Here is the second part of Reclaiming What's Mine! Thank you all so much for reading and a huge thank you to those who reviewed, followed, and/or favorited. It means a lot to me to know that my readers are enjoying what I write. I'm having so much fun creating this story, so I really hope that comes across in my writing.
Have I mentioned that I love Sereneffect? She caught so many little errors in this half of the chapter (like me accidentally typing "commander center" rather than command center). She's absolutely amazing and I would never get these uploaded without her; I would just obsessively read and reread all the chapters, trying and failing to catch all my own errors.
"Omega's mine!" Aria shouted, lunging herself up the stairs towards the Cerberus command center; she came to an abrupt halt, however, as her eyes met the angry red lock on the metal door. Nyreen followed her up, activating an override program on her omni-tool while Aria activated her own omni-tool, calling for reinforcements from her ground team. Shepard slowly started limping over, her cybernetics trying to stitch her leg back together. She'd have to get it checked out by Dr. Chakwas once she got back to the Normandy; the injury wasn't healing as quickly as it should with her upgrades. And heavens knew Garrus wouldn't let her hear the end of it. The human commander hobbled up the stairs and stood next to Aria, making sure to hold her injured leg up slightly, so only her tiptoes were lightly resting on the floor. A steady pressure was building up in her thigh; it felt like something was lodged in her leg, holding the wound open and she had a sinking feeling that part of her armor may have been wedged into the muscle. She cringed when she thought about what the consequences might be if her tissue sewed itself together over the obstruction.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the comm system crackled on; Nyreen had almost gotten the doors open when the voice emanating from the speakers pulled all their attentions up, towards the ceiling.
"Attention all Cerberus forces: Surrender."
Aria sneered. "Bastard's too scared to take me in a fair fight. Does he think he can just walk away after taking away my home, my station?"
General Petrovsky continued, still momentarily safe from the asari's wrath, in the confines of his command center. "Cease and desist all aggression… It's over." The doors opened at that moment, and the three of them walked forward into the room, only to find Petrovsky standing at attention, hands clasped behind his back. He turned solemnly toward Shepard.
"Commander Shepard, I, General Oleg Petrovsky, surrender myself into your custody."
Shepard just rolled her eyes at the General before she was pushed roughly aside by Aria. The biotic scoffed and strode forward, stepping past Shepard and Nyreen, her biotics flaring once again; she grabbed the Cerberus General by his throat, threw him to the ground and then planted her boot firmly on his chest. "That is the most pathetic thing I've ever heard," she sneered. She reached down and hoisted him up, turning to slam him down on the console. Her hands latched around his neck, thumbs pressing up against the delicate flesh beneath his chin.
"Shepard! I'm unarmed… I can give the Alliance intel on The Illusive Man!" he sputtered, reaching up and grabbing Aria's fingers, trying to pry them off; but she just kept steadily applying more pressure, the force slowly closing off his airways.
"You'll say anything to save your skin…" the asari growled out. It was a miracle the man was still alive at this point; both Shepard and Nyreen had assumed that Aria would have either shot him or ripped him apart with her biotics the moment she stepped through the doors. Neither thought he would leave the room with anything less than a bullet to the brain.
"I let…" – he hacked, sputtering underneath Aria's increasing pressure – "you escape Omega… I deserve… mercy!" His legs were kicking outward, trying to gain some leverage, but the asari and her biotics kept him pinned, his feet dangling, fruitlessly, inches above the ground.
"Aria," Nyreen started, walking forward a little to come stand next to the General's thrashing body. "Is this true? Did he let you live?" Shepard was still standing near the door, simply watching the scene unfold; she would jump in and stop Aria if everything actually came down to that, but… at the moment, she thought Nyreen had a better chance to get through to the asari.
Aria took her eyes off the General momentarily – though not letting up the pressure – and met the turian's gaze. "Yes, Cerberus had successfully taken the station and he let me go… he forced me to walk away from my people, from my home. He owes me a debt for all the lives he took, for what he stole from me. I intend to accept his payment," she ground out, turning back towards the General. She increased the pressure slightly, causing the man's eyes to bug out, petechial hemorrhages erupting in the whites of his eyes.
