All sorts of emotions were running through Briony: excitement, nervousness, and annoyance. She had been selected to complete her testing to be an Acolyte and would be leaving soon to start her trial, but she would be doing it with Joquil, which added a sourness to it all.

As the aspirant readied herself for her trials, Briony looked around her room and was caught off guard when a wave of emotions struck her. The room itself was rather empty and plain and nearly identical to all the other rooms in the monastery: creamy white walls, a picture of Lucen and Athame, a mirror, a closet and a small bed fitted in light blue sheets covered by a matching quilt. It suddenly hit her, what made this place so unique and complete were the other Ardat-Yakshi that called the monastery their home. The realisation that there was a place for her, where she could excel and grow into her full potential completed her in a way that she had never known before.

I have found my home and for the first time, I know what I am destined to become.

Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, Briony allowed the emotion to fill her. Memories of her friends, the other students and the priestesses flooded her thoughts, adding to the moment.

I must focus on my task; it will not be easy and I have much to prepare for.

Pushing away from her comfort zone, Briony searched her memory for the meld with Diana Allers. A seriousness washed away the sentiment of her mood, as she concentrated on the knowledge that had been gained from another's mind. Her target's face appeared, clear and sharp in her mind: Breq, the volus. To her surprise, warmth and an almost innocent aura surrounded the memory of the volus. Without even realising it, his image caused Briony to smile.

What an interesting little creature.

Exhaling, Briony looked over her room one last time. I am ready for this! A calmness and clarity added to her more serious demeanour. It is almost time to go. Briony turned her back on her room and then headed to find Linnea, she still was smiling from her memory of the volus.


As soon as she entered the hallway leading to the common room, Briony could hear excited voices engaged in some sort of argument. Listening to the voices, it was obvious who the speakers were: Linnea and Joquil and Joquil seemed to be taking pleasure in reminding Linnea of her candidacy to become an Acolyte. I wonder if she will be so excited when she meets Harkin?

"I can't wait to use all of my new talents! That human will not know what hit him, when I am done with him." Joquil's voice was booming with excitement and anticipation of her kill.

Linnea rolled her eyes, "You know, I bet he would love it more if you were gaged!"

Joquil flared her biotics and in three large steps, crossed the room to Linnea. "You were not even selected!"

"Briony told me about your target and I am thankful that I was not selected!" Linnea kept her voice steady, but the words were tinged with venom.

"Really Joquil, try to contain yourself." Entering the room, Briony was struck by Joquil's appearance and her resemblance to Aria T'Loak. The girl was wearing a pair of tight, black leather pants with a matching leather tank top, but it was her eyes and the lust they carried that made her look truly like a predator. "This is serious and the results will have a major impact on our lives. We will either be Acolytes or... we will be dead."

Both Linnea and Joquil turned their attention to the newcomer; Linnea greeted her friend with a warm smile, while Joquil sneered maliciously.

With a wave of her hand, Joquil's confidence returned and she quickly dismissed the comment. "So serious! This is going to be fun and at the end, I will get to feel the demise of a human and I'll be an Acolyte! I do not worry about failure, as it is never going to happen."

"You should not be so cocky... dressing like Aria is not the same as being Aria." Briony crossed the room to stand next to Linnea, but her gaze did not move from Joquil.

Linnea looked closer at Joquil and burst out with laughter when she realised how much she did look like her mentor. "Geez Joquil, nice outfit! Do you want me to call Auntie Aria to see about getting you a matching leather jacket too?"

Joquil's cheeks flushed a deep shade of purple, as she turned quickly on the pair. "You were not even selected!" Anger and embarrassment could be heard in her tone of voice, as she attempted to recover from her lost ground. "How does it feel... to know that I am better than you, Linnea?" Joquil looked deeply into Linnea's eyes and narrowed her own; her voice was now full of taunting and spite.

Not backing down, Linnea stepped closer to Joquil, locked eyes and leaned into her face, so that her forehead was almost touching her rival's. "You will never be better than me or anyone here, Joquil."

