Chapter Fifty-Two
Jodie pulled at her jacket, taking a breath to calm her raging pulse as she looked to Shepard. He, too, adjusted his own clothes, looking down at the black hoodie he donned at that moment.
"It doesn't look bad on you, you know," said Jodie. She gestured to Shepard's hoodie. "It's not bad, for this weather."
Shepard nodded, zipping up the hoodie. "Thessia in winter is always not that chilly," he mentioned. "At least, that's what I've heard."
"It is not an inaccurate statement." Jodie and Shepard both turned to Thane. The drell walked up to them, sporting his usual attire as he walked up to the new vessel.
Jodie turned to Thane, gesturing to his clothes. "You aren't changing?" she asked.
"I see no need," Thane replied. He then turned to look at the vessel behind them. The vessel they were using was rather small, the Normandy dwarfing it a few docking bays over. Jodie was briefly reminded of the Lying Bastard when she saw it, but knew from the silky curves of the ship that it was very different. Still, she knew it would fulfill its function.
She thought briefly about how Valentine was doing, but shooed that thought out of her head pretty quickly.
"I see..." Shepard turned, looking at the ship. "It sounds like you are returning here."
"I once had a target on this planet," Thane commented. "An asari commando had hidden herself here. She hid herself well, but I was good at seeing things." He then looked to Shepard. "It is strange that my son may be located in the same quarter."
Jodie nodded, leaning forward. "Wait, then how do you know he's even there?" she asked.
"We have operatives on Thessia," said Shepard. "After I made the call to my informants, they set up shop there. It didn't take them long to find it, but they're asking me to come to Thessia. They don't want to drop the information in a message that could be intercepted."
Jodie frowned. "Intercepted?" she asked. "Why?"
Shepard then turned to Thane. "Well, it seems there's more to your son's disappearance than was visible at first glance," Shepard said. "That's all they could tell me."
"I see," said Thane. "What on Thessia would occur that would keep my son in such a place?"
Jodie chuckled nervously. "Well, I guess we'll find out soon, right?" she asked.
"That we will," said Shepard. He then patted his waist, where his fold-up pistol was. "It'll be just the three of us on the ground today. Anything more, and we risk alerting whatever is keeping Kolyat on Thessia to our presence."
"That will not be a problem," said Thane. "I will likely sneak past it."
"Don't be too sure of that," said Shepard. He then looked to Jodie and Thane. "Come on, let's go. We should take care of this as fast as we can."
Shepard then turned, walking up the gangplank. Jodie and Thane followed in short order, Jodie's footsteps shorter than Thane's. As the group moved, Aiden clicked sharply, the sound nearly giving Jodie reason to jump.
Jodie dared not reply to him, not wanting to gesture in any way. Just make sure to look out for anything we can use, please, she thought. You're the only hope I have right now...
In response, Aiden clicked once, Jodie exhaling softly as Shepard stepped up to the airlock door.
It took the ship a little bit to get to Thessia, and then it was another while longer while they waited to dock. In the end, though, Shepard and the group had gotten onto Thessia with no incident. And as they stepped off the ship, Jodie stretched, taking in a deep breath as she realized that the hard part was only just beginning.
Thane stepped out, letting out a light cough as he breathed in Thessia's air. "Where do we go, Shepard?" he asked.
"We have to rendezvous with one of my contacts elsewhere," said Shepard. "He'll be waiting for us at a crowded bar."
"And who is this contact?" Thane asked.
"He goes by the code name 'Aether'," said Shepard. "He's one of my most trusted contacts, and he's one of my top agents to boot."
"And he will be waiting," said Thane.
"He should be," said Shepard. He sighed, looking to Thane. "Oh, and don't mind his eyes, at first. His eyes... glow."
Thane's second eyelids nictated, and as soon as they did Aiden released a soft trill. "He has optical implants?" the drell asked.
"Yes." Shepard crossed his arms.
Thane chuckled. "Well, he will be easy to spot in a crowd," he said.
"Sometimes," said Shepard. "On Thessia, he would stand out more than usual. And we can use that to our advantage." Shepard then opened his omnitool, and both Jodie and Thane leaned over to look at the image. "There he is," Shepard said.
Jodie took in the image of the exion: his features were sharp and angular, and his eyes glowed a bright green. His jet black hair looked about as thick as Kim's hair did, and he seemed to have a perpetually angry countenance. Jodie took in all of the details, frowning as she looked at the shape of his nose, how much his chin jutted out, even the exact way the shine protruded from the green eyes.
I hope you're getting this, Aiden, she thought.
The entity clicked in affirmation. It was just in time, too, for Shepard closed the omnitool. He then nodded to them. "We're to meet in a bar fifteen minutes away from here. He'll be arriving shortly after we do."
Jodie nodded. Perfect, she thought. Aiden, you ready to do this?
The entity clicked. Jodie then leaned back, looking at Shepard. "Sounds easy enough," she said. "Find him, get the location from him, and figure it out?"
"It's a few possible locations, but yes," said Shepard. "You know how it is."
Thane nodded. "Then we shall do this," he said. "Come, let's get there."
With this, Thane walked ahead, taking a deep breath in. Shepard and Jodie watched him move, before Shepard walked quickly to catch up to him. Jodie followed soon after, her heart racing as she began to look at her surroundings with extra vigilant eyes. Aiden seemed to whoosh above them, frantically searching for anything as they entered the bar.
It was oddly quiet as they entered: a lone asari bartender stood behind the bar, shaking up a drink for an old turian patron. The rest of the patronage looked rather high-class: off to the side, she saw a couple of human businessmen chatting, holding glasses of some expensive-looking liquor that she could not taste. In another booth, she saw a matriarch, sitting down with a couple of young asari and going over some document with them. She looked down at herself, suddenly feeling woefully out of place as Shepard pulled her and Thane to a nearby booth.
"Uh... why here?" Jodie asked.
"He said he'd explain why." Shepard took a seat, looking on as he motioned for the bartender to come. "But he said it had to be here."
"It seems very high class," said Thane. "Hardly the type of location we would blend in with."
"Yeah," said Shepard. He leaned back. "I guess we'll have to wait to find out. In the meantime, I want to know what the least expensive drink here is."
Jodie nodded, noticing a drink menu off to the side. "Yes, that would be good," she said. "Can't blow our credits on one night of alcohol, you know."
"Especially not on a mission," Shepard replied. He then lifted his finger. "Oh, and only one drink. That's it."
"I will pass, thank you," said Thane. "I am not one for alcohol."
"Good." Shepard grinned. "You can stay focused."
"Yes," said Thane. "It was something stressed by the hanar: imbibing prior to a mission was strictly frowned down upon in our training. I was not old enough to drink it when I was first told about it, but-."
