A/N: Hey everyone!
I can't believe I originally thought that I could combine John and Jane's chapters. I certainly didn't expect this one to be as long as it turned out. I have written every single day since I posted the last update, and this is the result. There are twists and turns, surprises and suspense, so grab a snack and settle in, because this one is going to be huge (both literally and metaphorically)!
Be prepared, it's also going to generate lots of feels, and I can't wait to hear all about them!
For those of you interested, I've pasted a link on my website to a song that I imagined playing during one of the scenes. Head on over there and check it out.
I just have to give a shout out to my editor, Sisypheria. I couldn't have put this chapter together without her!
Enjoy! ~J
"I am the monster in your head." – Lights Out, Breaking Benjamin
Chapter Twenty-Five – A Deadly Game
Someone was following them.
At first it was hard to pick up on with all the other commotion going on around them. The trading floors of Nos Astra could only be described as organized chaos. Asari vendors haggled with volus merchants over prices and quantities, brokers negotiated contract terms for indentured service—which was really just a fancy way of saying slavery by consent—and those who weren't shopping were taking in the beautiful vistas or enjoying themselves in one of the dozens of small cafes that were peppered strategically along the way.
But every so often, Jane would catch a glimpse of something behind them, a shadow that didn't quite fit in with the rest of the scenery. Neither one of her companions had noticed how it seemed to slink along the wall, always keeping just enough of a distance to make her doubt its presence. Silently her hand crept to her hip and hovered over the grip of her pistol in anticipation of a sudden attack.
"Did John have any ideas on where to start looking for Mirala?" Tali asked as they pushed their way through the crowds.
She dropped her hand and gave her companions a sidelong glance.
So far, tracking down the asari the Illusive Man had mentioned in the dossier had been like trying to find the proverbial needle in the haystack. No one they'd asked had ever heard of her and she didn't possess any defining physical characteristics, as far as Jane knew, that would have made her stand apart from any of the other million asari that called Illium their home.
She was trying not to get discouraged, but her patience was starting to wear thin. Her last transmission to John hadn't gone so well; he'd commented that she was up 'shit creek' and then hung up without another word. She was beginning to wonder if maybe she had made a mistake in choosing to pursue Mirala first instead of Thane.
"I think it's best to take anything John says with a grain of salt," Jane replied with a wry smile. "After all, according to him you've been exiled and Liara works upstairs as an information broker."
Tali and Liara looked at each other and then burst into laughter.
"What could you possibly do to get yourself exiled?" Liara giggled. "Isn't your father on the Admiralty Board?"
"Hey, that's not half as bad as the mild-mannered archaeologist dealing information," the quarian teased back. "Maybe you work for the Shadow Broker."
"Maybe she is the Shadow Broker."
"Right. And I wear this helmet because it looks good with my shoes."
"Yeah, come on, Jane. That is a little far-fetched. Why would I trade a lifetime of researching the Protheans to become something so dark and twisted? I also happen to think the real Shadow Broker might have an objection or two."
Jane smiled, recalling how she'd had a similar reaction when John told her what the asari doctor had been up to in his universe.
"It's entertaining, to say the least," she shrugged, "but who knows how much of what John tells us is real. Take this mission, for instance. He kept calling the person we're after a 'justicar'. He obviously has his memories crisscrossed, because I can't find any supporting documentation on it and you'd think the Illusive Man would mention something that important. We—"
Out of the corner of her eye she caught a subtle shift as a shape moved off to their right. Jane glanced over her shoulder, hoping to spy a group of people milling about, but was disturbed to find the space entirely deserted.
"Something wrong, Shepard?"
Jane held up her hand, silencing Tali's words.
"I don't think we're alone here," she whispered. "We should keep moving."
Her teammates nodded and the three of them continued deeper into the space port, each of them a little more wary than they had been moments earlier.
Who was tailing them, and more importantly, why? It could have been any number of possibilities, ranging from something as simple as a street thug who had made the very wrong assumption that they were an easy target to men sent by the Illusive Man to keep an eye on their activities. From the few meetings she'd had with him she gathered that he was a man whose trust was not easily earned. Men like him didn't get to the top of their game by sitting idly by, and she didn't doubt for one second that he'd have ways to spy on them. Her and John's team was his newest investment after all, and like any good businessman, he would want to know where his assets were.
Eventually the long, winding hallway they were traveling through ended, opening into a large transportation hub. As dusk approached, thousands of glittering head and tail lights could be seen from the vehicles in the distance, glowing in a dazzling combination of red and white against the dark purple sky.
This section of the space station was even busier than the trading floor. People rushed about; some arriving, others departing, everyone in a hurry to get to their destination. Snippets of nearby conversations could be heard as they pushed through the crowds and every so often an advertisement would blare over the loudspeaker announcing everything from the latest fashions and scalp treatment to news from the Citadel.
The short segment informing them that production was underway on a new movie about a hanar named Blasto was of particular interest to Jane. Despite experiencing the real thing almost daily, she did enjoy a good action flick every now and then. It might be fun to go see when it was finished. Maybe she and Garrus could make a night of it. The first hanar spectre, she laughed to herself. Who came up with this stuff?
"Let's see if they know anything," Jane suggested, indicating the kiosk with the word "customs" emblazoned above it.
She approached the booth and placed her forearm on the counter. The asari seated behind it paused what she was doing and looked up, her hands hovering over her keyboard.
"Welcome to Nos Astra, ma'am. What can I do for you?"
"I'm looking for someone," Jane began conversationally. "Do you know if an asari by the name of Mirala has come through here recently?"
"Last name?"
"No, I'm sorry. I don't know it."
The customs agent nodded and tapped out a few keystrokes. "I'll do a search anyway and see if I can find anything that matches."
"Thank you."
"I do see someone using that name docked here about a month ago, but…hmm, that's funny." The agent frowned. Her eyes narrowed as she typed commands into the keyboard and brought up a separate screen. "I can't access any of the information. It keeps saying it's restricted."
