Mass Effect: Vendetta
Secrets: The Mindset
Even before the krogan raised his armor-clad foot, Solaris knew what he was going to do. She was so exhausted that she didn't have time to roll out of the way or grab her dropped shotgun. Down came the massive durasteel boot right onto the joint in her armor at the wrist. Solaris didn't know what she sensed first, the terrible crack her bones made, or the stabbing, icy-hot pain drilling through her. She howled in agony, but the krogan's foot was still trapping her arm, twisting and straining the ruined flesh inside.
"Scream little skull-face!" the krogan bellowed with laughter. Solaris felt the sudden urge to vomit, but she held it back. I won't let him win... She thought blearily through her pain-muddied brain. Through the snapping of the surrounding gunfire, she could still hear her bones creaking with each shift in the krogan's weight. After what seemed like a millennia, the krogan was suddenly hurled across the storage bay by a biotic blast. Solaris looked down at her ruined three-fingered hand. There was a blue smear on the floor beneath it and even more of her blood beginning to seep through her gauntlet. This is not turning out to be a good day...
*****TWO MONTHS EARLIER*****
Solaris stood in front of the line of caskets. There were 40 of them, all identical in Hierarchy colors. All the caskets were closed, for the bodies therein were probably too mangled by the shrapnel grenades to recognize. She stood before one of them, an important one. Her father's or General Quinn as most knew him. In her hands, she clutched his ripped military banner. It was the only thing she had left of him. Solaris remembered getting the call at the barracks in Cipritine where she was stationed. Deep down, she knew what had happened when she was called down to the MG's office. They didn't personally get a hold of someone for petty things.
"I'm sorry," the MG had said, looking mournfully into her eyes, "but your father did not survive his mission. I was a personal friend of his, and once again, I am deeply sorry." Solaris was shocked to silence. She felt anguish, loneliness and fiery rage all at the same time. She remembered the MG giving her temporary leave until the funeral services were over, but everything felt like she was moving in slow motion. How could this happen?! Solaris remembered thinking to herself. Who did this? Alas, there were no answers to be found. All of her father's missions were usually classified. After Solaris had been dismissed, she had walked unfocusedly to the bathroom. She leaned on the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked old, although she was eighteen, young by turian standards. Anguish had transformed her eyes into hollow and sunken blue-grey orbs. No emotion, just a sad emptiness. Even her bright green tattoos and pale grey plates seemed duller. She was alone now, no close family to even speak of. Her mother, also a General, had died five years previous on another 'classified' mission. She too had fallen victim to the selfsame shrapnel grenades. Solaris pulled herself away from the mirror and began the walk to her bunkroom that she shared with her friend and comrade, Draeda Milonis.
"What was that all about Quinn?" she asked jovially from her seat when the doors hissed open. When Solaris didn't answer, Draeda turned around with a puzzled look.
"Hey, Sol, what's going on?" Solaris collapsed onto her bunk and told her friend what had transpired. She remembered how emotionless her voice was, flat and distant. Draeda had been silent for a few moments. Then: "I'm sorry, Solaris."
"Yeah, me too." Solaris had said. She had then gotten up and began to pack up some of her things to go back to her apartment. Her red-brown skinned friend simply watched her with sympathetic silence. Solaris could still feel Draeda's piercing green gaze on her back as she left.
And now, here I am. She thought, still staring at the casket. Solaris felt so alone even though there were many other mourners clustered around with her. A stir of motion caught her attention. There were officers that had appeared, saluting to the mourners. Then, two by two, they lifted each of the caskets down into their respective openings; placing them with the utmost care, as if they were made of glass. They then stepped away so the grieving families could pay their last respects. Solaris stared down into the trench where her father laid. She then squatted down as much as her black armor would let her and adorned her father's coffin with his banner. Farewell, dad. I hope you and mom have found each other, Solaris thought as she rose and began to stride away.
Over the green Palaven hills she went, walking in the general direction of her apartment complex. Why? Why did this have to happen? Solaris thought as anger suddenly bubbled up and ran hot through her veins. She picked up the pace, eager to pack her things and return to the barracks. At least training would focus her energy.
In time, she reached her apartment building. At only twenty floors high, it was an ugly, squat building colored the same gun-metal grey as everything else around it. The doors slid open with a quiet hiss as Solaris entered them. The lobby was undecorated and the register deserted. Paint was cracking off the walls and the floor had ominous-looking stains. But to her, this was home. Her military budget home. Solaris was glad for the emptiness though; didn't have to acknowledge some passerby's condolences. She almost ran the few meters to the elevator. I need to be alone to think. To decide what the next course of action is, Solaris thought as she mashed the button inside. She was envisioning the people who killed her parents. Those grenades aren't usual for your average low-brow merc group. The devastating power and blast radius guarantee fatalities. One thrown into dad's platoon and... She just imagined the explosion, hot and loud as the tiny flecks of scrap durasteel shredded into armor and flesh alike. A quick but messy kill. Batarian maybe? Her morbid imaginings were interrupted by the elevator whirring to a stop on the fifteenth floor. She abandoned the elevator and strode to her room. A quick swipe of her keycard opened the doors and relocked them behind her. She looked around her apartment. It was small and utilitarian; an unmade bed sat in one corner and a small desk with a computer on it occupied the other. Old and ratty carpeting covered the floor. Solaris had felt the anger swelling in her since the funeral. And now, it was at its breaking point. She felt the familiar cold rush of her biotics as they blossomed to the surface. Without thinking, she took out her anger on the wallpapered durasteel panel, denting it with a loud report, but Solaris was beyond caring who had heard.
