Chapter 9
Space Pirates
Mannon tugged at her dress as she rode the lift to the bridge.
"Stop doing that!" Finn told her through the intercom cleverly hidden in her hair. "You're supposed to be acting natural."
"It's hard to act natural when you're in a dress that's too small!" Mannon snapped. Her voice now sounded like Lady Scarlet's, thanks to a cleverly hidden voice modulator. Still, it felt strange to hear someone else's voice come from her own mouth.
"The longer you complain, the longer you have to deal with it."
"This isn't going to work, Finn!"
"Of course it will!" It was Noir who spoke, sounding a bit embarrassed. "Amber thinks of Lady Scarlet as an older sister. She should do pretty much anything you ask her to. I'm telling you, with the makeup and the dress, you look just like her; just make sure you don't uncover your ears. Amber's really observant."
"And if my dress pops open?" Mannon muttered, resisting the urge to viciously tug at her bosom. "I'm assuming quarian breasts look at least a little different. Right, Finn?"
She heard Finn let out an exasperated sigh. "I wouldn't know."
"Uh-huh."
"God, you're worse than Jan'Ce. Look, we haven't slept together, all right? By the Creator, we've only know each other for a few months!"
"Almost half a year." Mannon replied, her lips curving into a smile. "I saw you two down in the medical bay back on the Amonjara. Checking compatibility, wasn't it?"
"She was just checking to see if we were compatible enough to have children. Sometimes, Omni-chirality isn't quite enough to produce viable offspring. I mean, if we do end up … I mean, if I need to go through omni-conversion, in case we …"
"Is he blushing?" Mannon asked.
Three voices answered in harmony; Noir ("Er, yeah.") and Jake ("Yup."), and Darsan ("Emphatically; red as the strawberries he was feeding her last week.")
"Gee, thanks guys. Always nice to know everyone's so interested in my love life. Look, you'll be there and out in less than a minute if everything goes to plan."
"Yeah, it's the 'if everything goes to plan' part that worries me." Mannon quickly fell silent as the lift doors opened, revealing the bridge of the Merida.
While definitely of asari style, the bridge bore a touch of turian design, with the captain's chair in the center of the bridge, surrounded by the various bridge stations. At the moment, there was only one person there, a rather young-looking quarian woman at one of the side consoles. She wore an orange tube top and a pair of short-shorts, and what appeared to be fuzzy slippers resembling some sort of animal Mannon wasn't familiar with.
As Mannon approached, she noticed the young woman's attention was fully focused on her console. At first she thought she was just focused on her job, but as she drew closer, she realized the young woman was playing some kind of puzzle game.
"Amber?" Mannon asked hesitantly.
The young quarian nearly jumped out of her seat. Holding a hand to her chest, she exclaimed, "Maker's Breath! Don't do that!"
"My apologies." Mannon replied, bowing her head slightly. "I didn't mean-"
"No," Amber interrupted, raising her hand to stay Mannon's apology even as her other hand quickly deactivated the game screen. "I just … you just startled me a bit, that's all. Whatcha need?"
"It will only take a moment, I assure you." Mannon told her, handing her the small flash drive Noir had supplied. "I need you to send this message to Trident."
"Just Trident?" Amber asked as she took the drive. "That's a bit vague for a message."
"It has to be, I'm afraid." Mannon told her. "The message is intended for the Shadow Broker."
Amber's pale eyes went wide. "The Shadow Broker?"
Mannon nodded slowly. "The message should register as junk data to Trident's main communication array, but I've left a code in the static on a frequency the Shadow Broker is known to use for communicating to her agents."
Amber fidgeted with the drive, saying, "Well, I can do that, but why are we contacting the Shadow Broker?"
"Violet identified Goto's patsy as Finn Cresste, a known agent of the Shadow Broker. We must make sure she doesn't mistake our actions as hostile to her operations." Mannon gave her a patient smile. "Thank you, Amber. I appreciate you trusting me on this."
Her cheeks darkening in an unmistakable blush, Amber quickly inserted the drive into the console. A few taps at her keyboard later, she nodded and turned back to Mannon. "It's done."
Mannon smiled kindly at Amber and gave her a sisterly kiss on the forehead. "You have my thanks."
Amber's cheeks darkened even more. Smiling, she shooed Mannon away. "All right, enough of that."
As Mannon started to walk away, Amber asked casually, "So, how's it coming with the map?"
Mannon froze, but only for a moment. "We'll have the location within the hour."
"Good." Amber let out a sigh. "I miss Rannoch."
"As do I." Mannon told her. "I daresay we aren't the only ones."
