"I just need more time!" I hear the familiar flanging voice of Garrus say. "I know there's more to it, I just need more time to get through all the red tape. Stall them!"
The Executor gives Garrus an exasperated and irritated look. "Stall the Council? Are you out of your mind, Vakarian? Your investigation is over." He declares firmly before walking off.
Garrus sighs and lightly bangs his head against a railing around a fountain. "Hey, ass-face, you done bitchin'?" I call out, ignoring the consternated looks from the other humans.
Garrus stiffens before whirling around and marching up to me. "You!" He shouts angrily, "How dare you show your face to me? After what you've done?"
I step up and get in his face. "I'm wearing a helmet, you fucking idiot!"
"It's a figure of speech!"
"You're just saying that to compensate for your lack of foresight into this matter!"
He steps back, looking wounded. "That was uncalled for." Garrus says softly.
I split my helmet and pat his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
He nods before throwing my arm off. "Not as sorry as you're going be once I finish breaking off your arms you mis-matched, short-haired son of a bitch!"
I push my forehead against his and shout in his face. "Really? How are you going to break off my arms after I shove my foot so far up your ass I can use you as another shoe?!"
"I would make a fine boot, if I do say so myself! And how will you shove your foot up my ass after I rip your legs off and use them as stilts?!" He yells right back.
"Do you even know what stilts are, you stiff-backed chicken?!"
"I don't know why you think that's an insult, CHICKEN IS DELICIOUS!"
I open my mouth to continue our little game, but the last thing Garrus shouts suddenly hits me. "Wait, what?"
The Turian detective scratches his fringe in embarrassment. "It's been awhile, okay? It was the first thing that came to mind."
I let out chuckle. "'I would make a fine boot'. Really, Garrus?"
He laughs. "Yeah, you said the shoe thing and made me think of the case with the Skinner."
"Oh yeah, the Krogan who made leather out Turian skin." That was not a fun case. "So, how've you been, Garrus? How's Chloe?"
Garrus frowns briefly. "I've been doing fine, except for this case. I've been trying to dig into Saren's files, but as a Spectre there so much red tape wrapped around it you could use it beacon." Then he smiles. "And Chloe and I have been going good, I actually have something I want to talk to you about. You want to meet at the Flux later, catch up?"
I slap my hand into his and shake it. "Damn right, are you going to invite Nelon?"
He nods sharply. "Yup. Alright, I gotta go, need to close up this stupid case and call Chloe."
"Alright." I wave to him as he walks to the elevator. "We're gonna go accuse Saren of treason."
Garrus stops and looks back at us, then shakes his head. "Hopefully you have better luck than me. See you later."
"Later, man." I turn back to the group to find a myriad of confused and amused looks directed my way. This seems like it might be a regular thing. "What? He's an old friend from my PI days."
Gabi shakes her head with small smile gracefully ascends the steps while Zaira nudges me in the side. "What was with all the insults?" She asks quietly, as we move through the Atrium.
"Oh, just fuckin' around." I reply simply.
We walk up the steps leading to the Council and the first thing anyone sees is a huge-ass hologram of Saren looming over the proceedings like a giant. And I don't like that.
I move behind Shepard and open up my omni-tool, directing a hack at the holo-tank's systems, with Jade assisting as the meeting starts up.
In seconds, the hologram shrinks to a little bigger than a regular Turian, big enough to be seen from everywhere but not all huge and what not.
"I resent these accusations." Saren says disdainfully, not even noticing the change. "Nihlus was a dear friend. And is the speculation of one cowardly, shell-shocked human really worth anything?"
Anderson steps forward. "The Geth have a very distinct profile, and the fact that the worker in question identified you by name is very concerning, as is your well-documented hate of humans."
Saren narrows his eyes, mandibles parting in a Turian sneer. "Ah yes, Anderson. It figures you would be here."
"Where were you when the attack occurred, Spectre Saren?" Gabi asked coldly.
"I don't answer to you, Ambassador." His tone when saying her title makes it seem like an insult.
Tevos glares lightly at the holo-tank. "But you do to us, Saren. Where you were when the attack on Eden Prime occurred?"
Saren looks shocked by her questioning of him. "I was in the Baharik System, dealing with pirate attack on the Turian colony there."
