Huntress – Dirty Laundry

Chapter 4

Bagging Bitches & Digging Ditches

(this title was actually a joke between my editor & I & I ended up keeping it)

Dumbfounded by the idea, Luka stood with gaping mouth at her leader. The senior huntress took advantage of the commando's stunned silence to plant her seed a little deeper. Hoping not to see the supreme ruler again, the veteran huntress added, "Surely you don't know the Queen of Omega very well." The Eclipse sisters shrugged nervously and Vanessia knew doubt was beginning to spawn. She held her confident composure, praying her most junior maiden was not turning five shades of blue at the mere mention of the great asari matriarch.

"Bullshit!" spat Luka. The young commando had recovered her voice but also remained cautious, continuing her rant from behind her activated armor. "Aria would never allow you to roam free on Omega."

Vanessia ignored her outburst and turned to the Eclipse leader, further aggravating Luka. The senior huntress did not respect the mouthy upstart as an equal, choosing instead to address Ester. "We are conducting top secret business on her behalf." Motioning towards the direction they were headed before being stopped Vanessia revealed, "Are you willing to bet your life and some petty crates of red sand that Aria doesn't know everyone who comes and goes on Omega?" Further driving her point, Vanessia added, "…and she certainly went out of her way to get help from the republics."

Quicker than expected, Luka shot back in a tone saturated with defiance worthy of a commando who had not yet earned her stripes, "Aria doesn't need the republic's help. Those damn fools."

Vanessia continued with nothing but absolute conviction in her voice, "Look you can argue politics all day long, but the factis that the person we were sent after is getting away. And if they do, because you delayed us... well, let's just say I pity your loved ones." The senior commando knew Ester was a survivor and didn't think she'd force the issue with the huntresses but Vanessia also felt it never hurt to close an argument with a good visual. "Have you ever seen what happens to someone who interferes with Aria's plans? I hope they will be able to identify your bodies; or should I say what's left of them."

Ester frowned as she contemplated the variables. Still belligerent to her captain and lover, Luka whined, "You're not going to believe this crap are you commander? Aria would never allow a squad of commandos to roam her station unescorted."

"Don't you think I know that?" snapped her commanding officer. Striking a pose as she pressed her index finger to her lips, Ester calculated the odds very carefully, "Yet here they are." The senior Eclipse Sister began to pace quickly. This new cadence was much faster than the one before when she felt she was in control of the situation. Now that a new angle, suddenly putting her at a disadvantage, revealed it's ugly face the experienced commando evaluated what her next move would be.

Knowing that her senior huntress' plan was working and they most likely were going to get out of their predicament, Aleris restlessly whispered to her leader. "We can't just walk away. What they are doing is wrong. They are going to kill those women over there." Pointing at the shuttle, the maiden pleaded her case absentmindedly allowing her octave to rise, "Look they already killed that turian!"

Silencing the fervent huntress from getting any louder, her mentor grabbed her arm, "That is not our priority and not our business. This is Omega Aleris - not home. We are not even in asari space."

Catching the tail end of the conversation, the Eclipse Lieutenant chimed a little too confidently, "Bet your sweet ass you aren't."

The youngest huntress pleaded in protest, "But Huntress Atalaya, how can we just walk away? I know this is not a part of our mission but does this not also go against our honor code?"

Knowing the elite huntress warriors were significantly more skilled than commandos, who trained nearly a decade less than they did, Luka raised her weapon, still bent about flunking out of the specialized training, "Huntress – dumptress. I say we kill them."

The Eclipse leader halted her pacing and with an open hand hit her junior officer hard in the chest, holding her back. "Now wait a minute. Let's not be too rash." Slowly the Eclipse leader turned to face the senior huntress. "Did she say Huntress Atalaya?...You wouldn't be the great Atalaya from the House of Tarrigon who studied under Garavana?

Surprised to hear that name from her past and unsure of where this line of questioning was going, Vanessia languidly nodded yes.

Ester slowly circled the commando unit before abruptly halting in front of the huntress leader. Deep in thought, the yellow armored warrior patted her closed lips with the tip of her index finger silently appraising the amethyst asari. Suddenly, the mercenary matron rocked onto the back of her heels, and proudly declared, "I too studied under Mistress Garavana. She used to regale us with stories of your exploits."

The Eclipse captain surprised everyone with her declaration, and like a child anxious to share her secret, excitedly continued, "You captured Hontoi and stopped the battle of Kopek Sol... Impressive stuff." Attempting to reign in her hero worship of Huntress Vanessia, Ester relaxed her posture and smacked Luka in the arm as she boasted, "Her team was even responsible for the fall of one of their own, Sentari or something like that...Yeah ,left her in a ditch with the other trash." The mercenary leader turned back to look at her subordinate with that last statement.

Luka, still massaging her arm from Ester's blow, totally missed her lover's subtle warning. Surprised at how coy her leader now was with the intruders she spat, "How do you know all this Ester?"