"Well, what about Thane Krios, then?" Jane asked. If they couldn't track Mirala down right away, they might as well go after the drell in the meantime. "Can you tell me if he's still on Illium?"
"Sure ma'am. Hold on."
Another few minutes passed by as she hastily typed in the necessary credentials to search for the assassin, but once again her expression turned to one of puzzlement.
"It says that same thing: restricted. Who are these people? And who did you say you were with?" The asari looked up expectantly, waiting to hear an explanation, but the commander and her shore party were already gone.
What sort of game was the Illusive Man playing, Jane thought to herself as she hurried away from the desk. The last thing she had wanted to do was draw attention to them and make a scene. She shook her head angrily. Did he know about the restricted files? Was he responsible for the block? What was the point of sending her to recruit them if she couldn't even locate their whereabouts? It wasn't as if he provided those details in the dossiers. The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became with the whole thing.
"What do we do now, Shepard?" Liara's voice penetrated her inner rumblings.
"At this point, Liara, I wish you really were the Shadow Broker. Then at least we'd know where to start."
The asari laughed sympathetically, but was stopped short of offering any words of encouragement by the sound of Jane's omni-tool beeping.
Jane queued up the holographic interface and selected the message. The words that appeared on the screen stopped her dead in her tracks.
"We need to talk. Meet me at Club Solstice in an hour. Come alone."
Immediately her head reared up and she cast another guarded glance at her surroundings. Could the person who sent her the message be the same one who had been following her? She knew of only one way to find out. And her companions weren't going to like it.
.x.x.x.
"Shepard, you're not seriously considering going through with this, are you?" The asari's eyes were pleading and full of concern as she placed her hand on her Commander's arm.
"I'll be fine, Liara," Jane assured her. She pulled out her pistol and checked the heat sink before sliding back into the holster on her hip. "You're both acting as if I've never done anything like this before."
A conversation that she'd had with Tali not so long ago reverberated in her mind. Her friend had asked her almost the exact same thing when they first happened upon John and his crew. The quarian hadn't been too keen on the idea of her going off by herself then either.
"But that was different," Tali reasoned. "That time we were waiting behind in the cargo hold in case something went wrong. What you're asking us to do now is much worse."
The Commander's face softened. "Look guys, I know you're worried about me, but this isn't as bad as you're making it out to be. This person might have information on where to find Mirala. We need this."
"But—"
"No buts, Tali. I can take care of myself. I'm going and that's final. If I get into a jam—which I won't—I'll radio for backup. Understood?"
"Yes, Shepard."
She hated pulling rank, but the instructions she had been given had been perfectly clear: she was to come alone or not show up at all. She couldn't lose this chance; it was all they had to go on.
Club Solstice was located in one of the shadier areas of Illium. Tucked far away from the dazzling skyline of the Nos Astra spaceport, the streets were darker, illuminated only by the occasional lamp post or neon sign. It reminded her a little bit of Omega. Even the patrons coming and going had a rougher edge to them than the ones she'd seen at some of the ritzier places like Eternity. The club itself was sandwiched between blocks of dingy-looking apartments and as Jane approached she could hear the bass from the music all the way down the alley.
The bright white flashing of a strobe was her first impression of the inside, making it appear that everyone was dancing in slow motion, their jerky movements timed with the heavy beat. Pink, yellow, and blue streamers of light shot down like lasers from the ceiling, sweeping over the crowd in carefully constructed patterns of triangles, circles, and stars that shifted at regular intervals. At the far end of the large open chamber, women in revealing leather outfits gyrated in metal cages, adding a sense of thrill and a hint of danger to the underground vibe.
The décor was sparse at best, with nothing really on the walls. Booths with black upholstered bench seats lined the perimeter, with only the silver edging along the tables breaking up the monotony. A large square section of the floor had been designated for dancing, and had been lowered to separate it from the rest of the club. Two steps ran continuously along all four edges, allowing the patrons easy access. Underneath the dancers' feet white tiles blinked in sequence with the music and the strobes.
Jane stopped just inside the entrance and gazed around the dark establishment, wondering where her mysterious informant would be. As she pushed her way through the crowd she could feel the eyes following after her. Some of the bolder customers snorted derisively at her choice of apparel, and one or two disparaging remarks found their way over to her ears. She didn't care though. She wasn't there to be noticed or to look good, she was there to find out the information she needed. It was enough that she'd potentially put herself at risk by going in without backup and she'd be damned if she went without armor.
"Where ya goin' with that gun?" a batarian asked as she attempted to squeeze by him to check by the bar. "You lookin' for some trouble?"
Jane stopped and whirled around to look at him, trying to figure out if he was a bouncer who feared that she might start a fight right in the middle of the club.
He was casually leaning with one elbow against the counter, firmly gripping a shot glass with his free hand. All four of his eyes were focused intently on her, a small sneer gracing his almost non-existent lips.
The small Commander stepped back, shifting all of her weight to one hip, and crossed her arms. "Trouble usually finds me," she replied evenly. "I find it's best to be prepared for anything."
"That so?" he drawled, tilting his head as he surveyed her armor. Seemingly not impressed, he set his glass on the bar and trailed his finger across the top of her carnifex. "You sure this thing isn't too much for you?"
She seized his hand, crushing his fingers together within her iron grip as she painfully twisted his wrist. He managed to let out a surprised yelp before she pivoted to the side and flung him over her shoulder. The loud thud he made when he hit the ground was almost completely drowned out by the collective gasp from the people surrounding them.
Kneeling over him, she calmly removed her pistol and placed the barrel directly under his nostrils. "What do you think?"
His hands flew up in front of him in a weak attempt to fend her off, but he knew his only option was to lie there helplessly and hope she didn't feel like blowing a hole in his head. The corner of her mouth twitched with satisfaction and a moment later she pushed off of him and walked away, holstering her weapon as she went.