Joquil's biotics flared again and this time, she used her energy to push Linnea back. Rage filled her eyes and in a move of dominance, stepped closer to Briony and brought her hand to the girl's crest. "You... you are afraid to fail. I can see it in you. You will never be as good as me or as powerful as I am."

Briony caught Joquil's hand and removed it from her face, "I am not fearful Joquil, rather I take this on as a responsibility and as a chance to evolve." Her expression was stern and confidence seemed to pour out of her. "You are a fool, Joquil M'Lesis."

The words were said with an assurance that they made Joquil stop and brought a small frown to her lips. All that Joquil could manage to do was fume and stare at the pair.

Recovering from the push, Linnea came to Briony's defence, "Don't let her get to you, Briony! Trust me... she's not worth the effort."

Briony stood taller and again addressed Joquil, "This is not a game... this is our chance to survive and to grow into what we could not be without the monastery... Ardat-Yakshi. We either evolve or we die... remember that."

Unknown to the girls, another person had entered the room and was watching the exchange. Upon hearing the final statement, a knowing smile came across the watcher's lips. "Aspirant M'Lesis and Aspirant D'Antea... it is time."

Joquil's body went stiff and her attention, like that of Linnea's and Briony's went directly to that of the speaker, Priestess T'Samri. "Time to go." She sneered at Linnea, turned her back to the asari and headed towards the Priestess.

Before Briony could join the others, Linnea caught her arm and lightly pulled her friend close. "You will succeed Briony, there is no doubt in my mind of this." The words were said just above a whisper, but held deep friendship and confidence in them.

A smile came to Briony's features, as she quickly returned the affection. "Thank you, Linnea. It is only a matter of time before your trials... Blessings of the Goddess be upon you, my sister."

They both nodded their goodbyes, as Briony hurried to catch up to T'Samri and Joquil.


Briony and Joquil each took their places on either side of Priestess T'Samri. Silence accompanied the group, as the students followed their teacher to the shuttle bay. Neither were allowed to take any possessions with them, only their knowledge and training would matter once they left the monastery.

The path lead them all through the gardens and the tranquility of the entryway. Waiting at the base of the statue of Lucen, stood the Matriarch. She watched as the party approached, with her normal stern expression. The Matriarch was wearing her formal robes and headdress, signifying the importance of the trials.

As they approached, they halted before both the statue and the Matriarch. "Aspirant M'Lesis and Aspirant D'Antrea... you have both demonstrated skills indicating that you are ready to take the next steps in your training." The Matriarch paused, as if to assess the reactions of her students.

Neither Joquil or Briony responded verbally, but both looked eagerly at Lucen. T'Samri touched their shoulders, indicating that they should kneel before both the statue of Lucen and Matriarch Lucen.

"The right of the Acolytes is a choice... should you wish to take this path, you must assert your commitment through the sacrifice of blood. To take this step comes with risk... for if you fail, you will forfeit your life." The Matriarch paused again to allow the weight of her words sink in and to also see the reactions of the students.

Both donned serious expressions at the reminder of what failure would cost, but neither student looked away from Lucen.

"Success though, will come with its own reward. One that only you can discover and one that will forever change your life. Aspirant M'Lesis, do you accept your trial?"

Joquil did not hesitate with her response and her excitement could be heard by all in the party, "Absolutely, Matriarch!"

Lucen brought her gaze to Joquil's face. She saw the girl's facade clearly, but also recognized the hunter hidden under the bravado. This one will either rise to the challenge or fail, but either way, she will do it loudly.

Lucen nodded her approval and then faced Briony. "Aspirant D'Antea, do you accept your trial?"

Briony, like Joquil did not hesitate, "I do, Matriarch." Her voice was steady and calm and her body language reflected the seriousness of what the trials represented.

Lucen looked deeper into Briony's eyes. Yes... she is indeed ready and understands her place. The Matriarch nodded once and then brought out a small dagger that had been hidden in her robes. "To start your journey, hold out your left hand, you will accept your trial with the sacrifice of blood."

