Chapter 29
As soon as she entered, the room was cleared and the lights dropped, darkness falling like an axe across the stadium. Aria flared her biotics slightly, giving off a pale blue light to illuminate her path as she stepped into the ring. The moment she crossed the threshold a row of spotlights placed around the circumference all erupted with light at the same time, an accompaniment to the floodlight beams that now drifted downwards from the ceiling, moving in randomized patterns.
"Nothing like some tacky lighting effects to really emphasize the importance of the moment," I murmured.
"The whole event is being recorded," Melnar explained, while the Varren were being led into the ring.
"Once they're finished with the edit, it'll be broadcasted all over Omega to signal Aria's defeat."
'Assuming she loses,' I thought to myself but it didn't seem worth mentioning. I'm sure Melnar knew.
"Why isn't she armed?" I asked instead, pointing down at the illuminated figure, who was now arguing with one of the handlers about something. Why Vorlak was absent for their one on one fight most likely.
"That was the deal. All combatants to be unarmed, only allowed to use hand to hand combat, or biotics if they've got them."
That didn't make sense. An arrangement like that would seem to favour Aria, so why had the League agreed to it? Vorlak didn't have biotics, he relied on the serious firepower that his bulk allowed him to carry. While the biotics of an Asari as powerful as Aria dwarfed even my abilities.
And then there was no more time to talk because the fight was on. The Varren were released toward Aria for every direction and immediately tried to charge her down. Bounding along on their powerful reptilian legs, these weren't the sort that even the most foolhardy Krogan would think to take as a pet. The Salarians had gone to the trouble of finding a dozen large alphas, each easily reaching waist height and almost a full five foot in length. What the League had done to keep these pack leaders from ripping each other apart I couldn't imagine.
Aria responded much as you would expect, a couple of Shockwaves unleashed to drive the enemy into disarray. The waves of damage certainly managed that much, the Varren were knocked clear off their feet and scattered across the ring. But these were hardy beasts and while hurt, and more cautious now than before, it wasn't enough to stop them.
The fight dragged on, with Aria forced to close on the Varren in small groups to have a chance of finishing them off permanently. It was tricky facing so many opponents but to be honest this was just the warm-up. It was already obvious that Aria would win this round.
"What is he waiting for?"
"What do you mean?"
He jerked his head over to the right.
"See them up on that platform down there?"
It was very dark but that wasn't much of an issue for my enhanced eyesight. He was talking about a balcony obscured in the shadows, just slightly below us, protected on all sides by a powerful kinetic barrier. Standing on top of it was what looked to be Melnar's boss, a couple of other Salarians I didn't recognize, Vorlak (that bulky outline was unmistakable), and another figure I couldn't make out. Whoever it was, was squatting on the platform, hunched over so that their outline was too distorted to even recognize the species. I had no idea who that might be, though I could just make out what looked to be a chain leading back to Vorlak.
"The plan was to use a massive EMP to knock out Aria's amp."
"Like the one you used on me?"
He shook his head.
"Even stronger, it'll knock it out permanently giving Vorlak the chance he needs to finish the job. I'm hoping it'll also be enough to knock out that shield so we can get at the boss."
"And then what?" I asked as Aria finished off the last of the Varren with a cry of triumph. Though that celebration was clearly going to be short-lived. Even now I could see the Vorcha and Batarians (but not Nalar for some reason) and even one or two Krogan stepping onto the field. It seemed round two was about to begin.
"Even if we can take down your boss I'm sure the League will keep going without him. I think I'd be better off going for Vorlak first."
"No! I mean... Look let me ask you a simple question. How old do you think my boss is?"
"Is this really the time to be discussing his age?" I asked incredulously as I watched Aria break the neck of one of the Batarian goons sent to fight her.
"Just humor me for a moment. How old would you say?"
"It's hard to say exactly, forty-one maybe forty-two? I have to admit he looks older than any Salarian I've ever met. He can't be long for this world."
"And yet he looked exactly the same when he recruited me," Melnar revealed quietly.
"Almost twenty years ago."
"You must be mistaken. You were only a young cadet back then."
"I'm not wrong. I've known that man all of my adult life and I have never seen him look any different than he does today."
"That's impossible," I whispered. Twenty years might not sound like much for most species but Salarians simply do not live past forty. To remain perfectly preserved for so long, it sounded like a medical miracle.
"And it's not just me, none of us remember him ever having looked any different, no matter how long we've known him. It's how he keeps most of his followers loyal. I mean it never really interested me... well maybe a little but-"
"So he's offering what? Longer life to his followers?"
"Not just longer life. Immortality. The others believe he really is the last original member of the League of One."
"That's impossible," I said flatly.
Melnar shrugged.
"He's clearly doing something right. Or he's got some trick up his sleeve. Either way, the others are all hanging on hoping he'll give up the secret one day."
"And you want me to expose him," I guessed.
"I want to know what the old bastard's been hiding from all of us. Hopefully, it'll be enough to bring down the League."
"Sounds like half a plan at least."
"If Vorlak ever hits the switch," he grunted.
"Relax. If I know him he's enjoying toying with Aria for a bit. I'm sure he'll activate it once he's in the ring with her."