"Do you feel that Oleg? That's death, only inches away. If we hadn't killed all your… creations, I would send you to them. I would let you experience fear the same way that my people felt it. I would let your own creations end you."
Shepard was about to reach over and grab Aria's arm – the asari was steadily decreasing the amount of airflow allowed into the General's empty lungs and his face continued to turn a darker and darker shade of red. No matter the cruelty the man had wrought upon this station, no one deserved to die starved of air. And, as much as this was Aria's station, she couldn't stand by and watch her – anyone – murder someone in cold blood. Nyreen beat her to the punch though, reaching forward and grabbing Aria by her shoulders. She brought her face down and met the asari's eyes.
"Aria, please. He's not worth it," Nyreen gently begged. A moment passed between them, before Aria closed her eyes, her lip curling up in disgust – at the General, Nyreen, or herself, Shepard wasn't sure of.
Her hands loosened slightly, enough for the General to suck a weak breath into his lungs. "I'm letting you live – for the war against your master and because my partners don't want any more dead on this station. But understand me, Oleg. If I ever see you in my home again, if I ever find you oppressing or harming any of my people, I will end you," she whispered in his face. "Take him Shepard; you and your Alliance can decide his fate. Just get this filth off my station." She spit in his face after completely releasing her hands. Petrovsky sputtered, gasping for breath, and held his bruised neck with one hand, while the back of his other hand came up to wipe the asari's saliva from his mouth. Aria turned away from the man, glancing towards the opposite door as one of her guards – Bray – walked through it. She strode over to the console in the back of the room and rested her hands against the side of the control panel, sighing heavily as she shut her eyes, trying to suppress her rage.
The General slumped to the ground, protectively holding his throat. "Commander, Kandros," he nodded towards Nyreen and Shepard as he choked out the words, "glad to see you've had a… calming effect on Ms. T'Loak. I tried… talking sense into her one time… I look forward to hearing how you pulled it off."
"By the time this is over, you may be wishing we let her kill you. It at least would have been quick. Alliance doesn't take too kindly to Cerberus… I think the Brass will view your… endeavors as crimes against humanity," Shepard said. The man was sickening. Here he was, captured and defeated, and he had the audacity to make jokes and mock the situation? After all the unnecessary death he had caused?
"Now, Commander, from what I understand, Alliance prisoners of war lead fairly comfortable lives, even –"
Aria whirled on the man, raising her pistol and striding across the room until the barrel rested firmly against the General's forehead. "You're proving me right. You're making me regret taking my hands off your petty human neck. Sick supremacists like yourself should just be put down, removed from the gene pool. Without people like you in the way… the galaxy would be a better place. Bastards like you and your boss… You wouldn't last one day on Omega… not one. So give me one reason not to end you, one reason not to show you the justice you so rightly deserve, the justice this station can deliver."
He stuttered, his eyes flashing between the furious asari and Shepard. "You can't just let her kill me! I'm a prisoner. You have morals Commander! I've seen your morals, I've –"
Nyreen cut him off, her taloned fist flying at the man's face, knocking him backwards and causing him to crash into the control panel. He clutched at his broken nose, trying to hold the cartilage together while tears rushed forward from his eyes. "You're not worth the bullet to the brain. You can't bring us down to your level. Bray! Get him out of here before his mouth gets him killed."
Aria turned away from the man, reholstering her pistol. "And, Bray… take him to the detention center while we wait for the Alliance to collect him. We wouldn't want Oleg here to leave Omega without… enjoying this station's hospitality," she purred out. Bray sauntered forward, grabbing the General by the back of the collar and pushing him roughly towards the door; the batarian's shotgun was pressed harshly into the man's lower back, causing him to arch awkwardly while the blood from his nose continued to drip down his chin.
Aria walked the last few steps to the front of the command center, leaning heavily on the console and looking out over the nightclub. "I've been waiting to kill that man for months. Walk around with you and Nyreen for a few hours and I go all soft. You're like a disease."
