always had to fix the stupid decision he made to the colony to make sure it ran as smooth as it could. Zach spent most of his time in Eon anyways. The capital of the planet was about ten miles from the mining colony and was one of the fastest growing cities in the Skyllian Verge.
Some of the brightest asari business women had seen the potential of Peppers colony when it first started and made a deal to start building on the outskirts to offer entertainment to the hard working colonist. What became was Eon. The city had everything anyone could want, from shopping to theaters to family friendly venues. The sprawling city was a popular vacation spot for anyone close to this relay system.
But Matt knew Tracy was talking about the recent run-ins with Zach Peppers son, Jared. Matt had found Jared and a dead asari in an apartment not far from his. He remembered the night, looking into Jared's eyes has he said she had came out him with a knife so he was forced to shoot her. The sick feeling of letting the case goes because he feared the repercussions of Zach.
One thing the Peppers were known for was people who disagreed with them ended up missing at a certain point, but Matt wasn't sure how much of that was true or not. All he knew was he wasn't going to tempt it then.
"I just don't want to lose you over something stupid like that Matt. After Kordell died I couldn't even be an Alliance soldier anymore. They had to let me go, and it took me even longer to open up to love again. And the love I have is for you. More than I have ever felt before and I don't know what I would do without you." Tracy expressed holding their hands looking into his eyes.
Matt leaned in and their lips connected with a kiss that was more passionate then anything either of them had ever experienced before. After wards Matt looked at her as he raised a hand to her cheek and softly said to her. "I love you too. But I am kind of disappointed." He said with a sly grin.
"Why is that?" Tracy asked confused.
"Because I was looking forward to angry sex." Matt replied laughing at the end.
"Well you can always tell me the chicken was too burnt for your liking." Tracy declared with a sexy smile, walking into the bedroom and lifting the nightgown over her head.
-0O0-
Matt lay on his back in the bed staring up at the ceiling fan that slowly turned. It was one of the things Tracy and him couldn't agree upon. She couldn't sleep without it and he couldn't with it. But it was one small sacrifice he made to keep her happy.
She now was lying slightly to his left side with her hand and head resting on his chest. He still couldn't understand why Casey was obsessed with asaris after what he had just experienced with Tracy.
He thought about what she had done with opening her past up to him. Before he had doubts about where the relationship was leading. But now he knew that no matter what came, he would do whatever it took to make it work. He had thought about the engagement ring he had bought her, and when was the appropriate time to ask her.
He was going to ask her on their vacation next week while they were enjoying Eon. But now after her heartbreaking story, he felt obligated to make it up to her in some way. To ensure to her that he felt the same way about her as she did about him.
He lowered his head slightly and kissed the top of hers and pulled the sheets up to cover her bear shoulder, and just as he was getting into a comfortable sleeping position his omni tool rang so loud that it startled him.
Matt picked it up and placed the ear piece in and opened up the com. "What is it?" He answered dryly, his mouth aching for a sip of water.
"Matt you better get here; we got a problem at twelve B." Edwin the night shift manager said over his com, obviously shaken by what had taken place.
"I'll be there ASAP." Matt replied trying to mask his voice so he wouldn't wake Tracy. Sliding out of bed and going to the closet he cringed when he heard her ruffle and finally spoke.
"What's going on?" She asked still dazed from her hours of sleep.
"It's nothing, Edwin just wants me to go to twelve B and check on a situation they have." Matt said calmly as he got dressed, hoping she couldn't tell he was lying about the severity of the situation.
"Do you want me to come with you?" She asked sitting up in the bed, her eyes still adjusting to the light cast by the closet light.
"No babe, Edwin said it was nothing important anyways, he just needs my opinion on a few details, and I'll be back in a minute." Matt affirmed as he sprayed on the last of the deodorant under his arm pits, and pulled on the shirt.
He gave her a kiss and left the apartment, walking on the sidewalk towards the B section of the apartments. Twelve B housed a lot of mine workers, but none as important as Jared Peppers. He knew right away from the sound of Edwin's voice that it was something unpleasant and big enough to get media attention.
