AN: No excuse this time.

Chapter 11: The Split

It was a very strange sound, like a wet plop which was immediately followed by the krogan's grunt. His grip on her arm tightened painfully suddenly and then it slackened as he crumbled to the floor.

Abby stared at the krogan's body, her heart beating painfully in her chest. They were almost at the shuttle and quite suddenly she realized that the only thing between her and potential freedom was the tiny salarian's grip on her arm. She moved quickly, wrenching her arm from his weaker grip and ramming her elbow into his face. He cried out in pain and fell away from her but she didn't stay to watch him fall. Abby stumbled once as the people around her started shouting and moving, trying to determine from where the shot came. She picked herself up immediately, her body feeling as if it was burning with adrenaline, and ran.

She dove in underneath the shuttle as the others around her started shouting, crawled beneath it and scrambled up, bolting in the first direction her eyes focused on. She didn't bother looking back, didn't bother thinking about what was behind her, all that she was focused on was getting away and doing it as quickly as she could. She wove through the park crowds, side stepping a volus vendor and almost crashing into a translucent hanar. Her mind briefly jumped to the last time in Nos Astra where she had to get away from mercenaries. That day Asura had been there to save her but now, she knew that if she made a mistake there would be none to pick her up. Shepard and Liara were probably too busy dealing with the guards and mercenaries behind her. Thinking about the Spectre, her heart lightened and she pushed on faster.

Jane had not let her go. She had found her. She could not imagine that anybody other than Shepard could've shot that krogan. Almost laughing with bitter mirth, Abby realized that like so many others, she had begun to see Shepard as her saviour, as the guardian angel that would always keep her safe.

"Abby!"

Liara's voice drifted past her and, as she looked up in the direction that it had come from, she saw a car move over her head. People in the park were staring and jumping out of her way now and although Abby kept hoping that the police might appear and take the situation under control nothing was happening. Looking up had been a mistake because she lost her balance and crashed down, skidding a cross the lush law cover. Before she could pick herself up two hands seized her by her shoulders and pulled her up. Seconds later there was another one of those strange, wet plopping sounds. A weight collapsed on top of her, bearing her back to the ground. The car that had flown overhead was now parked in front of her the door open and Liara in the back seat urging her forward. Ignoring the warm liquid that was slowly streaming into her neck, Abby scrambled out from underneath the body and pushed herself up. She started running forward again, focusing her attention on Liara and half expecting to see Shepard sitting in the front seat. When she was close enough she was surprised to realize that it was another asari. She didn't recognize her immediately but then...

"Goddess," Liara heard Vasir mutter under her breath. "She shot him. At that distance."

Feeling ridiculously proud of Shepard, Liara sat forward in anticipation, watching how Abby hit the other guard that was holding her and start running. She almost cried out in frustration when the woman lost her balance but the human quickly picked herself up and shot off, choosing the shortest possible route to get herself out of harm's way. She had to admit that Shepard's judgement had been correct, that Abby wasted no time to get as much space between herself and her captors. She sat forward and glanced at Vasir who was flying her craft just behind Abby.

"Drop me here," she said. "I'll stop them from pursuing her."

"No."

She blinked at Vasir's short answer and felt a moment's fury before she called herself to calm with a well practiced measure of self control. She was used to other asari's distain. Her status as a pureblood was well known due to who her mother was, especially since the scandal of her death. It had taken her a while to get herself settled in the asari controlled Illium purely because of her genetics.

"Vasir," she snapped. "I'm needed on the ground!"

"No," the asari said shortly and sped the car forward. "The human doesn't know me. I need you in the car to call her here. We can fend them off from here, unless you don't have range on your attacks." With Shepard gone, she didn't bother hiding her distaste at all.

Closing her eyes, praying to the Goddess for patience, Liara focused on Abby who had just woven through two vendors and almost knocked over a hanar. Her progress left a wave of disgruntled aliens but thankfully nobody tried to interfere. The mercenaries also clearly wanted to take her alive because they had given chase instead of just gunning her down. Vasir opened up the car door and pitched the car precariously to the side, giving Liara a better view of the park. She grabbed the side of the chair to steady herself and leaned out a bit.

"Abby! Up here!" she yelled. "Abby!"

The vet didn't look up at her first cry but then when she shouted again she turned her head up. Recognition and relief crossed her face one second and then the next pure shock as she lost her balance and fell down hard.

"NO!" Liara shouted in frustration. "Vasir!"

"On it!" the biotic snapped and turned the car sharply. Liara pulled out her pistol and fired on the two mercenaries that had reached Abby first and was already in the process of dragging her up. Her first shot missed but then she saw the one mercenary jerk and fall forward over Abby.