And then Aiden clicked. It was loud enough to pull Jodie's concentration out of the conversation. She froze, clenching her feet in an effort not to make it visible to Shepard. She looked to the side, feeling sweat travel down her brow.
Aiden, watch him for now, she thought. And keep your hearing open.
The entity clicked. In her heightened state, Jodie was just barely able to hear the door open over the sound of the other patrons talking. She then noticed as a human stopped by, dressed appropriately for the crowd's bar. And then, upon closer inspection, she noticed all the same facial features that Shepard had showed her barely a few minutes prior, and in the low lighting of the bar they seemed to jump out at her even more. The sunglasses made the whole thing more eerie. Jodie paused, watching as Shepard stopped saying something, nodding to the man.
"Glad to see you again, Shepard," he said as he sat down at the booth.
"I didn't think you'd be in this high-class an establishment, Aether," said Shepard.
The exion nodded, giving Shepard a wan smile. "Well, hey, I'm known for surprising." Aether looked directly at Jodie and Thane, his smile disappearing. "And you two are his allies, hm?"
"U-uh, yes," said Jodie. She leaned forward, extending her hand to Aether. "Jodie Holmes."
Aether frowned behind his glasses, before he reached over. Jodie immediately sensed the hesitation when he shook her hand, before Aether pulled back. "Charmed," he said. He then bowed his head to Thane. "And charmed to meet you as well, Thane."
As Thane bowed his head in reply, Jodie turned to Aether and heard the flick of the exion's eyes. She saw, too, the way they glowed a little brighter for just a second. And then, he dragged his hand away.
Aiden, you don't think he's on to me, do you? she asked.
Aiden clicked shortly. Jodie simply took a deep breath. Just keep your attention up, she thought.
"Well, here we are," said Shepard. "So what the hell are we doing in this place, anyway?"
"This is a stakeout," said Aether. He then turned to Thane. "Our information network has tracked him down to Thessia, and in particular to a very wealthy quarter of the planet."
"We're going to have to go to a party?" asked Jodie.
"No," said Aether. He then leaned forward. "But we are waiting here." He then leaned forward, opening something that Jodie recognized as a handcom. "Now, we've narrowed it down to this quarter, but we don't have a specific house yet. We had to grab files from elsewhere to even get this far, and the encryption was so good we don't have an exact location, or even a name."
"A name?" Thane leaned forward.
"Well, rumor is that there has been a drell that has appeared in one of the houses in this quarter," he said. "There's a popular row of beach houses here that sightings have been reported at. And in that quarter, word travels fast."
"But you'd be able to dissect that, right?" Jodie asked.
Aether flashed me a smile. "Exactly," he said. He turned to Thane. "We are staking out for a rendezvous with an asari maiden tonight. I told her I'd be here, up for a night of good times and alcohol."
Shepard groaned, shaking his head and leering at Aether. "You didn't," he said.
"Hey, you'd be surprised how well charm can work," said Aether. "The plan is for me to ask her where the house is. No funny stuff. I spirit her away, get the location from her, and give her what she wants."
Jodie frowned, looking over at Aether. "What, and that's it?" she asked.
The exion nodded. "I see no reason to involve her any further than that," he said.
Jodie frowned, Aiden letting out a disturbed gurgle. He followed this with a few loud whooshes, Jodie bunching her fists together.
Great, exions have functional genitalia, she thought. That's a thought I could've gone the rest of my life without knowing...
Thane bowed his head. "There is no loss of life involved," he said. "I frankly would have pulled out of the arrangement entirely if it had come to that."
Aether rose an eyebrow in surprise, looking to the assassin. "Honorable, for an assassin," he said.
"It is pragmatic," said Thane. "Her death would have led back to you, and we do not require that." He paused, looking to the side. "Still, it is good to cut out needless loss of life in this instance."
"Exactly." The exion leaned forward, looking to the other three at the table. "You'll be listening in, of course. Once you have the location, you'll be headed straight there. We turn the place over, find Kolyat, and get him out of there." He then leaned back. "And if all else fails, I've even arranged reinforcements to come onto the scene. All you need to do is say the word and they'll be on the way."
And here, Thane frowned. "This is... unusually well-funded, for a small network," he said.
"And that's the beauty of it," Shepard replied, leaning forward. "My network is small, but it's efficient. We can pick up secrets the rest of the galaxy cannot..."
"Yes..." Thane trailed off, clearly not believing the commander. "So we wait," he said.
"Yes," said Aether. "That's what we do. I told her to come in ten minutes."
"Ten minutes, huh?" asked Jodie. "Alright. We'll wait for that, then..."
Aiden, I hope you noted that...
The entity gurgled. And as he did this, Jodie sat back. She looked to Shepard, who had done similarly.
"In the meantime, I'm going to get some drinks," the commander said. He then frowned, looking back at the bartender. "I swear I signalled her a few minutes ago. What the hell is taking her?"
"Probably more important clients," Aether replied. "Here, allow me."
And with this, the exion stood up, walking directly to the bar with purpose.
Sulana walked down the street, smiling as she adjusted the strap of her dress one more time. She positively skipped down the street, her grin wide as she walked forward.
Aether had been far too kind the last time they had met: she had been charmed immediately by his roguish nature, and the way he smiled at her when she made a joke. They both knew it was not a funny joke, but he had been awfully kind, and from there she could not have guessed that Aether would have asked her to come a second time. His curiosity about her neighborhood, too, helped her out there, and although she did find his fascination for rumors unsettling, there was no denying that his charm made up for that.
Thus, after leaving the service of her Matriarch, she had gotten in her best cocktail dress and made her way down there. She knew there was no real way she'd be able to afford more than two cocktails, but Aether had offered to buy, and who was she to refuse such an offer?
Sulana stepped into the bar, looking down at the low lighting. She glanced over to the patronage, looking for signs of Aether. It did not take her long to find him, however: the large human stood off at a table, enjoying a gin with his trademark sunglasses. Sulana smiled, making her way over.
Aether did not turn to face her at first: however, Sulana could tell from the way his lips suddenly curved that he knew she was there. "Well, hello to you too," said Aether.
Sulana grinned, settling herself on the table space next to Aether. "Charmed," she said. "Didn't think you would find a table at this place." She then looked to Aether's clothes, the small black suit seeming to absorb all light. "Your suit isn't bad, either. Looks very... vintage."
"Well, vintage has its charms," Aether replied, pulling on the collar of his suit before turning to face Sulana finally. He took in her cocktail dress. "But it pales in comparison to your dress, milady. Very modest for a maiden, but the fabric is lovely, and the design complements your face."
Sulana beamed, smiling. "It was my mother's," she replied. "Left it for me when I left home. They always said it was positively radiant on her."
"Well, you'll fill it," said Aether.
"Why thank you," Sulana replied. She smiled, looking over as a bartender brought her a cocktail. "Already told them the favorite, hm?" she asked, accepting the cocktail with a nod towards the bartender.