Her parents had always hidden her power from everyone. They'd feared that their gifted child would bring dishonor and mistrust to their family. They both had reputations to uphold at the time, so whenever Solaris practiced, they'd shutter the windows and chastise her for being so lackadaisical about it. When she had been preparing to leave for boot camp at age fifteen, they had made her promise never to use her skills away from home. Of course, being a spiteful teen, she had disobeyed. Whenever she was alone, she honed her skills the best she could without implants. Solaris had always dreamed of joining the Cabals. She had seen all the vids on them and even a few cheap movies. They were a small group of about 30; highly trained for dangerous missions, assassinations and recon operations. The Cabals were the epitome of lethal turian biotics. However, they were not trusted by the general infantry because their highly classified missions and secrecy. Solaris pondered this for a moment. She imagined her friend's faces, glancing at her with guarded eyes. I will have to leave them all behind. They will never trust me again. Once word gets out, who knows what may happen. People will spit on my family name and gossip about the Generals Quinn and how they concealed a biotic from the Hierarchy. What a legacy, huh? These thoughts only intensified Solaris's frustrations. If I join them, I'm screwed. But I need to find the people who killed my parents. I willavenge them. She shoved the idea away and went to grab her black military rucksack, shoving her essentials in without care.
Something stopped her in her tracks though. It was the old family holo-picture on her desk. She gazed at it intently. Solaris's parents seemed to stare right back; their benevolent expressions forming a mass of determination in her gut. It coalesced and took root, strengthening her resolve to join the Cabals. She took it from the desk, switched it off, and carefully situated it in one of her bag's many pockets.
And with that, she was back in the elevator heading to the lobby. It had been a week since she had seen the barracks- and her friends for that matter. Solaris was already speculating about her friends' behavior. They would give her condolences, a pat on the back and some reassuring words. But Solaris didn't need that. What she needed was to find the people responsible for her losses. She needed her friends to stand by her and help even if she joined the Cabals. Unlikely, but a girl can dream. Solaris thought as the elevator halted and whispered open and revealed the back of a turian clad in a green tunic. Gidius, Solaris thought. She was glad to see the old manager, but she didn't plan on staying and talking. She had a mission, and one way or another, she was going to see it through.
"What's the rush, Sol?" he drawled in his gruff voice as she passed. Solaris stopped and returned to the counter he was standing behind.
"Headin' back to the barracks." She replied. But her voice was tight with frustration. Gidius finally looked up, squinting at her with his one dark grey eye. Where the other should have been was just an empty socket with a crescent shaped scar running vertically through it. In her two years of living there, he had never told her what happened.
"Remember kid, your father lives on in you," Gidius said, fixing her with a stern gaze, "just be careful out there." Solaris wondered how he knew what she was thinking. This wasn't the first time he had done this. He could pick out when she was stressed or angry, and he always said something to lift her spirits. It was also how he said it that helped her. Gidius was blunt, and if had something to say, he would say it. That's what Solaris had liked about him when they had first met.
She attempted a smile and nodded, "News certainly travels fast. Yes sir, I'm always careful."
"Don't give me that 'sir' shit kid." He said with a good-natured grin. His white tattoos glimmered against his dark complexion.
"See ya' around Gidius." Solaris said as she spun on her heel and walked out to the garage. Her rusty red aircar was waiting for her in her usual spot. It was an old and unremarkable X3M model. The thing broke down constantly, but it was still faster than walking. She fumbled with her Omni-tool and the doors popped open, welcoming her into the cool black interior.
The drive to the barracks was short, and she had arrived in less than twenty minutes. The sprawling mass of the barracks grew larger as she took the car in for landing.
"Unidentified vessel, please state your name and your business." a male voice commanded over the car's comms. The sudden break in silence made Solaris jump, but she recovered quickly.
"Corporal Solaris Quinn. Returning from personal leave."
"Please proceed to your assigned parking area, Corporal Quinn." The voice said. Solaris continued her descent to the barrack's spacious garage. Level 2A, she thought absently. The garage was set up in low but wide durasteel tiers, allowing room for all the assorted personal vehicles. It was packed, but she guided the car carefully to her favorite spot; an inconspicuous corner where no one ever parked.