Going for the sympathy angle, huh? "Do you have proof that you were there?" Tevos asks, still glaring.
Saren shifts slightly. "I can have the report ready by tomorrow." He replies stiffly.
Tevos looks to the rest of the Council and they convene for a few minutes, the Turian Councilor looking outraged. Finally, they come back. "It is the decision of this Council that we require more evidence of wrong-doing before making a final judgment. Saren, as you are still on trial, your Spectre status is suspended pending the final verdict."
"What?!" Saren shouts angrily. "You call this justice?"
You're on trial for attack a colony, bitch. The fact that you're not even facing us in person is only more telling.
"You have a day to gather your evidence." Tevos directs at us. "This session is now over."
She makes eye contact with me and subtly nods to her office. I wink back and step away as the holo-tank flickers off.
Anderson starts talking to Shepard, probably saying something about Barla Von and Harkin, so interrupt quickly. "Hey, I gotta deal with something important, shoot a me a meeting place if you find something important."
Shepard nods and turns back to the Captain as I step away and head towards Tevos' office. As I reach the door, it slides open, admitting the form of a Quarian in a familiar blue and black suit.
"Kaia."
She looks up from her datapad and I can see her eyes widen behind her visor. "Saul." She says warmly, stepping up and wrapping her arms around me. "I've missed you."
I hug her back, enjoying the warmth. "Me too."
We hold on to one another for a little while longer before separating. "So," Kaia stars, clearing her throat. "I assume you're here to see Tevos?"
I nod. "Yup. Though, I won't lie, I was hoping to see you as well."
She blushes and looks away, fiddling with her datapad. "I…I haven't come to a decision yet." Kaia admits sadly. "I've been so busy lately, with my people becoming a client race of the Council and the pressure the Admiralty Board is putting on me to push us forward…"
"Hey," I reach out and pull her into my arms. "Don't worry about it, alright? I know what you're going through, I don't mind waiting if that's what you want to do. Just focus on the important stuff for now, okay?"
Kaia pulls away, frowning. "But you are important to me."
"I know, but I can wait, I don't think your Admirals will." I say ruefully.
She nods and sighs, reaching up and grabbing my neck, standing on her toes to press our foreheads together. "I'll talk to you later, okay?" She whispers, before separating us and walking away quickly.
"If you ever want to talk, you have my number." I walk through the doors to see Tevos sitting at her terminal, tapping away at the keyboard.
"Mr. Dewitt, please have a seat, I'll be with you soon." She says neutrally, pointing towards a chair in front of her desk.
I sit and wait for a few seconds as she types in a few last sentences and pushes her chair away, standing and circling her desk. "Please, stand."
I push myself up and stand before her, face carefully blank. She stares seriously at me before a joyful smile curls her lips and she jumps at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing lips together.
I quickly open my mouth and meet her tongue half-way, tangling and dancing with it as my hands run up her back, my left settling on the small of her back and my right cupping the back of her head, pushing us together.
We part, panting a little, her fingers tugging on my collar. "Lose the armor," She whispers into my ear, her teeth fastening on my earlobe.
My armor hisses and I step back, pulling the plates away and stepping out of it, clad in a loose pair of pants and a tank-top. I move forward and kiss her again, grabbing her by the thighs and lifting her up onto her desk. She reaches back and unzips part of her dress, shrugging off the top and pulling it away, allowing her bare breasts into the air.
I leave her lips and descend on her neck, lightly nipping her blue skin and trailing down to her chest where I kiss and lick a nipple while my other hand cups and massages the other.
Suddenly, a hand grabs onto my hair and pulls me up into a fierce lip-lock. Separating, Tevos pants out, "No foreplay. I need you."
I reach down and grab the hem of her dress and she lifts her butt up so I can bunch it around her waist, and I see the damp pair of light blue underwear clinging to her nether lips.
As I pull down my pants, Tevos snaps the strings of her panties, tossing them away carelessly and sitting back on her elbows, licking her lips as I get my length free.
I step up and thrust forward, plunging deeply into her center and she moans erotically, eyes closing slowly.
"Oh yes," She groans, biting her lip. "It's been too long."
It has been too long. A hot, wet vice that seems to be pulling me in. I've missed this with her.