The sound of applause, slow and deliberate—almost as if it were intended to mock—captured her attention as she distanced herself from the scene. Jane glanced across the way and locked eyes with the source. An asari, half hidden by shadows, lounged against the back of the booth with her arms spread out along the back while her foot casually rested on the top of her other leg.
There was something different about this asari. Jane could feel it immediately although she couldn't quite place what it was. She was dressed from head to toe in black leather, the straps and hooks more reminiscent of a commando rather than a comfortable partying outfit. Her pale blue eyes sparkled with amusement, maybe even a little mischief, eyes that were now centered on her and filled with a hunger that excited her almost as much as it put her on edge.
"That was the most entertaining thing I've seen all night," the asari said and folded her arms with a sly smile.
"You saw that, did you?" the Commander answered back with a grin.
"I'm pretty sure the whole place did. Trouble finds you—that's a good one. Anyway, from where I'm standing, the bastard had it coming."
She shrugged. "He shouldn't have touched my gun."
The asari made a sound of approval in the back of her throat and leaned forward, rolling one of her shoulders forward as she placed both her forearms on the table and linked her fingers together. "I like you," she decided and flicked her head to the empty space next to her. "Why don't you sit down and have a drink with me?"
Jane hesitated, a small frown settling over her smooth features. "I appreciate the offer, but I really shouldn't."
"Why not? Afraid to live a little?"
"It's not that," she laughed quietly. "I'm supposed to meet someone here. They might have information on the person I'm looking for."
"Ooh, how clandestine," the asari hummed seductively. Her eyes glittered with sudden interest. She pointed to the empty seat again and said, "I enjoy a good mystery. I've been on Illium for a while now and I'm usually here every night. Maybe I know who they are. Who is it you're looking for?"
Why not, Jane thought and slid into the bench beside her.
"An asari named Mirala."
Her companion's face suddenly hardened, the muscles in her neck and shoulders tensing as though she were anticipating a fight. She looked like she could jump up and run away at any second.
"Why?" she demanded suspiciously.
Shepard stared at her for a moment, wondering what it was about Mirala that had put the asari so on edge. The only thing the dossier had mentioned about her was that she was considered to be extremely dangerous, but Jane figured that was why she was suggested as someone to recruit in the first place; they needed someone who wasn't afraid to look death in the face and laugh.
She decided that honesty was probably her best policy.
"I'm putting together a team for a very risky mission and I need the best. Mirala came highly recommended, but the problem is I can't find her. Nobody seems to know anything about her."
The asari relaxed and sat back, draping her arm over the edge again. "I haven't gone by that name in years," she revealed with a devious grin.
Jane's eyes widened. "You're Mirala?"
Mirala sidled up next to her and breathed in a husky whisper, "You can call me Morinth."
.x.x.x.
Liara watched as Tali pulled out her omni-tool and checked the clock for what seemed like the hundredth time in the past hour. Then she would sigh, just as she had every time before that, and drop her arm heavily on the table.
Wrapping her hands around her mug, the asari stared into her tea and watched the way the liquid would ripple with each thump of the quarian's hand. She liked tea. She found it calming, especially in situations of high stress. This particular cup contained the perfect blend of asari herbs that would help her relax and think more clearly.
Tali sighed again and Liara frowned. If only her friend were able to have some. The poor girl needed it more than she did.
"I can't believe we just let her go off on her own like that," she moaned.
"I'm sure she's fine, Tali," Liara said.
"But we're her backup! What if she's in trouble?"
"I'm not happy about it either, but there's no use for us to get all worked up about it now." Gesturing to the café they were sitting in, she continued, "We'll wait here until we hear from her. That way we'll be close in case she needs us."
This time it was Tali's helmet that struck the hard surface of the table. Liara put her hand on the quarian's hood and rubbed her head in a soothing fashion. They both lapsed into silence, each of them lost within their own thoughts.
It was reckless of Shepard to go by herself, but the archaeologist knew why she had to. They were getting nowhere in their search for Mirala. It was almost as if the asari had purposefully vanished into thin air. Any lead at this point was worth the risk.
Liara shifted in her chair and idly gazed around the small bistro. The people around them were laughing and having a good time, completely oblivious to the threat that lurked just outside the borders of their galaxy. No one but Shepard's crew seemed concerned about the Reapers, and as Sovereign's insect-like image surfaced in her memory she thought that maybe ignorance really was bliss.
Suddenly something caught her attention across the courtyard, a flash of red and gold moving through the crowd. She craned her neck, trying to catch a better glimpse of what it was. When the figure of another asari appeared wearing a skin-tight red suit and matching adornments on her forehead, she felt her breath catch in her throat.
What was a Justicar doing there?
Liara hardly had time to contemplate what had brought the highly revered asari to the Nos Astra spaceport because the answer soon became clear as she drew closer. She was headed directly toward them.
The younger asari swallowed down the lump in her throat and nudged her friend with her foot.
Tali picked her head up and looked at her. "What?" She followed Liara's gaze. "Who's that?"
The Justicar approached their table and stopped just in front of it, pulling her shoulders back into a regal stance.
"My name is Samara. I am a servant of the Justicar Code. You are searching for someone who isn't who she appears to be."
Liara and Tali exchanged glances.
"You mean Mirala?" the quarian asked uncertainly.
"One of her many aliases," Samara replied. "Her real name is Morinth."
"That explains why Shepard couldn't find any information on her," Liara said to Tali.
"Shepard?" Samara raised her brow quizzically.
"Our Commander," Liara explained. "We were sent to recruit Miral—err…Morinth for a special mission. Someone sent Shepard a message that implied they had information on her whereabouts and she has gone to meet the contact."
"Then your Commander is in great peril," Samara said gravely. "Morinth is an Ardat-Yakshi."
Liara's face paled as her hands flew to her mouth. "By the Goddess," she whispered.
"I don't understand," Tali said, shifting her gaze between the two asari. "Why is Shepard in danger? What's an Ardat-Yakshi?"