The dagger was sharp, as the Matriarch first cut her own palm and then those of each of the Aspirants. Lucen grasped each of her student's hands, so that all of their blood mixed together. Her grip stayed firmly around each of the girls as she spoke, "You have now started the trial and accepted the blood oath of the Acolytes... Go with the Goddess and discover your paths." Lucen released her grip and stepped back.

Both Joquil and Briony remained silent, as they were guided to their awaiting shuttle. They were surprised to find that the transport was not empty, but that both Gelsey and Lasis were waiting for them.

"The Neophytes will help to evaluate your progress and also will serve to complete the job... should you fail." T'Samri spoke, as she took her place on the shuttle. "I will also serve as an observer for you both. Please take your seats, as we will be leaving soon."

Briony moved towards Gelsey and took a seat next to the window. She wanted to watch as the shuttle pulled away from the Monastery.

The engines fired and the occupants could feel the shuttle gently lifting off of the ground.

"This is it." Briony whispered the words and as she did, she felt the soft touch of her mentor take hold of her hand. I will succeed... I am ready.


Gelsey smiled fondly at the beautiful asari at her side, then linked arms as the pair strode confidently into the rustic-looking building before them, a strange sight in the otherwise modern spaceport at the outskirts of a place called Nottingham. She had no idea what a "British pub" was, but apparently the volus Breq did his business from the place, and one of the first things the girls were taught at the monastery was to blend into their surroundings.

As they entered, Gelsey realised that might be more difficult than she had originally imagined.

Inside, the dimmed lights could not hide the beautiful stone work of the walls, or the polished wood everywhere she looked. What appeared to be wooden barrels stood, end-up, in an irregular pattern across the floor, most with several humans sitting around them, using them as tables.

Naturally, the two stunning asari, clad in alluring dresses that revealed vast swathes blue curves and sensual flesh, drew a lot of attention from the mostly male clientele, but the pair ignored the lust-filled gazes as they sauntered to the barman, softly swaying their hips before leaning over the gleaming bar. Gelsey nodded at Briony, trusting her to take the lead. They had agreed their strategy on their way over here, and Briony was very confident in her ability to lure out her target.

Briony slowly shuffled onto one of the strange stools lining the bar, and reached over to slowly draw her finger down the phallic beer pump as she gave the human barman a coy smile. He seemed to be an older man, from what she could tell: the hair on his head and face was black speckled with silver, and there were wrinkles around his eyes.

"Hi there, me and my friend are..." Briony said, before pulling Gelsey in close to her, "new in town. What do you recommend?"

It wasn't strictly necessary, Briony knew, to play this little game. She was surprised the bartender's tongue wasn't already dropping from his mouth, but she wanted everything to be perfect. If anybody asked later, the pair would not just be asari who strode in and demanded to see Breq, but a couple of maidens who seemed to be in the mood for a little fun, and just happened to meet the volus: it was less suspicious. Playing the teasing but harmless little girl would inevitably lower suspicion.

"Ah..." the bearded bartender began, before shaking his head, trying to drag his gaze up from the pair's bodies. The poor man seemed to retreat into a professional persona before reeling off his next words. "We've got a fine range of traditional ales, ladies, if that's your thing, most of them brewed not more than a hundred miles from this very pub. If not, let me know what kind of drink you'd like and I'll point you in the right direction. First though, I'm afraid I have to ask, how old are you two?"

The unexpected question threw Briony's practiced persona for a second. She blinked, confused. "How old? What do you mean?"

"Ah... like it sounds, lass. I can't serve you unless you're over eighteen years old. They haven't gotten around to changing the law for aliens, so..." He shrugged helplessly, seeming to gain confidence as the asari were put on the back foot.

"How... strange..." Briony said, glancing at Gelsey, who shrugged. "Well, I am forty three years old."

"And I'm fifty seven," Gelsey added with a smile.

"...Huh." The bartender raised one bushy eyebrow, and again looked the pair over. "Well, you're looking good for it. Don't want to go causing some interspecies incident so I'll take your word, what can I get you?"

Trying her best to recover, Briony again leaned over the bar, giving the man a good view of her cleavage.

"We'll try your... ale... please, if it's as good as you say we'll be very grateful..." she trailed off with a suggestive grin. The man hurried off, eyes wide, to fetch their drinks as Briony whispered to Gelsey.

