I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE BELOW CHARACTERS 'CEPT THE WANDERER AND ALL OTHER CHARACTERS / NAMES BELONG TO BIOWARE
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He stands up straight, slamming the glass down hard on the surface. It was time.
He tilts his head upward. It appeared that the batarian she had been talking to earlier was now gone. Good. He wanted this fast, quick and quiet without drawing unwanted attention. Better for Aria to see him first for recognition, than alerting his presence to others and making a scene.
Preferred method to disable target in this situation: pressure point knockout. He had learned years ago that most asari commandos had to have a fairly large grasp of pressure points in order to graduate. Obviously because he had so much time on his hands, he decided "why the heck not?" and learned. For any "soft" species, (human, batarian, drell, salarian, asari) it was fairly easy to locate and strike points. Turian pressure points were notoriously hard to target, with or without armor. Most of their body was covered by a semi-reflective plate-like skin that gave little room for the task. Pressure points used on Krogans nervous systems had no affect whatsoever, as well as quarian and volus for obvious reasons; they were completely encased in suits.
There are two sets of stairs leading up. One is guarded by a batarian, the other by a turian. The batarian was currently the easier target - He also needed a place to leave the target until he came back to his senses. There is a small v.i.p room to the left of the batarian, currently unoccupied.
Perfect. Lets go.
He approaches. The batarian is busy fiddling around on a data-pad.
He clears his throat. "Excuse me, but I just happened to notice that the poster behind you, its for Expel 10 right?"
"Huh?" The batarian turns.
Now. The Wanderer strikes with lighting fast precision to a point on the side of his neck and immediately the batarian loses consciousness. He catches the body before it falls and shuffles him into the v.i.p room. He sets the unconscious batarian down on the seats and relives him of his data pad and omni-tool. He looks through the omni-tool but finds nothing of interest except for a layout of Omega. Could prove useful in the future. He transfers it to his. He looks through the data-pad and is surprised to find a record of every ship and "suspicious/notable person" who has stepped foot on Omega in the last 24 hours; complete with photo and ship identification. He scrolls down the list and sure enough, is Shepard's name and the Normandy SR-2.
Wait. If Shepard's name was here then... he wonders if by random chance they happen to recorded the landing of asari spectre from earlier... He grins. They did. Just the ship id though, no name. But its a start. Craft name "Aurora". A frigate built by an Asari supplier. Smaller than the Normandy in both size and power.
He exits the room and locks it behind him. He starts heading up the stairs.
.
Aria stood leaning against the guardrail of the loft, glaring down upon the "Afterlife". Her mood was grim.
Among the usual mercenary problems they eliminated on Omega, she had also received numerous complaints from club patrons in regards to the bartender on floor level. It seemed he was not doing his job half the time. Forvan, the previous bartender from the lower level of the club was caught poisoning human customers by Commander Shepard and was shot on the spot by one of her undercover turian guards. Good bartenders were hard to pass by these days. To top it off, not one, but two spectres had reportedly wound up on Omega in the last 24 hours; she was still waiting on her bodyguards official report.
She turns to her batarian bodyguard, Garka.
"Where the hell is that list?"
He frowned. "I saw Molkan on the stairs a minute ago. He should have finished compiling it by now."
"Well tell him to hurry up." Her voice was filled with impatience.
He nods and quickly exits.
.
The Wanderer was in mid stride in between the seventh and eighth step when he heard a footsteps coming down the stairs. There was no turning back and no place to hide without getting caught in time. He had no choice but to naturalize the target before it had time react.
He leapt, skipping seven steps and instantly bridging the space between himself and batarian who was making his way down. Typical first reaction had a .25 second window of immobility from perception to finger movement, on average. Military training lowered that number, but the Wanderer was prepared and millennias of training pushed that number far below what was physically possible by the batarian in front of him.
They made eye contact. His world ran in slow motion.
