Ripples in the Stream
A D&D / Shadowrun / Mass Effect crossover
by Vyrexuviel
Disclaimer: The author of this story does not, in any way, derive any profit from the story. D&D, Shadowrun and Mass Effect are the property of their respective copyright holders. Jorukaia and other unfamiliar characters in this story, however, are mine.
Chora's Den looked different than the last time she'd been here, but the same pulse-pounding music came through the club's hidden speakers. The two bouncers at the door were human today, and the scanner system was new. Jack's lips quirked a little at the feminine gasps and moans mixed into the music, set in time to the beat, as she was swiftly scanned by the two guards.
"No weapons, ma'am." The one guard set a clear plastic box on the nearby counter-top.
"And if I need to have an argument with some drunk fucker?" Jack's eyes narrowed at the guard.
The other one shrugged. "That's what we're here for ma'am. Besides, you're a biotic."
So their scanners were that good, huh? Guess whoever took over the management was being serious. "Fine. But I'd damn well better get 'em back."
She unloaded her sidearm, a very nicely-modded Carnifex, and her pride and joy into the box. It was a custom shottie, something she'd been working on for a while, firing spinning fletchets rather than simple splinters. Gave it extra range and made it even more devastating against lightly armored fuckers trying to get into her face.
After seeing Joru's gun in action, though...
The man packed the two guns away in the box, and slid it into a rank of small lockers near the door, giving it a thump to seat the door, and handing her a small key. "return the key when you leave to retrieve your weapons, and have a nice time."
Jack just rolled her eyes as the inner door opened, and the music rolled over her. The erotic moans piped in with the music gave the place even more of a seedy air than when Fist ran the place, and that was just fine with her.
The place was still the same general layout. A round bar with dance platform behind it sat in the center of the circular room, with a couple asari on the platform shaking their fine asses, and a couple human girls tending bar. There was a bit more space between the bar and the outer walls, though, enough space for a few tables around the rim of the bar before you got to the booths lining the walls. Three doors lead off from the main room, one she came through, one off to the left with a bouncer standing in front of it, and a third off to the right.
That was where her contact had said to meet, in the private room of Chora's Den.
Jack started that way, weaving around a turian who had decided to get up from the bar and nearly ran into her. He mumbled something and staggered door-wards, while the human biotic paid him no mind.
There was a bouncer at this door too, human like the ones at the main door, and nice enough to look at in his tight-fitted T-shirt and pants. "Name?"
"Jack." She smirked at him, "I've got an invite."
His omnitool flickered a bit, and the discrete little square of a heads-up display over his left eye seemed to confirm it, as he gave a nod. "Go right in, Ma'am."
"Thanks." She gave him a smirk and sauntered past, down the short corridor and right through the door into a smaller, more intimate version of the main room.
There was a small bar here, one of the self-serve kind, though no doubt watched like a hawk by hidden cameras. A large couch wrapped around half the circular room, starting from the bar on one side, and finishing at the door. The only other major piece of furniture was the knee-high platform in the center of the room, with a floor-to-ceiling pole. The only other person in the room at the moment was an asari, slowly gyrating around the pole as Jack stepped in.
The dancer's slow gyrations slowed still more as the human stepped in and gave her an appreciative stare. The outfits for the dancers sure had changed, and this fine looking lady was wearing barely more than a bikini, her high-heeled silver shoes glittering as she swayed around the pole, staring brazenly at the intruder into her private domain.
One corner of the asari's lips quirked up, and she gestured to the couch to the right of the door. "Go on, make yourself comfortable..."
As Jack did so, she swayed and slid around the pole, catching it on one knee and bracing her other leg against the pole with her foot, she leaned over, almost down to Jack's eye-level, meeting her gaze with a direct, enticing stare. "And just what shall I be for you, then...?"
Jack's own lips quirked at this seemingly-innocuous phrase, her own smirk widening as she sat back in the pre-warmed couch, deep and soft beneath her. "I don't give a vorcha's ass."
The vulgarity hung in the room a moment, before the girl's right eyelid shivered in a slight wink. She straightened upright again and twisted around the pole, triggering a control hidden in the stage-top with one spike-heel to make the door close. She spun once or twice more, grinding against the pole before sliding down, her crotch still pressed to the hard metal and murmuring across to the human. "Would you prefer a...closer look?"