"Breq is in the corner. It looks like he's seeing somebody."

Gelsey nodded silently, pleased with Briony's awareness. She had not been obvious in scouting out the pub, and had picked up the only clue - the oddly stubby legs poking under the table - from the booth covered by a curtain in just a single glance. She was doing very well so far, and Gelsey waited to see how Briony wanted to proceed.

"We'll stay here until he's finished, and hope he comes to the bar for a drink. If he doesn't, I'll improvise." Briony's words were confident, and Gelsey again nodded without a word, before the bartender reappeared clutching two glasses full of an unappealing brown liquid. Both asari shot him a winning grin as the man carefully placed them on the bar before them.

"Here you are ladies, two pints of best bitter fresh from the barrel, tapped a new one just for you."

Briony had no idea what the man meant, but she smiled gratefully anyway as she ran a finger around the condensation on the glass. "That's very kind of you."

With slight caution, both Briony and Gelsey brought their glasses up to their lips... and took a sip.

Goddess, this is horrible! Briony had to resist scrunching her face instinctively - it was bitter, slightly warmer than she had expected... but as it ran across her taste buds she noticed what was actually a very subtle blend of flavours - some she recognised from the alien cuisine they were occasionally served on Lucen, some strange and new. She carefully took another drink, and this time the bitterness took a backseat to the flavours, allowing her to enjoy them more fully.

She smiled up at the barman. "What an intriguing taste!"

His honest grin pleased the asari as he responded. "Beer's been brewed in this country as long as it's been here. Englishmen would drink it 'cos they knew it'd be cleaner than the water before we invented proper sewage an' pipes for getting the clean stuff."

How curious. Apparently the species had invented alcoholic beverages before ensuring a clean water supply. Briony smiled sweetly. "Thank you for the history, sir."

The man grimaced, a hint of red touching his cheeks. "Name's Nigel, please don't be calling me 'sir', reminds me of my time with the bloody Alliance... mind if I ask what two lovely asari are doing patronising my pub? Not that I'm complaining at all, just normally see you heading to the glitzier joints down the way."

Gelsey smiled, seeing the curtain hiding Breq twitch out of the corner of her eye - Briony would need to give that her attention, while she kept the barman busy. "We were visiting this magnificent planet, and our shuttle is departing shortly. We decided we would rather see a traditional human establishment than a bar similar to those you can find anywhere."

Briony turned slowly as she heard Gelsey distracting the barman, to see a human female flushed red quickly slink away from the booth, and a volus who could only be her target roll out of his seat, and strut towards the bar. Perfect.

Before she could even say anything, the volus heaved himself up onto a stool, and Briony saw one of the eye holes in his suit darken for a second in what could only be a wink. "Welcome... Goddess of the Thessia clan! I had not expected to see... such a wondrous sight before me... on this otherwise dull day!"

The volus dipped his head as best he could - the motion looking more like his entire rotund body orbiting on the spot - and Briony smiled a predator's smile. This would be easier than she thought.


"Yer friend's an odd'un."

Gelsey slowly turned her head back from the softly swaying form of Briony, leaving the pub hand-in-hand with a waddling Breq, who was still spouting cute devotion to the asari who had played him like a chamber instrument.

The elder asari hoped that it would not be a problem. Whilst the volus' adoration made it easy for Briony to ply her charms, she suspected her pupil might actually be fond of the unusual alien. It was easy to take the life of one you hated: less so one you genuinely cared for... but this was all part of the test. Gelsey's own preference was not to get too attached to her targets; to use her knowledge to the fullest extent, and see her target as a means to test these skills. But she was not there to judge the way Briony approached her work; all of the monastery's students did their duty differently. Her task was simply to guide, support and, when Briony had finished, assess.

She turned back to the barman, knowing she had to distract him a while longer. "That she is, Nigel. But I am sure you know we asari do not see love and sex as limited by such meaningless boundaries as species."

The man flushed a deeper red, and began pulling at his collar. "Erm, yeah... I'd heard somethin' of the sort."

