Chapter 10

BANG!

A sick explosion of blood and flesh followed right after the shot, and I was dropped onto the ground heavily. I gasped, my lungs expanding as I tried to get in as much air as I possibly could. Coughs racked my body as I tried to get to my feet, but bent over in pain before I took one step. I had done it, I'd actually shot him. I looked up painfully at the limp body, the entire front of his face was nothing but bloodied meat, a massive gash across it as a pale fluid seeped out. Several small holes penetrating his face, riddling it with the shrapnel from the gun. I had to without the urge to gag, and struggled to my feet. My heart was racing, pounding inside my chest quicker than the Krogan had released me.

I'd actually done it, I'd actually shot him!

A euphoria filled my mind, hazing the world as I turned to run to the elevator, wanting to flee the bloody scene before me. Aria's strict orders not to get involved if the Krogan was home echoing in my mind. Mid-stride I paused. The guard wasn't exactly home If I just but a bullet through his face. I turned around, and was beyond taken aback when the Krogan was standing there with a rage bubbling off him it was nearly tangible. He roared at me in anger, and charged at me like he had earlier with his head down so only the plate was aimed at me. My hands struggled for the shotgun, still acting on instinct as I leveled it off.

How had he survived that? It should have been impossible at that range, with that much force behind the shot. Were Krogans virtually invincible? I forced the shaking in my hands to stop just enough for the shot to actually hit something, hopefully the charging angry Krogan. I pulled the trigger once again, the first shot glancing off his shoulder. I fired again and again, riddling him with bullet holes until at last he slowed down, nothing but a heap of meat at this point, and stumbled forward. He crashed, perhaps a foot in front of me, and lifted his head up at me to sneer. "Lousy shot." He spat, before his eyes clouded and he grew still.

I dropped the gun, my legs giving out beneath me as I looked at the blood and the wounds and the trail that he'd left behind. I reached out, and closed each of his sideway eyes so as to stop the endless gaze of his milky yellow eyes. Tears brimmed at my eyes but it didn't make sense. He was attacking me, I was defending myself. It was him or me, but what was I so broken about it. Aria would have simply brushed it off and went on with the mission, instead I was fighting back tears for a complete stranger and an enemy.

He doesn't deserve this.

How could I know? He was on Omega, meaning he was just as undeserving of redemption as anyone here. As I was. Stop, stop thinking about it. Just do your job. Get the information, and get out. Stop thinking about it. I repeated over and over until my legs would listen and stand up. I picked up the shotgun, glaring at it through hazy eyes as I strapped it back into place and walked gingerly past the Krogan.

I entered the apartment, just the same as Marco in layout but a bright white color. Nothing decorated the walls, leaving it stark and bare as if rarely used. I slipped past the living room, watching careful for any sign of other life in the room. The kitchen was just as bleak, nothing special about it other then the odd cleanliness of it. As I approached what should be a bedroom, I noticed it had a lock on it as well. I easily punched in the code in and it opened, the hacking was getting quicker. Maybe I was good at it.

I forced my mind to stay quiet, not letting anything in that might compromise me. If I broke down who knew what would happen, I simply couldn't take the risk. I entered the room, and was attacked by a wall of ships. Every square inch on the pure white walls was ships, space ships, ship parts, even land ships and sea ships. Everything was covered with them, and in the center was a large sleek looking space ship with the name Normandy plastered on it. I skimmed the obsession of the space ships before I found the terminal I was looking for. I dashed over, every second wasted could be a second the Turian got home, and I didn't want to meet him.

The terminal flickered with an orange light as I approached it, but the moment I was close enough it became brighter and data scrolled across the top. I brought up my omni-tool, quickly searching through it as if I just simply knew what I was doing and soon enough the files were being transferred to my omni-tool. A small grin crossed my face as I watched the information download to my omni-tool. It was about ninety percent done when something slammed into the back of my head, knocking me to the ground.

I went straight into the carpet, grunting at the impact and rolled to the side as a follow-up attack landed where I'd just been. I got to my feet, and squared off with an angry, angry Turian. "Who the hell are you?" He demanded, armed with a long silver pole.

"No one you need to know the name of." I responded, reaching for the shotgun. Green eyes spotted what I was intending, and the Turian rushed me, forcing me to dodge to the side. I went right for the door, but he tripped me up as he slammed the pole into my legs. I yelped, faceplanting the ground as he dropped the pole and went to pin me. Pain surged up my face, making me cringe as he twisted my wrists behind me. I kicked out, managing to get him off me for but only a moment before I rolled over and tried to force him back.

The Turian, light in color, was not intimidated by me however and quickly lashed back and pressed me against a wall. "You killed one of my guards." He hissed.

One of?

