Long wait, I know. Sorry.
Enjoy.
]-[
It was an odd thing that Aela felt like a stranger on her own homeworld. In fact, she felt out of place on pretty much any world. Never did the matron feel more restless than when there was solid ground beneath her feet. No, she needed the stars almost as much as she needed food, water, and air.
Aela supposed that those feelings first came to her when she was but a young girl, still living with her mother and sisters. One day, she picked up one of her older sister's books, a textbook about the galaxy that had colorful pop-up holos of the various planets and star systems. She would spend entire nights hiding under her bed-sheets with that book, gazing at all those virtual models of worlds that were light years away. From then on, Aela knew that she wanted to see all of them. Not mere pictures or holos, but to really see them, to look out from the bridge of her very own starship and rest her eyes on a massive celestial body.
The stars were her home, more than any planet or station could ever be.
And the Matriarch Council had taken them from her. The Matriarchs and those on the Citadel Council. Oh, sure, they couldn't stop her from flying nor could they take away her ship, but they closed the relays off, all that led to the unexplored regions of space, the great unknown. Aela was an explorer and they had taken her purpose from her. She was a bird being kept in a cage.
And on top of all that, this Matriarch Trellani supposedly wanted to have a few words with her. Rather than send a simple message via omni-tool like a normal individual, Trellani had instead sent a small group of what Aela guessed to be asari commandoes, two of whom were armed.
Suffice to say, Aela Norvis was not a particularly happy woman.
Instead, she was a great many things: annoyed, frustrated, angry. But above all, she was nervous. It was then that she envied her friend, Phorae, who did not share such feelings. This was in no small part due to the fact the navigator was still a tad bit affected by her great consumption of alcohol.
"Goddess, this estate is enormous!" Phorae gasped, eyes wide with almost child-like awe. "I knew that the T'Mosa family was wealthy but I never imagined that they had anything like this!"
Aela found herself agreeing with her not-quite-sober friend. It was true that the starship captain never quite felt at home anywhere but in space. "A bird with no wings," she would call herself. A stranger, a trespasser, she would think quietly. But here, Aela had never felt so… alien.
Matriarch Trellani's family estate was absolutely massive. It was grand, it was lavish, it was everything that the asari species exemplified and more. The lush gardens – which seemed to go on forever – evoked beauty and tranquility with the sheer variety of wild roses that were just now blooming, bursts of color that dotted the healthy green bushes. Every so often, a Borosae tree would tower over them all, stretching up into the blue sky, tall and proud.
Then there was the main fountain, a wide pool of crystal clear water that poured steadily down from the lovingly crafted statues of two familiar figures. At least, they were familiar to anyone acquainted with ancient asari texts.
The Goddess Tevura, the exemplar of sex, romance and passion, and her sister, Nalla, champion of love and beauty. The texts would tell of Tevura and Nalla descending from the heavens to introduce such concepts to the earliest asari before there were any real civilizations, teaching young maidens to go forth into the world with open hearts and hungry minds.
Two of the asari's most revered deities, now displayed here at the center piece of a lush garden. Both were nude, their bodies lovingly sculpted to show off every curve and muscle, almost like-life to the point where Aela could swear she was watching two women bathe before her. Nalla held a vase on her shoulder from which water poured down onto Tevura, who sat below, allowing the water to cascade down her lovely form.
Now that's a provocative work of art if I've ever seen one.
While Aela and Rae were drinking in their surroundings like a couple of star struck maidens, Quorren came up beside them, smirking.
"Impressive, isn't it?" She said, reading their thoughts – or their faces. "I thought the same as you when I first came here. I was a young, starry-eyed maiden then, looking for any work I could find. Trellani took me in, more generous than she ought to have been. Back then, this place was simply wondrous to me, like something out of one of my dreams. It still is, actually."
The commando's words were enough to shake Aela from her dopey gawking. The captain felt her cheeks burning, thinking she must have looked more like a maiden than a matron. She coughed then, turning to the other asari.