Gelsey leaned forwards. "Some asari even share sex as humans might share a handshake, simply a way to greet friends. Anybody, whether asari, volus or human could benefit from such an outlook. Even... you."

"Ah... does that mean... ah..." He began sweating profusely. "It's just that... I mean... I've got a wife, and..."

As he trailed off helplessly, Gelsey decided the poor man had suffered enough. She sat back, reigning in her own arousal and the undoubtedly potent pheromones that were filling the room. She chuckled. "Don't worry, Nigel, I would never wish to impose on another's bonding. We can talk about something else, if you like."

The man sagged with relief. "Greatly appreciated, love." He shook his head. "I swear to God something in this room's scramblin' my brains. I can't... hell, now I'm just wondering how the hell yer friend's going to... well... anything, with good Sir Breq."

The man eyed her curiously. "Not that I want to make assumptions, but have you ever... you know..."

Gelsey grinned at the man's badly worded question. She pushed her empty glass towards the bar. The sisters of her monastery were generally dissuaded from drinking, even when it was required as part of the seduction process, but asari metabolisms were stronger than humans and the "beer" seemed to be quite weak. Besides, I think I actually quite like it.

As the man took the glass, she shot him a winning smile, but kept any trace of seduction from her eyes. "You'd have to try harder than that to offend me, Nigel. No, I have never personally enjoyed the taste of Irune... but I am not unfamiliar with how it works. Would you like me to explain it to you?"

Nigel scratched his greying beard, then set to pulling both Gelsey and himself a new pint. He suspected this would be worth a tale or two to his future customers. "Go on then lass, enlighten me. The next round's on me, I've got a feeling this story's gonna be a doozy."


Briony beamed affectionately at the volus waddling just above her waist level, striding proudly towards his apartment. She had not thought one of his species capable of exuding such pure, sexy, confidence, but the odd little man had put her in such a pure, innocent good mood, one unlike any she had experienced for some time at the monastery.

"And then what?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Thessia-Goddess... I would not dare... to assault your unspoiled mind with such things!"

She hip bumped him, well aware that the gesture put her pert ass near enough into his face. "I'll decide what despoils me, and I've decided I want that to be you."

"Oh... my!" The volus seemed to choke on his breather for a second, before looking up to her. "I think I have... underestimated you, Goddess of the azure oceans!"

"A common mistake," she replied with a sly grin.

Briony liked Breq. He was charming, in his own way, and she was very interested to see the apartment he was bragging about. Apparently he had lured many an unsuspecting female to his lair, and she was curious to see just how much truth there was to her lessons about volus sexual habits and fetishes.

They eventually reached his apartment... and Briony had to hold in a gasp of surprise. Just before her were a set of stairs leading down to a large room furnished with rich purple and gold velvet, and lewd art depicting women of just about every species in the galaxy bent into erotic poses. Several luxurious couches were spotted around the room, and she saw a bar - at volus height - in the corner.

But Breq's bachelor pad was not what truly caught her attention. Just before her, leading alongside the staircase down to the living room, was a ramp, made of a mosaic of glittering mirrors.

Breq slowly turned, looking up at Briony. Before he could say anything, she flashed him a wicked grin, lit up with biotics and gently pushed him backwards, until he stumbled and began to roll down the ramp.

"Oh, Mistress! You know what Breq liiiiikes!" As the volus' voice rolled away, Briony's grin widened, and she pounced after him.


"Rolling?" Nigel did not believe it. He was an old-fashioned man, and not ashamed of the fact. He knew other people did all sorts of odd things in the bedroom, but for the most part saw most of them as curious peccadilloes that, as long as nobody went around talking about them, didn't do anybody any harm. But rolling?

Gelsey nodded, deadly serious. "I think it has something to do with the shape of their bodies. When they roll, blood begins to flow faster, and from what I hear it feels amazing."

"Huh." The barman took a long drink, the complex ale wasted as he was lost in thought. He knew vaguely that more questions would only lead to further confusion, but nevertheless he distantly heard himself ask, "So... how do they, ah, get themselves rolling?"