I pump slowly, letting the sound of her voice wash through my ears and the heat of our connection builds slowly. Her hands around my neck; fingernails digging into my flesh; legs wrapped around my waist as I spear into her. It's like nothing else.
"Faster…" I hear her gasp out between breaths.
I oblige and the slap of skin meeting skin joins her chorus of pants and moans filling the air. She tightens around me, my body responding to hers and Tevos nearly screams before I cover her mouth with my own.
Her juice drips as I paint her insides and we slump on her desk, panting.
"Goddess…" Tevos mumbles happily.
"Let's not wait six months to do this again, yeah?" I whisper to her, pecking her lips.
She responds by pushing me away, disconnecting us and spinning around, presenting her fine rear and dripping nether lips. "Who says we're done?" Tevos says sultrily, beckoning me with a finger.
My hands settle on her hips as I sink back into her and start at a good pace. I admit that I enjoy sex in most positions, from behind included. But the part I like the most is watching their faces. With their cheeks flushed, lips swollen and gasping, eyes glazed and sweating, I don't think there is any baser form of beauty.
I can feel the coil tightening inside my body. And even it seems quick, a glance at the clock on her desk tells me we been at it for nearly an hour.
I lean forward, pressing my chest into her back, hands sliding up her torso to cup and play with her breasts, lips seeking the sides of her neck.
"Come on," Tevos whimpers, "Give it to me. I want to feel you dripping down my legs, I want to smell your scent for hours."
Well, that's hot.
The coil snaps and I release inside of her. Tevos moans and orgasms, a fresh batch of liquid soaking my groin.
As it fades, I sit still, simply enjoying the warmth in my arms. Eventually, Tevos pushes back and stands up, turning around and pressing her lips to mine. "I have a meeting in ten minutes." She whispers, hand stroking my face. "Come visit me soon, please?"
I kiss her softly and step back. "I will."
She reaches under desk and grabs a few cleaning cloths, wiping herself down, though avoiding her crotch and I clean myself off. "You're serious about the whole 'dripping down your legs' part?" I ask, slightly surprised.
Tevos smirks sexily, pulling her dress back up and straightening it out. "Of course." He smile fades to a look of concern and she reaches up, cupping my face and kissing me passionately, which I return as best as I can.
"Stay safe, my love," she whispers softly. "Come back to me."
"I will. I promise." I murmur, kissing her one last time.
I step back, out of her arms and back into my armor. As it closes around me, Tevos moves around her desk with a limp and sits in her chair, directing a sweet smile at me. "I'll see you soon, okay?"
She winks playfully, tapping her terminal and falling back into politician-mode. "It was a pleasure to see you, Mr. Dewitt." Tevos waves gracefully, and I know a dismissal when I see one.
…
As the elevator descends to the Presidium, a message pops up on my omni-tool. It's from Ilo.
[Ilo:
Dewitt, your weapon is ready. Come to the Warehouse 42, Lower Zakera Ward.]
Well, that's brief, but then again, Ilo's not known for words.
I step out of the elevator and call a sky-car, directing it to the Zakera Ward. Sitting back, I can't help but wonder where Zaira is. Has she met with Barla Von, or is she on her way to meet Harkin?
I don't know why I'm asking myself, I can just call her up and find out. So I do just that. "Hey, Shepard, how are you doing?" I ask as her face appears on my screen.
"Just met with a Volus named Barla Von." She replies, cobalt hair bouncing as she walks. "Apparently, Saren was working with the Shadow Broker on something, then betrayed him or it afterwards, and hired a Krogan mercenary to take of something. I'm going to meet with him at the C-Sec Academy and see what he knows."
"Sounds good." I say as the car descends. "I've got something to do, but I'll be done shortly. Where do you want to meet up?"
On her end, a door closes and soft music picks up. "Well, after we talk to the Krogan, I think we're going to go meet this guy named 'Harkin' in Chora's Den. Apparently, he might know something about that Turian Officer we met, Garrus. Or hey, crazy idea here, I could ask you instead of going to a seedy strip club!"
We're going to go there anyway, might as well skip one trip. "Ha, yeah, that would probably be better. Uh, Garrus usually hangs out after a case either at med-Center in the Lower Wards or the Flux, also in the Lower Wards. We'd probably find him there." I relay, stepping out of the car. "I've got to go. Let's meet outside of the Med-Center, okay?"
