Told you I would update sooner this time! Hope you enjoy this one! Once again thank you to those who have taken the time to read and those who review! You guys fuel me!
CHAPTER SEVEN - Divided
"That's what separates us, Shepard. Where you see a means to destroy, I see a way to control–" The Illusive Man
Nitall released a sigh thick with apprehension and relief as she finished her hail with the Thessia docking police. Normally the Asari Councillor would reside on the Citadel but with the station in ruins she had returned to her home world for the time being. She was surprised that the Councillor had accepted their request for an audience on short notice. However, the more that she thought about it the more it made sense. Every culture was in a sad state right now; their armies were wounded, their resources depleted, and many cities in ruins. No one really wanted to upset another species right now and risk that they weren't as under the weather as everyone else.
She then wondered about Zharia; would the asari want to step out onto the planet and face them? She dared not imagine. Zharia's mind was a mystery to her. Nitall knew her to be stoic, brave and harsh; yet she'd also seen her be compassionate, generous and understanding. She wasn't sure what built her to be that way and wasn't really sure she wanted to know. She liked just knowing that the asari was whatever she needed to be depending on the situation. Somehow that made her even more difficult to predict.
As she slowed the ship even more and turned it to dock Zharia made her way onto bridge. Her face was solemn and unreadable as she approached Janix's side. Surprisingly Zhorn hadn't followed her up.
"I want to lead the shore party," Zharia announced the minute Janix looked over at her.
The salarian looked at her sympathetically before asking, "Are you sure?"
"Yes." Her devotion didn't waver and he saw the silent plea in her eyes behind the show of strength.
Janix considered her for a moment but he finally relented. A part of him wanted to glue her to the ship and protect her from her own brazenness but he knew that confronting her problems was very important to her. "Very well Zharia. But I need Garrus to go with you to talk to Samara. Who else would you like to choose?"
"Grunt," she answered after a moment of thought.
The decision surprised Janix; he would have guessed that Zharia would have requested himself or Raythe. Someone who was familiar with her past. He then acknowledged that that was exactly what she was trying to avoid. She didn't want someone there who would coddle her and protect her; she wanted to fight her own battles.
"Are you sure?" He understood but his concern made it hard for him to not push the issue a little bit.
"Positive," she replied before she turned her gaze out the view screen to watch her home slowly get closer and closer.
Grunt found his decision to accompany them onto the surface of Thessia to be a mistake. The Asari Councillor approached the small group with an elevated sense of elegance that filled his nose with the unpleasant stink of arrogance. He was not a fan of the asari; most of them were too squishy and high up on themselves. They shouldn't be. He found that it was too easy to make them squeal like pyjaks even when they thought they were so tough. His nostrils flared taking in each scent that surrounded them. The councillor and her bodyguard reeked of self assured importance; it was a bitter taste mixed with overconfidence and a haughty pride. Yet there was a tang of fear that overpowered it all. After a deeper inhale his gaze turned to the asari beside him. Her body practically vibrated with the scent of fear and anticipation. It hadn't even been this powerful when she had faced the thresher maw. Her body language hid it well so he doubted greatly that the other asari would even know what kind of effect they were having on her.
"You must be the Astrea party that my dock manager informed me about," the councillor greeted them graciously as she approached. "What brings a vessel like yours to Thessia?" Though the question seemed simple Grunt could hear the undertones laced through the words 'like yours' that were filled with disgust and contempt. Of course they would feel like that; a cargo vessel of anything less than pure asari crew was far beneath them.
Garrus waited for a moment to see if Zharia would speak up but when she kept silent he stepped forward as leader. "We request permission to speak with one of your justicars."
"Surely you know that we do not pull our justicars off of their designated missions," she told them and Grunt's eyes narrowed as he watched her tilt her head up to physically turn her nose up at them. "I can take your request and pass it on but I'm afraid that for now that is all I can do. You must understand that the asari people have suffered a great loss and the justicars are doing their best to help our culture."
"Everyone has suffered a great loss," Garrus informed her coldly. It was obvious by the tone in his voice he was picking up on the Asari's snide attitude.
"Please," the counsellor asked as she raised her hands to silence him. "This is no time for pettiness. The concept of 'great' is in the eye of the preceptor. The issue still stands that we cannot spare one of our justicars to whatever your cause is at the moment."
Garrus had to take a deep breath in order to maintain his professional disposition in front of them and Grunt could see Zharia's body vibrating with rage.
"All we're asking for is an audience with Samara," Garrus repeated with a strained voice.
"And I have already told you she is otherwise occupied."
