The Wisdom of the Matriarch

"We'll meet back here in a hour. Will that be enough time for you two to get the mods you need?" Dariya asked.

"Should be plenty. Thanks Shepard," Miranda replied, offering a small wave before she exited the lounge followed by Tali. Eternity was certainly one of the nicer bars Dariya had been in lately. On the quiet side, clean, and not full of people looking to kill her unlike Afterlife on Omega. There were a handful of people scattered throughout the lounge, sipping drinks and quietly chatting as soft background music filled area. Her green eyes scanned the room until she spied the bar and the drink kiosk. Dariya crossed the room and ordered a potent beverage with the keypad of the small booth, her black hard suit creaking slightly as she leaned against the bar.

The tall, asari Aethyta, if the Spectre recalled correctly from a previous visit she claimed to be a matriarch, sauntered over to Dariya's end of the bar. The blue skinned female, for lack of a better word to describe the mono-gendered species, looked quite striking for someone several hundred years old in a form fitting, mostly red, dress. Aethyta smiled and slid over a glass filled with blue tinged liquid, greeting Dariya in a husky voice, "Here you go, babe.

Dariya offered a half-hearted smile, "Thanks."

The asari watched her for a moment, "You look like hell."

Dariya touched a still healing bruise on her cheek from her excursion through the Omega 4 relay self-consciously and ran a hand through her chin-length mop of red hair, "Is that an official judgment based on the wisdom of the matriarchs?"

Aethyta chuckled dryly, "I'm not talking about the scrapes and bruises, everyone has those around here. It's that brooding look in your eye. Your brain is chewing on something like a varren with a bone."

She sighed and took a sip of her drink, shivering slightly as the potent liquid rolled over her tongue and burned the back of her throat, "I'm not sure how to respond to that."

"Why don't you tell me what's on your mind?"

"I don't want to keep you from your other customers."

"Bullshit, babe. There's no one else here besides you right now."

Dariya frowned and finished the drink in a gulp, "Ever think I don't want to talk about it?"

Aethyta took the glass and refilled it sliding it back to her, "You'll feel better if you do. Besides, I'm a nobody. Who am I gonna spill your deep, dark secrets too?"

Dariya scoffed, "On Illium secrets are the name of the game."

The asari's brow furrowed, "Well, if you're gonna be an asshole and look a gift horse in the mouth, you can go fuck yourself then. Not every day a asari matriarch offers to share hundreds of years of knowledge with some pissy human."

Aethyta moved to walk away, but Dariya, cheeks flushed, held up a hand, "Wait. I'm sorry. That was quite rude of me."

"Yeah, it was. But, since you're awfully damn cute when you're blushing I'll give you a second chance. Spill."

Dariya picked up the second drink, taking a cautious sip, trying to think of the best to sum up her problem. Aethyta watched her a moment before picking up a glass from behind the bar and beginning to wipe at it with a clean white cloth.

"Your friend in the Cerberus outfit messing with your heart?" the asari asked.

"Miranda? No. We're just friends."

"The Quarian? Can't see much with that suit on, but she's got a nice figure."

Dariya rubbed her face with her palm, "No, I am not involved with Tali. She's also just a friend. What makes you think I have a relationship problem?"

Aethyta gave her an annoyed look, "What did I say before? The look in your eye is one I've seen regardless of the species. Krogen, Salarian, Turian, they all come in here, looking to drown their weepy hearts in drink. I think it's safe to say I'm an expert."

Dariya sighed, "I'm trying to help a friend. Someone I was, involved with, a couple years ago."

"Why'd you two break it off?"

The Spectre paused, a tightness filling her chest as she took a sip of her drink, "I was…missing in action. She thought I was dead."

Aethyta shook her head," Ah. Tough break. Is she with someone else now?"

"No. Not that I know of."

"Well, that's something. She still interested in you?"

Dariya scowled, "I..I don't know. Yes, maybe, no? I mean, I walk into her office, she hasn't seen me in two years, she kisses me, and then…nothing! No discussion about us, no sign she's even looking to have one either. What the hell am I supposed to think?"

Aethya shrugged, "Seems like she still cares, again, it's something."

Dariya rested her elbow on the bar, propping her chin on her hand as she toyed with her drink, "She seemed rather preoccupied with her work. And by preoccupied, I mean obsessed. She didn't talk about anything else."

"What does this mystery woman do?"

"She's an information broker."

Aethyta blinked, "Quite the job. Lots of stress, gotta manage a lot of stuff to be any good at that."

Dariya smiled wryly, thinking of how imposing Liara T'soni was now compared to the first time they had met on Therum. There was no uncertainty, no trepidation anymore. Liara had come in to her own in Shepard's absence, for better or worse.

The bartender cleared her throat, bringing the Spectre back from her reverie, "She is quite good from what people say. I don't think that's what holding her back though. She's got quite the grudge against someone right now. That's where the obsession comes in."

"Go whack whoever is bothering her, play the hero. Do her and yourself a favor. Then maybe you two kids can have an actual conversation."

"It's not that simple. This isn't just some thug. We're dealing with someone who is very powerful and doesn't want to be found."

Aethyta paused, "I dunno what to tell you then, babe."

"Well, the thing is I have information about the, how shall we say this, object of her obsession," Dariya unsnapped a pouch on her belt and reached into it producing an OSD. "This might just point us in the right direction, I think. It's dangerous though, might get us both killed."

"So, what are you waiting for? You look like you can handle a bit of danger," Aethyta gestured at the hard suit, "Go give it to her."

"It's not that simple."

"Sounds pretty damn simple to me."

Dariya sighed, running her hand through her hair again, "She's changed. She's a harder person now, colder. But, I know the person I met two years ago is still in there, I saw a glimpse when we were talking a little and finally alone. I'm afraid if I help her do this? I help her kill someone? I'm going to destroy what's left of the person I know."

Aethyta gave her a pointed look, "Babe, she is who she is now. People change, trust me. You helping, or not helping her, isn't going to make a difference as far as who she's become in the last two years. If you want her back, you're going to have to accept her for who she is and not who she was."

Dariya ran a hand over her face and took another sip of her drink, "I know. I guess I'm just scared."

"Of what?"

"That there's no place for me in her life with these changes."

Aethyta took a step forward, resting a hand on Dariya's on top of the bar, "You're not gonna know one way or the other unless you try. And yeah, maybe there won't be a place for you, but won't it be better to know than always wonder what might have happened?"

Dariya sighed, staring at her drink a moment before finishing it, "You're right."

"Of course I am, wisdom of the matriarchs and all," Aethyta said, grinning.

"Shepard?" Miranda and Tali were back.

Dariya looked over her shoulder, "Hey. Get what you needed?"

"Good to go. Shall we go drop off that OSD of yours?" Miranda asked, nodded at the device in Dariya's hand.

The Spectre nodded, "Might as well." Dariya activated her omni tool and waved it, paying for the drinks and leaving Aethya a healthy sum of credits as a tip. She smiled at the asari, "Thanks for the talk."

The bartender winked playfully, "Anytime, babe."

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