Blood runs down their faces. The sounds of one man crying in pain and another man crying in fear constantly echo in the room which has no windows and no cracks. The walls are thicker than normal; a deliberate design meant for holding secret meetings or keeping the screams of help from escaping. The room isn't big. Ten men could probably fit in it provided they were all standing and not lying down on the floor cradling wounds and bruises. And a single dim light source at the center of the ceiling makes the room feel even smaller than it is. Another design choice.
There is a third man; also human. But he is not crying nor lying in pain as the other two are. He is on his knees but his bruised ribs forbid a perfect stance. Instead, he is slumped forward. His face is looking at the floor. Staring down is not his choice. The throbbing pain from a black eye doesn't hurt as much when his head is pointing at the floor. Humans are not the only species occupying the room.
Standing at the penumbra is a Krogan. On his home planet of Tuchanka, he had an ordinary Krogan name. But, on Omega, he is known as Thrasher. It's a simple name which suits his personality perfectly. Like all Krogan he is tall and muscular. And, just like his entire race, he loves inflicting pain on others. But, while that urge drives all Krogan in a more instinctive and natural way, Thrasher has fine tuned it and transformed it into, what he calls, an art and what others call a borderline fetish. When he is "working" he aims to bring out the mixed scent of blood and urine from his victims. It is an odor the room has an abundance of; both old and fresh. On his home world he would just have been seen as a regular warrior, same as all the rest. But, on Omega, his skills are a commodity. His black armor nearly camouflages him in the shadows of the room. The dim light highlights his muscles, his red eyes and his grin.
Also further in the dark, and standing next to the only door, is an El Cor. If it were on Earth the massive individual would have been mistaken for an eight foot tall elephant without a trunk and smaller ears. But, unlike elephants, El Cor are intelligent members of the civilized galaxy. And, while not members of the Council species, they contribute to the greater good with research and technology development. But not this El Cor. Due to bad upbringings and bad experiences this individual has become Thrasher's best friend and most reliable coworker. He is just as content delivering pain as his Krogan counterpart. Not only that, but he takes every characteristic about his species and warps it to serve his profession. He uses his monotone speech to instill fear to others. He uses his hulking weight on his victims. And, whatever creations he has invented are meant to create suffering. In fact, he would be completely naked if it weren't for the barbed boot on his front left foot. It has given him a reputation no other member of his species has achieved. And, because of this, his employer has affectionately called him Stomper.
The two Humans are still crying while the third is still quiet. Thrasher notices this and steps into the light to hover over the third man. "I don't think you had enough, Marco". The man notices the deep base of the Krogan's voice is heard more clearly from the left ear than the right. The flaw didn't exist a few hours ago.
Marco Jevings was never a man who was intimidated by others stronger than he was. Even when they were clearly the superior, he never felt inferior. He knew that power changes hands in an instant. In the blink of an eye, the powerful become the powerless. It is a lesson that has followed Marco since he was a child. Power is an illusion. This attitude still gives him courage even as his left eye swells and his battered ribs force quick breathes in order to avoid pain. With his head still facing the floor, spitting out blood to clear his throat was the easiest thing he did today. "I had enough a half hour ago".
"Then tell us what we want to know". The Krogan talks lightly. He doesn't threaten and he doesn't scream. He doesn't have to. Everyone who knows his name knows what he's capable of. Most who are unfortunate enough to visit his interrogation room are smart enough to answer his questions quickly. But, whether they talk or are defiant, they all have their right arm broken beyond repair but just short of amputation. It is Thrasher's calling card and a testament to his precision.
Marco knows this. He heard of the story of how Thrasher ripped off all but one of the tentacles of a Hanar with his bare hands. And how a Drell, with their natural super memory, was tortured so badly he eventually killed himself after years of reliving all the pain and horror over and over again as if it were the first time it happened. For a second, Marco wondered what stories would be told about his demise under Thrasher's skills. But, he reminded himself of how power changes. Even though the Krogan and the El Cor could end his life and the lives of the other two men in an instant, they won't. Marco knew they were under orders. They answer to someone else. There was a bigger fish.