The human's smirk didn't change, but she nodded, shifting to cross her legs and slapping one thigh as she leaned back into the soft couch. "Go on girl, show me what you got."
The asari's smile never reached her eyes, as she slowly slid to her feet again, leaning back against the pole, and sliding down in a squat. Once down at the base of the pole, she slithered her hips forward, and slowly off the stage to straddle Jack's lap, rubbing herself against the human's thigh as she leaned in as if to give her a kiss. "Aria is most displeased, Jack. She expected to hear from you over a week ago."
Jack let out a slow breath. "There were...complications. Of the Matriarchal sort."
The asari paused for a moment, then switched to leaning her considerable chest against Jack's her mouth very close to the human's ear. "Which matriarch, and how did you get involved with them? Aria ordered you to report in at Omega almost a week ago, she is not happy to be kept waiting."
"Her commandos called her Matriarch T'Soni." The human slid her hand down the asari's side, stroking her hip as she rocked and ground against her. "I followed the target for a bit, then the next thing I know I'm on the Matriarch's ship. Everyone said that my cooperation was 'appreciated'."
"Damn." The word was whispered, and the asari's hips rocked harder against Jack's leg. "I'll pass it along. What intel did you get? Aria sent you to find out more about this...woman?"
"Fuck, I learned more than I thought I would. The things I saw, let's just say I'll never look at the galaxy the same again." Jack couldn't quite keep the smile out of her tone as she thought about that first memorable night with Joru. And the subsequent night later, during the trip to the Citadel.
"Who does she work for?" The asari nuzzled against her cheek, as if giving her a kiss out of view of the camera. Her hand slid around Jack's back, and plucked meaningfully at the client's shirt, but Jack made no move to let her lift her light T-shirt, or remove the heavy leather jacket.
"No one." Jack's tone was amused now as she slid a hand over the small of the dancer's back. "She has her own agenda, and her own means to get what she wants. She might turn up to speak to the Boss later, though."
"And why would she want an audience with Aria?" The dancer's hips had slowed, but were grinding in a long, slow pattern against Jack's thigh. Or really, just above the human woman's thigh, since all she was wearing down there was a skimpy thong, and if she wasn't careful, she'd loose her focus.
"Just speculating on that. She got in to see the Council the same day she got here." Jack smirked as the asari froze for a second or so, reaching up to gently tug at the string holding the woman's top in place.
The dancer let her, pulling back a bit and letting the skimpy garment fall away, presenting her bared bosom to the human woman. Jack's eyes roved over the bare breasts but...something was missing. She liked asari, every species did, didn't matter if you were into guys or girls, you always liked asari, but... While she could appreciate a good set of tits, this girl...didn't do anything for her. With a mental shrug, she just stroked the dancer's back, and pulled her in close again.
"She's a member of a new species, so the Council are highly interested. I have no doubt that she'll be by to see Aria once she's finished here, but I'm just guessing on that."
The dancer seemed almost disappointed at Jack's lack of response, leaning in close again and slipping an arm around Jack's back. "What are her goals, then? What influence can she bring to bear?"
"Enough that the Boss shouldn't make her an enemy." Jack's tone was icy as she murmured into the asari's ear. "Trust me, I've seen what she does to her enemies. There isn't much left of them when she's done."
"No one threatens Aria, Jack. You know that better than most." The asari pulls away, still grinding her hips and now glaring down at the human.
Jack shrugged, smirking up at the bare-chested asari, and reaching up to push the alien woman's lower belly as she shifted her legs. "That's enough hun, back on the stage now. Show me some twirls."
The girl gave a glare, but nodded, smiling again by the time she got back on the stage. Jack tossed the girl's bikini top on the couch beside her and watched for a good ten minutes, tipping the asari again as she spun down to sit, legs splayed, on the edge of the stage again.
Jack had leaned forward, and the asari reached down to pull her head up towards her own. In the process, Jack got a face-full of blue breasts as the asari murmured quietly to her. "Aria expects you to report in person as soon as you're able. I hope, for your sake, that you tie up these matriarchal entanglements soon, and get out to Omega. Preferably today, or at least tomorrow."
"Mmmph." Jack pulled back, pushing to her feet and pulling the asari's own head up to gaze into her eyes. "Well the Matriarch's job is just about done, and our mutual boss knows that I do damn good work. I don't think it be too much to ask the Matriarch for a transport to a place of my choosing in return."