"Alright, see you there."
The call ends and I walk through the door of Warehouse 42 to find it empty and dark, except for one light shining down in the middle of the floor. Well, Ilo has a taste for theatricality. Walking to the light and the table there, I stop and wait.
The sound of footsteps echo as a tall being comes into the light. Ilo is a Turian, an old Turian with gray skin and wrinkles. He sets a case on the table and flips the latches. "Mr. Dewitt, I have made weapons for a very long time." He starts with a dry, rasping voice. "I am the greatest weapon maker in the Galaxy, and this is my greatest creation."
He opens the case and turns it towards me.
Inside of the case, nestled in foam is a gun. Not just any gun. A hand cannon.
Gleaming silver with a fitted back grip, a thick barrel with small stylistic spikes on the near the back serving as iron sights, with a revolving chamber.
It's the most beautiful gun I've ever seen.
"This is the last gun I'll ever make, and there are none other like it." Ilo whispers proudly. "I'm almost tempted to cut off my hands so I cannot copy it, but I need them to sandwhiches and other important things."
"What's this?" I ask, pointing to a folded piece in the case next to a few cylinders smaller than a thermal clip.
"Ah, this is what I was working on when you sent me those scans." Ilo says, lifting it into the air to show a belt with small slots in it. The belt itself is thick with obvious tech in it. "But first, these. Using the scans of those thermal clips you sent me, I was able to finish on the project I was working on."
He holds one of the cylinders up and pries it open. "See, the inside of the cartridge is hollow, with this," He taps a small piece of metal, "inside. This a small sample of tungsten carbide, one of the densest metals in existence. You fit the cartridge in a slot," He closed it and placed it into an empty slot on the belt, a red light coming on above it.
"Using the stores of omni-gel inside, the hollow is filled, and the small computer in the belt activates the conversion program using the tungsten sample as a template, turning all of the gel inside it the metal." The light flickered to green after a few minutes. "Green means the process is done and is ready to be used."
Ilo deftly hefted the gun, quickly flicking open the revolving chamber and slotting the cartridge inside before closing it. "I designed this gun to use the tungsten inside the cartridge as the shaving block instead of having it inside the weapon itself," he explains. "It revolves, bringing the metal into the chamber, where the Mass Effect field shaves off chunk and accelerates it to a fraction of the speed of light, firing off a slug of dense metal, strong enough to pierce the heaviest of armors."
He holds the gun up to light, admiring it from every angle. "It truly is my greatest creation." His black eyes fall on me. "Every weapon I've made deals death, Mr. Dewitt, but this…this is art. The art of death. It is made for nothing less than the ending of all the targets in its sight."
Ilo flips the weapon, gripping it by the barrel, and presents it to me. I take it delicately, almost afraid of shattering it. "It is no fragile plastic pistol, Mr. Dewitt." He says, chuckling. "I used some of the metal you sent me as the base for it, but it was too flexible, bendable, so I forged my own and used a mix. Now, each cartridge can fire ten rounds before the tungsten is depleted. Once it is, unload the revolver, replace the cartridge and place the spent container back in the belt, where it will be refilled."
My omni-tool flashes. "I've sent maintenance notes on your weapon." Ilo says seriously, holding up a small chit. "These are the design documents."
He places it on the table and crushes it under his hand, sweeping the dust away. "There. Now, it is unique. And for a weapon such as this, it needs a name."
It feels right in my hand. Not too heavy, but a comforting weight and balanced perfectly. This weapon…is mine. And I have just the name. "Can you engrave something for me?" I ask, holding the gun out.
"Of course," he replies. "What do you want to name it?"
….
"Invictus."
Ilo's eyes widen, and he nods firmly. "So shall it be."
As he finishes engraving the name into the barrel in a fancy script, an idea comes to mind. "Ilo."
"Yes?"
"You said this is the last gun you'll ever make."
"It is."
"…How about a ship?"
He looks up, arching a Turian eyebrow. "You have my interest."
…
…
With Invictus on my right thigh, and the belt around my waist with six cartridges, the seventh in the chamber, I can't help but see the stares my open carrying of a beautiful and deadly weapon garners.