As he walked briskly he wondered why Zach let his son work in the mines, and the only reason he could come up with was he wanted his son to take responsibility and credit for his own actions. But that didn't mean a damn if his father would come and bail him out of any trouble he got into.
When he got into eye sight of the B section of the twelve apartment complex he saw the small crowd of security and other residents standing outside the main door. He scanned the people until he found his security team standing off to the side with Jared taking notes of what had gone on.
Edwin saw him coming and released Jared from giving his statement. "What's the scoop?" Matt asked Edwin as Jared walked past him giving him a forced innocent expression.
"You are never going to guess." Edwin said with his deep booming voice, "another asari dead, this one 'Slipped' in the shower this time." He stated raising his hands to make air quotes as they walked to the entrance of the building.
Once they got inside the Peppers' boy apartment they walked in the bathroom to inspect the body of the asari. Her eyes were still open gazing into the empty nothingness of the shower curtain. "God damn it" Matt uttered under his breath as he looked upon her naked blue skin.
He knew Jared had killed her in some way, choking her from behind or from some other alterative. The Peppers' child had a sick obsession with extreme physical sex, and Matt regretted every day that he let Jared off the hook the last time he found a dead asari prostitute in the young man's apartment.
This time he wouldn't put himself through that, even if it meant he would face the wrath of Zach. He couldn't live with himself if he allowed this to continue. He looked outside the small bathroom window and saw a shuttle touching down in the empty lot across the complex. Zach and his big shot lawyer from the city got out and started walking to the entrance.
"Go wait outside and make sure everything is ok." Matt told Edwin as they walked into the living room of the apartment. He wondered how much of the same thing Edwin was thinking as he was as the door slung open and both Zach and his lawyer walked in.
Edwin gave Matt a slight head nod and didn't make eye contact with either of the two men that had just arrived.
"What an unfortunate situation we have here, Matt." Zach spoke easily, trying to gauge Matt's reaction. "Yes, quite a situation." Matt said making eye contact with the head of the whole mining colony.
"You shouldn't be saying anything" The smooth talking attorney spoke to Zach before he left to take a look at the asari in the shower.
"If the Peppers are truly innocent, they have nothing to fear from speaking." Matt remarked to the lawyer but still looking at Zach.
"Don't say anything Zach" the powerful rich lawyer added rushing back into the living room. "Leave us" Zach voiced only taking his eyes off of Matt when he had to shout "leave us" again to his hot shot lawyer.
"Matt you and I have kept this colony running better then my father could have ever imagined it to be." Zach talked walking to the nearest seat. "And it seems my son has still got some growing up to do before I am to hand it over to him," he said sitting on the recliner that was overpriced for the apartment it was in.
"What you mean is that your son can't get a hard-on without choking an asari to death." Matt replied with a pang of anger in it.
"Watch what you say Matt, or it could be the last thing your mouth says!" Zach screamed standing up faster than Matt could have pictured. "Or did you forget about your processor?" Zach asked coming inches from Matt's face trying to intimidate him into letting this slip by.
"Threaten me all you want, I am no longer scared of what you can do. I can't stand by and let this happen again." Matt said never blinking as he stared into the other man's eyes.
"Have it your way, but mark my words you will regret it one of these days" Zach remarked walking to the apartment door leaving without looking back.
Matt took a deep breath after realizing he was holding his breath in the whole time Zach was in the room with him. He made his way down to the complex entrance and told Edwin to arrest Jared. He would have to get a hold of Alliance personnel ASAP, but for now he had something more important to do.
When he got back to his own apartment he wasn't surprised to find Tracy up waiting for him to return.
"What happened?" She asked him, as he took off his shoes near the door.
"Let's just say we aren't going to Eon next week on our vacation." Matt exhaled turning to face her. She ruffled her brow and asked "Then where are we going?"
"We are leaving this damn rock for good." Matt said.