The Wanderers gloved hand shoots forward as the batarian's hand slowly crawls toward his pistol at the hip. A quick jab to the throat silenced any cries - Knee to the diaphragm causes him to lean forward and clutch his abdomen - back of neck exposed - quick jab to the pressure point - loses consciousness - target neutralized.
He drags the batarian to the v.i.p room and leaves him with the other. Finding nothing of interest on his person, he heads back up the stairs.
.
Sensing someone approaching her from behind Aria immediately assumed it was her batarian bodyguard.
She held out her hand to the side without turning her head. "You finally get that list I asked for?"
Without a word or a pause, a data-pad is placed into her outstretched hand. She grabs it and places it in front of her, looking through the contents. Her intelligence reports had been accurate. Commander Shepard had docked a few hours ago and another, an asari, had as well. This was troubling. Why would TWO spectres dock at the same time?
Whatever. She had more important things to worry about.
"Garka, that turian bartender that we've been hearing complaints about, get rid of him. Try to find someone who's not completely incompetent. The last one tried to poison our customers." She still had her back turned. "And that group of blood pack who you found stealing from us. Space them." Her hand was moving rapidly across the data-pad.
A voice emerged from the space behind her. A voice that was definitely not sound of one of her bodyguards. "Space them? Thats a little harsh."
She spun around, still holding the data-pad and looking up to see who dared question her, her body glowing with blue fire as she readied her biotics for a fight. She meant to return with a harsh retort, instead ended up being completely mute. Her mouth moved as if words were struggling to escape, her eyes opened and closed as if they could not accept what she was seeing. The blue fire slowly subsided.
A figure stepped out of the shadows. A figure who's recognition came flying out of the depths of obscurity and slammed into focus.
Time rolled to a stop. The music faded into the distance and the lights dimmed to a ember. Her normal aloof and apathetic facade shattered like a mirror. The data-pad slipped from her fingers and hit the floor.
The figure approached her, bent down, picked up the data-pad and rose again. A figure with gentle smile and piercing green eyes.
"Aria... It's good to see you again."
She blinked, snapping out of her stupor. She was quick to recover, but clearly had been caught completely off guard. Her former colder self struggled to fill the void that he had cleared. He had just bypassed all her emotional defenses in an instant. Love, joy, sadness and anger struggled internally. She tried saying something, anything. The usual remark simply did not come. So, she did what words could not. Without realizing it, she reached forward and embraced him tightly.
He jumped slightly as he had not anticipated this sudden contact, but he gladly returned the gesture.
She allowed herself a few moments of silent comfort before removing herself from his person, still reeling from the initial shock. She noticed that her bodyguards were thankfully nowhere to be found to witness her rare display of vulnerability.
"Its good to see you too." She motioned for him to sit. He sat. They looked at each other for a while.
He had no idea how to break this deadlock of silence, so he simply said the first thing that came to his mind. "You look good."
She laughed at his humorous attempt to break the ice that had been solid for many years. "Thank you. As I expected, you haven't aged a day. You always said you would come back and find me one day. I suppose it was foolish to think otherwise."
"I always try my best to keep my promises." He looks around him. "It looks like you've done quite well for yourself here."
Her mouth turned to a grin. "I learned from the best. Right after you left me on the station...," There was a pause as she recalled events from the earlier years of her life. "...I worked as an exotic dancer at this club. I formed alliances and ended up overthrowing the Krogan who ran this place. The rest is what you see here. Eventually I got caught up in the hunt for Commander Shepard's body and two years later she walked ended up walking right up to me. I'm guessing she's the reason your here right now?" He nodded. "So whats your side of the story?"
"After leaving you here, I did what I do best for a while. Eventually I received word that a human by the name of Commander Shepard chased a rouge spectre around the galaxy and stumbled upon the not so secret truth of the Reapers. Later, to my bewilderment, I heard that she died and then had been revived two years later. After she returned alive and thriving from their assault on the collector base, I happened to be discovered by the Illusive man who directed me to Shepard. And... here we are."