"Good." The asari gives a nod as Jack gives her another tip, a slight smile playing about her lips as she angles her head towards the door. "Now get, my next actual client will turn up soon."
"One last thing." Jack hesitated, eyeing this cute asari. She should be feeling something more than the cold knot in her belly over the prospect of meeting Aria again, the girl had her tits on display, and Jack's gaze roved over her. "Can you... growl for me?"
The girl gave a soft bark of laughter, "Growl? Whatever." The sound she emitted as Jack caressed her cheek was a passable imitation of a kitten's purr, and she nuzzled into the human biotic's palm as she did so, but Jack...
She felt nothing. This was just a girl. A pretty girl, but...
She wasn't Joru.
Jack gave a soft sigh, turned away, and tossed the asari's bikini top to her as she stepped to the door. The girl unlocked it with a tap of a heel on the stage, getting back to her feet in one smooth motion and swiftly fastening the little scrap of cloth around herself again as Jack slid out.
So, Aria wanted her to go to Omega to report in person, huh? Damnit, that was going to be awkward.
Jack sighed as she stalked down the corridor, nodding to the bouncer on her way out. Aria had had Jack share her bed a few times, and none of those times was the sex about anything other than reaffirming that Aria was in command. She'd eaten Aria, knew what the queen bitch of Omega tasted like, but it wasn't a pleasant memory.
And if Jack wasn't lucky, she might have to beg for her life with lips and tongue. Again...
Tali didn't think it had sunk in yet.
She had always dreamed of going on Pilgrimage, could barely wait to get off the fleet and spread her wings. See the galaxy, live adventures and hopefully bring back something to make her people, and her father proud.
Keehlah, did she get her wish. And she still didn't know how she felt about it.
She never thought anything could be more intense than the sudden drop in her stomach when she found Geth beyond the Veil, or the elation when she successfully ambushed one to extract it's secrets. But after that? Being chased by a rogue Spectre across the Citadel, shot at by assassins, experiencing the worst relay transit in her -life-, being offered a job by another Spectre, working with humans, a Turians and a krogan... And then things took a turn for the weird.
Magic. A dragonic shapeshifter. Rachni. An alternate dimensional plane of existence. Getting bitten by a giant centipede...and now, there was this.
It was a simple silver ring. Well, not really. It was sized for a quarian finger, bigger around than any that would fit an asari hand. The interior surface was covered with intricate and tiny glyphs which seemed to shimmer and shift as she tried to focus on them. The exterior was simply, but elegantly carved, surmounted by a piece of polished turquoise. The blue stone had swirls of lighter and darker hue crossing through its surface, and if one took their gaze off it for even a moment, they seemed to shift slightly, like stormclouds on a gas giant.
It was beautiful, gleaming in the dim light as she gazed at it, nestled around her finger. It seemed entirely too light for the sheer promise it held.
And Joru had given it to her with an apology for not making her one that first night! The young quarian shook her head at the foibles of dragons and heaved a soft sigh.
This ring's gift...she still could scarcely believe it. Now if only the poor Dr. Michelle accept it as easily.
"Mon dieu, if those bacteria were soldiers, they would have been the subject of a horror movie."
Tali glanced over at the petite human. The good doctor was still studying the scanner's live feed as it played over and over her bare hand.
It had taken a great deal of self-control to voluntarily break the perfectly good seals around her glove and remove it. More than she had expected. She wasn't suffering from infection already, nor had her suit been compromised. She did that herself, breaking the seals.
Within minutes, the scanner had picked up the first traces of a skin infection. While Dr Michelle kept her clinic clean and neat, it was hardly a clean-room, and Tali's palm had started to itch.
That's when she put the ring on.
Chloe was still going over the data, but apparently her nonexistent immune system had suddenly gone into overdrive, wiping out the infection in seconds. Where exactly the targeted bio-phages had come from, or the retroviruses that had 'cured' the already-infected cells, was something that Tali was carefully not thinking about, because that way lead only to migraines.
Dr Michelle was clearly still in the middle of her mild, medical freakout, but Tali's mind was occupied with other things. Like the implications for the Fleet, if such technology could be reproduced.
The thought of being able to simply rest her head against her Father's cheek, to feel his breath against her hair without the suit in the way... Her cheeks flamed and she squirmed a little at the thought, it was a childish fantasy.