"Obviously," said Aether. He then grinned, leaning forward. "You said you managed to get off from work early."
"Oh yes," said Sulana. She drank of her cocktail, making sure not to sip too much as she placed the drink down. "The Matriarch Yelentha is normally very uptight about these things, but I found someone to cover for me. It's really no big deal."
"Well, I hope you don't get in trouble on my account," said Aether. He himself took a sip of his cocktail, the liquid passing past his lips. He put it down, seeming to savor the flavor before he turned to Sulana. "You never did tell me much of your workplace."
"Eh, it's not really remarkable," said Sulana. "I mostly just clean and stuff. But my coworkers are great. We talk, keep the blues away, all that. It's really quite nice." She shrugs. "And of course, we make excellent friends with the neighbors."
"Do you?" asked Aether.
"Of course," said said Sulana. She grinned, looking up. "Everyone on that street knows someone, you know."
Aether chuckled, drinking another sip of his cocktail. "It does sound intimate and cozy," he said. "Any exotic types?"
"Oh, all Matriarchs on the street are exotic in some ways," said Sulana. She then looked up, frowning. "But if I had to guess, I would go with Matriarch Belantha as being easily the most eccentric." She chuckled, looking directly at Aether. "I hear she's even hired a drell manservant."
Aether shifted where he stood. "A drell manservant?" he asked. "I thought this weather was terrible for them."
"The climate is," Sulana replied, taking another sip of her cocktail. "Wish I knew what he was there for, though. I've tried to get the girls Belantha works with to talk, and they won't say a thing about him. We do see him on occasion, but to hear them talking about it, you wouldn't know a thing..."
Aether's expression turned serious. He then leaned forward, setting his drink on the ground. "Well, perhaps that isn't so important," said Aether. He smiled, tapping his finger against the table. "What else does this Matriarch Belantha do that is exotic?"
"Well..." Sulana looked up. "She changes her velvets all the time. Hires a new contractor to do it all the time. And she likes to do it whenever the seasons change."
"Really?" asked Aether. He leaned forward, frowning. "That seems a little excessive, doesn't it?"
"It's just how she's always been," Sulana replied. She leaned forward. "She used to be fashion designer. Always likes to make sure she's up to date with the latest seasonal colors."
"I see..." Aether replied. His expression remained impassive, and then he shifted his posture. "That is... quite interesting, of course, but not related to you." He then leaned forward. "And what about your particular Matriarch?"
"Oh, her?" Sulana let out a soft laugh, throwing her head back. "Oh, she's got this obsession with turian suit dresses. It's to the point she's almost had us try on the latest turian fashions."
"Really?" asked Aether. He leaned forward. "Have you ever had to wear that?"
With this, Sulana shook her head, picking up her cocktail. She chuckled, shaking her head as she sipped her cocktail.
Across the bar, Shepard nodded, opening his omni-tool and quickly searching.
"Matriarch Belantha, hm?" he asked.
Jodie frowned, opening her own omni-tool. Thane had copied the motion as well, and he instinctively glanced over his shoulder. "It is suspicious how the servants are forced to stay quiet," he noted. "It could mean they are hiding something."
"Your son, probably," said Shepard. He then looked at his omni-tool. "Now how would we track down velvet makers?"
Jodie's frown deepened when she looked at Shepard. "Velvet makers?" she asked.
Shepard looked Jodie in the eye. "They require you to keep personal information," he said. "If we can find a receipt and trace it back to the source."
"Yes, and who knows if she imports her velvet from elsewhere?" asked Jodie. She began to frantically filter through as much as she could, quickly pulling her omni-tool against her. "It'll take us a long time to sort through that."
"She brings up a compelling point," said Thane.
"Well, that's all we have to go on, because I don't know where it is," said Shepard. "It'd blow our cover to scan the entire row, wouldn't it? So unless you've got any better ideas on how to find this, I suggest you-"
Shepard immediately paused, before nodding. "Ah, never mind, the information network is in on it now," he said. "Won't take long."
Thane and Jodie glanced at each other briefly, but Jodie knew this gave her no time to act. She looked around the table, before noticing they were all focused on their own omni-tools. Nobody was looking, though she knew someone would probably look over her shoulders if she was not careful, which would be doubly worse given the low lighting would highlight whatever it was she was doing.
And then she realized there was not much she could really do. Except, of course...
Jodie immediately opened her email client, quickly logging into an account and typing a message out. She glanced to the side, making sure that Thane and Shepard were both preoccupied with their respective searches. Jodie had to wrest her hand away to keep from typing too much and arousing Shepard's suspicions with the little sounds her keyboard made, but as soon as a few seconds passed, she shook her head, typing again.
Aiden, as soon as Shepard discovers how Belantha gets her mail, you need to send a message, she thought. You got that?
Aiden clicked once, Jodie typing the message out as quickly as she could.
She had just started to encrypt the message when Shepard clicked with his mouth. "Well, looks like we found it."
With this, Shepard proudly displayed the information in front of them. It had listed a physical address, of course, but Jodie knew there had to be something else there as well. And as she scanned it, she saw it: an extranet address to a personal account. It had to be a personal account, the way it was. But if she marked it a high priority...
Jodie looked down at her omni-tool just in time to see the text of the email vanish. She had only a second to see the Matriarch Belantha's extranet address in the recipient line, before she found herself looking up at Shepard. She quickly closed her own omni-tool.
"Then that is where Kolyat will be," Thane said. He internalized it, before opening a map for it. "Then we must head there at once."
"Indeed," said Shepard. He then stood up, pausing before he opened his omni-tool again. "Eh, what the heck? I'm going to call in the reinforcements anyway."
Aiden let out a shrill trill, Jodie tensing right as she stood up. "What?" she asked.
"We don't want to take any chances with this," Shepard replied. "I'm sending the reinforcements on."
Jodie took a deep breath in. "Isn't that a bit excessive, though?" she asked.
"I would say the same," said Thane. "They will not know we are coming. Why alert them with the reinforcements?"
"These reinforcements will go in quietly," said Shepard.
Jodie frowned. "Will they go in quietly enough for anyone else to notice, though?" she asked.
Shepard smirked, before hitting a button on his omni-tool. "They won't notice a thing," he said.
And here, Jodie gulped, hoping that Shepard could not see the lump she had just swallowed. She knew exactly what he referred to, after all, and though she figured Thane would not understand she knew what it meant.
Crap... She let out a slow breath, nodding as her neck tensed. "Alright..." she said. "If... If you're sure..."
"Alright," said Shepard. "Let's go."
Jodie breathed in, looking up as soon as she had the chance to. As she left, Aiden gurgled uncertainly, before Jodie followed them out.
Crap... She thought. I hope they get out before it's too late...