Once she had set the car down and killed the engines, the doors popped open with a gust of pressurized air. Solaris stepped out and grabbed her bag out of the adjacent seat and proceeded to the main gate. It loomed large and foreboding in her vision. However, they swung in as she neared them, allowing her access to the courtyard, which was- in contrast- very welcoming. The courtyard was a vast circular durasteel building with corridor leading out in every direction, and she knew it like the back of her three-fingered hand. The mess hall was the squat octagonal building to the left, and the fitness/training facilities were the buildings to the far right, across the bare stretch of green called the drilling field. New Initiates were already getting their first taste of military life as she passed into the courtyard. Her field unit's bunkrooms were all the way at the back of the courtyard, up a flight of stairs, and down the left corridor.
It was all empty. Not a soul was to be found. Solaris knew why though; they were probably out in the gyms working out or getting a CQC drill somewhere. Maybe they were even on a mission without her. She had arrived in perfect time though; after lunch and before the cooks started churning out dinner. Solaris reached her bunkroom and the doors hissed open with a flash of her ID card. The room was a small cramped square. An unkempt bunk stood on the left side, a cheap couch and a matching chair sat almost directly in the middle of everything, and there was a desk and a small holo-television on the right side. The desk was in disarray; computer was still on, papers were everywhere and a half eaten dextro-doughnut rested sadly on a lonely plate. Draeda was never an organized person... Solaris thought as she took in the sight. Just as she stepped in and threw her bag onto the bottom bunk, her Omni-tool lit up. It was a message from Draeda.
Hey:
Was on a run when I saw you come in. Meet us in our usual spot in the mess. We have some news for you.
Try not to brood too much.
And there's also a surprise under the desk. Don't drink it all before I get back.
~D.
Curiosity stirred, Solaris raised a brow ridge and proceeded to the messy desk. Sure enough, hidden underneath was a pale blue bottle of Ryncol. She didn't really care for Ryncol because of the intense and long-lasting hangovers it induced. But what the hell, right? She cracked it open and took a small sip right from the bottle. It carved a blazing trail down her throat and into her stomach. She grimaced and recapped the bottle. That tiny amount was enough to bring a sense of euphoria bubbling up in Solaris's heart. But, she wasn't drunk.
At least not yet.
Solaris had scoped out her unit as soon as she walked into the mess. Caelius Agari's fiery orange tattoos, black armor and almost white complexion were hard to miss. Raphael Narian sat next to him and Draeda sat across from them with Letius Solux. There were more, of course, but those were her closest friends. They were obviously having a fun conversation, laughing and smiling and enjoying their food. As Solaris neared, they instantaneously got quiet.
"Hello." was all Draeda said.
"Hi," Solaris said as she sat next to her. Everyone was still silent.
"You guys don't have to tiptoe around me. What's done is done, and there isn't anything I can do about it." she said with a small amount of edge in her voice.
"Okay," Caelius said, "Well, anyway... We have some news."
"And that is...?" Solaris asked.
"The Cabals!" Raphael interjected, his unusual greenish-brown eyes shining.
"What about them?" her heart leaped in her chest.
"They are coming for a joint training session with the Infantry Corps. The NCO's say they do it once every couple of year as a routine, but I have never heard of this." Draeda said, shrugging.
"Me either." Letius said, shaking his dark grey head.
Interesting. Solaris thought as a dozen different ideas poured into her head at once. This could be my chance!
"Yeah, and its CQC," Raphael said with a note of despair, "Those barefaces could probably filet us alive in five seconds flat!"
"Don't be such a crybaby." Caelius said with a wry smile.
"Fuck off." Raphael muttered.
Draeda rolled her eyes and said, "Anyway, this 'joint mission' is tomorrow. So..."
"Don't chug the Ryncol. Got it." Solaris said, smiling for the first time in a while.
She couldn't sleep, even with the Ryncol's warm stupor over her. Solaris's mind was running a thousand miles a minute; thinking, constantly weighing the consequences and rewards of her decision. She tossed and turned underneath the thin sheets of her bunk. How am I going to do this? Just walk up to the guy and be like, 'Yo, I want to join you guys,'? Why is this so difficult? Solaris thought as she ran a hand over her short fringe. Maybe it will just happen. Maybe I should abandon this ludicrous idea. She sighed aloud, and suddenly, Draeda's head snapped over the edge of the bunk. Solaris hadn't even known she was awake.
"Somethin' you need to get off your chest?" Draeda asked with a mysterious glint in her eye. She had seen this look before. It was Draeda's 'I-don't-know-what-you're-up-to-but-I'm-gonna-find-out' look. Solaris debated on telling her about her ability and her plans for revenge. It would be easy, just a slip of the tongue. She wanted so badly to share her secret. Just a couple of words...
"No, it's... nothing." Solaris said, thinking better of the situation. Damn, almost spilled the beans. Probably shouldn't drink Ryncol anymore. Draeda narrowed her eyes. It was strange; they seemed to be lit from within. But thankfully, she dropped it and receded behind the edge of the bunk. Solaris tried to lie perfectly still to prevent alerting Draeda again, but she was so restless. Finally, she forced her eyes closed and made herself lay there, counting her own breaths. She fell asleep with anticipation and anxiety in her heart.