Shepard, she's closer.

Liara tossed the pistol into the car, focused her biotics and wrapped the other mercenary in her power; hurling him away from where Abby was struggling to get out from underneath the one Shepard had shot. She didn't look to see what Vasir was doing, but formed a large singularity behind Abby, trapping three mercenaries that almost reached her. She felt Vasir slip the car into neutral, though kept it hovering just above the ground for a quick getaway. Then, the Spectre slipped into the passenger seat and started providing cover for the fleeing woman as well. Liara thought that they had all but conquered the situation when suddenly Abby, who nearly reached them, slowed down her face going blank as her nearly black eyes focused on Vasir.

Liara didn't realize what was happening immediately and wrapped her powers around another merc who had escaped her singularity.

"What the hell is she doing?" Vasir snapped. "Come on human! RUN!"

Liara blinked and glanced at the vet, frowning when she realized that she had stopped moving all together and was staring at the car. "ABBY!" She snapped though it provoked no response from her. "Abby..." Her mind reeled. "She's having a memory flash..." Vasir looked at her bewildered but Liara found herself go cold. "She's slipped into a memory which means..." Abby was staring at Vasir... Oh no, she must recognize her! Liara scrambled to grab the gun that she had dropped, not knowing what power to hurl at the asari at such close quarters, but Vasir's instincts were quicker than hers.

"Don't move," she said, turning her gun on Liara. "And don't do something stupid. What's wrong with her?"

Liara swallowed and forced herself to meet Vasir's gaze calmly. "You don't know?" she queried calmly. "I thought the Broker knew everything."

Vasir blinked, narrowing her eyes and for a moment, Liara thought that she was going to deny her association with the Shadow Broker. But then she smiled slightly and with a force stronger than Liara could've anticipated or predicted she wrapped her biotics around her and threw her out of the vehicle. All the while, Abby continued to stare at them, her features blank as her mouth formed silent words.

"I didn't expect to see you back so soon." The voice was unmistakable and, when Asura turned around, she found Aria T'loak standing behind her. The Matriarch was smiling slightly, her gaze searching her face before she looked around the bar. "I don't see your..." Her mouth thinned with either amusement or distaste. "Pet anywhere."

Uncomfortable, Asura turned back to the bar and took another careful sip of her drink. It was her first one that she had ordered almost an hour ago. A part of her wanted to drink until she could not stand and dance with the other patrons until she lost herself to their flow and energy and the rhythm of the club. She could feel the need that she had, the pull that their collective souls had on her. She needed to touch someone and have them return that touch in kind.

"If you're hungry," Aria continued in a dry tone of voice. "You can come and dine with me. I don't think you'll find anything worth your while down here."

It was the subtlest of warnings; if you want to feed your lust, do it somewhere else tonight and leave these patrons alone.

Asura found that she trusted Aria less and less and, knowing what the asari had offered Abby, she second guessed everything that the Queen of Omega did. She never got the impression that Aria gave a pyjak's tail about anybody except herself and her position of power but sometimes, in subtle ways the asari exhibited a kind of... protectiveness over the people living here. She guessed that if those people living on Omega didn't feel at least somewhat protected and cared for then they wouldn't settle here. People spoke cautiously and quietly of Aria, never with a kind word but they never complained. Aliens of all species raised families here and there was a grudging peace that Aria's people enforced among the different groups. Whether she did it to keep her own hide safe or because she actually cared Asura couldn't say.

Aria was a wild card with her own agenda and she could make life very difficult for her if she chose.

"I'm not hungry," Asura said grudgingly, realizing that the woman wasn't going to go away until she responded. Having her stare at her back was uncomfortable. "You don't have to be concerned."

Aria chuckled and shifted in next to her. Asura could feel the patrons move away from them, she could sense how uneasy even the turian bartender was now that his queen was close. Before Aria could even look at him he slipped a drink in front of her and moved away with a last glance in Asura's direction that said; sucks to be you. She followed his departure in an attempt not to look at Aria.

"So, is your pet close?" Aria returned to her first question. "I believe she can keep you... sated." That small hesitation at the back made Asura's skin ripple with anger but she pushed it away, telling herself that she was merely touchy because of the way her last conversation with the vet had ended.

"She's still with Shepard," Asura answered shortly.

Aria made a murmuring sound and took a sip of her drink. "Oh?" she queried. "I take it she has not recovered then yet."

Asura blinked and glanced at Aria confused. "Who?" She said. "Shepard?" She remembered that the Spectre had been hurt in her battle with Lenelle but she hadn't imagined that it was that serious. She didn't like the way Aria smiled as she shook her head.