Gelsey took a sip of her beer, enjoying the taste as she remembered her lessons. She leaned forward onto the bar, aware the man's attention was well away from her cleavage at that moment. "Well, most simply do so on the ground. But there are some..."


Briony's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she assertively pushed Breq into his bedroom. The room was enormous, even bigger than the living room, with a high ceiling that could only have been made possibly by knocking into the room above. In the centre was a massive circular bed covered in red silk sheets... but her absolute amazement was directed at the ramps, slides and tubes that snaked around the room, reminding her of a child's playground.

A real volus bachelor pad!

Briony grinned down at Breq as he spoke to her. "What does the lovely... queen of the waves... think of Breq's... erotic lair?"

Rather than reply, a curious arousal shot through her. She'd never been sexually involved with anybody other than species at least roughly the same shape as her: turians, a couple of humans, and an asari - the latter an accident, when she first discovered what she was. She knew that between Breq's suit and their physiologies traditional sex was simply not possible, but there was always an alternative for those with a little imagination... and she wanted to enjoy her time with the charming volus. She lit up with biotics, and gently lifted Breq onto one of the higher ramps.

"Oh, sweet sapphire Goddess... you are most generous with your affections! You must allow Breq... to please you unlike any other man has before!"


Gelsey took another draw of her beer. The taste was truly growing on her. "I've heard they are some of the most caring lovers in the galaxy."

"Huh." Nigel's head was reeling. It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't made love to his wife for quite some time. Not that either of them minded: they weren't spring chickens anymore, and shared their affections in ways other than sex. But whether it was the influence of the lovely asari lighting a long-burned out fire, or some element of wounded pride at the thought of a volus being able to treat a woman better than him, he suddenly decided his wife was in for a night of passion.

After they'd cleaned the dishes and watched their shows, of course.


Briony closed her eyes, imagining the pleasure Breq was currently enjoying flowing through her. That rush of blood, the wonderful arousal, the need for release...

Goddess... I need more!

She opened her eyes, seeing Breq strutting towards her, fresh from the bottom of the longest ramp in the room. Whether it was the absolutely shameless, cocky confidence that rolled from him, or the charming words he had been speaking since they'd met, she wanted the volus, now.

Surprisingly, he walked past her... before looking over his shoulder, one of the eye-holes shutting in a wink. He had stopped by a large chest on the floor and curious, Briony crossed over to him.

"What's in there?" she asked.

In response, a suited hand slid around her waist and pulled her in closer. Giggling, she allowed him to softly caress her, before his other hand danced over the lock on the chest. The lid slid open... and Briony's jaw dropped in response. The thing was practically overflowing with sex toys: some she recognised from her lessons, and many she didn't.

Breq turned to Briony, and softly slid his hand up the inside of her thigh.

"Which would the wonderful... Goddess of Thessia... like to use first?"

Rather than reply, Briony sauntered to the bed, slipping the straps of her dress from her shoulders, and allowing it to fall to the floor. Dropping onto her back, enjoying the soft, cool silk across her body, she shot the volus a sultry grin. "I don't care, just grab one and get yourself over here!"


Briony clutched the silk sheets, soft silk collapsing beneath her fingers.

Her back arched, and the muscles in her thighs quivered, demanding she clamp them together.

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and her breath drew short.

A ghost of a touch ran down her spine, and she gasped.

She was close. Breq did something that her lust-addled brain could not quite comprehend, but it sent a rush of heat across her crests, and a wordless moan was dragged from her lips. The hiss of Breq's breather faded into nothing, and she knew it had to be soon... close...

Tendrils of her mind reached out as sapphire eyes flickered to obsidian. Lust pounded through her, and when she touched the essence that was Breq, the volus giving all of himself to her, his own body rushing with a sweet tenderness just at seeing the pleasure she was in, she finally gave in, clasping her legs around his rotund body, crying out in pleasure as she sank herself further into his mind. She first pushed through the suprise, then the eager welcome... into the depths of his erotic fantasies, feeling her body helplessly quiver in time with his as the volus found his own release, shared everything of herself, and he too opened himself to her...