It was obvious the asari councillor had no intention on budging on the matter. The justicar code would mean that if they had a worthy cause then Samara would be obligated to assist in the matter as long as it was of greater importance than her next goal. They could not expect her to disregard her current mission but they could ask that when she was done she join theirs. The counsellor seemed to acknowledge this as well and worried that Samara might become unavailable to them.
The counsellor cleared her throat hiding the gesture with a delicately formed hand. "If this is all we can help you with today then I must ask that you depart. I have other important matters to return to."
"The Justicar will not like that you've kept us from her," Zharia announced as she finally found courage in the back of her throat.
The asari councillor regarded Zharia's boldness with a cold contempt. "You really think so?"
Zharia's voice caught in her throat again and Garrus stepped up. "We know so."
Grunt observed Zharia curiously trying to figure out if she had been trying to bluff their way into an audience or if she truly knew something they didn't.
"Please enlighten us," the councillor dared as she crossed her arms in a challenging manner.
A silence fell over the small party and the counsellor, for all her graces, smiled victoriously. Garrus turned to Zharia for the knowledge on the asari people that he didn't hold. Though like most turians his features were harsh she found comfort in his eyes as they regarded her kindly. In them she found his motivations and his reasons; she found his love. She had heard many a rumor that Shepard had found love in her crew but seeing the look in his eyes she knew it was much more than that. Love stirred in with a desperate hope and a forlorn longing lit the delicate flame behind his blue eyes. And at this moment they begged with her to help him save Shepard.
Just like that all her negative emotions drained away as if he had just opened a window and released them. Her inner demons silenced and slid back into the shadows where they waited to die and she turned to face the counsellor with a new boldness in her shoulders. Lost in her past, in her fear, in her anger, she had almost forgotten how many futures were truly at stake.
"The Justicars are sworn to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. Their entire life is based around this simple principle. Every oath they take reflects this; they are sworn to obey it." Zharia tilted her head in a way that allowed the shadows to snake their way around her facial tattoo and adding a foreboding feeling to her appearance. "I highly doubt that a Justicar would find much reason for even a councillor to stand in the way of that."
Grunt chuckled deeply. Bluff or not the sudden tingle of dread that he saw course through the councillor's eyes was real enough.
A smile cautiously snaked its way back onto the councillor's lips. "Please don't fool yourself. Justicars only operate in the best interests of the asari people."
"So you're admitting that when she hears of our request nothing will change." Zharia's grin curled the corners of her mouth and she raised her eye brow temptingly. "Samara joined Shepard's cause when the Collectors attacked. That was a mission started in the interest of humans but Samara was able to see the greater picture." She had placed her facts and now needed to appeal to the asari pride. "Counsillor, you are a kind and just asari. You have proven to be the voice of reason for many years on the citadel council. I know you are scared for your people's safety but this front is not you. We are asking to speak with merely one justicar not to be allowed access to the entire asari fleet." Memories swam through her and she found one bubbled through her lips persuasively before she could stop it. "You once told me that having power sometimes means having to make the tough decisions that no one likes. That sometimes players, no matter how important they are, must be sacrificed for the greater good."
The councillor held her gaze for a moment and a slow glaze of recognition swam through her features. Grunt felt the wave of regret come over her and he could see the pity paint itself across her features. Whoever Zharia had been before she went to the Astrea she was now obviously a great sense of upset for the counsellor.
"T'Leon," the counsellor acknowledged. "It has been sometime."
"Madame Counsellor," Zharia greeted in return as if they were just meeting.
"I almost didn't recognise you." The features stumbled over the statement before she conceded with a small nod. "If you return to your ship I will send your information to Samara and she will contact you shortly." The councillor's voice had lost all its arrogance and filled a deeply found pity. "I cannot say she will agree to help you but I wish you the best of luck."
Grunt smelled the confusion of emotions that erupted from Zharia like someone had just thrust a handful of spices under his maw. He turned to look and her and wondered if that was the biotic energy that added that tang to the smell.
Without another word she spun on her heel to lead them back to the Astrea.
"I would be more than happy to assist in your plea Garrus," Samara told him in her usual sensual tone. "However, my code will not allow me to abandon my current mission. I shall contact you as soon as I am able. I hope that it is soon enough but you know I cannot promise anything."
"Of course I understand Samara," Garrus replied though his heart dropped with her response. He respected her greatly and knew that she would stay true to her word and help as soon as her mission was done. "I wish you well."
"Thank you. I am happy to hear that there is hope for your heart my friend. May the goddess smile upon your journey Garrus."
The transmission clicked out and Janix crossed his arms thoughtfully. "I feel like we're going Mako."
Garrus looked at him curiously. "Care to share with the rest of the class?"
