Chapter 11: Damsels?

Shepard had stalled this narcissistic nut-job as long as she could. Where the hell is Samara?

Morinth blinked, and her eyes had turned as black and expansive as the vacuum of space. "Look into my eyes, and tell me you want me. Tell me you'd kill for me. Anything I want."

Shepard could feel the electric tendrils of Morinth's will trying to force entry into her psyche. She had intended to keep up the ruse of the willing victim, but the urge to physically -violently- shut Morinth out was overwhelming. The asari's dark psychic energy prying into Shepard's mind felt crushingly violating, like the callous tugging and tearing at her clothes by a rapist. Her will screamed in protest but she forced her countenance and body posture to remain submissive in appearance.

"Anything you want." She had only just managed to utter the words, her breath coming heavier and her heart rate increasing. Shepard felt an agonizingly sharp tingling ache gathering in her loins, and her breasts were heaving with each breath. She could feel the buzzing current of her own biotics flaring in response to her restraint, though she was unsure if it was the desire or the rage that threatened release more. She couldn't keep this up much longer, either she'd give in to the prodding energy or be forced to lash out in defense soon. Fortunately, she wouldn't need to.

In a blur of green and black, she was instantly wrenched free of Morinth's magnetic gaze. Thane leapt upon the asari from the rafters above, pulling her hair tentacles back with one hand, and creating a choke-hold with his free arm. Driving his knee into the center of her back, he slammed Morinth face-first onto the floor, but before he could shift to reach the pressure points he knew would immobilize her completely, a powerful biotic throw sent them both crashing into the ceiling. He lost his grip on her in the force of the bruising crash. He recovered quickly however, drawing his gun though he landed somewhat clumsily.

"Morinth!" His aim was interrupted when Samara plastered the ardat yakshi to the window with a biotic throw, cracking the thick bullet-proof glass with the force of it.

"Mother."

"Do not call me that!"

Morinth sneered. "I can't choose to stop being your daughter, Mother."

Thane moved to Shepard who was still recovering from the effects of the psychic attack on the sofa. "Shepard, are you alright?"

"Thane? Damn it's good to see you!" She was interrupted by the sofa struggling to hover along with the other objects which were being sucked into a biotic undertow of dangerous destructive potential. Both asari were dead-locked in a biotic duel. "I'm okay. Think you can help Samara out with this one?"

"Take cover." Thane rolled behind Morinth, ignoring the pain in his neck and shoulders.

Morinth was pleading with Shepard, "I am as strong as she is. Let me join you!" Thane winced to think what her pleas were doing to her mother. He pulled her arms up behind her head, giving Samara the opportunity she needed to finish the duel.

When it was done, Shepard moved towards Samara, but Thane stopped her with a light tug of the arm and a slight shake of his head.

"I am ready to leave this place and move on with my life." Sadness permeated the justicar's usually serene and emotionless voice.

Silently heeding his advice, Shepard briefly squeezed the justicar's arm, "Alright, let's go," and said nothing further.

The taxi ride back to the Omega docking bay, was thick with silence. Thane's heart ached for Samara; he didn't want to imagine how she must have felt. Kolyat had, after all, intended to become a killer as well. Thank blessed Arashu that a siha intervened before Kolyat had gone far on the wrong path.

He looked at Shepard again. He hadn't consciously noted her uncharacteristic appearance before now. She had painted her eyes and lips and worn a revealing black leather dress. Much of her exotically smooth human skin was on display, as were the myriad of scars that lined it. If he had seen her in this attire in his younger days, he would have found her enticing, but now, it simply didn't suit her. Perhaps it was the weariness lingering in her eyes or the way she carried herself in general that made her look so...so vulgar dressed this way. To Thane, Shepard looked most beautiful when she was in her natural element: that of fierce righteousness, or earnest assessment or...well, he didn't pretend to know all there was to his siha, but the petty dance of flirtatious fashion was certainly not her element.

"We hadn't expected to see you Krios, but thanks. I appreciate your assistance." While he didn't directly question her sincerity, the professionally distant tone and the stiffness in her posture alerted him to her holding something back. He answered her with his customary tilt of the head. After another minute, she went on, "I apologize if my call worried you...I was foolish and indiscreet. It was a stupid risk to speak of pending missions over the comm, it won't happen again." She looked to Samara as she spoke the last four words.

Ah, so she feels embarrassed. She needn't be. "Apology accepted Siha, though it is unnecessary. I was glad to come."

