A/N:
So here is one of the stories I wanted to write in a long time. A Mass Effect crime-storry. I think it turned out pretty well. I hope you like it and have fun while reading. I defiantly had fun writing. ;) This story eventually will contain femslash. If you don't like it, tha dont read it.
Red Sand
Chapter 1:
The ringing of my omnitool abruptly woke me from my sleep. With practiced easy I reached under my pillow and drew my gun. When I finally realized it was just an incoming call and nothing was about to happen, I slowly calmed my nerves and placed the Paladin on the beside table. In the same move I snatched the still beeping omnitool and answered the call.
"Detective T'meva", I said into the direction of my left hand. The orange light was slightly reflecting on my blue scaled skin.
"Detective, you need to come to the station, we've got a murder reported and you are the only Detective on call-duty", the voice on the other end said, in the same moment I looked at the callers number and recognized it as one of the Nos Astra PDs smaller stations on the marked.
"I'm not cleared for full duty", I answered.
"You are the only one we could reach".
"Ok, just tell me where the body is and I will go there directly", I answered.
"You can find them, if you go to the main market. In the second side alley, you will find some officers. The CSIs are already there".
"I'm on my way", I answered and ended the call.
With a designating groan I laid deck on the bed and reached instinctually out to the other side to wake my bondmate. When I felt nothing but cold emptiness it all hit me again. She was gone, dead.
I noticed tears on my cheeks and blinked a view times to glance at my watch.
04.30 am.
Another groan escaped my lips. A few minutes later I started to dress. I settled on a pair of cargo pants a simple black t-shirt and my NAPD hoody, for my feet I choose short combat boots.
Before leaving my apartment, I placed the Paladin in the safe and took my service weapon from it and holstered it on my belt.
On my way to the door, I grabbed my badge and keycard from the table.
Outside the cool air of the early spring night hit me. I shivered, but I knew the day would be warm, since the whole upper city was above the clouds. In the lower parts of the skyscrapers only where storage rooms and refuge for the lowest parts of society.
I walked the short distance, to where my skycar was parked and unlocked the vehicle. Five minutes after I started driving to the market, the traffic got to annoying and I activated the emergency lights on my car. It always was an satisfying feeling to see how all the other cars flew out of the way.
When I finally arrived at the parking area near the market, I stopped the car and landed it in one of the many empty parking lots. The sun was still down and I could see the stars. Normally it was difficult to see the night sky over Illium's city's, because everywhere bright lights illuminated the streets and a lot of colorful advertising could be seen. But this early in the morning was the only time on the day, the marked was sleeping. In less than two hours the place would quell over from people who want sell or buy every type of things.
As I walked through the empty streets towards the market the first merchants begun to prepare their stores.
When I reached the main place of the market, I could see the flashing police lights in the distance. Five blue police vehicles were standing at the entrance of the alley and blocked the way. Two police officers kept guard. I approached the waiting officers and flashed them my badge. The two Asari opened the way and I walked through the light police line further into the street.
The buildings towered high on both sides and prevented the stars to shine to the ground. Twenty meters into the alley I could see several people in uniform. As I approached them I could see, that they were standing around a body.
"Good morning", I greeted them and walked towards the body, "What do we have?".
"Good morning Sanora", I was greeted by the coroner, her name was Rial, "As you can see, the dead body is a Volus. We found his ID and a credit card in the pockets of his exosuit. His name is Nifki Cur. He was an merchant on the market.
As it looks, his death was caused by a bullet in the head, probably from short distance".
A Salarian from the CSI unit walked in our direction and added in for his species typical fast manner:
"We also found traces of Red Sand on his exosuit. All in all it looks like a Gang job", he started to analyze, "The Volus looks like he got executed with one clean shot in his head and considering the Red Sand, I would suspect it was Eclipse".
With a final node he walked away and started to examine further parts of the alley.
Thinking about what he said, I looked to Rial. I always liked to work with the Matriarch, her expertise was enormous and she was a very pleasant person to spend time with.
"I think the CSI is correct", Rial stated, "but we will know more, when I finished the autopsy".
I nodded in response and looked around the crime scene.
"If you find anything, call me", I said to one of the officers and started to walk back to the market.
"Wait", Rial said loader and walked me a view steps to the side, "how you're holding up?"' She asked quietly.
"I'm good" I answered her shortly and looked to the ground. I heard her suppress a groan of frustration.
"By the Goddess, you know you can't lie to me", she said in dangerously clam voice, "every time I ask you, you say the same, but I see how you suffer and it pains me not to be able to help you. So tell me the truth".
I toke a moment to suppress the tears that we're welling in my eyes and looked up from the ground.
"I miss her", I answered quietly.
One of the CSIs called for Rial.
"We will talk later", she said and patted me reassuringly on the shoulder.
I toke a moment to compose myself and walked back to the others.
With a little luck, one of the many security camera in Nos Astra captured the murder. But even if this was the case, the suspect most likely was Eclipse and the mercenaries had protection from the highest positions on Illium. Without waterproof evidence, nothing would happen.
Goddess, I hated these Mercenaries and politics. But if the video footage existed and showed a face, I had a chance on getting at least one of them in jail.
As I looked up on the walls of the buildings surrounding the crime scene, I heard Rial shout something in my direction.
"I will bring the body into my lab. When I find something, I will call you".
"Alright, have fun", I answered and continued to search for cameras.
After ten minutes I stopped my search frustrated, it would have been too easy to have footage of the crime. Hopefully there would be any witnesses, without I had to hope, the autopsy would help and Rial would find some evidence helpful enough to hold against Eclipse.
On my way back to the parking lot I stopped by one of the officers.
"Look out for people how could have seen something and bring them to the station, so we can question them". With a short nod, she answered and I walked further to my skycar.