"It means 'demon of the night winds' in ancient asari dialect," Liara said.
The Justicar nodded. "Yes, but that is mythology. In reality it is a rare genetic disorder. When Morinth mates with someone, there is no gentle melding of the nervous systems. Instead, she overpowers them, dominates them until her victim's brain hemorrhages, leaving them a lifeless shell—or worse. Most do not survive the encounter."
"Keelah," Tali gasped.
"When it is discovered that an asari has the condition, they are given a choice whether to be executed or to live a life of peaceful seclusion. Morinth chose to run. After each successful encounter she becomes smarter, stronger, deadlier, and the desire to kill again only grows more irresistible. She is addicted to it and she will not stop."
"Shepard will be all right. She's not going to mate with her," the quarian asserted with a small laugh. "She has Garrus."
"It does not matter," Samara said. "Morinth confuses her victims, twists their feelings so that they will do anything to earn her favor. Your Commander will be trapped before she even realizes what is happening."
"Not Shepard." Tali insisted. "She's too smart to be led into a trap like that."
"Morinth is drawn to those who are strong, courageous, and dangerous. She will not be able to resist someone like Shepard," Samara told them. "I have hunted her for nearly four centuries. I know her quirks, how she operates. Once she managed to enthrall an entire village, demanding that they bring young asari to her as sacrifices. When I pursued her, she ordered the villagers to attack me. She kills without remorse, thriving off the power it gives her."
"Why?" Liara inquired. "I mean, I understand her being a threat, but why spend almost half your lifetime tracking her?"
"Because this abomination, this monster, is my daughter," Samara revealed. A hush fell over the small café. "Her condition is my fault and my only redemption lies in killing her. She is the reason that I gave up all my worldly possessions and swore myself to the code."
"I'm so sorry," Liara said sadly.
"I do not need your pity. There is no changing what is. I must simply do what must be done."
"We have to warn Shepard!" Tali pushed out of her chair.
"No!" the Justicar quickly countered. "This is the closest that I have ever been. If you spook her now, Morinth will flee and I will lose out on this opportunity."
"But-but we can't just leave her alone with that creature!" she cried.
"Did she tell you where she was going?" Samara asked.
"Club Solstice," the other asari said.
"I will make my way there at once. Do not attempt to make any sort of contact with your Commander, even by private message. It is my hope to catch Morinth unaware and if she becomes even the slightest bit suspicious, she will run."
"So you're just going to use Shepard as bait?" Tali accused.
"If she is as smart and perceptive as you say she is, then hopefully she can hold out until I get there."
.x.x.x.
"Some nights I come here and there's no one interesting to talk to. Other nights, there's just one person." Morinth's gaze drifted across the dance floor as she spoke, her tone even and contemplative. The flashes from the strobes bounced off her face and upper body, momentarily exposing her to the light only to be swallowed again by the shadows with the next thump of the bass. Then she slowly turned back to Jane and tilted her head from one side to the other as she considered her thoughtfully. "But tonight is different. You are different."
"Me?" Jane rubbed the back of her neck, suddenly self-conscious under the asari's scrutiny. "I don't see how."
"These people are all alike; dull, uninspiring, boring. They all want the same things. Night after night they come here, expecting to get lucky or maybe to score some Halifex, hoping that a few hours of drugs and sex and dancing will be enough to make them forget for a while. But not you. There's something about you, and I'm dying to know what it is."
"Maybe it's because I have a certain experience that everyone else here lacks," Jane said. Morinth's brow quirked up in interest. Sensing the asari had taken the comment the wrong way, she continued with a laugh, "Not like that. I mean that I've traveled all over the galaxy. I've seen and done things that not many people have."
"Dangerous things?"
Jane's eyes drifted over to the dance floor as she thought of Sovereign, the Collectors, and the visions detailing the destruction of the Protheans. "You have no idea."
"Tell me."
"You'll find out soon enough if you choose to join my team. I'm not going to lie to you; there is a high probability that this could be a suicide mission. Does that scare you?"
"Scare me?" Morinth laughed, her eyes sparkling with devilish delight. "It excites me."
"Does that mean you're in then? I haven't even told you what we're doing."
"Oh, I wouldn't miss out on this for anything." The tone of her voice had taken on a strangely provocative quality. "I just need to grab a few things from my apartment before we leave."
"We can swing by your place on the way back to the Normandy. Does that work?"
Morinth narrowed her eyes as a sly, captivating grin slowly spread over her lips. "Perfectly."
Jane climbed out of the booth and waited as the newest member of her team got to her feet. She couldn't help but feel buoyed by her success. For all the trouble she had had in the beginning, recruiting the asari had been relatively easy. And even though she really hadn't gotten the chance to explain the details of what they were up against, she got the feeling that it didn't really matter to Morinth.
As she followed her out of the bar, caught up in her own thoughts, Jane failed to notice the shadow that had fallen into step behind them.
.x.x.x.
Morinth's apartment was incredible. From the conversation they'd had at the club, she was expecting it to be small and dark, filled with all sorts of macabre things. But the floor plan was open and remarkably inviting.
The small entryway opened into a very comfortable living room. The leather couch had been pushed up against the wall and sat underneath huge picture windows that overlooked the streets outside. Wine glasses from the night before were still sitting on the coffee table in front of it.
There was a tiny kitchen off to the right, a bedroom located up a short flight of stairs, and scattered throughout the place display cases held abstract art sculptures and weapons so fantastically twisted that Jane could only guess what they had originally been used for.
"I love art," Morinth said, peering over the Commander's shoulder as she marveled at one of the paintings hanging on the wall. "It speaks to the darkest places inside me. You can really feel the artist's struggle in this one."
Jane turned her head, instantly aware, though not necessarily put off by the asari's proximity. "You can tell all that just by looking at this? All I see are swirls of dark colors."
Morinth rested her hand lightly on her left shoulder as she reached around with the other and removed the visor that Garrus had given her.
"Look closer," she whispered in her ear. "What do you see?"
