MASS EFFECT SOLACE
Chapter 9
Krysta paused at the steps that led down to the markets of Omega. The path was not a direct route to the Normandy, but she figured to browse one more time to make sure there was nothing else she needed to pick up from the station before they departed. Samara remained quiet at her side, eyeing their surroundings. "You go on to the Normandy. I need to check something out." Krysta took a side glance to the asari justicar.
"Understood, Commander." Samara did not hesitate on the order as she moved to head down the hallway to their right that would take her to the docking port.
Moving quickly down the steps, the smell of food being cooked nearby by street vendors was thick with a mixture of appetizing and putrid. The aromas were so combined, that it was hard to tell which vendor had the one that seemed the ideal choice to eat. One cook was a burly brownish krogan who had one good eye, accompanied by two vorcha and the other was manned by three salarians. Even though she was hungry, Krista decided it was best for her to wait until she returned to the Normandy to have their own chef prepare something. She didn't want to end up in the medical ward with some unidentifiable stomach poisoning. Her almond colored eyes moved towards where the familiar batarian street vendor known as Marsh was working behind the counter. She remembered when she browsed the shops on her initial arrival that he had some of the best items to choose from. Hilariously, he even offered digital magazines of Fornax. She was tempted to buy a few to hand out around the Normandy, but decided not to at the time. She needed to keep her creds on her upgrades to her ammo and armor. Marsh flashed his stained sharp incisors as she walked up to the kiosk. "You're back? Must have seen something you liked."
"You still have that scope at that discount price?" Krysta tapped on the kiosk's screen to browse the catalog.
"One left…price was going to go up." He smirked again. "You know how it goes."
"What if I purchased some ammo as well?" Krysta countered. "I know Harrot had some on sale. I was going to go there, but I would rather buy from you."
"Done." Marsh chuckled. "I'll get the item from the back, human. Keep looking."
"You run a hard bargain, Marsh." Krysta playfully called to him as she continued to eye the items he had in his stock.
Suddenly, the click of a pistol behind her head, made her tense up. She slowly held out her hands to show that she was not going to for her own weapon She couldn't see her would be attacker. "What the hell do you want? Can I not shop?" She could see a few patrons fleeing the area while other vendors watched on worriedly.
"How does it feel, Spectre?" Bray's familiar voice was cocky. "For once, I have the upper hand."
"Do you?" Krysta tossed out as she slowly turned on her heel to face him. "I'm a biotic, remember?" She debated if she should exhibit her power or not.
A tiny scowl crossed Aria's bodyguard's face. She had a point. However, trying to catch her off-guard was his sole purpose of the meeting. He had to get something off his chest. He had to know. "What the hell did you pull back there?" His words were masked with pain.
"What?"
"The VIP club." He motioned towards the club's door with his head. "Your profile shows that clearly you do not like my kind- "
"Do not like is an understatement." She flatly interjected coldly. She tried her best to act like he didn't break her guard when he was around.
"Fine. Hate." He corrected himself. "After Torfan, they had you screened. You massacred batarians. You sent your team in to their demise without hesitation to make sure no batarians came back alive as well. Why dance with one?"
He seemed very hurt and it totally threw her off. Her hard stance faded. She locked her eyes with his chocolate colored ones. "I had to lure Morinth out. The Ardat-Yakshi that Aria knew about."
Hearing murmuring as bystanders gossiped trying to comprehend on the interaction with two famed people, Bray became uncomfortable. He grabbed her arm. "Come with me." She didn't fight as she let him lead them towards one of the back alleys out of sight and far away from prying ears.
"You used me." Bray clenched his fist. He couldn't figure out why deep inside he was so troubled by all of this.
"The war is coming with the Collectors." Krysta angrily snapped. "I'm here to help humanity. I don't give a damn about Omega. Aria is not going to help me, so there's no point in coming back." She felt her chest becoming tight and moved towards the alley's entrance to head back to her ship.