Aether watched Shepard leave from his peripheral vision. He smiled then, turning his attention back to Sulana.
"And that is where you broke it off with him?" Aether asked.
"Oh, obviously," said Sulana. She rolled her eyes. "It was a relief, too. He was really very much a troublemaker."
The operative nodded. "Well, I'm glad you left him," he said. "He sounds like a prick."
"The worst." The asari leaned back, giving a dismissive wave. "I haven't really been looking for anything serious since then." He then leaned forward. "I guess that means I'm out, hm?"
"At least in the long term," said Sulana. She leaned back, finishing off her cocktail. "But that may also be because I don't know that much about you. You said you're an operative of some sort?"
Aether blinked, looking to the side. "Yes," he said. "And that is all I can really say." He then paused, before leaning forward and placing his hand on hers. "Please don't ask me anything more about my work. It's..." He paused, glancing to the side. "It's a long story, but you can't know what I do."
"What, you've killed people in the past?" asked Sulana.
Aether paused. His logic circuits went into overdrive, thinking how best to answer that question. She was not wrong, of course, but he knew that if he answered in the negative it would involve her into the web of lies that he and his galaxy had both spun. He paused, before breathing in and placing his elbows on the table.
"You... could say that, I suppose," said Aether.
Sulana turned, chuckling. "How do I always find the bad boys, hm?" she asked.
Aether shrugged. "Some people just get unlucky."
Sulana nodded, setting her empty cocktail glass down. "Eh, it's alright," she said. She then looked to the side. "But still... It's not to bad." She looked to Aether. "You want to come by my place tonight?"
Aether blinked in surprise. "Even knowing what you do?"
The asari smiled, looking straight at him. She settled her head on her hand, leaning forward. "Yes," she said. "Even knowing that."
And then, Aether smiled. He was not certain what to make of that, but the way her tone seemed to rise as she said it gave Aether reason to suspect she was genuine.
"Very well then," he said, smiling. "It would be very disappointing if I did not take you up on that invitation."
Sulana smiled, her teeth seeming to sparkle brightly in the low light. "Then follow me," she said. "I don't live far from here."
She stood up, and offered her hand to Aether. Aether had a thought towards Jon'ison: he knew Jon would need him on standby at some point, perhaps to direct the intelligence. However, he also knew that Jon only needed to give a single order. And combined with his ability to multitask...
He took her hand, and gently let her lead him out of the bar.
The house was grand, although Jodie noted the lack of windows. Something about the architecture seemed very old-fashioned to Jodie: it screamed much more Great Gatsby than anything else. That was not to say that the old style of architecture was out of place: far from it, the houses surrounding it all employed older styles of architecture. But this house in particular...
Jodie swallowed, looking up at it nervously. "Well, this is the place," she said.
"Looks like it," Shepard replied. "Come on."
As Shepard walked forward, Thane and Jodie looked over to each other. Thane then stepped forward. "How do you suppose we shall-?"
Shepard kicked the door down, the wooden door leaving a loud bang. The bang caused both Jodie and Thane to pause. The commander glanced to both of them, beckoning them inside with a tilt of his head, before he himself entered.
Thane and Jodie shared a glance, before Jodie stepped forward into a large atrium. It was exactly as she might imagine: stairs on either end of the atrium, a strange harp-looking instrument to the side, and large windows looking out to the sea on the other side. The silence hung in the air, only punctured by the sound of Thane's footsteps into the grand hall the group found themselves in.
Shepard frowned, looking around. "Well, we've announced ourselves," he said. "They've either run away, or they're hiding. Let's go find out where they are, because they can't have gotten far, and with the reinforcements closing in soon we'll be able to pincer them." He then turned to Jodie. "Let's search the house separately."
Jodie and Thane both nodded. "Of course," said Thane. He then stepped into the wide atrium, his eyes moving about.
"Right," said Jodie. "I'll just go up the stairs, then."
"Excellent." Shepard went the opposite direction in relation to Jodie. "I'll go this way. Radio in if you find anything."
"Of course," said Jodie. Aiden trilled, and Jodie hoped to God that Shepard had not witnessed her soft intake of breath.
With this, the group split off. Aiden gurgled as soon as Jodie was up the stairs, Jodie exhaling as she walked to a door.
Alright, Aiden, she said. What's in here?
Aiden chirped once, before Jodie nodded. She then walked past it, seeing Shepard enter a door on the other side. As soon as she did this, Jodie moved to the next door, taking her time to press her ear against the door.
What's in here? she asked.
And this time, Aiden trilled softly. Jodie nodded, before she opened the door, rapidly closing it behind her. She turned in, finding herself in some kind of study. A grand bookcase stood against the far wall, and there she saw a table that had been laid out, a board game having been set up. It looked abandoned, and Jodie noted the exact moment one of the cards fell onto the floor, the card gently cascading down.
She then turned to the bookcase. "It's behind there, isn't it?"
Aiden trilled in the negative. Jodie's initial disappointment was quickly overshadowed, however, by the card as it fell to the floor. Aiden gurgled, and then the card fluttered back up in the air, before it finished its descent. Jodie frowned, walking over to the card in question as it gently landed on the floor right next to the chair leg. She then breathed in, looking back at the door.
"Come on, Aiden," she whispered. "We don't have time to wait..."
Luckily, she already felt the familiar pull. And as she felt it, she closed her eyes, exhaling gently.
When she opened her eyes again, she saw the shadow of a leg where one of the chairs was. She was barely able to look up, seeing an older asari setting the game pieces in place. She looked older, statelier: everything was as Councillor Tevos had described her.
"Auntie Bel, we've got bad news!" Jodie resisted the urge to whip her head around, knowing the voice behind her likely belonged to another asari.
As soon as she heard this, Jodie looked up, seeing the Matriarch stand. "What is it?" she asked.
"Yes." Jodie heard the asari exhale. "An anonymous source just sent us a message. They're coming for Sa'lem and Kolyat."
Good, my message got here in time, Jodie thought, letting out a soft sigh of relief.
With this, the asari matriarch in the room stood up, not bothering to set the game up as a plastic piece fell to the floor. "Then we must go," she said. "Is the craft ready?"
"We're preparing it now, Auntie Bel," said the servant. "Give it five minutes and it will be ready to launch."
"Good." The matriarch stepped away. "You do remember where the passageway is, yes?"
"On the way to the dock," said the servant. "The odd rock formation that you cannot see from the house."
"Good," said the matriarch. "Get Kolyat and Sa'lem, and meet me there. We have to move."
"Yes, ma'am," said the servant.
Jodie had just caught sight of the matriarch's leg moving when she was knocked out of the vision. She immediately stood up, thinking Thane had seen her, but the drell did not stand at the door. Jodie then breathed out, looking out to the window. She ran to it, immediately seeing the shoreline as the waves lapped against the sand. There, she noticed there was a dock, with a little sailboat moored and laying motionless.