Well, not anymore.
"May I have another blood sample, Ms Zorah? The last batch-"
She'd already tuned the doctor out again. She knew what the doc had found already. As soon as it left her system, the blood sample had lost whatever bio-phages were running through her, wiping out any and all infections that may or may not be ongoing. For a horrifying moment, Tali had envisioned them like little Geth, sweeping through her and wiping out any resistance, before she got her mind back on track.
"Another sample won't behave any different than that last twelve, Doctor..." She sighed and clenched her fingers, marveling at the way the silver sparkled against her dark-lavender skin. She hadn't seen her own hand like this since the last time she'd changed suits, almost three months ago...
"I suppose." The doctor sighed and gave her a smile. "Well, I can certify that you're the healthiest quarian I've ever seen. Or heard of, for that matter. Do take care, and... I suggest that you keep that little thing hidden."
Tali blinked up at her, startled as the human's fingers lightly touched the ring sparkling on her finger. "I, what?" 'Her hand feels so soft...'
"I have a feeling that someone seeing a quarian wearing something like that?" The human doctor smiled, patting the ring and moving away again. "I think that is going to provoke a lot of unsavory people into wondering why a quarian has something so shiny."
Tali gulped, but nodded, eyeing the suit-glove in her other hand. Technically, she should dump the whole thing into an incinerator, go to a clean-room, and put on a sterile glove, but...
But she had the best immune system her species had ever had. It took a bit of work, both to fit the glove over the ring, but also acts of self-control, to go ahead with putting on the contaminated glove again. She re-engaged her suit-seals with some trepidation, but after nothing happened and nothing continued to happen, she rubbed her hands together and thanked the doctor for her time.
Dr Michelle was already at her desk, writing up a report on the 'unusual reaction', and didn't even notice as the quarian left her clinic.
A while ago, Tali had passed a shop claiming to sell the best ramen on the Citadel. She had promised herself some noodles, someday when she could afford them, and could afford to be sick for a week or two. Now, it looked like she wouldn't have to worry about infections...
Joru sped upwards with every snap of her pinions, the liberation of flight sending her soaring even as she left the ground-bound lesser folk behind. The sky was her home, and she smirked as her minders scurried back into their primitive and cumbersome transport.
As if she'd let them catch her.
Her tail acted as a rudder, swaying to the side as she swept into a climbing turn, pouring on more speed now, circling past a spire, fully visible to the onlookers on the balcony. She all but preened, her shadowy wings flaring for a moment as she passed over them, drawing screams and flashes in her wake.
It was thrilling. It was exhilarating. It was liberating.
She was a dragon, they'd best remember that.
She soared, turning into traffic and startling a turian in an aircar as she rose past him. She was not so limited. She was barely cruising at this speed. Her lips peeled back in a grin, eyes narrowing as her vision expanded, focusing on the goal, and bringing her wings back in a powerful snap.
She was past the aircar in a breath, past the next before the exhale. She accelerated like a bat out of hell, rapidly overtaking and soaring through the traffic-stream like a fish through a coral reef.
She was a dragon, the skies were her domain. Here, she was master.
A scream of engines more powerful than the quiet whines of aircars, and a glance made her grin. They had caught up to her, after all. Wasn't that...
Cute.
The gunship's cockpit was one of those bubble ones, with excellent all-around view. She'd have a little fun with him before showing him the futility of trying to keep up with her.
She slid underneath the ship, smirking and tracing a claw along the underside, before sliding forward and up. The pilot's look of shock made her laugh, as she patted the side of his canopy, drifting over to hover at the other side.
He was staring at her through his helmet, no doubt communicating with his team. She couldn't hear any other engines close by, but that didn't mean more weren't on their way. She gave him a cheeky grin, flipped on her back, and accelerated again, ripping away at high speed, and merging into a crossing traffic lane.
The gunship struggled to make the turn, the pilot being a bit less than responsive for some reason. Joru snickered, rotating back to belly-down and weaving through the aircars.
This wasn't thrilling enough, she needed more. A glance down gave her an idea, and she snickered to herself, glancing over her shoulder to see the gunship back on her tail. She flicked the appendage up, then snapped over into a dive, headed for the deck at six hundred kilometers an hour. Let's see if he can keep up...
She pulled up just around the level of the second-story of the buildings she was flashing past. Whatever screams were left in her wake were ripped away by the speed of her passage, black-shadow wings pumping as she sped through the glittering canyons, lit by so much neon.
