Just Need Someone: A Future Worth Fighting For Chapter 14
AN: Well by a 3 to 2 vote out of 5 total votes, by popular demand you get an Aria/Sunra scene this chapter! See participating in the voting process DOES pay off :P
==1 Day Later – Omega==
Sunra strode off the docking area that the Queen's Pride had, its special made berth was nearly a few hundred yards from where Aria's personal offices and nightclub were at.
Sunra had been given her leave to do what she wished at present, her tasks by Aria had been so far simple over the past day, and though she found her sleeping accomodations with inside Aria's personal cabin a bit uncomfortable she had made do as best she could. The scene from the night before came to her mind after she had settled down to her first day on the ship.
==Last Evening – Aria's Cabin==
"..So Sunra, how was your first day among my crew hmm? Any regrets so far? Wishing you were back with mommy and Aura?" She said with a teasing tone as Aria sat on a plush couch with her feet propped up on a equally plush foot stool as she sipped some sort of blue silver colored wine.
Sunra who was standing nearby putting her gear back into her pack in the corner of the room she used simply nodded, Aria had teasingly offered the young Asari Shepard to sleep in her own bed with her, but both knew that offer would have been turned down. Since Aria had refused to let Sunra sleep on her couches or chairs, that had forced Sunra to sleep on a small cramped corner of the room on the floor. Though it was carpeted and plush with the finest materials as Aria's ego would have accepted nothing less. It still was a frustrating experience for the young Asari, still she had roughed it a few times in her life and gotten through things this would be no different. Turning then to Aria she replied sealing up her pack, "..I had no issues Aria, your crew is polite enough but professional. I'm evening learning a few things of various sorts." She stated, then fully turned and realizing something, and gave a slight challenging posture with her arms across her chest, "..and I noticed that you teased me on reference to my Mother Samara, but yet still refered to my father by her actual name. Perhaps my father has earned your respect far more then you want to admit hmm?" She said.
Aria was clearly surprised by this point, and the challenging nature that Sunra had taken up against Aria in defense of her parents. Then surprise was noted by Sunra, and the flash of brief irritation before the usual cool aloof air Aria had came back to the front as she sipped her wine glass. "..Your Mother is among a dying breed of our society. A few more years and that whole Code nonsense is done with." She said.
Sunra frowned a bit, "..My mother is a great asari! She's done good things in her long life. Things that...that have left their mark on her, our society, and the galaxy at large! She's killed some of the most dangerous people and groups around in her life at times and its made this galaxy safer!" She said clenching her hands a bit and stepping forward.
"..Bah, nonsense, the problem with the lawless elements is they will almost always follow those who have the most power to lead. People like myself. The problem is that there are not enough single minded people...or rather asari or Krogan since few else live long enough to make things matter. To keep a tight reign on their power like I have. If there were I would wadger a lot of the lawless wild elements your mother have sent off to find peace with wouldnt be so bad." Aria said cooly, she wanted to push Sunra, see that fire she well know was inside. "..Just a bit more.." she thought, privatley admiting the fire of youth that Sunra had, excited her in many ways.
"..People like you Aria, that feed on the suffering or blackmailing of others are...are horrible people! You sell drugs to elements that then skim off your supply and sell to others who then use it for even worse means!" Sunra said.
"..The 'people' you speak of are in actuality very small Sunra. How can I be held responsible for the actions of the minority. I have what someone wants, I sell it for a profitable price and what my buyer does afterwards is not my fault." She stated.
Sunra shook her head, "..Aria you got access to so much intelligence networks, and pieces of knowledge, good and bad! You got control over so many groups that you could make this galaxy a better place for years on end! And you could STILL make a reasonable profit while doing it!" Sunra said.
"..Oh dont you start!.." Aria said with a roll of her eyes, "..your father tried that whole lovey dove preachy 'good for the galaxy' nonsense on me back when we went to retake Omega during the Reaper War. Well let me tell you something that Aura knows well enough, even if she doesnt like it. And the sooner YOU learn it you'll be better off regardless what you choose to do in life." Aria said downing her glass and setting it onto the stool as she fluidly rose up.