"I told you…" Marco takes another quick breath, "I will only speak to…" a cough forces its way out, "Aria".
Suddenly, a new voice enters the room from the door. A woman's voice. The voice is both feminine and commanding. "Speak of the devil and she shall appear". The three Humans were too engulfed in pain to notice the door had opened. Marco would have noticed but today his busted eardrum wouldn't let him. But, now that he focuses on the open doorway, he can hear the faint sound of the music from Omega's Afterlife club off in the far distance.
Everyone both Human and non-human look toward the door and see an Asari standing at the threshold. Not just any Asari, the Asari. The only Asari anyone on Omega needs to know. Aria T'loak stands at the threshold for a few more seconds to allow everyone to recognize her. Then she enters the room and closes the door behind her cutting off the club music that gave Jevings a few seconds of solace.
Everything Aria does is subtle. Her body movements aren't rushed. She knows that everyone waits for her so she can take all the time she wants. Even her clothes are subtle. A black top and black pants striped with white leather alongside the arms and legs is her attire today. "That is what you Humans say, isn't it?" she says while slowly walking further into the room letting the aura of her presence sink in.
She scans the bruises and wounds of the three men and notices the man closest to her is crying with labored hyperventilation. He is grasping his throat with both hands. Aria has seen this too many times over many years and knows exactly what that means. She turns to Thrasher and says "You broke his windpipe"? The Krogan can see how aggressively disappointed she is and lets out the first excuse he could think of. "He was screaming too much. It was getting annoying".
Aria folds her arms together and coldly stares at the Krogan. "If he can't talk then he can't tell me what happened. The next time you don't follow my instructions exactly it will be you who will have the broken windpipe. Do you understand"?
Thrasher has known Aria long enough to know that, when she threatens, it is best to don't say anything and just nod his head. Without taking her sights off Thrasher Aria unfolds her arms and points at the injured man. "He's useless to me now. Finish what you started".
A small grin runs across the Krogan's face as he steps into the light and grabs the first man's shoulders to make him lie down on his back. Then he straddles the man's chest pressing all his weight on it. Unable to move or breathe the Human lets go of his throat and waves his arms around in futility trying to summon any kind of energy to resist. Thrasher grabs the man's right forearm and breaks it in half. Blood, agony and air escape his lungs at the same time making a high pitched gargle. The Krogan balls both of his fists and begin to pummel the man's face continuously.
Marco can hear the cracking of his crewman's skull even through the busted eardrum. But this was a risk he and all his crew took when they accepted the job. The rewards can be great when they succeed but so can the consequences when they fail. That's how mercenaries live. It is that mentality which doesn't allow Marco to feel sad for his crewman even though they worked with each other for four years. Marco liked thinking of his crew as just that. He never forged any friendships with them or bought them all drinks after a successful job. They were his crew but they were also mercenaries.
"I haven't got all day, Thrasher" Aria said. And with that, Thrasher gives the man one final blow to the temple, killing him.
The Krogan gets off of the body and walks back to Aria's side. She then turns her attention to the second crewman who is trying hard not to appear as useless as the first. Aria leans toward him and, in a soft gentle voice, says "Where is the disk"? Respecting Aria's stature the man stares down at the floor and avoids eye contact.
"I don't know where it is. We had it. We were on our way back to you. And the Batarians boarded our ship and stole it. Our engines were damaged. We couldn't follow them through the relay".
Aria tilts her head as she analyzes every word that was just said. "Look at me". The man obeys and slowly raises his head to look up at the Asari. Her piercing stare makes him uncomfortable. Every survival instinct he has is trying to make him look away but he knows what happens when Aria's orders are disobeyed. She just stands there quietly scanning him for a few more seconds. "You're lying" she says. She looks over to Stomper. "Do your thing".