"Well it shouldn't be long now, look," he said, pointing downwards.
He was right. Down below us almost all of Aria's opponents had fallen or fled. Only the two Krogan remained and she was on the back of one of them, trying to pry off his head crest with her bare hands. Her victim bellowed in pain, running around like a madman as he tried to throw her off. The other Krogan was closing in on them fast, eager to save his distressed comrade.
Just as he got close Aria gave a sudden jerk in his direction, forcing her Krogan to turn towards the other. With a final jerk of his crest, she back-flipped off of him, landing neatly on the ground. Blinded by pain the Krogan charged forward, straight into his compatriot. The sound of the collision was audible even from our position, and both participants staggered back in a daze.
Aria stepped between them, moving deliberately now as she flared with biotic power. Taking a wide stance she flung her arms out at both her opponents, conjuring the Biotic Pushes that slammed them back against the dock walls. Neither Krogan tried to get back up again. It was over.
But not without cost, as became clear when the spotlights returned to the center of the ring to focus on Aria. Her skin shone brightly from the sweat now covering her body and you could see the way her chest heaved heavily as she struggled to get enough air. She was covered head to toe in more than a dozen small cuts and bruises of various sorts. Though whether they came from a Krogan's fist, a Vorcha's claws, or a Varren's teeth it was impossible to say.
"Now we're getting somewhere," Melnar muttered as a section of the platform descended so that Vorlak and his prisoner could reach the bottom level. As they entered the ring together the light fell on them both so that I could finally make out the details. Vorlak was the same as the last time I had seen him (minus the heavy weaponry this time of course) but it was the other figure that surprised me. It was Nalar.
He had a metal collar around his neck, attached to a chain that was secured around Vorlak's forearm. From what I could pick up from the lighting his face seemed bruised, swollen, and puffy as if it had been struck many times by something incredibly strong. It was hard to tell, but I doubted that it was the only injury he was carrying.
The three of them met in the center of the ring but didn't begin fighting. At least, not immediately.
"I can't hear a word they're saying," I complained.
"Is there any way we can-"
"I should be able to hack into the audio recording equipment if you want but we'd be risking-"
"Do it," I ordered automatically.
For a moment it seemed like he intended to argue but something made him decide against it. Instead, he started typing hurriedly into his omnitool and a few moments later we had sound.
"- is just a piece of my property Asari. I have the right to bring any equipment I wish to this fight."
"I see you're still as classy as ever Vorlak. Goddess only knows it was a mistake to allow you the notoriety I did but the least you could've done was show a modicum of gratitude."
"I owe you nothing except revenge, Aria. Don't flatter yourself by suggesting you had anything to do with my victories."
"Is that what you believe? I allowed your first rampage on Omega for as long as it suited my purposes and the second you started to become an annoyance, I swatted you aside like the insect you always were. I allowed you and your men to escape the station only because I could see how scared they all were of you. I played you, Vorlak, just as much as I played your parents. Making you into a monster, just to ensure that the rest of Omega looked to me for protection."
"Kill her Kroll. End this."
"I won-" Nalar began to say, but he didn't get any further than that because Aria had hit him full force in the chest with a biotic strike. He flew backwards with the force of the strike, only stopped once the chain he was tethered to reached the limit of its length. There was a strange gurgling sound as the collar pulled against his throat, bringing him to a halt. For several moments he lay there, limp and motionless and the other two fighters turned their attention back to each other as they prepared for the real battle.
But then Nalar stood back up. Coughing, wheezing, and spluttering as he did so but he managed to get back on his feet and step forward. Something about the way that he did so caught the attention of the other two again. Aria seemed to ready herself for a second attack but paused as he turned to face Vorlak.
"I won't fight. You're not my Master anymore, I don't have to listen to you."
"You are mine and you will do as I say," Vorlak replied. If he had been Human, Krogan, Turian, or any other species the words would have been roared loudly. But he was still an Elcor, so the words were flat, controlled, and somehow all the more sinister.
When he moved it was with sudden, aggressive purpose. And if the blow from Aria had hurt Nalar, then the one from Vorlak knocked him for six. Again he flew across the ring and again the chain halted his flight. This time Nalar was heaving on all fours, as if he were actually going to be physically sick. But once again, after taking the time he needed to recover, he forced himself back onto his feet.
Aria smiled.
"It seems like no one is listening to you anymore, not even your own property."
Vorlak must have used some kind of control I didn't see because a second later the collar started glowing and Nalar was driven back onto his knees, writhing in pain. As the Batarian struggled, Vorlak just stood over him and watched; everything was forgotten except for the desire to cause Nalar pain.
Or so I and everyone else in the ring assumed. But as Aria launched herself at the Elcor, preparing to use this distraction to bring the kind of biotic strike that would surely end this nightmare, he struck. First, he activated the overload, cruelly snatching her powers away from her so that her flight faltered and fell into the dirt at his feet. Then as she attempted to stand and recover her mistake, he treated her to a single backhanded blow, at full power.
The hit sent her tumbling across the floor of the ring. Somehow she managed to get back on her feet but she was still backpedaling from the momentum, trying to draw on biotics that weren't there to arrest her speed. Then she hit the back of her head on the dock wall. Hard.