"..You need to realize that there is a balance between both extremes of morality. When you lean on one side or another you may save a few people here but then countless more suffer over there. Or if you senselessly kill a group here then some other half brained idiot twits are trying to figure out how to cure some disease over there that has no NEED anymore to be cured.." Aria said striding over with a dangerous air to her posture. "..Your FATHER knows this in her heart, sure she'll always do her 'best' to protect the greatest number but deep down she knows the truth. I'm just more open about it and speaking of it with words and in actions.." Aria said closing in so that even the wired up angry and frustrated Sunra had backed up and was now against the wall.
Aria closed the last distance so that the two were barely a few inches apart, "..If you want to make a 'difference' like you always are saying, like you HAVE said since coming on here, then you would do well to wake up girl and get with the harsh reality of the galaxy. There ARE no true happy endings. No fairy tale romance, no prince charming waiting in the wings to swoop up the fair princess from danger. There is only the strength of what YOU can bring to bare on those you meet and what you do.." Aria hissed out in a low tone. Her older face barely a few inches from Sunra's far younger one.
Sunra swallowed hard staring into Aria's intense fiery stare. She felt meek, small, like a rat under the gaze of an eagle who was at its mercy. She didnt want to believe what Aria was saying, she wanted to believe that no matter what people were in their hearts good people. Swallowing her fear, her doubts, her worries and feelings she returned Aria's look, "..Th..then why are you doing so much to save people? I've seen tho..those reports you did earlier with tasking agents to move non-combatants from areas on Omega and other places in the Terminus that werent reltaed to your operations, just in case the...they came under attack by the Ancients at some point." she asked trying to sound just as fiery as Aria said just seconds before.
The reply between the two drug on as Aria digested Sunra's questions, and the flash of being caught at truly having been trying to save innocents from possible future attacks by her contacts was true. Sunra saw she had hit upon a secret truth to Aria in some way, something she hadnt known Sunra had seen. And that she hadnt wanted Sunra to know of.
Backing away in silence with a harsh glare Aria snatched up the bottle of blue silver wine and drained half the bottle. In one long series of gulps, then threw the half empty bottle into the wall near the waste unit smashing it with a loud crash. "..Because of a promise, and if you ask anything more on it right now you'll be the next one thrown into that wall. Now get to sleep we'll be at Omega early in the morning.." Aria said striding to the bathroom in silence, throwing aside her clothing without a care if Sunra was looking or not the departing image of Aria's shapely nude back and lower body seen briefly by Sunra who faintly blushed and looked away having said nothing in reply sensing it was the better thing to do at the moment.
Twenty minutes later Aria returned from her personal bathroom, to find Sunra preparing for bed herself now, already having used the crew showers and bathroom to clean up. She was in a simple jump suit used often for sleeping in the field on missoins by many mercanery groups. And she was presently doing a series of sit ups while using her bioitcs to lift several small objects of her own to keep both body and mind in shape. "..96.." Aria heard fainly from Sunra, who was as of yet unaware of her watcher.
Aria's anger and embarassment had cooled with her own showering, and she watched Sunra a moment, "..Not half bad princess, whats your total number you've gotten up to?" she asked with a gesture to the objects lifted. One was a bobbing picture of Aura, Samara, and the whole crew of the Normandy during the War, with Milra and her at the age of 3 in front of the ship for one of the reunions they had yearly. Obviously it was used as a focus point.
"..97...and my highest? 130 or so usually.." She said coming back up, "..98.." she stating with a soft breath.
"..Good you keep in shape, too few of you maidens ever care to do that till later. Makes the mark of a good Commando." Aria stated, coming into view, wearing nothing but a large towel wrapped around her body while she dried off the points of her head and crest with a smaller one.
"..I cant speak for other maidens...99." She said pausing, "..and maybe if we werent...100! Wrapped up in trying to stop these...101! Ancients I'd be doing the same. Since I was...102! Planning on applying for some kind of schooling with art design somewhere...103! Before this all started." She said.
"..Art huh? Well waste of talent if you ask me." Aria said leaning on the side post in her room well within Sunra's view.