Jane squinted, trying to concentrate on what the artist had meant to portray. Black paint smeared around the perimeter faded into brown and tan as it got closer to a bright red center. "Chaos. Like the middle represents trying to break free as everything around it closes in. I don't know," she laughed. "I think it's gorgeous, even if I don't understand it."
"That's the great thing about art, it's open to interpretation." Grabbing her by the hand, Morinth led her toward the couch, tossing the eye piece on the table before she sat and crossed her legs. The Commander slid into the seat next to her. "And what you see says a lot about you."
"It does?"
The asari sat forward, leaning slightly over Jane as she looked deep into her eyes. "Something within you is in conflict. You yearn to break free and yet you can't. But I can help you with that."
Hinged upon her every word, Jane stared up at her, unable and unwilling to look away. "How?"
"Let me show you."
Morinth's eyes melted into seemingly infinite, black liquid pools and a rush of warmth coursed through Jane's body. A sudden sense of euphoria washed over her and she felt her muscles relax as she gave in to it. In that moment the world around her ceased to exist. Wrapped in a cocoon of sheer bliss, the weight she'd been carrying on her shoulders lessened, the guilt she had been harboring vanished, and the threat of the Reapers felt like nothing more than a distant memory.
The release of those emotions left her craving more. She clutched Morinth's arms with a muted sigh and opened her mind to her, completely surrendering herself to the ecstasy the asari promised.
But instead of the rapture she was expecting, a sharp, searing pain surged through her mind. Jane gasped and her eyes clamped shut as an indescribable force pushed against the inside of her skull, making her head pound violently.
"Wh-what's going on?" she stammered. "I can't m-move."
A terrible panic set in as she realized she was paralyzed and completely at the mercy of someone who was little more than a stranger.
Another flash of agonizing pain ripped through her and she felt herself weaken. Her hands, which had been holding onto Morinth's sleeves, dropped into her lap, limp and completely useless. Her vision began to blur and something warm trickled from her nose and dripped over the top of her lip. She could feel the darkness plunging down around her—much like what was depicted in that painting—and she found that the closer it got, the more she wanted to embrace it. It called out to her…
Suddenly Morinth's insidious grip on her brain receded and Jane slumped back down to the couch, landing face first on the cushion. Although her eyelids felt like they were lined with lead, she managed to part them just enough to see her assailant stand up and gaze suspiciously at the ceiling.
What had she done to her? Everything hurt and it was hard to think, but she forced herself to focus. As she did, one thing became increasingly clear. Morinth had just tried to kill her!
It was then that she heard it too; a series of soft thumps coming from the ventilation ducts above them.
Taking advantage of the asari's distraction, Jane slowly edged her hand to her hip and tried to wrestle her pistol from its holster without making too much noise. Her muscles screamed out in protest, refusing to move more than a fraction at a time. Her fingers brushed against the handle, but she couldn't convince them to close over it. The throbbing in her head was making it difficult to concentrate, but on her third attempt she got it. She slid the gun along the couch discreetly, trying to use the length of her body to conceal her movements.
The creaking in the ceiling now had Morinth on high alert. She looked around wildly, glancing at the windows and the bedroom on the upper floor as though she were searching for an avenue of escape. Jane froze, hoping that she wouldn't notice that she had regained consciousness; however, she appeared to be the last thing on the asari's mind.
Jane's strength was returning little by little, and she pushed herself into a sitting position just as Morinth bolted toward the door. But before she could make her exit, a shadowy figure dropped down from the ceiling, barring her path. She flailed, trying to stop herself before she careened into, but was going too fast and fell, landing sharply on her hip.
The drell followed her back into the lighted apartment and with an unhurried, yet determined gracefulness, his black eyes never leaving his target as he drew his weapon. Morinth scrambled to her feet and limped a couple paces before she spun around and unleashed a wave of biotic energy. He somersaulted out of the way but wasn't quick enough to dodge the second burst she threw at him.
Jane watched silently from the couch, her pistol dancing back and forth unsteadily between them as she tried to figure out whose side he was on. The loud crack of her carnifex filled the air at the same time the drell hit the ground. Startled, Morinth ducked and scrambled to get out of the way. The round sailed over the asari's head and dug into the wall near the ceiling. The Commander swore under her breath, cursing the fog that still clouded her mind, and fired a second time. Again she was unsuccessful.
Time seemed to slow down, even though everything happened in a matter of seconds. In a highly acrobatic move, the stranger leapt to his feet and rushed the asari at the same moment Jane sprang from the couch, thinking that closing the distance would increase her accuracy. Morinth's eyes darted between her two attackers as she assessed the danger and weighed her options. She waited until they were almost upon her and then crouched into a small ball, jumping up at last second to release a biotic explosion that sent both of them flying backwards.
Jane hit the ground roughly, coming to a stop halfway between where she had been standing and the couch. The impact severed her hold on her pistol and the weapon skittered across the floor, coming to a rest underneath the coffee table. The drell, having been the closest to the asari, was thrown all the way into the kitchen. He landed on the counter haphazardly, sending an assortment of pots and dishes crashing noisily to the ground in his wake.
Shepard rolled and pushed herself back to her feet, her hands glowing blue as she prepared to fight fire with fire.
But Morinth was gone.
"Son of a bitch!" she muttered. She jogged over to the coffee table and retrieved her pistol, pausing to grab her visor from its glass surface, and then tore out of the apartment after her.
The asari hadn't gotten too far ahead of her. Jane could see her as she limped down the street, pushing through the crowd of people that waited to get into Club Solstice. Occasionally she would throw a glance behind her but then sped up when she finally realized that the Commander was hot on her trail.
Jane broke into a run, queuing up her radio as she slammed into the mob. The line of people was at least ten times greater than it had been a couple of hours ago, and she quickly lost sight of the asari.
"Liara, Tali!" she cried into her comm. "Rendezvous on my location, now!"
