MASS EFFECT DESCENCION: CHAPTER 11

Sh'sk and Charn squeezed their way through the packed docking port of Omega. The air was filled with pheromones, sweat and body odor as multiple packed aliens were hustling to and from their destinations. It was very chaotic and not what Sh'sk was accustomed to on Camala. Throughout his lifespan, he only had to make one trip to the mined out asteroid and it was too long for him to really remember. Charn tried to keep both pairs of his eyes on his friend in the crowd. One wrong turn and he could end up in a back alley and easy prey for any looming thief or murderer. Omega only had one rule and that was not to piss off the ruler, Aria T'Loak. If your business didn't interfere with her, then she really didn't care what you did. She really wouldn't mind if two new batarians were slain on the streets of the station. Charn grunted as a large elcor brushed up against him, nearly knocking him into another batarian. "Where the hell are we going?" He barked loudly up to his friend.

Sh'sk eyed a volus ship merchant standing on a crate to try to be seen and gather the attention of any prospective buyer. "Over there." He pointed to the volus and pushed his way through.

"Ah, Khar 'Shaan clan." The volus joyfully said through his respirator. "You seeking to buy a fine ship from me? I have several in stock that would be to your liking. Maybe a few batarian class."

"I have one for sell." Sh'sk cut him off.

The volus took a few breaths and blinked his eyes, perplexed by the statement. "For sell? Uh…why yes. May I ask what you have?"

"It's a solid transporter. No damage. It's at docking station X551-1."

Charn bumped his friend's arm in alarm. "What are you doing?" He whispered to him.

"We need to ditch it." Sh'sk said through grated teeth.

"Transporter?" The volus tilted his head, then stopped himself in a frenzy. "My apologies! I hope I didn't offend you." He began to tremble. For batarians, if one should tilt their head to the wrong direction, it was a sign of an offense to their species and many aliens made that fatal mistake.

Sh'sk held up his hand. "None taken. What will you offer me?" He really didn't want this transaction take too long.

"Ah, yes. The transporter…well, I, uh, have many in stock already. Do you want to trade for something else I have?"

"Just creds for now." Sh'sk shook his head and held out his hand.

"I should have one of my men look at the ship first…to check things out." The volus rasped.

"No time. You can deduct that from the price if you would like." Sh'sk hated to negotiate with the volus. They were very particular and hesitant on making deals. Luckily, he dealt with several in his smuggling business so he knew what angles to work with them. It was all about the financial aspect of the deal and if the volus felt like he was going to make a profit, he would not be disinclined to accept whatever proposal there was.

"Five thousand creds."

"Ten." Sh'sk lifted his head straighter.

"Seven."

"Eight and we have a deal." Sh'sk smiled.

The volus paused and then took out his cred chit. "Eight it is. Please come back if you ever want to buy something. I can make you a deal."

Sh'sk stuffed the cred chit in his pocket before motioning with his head to keep him moving with his friend. When they were enough distance away from the rotunda shaped merchant, Charn finally spoke up. "He ripped you off. What about the dead body?"

"He won't report it and he will space it. The ship will be scrubbed and its name will be changed. It will be untraceable back to us." Sh'sk answered matter-of-factly.

Once they cleared the port, they entered the streets and made their way towards the open area that housed the intensely lit nightclub called Afterlife. Music pounded the streets and a line was formed at the entrance and wrapped around towards the markets. Sh'sk and Charn stopped to admire the view. Neon traced nude Asari in erotic poses flashed upon the club's outside screen to entice guests outside. "You think your brother is in there?" Charn asked. "Can we go in? It's been awhile for me."

"You think we can afford this place?" Sh'sk tossed back.

"You just sold our only way off this rock. I hope you know what you're doing."

A brown skinned salarian noticed the pair standing outside the club in awe and approached them with a wide grin. "Gentleman! Welcome to Omega. I'm Farghat. You must be new. You see Afterlife? That's the best spot here. I can try to get you in for a fee."