"Mako," Janix repeated. "You remember those poorly crafted infantry vehicles the Alliance designed? Have you ever had to try and drive one?"
Garrus couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of the Mako. That terrible piece of human engineered crap. "I never drove one but I had many an experience being a passenger. I'm surprised I didn't suffer any permanent brain damage..." As if checking just in case Garrus scratched the back of his neck behind his fringe.
Janix laughed at the idea. "So you've experienced firsthand the fact that they handle like a drunken elcor with wheels for feet." Garrus found the analogy oddly accurate. "When I say we're going Mako I'm saying that I feel like we're just going in circles getting stuck against walls, struggling to get out, and then getting stuck on another wall again. What I mean to say is even though we're going forward we're not actually going anywhere." Had paced around the galaxy map to his personal terminal where he drew up all the dossiers they had left. "We've attempted to recruit four people so far and out of those four only two have joined the cause. The other two will join when they can."
"So what we need is a contingency plan," Garrus deduced.
"Do you have something in mind?"
"No," Garrus admitted. "But I will. I'll abide by the same deadline you gave Feron." His mind reeled; now that the deadline was on himself as well it felt like far too long. It felt like Shepard wouldn't be able to wait that long. "Or I'll come up with something else."
Janix tilted his head curiously. "You were the one that decided on the Far Rim..."
"I know, and I stand by that decision," he replied though he feared he wasn't as convicted as should have been.
"I do have a question though as our plans differed slightly," Janix began and Garrus nodded for him to continue. "Why not contact the Alliance? They hold a majority of Shepard's old crew and would offer plenty of help. Shepard was humanity's hero."
"No," Garrus answered simply. "We would have an army. But not only would we have an army we couldn't control but we'd have no chance of actually saving Shepard. It's like the Collector base; we need a small team to infiltrate if we want to save Shepard."
"Just curious," Janix replied wistfully as his mind began to curl around potential infiltration plans.
The sounds of rage distracted Grunt on the way to his quarters and his brow ridge furrowed in confusion and frustration. He followed the noises to find Zharia in her room erupting with furious biotic energy.
"We got what we needed what's your problem," Grunt demanded. "Or is this some sort of squishy female thing?"
"That bitch," Zharia ranted as if she hadn't heard him. "With her fake fucking pity!" She threw her arm out to the side and a biotic lash tore through her bed as if it were tissue paper.
Her mind reeled in aggravation. She went ashore to face the asari counsellor for the first time in years but her mind couldn't decide what it had been searching for. What sort of reaction had she wanted and why was the counsellor's obvious remorse making her so angry. Didn't she want her to feel bad for what she'd done? She spoke to her by name; she'd obviously recognised her. The only reason she had said she'd help them was in a pathetic attempt to make Zharia forgive her for what she'd done.
"I don't forgive you!" Zharia screamed as she clenched her fist and watched half of her bed explode into dust and shards.
She raised her fist ready to launch another assault when Grunt's hand latched onto her wrist to stop her. She turned to look at him her face twisted for sadness and rage. Without hesitation her barrier flew up and launched him a few feet away from her where he gathered his footing.
"Don't touch me," she threatened.
He stared her down for a moment and he watched the biotic energy swirl around her hands. The patterns it weaved in the air were both dangerous and seductive as she stared him down with a look that should have curdled his blood.
Memories raced around in Zharia's head lashing out to be freed. Those words she spoke to the counsellor; a part of her still resented them. Even as she stared down the Krogan her hands trembled as her finger delicately traced her eyelid to feel the cold dead synthetic parts beneath.
Blood drizzled from her lips in a vivid contrast to the blue of her skin as her dark blue eyes blinked rapidly in a small attempt to keep herself conscious. Her heart pounded in her ears and she groaned trying to drown it out. Pain coursed through her blood and filled her brain with a constant throbbing.
Simply for the sake of futility she struggled against her restraints once more only to be met with a warning shock. It burned her already callused wrists and air hissed between her teeth as she grit them against the pain.
"Stop squirming," one of the vorcha commanded with a scratchy hiss as he leaned into her face breathing a stale odour of blood and fire.
This plan had gone horribly wrong and her mind raced around it. Everything had seemed to be flawless when her and Janix had discussed it. The turians had requested the help of each council member's species after they had learned that the vorcha had stumbled across a plant on their home that when boiled released a pungent smell that was fatal to turians. The turian primarch was afraid to send his own people and risk their destruction but it seems it may have led to theirs. After the separation Janix's plan was simple. The salarians had come equipped with explosives that they planned to plant around warehouse and burn the whole shipment and forest. Then she just had to go and fuck up...