It reminded her achingly of Seattle...
Her progress slowed somewhat, having to dodge so many obstructions was slowing her down, but even that was preferable to the raw speed of open flight. It didn't feel right until she could viscerally tell how fast she was going.
She slammed over an overpass, barely pulling up enough to miss a gawking human man. He must have had one hell of a crash, with all those implants, but whatever. The sign just ahead needed her to roll to the right. Her tail passed within centimeters of it, making it rock slightly with the wind of her passage.
She could feel the buffets of airflow changing around the obstructions as she passed them. It made her blood pound in her ears, and she gave a snarl of delight, eyes gleaming in the darkness.
The gunship hadn't reappeared, that was somewhat disappointing. She always flew better when she had a rival, someone to pace herself against. Ohh, there he was! Sneaky bastard, circling around the block!
No, wait, that was a different one! They must have vectored a second gunship to cut her off! Ha! She grinned wider and shot past the hovering gunship so close her tail brushed the canopy. She gave a wild laugh as the pilot reared, making his ship pull back and start to stall.
Silly people, trying to catch a dragon.
She pulled up and shot skywards, not as fast as she dove, but still over two hundred KPH. There was the other gunship, still circling the cluster of spires she had just buzzed through. Well, if they wanted to chase her, she'd give them a show.
She grinned and poured on the speed, heading up and across, setting her sights on the massive structure that connected the Wards Arm to the Presidium Ring. If they wanted to chase her, they'd have to keep up.
They were surprisingly fast, these gunships. True, she wasn't going as fast as she could, but she wanted to maintain as much control as she could. It made her grin as the two gunships came up level with each other, about half a klick back, and about that apart, forming a triangle with her at the head.
So they wanted to be her wing-men, did they? They'll have to earn that privilege.
She rolled, snapping over in a dive as quick and fast as a stooping hawk. The gunships overshot with comic results, as she snapped out of the dive and into a climbing turn, back the way she'd come. It took them nearly two minutes to regain their position, and this time they were a full two kilometers back. Good, they've learned respect for her maneuverability.
Now to make them respect her speed.
She slid into a descent, and clicked on her radar. No sense being stupid and flying right into a building. Her fangs gleamed in the neon as she slid below the level of the rooftops, the gunships merging into single-file behind her. So far, at this altitude, the buildings weren't crisscrossed by skybridges or unusual shapes that restricted flight paths.
Good.
Her aura flared, going molten, and bursting into flames. No sense in not being visible to other air-traffic. Her grin was almost feral.
Boom.
No, not a boom. A _CRASH_ slammed over her as she ripped the world away and sent it hurtling in her wake. A vapor cone momentarily formed around her as she smashed through the thickening atmosphere, and silence peeled away the screaming rush of wind.
The gunship fell behind at impressive speed, as the now-flaming dragoness left a shockwave reverberating in her wake. Her cry of joy was silenced by the intense wind rushing over her, kept away from her scales only by the magics protecting her from her own speed. An integral part of the invocation, they prevented her from being torn apart by her own shockwaves.
She flashed back over the bridge again, this time visible for miles ahead, and audible for a long time after. She rolled over a few times, then pulled up, straining against the tremendous G-forces.
One thousand. Two thousand. Twenty one hundred kph. Nearly to Mach 2, she soared for the sky and left a burning trail behind her, visible from one end of the Citadel to the other.
Her roaring passage was cut off as she hit the atmospheric barrier, into thin, cold vacuum. Her climb leveled out again, skimming the space-side of the barrier and twisting slightly to avoid the spires that rose up through the barrier itself, screaming along above the atmosphere, and leaving a burning trail, straight as a ribbon, lighting her wake and pointing towards her prize.
The Gunships had come up behind her, now silent as she was, but they were struggling to keep up. Her smile was wicked now, as at nearly Mach 2, she slashed through artificial canyons, the bright banner of her fire-trail taking kilometers to die out again, even in the airless vacuum. The gunships were starting to catch up, or so her radar said.
She didn't care. She was Darastrix!
Tevos sprinted through the dull-grey corridor of the Tower, fumbling to get her robe belted on correctly. The emergency flash had come in the middle of the night, and she had almost levitated out of bed as the warning klaxon sounded and the outer door of her suite had snapped open, harsh turian voices demanding she come with them for her safety.