Amber snorted. "Except Auren, you mean. All she cares about is being on stage."
"Now, now." Mannon chided Amber, grateful that Noir had taken the opportunity to give her info on every member of Siren's Call, "We are all in this together."
"If you say so." Amber replied.
Against her better judgment, Mannon found herself putting her hand on Amber's shoulder, asking, "Is something wrong?"
Amber shook her head. "No. I just …"
"Ask her if this is about Azure." Noir whispered in Mannon's ear.
"Is this about Azure?" Mannon asked, despite the feeling that she was wandering blind into unfamiliar territory.
The blush that rose on Amber's cheeks made it clear that Noir was correct. "I just … I mean, doesn't it bother you too? Auren took advantage of her."
"Oh, lord." Noir whispered. "A few months back, Auren and Azure spent a night together after getting drunk on brandy and Nectar."
"Why would that bother-" Finn stopped suddenly and let out a sigh of realization.
"Curious; What? What is it?"
"Amber must have a crush on Azure."
"Curious; but aren't they both … Mildly aroused; Oh."
Mannon smiled at Amber. "To be fair, they were both drunk."
"I've been reading up on that Nektar stuff." Amber told her. "It's supposed to bring out a person's true feelings. What if they really feel that way about each other?"
"Amber." Mannon asked her. "Have they been together since?"
Amber looked away, mumbling, "No, but-"
Mannon made the young woman look at her. "Then you worry over nothing."
Amber slowly nodded, but it was clear she was still upset. Mannon was only too familiar with the look in the young quarian's eyes. Despite the circumstances, she felt sympathetic for Amber's plight.
Mannon placed her hands over Amber's. "Have you considered that maybe this is a sign that you should take the next step?"
"Sherle?" Noir asked, sounding startled. "What are you-"
"If you truly care for someone, you need to tell them before losing them forever." Mannon continued. "I know, my dear sister."
"You do?" Amber asked, her eyes wide.
Mannon nodded. "I had a crush on someone I worked with for years. He was just a repairman, but the way he tackled everything with all he had, the way he always greeted me with a smile … strong, yet kind."
"And handsome?"
"I think he so." Mannon's smile fell. "Unfortunately, someone else thought so too, someone who wasn't afraid of making the first move. I lost my chance because I was afraid, Amber. Now I'll never know how things could've turned out had I the courage to tell him the truth. While I'll always think of him as a good friend, I'll never know what could have been."
Amber stared at her, at a loss for words. While nothing but silence came from her earpiece, Mannon could imagine at least two people on the other side with a similar expression.
Blushing, Mannon said, "Tell her how you feel, Amber. If you don't, you'll only be able to wonder."
Amber stared at Mannon for a few moments before leaping out of her chair and running for the lift.
As the doors shut behind her, Mannon let out a sigh.
A few moments passed before Finn's voice came through her headpiece. "Sherle, I-"
"It's okay. I've had enough time to get over you, and I wouldn't trade our friendship for the world." A smile slid across her face. "Now Darsan on the other hand …"
"Teasingly; Oh, no. I'm a free spirit, babe. No woman can cage me!"
Laughter sounded from both sides of the transmission, breaking the heavy mood.
Shaking her head, Sherle said, "I'm going to see if I can't scrounge any more info from the bridge consoles. Go ahead and continue with the plan."
"Are you sure?" Noir asked. "What if you run into someone else?"
"I think I can wing it." Mannon told them. "You all get moving; it won't take Liara long to figure out our position, and I'd like to make sure we've got the Creator's Tear back by then."
With a nod at Finn and Darsan, Noir patted his leg, saying, "Okay then; looks like we're up, Jake."
"Awesome!" Jake replied. He had a few different pieces temp-welded to his frame; just enough to make him look different enough to forestall suspicious should any of the members of Siren's Call know what he looked like. Even his face-plate displayed a different image. It was still a cartoon dog, but the face was clearly different.
As they two headed for the lift, Finn called out, "Good luck, you two!"
"Hah!" Jake replied. "We don't need luck! We've got the skills, yo!"
"Yo?" Finn shook his head. "Nevermind. Just try not to get caught, okay?"
"Hah! Only wimps try. We-"
"I get it! You're a big dog! Now get going, already!"
Chuckling, Jake followed Noir into the lift. As the doors closed, Noir commented, "You two seem to be good friends."
"Best friends." Jake told him. "Ever since he was a kid. Found him on Earth when he was just a boy."
"Really?"
"Yeah. He slapped a buncha junk together into a working hovercycle and used it to run away from home. Ran into me while we were both trying to stay out of the rain. Didn't take long for us to be friends. Man, we raced all over New York in that battered old cycle."