"No of course not," she said. "Your pet, Dr. Gable. The last time I saw her she looked quite unwell, she made a... right scene here in the club." She took another sip of her drink. "I would've had to remove her had the Normandy's crew not intervened."

Asura's mouth went dry as she stared at the Matriarch. Her first instinct was to lunge at the woman and demand what she was on about but she immediately knew that that wouldn't be a smart move. Aria was infamously paranoid and very rarely came down to the bar. If she was here, Asura was sure that there were people watching her every move and those around her. Besides, if she was unable to stop herself from acting on instinct, she would've killed half of the people in this room already. And all for lust.

Shivering, trying to still her own fear, Asura made sure to meet Aria's gaze. "What happened?" She queried softly, unhappy that she was unable to hide the worry in her voice.

Aria seemed pleased that she didn't know and made a dismissive gesture with her hand. "I can't give you the details," she said. "All I saw was the crew members forcefully removing her from here. The Normandy left shortly after. This was... a couple of days ago." Her eyes went sharper. "I'm surprised you don't know considering how close you are to Dr. Gable."

Asura found that she had stood up without quite remembering how she got to her feet. She had taken a step away from Aria, her emotions in so much turmoil that it took all of her self control not to exert her biotic power on the woman and seduce more information out of her. She closed her eyes and looked away, grabbing the bar as she did so. If it had occurred a couple of days ago, around the time the Normandy left, then Abby had lied to her. She knew that something had been wrong when they spoke; she could see it in the vet's eyes. The realization that Abby had withheld information was a bigger blow than her worry for the woman. If Abby wasn't being honest with her, it meant that the vet was probably rethinking her offer. If she didn't trust her, how could she live with her?

I'm doomed, she thought bitterly. I can't go back to the way I was, living a celibate life. I can't go on living alone...

"You seem upset," Aria said dryly. "Or is the drink not accommodating with you?"

Asura's world spun back into focus as she sniffed and opened her eyes to look at Aria. Focusing on the Matriarch she remembered the real reason she had come to Omega. The one she had been debating whether or not she should follow through.

"I have to go," she said. "I've got to meet someone."

Aria only smiled in response, though the gesture held no mirth or kindness. "Remind Dr. Gable of my offer the next time you see her, won't you?" she queried sweetly. "Easy opportunities here don't come by often. This is Omega after all."

Hating the asari, Asura forced herself to incline her head before she turned around and left the club all together.

Lenelle was uncomfortable with this meeting and it didn't help her unease one bit that the asari was late. "Meet with Vasir," the Shadow Broker had told her. "I want her to see you, to know who you are."

"Why?" she had queried, unhappy because she never quite trusted Spectres. They served what they believed to be a greater good and even if the Broker held information that he could use against them, she didn't trust that they would decide to protect themselves instead of the Council that they so loyally served. Tela Vasir had been doing this for more than two hundred years and her association with the Broker was passing at best. That she was good at what she did Lenelle didn't doubt but she was worried sometimes that Vasir might be a little too good.

"She needs to know who you are," the Broker had said again. "And what you are. Vasir is dangerous and she knows it. I feel it's prudent that she understands what kind of power I have at my command as well. It will stop her from turning against us."

Us, Lenelle thought bitterly. He only used that when it suited him. She knew that there was nobody in the Broker's ranks who surpassed her position, that she was one of the few agents who met with him in person and who knew what almost every single one of his projects were. She understood his power far more than anybody else purely because she had the command of his forces at the touch of her fingertips. But, she knew that he too understood her power and she constantly wondered whether he was trying to find that one weapon that he would be able to use against her if the time came that she decided to turn on him.

The thought made her laugh, drawing her attention back to her current situation. She was waiting for Vasir in one of the parks in Thessia. It was a bold gesture on her part, though she didn't fear the Matriarchs. She had spend almost a thousand years living her life right underneath their noses and she knew that she wasn't about to be discovered now. Unless she killed Vasir for being late that was...

A car dropped into sight in front of her and an asari stepped out of it, dressed in a surprisingly fine robe.

Cocky, Lenelle thought as she looked at Vasir. Not a weapon in sight. She decided right there that she wasn't going to try and intimidate the woman and stood up with a smile as she flowed towards the car.

There were far better ways of showing someone what kind of power you held.

Liara hit the ground hard, rolling a few steps away from Abby. She formed a barrier around her immediately, in an attempt to stop any shots that Vasir might fire but the Spectre hadn't used her gun, probably afraid that she might hit Abby. When she pushed herself to her feet she realized with a stroke of relief that Abby was with her, her blank eyes still staring at Vasir.