Shepard sighed, supporting her own weight on the console behind her – all the adrenaline was starting to ebb and her head was spinning a bit, probably from the blood loss. "This victory came at a cost Aria; too many people died fighting over this station. You just spared another life. It's not soft to recognize that," she said to the asari's back.
"You sound like someone trying to sell something, trying to sell morality and mercy. And while I admire your resolve," – she glanced over to Nyreen, who was still standing off to Aria's side, her brow plates shifting in concern – "your sense of justice doesn't make sense. Sparing him doesn't fix anything; he has taken too many lives to deserve his own."
"Killing him wouldn't have been justice, Aria, it was revenge. For your own desires," Nyreen cut in. Shepard briefly locked eyes with the turian. Even if Nyreen didn't know it, she herself had been in a very similar position once before, trying to explain to a friend how revenge and justice weren't the same. Revenge left a person hollow, it left a person empty; when one seeks revenge… their gut is telling them the only way to gain closure is to repay the debt, return the sin committed. Justice is the opposite; instead of forcing the guilty to experience the sin they themselves committed, justice calls for compassion and forgiveness. It's harder during the immediate moment but… the blood that stains your hands after murder does not fade with time. The guilt will remain, while the anger will fade.
"Maybe, but what do mercies get you? Nothing. It only increases the amount of enemies you have to destroy." She turned around, looking towards Shepard and meeting the human's gaze. "Make no mistake, Commander, he only surrendered to you to save his neck. His ethics haven't changed. If your Alliance takes mercy on him and lets him go… he will continue to work with Cerberus."
"Yes, that's more than likely, but Nyreen was right; if you had killed him… you would have fallen to his level."
"I'm already at his level Commander. This is Omega. The World without Law, the Heart of Evil, the…" – she smiled; the krogan name for her station always amused her – "Land of Opportunity. This is the place where no sin goes unpunished, and yet where sins are welcomed; the place where an eye for an eye is the most honest form of justice anyone can serve. My home. Which, thanks to you, I now have back."
Shepard sighed again; some parts of a person would never change. "What's your plan, Aria?"
"There's a lot to rebuild, starting with this…" – she scowled, looking at the place where her couch used to rest – "…command center. It may take some time to remove the General's stink from my throne… I wonder if I'll ever really enjoy the pole dancing in here again…" Nyreen scoffed.
"The people of Omega have been through a lot, Aria. Try to remember that. They deserve some peace for a change."
"How can I forget when there are reminders everywhere I look?" She bent down and picked up a cracked datapad off the floor; Cerberus troops, weapons, propaganda… it all littered her station. Not to mention the bodies of her people that had been heartlessly left to rot in the streets. She looked at Shepard, tossing the datapad into a trash receptacle on her right. "And don't worry, I'll honor our arrangement: troops, ships, and a mountain of Eezo."
"I'm not so worried about what you can offer me, but what you can offer this station. In times like this… everyone needs to have a safe place to call home, and this might be the only city in the galaxy right now that is free from occupation…"
"The Talons will help rebuild. We've always been here, helping to keep this city running; we won't leave now, not in the wake of such destruction," Nyreen said, meeting Aria's dark eyes.
"Yes, now you can make your little gang useful, Nyreen, instead of simply spoiling my station with your graffiti. And, Commander… that leaves the Suns, Eclipse, and the Blood Pack to your orders. They will fight your war. Because if you don't win… there won't be an Omega left to rebuild."
"Fair enough. Just… take care of these people Aria. Take care of each other. This station has seen enough bloodshed and pain."
"You know I take care of my own," the asari said, breaking eye contact with the commander and turning back to face the empty expanse of Afterlife. "Nyreen can take you back to your ship. I'm sure your Alliance and crew are interested to hear how your time on Omega went… And I have a station to whip into shape."
Shepard nodded and turned towards the door, her leg shaking with each step; sharp spurts of pain were shooting from her thigh to her ankle. She'd definitely have to get Chakwas to take a look at her leg.