"..Maybe...104! But I would think you would know...105! By now that I prefer doing what I enjoy...106! Not just what...107! Someone tells me I'd be best at...108! I prefer challenges...109! Keeps life interesting..110!" She said Sunra hardly pausing now in her work out or letting her eyes wander from the focus of the picture before her.
"..I'll grant you are correct there, but talents with gun play, repair work, and tactical planning sure seems well suited to your talents too. Given proper training and time you would obviously make an amazing Commando, mercenary, or maybe even a Spectre." Aria said, moving fluidly over to her couch to try to get Sunra's gaze to wander as she set to using the small towel now to dry her lower legs and feet propped up on the foot stool.
Sunra though seemed hardly to wander in her focus, "..113! Maybe so, and maybe in a few years assuming we...114! Survive all this I'll see what I want to do...115! Like I said I was...116! Considering an art school...117! I'm not sure anymore...118!" Sunra stated.
Seeing her coy attempts at getting Sunra's attention werent working Aria gave up for the time being Tossing aside the small towel and then the larger one, throwing them onto the couch to stride nude over to her lush and well adorned extra large king sized bed. "..Well I'm sure Aura will have a large say in whatever you'll do assuming you dont die during all this. If I know her as well as I think she'll want to have tons of father/daughter time with you and Milra." Aria stated glancing over to see yet again Sunra had not even glanced her way.
"..121! You're likely right Aria. But my...122! Father is important to me...123! And I will be...124! Happy to spend what years I have with her left...125! Once this is all over...126! But you clearly dont know her...127! As well as you think if you think...128! She'd dictate where and what I do in...129! My life after this war...130!" Sunra said rising up the 130th time breathing hard and sweating a bit, she wiped off her brow and neck with her own small towel. Then noticed Aria's own tossed aside clothes and towels near the couch. Resting her hands on her knees she looked at the pirate Queen who was checking a data pad in the bed. "..Dont you clean up after yourself?" Sunra said with a gesture to the towels and crumpled clothes.
Aria glanced over her bare chest in view with the purposed movement. The extra exsposed flesh made Sunra blush slightly and look away, "..My cleaning staff will tend to it tomrrow, what do I care?" She stated, "..I got more important things to do." slightly waving the data pad in her hand.
"..Yeah but...its dirty.." Sunra said with irritation.
"..If its so galaxy ending in troubling you then YOU clean it up now." Aria said with a roll of her eyes.
Sunra bit her lip in thought, setting the items she had biotically lifted during her work out away, except for the picture of the crew and her parents next to her near the spot she would sleep at soon. She eyed the clothes, and towels, then Aria who remained silent in her bed. Sighing breaking her the Pirate Queen's gaze she moved to stand and strode to clean up the mess, unlike her sister she couldnt stand stuff like this haphazardly thrown about, "..Godess honestly the laundry unit was two feet up from here Aria!" She muttered tossing them inside. Then saw the further mess in the bathroom of open caps, dripping half turned off water units, and tooth paste and such strewn about. Muttering Sunra entered and amused Aria watching the house keeping.
"..Well that was unexpected, I quite like this.." She thought with amusement as Sunra returned a few moments later finishing the clean up.
"..I'm not doing this all the time ya know! And its not fair to your crew that you make them clean up your mess all the time either! As you said before they too got more important things going on with what we're doing.." Sunra said returning to her small floor space.
Aria shrugged, setting the data pad down, "..Well then I guess if you're going to be in my cabin all the time while we're doing all this to stop the Ancients you'll either have to get used to my piggish habits or else clean up after me or accept that the crew will do what I will and pay them for!" She said leaning over to hit the buttons to turn out the lights.
Sunra muttered in annoyance again as the lights dimmed and Aria smirked, sensing she had won the argument and issue for things. Huffing Sunra said, "..Good night Aria.." she muttered.
Aria said nothing in reply turning on her side and going to sleep.
===Back on Omega the next day==
Sunra shook herself from her thoughts, finding herself leaning on a railing looking out over the sky line. Troubling inner personal thoughts running rabid in her mind, over what the next move would be in this 'war' against the Ancients.
AN2: Well there we go! Foreshadowing things to come and setting the stage for the next aria/sunra scene ;) R&R please!