Shaking his head, Jake said, "Anyway, some bigwig eventually saw him flying and recognized the kid's talent. It took a bit of convincing from both of us, but Finn eventually agreed to join the Academy. He'd probably still be there if his mother hadn't passed."
After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Jake asked, "What about you? How did you end up with Siren's Call?"
Shrugging, Noir said, "Not much of a story. My elder sisters joined first; Azure and Violet. Kyra and I had just come of age and were looking for something to serve as our pilgrimage-"
"Pilgrimage?" Jake interrupted, "Wasn't that from back in the days quarians lived in a flotilla?"
"Well, yeah. It's just tradition these days; instead of getting a place on a ship, you get a plot of land depending on how great your contribution is. Mind you, bringing a fat stack of money is just as good as any resource. That's kinda why we're here."
"Gonna buy yourself a home, huh?" Jake nodded his head approvingly. "Sounds like a plan."
"Well, it was. Thing is, we didn't really know what we were getting into. At first, we thought it was just an entertainment troupe. I was in charge of stage effects and keeping the ship running … and pretty much any other technical thing we needed. Kyra helped me a lot, but she was there mostly to dance with the others. The travel, the shows, the code names-"
"Code names?"
"Violet, Azure, Scarlet." Noir said, raising an eyebrow. "Think about it. You don't think my name is really Noir, do you? Kyra was Viridia. That just made it more interesting to us; it was like having a secret identity. . It wasn't until a gig on Eden Prime that we found out the dance troupe was just a cover. Kyra was so idealistic back then. Still is, I suppose; anyway, she left the group. It was a shame; she was such a good singer."
"Still is." Jake told him, wagging his tail end. "We do karaoke every Saturday."
Noir grinned at the mechanical dog. "You participate?"
"Yup. Finn and I sang "I Suck at Call of Duty" last time. Oddly appropriate considering his skill with a gun." They shared a chuckle at this.
The lift doors opened moments later, words engraved on the nearest wall informing them that they were on deck three. Noir patted his leg and said. "C'mon, boy."
Jake barked happily and followed. Most of the space on the ship that wasn't used for various ship operations were used by the crew. Being a civilian vessel by design, the rooms aboard the Merida were quite spacious, taking up three of the ship's six decks. Noir usually slept down in the cargo bay, mostly because he liked to work late and his cot was a lot closer than his room on deck four. Still, he had been up there on occasion, and had a pretty good idea where his fellow thieves slept. Scarlet had a room up on deck two, as had Kyra back when she took the name Viridia: Auren, Violet, and Amber were on deck three, and Azure and Noir had rooms on the fourth floor, much to Noir's chagrin.
It wasn't hard to notice Auren's door; she was always a bit on the messy side. Costumes hung on anything a hanger could be placed on, and discarded clothing lay around the floor as though she had simply flung it off on her way to bed without a care. Actually, Noir knew that was exactly the case; he had seen it before while talking with Violet once. Auren wasn't much for modesty either.
Violet's room was across from Auren's. Azure used to sleep there, but after the incident on Neukaraa, she had switched rooms with her sister. Noir felt sorrier for Auren; she was a free spirit, a wild thing that loved everything and everyone. She was always flirting with everyone, even Noir. She had been flirting with him that day, alcohol clear on her breath and yet her eyes were as crystal clear as ever. He had been working on the air-conditioning in her room; somehow, she had managed to get one of her stage costumes completely entrapped in her room's vent. He was still trying to extract the sequined silk when Azure stumbled into the room. Auren had smiled at her and asked, "Need something, hun?" The next thing Noir knew, the two of them were in bed, rapidly shedding their clothes as they kissed each other.
He couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. He nearly ripped the costume in his haste to get out of there. "Ah, Auren." He said, shaking his head.
Auren's door opened revealing the woman herself in a glittery purple robe. Her long hair was naturally curly, and naturally white as snow as well. Her nectar habit left her eyes tinted yellow, though in truth it made her appear all the more exotic. Coupled with their natural luminescence, her irises appeared to be golden.
She smiled at Noir, a sleepy look in her eyes. "Oh. Hey there, Noir."
"Hi, Auren." Noir said, waving sheepishly. "I was just looking for Violet."
"Oh, she's in here. C'mon!" Before he could protest, she grabbed his hand and pulled him into her room.
Her room was definitely like her, Noir thought as he stared around at the mess. Clothes literally carpeted the floor, and her bed was a mess of pillows and comforters. A small vanity was crammed into the corner, on which rested an odd collection of makeup.