Jodie breathed in. "Right, I've got to go that way," she said. She then looked up to Aiden. "Aiden, you know what to do."
The entity clicked. As soon as she heard this, Jodie opened the window. She then looked down below, noting that there were rocks below. She also looked past it, seeing the windows that looked out from the atrium.
With very little hesitation, Jodie climbed out the window. She then took a breath to steel herself, before she leapt out of the window.
Thane had just turned his head from looking at a slightly misplaced doll when something had caught his attention from the corner of his eye. And when he looked up, the sight he saw was baffling.
He saw someone leaping from what was obviously an upper window. He could not get a good look at who this person was, but something immediately jumped out at him: the strange blue aura that surrounded her as she made her descent down. Thane knew that making his way to the rocks from where she had leapt would be dangerous, and yet the aura seemed to slow her fall, until finally the person had landed and taken off.
Thane immediately looked to the large windows, seeing a large door open. He rushed forward, opening the door and watching the stranger quickly run down to a path. He stepped outside, looking to the boat that was moored to the dock. The figure made her way down a small rocky path, one that a cursory glance to his right revealed.
He then brought his hand up to his ear. "Shepard, I've found someone fleeing from this home," he said.
"You what!?" Shepard asked.
Thane then began to run in the direction the figure had run off to. "Someone is fleeing, down by the dock," he said. "Jodie, did you see her?"
"I did," said Jodie. It was then that Thane noticed that Jodie sounded a little out of breath as she spoke, but not enough that he was sure Shepard noticed. "I saw her jump out. I'm gonna be out on the courtyard soon."
But Thane shook his head. "I can find her on my own," said Thane. "Shepard, stay behind: in case this is a distraction, and I very much believe it is, you should stay behind. There may be something yet to be discovered."
"Calling the shots now?" Shepard asked. "You're lucky I was about to say the same thing. Get this intruder, Thane: I'll be behind as soon as I've turned this house inside out."
"Affirmative."
Thane did not even wait for the link to cut before he vaulted down the nearby stairs. His feet carried him down the pathway quickly: he had a feeling it would lead directly to whoever knew where Kolyat was.
As he travelled down the path, he noticed faintly that part of it led to a cave. It was a rather small one, just tall enough to allow him to walk through it. Without thinking, he barrelled directly into it. As his eyes adjusted to the lack of light within the cave, he saw it opened out, and he faintly noticed the dock just beyond the exit.
And then, he paused, seeing something else: as soon as he had entered, he saw Jodie standing at a particular spot by the wall. He could tell she was analyzing it for any inconsistencies, or was before she had turned her head to see the drell. She stepped back, taking a small intake of breath as Thane beheld her.
"Jodie," he said. "I... What are you doing here?"
"W-well..." Jodie looked to the wall. "I chased this person all the way to here, and I thought-"
"I did not see you pass me."
At this observation, Jodie stopped. In the light of the opposite entrance, Thane could see Jodie look to the ground, tapping her foot nervously. And between them, the silence stretched out longer than it seemed to. Jodie gulped, Thane could see it.
And it was in the silence that Thane found his answer.
"Jodie, what-?"
Before Thane could finish his question, he suddenly felt a strange force act on him, one that made it feel like he had been ejected out of his own body. He felt himself pushed back, and then he could see himself stand stock still, seeing the intricate clothing pattern of his back. He barely found the energy to glance around, suddenly noticing how stiff he had become. And in his body, he saw a blue aura surround himself, the aura emitting a strange comforting light. After a second, he could make out a strange cord of blue light that connected his body to Jodie's.
And then, he felt his leg move, but not of his own volition. The drell would have panicked, but before he knew what was happening Jodie had turned something on the rock. It gave way, and in the mysterious haze that had taken over his vision Thane could tell that it opened up to some strange subterranean staircase. His head turned to Jodie shortly afterwards, and in the silence Thane saw Jodie nod.
Thane moved in first, entirely aware that his actions were not his own. As soon as he had made it part of the way down the stairs, he heard the passage opening close behind him. He wanted to turn his head, take a look up at what had passed, but whatever strange force had taken control of him did not allow him that luxury. He reached the bottom of the staircase rather quickly, however, and then he heard Jodie's footsteps approach.
And then, he felt contact: someone had touched his arm. In that singular moment, all sensation returned as it had normally been experienced: suddenly the passage way was illuminated not by the strange blue aura that had surrounded his body, but by the soft light of several electric lamps. And then, he noticed that his fingers twitched. He tested his hand, bunching it into a fist.
He then turned to Jodie, his eyes widening as he realized what had happened. "Jodie..."
Jodie pushed him forward. "Listen, this is going to be a lot to take in," she said as she began to walk down the passage. "And I know you've got a lot of thoughts going through your head. But right now, you're going to have to trust me on this."
"What are you talking about?" Thane turned around, his brows furrowing. "What did you do to me? And what was-?"
"I do not have time to explain what's going on," Jodie replied. "I'll explain everything when we're back on the Normandy. But right now, we don't have time to argue about this." She then walked ahead of Thane. "Come on, Kolyat's waiting."
Thane blinked. "Kolyat?" he asked. "Wait, what do you-?"
And then, the drell paused. And then, another thought occurred to him, and things he had noticed leading up to the mission jumped in front of him. A slight twitch of her hand, a glance downward, a slightly awkward laugh...
"You knew where he was!" said Thane. "You have known the entire time!"
Jodie paused, turning back to Thane. She opened her mouth to say something, but whatever she was going to say was caught on her throat, and she did not say it.
Thane did not need her to explain more. He stepped up to her, his brows furrowing deeper. "If he has been hurt, I will never forgive you," said Thane. "I will not wait for the Commander's order to-"
"I hid Kolyat's location from the Commander for a reason," said Jodie. She shook her head, lifting her hands. "Look, if you must know, it would actually be really bad for Kolyat if the Commander got the opportunity to get close. I can't explain the whole story now, but he had been moved here for his protection."
"His protection...?" asked Thane.
Jodie nodded, before grabbing his wrist. "This may not be for naught," she said. She then began to move down the passageway, dragging him behind her. "If we've come early enough, you may be able to talk to him."
At this, Thane perked up. "I may talk to him?" he asked.
"Only if we're not too late," she said. "If I read the situation right, they're still preparing their craft out of here. You'll only have a few minutes, but-"
Thane did not know where the burst of energy came from. It did not matter: he knew even before his feet had begun to carry him quickly down the passage that this was an opportunity he did not miss. He calculated that they had not wasted much time arguing: if he moved quickly enough, he might just be able to catch them, be able to see them off...
He heard Jodie's footsteps race behind him as he ran. And as he heard them, he looked down the passage.
"Kolyat!"