"I'll say. Those sky cars we saw parked on our way in looked to be worth more than what my crew makes in a year. And by that, I mean collectively."
Quorren chuckled at that. "Well… you're not wrong, Miss Norvis."
Phorae tore her eyes away from the fountain, turning around slowly to drink in the entirety of her surroundings, the flowers, the trees, the carefully placed step-stones. She gazed upon all of it with wonder that she mustn't have felt since she was a young girl. The young navigator was very clearly amazed – and perhaps still the slightest bit drunk.
"This is… this is all so extravagant!" Phorae said, smiling wide with bright eyes.
Aela took a moment to look – to really look – around for herself. The matron found that the lush estate did not strike her now as it did her navigator. In other words, the charm was gone.
She looked upon the ancient trees, the wild – and no doubt expensive – flowers, the elegant statues, and she saw power, wealth, status… as well as arrogance.
"Excessive, more like," Aela muttered under her breath.
That soon proved to be a mistake on her part. Later on, Aela would mentally kick herself for assuming that the asari commandoes that were present would not be able to hear her.
Thema, one of the other acolytes, shot the starship captain a look that all but dared her to say something like that again. The commando took a few steps in Aela's direction, closing the distance between them, until they were eye to eye – or the closest they could get to that with Thema standing a few inches taller. With her stature, the woman had an intimidating presence.
"Those with the T'Mosa name seem to have been blessed with the financial minds of the volus," The loyal acolyte began, giving Aela a polite smile with a cold stare, her eyes sneering at the matron. "The family's wealth is bountiful as you can clearly see, beyond the imagination of most. Every credit to their name is a credit that was earned, Miss Norvis, through hard, honest work. I've witnessed Matriarch Trellani's charitable nature, and I can assure you that she has and continues to provide more than enough to those less fortunate than herself." Thema was no longer smiling. "I can say with certainty that Lady Trellani has more than earned the right to purchase a nice car or to have a large garden."
Phorae nodded frantically, visibly embarrassed for her friend and employer. "Oh, of course! Aela and I, we've never doubted that! Not once!"
Aela, meanwhile, held the commando's gaze. The captain's gut was in a knot and her heart had apparently decided to try and burst her ribcage, but she would be damned before she would let the woman before her know that.
"I've no reason to argue," Aela said, finally.
Thema narrowed her eyes at the shorter asari but seemed to accept the answer. After a short moment of uncomfortable silence – and Aela being shot an apologetic look from Quorren – the annoyed acolyte turned and started for the mansion.
"This way, please," She spoke curtly.
Aela and Phorae followed, but not after the suddenly sober navigator elbowed Aela in the arm. The maiden's eyes were wide, silently telling her captain to stop being so rude to their hosts. "They're rich, they're powerful, and they have guns," Phorae whispered. "I'd very much like to remain alive, Aela. Don't you watch any vids? Mess with a matriarch and she'll have you wiped from existence!"
"Noted," Aela replied, before grinning. "And I believe that's a new record for you, Rae. It usually takes a whole day of rest and few cups of warm Naroe to get you anywhere close to sober. I'm impressed."
Phorae responded with something Aela felt should not be repeated in polite company.
]-[
The mansion proved to be just as beautiful on the inside as it did on the outside. The architecture seemed to draw inspiration from both Serrice and Armali roots, with perhaps a hint of Elytrasta. Grand archways and intricate stone pillars were among the main attractions in the great hall, aside from the massive, elegantly designed staircase that was built to somehow draw people's eyes all the way up to the room's true centerpiece: a lovingly restored painting from one of Armali's finest artists, Norana Dessias, a woman now long dead.
The painting was of Athame, when she first descended from the heavens to provide loving care for all living beings. High up on the wall, larger than life itself, the Goddess somehow managed to look grounded, a woman among the mortals of Thessia, yet she still projected an almost unnatural vision of classical grace and beauty.