"Now tell! Tell us what you want here!" The vorcha slashed at her face leaving trails of blood along her jaw line and drawing her out of her own thoughts.
Her head spun away from the motion but his claws were sharp enough to not be ignored. Zharia's jaw stayed clenched holding in every bit of information.
It was the first thing she'd learned as a commando; you never cracked under the pressure. Besides, she was here of her own fault. She wouldn't get herself caught and reveal information all in the same day. If she'd been more careful she wouldn't be trapped. But she'd been overly arrogant and impatient and gotten herself noticed while planting the bomb that Janix had given her. Now she was sure now that that mistake would cost her her life. However Zharia was strong and bold; she knew though that if this was her time to go she would do it with all the dignity of the Asari people.
"Go fuck a varren," she hissed back through her grit teeth.
The vorcha howled in rage and recoiled from her before it began pacing as thoughts ran rampant through its head. Zharia chuckled at the creature as she could practically see the smoke pouring from its ears. As if her laughter had sparked the light in its mind the vorcha turned on a dime. It closed the distance between them and the pack began to crowd around as they saw the idea light behind his eyes.
The vorcha grinned at her baring even more of its soiled lengthy teeth. It curled its claw out again and this time dragged it carefully along her face to end in the corner of her eye. She looked at him carefully as her dark blue eyes scanned his for intention but all she could find was maliciousness.
"Know you here for plant," his voice rasped against her skin. "Think need to send something to Asari. So they know to start minding own business."
Despite all her training, all her pride, all her convictions, a scream erupted from the darkest depths of her lungs and soul. It tore through her chest as sharply the vorcha's claw tore through her flesh. She felt the pull through her mind and her scream became guttural as tears of pain began to fall from her eyes. The salt in her tears burned at the fresh wound only causing more tears to bubble up and another scream poured out of her. Blackness overcame her and she didn't even bother to fight it hoping that she could use it to hide from the agony.
"T'Leon!"
The voice tugged on her mind through the pain pulling her back to reality before slowly being drowned out through the ocean that cloaked her senses. She hadn't even noticed that the vorcha was no longer near her; that the smell of blood was not only her own. How long had she been out? Minutes? Hours? She couldn't imagine that they would have kept her alive for days but maybe.
A hand pulled at her shoulder and her head lulled back and she fluttered her lids to try and see who was there but the pain burned through her.
"Holy shit," the salarian voice breathed in horror. "He took the whole thing out...Janix we need medical attention here!"
Zharia could never remember how much time had passed after Janix's squad had found her as between blackouts her senses were beyond fuzzy. When she had finally come to she was surrounded by a chaos of noises that confused her senses but she was able to hear two voices clearly over the others.
"I'm starting to think you had the right idea when you left the STG Mordin." It sounded like Janix but she couldn't be a hundred percent sure in her groggy state.
"Know I did. Help needed this way now. Can help with guns still; but not necessary right now. What's necessary is clinic here." His tone was fast but the salarian accent was very obvious.
"Yeah I'm not like you though. I have no talent like that."
"Not true. Knew you outside of field; had good heart. You talent was in people. Reminded me of home."
"Heh, thanks Mordin."
Zharia wanted to open her eyes but as she started moving a gentle hand rested on her shoulder. "Keep eyes closed. Socket not fully healed yet. Will take time before you can open eyes without pain. Suggest having Asari come escort you home."
"Y-Yes of course," she said slowly finding her voice in the darkness. It was a strange feeling not being able to see what was going around her or the people she was talking to. The sounds filled her mind and she tried to piece them together like puzzle. There were a lot of voices to sift through and the delicate clink of tools. The smells were musky and pungent but she still couldn't put anything together.
"Janix?" She was almost certain it was him that she had heard but she couldn't tell.
"Yes?"
"Where am I?"
"I took you to Omega," he admitted. "I know it doesn't seem like much but it was the closest place I knew we could find you proper medical help. An old friend of mine runs a clinic here."
"Mordin Solus," came the other salarians voice again. His voice was a higher tone than Janix's but still filled with the same kindness she had heard before. "Former STG. Pleasure to meet you."
"Thank you," she said to both of them.
"Of course," Mordin replied first. "How do you feel?"
"I seem to be having some trouble seeing doctor," she replied with her voice caked in sarcasm. "And I've got one hell of a headache."
Janix couldn't help but laugh at Zharia's brazenness considering her situation. A smile cracked the corner of her mouth and he watched it disappear quickly as pain shocked through her features.
Mordin smiled. "Good to hear humor still intact." He turned to Janix and nodded formally to his old acquaintance. "Nice to see you again Janix. Must attend to other patients now. Will get assistant to come over and apply bandages. Take care."