The El Cor slowly walks toward the second man who starts pleading and screaming for mercy. When the four legged mountain of muscle stands over the pathetic Human, Stomper slightly tilts his head and makes eye contact with him. "Sarcastic assurance: This won't hurt me at all". He then raises the leg with the barbed boot and slams it down onto the man's groin so hard that even Thrasher flinched (just before he laughed).
In a twisted way, Marco was almost glad his eardrum was bruised. The initial cries of his friend's pain were bad enough but they became worse once Stomper started grinding his boot into the flesh of the man's pelvic region. At Aria's command, the boot was raised and the El Cor took several steps back into the darkness of the room. With another command from her wrist, Thrasher takes his pistol out of his side holster and hands it to her. She makes sure the weapon is primed to fire and points it at the second man who is still crying. "Shut up and listen". The man summons the rest of his strength to turn his cries of pain into long deep quiet breathes. For the most part he is successful but a yelp would burst out of him every few breaths. When he looks up at Aria his eyes are so squinted and full of water he can only make out her silhouette. "I'm going to ask you one more time. If you lie to me again I'm going to use my biotic powers to propel this bullet through your head as fast as the speed of light". She gives a second of silence so her threat can be properly taken in. "Now…where is the disk"?
The man tries to do more talking than crying but ends up giving the Asari a mixture of both. "I swear, Aria…It was the Batarians. They have the disk now". Aria doesn't say anything. She just pulls the trigger. Even with one good ear, Marco can tell the Asari made good on her threat. He heard the round go through the man's skull and hit the wall a split second before he heard the shot from the pistol. To Thrasher's satisfaction, the crying finally stops.
Marco looks up at Aria and sees the hand holding her pistol has a slight glowing purple hue. Then she looks at him and walks towards him. The last Human, while bruised and still on his knees, gives a posture that both shows respect to Aria and defiance. His chest is out, his back straightens up, he makes eye contact and his arms are at his sides. The position enhances his pain but he refuses to die like the other two. "You know, he was telling the truth", he says.
"I know", Aria replies. "But he was one of your low level crew. There was only so much he could have told me. On the other hand, you were in charge. It was your ship. Therefore, you know everything that happened". Then Aria raises her pistol again and points it at Jevings' head. "So, same as before". And, like before, she gives one second to let the reality of her threat sink in. "Where is the disk? Don't forget my one rule, Marco".
Marco badly wanted to crack a joke or start off with a lie just to make her mad and toy with her out of spite. But he saw how serious the look on her face was and he knew he only had one chance. "We got the disk like you paid us to do. But then my ship was attacked by the Batarians. I tried to lose them by hiding my ship's engine output as I went through the mass relay but it didn't work. When we came out of the Omega relay they were right behind us. They disabled my ship, boarded it and stole the disk". Jevings then slightly lowers his head. "They even kidnapped several of my crew".
"Save your sad stories", Aria says "I don't care about you or your crew. I only care about that data disk".
"Well, it turns out you are not the only one", Marco says matter of factly "But I'm not surprised. I should have known that the data disk regarding the identity and the location of the Shadow Broker wouldn't be a secret for too long".
That was Marco's moment of defiance towards Aria. He knew she didn't want Thrasher and Stomper to know the specifics of the mission he was sent on. She knew they liked to gossip while off duty. Marco knew that as well and he could see the two tormentors look at each other in surprise when he said that. He wanted to smile but he didn't. He knew Aria would pull the trigger as soon as she saw the smirk.
Aria put the barrel of the pistol on Marco's forehead. "Do you know where the disk is now"? Jevings takes a deep breath. "…Maybe".
Aria's hand starts to glow purple again and her voice seizes to be subtle. "What the hell does that mean?" she demands. Marco knows he bought himself a few more seconds of life. "I know the Batarian captain who raided my ship and stole your disk. His name is Drim".