"You're late," she murmured in a tone so sultry it could only belong to someone else. It was the same sultry tones that Liara had heard in her apartment. "I was beginning to think that I've been stood up." She paused and chuckled, a sound that made Liara shiver. "That hasn't happened in more than five hundred years."

Lenelle, Liara thought bewildered. Asura's not that old...

"Abby," Liara hissed. "Snap out..." She didn't get to finish her sentence as Vasir hit her barrier with a force so hard it knocked her to her knees again and made her barrier crumble around her. Feeling every bone in her body vibrate with the attack, Liara whimpered, rolled out of the way and leapt to her feet again. This time she was quicker with her attack response and instead of just throwing up a barrier she hurled an unstable singularity into the car. Vasir jumped out of the car and right into its path, covering her own body with a barrier as she broke the singularity apart before it could do any damage to her vehicle. When Liara hurled another attack at her she met it face on, holding up her hand to stop it.

"Abby," Liara grunted as their powers collided and she could felt the force of it set her skin on fire. "Abby please, please snap out of it. Come on! For the love of the Goddess, snap out of it!"

Abby didn't respond, her gaze fixed on Vasir, her face still calm and impassive as if she didn't see the two asari's power at all. To Liara's horror she started walking forward again, right towards Vasir. The Spectre spared her a bewildered glance, as if she couldn't understand what Abby was up to. Still, she didn't move on her, clearly not perceiving her as a threat. Instead, she moved her body slightly, kept focusing her power with her one hand and pulled out her pistol with the other. Liara knew what she wanted to do in an instant and realized that she had no other choice than to break her contact and dive out of the way. The shot struck wide, but Liara kept moving, knowing that Vasir wouldn't hesitate to fire again.

She didn't understand it at all, but the human kept walking towards her, her features calm and relaxed as if she had no awareness of the fighting around them. Firing as many shots as she could on T'soni, Tela Vasir stepped forward and grabbed the human by the hand, pulling her forward.

"Come now," the human's tone was one of amused surprise. "This isn't supposed to be anything other than a meeting." Something in her tone made Vasir hesitate.

"And you are?" She said automatically and felt a vague sense of déjà vu. When had she said that as well?

"Don't play games with me," Dr. Abigail Gable's voice was harsh suddenly and she pulled away from Vasir's touch. "You made me wait."

Confused, Vasir realized suddenly realized that her thermal clip was empty. T'soni had moved in behind a park bench but her shields were down. If I had only one more shot...

"Get into the car!" She snapped at the human, reloaded and fired two more shots. "Quickly!"

Confusion crossed the woman's features and her eyes, darker than any you would find on any asari not using her power, turned to Vasir. At first anger played across her features and there was an edge in her eyes that hinted at madness. I know that look.

"Nobody orders the Taker around," the human hissed. "Know your place Shield."

Vasir's world shifted out of focus for a second. She remembered hearing those words a couple of years ago when she met with a fellow Shadow Broker agent. Or, not just an agent...

"Lenelle?" She couldn't think about it, couldn't imagine what was happening right in front of her eyes. Yet, there she saw it, the way the human looked at her, the arrogant irritation that was present on her face. Vasir had not gotten where she was in life from hesitating so before the human could say anything else she fired another round on T'soni and pushed the human towards the car.

"We're being attacked," she snapped. "Go! We have to leave!"

The human paused and a look of agony crossed her features as she closed her eyes and seemed to sway. "I'm... I'm..."

Pain exploded in Vasir's side and she doubled over, immediately clutching her side. Shepard. She forced herself up and all but hauled the human into the car, pushing her into the driver's seat. She had a wild thought, a strange one. The human doctor had been rehearsing Lenelle's words to the letter of their first meeting. But, the moment she tried to get her to act independently...

"Taker, why don't you drive?" she repeated what she had said all those years ago, when she had gone to pick up Lenelle for their first meeting in Thessia. As she hoped, her words seemed to stabilize the human and her features became like the calm, cold ocean of Lenelle's features.

"Where do you suggest we go?" she queried. Lenelle wanted her response to be anywhere but here, but she shrugged and closed the car doors, activating its shield with her omni-tool.

"Where you think we can talk in private," she rehearsed and risked a glance at her side for the first time. There was dark blue blood pouring from between where Shepard had hit her between two armour plates. The wound was crippling, but not immediately lethal. Why didn't she kill me? If she could wound me, she could've killed me. A bullet ricochet against the car but the human didn't seem aware of it at all as she eased the vehicle up. Vasir looked out of the car window just in time to see Liara run up to where they were and made to throw her biotics at them but Shepard was there as well now and pushed down her hand, stopping her. Vasir risked a smile and had her suit disperse medigel into her wound. This was going to be an interesting ride.

The End of Chapter 11...