Sh'sk lowered his head to direct his attention on their visitor. "I'm actually looking for someone."

The statement sort of ruffled the salarian as he fidgeted in place. "I-I can do that too. Who is it? Though, it may cost extra…. a lot extra…heh, you want a tour too?"

"I want to speak with Anto. A batarian. He may be with Aria's men."

The salarian chewed his lip feverishly as his large eyes glanced up towards the nightclub and back. "I, I'm not sure if he-he can be found…Aria is very busy…she-she doesn't like a lot of hassle…"

Sh'sk smiled and pulled out his cred chit and held it just long enough for the other to take notice of it. "How does one hundred creds sound? I'll pay you hundred now and a hundred more when you return with Anto?"

The salarian salivated from his lips. "Hundred? Why of course, sir. I'll go fetch him right now." He scampered up towards the steps to where one of the guards were and began to speak with him.

Charn watched on with worry. "I don't like this…we are sitting ducks right here in the open."

"You think Aria will shoot us?" Sh'sk turned his head to look at his nervous friend.

"What makes you think he won't lie to us? They won't let him in."

The guard glanced their way and then went inside leaving the salarian standing there wringing his hands. The next several minutes felt like an eternity and the two batarians began to feel foolish just standing there, but the salarian didn't leave yet so that was promising. Finally, the guard returned with Anto in tow. His brother seemed to be agitated as he came down the steps to greet them.

"Aria doesn't like trouble, brother." Anto grumbled as he walked up. "Why are you here? Is it about the Suns on Camala? If it is, then you have a death mark. The Suns really fucked up recently."

Sh'sk held up his hand to stop him. "I'm not with the Suns anymore. Charn and I need work."

Anto gave each of them a look, but his demeanor didn't seem to change. "Sorry, brother. I can't help you."

"Anto, for fuck's sake. We can't go back to Camala." Charn argued.

"Then go somewhere else." Anto growled. "Go to Torfan and work for father. You like that merc shit."

"Father was killed when Torfan was hit by the humans. The Hegemony and the Alliance are at each other's throats."

It took several moments for Anto to process the news. "He was killed?"

"Yes. Did you not hear about it?" Sh'sk became incredulous. The batarians are at war with the humans."

"Aria doesn't care about the other wars. It doesn't affect her so it doesn't affect me. She is not going to get involved." Anto squirmed. "Look, brother. I have a cushy gig here. I don't want any screw ups."

"I won't screw it up." Sh'sk insisted.

"Fuck." Anto sighed hard. "Fine. I'll grant you an audience with her, but I'm not speaking up for you."

"It's better than nothing. Lead the way." Sh'sk motioned for his younger sibling to walk first.

Charn glanced up at the club as they approached it "I sure hope you know what you are doing, Sh'sk. I have heard things about Aria during my slave runs."

"Oh?"

"She doesn't screw around plus she's a biotic commando. I know you are biotic, but I don't think you are on her level."

"Well, I don't plan on fighting her."

"Please don't mention the Blue Suns or the Hegemony." Charn lowered his voice to keep their conversation away from prying ears. "Just slavers. Got it?" Sh'sk didn't answer.

When the doors opened to the club, the patrons turned to glance at the new arrivals and whispered among each other as they watched the trio walk in. The place was mixed with all kinds of the alien races from salarians to krogan. Even many humans. All intermingled with one another. Anto was right. All the wars outside Omega seemed to be on deaf ears.

Angelic asari dancers danced provocatively with the beat of the music as their bodies intertwined with one another and slid around dancing poles. This place was much better than any club that Sh'sk ever been to and he could only imagine the fee he would have to pay to just enter. Afterlife was the one number place to be at on Omega and one could spend hours just waiting in line for a chance to get inside. Once inside, if your pockets were empty, you didn't stay long. Drinks were pricey and so were the dancers. Sh'sk and Charn paused to watch some of the eye candy. "Please get us a job here," Charn sighed happily as his eyes watched an asari slide up and down a pole. She noticed his gaze and winked at him as she moved her body ever so slowly.