"Oh, and Shepard? Afterlife may be a shell of what is was, but I assure you: the drinks are still just as good. Bring your crew down to the VIP area for a night off. You've earned it."
Shepard laughed, nodding her head again. "That's sure as hell true. Alright, Aria, I'll message you later. I'm sure everyone could use a few hours of shore leave. Who knows when we'll get another chance... if we'll get another chance."
The blue asari nodded, turning back to the console and pressing a few buttons; she overrode the Cerberus encryption, opening the monitors and speakers in every corner of the station to broadcast her speech to every pocket of civilians and every unwelcomed Cerberus trooper. Pausing midstride, Shepard turned to watch Aria's theatrics; Nyreen left her spot by the newly reinstated queen and walked over to stand next to the commander.
"Citizens of Omega, hear me! I, Aria T'Loak, have given you back your lives, your freedom! My rule is reignited, my hand is on the control once more and I will not let go again! Each of you owes a debt – to me and to those that fought for this station. Earn my favor by rounding up the remaining Cerberus troops and… we will cast them from our home, then take time to bury and mourn our dead. My methods haven't always been popular and I can't promise that will change. But securing this station and everyone inside is now my primary objective. No one will imprison us again! We may be bruised, we may be bloodied… but… We are Omega!"
Shepard leaned towards Nyreen. "Does she always give these speeches?"
Nyreen laughed and nodded, turning to walk down the steps leading away from Aria's throne; Shepard followed behind her, albeit, much more slowly. They made their way outside the nightclub, heading back towards the docking bay where the Normandy was docked. "She likes her power. And… I do think you were right. She does care – about this station and its people, even if she hides it very well. She's… she's just never been able to let her guard down. Even with me."
"Maybe that will change. Losing everything that you have, everything that means something to you… it changes a person. It can make them stronger, if they let it. Maybe, she'll be able to open up a bit more… Maybe you can figure out where you guys went wrong…" It was obvious the turian still cared about Aria – probably more than she was willing to admit. And at times like this… there was no guarantee there would be a tomorrow to fix today's mistakes.
"I highly doubt our failed relationship will be on her priority list. Besides… I don't even know if I can put myself through that right now. I don't know if I want to. We have so many more pressing matters than trying to heal old wounds and… it would be so hard to… go down that route and have it not work out again," Nyreen sighed, raking a hand over her crest. "There is just too much that could go wrong, too much pain still there. Right now… I really need to just forget about Aria and everything that's happened. I just need some stress relief; no commitment, no past wounds… You know what I'm saying? Well… you're human, so you probably don't..." She reached up again, laughing, and scratched the soft skin on the back of her neck. The gesture was shocking similar to what Garrus would do whenever he was nervous or uncomfortable. Maybe all turians scratch their neck when they are uncomfortable. She'd have to remember to watch the Councilor closely next time they had a meeting… if that chance ever came – though, she also highly doubted that Sparatus was ever uncomfortable. She shook her head dragging her thoughts back to the present.
"You'd be surprised. 'Stress relief' is actually how my current…" – Nyreen hummed a little when Shepard seemed to stumble on the next word – "…partner and I got together. He mentioned relieving tension on my last major mission and… During that mission, at a time like that… I needed the comfort, the support… And it turned out to be everything that I needed and more," she laughed slightly, shifting her eyes up in the air before shaking her head a bit. She seemed to be lost in thought once again. The smile that was tugging at the corner of her mouth looked much too… blissful; it didn't match her hard exterior and the blood that was staining the armor around her leg. She must really care about this human… "What I'm saying it I guess at a time like this, needing a warm body to relieve some tension with… I understand that."
Nyreen hummed again, her mandibles flaring outward in curiosity. "That's all very… turian of you." Shepard laughed. "As a matter of fact, you sound exactly like an old… acquaintance I once knew. He was a stubborn bastard but a sweetheart under his hard exterior. He could definitely throw you for a round in the ring. And in bed." Her brow plates shifted up and Shepard caught herself smiling at the female turian; there was something so… honest and sincere about Nyreen.