The garden had been massive, yet it was only here that Aela truly felt small. Here, under the watchful gaze of the Goddess. The commandos eventually led them away, taking a turn down a long hallway, but that feeling never left Aela.
The room they ended up in was cozy, yet not quite small. The walls had been painted warm, yellowish colors, almost gold, and the furniture, a small collection of cushioned chairs and sofas, was made from dark brown leather.
There, sitting leisurely in one of the seats, waited a single asari. The woman held a relaxed expression on her face, a small grin on her lips, and she was dressed in somewhat casual garb. A sundress, white like the flower petal markings that adorned her brow and cheeks, cut low enough to expose the upper slopes of her generous bosom.
If it were not for the woman's calculating eyes, which betrayed age, experience, and wisdom, Aela would have sworn that the asari before her was just another attractive maiden. But the captain knew better.
The woman rose, smiling warmly at them all. Her skirt swayed with her movements, effectively dragging Aela's gaze down to her thighs. Her heart skipped a beat and for a moment, her mind went numb. Aela had always taken pride in the fact that she never once swooned over a pretty face, but this asari… she was simply a striking individual. The captain quickly snapped her eyes from the woman's legs, looking up to meet her gaze.
The woman was tall, grace oozing from every movement, elegant as if she were a queen.
"Quorren! You've returned quicker than I expected." The beauty greeted them warmly, revealing her voice to be soft and musical. Like hearing an angel speak. "I trust that your search was not too difficult?"
The leading acolyte bowed her head in respect, as did the other commandos. "Indeed it was, Mistress. I present to you your guests: Captain Aela Norvis and her navigator, Phorae Alyste, brought here as you requested."
The tall asari strode forward, her smile widening. She closed the distance between herself and Aela, taking the captain's hand in her own before placing her other hand over them. "It is truly a pleasure to meet you, captain. You as well, navigator." She nodded to both of her guests. "I've heard plenty of interesting things about Miss Norvis and her merry crew of explorers."
She knows me. And my crew. Aela blinked. She had not been expecting that.
"Uh…" She replied dumbly, before words actually began to shape in her mind. "Thank you?"
Aela had nearly stuttered, sharing a confused look with a wide-eyed Phorae. "We're surprised you even know about us."
The woman placed a hand over her chest in a dramatic gesture. "Oh, where are my manners? Please allow me to introduce myself!"
"No need, Lady Trellani," Aela cut in before wincing. It was beyond rude for an asari to interrupt her elders, especially a matriarch. I've spent so much time in space, I've forgotten what it was like to be asari. "Most asari know about you, my lady."
"But few remember their courtesies," Trellani replied, still smiling warmly. Aela frowned, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "I pride myself in being one of them." Trellani bowed then, an asari custom of introduction. "Trellani T'Mosa. Feel welcome in my home."
Aela and Phorae bowed as well, hands over their chests. "We are honored, Matriarch," They both answered, respectfully. They rose to find Trellani once more seated on her sofa. The Matriarch gestured to the two seats across from her.
"Please sit!" She insisted. Aela and Phorae did so. The matriarch smiled happily, picking a grape off of the plate of food that had been set on the table between them, popping the tiny fruit into her mouth. "Have some fruit! I grow them right here in the garden, you know." A servant came in then, quietly setting a plate of baked foods next to the fruit. "Or perhaps pastries are more to your tastes. Maybe some summerwine to whet the tongue?"
Aela and Phorae glanced down at the food and then at each other, neither of them quite sure about what to make of their situation. The matriarch seemed to sense their discomfort.
"Don't be so tense girls." She laughed, reclining on her sofa. She grabbed a glass and another servant filled it with some wine. She took a sip as if to show them it was safe. "This is no trick. I invited you here. If I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn't do it here. Do you have any idea how expensive the floor work was?"
How comforting.
"So please… feel welcome in my humble home."
"Humble?" Aela said before she could catch herself. Damn it. My mouth will kill me one day, I know it.