When it began. Black spots appeared across her vision as Breq's brain began to hemorrhage, but the sheer rush of intense power brought them both to release yet again, this time fraught with the sweet taste of Breq's fear.

Briony pulsed reassurance heavy with pleasure, that it would be over, that his death would bring a pleasure and purpose unlike any he could comprehend...

Why?

All life must end, Breq.

Why me?

It matters not. But know that with me, you will live forever.

And he accepted it.

If now is my time, then I give myself to you, beautiful Goddess.

As his sense of self began to fade, he gave everything of himself over to Briony. His hopes and pride, his dreams and ambitions, his love for life... and deeper than all else, the insecurity about his form he buried in bravado. But as Briony touched the very core of his being, Breq knew then that she saw none of it. She did not see the waddling legs, the ridiculous breather, the unattractive body in a sea of tall, slim, beautiful aliens. She saw him, and she wanted him, just as he was.

And at that realisation, as all else faded to black, Breq found peace.


Briony lay still for a long time, breathing heavily, savouring the rush of pleasure still racing through her body, the wisps of Breq's personality swimming through her mind.

As the last remnants of Breq faded away, she opened her eyes to see the still form gripped between her legs, aching with the aftershocks of her sexual release.

She knew she had to move fast, to leave Earth with Gelsey before anybody found his body.

But she could not. Not yet.

Slowly, she sat up and took Breq's dead weight into her arms, laying him on his back. She knew his body would be returned to Irune when it was found and the police investigation was concluded, but for now he was her charge, her responsibility.

Body still flushed with endorphins, she looked around. Without the volus' outgoing personality filling the room, it seemed... more dull. The red sheets were not so vivid, the lewd paintings almost sad when just hours previously they were both funny and erotic. The lubricant on the slides around the room was no longer a testament to the fun they had, but evidence that would be dragged into the public sphere, the alien customs likely to be mercilessly mocked.

Briony sighed, and looked down to the volus.

He looked peaceful. Without the huffing breath, his body seemed to have... deflated?... losing some of its rotundity, having him look almost like his body was stocky and muscular rather than bloated through the alien atmosphere. She stood up, and crossed to her dress crumpled on the floor. Carefully she unpicked the seam and drew out a thin syringe, quickly returning to the volus' body and injecting its contents through the specially designed input valve. A lethal dose of potent aphrodisiac. Given the volus' reputation, it would not be so difficult to believe. Perhaps not the least suspicious way to die, but it was still the one she had chosen.

Breq's body prepared, she quickly dressed herself, and gathered all of the toys they had used together into a sack. She would take it with her and destroy it when safe. There were enough left scattered around the room that it was unlikely the police would suspect any missing.

Briony knew she should leave. Make her way out, plant the virus in his security system that would erase all evidence of her being there; the sabotage disguised as a flaw in the security software itself.

But she couldn't leave, not yet.

She saw back down on the bed beside Breq, and gently ran a hand across his masked face. She had seen his real face, when they melded. It was an image she would carry with her to her death.

Briony had once wondered why they killed with the meld at all. Most of the assassinations involved disguising the death as something else... so why not kill them like that and remove any trace of suspicion that the victim was actually the prey of an Ardat-Yakshi?

At first she suspected it was simply to allow the Ardat-Yakshi a release for their urges, that could be put to use by the asari government.

But as she felt another whisper of Breq's personality echo through her mind, she knew the truth. In taking his life in this manner, she had done something beautiful. She had shown him her true self, and he had shown her his. For Breq to be killed by a drug overdose was a poor death, compared to that she had granted him. With Briony, Breq would live for as long as the Goddess granted she herself did. His true self, that only one with her unique gifts could see and hold with her.

She smiled, and knew that she would forever remember the joyous time she had spent with Breq.

She leaned over and planted a soft kiss on the outside of his suit.

Then she stood up, and left.


A/N: This is part one of Loose Ends and yes, the next one will be 'The Human'. If you enjoyed this chapter, then you can definitely thank the makers of said beer (and many hours playing as a volus and getting shot - we always tried to time it so we maximized the rolling) - because it was responsible for volus ramp sex!

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