"Wait." He quickly grabbed her wrist, jerking her back to him. Krysta stumbled to find her step and before she could pull away, she felt his lips on hers, pressing deeply, filled with emotion and fire. The total action was unexpected and she was internally conflicted that she didn't pull away nor return the same affection. He moved away and his grip on her wrist loosened. His eyes stayed on hers. His heart was pounding. Her facial expressions were so masked that he couldn't determine how she felt towards him. "Here's one batarian that doesn't hate you."
His words were so genuine and soft that they melted inside Krysta. She seemed frozen in place like she was struck by cryo ammo. "Bray…" She chewed her lip and then finally found her footing. "I-I need to head back." She forced herself to move out of the alley; daring herself not to look back in his direction. What was going on? Her head spun as if she was in a daze. Something happened so fast like a blur! This was not happening! It couldn't be! Not now! What did it mean? Was it some cruel fate from repercussions about what happened on Torfan? Was he playing her? He did admit that he knew her file and she had disdain towards his species.
"Hey, Commander. Glad you are back." Joker stopped him from where he sat in his chair as she cleared the ship's entrance. "You were taking so long that I was about to send a search party."
Krysta sternly glared at him. "Leave me the hell alone, Joker. Let's just get the hell off this station."
"Uh…sure…" Joker was thrown off by her demeanor and whirled around in his chair to address the controls. He huffed under his breath and switched over to the Forward Battery's intercom. "Garrus?"
A few seconds later, Garrus replied, "I'm here, Joker. What do you need?"
"Nothing. Fair warning. Shepard's back and she's in total bitch mode."
"I guess Sidonis can wait." Garrus muttered in sheer disappointment.
"Hah. Perfect timing. She will be looking to kill someone."
"Personal log entry 345.02. I am still debating about Krysta. Heh. Never thought I would develop personal feelings for a superior officer. Then again, she's very easy on the eyes, so it's hard not to. She's so hard to read. She was stern with me about what happened on Eden Prime. I put her life in danger…I'm such an idiot…I thought we lost her after she was hit by that beacon. Ash told me to let it go. My first impression and I blew it. I'll see after Feros. Kaidan out." Krysta wiped the tears from her eyes as she sat at her private terminal in her cabin that evening, replaying audio logs that Kaidan had on the Normandy. She remembered when she first was given access to these after his demise. She would listen to each one every night and cry herself to sleep. She never really reached for them since her resurrection by Cerberus, yet, she longed for them now.
"Kaidan…you bastard…why did you volunteer to arm the nuke?" Krysta fought the hot tears in her eyes. What was she saying? If he didn't, then it would fall upon Ash. Was she that conceded that she would gladly give up Ash's life for Kaidan's? No, Ash was a good friend; a distant one now, but still a friend. Defeated, she moved her finger over to touch for the next entry, but paused when she heard her cabin's door chime. "Enter."
Garrus stepped in and homed in on her where she was sitting at her desk. "Am I interrupting, Commander?"
"No..I was just…scrolling through some files to think on where to go next…" She quickly closed out the log archives and turned off her terminal. Not a complete lie to her turian comrade. Just different context. She was really thinking about where she went now with Bray.
"I know you have been through a lot lately…dealing with everyone's problems…, but maybe this fight is really taking a toll on you." He propped up against the wall next to her with his arms crossed. "Is there something bothering you, Shepard? You haven't been yourself since we left Omega the first time around."
She cracked a weak smile. Leave it up an ex C-Sec officer to use his investigative skills on the situation. "Just want this war to end."
"Well, take a break for yourself too."
"The yeoman said you received some news while I was gone?" Krysta recalled Kelly flagging her down when she arrived back to the Normandy that day.
"Yes. I sent some feelers out on Sidonis. The turian I told you about that betrayed my men. The man responsible in locating him is named Fade. He's on the Citadel. Next time we go- "
"Joker?" Krysta interrupted him to signal her pilot through the ship's intercom system.
"Yes, Commander?"
"Set a course for the Citadel at once."
"Roger."
Garrus shook his head. "It can wait, Shepard. You're sure in a good state of mind to deal with this?"
"Thought you wanted revenge." She countered as she stood from her desk.
"Are you sure?" Her sudden change really floored him.
"I feel like shooting someone. May as well be him."