"A woman like you, I'm sure you could toss him for a round yourself; I'm assuming you held your own?"
"Ah, yes, those particular fights lasted for hours, usually carrying all the way up to my quarters. But… he always had an impressive arm span, a very long reach, which made the sparring… that much more intense. I was just… flexible enough to get out of his grasp whenever he caught me."
Shepard sputtered, choking on her own spit.
"Commander, are you alright?" Nyreen asked, alarmed.
"…Yeah… I just… that sounds…" she took a breath, trying to calm her beating heart and shook her head. No way… there was no way… that can't be possible. "Sorry, that's just… an interesting way to describe a… sexual encounter," Shepard lied, still frantically trying to control her breathing. It's not possible. It can't be possible. All turians use sparring as foreplay… that's all, it's someone else.
"Well, most turian encounters are either for rough stress relief or to reproduce. As a species, we don't typically do the more… gentle aspects of a relationship. It takes a special woman to bring that out in a male."
Shepard hummed, her heart still pounding as she tried to sort through all the thoughts crashing around inside her head. They had finally reached the docking bay, bypassing several Talon members who were dragging thrashing Cerberus troopers towards the detention area. Shepard turned towards Nyreen, her mind still running wild with speculation. "I gotta head back for a while, get my leg all patched up – that sniper got a very good hit on me," she said, before pausing momentarily and steeling herself. It's just your imagination, it's not the same story. "I'm assuming you'll be at Afterlife tonight? I doubt Aria would stand for your absence…" she asked, half of her hoping that Nyreen wouldn't be there, which would eliminate all her irrational fears.
"I'll be there, Commander. Maybe I'll even find some of that comfort you were talking about. Just hope someone catches my eye…" Shepard nodded and smiled, before turning to hobble away, hopefully before the turian could see the nervous energy that was bubbling under her skin. Nyreen called out to her though, stopping Shepard in her tracks.
"Hey, thanks for your help with Aria. I don't think I could have talked her down if you hadn't been there. And… I'm sorry about your leg. I never intended to not have your back and… I really hope I didn't make you uncomfortable, Commander, when I was trying to help."
"What do you mean, uncomfortable?" Shepard's brows furrowed in confusion; there was nothing Nyreen could have done about the injury to her leg – she had just been caught in an unlucky spot and the sniper had gotten two good shots on her, one taking down her shields, the other ripping through her armor. Besides, she had been the one to order them to separate sides.
"My talons… I felt you flinch away. I know it must have made you nervous having these" – she motioned with her talons – "so close to that wound. I didn't mean to… scare you or cause any offense."
Shepard laughed. "Nyreen, trust me, your hands near my leg was the last thing on my mind. It stung like hell when you touched it, but I didn't flinch because you're a turian. I just figured you were more suited to take that trooper out, considering I couldn't even stand at the time. It had nothing to do with you species!"
"Oh, Spirits! I'm glad. I was worried that I had offended you or something," she said, sighing in relief.
"No, trust me. The turian I mentioned before that I'm currently serving with? He's saved my life and patched me up more times than I can count – and in much more sensitive and delicate places. Don't worry about it, you did nothing wrong. I'm just glad you were there to help me at all."
"Right, well… You're welcome, Commander." Nyreen said, nodding slightly, her mandibles flaring out in a small smile, before turning to walk away. Shepard turned the other way and headed back for the Normandy, trying not to think about all the possible implications of what Nyreen had said. Her gut told one story while her mind kept trying to convince her that she was jumping to conclusions. She repeated her previous thoughts, chanting them over and over to herself. All turians use combat as foreplay… just cause she has her own story about… reach and flexibility… doesn't mean that it's the same story… it can't be. That's just not possible.
Thank you for reading! And I'd love to know what you thought about this half of the chapter!
To those of you who read my other story, Fathers and Daughters, I promise I'm working on chapter 4! I'm fighting my writer's block, tooth and nail, but I'm slowly making progress!