Violet was rummaging through some of the clothes. Glancing up at Noir, she said, "Oh. Hey, Noir. What brings you here?"
"Hoping for a look at our latest prize." Noir said in what he hoped was a non-chalant voice.
"Oh!" Auren exclaimed. She reached into a pile of clothes and yanked out the evidence box Violet and Azure had taken from the security station.
Violet glared at Auren. "You've let me search for that damn thing for over an hour, and you knew where it was all this time?"
Auren shrugged, the smile on her face partially obscured by her hair.
Noir slid open the case and immediately let out a low whistle; the Creator's tear was a magnificent blue gemstone. Just big enough to fit in the palm of his hand, the tear-shaped stone was smooth to the touch and felt unusually warm against his skin.
"Amazing." He murmured shifting it from hand to hand. "Hard to believe this is part of the same set as the other stones."
"Well, to be fair, the other stones weren't exactly kept in a museum." Violet said, crossing her arms and leaning back against one of the three large wardrobes in the room. "Who knows what they might have looked like years ago."
"Do you think it affected the map?" Auren asked, sounding a little bored.
Violet shook her head. "Nah. The inner components are what matters; that's what generates the map segments. Lady Scarlet's up in observation figuring it all out right now."
Noir snapped the lid shut and handed the box back to Violet. "Has she narrowed it down any?"
"Beyond the Krogan DMZ?" Violet shook her head. "Not yet. But soon. Then the real fun starts."
"Great." Noir said, shaking his head. "I'd better go get my gear ready; I've seen how what you consider fun generally ends."
Chuckling, Violet patted him on the arm and said, "Hey, at least it's better than fixing streetlights on Rannoch, right? Cheer up, brother. Just a bit further, and we'll all be set for life."
Jake let out a bark. Auren and Violet both looked at the mechanical dog with surprise in their eyes.
"Oh! I didn't realize you brought a friend!" Auren leaned down on her knees and held out a hand. Jake made a great show of sniffing it before letting her pet him.
"Touch sensors on the plating." Violet observed, squatting down beside Auren to get a better look at Jake. "That's pretty impressive work; when'd you make this?"
Noir shrugged, saying, "Ah, here and there. Kyra kept talking about her boyfriend's KEI-9 unit, and I've always wanted a pet; figured I'd just build one."
"Oh, that's so cool!" Auren rubbed the underside of Jake's monitor plate. "And what's your name, cutie?"
"He's … uh … Rolph."
"Rolph?" Violet asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yup." Noir continued, "Rolph the Dog."
"That's … unusual." Violet watched Auren rub Jake's belly for a few moments before shaking her head and said, "I'm gonna go see if our fearless leader has the coordinates yet. Noir?"
"Hmm?" Noir shook his head and handed the box back. "Oh, right. Here ya go."
"Thanks." Violet told him as she slipped it into her pocket. "I'll be sure to send Scarlet your regards."
He felt his cheeks burn. "Ah, s-sure."
Chuckling, Violet ruffled Noir's hair before heading for the door.
"Well, I'd better get going to." Noir said, rubbing the back of his head. "C'mere, boy."
With a bark, Jake leapt to his feet and trotted over to Noir's side. He had scarcely reached the door when a slender hand stopped his with a touch.
"Plenty of time before we get to the DMZ, Noir." She said, moving close to him. "I was planning on taking a little nap. Of course, if you had a better idea …"
Flushing, he started towards the door again, only for Auren to wrap her arms around his stomach.
"I wish you'd say yes once in a while, hun." She told him, her voice strangely serious for a change. "I get worried about you, all alone down there. One boy on a ship full of beautiful girls … it can't be easy."
"Well, it helps that some of them are family." Noir told her.
Auren laughed, a light-hearted sound that never ceased to make Noir feel better. "I'd imagine so. Still, Scarlet is here."
Noir couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Yeah, she is. She is definitely here."
Auren laid her head against his back. "What was she like?"
"Huh?"
"Back when you were kids. You grew up together, didn't you?"
Noir let out a sigh. "Yeah, but that was a long time ago. She probably doesn't even remember me."
"I wouldn't be so sure." She stepped around him and slipped her arms around his chest in a hug. "Well, just remember; you've always got at least one person on board who cares about you."
"You care about everyone." He told her, catching her hands. "You're a crazy space-hippie."
"Guilty as charged! Maybe one day, you'll let me show you just how crazy I can be." She giggled as she released him. With a carefree spin, she fell onto her bed and nestled against the mass of rumpled blankets and pillows. "I'm sleepy. Goodnight, Noir."
"Goodnight, Auren." Shaking his head, he left Auren to her nap.