Druvak looked at the emergency craft: it was small, but he knew it was capable of relay jumps. To where, Druvak was not sure, and he was certain Matriarch Belantha would not state their destination until they were a very safe distance away from any potential listening devices. Still, it was a rather unassuming ship, and he knew it would take off away from the line of sight of the house.
He only hoped they were not too late.
He watched Sa'lem ascend the gangplank, the Matriarch Belantha moving behind him as he held his satin shirt together. "I'm gonna miss that damn board game," he said. "It sucks we had to leave it behind."
"We can come for it another time," said Belantha. "What's most pressing is to leave as soon as possible."
"I know," said Sa'lem.
Kolyat approached them from behind, giving a dismissive hand wave. "We can probably just find another one over there," he said. "It's a popular game, after all."
Druvak nodded. "We shouldn't dally any further, Belantha," he said. He then began to ascend the gangplank behind Kolyat. "Let's go."
The group nodded. They then began to ascend the gangplank, the four of them moving rather swiftly.
And then, Kolyat paused. It was then that Druvak caught a faint sound from the passageway they had just left, his head turning slightly. His antennae shot to attention: it had been a shout of some kind, from further down the passage.
"What was that?" asked Sa'lem.
And then, a few seconds later, the shout sounded again. They could not make out what it was, but they could clearly make out a two-syllable word. It was carried by a mildly raspy baritone, although from the echoes of the wall Druvak figured it was quite a bit sooner.
Druvak heard movement ahead, and he turned, seeing that Kolyat's foot had shifted. He leaned forward, his eyes widening.
"Could it be...?" he whispered.
And then, the shout returned again, louder. And this time, they could make out the shout of the young drell's name.
Kolyat took a deep breath, before he stepped down the gangplank. "Dad?" he shouted.
"Kolyat!" The voice was closer, and the pitch had ascended as well. And then, the sound of footsteps was faintly audible.
"Dad!" Kolyat thundered down the gangplank, nearly knocking Druvak over as he scrambled to the entrance of the passageway. "Dad, I'm here!"
And from the passageway, a drell with green scales emerged. Druvak could briefly make out Jodie Holmes running out after him, but before he could comment on that, the two drell encountered each other in the center of the room, Kolyat grabbing the green-scaled drell and pulling him close. Druvak could see Kolyat tear up, and then the two drell parted somewhat, the green-scaled drell holding Kolyat by the scales of his cheeks.
Druvak stepped closer, hoping to get wind of the conversation.
"Dad..." Kolyat sniffled, closing his eyes and holding his hand there. "I... Holy shit, I didn't think I'd see you like this."
"I never thought I would see you again," said the older drell. He stepped back, and Druvak could see the tears streaming down his own face. "Kolyat..."
Kolyat nodded, looking down to the floor. "I can't be here too long," he said. "I need to get out of here, soon. I just wish we could have longer... I've got so many things to ask."
"I just wanted to know that you are safe, Kolyat," said Thane. He looked back to Jodie, before turning back to Kolyat. "She says you are..."
Kolyat glanced at Jodie, giving her a curt nod before he turned back to Thane. "Well, I will be once we move again," he said. He then shook his head. "I'd talk about Shepard, but I'm not sure I have enough time to catch you up on all that. Besides..." He sighed. "I had my own questions I needed to ask. About mom."
Thane sighed, glancing to the floor.
Kolyat frowned, looking back up at his father. "Why?" he asked. "Why did you leave after she died? Why put me with my uncle and aunt the way you did?"
"It was to protect you," Thane replied. He then looked up at the cave. "You could not stay near me..."
"Bullshit!" said Kolyat, his brows furrowing. "You don't know that! How could you have known that?"
"Because it is my fault your mother died..." Thane replied, closing his eyes.
Kolyat blinked in surprise. "What...?" he asked.
Thane's shoulders sagged. "This is... not a conversation that we can have in a few minutes, but I will try to condense it as much as I can," said Thane. "You're old enough: you deserve answers." He then crossed his arms, looking at Kolyat. "I... I was raised as an assassin by the hanar."
Thane was greeted by a sharp intake of air. "You... you what?" Kolyat asked.
"I was raised as a killer," said Thane. "I... Your mother and I met when she stopped in front of a target, prevented me from killing my target. I fell in love with her strength, and I tried to settle down with her... but I had no other skills." Thane then glanced to the side. "I took jobs on the side..."
"And that was..." Kolyat shook his head, his eyes widening. "No way..."
"Your mother was killed by a group of slavers," said Thane. "I had carried a hit out on them, and they were seeking revenge. They thought to attack you and your mother." Kolyat looked back up as Thane shook his head. "I had to keep you away from me after that. Who knows who might take you away from me again, who might take their vengeance out on you?"
Thane dipped his head, closing his eyes. "But I can see now I was merely being a fool," he said. "Regardless of what I did, you are here now. This..." He then looked back at Kolyat. "This would never have happened if I hadn't left you in the care of Irikah's brother."
"Dad..." Kolyat stepped forward, gripping his father's arms. "Why didn't you tell me any of this before?"
"I... I could not," said Thane. He sighed. "How could I have told you that I killed people for a living? What words could I have used to describe why I was away on business for so long? I could never find the words, until you vanished from your uncle's apartment six months ago."
Kolyat shook his head, sniffling. "All these years, and I thought you hated me," he said. "I thought you didn't want me."
"No..." Thane pulled Kolyat close, embracing his son. "No, I could never hate you, Kolyat. I thought I was saving you from harm." He shook his head. "Please, forgive your foolish father. I should have known..."
Kolyat sniffled, gripping his father's overcoat. "Dad..."
And the two drell fell silent. Thane held Kolyat close, the two of them silently shedding tears in proximity with each other. The outside world seemed to phase out as they held this position, the two of them closing their eyes and lingering on their proximity, how precious it was...
Druvak stepped forward at this, looking to the two drell. "Young Master Kolyat, we should be going now..."
Thane looked up, and then he did a double-take upon seeing Druvak. He then turned, noticing Sa'lem up on the gangplank. He turned to Kolyat in shock. "Kolyat, what...?" he asked.
Kolyat gestured to Jodie. "She'll be able to tell you more," he said. "Jodie there had some involvement in my disappearance. And trust me, it's not what you think." He then stepped back. "But I have to go now."
Thane sighed, before looking back to Kolyat. "I suppose I owe you an explanation here, one that I cannot give in what time we have." He then stepped back. "I left an information packet for you. You were to receive it in the event of my death. It would explain everything about my life before Irikah, what I did and why I did it. I... will give them permission to give you access to the packet."
Kolyat nodded. "I wish we'd had more time, dad..." he said. "Maybe, when this is all over, we can meet up again."
And at this, Thane smiled. "Yes," he said. "I would like that, Kolyat..."