"You too." Janix reached out to shake Mordin's hand but the salarian had already turned to make his way into other branches of the clinic. They had never been close even when they worked together but Janix knew that Solus was a good soul he could always count on.
"Would you mind making the call for me?"
Janix turned back to Zharia almost forgetting what she had been talking about. "Yes of course."
Janix placed his fingers gently on her arm; he was unsure of how to comfort her but hoped the slightly contact would help her feel not so alone in her potentially blind state. The transmission went through the usual screening channels until it final was allowed to reach the councillor.
"T'Leon," the councillor began. "It is good to see you are alive. Your crew was not terribly hopeful. They had seen you taken by the vorcha and feared the worst."
"I cannot say that I would have blamed them," Zharia admitted calmly. Her brow furrowed for a moment but pulled back when pain pulled through her eye. "I must admit I had thought I trained them better than to leave a man behind. I'm surprised they didn't call for help."
The silence that followed cloaked Zharia in a sense of worry. "They did."
"What?"
"T'Leon please understand that it was nothing personal. When you have as much power as I do that means that something being responsible for making the decisions that nobody likes. That sometimes players, no matter how important they are, must be sacrificed for the greater good."
"You...left me there?"
"Yes," she replied. "It was a very difficult decision especially when we received ...well when we received your eye along with the video transmission telling us to keep out of vorcha business."
"Goddess damn you," Zharia snapped out without hesitation. "They sent you my eye and you wouldn't help?!"
"There was no guarantee you were alive after that. It wasn't worth the risk to save you."
"No but it was worth risking the lives of my entire team to get in bed with the fucking turians."
Janix cut the call before it went much farther and Zharia turned her head away from the television as if that would cut out the memory of the sound.
"T'Leon," Janix began unsure of how to comfort her. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
Her hand wandered up and her fingertips gently brushed the surface of her eye and felt the awkward wrinkles of her eyelid without something to support it. Pain at the tenderness coursed through her head and pounded through her.
"What will you do now?"
"I don't know. I guess we'll see," she replied before mentally cursing her ironic choice of words. "Once I get bandaged up I guess I'll have to do some soul searching. But I think for now I'll stay on Omega until I figure it out."
"If you need anything T'Leon you can always call on me," Janix offered sincerely before he bid her good bye and pondered what to do with his own future.
Shepard's body felt weak and she couldn't help but wish that she could melt into the floor and just let her pain disappear with the air. She couldn't even recall all of the things that Cerberus had pulled from her in the past few days. Had it been days? She had to admit she really had no idea what the passage of time had been or how to count it from in here. One thing she knew for sure was that her hope for escape dwindled with each passing moment. With each moment she grew weaker and Cerberus grew closer to achieving their goal.
The sound of the door grabbed her attention but she couldn't find the strength to pull herself from the floor to see who it was.
"I see you haven't escaped yet."
The grunt meant it as a joke but she couldn't help but feel the sting of insult at the words. It was the same one she remembered speaking to earlier. It wasn't much but she found comfort in his company knowing that he treated her differently than the other soldiers.
"Not the right time," she told him. In truth she wasn't sure how she would pull it off. They made sure to keep her alive enough that she could survive their damned doctor but that she barely had enough energy to move.
"Well I would hurry if I were you."
She heard the fear leak through his teeth and finally found herself able to turn and look at him. She couldn't see his features behind his helmet but his hands were shaking as they placed the tray of food in front of her.
"Why do you want me to win?" She didn't want to tell him but she couldn't promise that if she were faced with an army of Cerberus troops she wouldn't put a shot between his eyes if he were there.
"Because I'm seeing what they're doing. More accurately I can hear it."
"Hear what?"
He looked around cautiously to make sure that none of his crew were around for this. He worried now more than ever that Cerberus' reach had exceeded its grasp. He held out his arm allowing his omnitool to light up and pulled an audio recording from its depths.
"It's beautiful. And you say we have complete control?"
"One hundred percent. I can perform the surgery within the next couple days."
"Is that really the soonest you can do?"
"It will take a lot of prep. If I can perform it sooner I will but I need to make sure everything is in order."
"Of course. I want no mistakes."
Something banged against glass and the sound that followed next was something heard only in nightmares. A scream erupted but not one of fear. Despite its obscenely high note it promised despair and horror as it echoed and swam through the air.
The grunt cut the transmission and Shepard's blood curdled in fear before she looked at him in pure wide eyed horror.
Slowly stumbling to find her voice she barely managed to ask, "Was...was that a Banshee?"