Her eyes narrowed at the mention of his name. It seems he had MANY enemies in all sorts of places.
"The Illusive man discovered you?"
"Err, it was a combination of bad luck and bad circumstances. A Cerberus vessel rescued a human frigate that was being pirated at the time, and I just happened to be on it. One of the crew was curious and then, the rest is history."
"Just like that? He didn't try to study you?"
"No, surprisingly, given his past. My guess is that he's as smart as he looks. That crew on that station would have not survived if they attempted a capture. I'm not sure if thats what he thought, but I'm thankful nothing happened. I know i'm safe with Shepard, but i'm still intrigued on why he simply 'let me go'. I suppose he thought I would be more valuable working with Shepard than under a microscope." He shuddered.
"Mordin Solus is on Shepard's team, isn't he? I'm guessing hes having a field day with your DNA."
"You have no idea. Speaking of which, Shepard should be on her way here right now. Oh, and I almost forgot. That asari spectre whom you are no doubt preoccupied about, she is no threat to you. For the time being at least. The council assigned her to shadow me."
"The council also knows about you? You were never the one to get caught. You've gotten soft."
He laughed and shook his head. "No. I voluntarily allowed Shepard to tell them of my existence. The time has come. It's now or never. That's one of the reasons why i'm here. I'm tying up some of my loose ends Ive left open over the years of my life."
She looked serious again. "So, this is your last round then. Your preparing to die. Your giving it your all this cycle."
He nodded solemnly. "If we can't succeed this time, they we never will. The galaxy has never had this much warning and resources available at one time before. Plus, I can't keep doing this forever. Even if I were to survive getting harvested again, I don't think I would have the willpower nor the mental strength to continue. The delicate tower of memories is starting to become too great for me to continue holding up. Its only a matter of time before it falls... and ... I really don't want to think about it."
She nodded. "Last time I saw you, a few hundred years ago, you had it under control right?"
"Its starting to waver. Like I said, recently Ive been tying up loose ends. With Shepard's help I've been able to visit the Archive, Tomb of the Fallen and you. This is the last run. Ive been opening up too many doors that Ive left closed for so long." His eyes unfocused and seemed to gaze into the distance. His mouth formed a tight line. His clenched fist trembled slightly.
It was strange, seeing him like this, she thought to herself. He's always seemed so invincible and indomitable; devoid of the weaknesses so often prevalent among people. And yet, it's evident now more than ever: despite everything he's done — everything he's capable of — he is, ultimately, just a man. Although he was a man with indefinite natural lifespan, he still felt pain. Pain that most would mercifully never experience. It appeared the past few years had affected him more than his usual thousand year stretches of normal life.
She leaned forward and brushed her hand against his cheek. He looked up, his eyes softly gleaming. He began to formulate something to say... When the sound of footsteps broke his thought.
The sounds of heavy footsteps echo up the stairwell. Immediately, as if on cue, Aria's personality snapped back to her old cold self as her mind and body retreated. Seconds later the faces of Shepard and Mordin appear.
Shepard approaches Aria. She motions for her to sit. Shepard sat next the Wanderer.
"Your guards on vacation today? I was surprised by the lack of scrutinizing stares as I made my way up here."
Aria looks over the Wanderer and glares.
He wore a look of surprise on his face. "Right. About your bodyguards, I left them in the v.i.p room just down the stairs on the right."
She raises an eyebrow.
"Don't worry, they should wake up in about..." He glances at his omni-tool. "... 12 minutes or so."
She places a hand over her face. "Please, get them out of there. They have a job they should be doing."
He nodded, got up and made his way down.
Aria turned back to Shepard.
"Im guessing your not here just to babysit him."
Shepard smirked. "I need information. Eclipse mercenaries have been on my ass recently. I want to know why."