"Humble as far as wealthy matriarchs go," Trellani countered, her smile never waning. She even seemed amused. "If you believe that my estate is extravagant, you should see that of the T'Soni family. Enormous. More of a monument to their name than a home, really."
Since they arrived, Aela allowed herself her first smile. Beside her, Phorae also appeared to relax, sinking her teeth into a fluffy pastry.
"Mmmh…" She moaned, wiping crumbs from the corner of her mouth. "This is delicious!" Gushed the navigator, licking some cream from her fingers.
Trellani chuckled. "I see your friend has taken a liking to the honeycakes. I'm not at all surprised. One of my chefs specializes in pastries and those right there are her crowning achievement. I had to steel the woman away from some restaurant in Serrice. I was banned from the establishment but it was well worth it, wouldn't you agree?"
Aela grinned, but a thought gnawed at the back of her mind. While she was far more relaxed now than when she was first hauled in, Aela still held to a prominent question: why was she here in the first place, sitting and eating with a famous Matriarch?
"Forgive me for being blunt, Matriarch, but…" Aela paused, trying to think of a polite way to ask what she wanted to ask. "What would someone of your stature want with a former starship captain?"
Trellani popped another grape into her mouth, eyeing the matron quizzically. "Former? I do believe that it has only been a single day since the exploration ventures were grounded. And you're already a 'former' starship captain?"
Aela shrugged. "No point in carrying on with a useless title," She answered evenly, trying not to let her annoyance surface.
Trellani crossed her legs and leaned back into her seat, now regarding the younger asari thoughtfully. Then she smiled. Again. Aela then felt the slightest bit wary.
"Patience is a pillar of asari wisdom, Miss Norvis. Do not be so hasty in your assumptions. Perhaps your title of 'captain' is not quite as useless as you believe it to be."
What.
While Phorea busied herself with yet another honeycake, Aela leaned forward in her chair, locking eyes with the Matriarch, searching for any indication that the older woman might be insincere. She found none.
"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Aela asked, suddenly uncaring for common courtesies and customs. Hands clasped tightly together beneath her chin, her back muscles tense as she leaned forward, Aela looked ready to pounce.
Trellani merely smirked, hands folded on her lap. "What I mean, Miss Norvis, is that the Citadel Council can say whatever they please about the dangers of 'reckless exploration'. They can conjure up whatever laws and regulations they desire and they can fool themselves into thinking they can keep us nice and safe and stuck in the present for a thousand years. The Matriarchs of Thessia, however, have other, far more lucrative ideas.
Aela released a breath she did not know she had been holding.
The key to my cage invited me into her home.
"Captain Norvis," Trellani continued, amused at the expression that fell over the matron's face. "What would you say if I told you I could give you and your crew the opportunity of a lifetime, to do what many only ever dream of doing?"
By now, Phorae had forgotten the cakes, the navigator listening intently as well.
Aela sat up, as if someone had filled her spine with lead. "You'll let me fly? Get me off the ground?" Her heart was racing, soaring.
Trellani nodded. "Work for me and you will be flying places no others have been to. The void can take the Hierarchy and their fear of the unknown." There was something in the woman's eyes. Satisfaction. She knew Aela could not say no now. "Tell me, Captain Norvis, what do you know of the protheans?"
]-[
Sorry for the very long delay. I recently got a new job and only now have I managed to get a decent schedule that gives me some free time that isn't spent on studying.
I know I said before that I would be introducing the crew and the ship, but that had been far too optimistic of me. Too much to try and cram into one chapter at the pace I write. If I did try that, you all would have to wait even longer. So from now on, no more promising what I can't deliver.
Thank you for reading! And be sure to check out the following authors:
Sharrukin
Eterna1Soldier
Swap55
Made Nightwing
DN7
SevRez
CobaltAC
XenoSapien
They are all pretty good, in my opinion. Some for different reasons than others…