Kolyat finally smiled back, gripping his father's hand and squeezing it. "I've been told you're on a suicide mission," he said. "You better not die on me before we get the chance to catch up, you hear me?"
Thane nodded. "I will... do my best," he said.
The younger drell nodded. He released Thane's hand, turning away from his old man as he moved to the gangplank. "Right, we need to go."
The other people around them nodded. As Druvak stepped onto the gangplank, Kolyat followed behind. Druvak stepped into the craft, and as soon as Kolyat stepped in the gangplank retreated away from the ship.
And right as the airlock door closed, Sa'lem turned to Kolyat, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Well, that was... quite the reunion," said the tolahña.
Kolyat sighed. "I wanted more time..." he said.
"You never have enough," said Sa'lem. The airlock door opened into the vessel, and with this the group moved in. "But you got the chance to. That's all that matters."
Kolyat nodded, before walking past the group. As he did this, he looked to one of the viewports. He then ran to it, half expecting that Thane would have departed by then, gone off to do whatever it was he was doing with Jodie.
But instead, Kolyat saw Thane still standing where they'd had their reunion. He had not moved an inch from the spot, and he looked to the viewport as soon as Kolyat was visible through it. The young drell smiled back, flattening his hand against the glass as they shared a final moment from a distance.
And through his tears, Kolyat could not help but notice Thane had smiled back, holding his hands behind his back and giving a respectful bow of his head. And from there, Kolyat could only sniffle.
Shepard could faintly see the outline of the ship as it came into view. Artician ships were invisible to the naked eye, of course, but Shepard knew there were a few tells: warped space around the edges, the light refracting off of invisible mirrors the further you followed the shape, and of course the soft sound of the engine as it sputtered to life. He knew their vessels were not ideal for planet-side engagement: they had only ever been built for space combat. But then again, they had their land-based purposes, and this was no exception.
He waved at the ship, looking on as it approached them. Shepard brought a hand to his ear, nodding at the ship. "I see you!" he said.
"You do indeed, Supreme Commander," said the pilot of the ship. "I'm surprised you're here to greet us."
"The house is empty," said Shepard. "I suspect there's a hidden passage somewhere, though. I have Jodie and Thane on pursuit now. With any luck, they'll be able to find where it is, but just in case you should follow them."
"Of course, Supreme Commander." Shepard heard a soft thud, looking on as the ship remained cloaked from view. "We still have some ground-side preparations to make. We do have to prepare a few sensors we brought to-"
And then, Shepard paused, hearing a small sound, a little like rushing water. Shepard turned, looking out at the nearby ocean. He frowned, seeing a hole open within the sea, the hole swallowing up whatever ocean water was found in there.
"What the...?" Shepard asked.
He then approached the edge of the house's terraces, watching in awe as the sea opened up a little further. He briefly wondered if the people in the ship were watching, but he already knew they were. He gripped a railing, breathing in and out.
And then, he saw it: a craft raced out of that hole in the sea. It did not move very fast on approach, but as soon as it cleared the hole Shepard saw it race away. Shepard stumbled back from the force of the craft kicking into gear, and as he steadied himself he saw leaves fly from the trees by the shore.
He then looked back up at the craft, which had soared a long way away from where they were. And as he witnessed the craft's retreat, he realized something: the hole looked inordinately close to the house.
"No..." He then stamped his foot. "No!"
And then, his fist barrelled right into a stone vase holding a bunch of flowers. The vase exploded in a flash of green light, soil and plants and stone fragments flying everywhere as Shepard pulled back. As everything landed, he kicked the support, the supports also exploding in a flash of green.
"Dammit!" Shepard shouted. "You were just too late!"
"Hold on, Commander!" The vessel close by picked up off the ground, a motion Shepard could tell just by hearing the way the stones shifted under the vessel. "We are giving pursuit in three... two... one..."
Shepard saw the craft race away suddenly, something he knew by the strange refraction of the light. He watched the ship go, and then before he knew it both vessels vanished out of sight.
That left the artician alone with his thoughts. He looked to the floor where the vessel had been, seeing damage it had carelessly left there. He then turned, hearing the sound of rushing water come to a stop just as the hole within the sea closed right up. And as he watched this, he shook his head, his anger finally dissipating. He looked around, shaking his head as he turned away.
Shepard then heard footsteps make their way up on the terrace. Shepard frowned, before looking past and seeing Thane and Jodie make their way up. They looked a little tousled up, but otherwise they were fine. Thane's usual impassive expression rested on his face, and it was only as he looked back that he saw what he needed to.
"Thane!" Shepard abruptly ended the call. "Jodie!" He approached them, looking to the vessel. "Did you see that?"
"Yeah," said Jodie. "We caught its launch too late to stop it."
"So he's gone, just like that," said Shepard. He shook his head, turning away. "Dammit!"
Thane, though, looked to the floor. "It is alright, Commander," he said. "I caught a view of Kolyat just before the vessel took off."
Shepard blinked in shock, looking at him. "You did?" he asked. "How did he look?"
"Like he was well taken care of," said Thane. "He was not bound under any restraint. Whoever had him was... They did not hurt him, I could tell from one glance." He breathed in, walking past the Commander. "That one look was enough, Commander. Kolyat is safe. And seeing that he is safe, I will be able to focus on this mission, knowing that no true harm has come to him."
Shepard frowned. "You aren't going to talk to him to make sure?" he asked.
With this, Thane turned, stepping over a stone fragment as if it were nothing. "He is on Thessia, yes?" the drell asked. "I hardly think he is in much danger here." Thane bowed his head. "I will be focused, Commander. My hand is yours."
Shepard blinked uncertainly, before glancing to the side. "Well then..." He nodded, letting out a sigh. "Well, uh... we'll just go to the ship, then. You two go ahead, I've got some business to take care of."
Jodie nodded, following Thane back into the house. As soon as they were out of earshot, Shepard turned away, bringing his hand back to his ear.
"What's the status?" asked Shepard.
"I'm sorry, sir," the pilot replied. "We followed the vessel, but we lost it right in one of Thessia's moons. We're still following it, but there's a good chance it'll make it to the relay before we can follow it. As far as we know, we'll have to start over from ground zero to get them."
"Dammit." Shepard shook his head, pacing around the terrace. "This is not how this was supposed to go!"
"Exactly," the pilot replied. "At any rate, we just managed to receive that interaction with your comrades. Something isn't right."
The artician nodded, pursing his lips together. "Oh good, I'm not the only one who was thinking that," said Shepard. "This is too convenient. First we track Kolyat to Thessia, then we find out his location is hidden behind files with extreme encryption, then they leave before we get here, then Thane seems to be fine with all of this... Something isn't adding up."
"Do you think there may be a traitor in your midst?" asked the exion.
"Well, I don't know what else you'd call it," said Shepard.
"You think it may be with Cerberus?" asked the exion.