The Asari lets out a single sarcastic laugh. "Drim operates a flimsy slaving operation. He was small time when I met him thirty years ago and he is small time now. And, unlike you, he respects me. He wouldn't dare steal from me".
"He didn't know I was working for you. No one did. I kept my affiliation with you secret". The glow on Aria's hand fades away as she lowers the pistol. "Well at least you are not entirely stupid". Marco bought himself another few seconds. "If you don't kill me, I can get the disk back".
Aria shows that she isn't impressed nor swayed by Marco's attempt to plea for his life. The gun may be lowered but her stare is as cold as ever. "Why would you want to do that"? Marco's face tightens with anger and he gives the Asari an even colder stare. "Because Drim stole from me too. He attacked my ship and kidnapped some of my crew. I can't let that slide. I can't have that kind of reputation. Who would hire me? Besides, I still haven't gotten paid for this job". Aria starts to pace from one side of the room to the other. Stomper and Thrasher just silently watch. When she gets back to Marco, she puts the gun back to his forehead.
"You think I'm stupid, don't you?" she says, "You think it's that easy to walk away after you failed me? No. I'll get the data disk back myself". Jevings can see her putting her finger on the trigger.
A long time ago, Marco swore to himself that he would never be killed without a fight. He would never die crying or curled up in a ball like the other two men now lying dead next to him. If he had to go he would make sure to take something from them as well. His only decision was who to attack first. The powerful biotic Asari who is already pointing the gun to his head? The Krogan who is three times his weight and ten times his strength? Or the El Cor whose massive bulk and thick skin make him virtually immune to anything Marco can dish out in his battered state? If luck was on his side then his plan would be simple. Quickly get on his feet, snatch the gun from Aria and run to the El Cor. While using the giant beast as a shield he would aim for the heads of the Asari and the Krogan. Once they were down he would put a round into the El Cor. It wasn't a perfect plan. And he knew he would probably only last two seconds before he was killed. But that didn't matter. He would not die on his knees.
The muscles of Marco's arms and legs tighten up as they get ready to spring into action. He will not ball his fists until the last possible second so he would not give away the surprise. He takes one deep breathe despite the pain in his ribs and forces his black eye to open so he can see everything.
Then suddenly, his most important asset springs into action.
"Why would you want to do that?" he asks. If Aria could admit it she would say she was thrown off balance by the question. But, rather making her flinch obvious by answering a question with a question, she gives the answer that has made her one of the most powerful Asari in the galaxy. "Because I can".
"Exactly my point", Marco said "Everyone knows you. If everyone knows you have the disk with the Shadow Broker's identity, then they will all be coming after you. Your enemies will probably join forces to take it from you". Aria doesn't hesitate to answer him. "I can handle them". Knowing she would say something like that, Marco throws down the ace up his sleeve. "And what about the Shadow Broker himself? If he comes after you to stop you from finding out who he really is, could you handle him"?
Marco lets Aria think about it for a second. He gave her the same second she gave him when she was the one asking the questions just a moment ago. Aria takes the pistol off of Marco's head again and throws it back to Thrasher who then holsters it. The Asari then raises her left forearm across her chest and activates her omni-tool. The device activates by a glowing orange holographic interface wrapping around her forearm and she speaks into it. "Ish, get down to the interrogation room right now". Another woman's voice comes out of the device. The voice is soft but sharp. "I'll be right there".
Aria deactivates the omni-tool and looks back to Marco. "How will you find Drim"? Jevings takes a deep breathe while he thinks about how to answer. "I did a job for him a few years ago. I know the locations of three planets where he does his slaving trades. I'll start with those". The Asari takes a few seconds to consider the idea then turns to Thrasher. "Get him up".
The Krogan stomps his way to Marco, grabs his shoulders like a vice grip and forces the man to stand before he was ready. His knees buckle for an instant before they get their footing. Thrasher doesn't move from Marco's side in order to remind him of his powerful presence and to thwart any ideas of attack or escape. The Asari looks down at the two lifeless bodies. "I take it you're going to need a new crew. How does half a dozen Blue Sun mercs sound"?