Outside of the Med-Center, the rest of the squad is waiting, joined by a hulking form in crimson armor.
Wrex. His scarred visage is just as intimidating as I remember.
"Shepard. I see you picked up a follower?" I greet them easily.
She turns a wary eye on the Krogan near her. "More like a brief companion. He's just coming with us to deal with someone named Fist, apparently he betrayed the Shadow Broker for Saren."
"Really now?" I mutter. Well, no one ever said Fist was smart. "So, we're going to storm Chora's Den and take his dumb ass out?"
Wrex grunts out a short chuckle. "Yep. I'm getting paid handsomely to do so, as well."
"You sound like you've dealt with him before." Tara says as we head for the door.
"I did. A eight months or so back, he was harassing a friend of mine, so I broke his leg and threatened to kill him if he didn't leave her alone." I relay, tapping the door. "It was the doctor here, ironically enough."
As the door slides open, I see what I'm expecting to see. Three thugs, one with a visor over his left eye holding Chloe at gunpoint.
…But where's Garrus?
They notice us entering and the lead thug grabs Chloe and faces us. "Don't move! One more step and-"
The red-headed doctor shoves her elbow into the thug's stomach, ducking under his arm and twisting it behind his back, holding him in front of herself as a shield.
I draw Invictus, point it at the closest thug and pulling the trigger.
The thunderous boom echoes through the room as the slug tears through his weak shields and rips through his body like tissue paper, sending his corpse into the wall. The next slug causes the other thug's head to evaporate in a cloud of red.
I twirl my gun once and place it on my thigh, approaching Chloe who kicks the lead thug's legs out from underneath him, forcing him to his knees. "Good job, Doctor."
She looks up from the struggling man, his arm twisted in such a way that the barrel of his pistol is pointed at the back of his head. "Saul!" She says in surprise. "I didn't know you were back!"
"Yes I am. I see those self-defense lessons have come in handy, though you might want to let go, he's-" The thug's gun goes off, splattering his brains on the floor. Chloe yelps and drops the corpse to the floor, jumping back.
"-about to pull the trigger." I finish, quite late.
The doctor sighs and wipes her hands on towel. "Thanks for helping me," Chloe says, flashing a brief smile and stepping forward to hug me and press a small kiss to my cheek. "I'm glad you came by when you did. Those were Fist's men."
Shepard steps up. "Do you know why he sent that after you?"
She shakes her head. "No, not really."
"Did you know that Fist was an Agent of the Shadow Broker?" Zaira prods carefully.
"Of course…wait, 'was'? Did Fist betray the Shadow Broker?" Chloe asks worriedly.
Shepard nods and the doctor panics. "Oh no." She mumbles, running a hand through her hair. "I sent a Quarian his way earlier, she said she had information on some Spectre and she was willing to sell it to the Shadow Broker. I didn't know Fist changed sides!"
I trade looks with Zaira and nod. "Another reason to get to Chora's Den. Chloe, I'll see you later and I'll take responsibility for the bodies, too!" I yell back, the squad running out of the Med-Center.
"Hey, Saul, two things." Zaira starts, jogging along easily.
"Yes?"
"Is there anyone the Citadel you don't know?" She asks rhetorically. "And two: where did you get that gun? And where can I get one?"
"You can't this is the only one. And no, you can't try it out."
"Aww…"
….
….
….
A/N: And that's that. Next chapter, storming Chora's Den and dealing with Fist, as well as meeting a certain Quarian Engineer.
Nearly a hundred reviews within three chapters, I must be doing something right.
I really don't have much to say this time around.
Notes: Invictus: It's a hand-cannon. It goes boom and things die. The science behind it is mostly Destiny with Mass Effect, and the name "Invictus" means "Unconquerable" in Latin, and does reference the poem of the same name.
Ilo is an original character. An old Turian who designed weapons, with Invictus being his last. He's meant as a cool old guy and that's about it, except for the ship in the future, which will be just as cool/crazy as Saul is.
Read, Review and Enjoy.
Stay Awesome.
~Soleneus
P.S.: If you want a visual for Invictus, look up Hawkmoon. They're similar, but there are differences.
Stay Awesome Some More.
~still Soleneus