"Shepard, are you okay?" the quarian answered back. The worry in her voice was palpable, but Jane didn't have time to decipher the meaning behind it.
"Just hurry!" she snapped. She caught a flash of blue and black out of the corner of her eye and saw Morinth just as she changed directions. "I'm heading for the transportation hub!"
The effects of whatever trance the asari had put her in, coupled with the exertion of fighting her way through the throng, was taking its toll on her. Despite her best efforts, she started slowing down. She made it to the transportation hub just in time to see Morinth jump aboard a large cargo ship, slipping through as the doors were closing.
"Joker, I need immediate evac!" she yelled into the comm. "See if you can lock on to the Demeter's signature before it leaves the spaceport!"
The comm hummed in her ear, the line silent.
"Joker, do you copy? Joker! Damn it!"
The freighter pulled away from the port and within minutes it was gone.
Jane hobbled up to the railing, trying to catch her breath as she watched it fade into the distance until it was no more than a tiny speck against the starry night sky.
Where the hell were her pilot and the Normandy?
Someone stepped up behind her. She drew her weapon and whipped around, coming face to face with the mysterious drell from the apartment.
"Who are you? What do you want?" she demanded, aiming the barrel of her gun right between his eyes.
He held his open palms out in front of him to indicate that he meant her no harm.
"It would seem that you and I are after the same quarry," he said. His voice, although a bit hoarse, was deep and warm.
"What do you mean?" Jane asked, still keeping her pistol trained on him. She was done trusting people she didn't know.
"I have been tracking Morinth for days," he replied, dropping his hands to clasp them behind his back.
"Why?"
"I am an assassin."
Her hand tightened around the grip of her pistol. "What'd she do?"
"Ordinarily, I try not to ask more questions than necessary when it comes to a contract, but…"
Suddenly the drell's black eyes widened, his pupils becoming more noticeable as they darted back and forth.
"A man approaches me on the street one night. His eyes are angry, brimming with unshed tears. He knows what I am. A wail of a child in the distance. 'Please.' Tears run down his weary face. 'You have to help me.' His wife met someone—asari. Left him for her. Found her bloodied carcass not long after. He begs. 'I have money.' He is a ghost, as I am. A father with a child of a murdered mother. I vow to avenge her."
He blinked a few times and his eyes returned to normal.
"What was that? What just happened?"
"My apologies," he rumbled. "All drell possess eidetic memories. We can recall anything that has happened with perfect clarity. It can be…jarring for those who are unprepared for it. I accepted the contract. Later I learned that Morinth is an Ardat-Yakshi."
"A what?"
"A very cunning and deadly predator," the drell said smoothly. "She stalks her victims and renders them helpless while she preys upon their unsuspecting minds. When I discovered that you were searching for her as well, I sent you a message, hoping that I could warn you before you found her."
Jane lowered her carnifex as all the pieces fell into place. "You were the one I was supposed to meet at the bar."
"Yes."
"You've been following me, too, haven't you?"
"Yes. I need to ascertain whether or not you knew of her whereabouts. I was hoping that you might lead me to her. I hid myself in the shadows and listened to your conversation at the club. When you left, I followed."
"Good thing you did," Jane said softly, thinking back to the trap she'd unwittingly let herself get caught in. She slid her gun back into its holster and extended her hand. "I'm Commander Jane Shepard."
He clasped it firmly. "Thane—"
"Krios," she finished. The moment he said he was an assassin she knew it couldn't be a coincidence.
"I see you've heard of me."
"Only by reputation. I've been looking for you. I was told you might be interested in helping me."
"I'm listening," Thane rumbled.
"I'm putting together a team for a very risky mission," Jane explained. "Have you ever heard of the Collectors?"
"Only by reputation," he said, his dark eyes sparkling mischievously as he repeated her phrase.
"They're working for the Reapers, abducting human colonies, and they've attacked my ship twice now. We plan to stop them."
"Attacking the Collectors would require traveling through the Omega Four relay. No ship has ever returned from doing so."
"I have it on good authority that it can be done." She tried to contain her smirk of amusement as she thought of John and how traveling through that relay had inadvertently brought him and his crew to the wrong place and time. "More or less."
He stepped up beside her and looked out over the horizon. "I would not be able to join you until I have completed my contract."
She gave him a sidelong glance. "That monster tried to kill me, and she would have succeeded if you hadn't shown up when you did. I'm more than willing to help you hunt her down."
"Fair enough."
"Where is Morinth?"
The unfamiliar voice of a third person caused the two to spin around, their hands automatically reaching for their weapons. An asari was quickly approaching them, her strides brisk and resolute. Jane flicked her eyes over to Thane to see if he knew what was going on. A small shrug of his shoulder and a subtle nod told her he was just as clueless as she was.
"What do you want with Morinth?" Jane said evasively. Was everyone in the galaxy after her?
"I will only ask one more time," the asari warned. She centered herself between the Commander and the assassin and squared her shoulders imperiously. "If I find that you are protecting her or you have aided in her escape, I will be forced to kill you."
"Excuse me?" she sputtered incredulously. Her hand clamped around the grip of her pistol and had it half-way out of its holster before she heard her name.
"Shepard! Wait!"
Liara's cry echoed around the transportation hub as she and Tali ran through the horde of travelers.
"Samara's a Justicar," she gasped breathlessly. "She's here for Morinth."
Jane paused, replaying what Liara had just said in her mind. Not only did she seem to know the asari, but she had said "Morinth" instead of "Mirala."
Letting go of her weapon, she thrust her arm out, pointing to where the ship had been docked and she glared at the four of them with narrowed eyes. "I just spent half my evening trying to recruit one asari who had every intention of melting my brain, yet another asari is threatening to kill me, and everybody seems to know something about it but me! Somebody better tell me what the hell's going on, right now!"
"Samara found us while you were gone," Liara hastily explained. "We were hoping she could get to you before it was too late."