"If you'd asked me that before this mission, I'd say that was impossible," said Shepard. "And even now, they'd be stupid to sabotage their mission by jeopardizing the loyalty of one of the people who joined it. They may hate aliens, but I think even they know how valuable the alien help would be in the event of a mission like the one I've been given."
"Well, whatever the case, it's clear what you have to do," said exion. "Do we execute Phase Overlord?"
The Commander smirked, placing a hand on his hip.
"Yes," he said. "I'll go ahead and dock at Omega. Have Mahadood send me a tech guy. I'll meet him right outside of the ship."
Jodie stepped into Thane's quarters. There was no hesitation in her steps, and she kept walking into the lab. And there, she saw Thane sitting at a table, his gaze directed out to the soft blue light of the engine core. The drell remained impassive as ever, though Jodie could only imagine the storm of thoughts running through his mind.
He did not turn to face her as she entered his field of vision. "Jodie."
She stepped forward, noticing that there was an empty seat across from where Thane sat. She then settled in, Thane's gaze turning to her as soon as she was settled. She then looked back, glancing around and hearing Aiden whistle like crazy dealing with EDI's surveillance devices.
"Thane..." Jodie sighed, leaning forward. "I know you must be incredibly confused right now. So... I'd like to apologize for hiding everything from you. I had a reason to do that: Shepard couldn't know."
"You could have told me Kolyat's location immediately..." Thane's frown became more apparent.
"Yes, but you would have told Shepard, and I couldn't risk not knowing how good an actor you'd be in order to hide that you knew," she said. "Look, I have a secret about myself I've been hiding from the Commander. It's difficult to explain, but..." She sighed, looking down. "You remember back in the house? When you found me at the opening of that secret passage?"
Thane nodded. "It was... strange..." Jodie then watched his eyes go unfocused. "Loss of feeling in the limbs. A blue aura surrounds me. Footsteps, echoing in the room. A spiral staircase. A grasped hand. "Listen, this is going to be a lot to take in." A glance. The sound of gravel shifting under your feet."
And then, Thane's eyes regained their focus. "It was almost like I was possessed..."
Jodie blinked in surprise. "W... What was that?" she asked. "That you just did."
Thane bowed his head. "Ah, my apologies," he said. "You witnessed one of my... solipsisms. You can call it the result of a perfect memory."
"Right..." Jodie then bowed his head. "That was my secret in action. I've been attached to this entity for as long as I can remember. His name is Aiden, and possessing people is only one of the many things he can do." She then exhaled. "And actually, before I explain anything else, there's one more thing I need to do. With you."
The drell's brow furrowed even deeper. "What do you need?" he asked.
Jodie then shifted her posture, looking up at Thane as she held her hands out to him. "Take my hands," she said. "You'll see in a minute."
With some hesitation, Thane took her hands. He remained silent, simply looking directly at Jodie. She shifted her posture, steadying her breathing. The shift happened at once, like it always did, and when Jodie opened her eyes her pupils had seemingly vanished.
Thane leaned forward. "Jodie?" he asked.
"Thane..." The voice that came out of Jodie's mouth was distinctly alien, distinctly feminine, and all too familiar to Thane. "I did not think you would call from the other side of the sea."
Thane took a sharp breath in. "I... Irikah..." he whispered. He remained silent for a long while, looking down.
"Lost for words?" Jodie asked gently, with Irikah's voice washing over Thane like water.
"I... I do not know where to begin," he said. He glanced down. "I know I have failed you. I failed Kolyat, and I failed you too."
Jodie chuckled, the sound deep and luscious. "Maybe," said Irikah. "But you did not intend ill. Towards Kolyat and I, you never intended ill."
Thane nodded, the tears coming quickly. "That matters not," he said. He shook his head. "When I think about all that you changed in my life, and how you became a force for good in my life..." He let out a long sigh.
And at this, Jodie shook her head. "You always were philosophical," Irikah's voice replied. "But I think that's what I loved about you most. That despite everything, there was a good man hiding under the cold-blooded killer I stopped that day so many years ago."
"The smell of spice on the spring wind." Thane closed his eyes, shaking his head. "And what of now? Now that I have made so many mistakes..."
"You have always sought redemption," Irikah admitted. "I see how much you strive to do what you think is right. And that is enough for me. I love you still, just as much as you love me."
Thane nodded, squeezing Jodie's hand gently. "I am not worthy of your love, siha," he said. He sniffled gently. "Even in death, you have never lost your capacity for kindness. It amazes me, now more than ever." He bowed his head. "I have Kepral's, now. It will not be long before I join you in the sea."
"Just don't die on me yet, Thane," Irikah replied. "There's still much you have to do before you come to this side of the sea."
"I know." Thane opened his eyes, looking at Jodie. "But I can do what must be done with a clear conscience now..." He sighed, looking up. "I love you, siha."
A smile played upon Jodie's mouth. "And I love you, Thane," said Irikah. "If nothing else, do not forget that I do, even despite what has happened. May Arashu watch over you, Thane..."
And with this, the color returned to Jodie's eyes. She blinked, still holding Thane's hands in hers as she looked to the drell. Thane let out a heavy exhale, before he placed his hands down, closing his eyes.
"Was that... Was that Kolyat's mother?" Jodie asked.
"Yes," said Thane. "She was the strongest, fiercest woman I have ever known. She risked her life to protect a target even though she barely knew his name, and she died protecting Kolyat." He sighed, opening his eyes. "I should have guessed you knew something of Kalahira's realm. You seemed unusually accepting of those ideas, particularly for this age."
Jodie shrugged. "I've had Aiden around me since birth," she said. "I've been dealing with spirits from the time I was eight years old. It's not always an easy experience, but I see much more than anyone else."
"I see." Thane turned back to Jodie. "This does nothing to answer how it ties into Shepard."
Jodie nodded. "It was thanks to Aiden that I discovered something about Shepard he doesn't want people to know," she said. "And unfortunately, Kolyat ties into it, too. He's seen the things I have seen, walked the road I travelled." She sighed. "Kolyat was on Thessia under a protection program from the Council. He knows too much now, about Shepard's galaxy."
Thane frowned, and for the first time Jodie could see a confused glint in the drell's eye. "Galaxy?" he asked.
Jodie nodded. "Everything the galaxy knows about John Shepard is wrong..." she said. "And I cannot tell you more here. EDI could be watching." She looked up. "Shepard will be docking at Omega soon. Meet me and Jacob Taylor at Afterlife, and we'll tell you everything we know."
Thane nodded. "Very well," he said. "I will see you then."
Jodie bowed her head, leaving the rest unspoken as she stood up. As she stood at the door, she cast one final glance to Thane, the drell going back to his passive meditation. She allowed herself a small smile, before leaving life support. And as she left, she let Aiden's uncertain click linger in the air.