Waving her hand like she were swatting away a insect, Captain Rabbi proclaimed, "Not now Luka." Her eyes locked on to Vanessia's as a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "It's time for the grown ups to talk sweetie."

The annoyed lieutenant huffed and was about to protest when her superior officer's single digit rocking slowly back and forth silenced the maiden for good. "Not a word. We are amongst a legend, lieutenant. Or perhaps you'd rather enjoy the comforts of a ditch?"

Realizing the tables had decidedly turned in their favor, Vanessia said, "Well now you know why Aria obtained our services." Internally, the senior huntress expressed a mountain of gratitude to Lady Garavana and thought she really needed to send her a e-mail for continuing to boast about her star pupil from centuries ago.

Shifting her weight to one side, showing off a cool and confident but subtle swagger, Vanessia nonchalantly strolled over to Contessa and casually placed her hand on her shoulder as she spoke, "As you can understand, our presence here needs to be as low key as possible."

Aleris' conscience got the better of her, "What about them?!"

Ignoring the knelt captives, Captain Rabbi snapped, "What about them?" Looking to Vanessia like a big sister, the asari merc asked the senior huntress, "Do you think I should let them go?"

Vanessia peered behind Ester at the shuttle's crew once more. "Did they wrong you?"

Letting out an exasperated huffed before answering, Ester sneered, "Hell yeah they did."

In a calm and knowing tone, Vanessia questioned, "What would Matriarch Garavana do?"

Crossing her arms without a second to waste, the Eclipse leader snapped thinking exactly what her formidable mentor actions would have been had someone wronged her. "Kill them."

To her team's surprise, Vanessia's only reaction was a subtle glance in the commando's direction, one not lost on the Eclipse leader. For a few moments her squad exchanged a few wary glimpses until their senior officer spoke up, nudging her head towards the distance, "May we?"

It did not take much time for the huntress's adversary to reply. "Very well, you can go," and as quickly as it had started; it ended. The deadly commando leader had no further interest in continuing her confrontation with the equally deadly huntresses.

After Ester said they could leave, Luka gave herself whiplash looking back at her captain. "But..." she was immediately silenced by her senior officer. "...working for…" the maiden's loose tongue tried again before being silenced by a stern look from her lover.

Speaking more to the asari squad in front of her than the lieutenant, the tanzanite asari revealed, "Working for Aria or not – I cannot prove; however what I do know is that even with eight of my sisters, I know better than to tangle with the great Huntress Vanessia of Tarrigon." Ester paused a bit longer before moving closer to the royal blue matron. Staring Vanessia in the eye, she reached out and addressed her in an ancient, yet respectful, warrior greeting, "May Goddess Athame smile upon you always my sister."

The women's forearms locked snugly in a cohesive and traditional manner, like a type of handshake before completing their exchange. Shocking even her own lover Contessa; the senior huntress, almost choking out the last part replied, "And to you…my sister."

The two women broke free and bowed their heads indicating the confrontation was over. Vanessia began to herd her team to the closest exit possible when Ester called out again. "And Huntress!"

Vanessia causally spun around partially expecting all hell to break loose, "Yes…?"

Practically walking backwards as if she were about to speak of the weather, the yellow clad warrior shouted, "May I have your word… that you will not mention this encounter to Aria?"

Glancing back at the shuttle, the respected matron replied, with a smirk dangerously close to a smile, "You have it. Aria will not know of this event from my lips."

The huntress's team quickly scattered out of sight and behind the door of a cargo elevator. By the time their leader entered the cargo elevator half the room was already heaving or bent over trying to catch their breaths at how close they had just come to death.

In the elevator, Shayla revealed, "I'm glad we didn't have to fight them."

Almost breathless herself Contessa questioned, "Why is that?"

Pressing her back against the side wall, the vanguard revealed, "When I was younger I almost joined the Eclipse Sisters. They were like heroines to me. It would have been…." The maiden paused choosing her words carefully. "… difficult." The maiden finally stammered.

After the large crate door closed, their illustrious leader surprised the unsuspecting squad adding, "Me too; when I was 82." Thoroughly checking over her weapon, the veteran huntress revealed, "That could have easily been me in a different time or place if I had followed a different path."

In that moment, Contessa knew exactly how hard it would have been to fight the Eclipse Sisters, not just physically but for her team mentally as well. They were all skilled professionals and although they were on opposite sides, they shared the common bond of mutual respect for what they chose to do for a living.

Watching her teammate Shayla wince as she leaned against the wall, Aleris waved her hands wildly in the air as if she were fanning a fire. "Oh goddess that was too close. I don't know what I was more scared of coming face to face with those Eclipse Sisters, or Aria."

A brief chuckle was had by everyone as they all replied in unison, "Aria!"

Mashing the button a few more times, as if that would make the lift rise faster, Vanessia leaned heavily against the back wall forcing out a deep breath of relief. "Just another day as a Huntress."