Aria looked over. "Normally I'd ask you for a favor in return, but you did bring HIM around so I suppose I can let it slide this time around." She stands. "As of lately the Eclipse have had a major rank re-shuffling that have resulted in a new leader who is running things much differently. No longer an Asari, but a human by the name of Dominic Solis. Also known as "Flex" for his supposed proficiency with biotics. They have launched a large new recruitment and expansion campaign that they plan to commercialize. They have released a line of weapons that they are manufacturing themselves. Eclipse has have also moved from providing security and firepower to small groups - to large scale corporations and the "upper-class". It appears like they are cleaning up their image, but I think its a cover up for something big. I don't know what yet. Why they seem to be after you is beyond what I can find out or what I care about finding out."
"Thanks." Shepard completely ignored the harsh response. "Do you have time for a personal question?"
"Depends on the question."
"He told me that you guys had a history together."
Aria glared. "And what about it?"
Shepard knew she was treading into dangerous waters. When she had asked about her past, in the past, she refused to give any details. After finding out that the Wanderer WAS her past, she hoped their talks would be less hostile.
"He was sketch on the details, but thats not my concern. I just want to know what you think of him, since you know him much better than I do."
"Why?"
"Mostly curiosity. I talk to him a lot, but you can find out the most about someone from the people they are friends with."
Aria adjusted herself in her seat. "Well one things certain, I've never met anyone like him before."
"Wow, THATS a giveaway."
"Im not talking about him as a member of a different species, but i'm talking about as the spirit who resides in that body. He is ... special ... surprising."
"...Uh, thats kind of vague."
"Normally he is a kind, strong hearted individual. A paragon, much like yourself. He is ... a gentleman, loyal and compassionate. He isn't perfect, he makes mistakes like everyone else, and there is a certain something about him that compels you to talk with him late into the night."
Shepard had to agree with her there. "What do you mean, normally? Are you telling me that's all just ... a show?"
"What? No. He is genuine. Thats what's special about him. Even after experiencing as much as he has, he is the only person I have met who has literally been untainted by the horrors of what they have seen. It changes people, I know first hand. You either distant yourself or slowly go insane."
"My family was slaughtered when I was a child."
"And do you sleep well at night? You must still keep playing the same scene over again, fighting your way out, and its the reason your still fighting today. I'm sure those memories never leave you, they make you who you are. Him however, he witnessed every sentient being in the galaxy get slaughtered, twice. And it might happen again. How he has not abandoned his lifelong mission, or gone completely cold and heartless was something I always wondered." She paused. "Tell me something, have you taken him on a mission yet?"
"Sure"
"I mean like a mission where lives are at stake, guns blazing, open terrain and tons of explosions."
"No. Not yet, why?"
Aria chucked in her secretive, slightly arrogant way. "You'll understand when you see him. How he manages to act like that, and then actually go back to being a 'nice guy' is remarkable. "
"He's two sides of the same coin then."
"What?"
"Sorry, human expression. Then how does he do it without cracking?"
"Thats something you can ask. I'm done talking for now"
The Wanderers head appears as he bounces up the steps just in time. "Those guards are waking up now. I set a timed release on those doors. Shepard we got 7 minutes to leave before some angry batarians chase us with shotguns."
"You mean chase YOU with shotguns." She turned to the asari. "Well Aria, this has been fun, we should get together and do this again sometime."
"Right." Her fist glowed blue for a moment to reinforce her point.
Sensing her hint to leave, Shepard winked and promptly headed down the stairs. Following her lead, the Wanderer was setting his foot down on the first step leading down to follow Shepard, when he heard Aria utter something. Barely a whisper.
Come back soon.
He turned his head toward the asari, nodded with a smile – and placed his helmet back on his head. A soft hiss could be heard and he disappeared down the stairs.
This "meeting" between the wanderer and aria felt like something liara would do, but I stuck with the idea because if aria had a cold side, she certainly had a warm one.