All the anger and energy drained from Jane's body as she listened to her friends describe their encounter with the Justicar and Samara's vow to bring her daughter to justice. When they were finished, her eyes drifted back to the horizon as she ran her hand through her hair and sighed, "What a mess."
"I'm glad you're okay, Shepard," Tali said softly. The young quarian sounded like she could burst into tears at any minute.
"I owe that to Thane," she said, jerking her thumb in the drell's direction. "He provided enough of a distraction that Morinth forgot all about me."
Samara nodded knowingly. "My search for Morinth has made her a very wary and vigilant creature. She will usually bolt at the first sign of trouble."
"She did." Jane pivoted on her heel to face the docks. "We chased her here, but she jumped a ship called the Demeter and I had no way to pursue her."
The Justicar slowly stepped up beside her and grasped the railing with both hands. "I will not have a chance like this for another hundred years," she said, her voice teetering on the edge between sadness and resentment. "How many people will die in the meantime?"
"Maybe no one else has to die. Come with us," Jane said suddenly. "We'll help you stop your daughter and in return you can help us with the Collectors."
"A valiant offer, Commander Shepard, but one I must ultimately decline."
"Why?"
The asari's pale blue eyes grew distant as she looked out into space, and as she did Jane noted the resemblances between her and Morinth.
"I have hunted Morinth for four-hundred years, given up everything I owned to serve the Justicar code. It is not a burden I would share lightly. To continue tracking her requires me to be available at a moment's notice, and if I am part of your crew it would mean that might not be possible. It's not a risk I'm willing to take."
"I'm sorry things turned out the way they did," Jane said. "But the offer still stands if you ever change your mind."
"Thank you, Shepard."
.x.x.x.
When Jane finally boarded the Normandy hours later, talking with Joker to find out the reason he and the rest of the crew hadn't answered her desperate calls or why it took them so long to finally pick them up on Illium was the last thing on her mind. She was too exhausted to interrogate the pilot. All she wanted to do was take the longest, hottest shower she could get away with. Then she planned on heading to the main battery, throwing her arms around Garrus, and telling him all about the mission from hell, as she'd taken to calling it.
As she walked through the empty CIC she found herself wishing that she had a private bathroom in her quarters like John did. Maybe she should have asked the Illusive Man to put one in when they were rebuilding the ship, she thought with a tired smile. It soon faded, however, as the mere mention of his name made her think about the mission again. Why the hell would he send her to recruit an Ardat-Yakshi? Feeling irritation once again well up in her chest, she pushed the thought aside and vowed not to think about it the rest of the night.
There would be plenty to do in the morning. The Normandy was going to remain docked on Illium overnight while they waited for Thane. Even though his contract to assassinate Morinth had technically been terminated by the Justicar, the drell felt that he owed the grieving husband an explanation and wished to assure him that the homicidal asari would eventually be made to pay for her crimes. Once on board, he would need to be briefed in more detail about the mission and told of her and John's unique situation.
She wondered how that would go over. Ever since Udina and the Council had questioned her sanity, having to explain why there were now two Commander Shepards made her nervous.
Suddenly her thoughts were fractured as the elevator doors opened and Ashley marched out. She was still in her uniform, despite the lateness of the hour, but her dark hair had been removed from its standard bun and was uncharacteristically messy, as if the chief had been continuously running her fingers through it. Her hands, which were normally so capable and strong while they were holding or cleaning a weapon, now appeared small and unsure as she balled them into tight fists at her sides.
"I can't believe the audacity of that…that…that Cerberus bitch!" she fumed. "She actually had the nerve to say that I lacked the skills to go on a covert mission with John. Me! She probably doesn't even know which end the bullet comes out of!"
"Whoa," Jane said, holding her open palms in front of her. "Slow down, Ash."
Ashley folded her arms across her chest and exhaled loudly through her nose. She sounded a lot like a krogan getting ready to charge.
"Now what's going on?"
"Little Miss Perfect thinks that all I know how to do is run in and shoot 'em up. That I can't be trusted on a mission that requires a more delicate touch. Well I'll show her. I can do just as good a job as she can. Better even. I—"
"Ash!"
The Gunnery Chief lapsed into silence, but the look of anger and contempt stayed on her face.
"Who are you talking about?"
"Miranda," she said, spitting the name out as though it left a bad taste in her mouth.
"Oh," Jane mouthed.
"She thinks she's so high and mighty just because she got to go undercover with John," Ashley continued, throwing her hands up in the air dramatically as she began to pace in front of Kelly's terminal.
Jane watched as she stomped back and forth, her eyebrows knitting together as she tried to follow what she was saying.
Ashley stopped suddenly and raised her voice as if she expected the Cerberus Operative were close enough to hear her instead of a deck away. "Well I've got news for you honey: anybody could've posed as his girlfriend! Hell, Legion could've done it more convincingly than you did!"
The Commander's eyes widened at her outburst and she had to stifle the impulse to laugh at the picture the chief was painting for her.
"Okay, Ash." She placed her hand on Ashley's arm and tried to empathize with her. "Calm down. I think I'm missing some things here. Did this just happen?"
Williams shook out of her grasp, but when she spoke again, her words were an octave lower. "A couple of hours ago, when John got back."
"Got back from where?"
"The mission."
"The undercover mission, the one he went on with Miranda?"
"Yep," Ashley replied curtly.
A little ball of anger was starting to form in the pit of her stomach as she realized that that was the reason Joker hadn't been able to receive any of her communications—he was several star systems away!
"I wouldn't listen to anything Miranda has to say," Jane said, trying to maintain her composure long enough to support her crewmate. "She's made it pretty clear that she doesn't like any of us. She doesn't want to be here and everyone knows it. She was probably just lashing out, and you were the first person she saw. I wouldn't take it personally."
But deep down Jane knew that Ashley would take it personally, no matter what she said. The real reason for the chief's upset remained hidden just beneath the surface, but she could see it just the same.