Fuck! I pushed him away, and reached back for the gun once more only to find that it was missing. It was in the Turians hands, and he held it up at me menacingly as he titled his head to call someone in. Another Krogan, this one bigger than the one dead outside the apartment, and seemingly angrier. He was a light green on skin, with a large brown frontal plate and cold black eyes. "Eli, restrain her." The Turian ordered, and quickly did the Krogan comply, a single hand holding my two wrists together. A faint beeping sound came from my omni-tool as it was yanked off my arm, and tossed to who had to be Jorvan Mathius. Before he closed it down, I spotted the download had been complete. Hopefully he wouldn't delete the files, but he probably would.

How was I going to explain this to Aria? How was I going to get out of this? "I'll ask you again, who the hell are you?" Jorvan demanded, his pale plates decorated with a set of red markings on his mandibles, above his eyes and two small triangles on the top portion of his 'mouth'. I defiantly glared at him.

"Jorvan, she's with Aria." Eli said, having noticed the emblem on the back of my jacket.

"Aria!" Jorvan hissed, slamming the barrel of the gun in my face. "What did she want? Why did she send you?" He demanded. I frowned at him, still keeping my mouth shut as I defied him. I knew why she wanted me to get the files, I'd seen the memory after all. Jorvan and one of her men had been cutting into her shipments, stealing from her was most unwise.

"You know why." I remarked at last as the Krogan Eli dug his hand painfully against my arms, making me wince. "Aria's aware of your little operation." I winced again as the Krogan kicked my feet out from under me, forcing me to my knees. I glared up at the Turian as he glared at me. "Don't think she wouldn't find out eventually."

He threw the shotgun down, far from my reach however, and sneered as he waved his hands angrily. "Lies! All of it! I haven't been stealing from Aria, I was set up!" Jorvan shouted. "Someone dropped that intel so she would find it, so she'd think it was me. I never deal with anything that can cross Aria, only a fool would risk the punishment she'd exact!"

"She thinks it's you, and you lack any way to prove it wasn't." I replied, cringing as Eli's knee began to push against my back.

"Ah, but I do!" He suddenly grinned as if coming to a realization and pulled up my omni-tool. Without taking more than a second, Jorvan opened up one of the files I'd downloaded and showed it to me. "You see, all my shipments records. Nothing with spice or Aria. All of it, ship parts." A triumphant look crossed his face. "Eli, let her go."

The Krogan nodded his head, still watching me closely as he released me from his vice like grip. "I don't know if I'd trust her not to do anything Mathius." Eli frowned, apparently disapproving my release. I didn't care one bit, if his boss wanted me let go he seemed to be willing to do it. "Take those files to Aria and prove to her it's not me." Jorvan ordered, and I held back a smart comment at being ordered by him. Only Aria got to do that.

"And what about your supposed enemy that wants you to take their fall? Any idea who that might be?" I challenged.

Jorvan gave me a dismal wave, "I'll take some looks around and try to find out who it was. If you want, and Aria might send you after it anyways, you can look as well. The sooner we find out who was setting me up, the sooner Aria can stop her shipment cuts and I can get back to my life." He said.

"How did you know someone would be coming after you?" I asked, "Obviously you've got heavy guard but why would you if you were nothing but a ship parts trader." I held back the suspicion, well not all of it, as I tried to get some answers before I departed."

Jorvan's eyes narrowed, apparently he didn't feel he had to explain himself to me. If he wanted me to cooperate, he'd have to though. After a small stare down, both of us refusing to give an inch, Eli interrupted. "The Turian is a man with many enemies. Being prepared on Omega is something few have the leisure of simply having. Mathius, is one such." The deep tone of the large alien was enough to quell my questions. I'd just dig through the data files on the way back to Afterlife. Jorvan handed the omni-tool back over, slipping it in one of my pockets.

"Escort her out." Jorvan ordered, and without giving me a chance to argue, the Krogan gripped my wrists and led me towards the door, my shotgun in his free hand. I hated this, being handled like some creature. It made my blood boil at the thought of being weak and powerless and controlled like this. The only control I'd allow was Aria's, but it was special and sincere. This was simply brutal and oppressive, a show of strength. The stupid Krogan twisted my wrists painfully as I glowered at him.

We reached the front door, and stopped in front of the dead body of the Krogan from earlier. "You killed him, and you don't even know who he was." Eli remarked angrily.

"Is it supposed to matter for me to know the name of the person attacking me?" I sneered, finding some sort of strength to stand up to the massive mountain.

One of his black eyes focused on me, and I thought for half a moment that he'd squash me beneath his boot. I was shocked then when an impressed smile crossed his face. "You've got a quad Human." He laughed, and then forced me down onto my knees to look at the pained face of the burned Krogan. "That Krogan was Yatok, my brother." My body tensed, and felt the attack coming before it even started. I ducked down, dodging a backslap and managed to break free of his grip as he growled in anger at me.

My eyes leveled on the shotgun in his hands, knowing that it could be my only way to defend myself, and let out a shout of challenge. "Come on!" I yelled, and the Krogan was quick to respond. He ducked his head down like Yatok had and charged at me. I rolled to the side, gripping my hands around the hilt of the shotgun and pulled it free as his momentum drove him forward. I got to my feet, and after hesitating for a second to see what he'd do, dashed to the stairs. I could hear his angry shout as he gave chase, crashing through the door as I sprinted down the steps.