"Siha?"

A slip of the tongue he wasn't prepared to reveal yet, if at all. He changed the subject. "Shepard, if you'll have me, I'd like to rejoin the crew."

"We could certainly use you, Thane."

He felt a surprising satisfaction that his request had inspired a switch from "Krios" to "Thane" so swiftly.

"Make sure you have your injuries checked by Chakwas as soon as we get back. I'm sure the doctor will be glad to see you. And Life Support is all yours again." She smiled openly, keeping her eyes fixed warmly on his for a little longer than was necessary. "Welcome back."

"Thane!" Kasumi appeared delighted to see him. "Fancy seeing you here," She continued, utterly undaunted by the solemn look of disapproval Thane was flashing her. "I see Shep's back in one piece, so it must have gone well. Tell me, how did she react when she saw you?"

He shifted his weight smoothly. The glistening in her eyes contrasted heavily under the shadow of her hood and her lips were upturned in perfect synchronicity with her eyes. Was this a game to her? The busy little thief enjoyed stealing information as much as anything else. Had she lied deliberately or just been misinformed? Rather than confronting her, he decided to try a different tact. "May I share a memory with you?"

The lovely Ms. Goto nodded encouragingly.

"The ardat yakshi stands alone, preening in the mirror, unaware of my presence. I have already disarmed her alarms and sabotaged her escape routes. I am tempted to kill her now. It would be relatively simple to leap down and snap her neck before she has a chance to charge her biotics. But Kasumi said Shepard planned to bring Morinth in alive. She would have a good reason for doing so. Shepard always has a good reason."

"And then?"

"Shepard had never planned to bring Morinth alive. She has been through a harrowing ordeal, not to mention what Samara has just endured, and it all could have been prevented had I killed Morinth when I had the opportunity. Two great women suffer unnecessarily."

"But would you have come if there hadn't been a damsel in distress?"

"I beg your pardon?" His translator did not recognize "damsel" but he suspected that Kasumi had deliberately misled him.

Kasumi, lowered her chin to rest on her knees. "Why did you come, Thane?"

"I was concerned for Shepard's safety."

"Has she ever been unprepared? Ever had any problem handling it when anything and everything goes wrong?"

He didn't reply, feeling a little chastened for having doubted the commander.

Kasumi appeared both kindly and smug at the same time. "You wanted to come, you just needed a reason. So I gave you one."

Her words hung in the air between them. He couldn't deny it was true. But it was unsettling that this clever meddlesome human could read him so easily.

She broke the silence. "You're welcome?"

He lowered his brow ridges and puffed up his chest. "I will concede your point, Ms. Goto, if you promise on your honor never to deceive me again."

The thief raised her right hand. "Cross my heart and hope to die. Now, why did you come, really?"

He should return to life support immediately if he wanted to leave with any dignity intact. But, the leading questions intrigued him. He was surprised at this strange impetuous young woman. She already knew more of his own motives than he had been prepared to admit to himself. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh come on! You had the opportunity to retire peacefully with your family. But you couldn't stay away could you? Was it only to rescue a friend in danger? To repay an obligation? Or was there something else? I'll bet Shep was glad to see you again. Are you staying on?"

"Yes, I will stay now."

"Because?"

It wasn't often anyone could rattle him so. "I-retirement didn't suit me. And Kolyat...He bows his head. Sighs. 'Father, what are you trying to prove?' I am touched to hear him call me that. 'What was your intention? You planning to babysit me until you're so ill that I must return the favor?'

"I don't want him to misunderstand. 'I failed you before, I will not repeat the same mistake,' I tell him.

"He raises his head. 'You're not failing me anymore.'

"I blink back a single tear. He offers more than I deserve. 'I will stay in contact regularly.'

"He smiles, 'I know.'"

"Wow! Good for Kolyat."

"Yes. I am proud of him." Thane hadn't meant to slip into that memory. He wasn't sure he approved of Kasumi's having witnessed it, but he used the opportunity to distract her from her line of questioning. "Bailey has offered to sponsor his training to join C-Sec. He believes Kolyat has the makings of a good detective."

"Hm, Kolyat a dashing young officer. How delightful! But we still haven't established why you were so restless, have we?"

This time Thane suppressed the urge to shift his weight. "If you don't mind, Ms. Goto, I think it is time I rested. Thank you for...I'm not sure what for." He turned to leave.

"She likes you, you know."

He paused briefly at her words, but exited anyway.