And since Williams didn't want to reveal that jealousy was the driving force behind her anger, she accepted the explanation with a nod, apologized to the Commander for disturbing her so late at night, and trudged back to the armory to clean weapons because she "understood them so much better than she did people."
Jane spotted John rummaging through the refrigerator on the way to her office. He threw a container of leftover turkey on the counter and then went back for cheese and bottles of mayonnaise and mustard and quickly set about making himself a sandwich.
He looked up as he heard her approach, and a small gasp managed to squeak through Jane's lips. He looked terrible! A large, swollen bump had formed underneath his right eye and there were several other cuts and bruises present on his face. It seemed like she wasn't the only one who'd had a rough mission, but considering that she just went toe-to-toe with an Ardat-Yakshi and almost lost, she wasn't very inclined to offer him much sympathy.
"Good ole Gardner," John said by way of greeting. "Keeping that man stocked with high-grade provisions was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Want one?"
"No."
"More for me then." He shrugged. Dropping his gaze back down to the counter, he turned his attention to spreading the condiments on the slices of bread. When he finished he threw the knife back into the jar of mayonnaise and licked the excess off his thumb. "So, how did it go?"
"I met the Justicar you were telling me about," Jane said sourly. She crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one hip. "She was pretty pissed that I'd let her daughter get away."
"Her daugh—what?" he sputtered. "Morinth? What were you doing with her?"
"Recruiting her—like I was supposed to!"
"Are you nuts? She's an Ardat-Yakshi!"
"If you knew that then why didn't you warn me?"
"How the hell was I supposed to know you were going after her?" he fired back. "Christ Almighty, Jane!"
"I told you you should have come with me!" She paused, her eyes narrowing to angry slits. "Maybe then I wouldn't have been stranded on Illium and forced to wait three hours for extraction! You know, you've got a lot of nerve taking off like that."
"Something came up."
"Something, huh? Like Miranda?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I think it's pretty damn convenient that all of a sudden Miss Lawson has a problem and you drop everything and leave—just like that!" Jane said, snapping her fingers.
"It couldn't wait," he said in a low, menacing tone. He slapped a piece of bread on top of the turkey and smashed the sandwich together. "We had to move, and you said you were going to be a while longer. I made a choice, Jane. Get over it."
"Oh don't even give me that bullshit! If it had been anybody else you would've told them to get in line. But not Miranda, oh no, the sun rises and sets on her whims."
He opened his mouth, but she cut him off before he could say anything.
"Don't bother; I know you two were together in your world. Tell me, John, was she the real reason we went to Cerberus for help? Are you really willing to sacrifice the entire mission in the hopes that this Miranda might magically develop feelings for you?"
John snatched his sandwich from the counter, waving it threateningly in front of her as he snarled, "We were trying to stop a Reaper artifact from falling into the wrong hands, and you have no idea what you're talking about! If it hadn't been for Miranda relaying the Illusive Man's message when she did, we could have very well been in a shitload more trouble right now. So until you can get your fucking facts straight, I suggest you shut the hell up!"
She pushed his hand aside and at pointed at him. "Look, at the end of the day I don't give a rat's ass if you want to be with her or not. That's your business, not mine. But you don't leave team members hanging! We could've helped Samara go after Morinth, but our backup wasn't there! All it would have taken was a goddamn message. Then at least we would've known what was going on!"
"Fine. I'm sorry, all right," he said sarcastically. "Is there anything else you'd like to bitch at me about?"
"Yeah. Stop stringing Ashley along. She really likes you, and it's not fair what you're doing to her."
"So far she hasn't had any complaints," he said, smirking.
She frowned. "Don't be an asshole."
"She knows that what we have is just a temporary thing."
"Does she?" Jane asked. "Because that's not the impression I got when I talked to her in the CIC just a while ago. She deserves to know the truth, John."
He didn't answer her. A moment later he threw his sandwich back on the counter, flicking his hand toward it. "Here, you can have that. I've lost my appetite."
Then he walked away without another word.
She watched him as he disappeared around the elevator housing and then put her hand on her forehead, running her fingers down over her eyes with a sigh. This day officially couldn't get any worse.
.x.x.x.
It was well past midnight when the doors to the debriefing room whooshed opened and a shadowy figure stealthily stepped inside. A pair of dark boots tiptoed into the room, hesitating just long enough for the doors to close again before making their way to the command console at the head of the table. Diminutive fingers tapped on the interface and few a seconds later the table sank into the floor, revealing the newly repaired quantum entanglement communicator.
"What have you got for me?" the Illusive Man tersely asked as soon as his image appeared. "Were you able to get anything useful out of Shepard?"
"Yes."
"I'm listening, Operative Lawson."
"It seems that John Shepard was killed in action in his universe," Miranda said and then added, "A little tidbit that both Commanders failed to mention. But here's where it gets really interesting: he claims he was brought back to life using highly advanced cybernetic technology."
The Illusive Man's hand froze in the air, his cigarette inches away from his lips. "Cybernetics? Did he give you any indication on how much of his body was reconstructed with them?"
"He didn't go into much detail, but he told me that the original Normandy had been destroyed by the Collectors, and he had been…'spaced' was the term I think he used. From what I've gathered listening to the crews' conversations, he was dead for two years."
"I imagine the damage would've been extensive." The Illusive Man's strange blue eyes glittered as he mulled over the information. "I'm familiar with cybernetics being used for prosthetics or minor upgrades, but to resurrect someone from the dead? Do you have any idea what I could do with technology that advanced? We could build our own super soldier. I must to have it."
"What would you like me to do?"
He took a long drag off his cigarette before he answered her. "Sit tight…for now. Continue to cultivate the relationship between you and Shepard and build friendships with his crew. I'll let you know when I have a plan in place."
The Operative nodded and turned to go.
"And Miranda?" he called out to her.
She twisted and glanced over her shoulder.
"Good work."
He disconnected the feed before she could reply, and seconds later the table returned to its original position and she slipped quietly from the room.
A/N: Oh so many feels! I am anxiously awaiting your feedback!