Anto huffed to grab their attention. "Keep moving. Aria doesn't have all night and you are making me look bad." Sh'sk looked up over where the pirate queen sat to overlook all the club-goers. The purple skinned Asari seemed to be watching Sh'sk carefully as he made his way closer to her location. He felt a chill coarse down his body.

Another batarian named Sanak stopped them at the foot of the steps but in plain view now of Aria as she sat on her couch. "Stand still." He began to scan the pair with his omni tool. A chirp rang from the device and Sanak made note of it. "The one on the left is a biotic…has an implant. The other one is clean."

Aria waved them through. "I really don't think Anto would help his brother harm me, Sanak." Her words oozed off her tongue as her blue eyes flashed to Anto, who was standing at the bottom of the steps. A strong reminder that if things went wrong then he was good as dead.

"Thank you for meeting us. My name is Sh'sk and my friend is Charn." Sh'sk stopped just a few feet from where she was. She was very gorgeous to him…the kind that would kill you in your sleep if you were not too careful. He tried not to let his thoughts move him away from his sheer purpose on being there.

Aria rolled her eyes as she noticed his uncomfortable body language. "Are you here for a peep show?"

Sh'sk felt his face grow flush from the question. "No. I'm here looking for work."

"Are you?" Aria lifted an eye ridge. "Just what kind of work is it?"

"Anything I can find," Sh'sk answered honestly. "My brother likes it here and I'm sure you pay well."

Aria seemed perturbed by that statement. "I pay everyone well. Get to the point."

"That's just it. We are looking for work."

Aria glanced over to Charn who was standing nearly frozen in place. "Can you speak?"

"Yes." Charn stammered, caught off guard by her addressing him.

"What did you do prior to Omega?"

Charn glanced over at his friend and paused. "Slavers."

Aria's face remained neutral for several seconds. Sh'sk had to admit, she was very hard to read and it started to make him feel a bit uncomfortable himself. She waved her hand to dismiss the statement. "A biotic for slave runs? Wrong idea, you two." She narrowed her eyes and stared deeply at the pair as if she was trying pierce them. "Bray, kill them."

The other batarian accompanying her, that was standing to her right, approached them with the command. Sh'sk's mind went into a tailspin. How much information should he divulge to save their hinds? There was no time to weigh each consequence when any minute his brains could be blown out and his mission on Omega would terminally end. "We are former military with the hegemony in our earlier days. Charn speaks the truth as a slaver. I used to be with the Blue Suns."

Bray paused at the answer and looked back at his boss who nodded her head at the testimony, making him step back into his former position. Aria's face didn't flinch. "Where?"

Sh'sk could hear Anto swear under his breath. He sighed, "Camala and then a few other places with Santiago and then on my own."

The asari sat there, mulling over what he provided to her as if she was contemplated on where to go from here. She rose up from her seat and looked over the crowd below. "Right now, the Blue Suns are on the top of my shit list." Sh'sk tensed. "You are obviously not one of them here. I could tell if you were lying about anything else…." She let the last sentence linger out in the air for a warning.

"I told you everything." Sh'sk stood straighter. In the back of his mind, he was sweating bullets. He didn't know the status of Saren or Balak. He didn't know how much trust he could put in T'Loak to not turn him in if they came to her door, asking. Even if his brother stated that she didn't care about the wars outside Omega.

"I lost a few good of my men lately. Anto has proven to be useful to me and I trust in what he also has told me about you and your friend. I'll let you work for me." She turned on her heel and sat back down on her couch and finally showed a smile when she saw both of them become fully relieved. "Drinks are on the house tonight. See Grizz tomorrow morning for your assignment."

"That was close," Charn mumbled to Sh'sk as they walked down the steps the main dance floor.

Anto turned to address them. "Don't screw this up." He gave his brother one last look before returning to his post.

"What do we do now?" Charn asked thoughtfully as he looked around the club in awe.

"We have some creds. Let's spend it." Sh'sk grinned.