Run, run, run!

I could hear his heavy breathing as he charged after me, furious by my attempts at escape. Seventh floor, sixth floor, fifth floors, none of them were going by fast enough as the Krogan barreled down the stairwell. He would gain on me and catch me before I was free. I fumbled with the pocket that contained the grenades Jason had given me, now was the only chance I'd have to use them. The first one free at last as I passed the fourth floor access door, I ran my thumb over the activator and tossed it back. A mere moment later the Krogan shouted and the explosion was enough to give him pause.

I had no idea if it had hit him or just stunned him for a moment, but I had the few seconds I would need. I pulled the omni-tool out as I passed the second floor access door and sent a call to Marco. "Marco, I hope you're nearby because I could really use a ride right about now!" I shouted, Eli's angry call coming the background as I ducked towards the lobby door. "Goddess I hope you're nearby..." I muttered the last part as I ended the call and dashed past the few aliens that were actually in the lobby now.

I stumbled out into the streets, a haze of lights blaring at me angrily as the pedestrians that were walking by shot me dirty looks. The Krogan came bursting out a moment afterwards and I took off down the street. Marco wasn't here, I couldn't afford to wait. The lights of a skycar rental ad was up ahead, and I pounded down the street as quickly as I could. An angry Krogan no more than five yards behind me as I squirmed and slipped past the others on the street. Eli just barreled down past them, knocking over the many people I'd just gone past. He shouted angrily after me, "Come back here you dirty Pyjack!"

The others on the street were starting to get angry, and some drew a gun on the Krogan as he knocked them to the side. For a brief moment, I loved the lawlessness of the Omega society. I jumped in the skycar, amazed I'd actually made it. "Get me to Afterlife!" I shouted, frantic as the Krogan was closing in. The pilot nodded, taking off instantly and sped away towards the club and the heart of Omega. I began to let my breathing settle, and turned to see the Krogan Eli hadn't given up on me yet. He was pulling some poor sap out of his own skycar, throwing them onto the street as he hopped in a gave chase. "Uh, you might want to step on it..." I nervously said, catching the Batarian drivers attention again.

"Oh no, I'm not getting myself killed for a few credits!" He growled, and dove the car down back to the street. "Get someone else to risk their neck for you Human!" He tossed me out of the car, and I tumbled on the street before I managed to get up, my chaser was closing in, turning his vehicle with an expert skill. I got to my feet, and looked around franticly for a place to hide. A small shop of some sort, with a massive crowd of Humans outside it. I could get lost in there.

I dashed towards it as quickly as I could, my legs feelings weak despite the adrenaline coursing through me. The other Humans grew angry with me as I forced my way through to hide amongst them. "Please, there's a Krogan after me!" I pleaded, spotting the car as it landed. One of them, a small woman, nodded her head and helped me through to the shop. Once inside, it was strangely quiet and empty despite the crowd outside. A sole person was inside, a clipboard in hand as the kind looking lady waited for me to walk over. "What is this place?" I asked. I could hear Eli outside, trying to force his way through a throng of resisting Humans.

Her blue eyes squinted in confusion, a blonde eyebrow lifting at my remark. "Its one of our banks ma'am. Are you not a client?" She asked, it certainly didn't look like a bank within. There wasn't a single bit of furniture, not a desk or a chair around. The room only held a door at the back, the awaiting woman and myself.

"Erm, no. I was just looking for a place to hide, there's a rather pissed off Krogan chasing me right now and-"

"Come with me!" She quickly grabbed my right forearm and led me to the back door. It opened up to the backstreets of the shop, "This way." The lady led me across the ally and towards streets once again. "We're an organization that aids other Humans, not just here on Omega but everywhere we can. The aliens don't always get along with us, and we're here to help you get free and safe of their tyranny." The woman explained as we turned another corner. "Take the skycar to wherever you know is safe, and if you ever need help again just look for this symbol." She flashed a logo in my face. It was made of three parts, the center looked like a black C flipped ninety degrees with an orange stripe on both sides of the center.

Something about it made my head spin, why I knew not. It felt familiar, and I could see it nearly everywhere. I clutched my head in pain as a surge of memories rose at the sight. I gasped, my breath having been shaken as I tried to process what was happening. The woman helped me into the car, not noticing or not reacting to my episode as the world swam around me. I could hear whispers, voices telling me I was safe and at peace.

"Get me... to Afterlife..." I panted and the driver nodded his head as he began to lift off. The woman waved goodbye, but I couldn't exactly understand why she was smiling. I drooped my head, leaning back into the leather of the back seat and let out a sigh. The image, the logo, the symbol. It was connected to me somehow, I could feel it but I couldn't follow why. Claws gripped my heart, digging in painfully as it ravaged my mind and emotions.

What the hell is wrong with me?