"I appreciate that" Marco replies "Just make sure they aren't new hires. I'll be going into dangerous territory and I don't want to be killed because your men are inexperienced". Aria lets out a very subtle smirk. Marco knows that smirk. It's the body language she gives when she isn't a tormentor or an interrogator. At this moment, she is a business woman. "Fair enough" she says "I'll also have your ship repaired".
"Thank you. That is very generous of you".
But, instead of giving a more appropriate response to his gratitude, Aria snaps back at him. "Save it. Your only purpose in life right now is to get me that disk. Eating, sleeping and everything else are secondary. Understand"?
Just as Marco says "Yes" the door to the room opens and in walks another Asari. At six feet tall, she is the same height as Marco. Her skin is a violet purple as opposed to Aria's blue. She is wearing a dark purple skin tight outfit that covers her whole body. While other races might see the tight wardrobe which hugs her curves as sexually provocative, the Asari race wears this design to enhance their biotic powers. When Humans first knew about this they compared it to a professional swimmer who shaves his entire body so he can cut through the water faster, or a professional glider who wears a tight outfit to decrease wind resistance. To that end, her skin tight outfit allows her biotics to course through her and to channel outward easier. It is a design meant for function and not fashion. Jevings also notices tattoos of sharply shaped angles on the half dozen fleshy dreads that make up the top of an Asari's head.
Aria walks to the entrance and stands next to her. "This is Ish. Think of her as my insurance policy" she says "She is going to make sure you complete your task. And she is not going to leave your sight until you do". She then turns her head to face Ish. "If he tries to escape or does anything besides getting me that disk, kill him". The purple skinned Asari stares at Marco like a cobra snake stares at its prey. "Gladly" she says.
Aria then points her finger at Marco. "See to it he gets some medi-gel for his bruises. Then give him a room and post guards at the door so he doesn't get any ideas" she orders.
Thrasher looks at the two dead bodies. "What about them"? Aria answers him without hesitation. "Give them to the Vorchas in the lower levels. They've been complaining about a shortage of food down there. These should shut them up for a few days". Jevings puts all his energy into pretending that what he just heard didn't bother him. They may have just been coworkers to his eyes but they were still Human. And the image of a pack of Vorchas tearing into their flesh for food didn't sit well with him.
But he had to be strong. He tried to walk tall even as Thrasher was pushing him towards the doorway. As he walks past Aria he can still feel Ish's piercing gaze on him. Although he doesn't look at the two Asari he can hear them talking. "His ship will be fixed in a few hours" Aria says "Be sure to leave first thing in the morning". Ish doesn't reply. She just nods his head while still watching Jevings.
Marco's left foot is the first to step onto the corridor leading out of the interrogation room. He silently thanks his quick thinking and powers of persuasion for keeping him alive for another day. They have allowed him to breathe free air once again. The smell of blood, urine and death begin to fade away. But then an urge swells within him. With Thrasher's hand still strongly griping his shoulder he slowly turns back to the room and looks at Aria. "You got it wrong, you know". Aria turns to him and is a little surprised he is still in her sights. Sometimes Thrasher is too slow. "Excuse me?" she says.
"It's not 'she'" Marco answers "The phrase goes 'speak of the devil and he shall appear'". But Aria quickly responds as if she knew he was going to say that. "Not on Omega".
That little act of defiance was not about the phrase at all. It was his way of telling Aria that, despite the beating he received by her two most infamous henchmen, she couldn't kill him. But he wasn't quite prepared for her to respond so quickly. Her response shot down his act of defiance. What she said was another way of saying "don't fuck with me". That was one of her favorite Human words. Fuck. She liked to say it. And she liked it better when she can say it without saying it. Marco tried to get the last word. The last laugh. But Aria got it instead. He lost that round. And, with that, Marco Jevings walks out of her sights….with Ish's gaze still bearing down on him.