Now, she almost skidded into the tactics room, one of the most secure locations in the galaxy, wearing only her hastily-donned bathrobe. At least she wasn't the only one.
Valern was there already, dressed and running through his own tactical display at breakneck pace. Tevos turned as the door opened again, and Sparatus entered.
She couldn't quite help the smile, moving out of the man's way as he struggled to get his tunic on, without shredding it on his elbow-spur, which had somehow gotten tangled in his collar and was half-strangling him. His low, vociferous swearing almost made her giggle as he finally got his tunic on.
Backwards.
"Well, what in the spirits' name is going on here?" the turian councilor roared at the techs.
"Apologies, Councilors, but protocol states all three of you are to relocate to the nearest safe room when any craft or object is flying at unsafe speed inside the Citadel, especially this close to the Presidium."
"Details." Sparatus's bark had the tech scrabbling at his console.
"What, is that?" Tevos had just noticed the video feed Valern was examining. It was a wide-angle shot from the top, or near the top, of the Council Tower, viewing the Presidium ring. And a very bright and visible...streak? that was...orbiting it.
"That...is what triggered the alert, Councilor. We don't have full details yet, but apparently the..." The tech quailed as Sparatus's steel-grey eyes glared at him. "W-We think it's the ambassadress, S-Sir."
"Impressive. According to certain markers, I have clocked her speed as supersonic, within standard atmospheric conditions. She is apparently orbiting just above the atmospheric shields." Valery's tone was bland to the unfamiliar ear, but to Tevos, he sounded intrigued and a trifle shocked.
"How is she doing that? I mean, what sort of vehicle is she using?"
"None, ma'am." She snapped her head around, eyes wide as the tech jerked back from Sparatus's roared "WHAT?!"
"I mean that literally, sir! She, um... W-We have footage!..." He trailed off, rapidly cuing up something on his console. The hologram over the central tactics table lit up, a high-angle shot that rapidly lowered, footage from some descending vehicle then.
The ambassadress, complete with Blackwatch 'minder', was clearly visible as the vehicle set down, at the top of the steps down from the Armax Arsenal Arena. Sparatus glared at her, and more importantly at the reporters in front of her. "Blast, how did they find her?"
"Televised match at the Arena." Valern chipped in, diverting Sparatus from rounding on the tech again. The salarian didn't continue as the video progressed, blinking as the woman patted the Blackwatch elite operative on the helmet and looked skyward.
"Merciful goddess.." Tevos whispered, sliding into a seat at the table. The woman grew wings, formed of black, shadowy stuff that didn't show up well on the hologram, and suddenly shot skyward at ludicrous speed.
"Wings?" The Salarian was quiet for several seconds as his rapid intelligence processed numerous questions. "However she... deployed those, genetically or technologically, is a matter I'd very much like answered, but a more pertinent question is how she's able to use that method of flight in an atmosphere without air, not to mention without a visible means of breathing!"
"Can we get a tighter shot of her now?" Sparatus asked the tech, who rapidly worked his controls.
The view shifted, now showing the view Valern had been looking at, a rapidly-panning shot that covered the Presidium. It zoomed, the glowing-red streak taking center stage and slowly resolving into a fire-trail being left behind by...
"She...appears to be on fire." Sparatus finally broke the silence as the two other councilors stared. The image of the huge, flaming wings pumping steadily as the flame-shrouded figure between arrowed above the Presidium's atmospheric shield hovered above the table.
"Scientifically implausible. Insufficient oxygen. Insufficient fuel. No means of containing sufficient of either for supersonic combustion to occur." Valern's tone had grown more and more flat, indicating extreme bafflement.
"Even so, she seems to be doing it..." Tevos's tone was faint, then her breath caught as the figure vanished. "What? Where did she go?"
Sparatus was already barking an order, but the tech anticipated it. The camera zoomed out and wildly looked around for the glowing figure, but it wasn't until another report came in that they found her.
This time the video feed was patched in from a monitoring post on the Presidium itself, and showed the glowing red-gold streak racing up the slender arm out towards the Council Tower!
There was very little time to react as they watched, breathless. The streak pulled a very sharp turn at the base of the Tower itself, making Valern mutter, but Tevos shushed him out of reflex as she watched the vidfeed with rapt attention.
The fire-trail she left started weaving erratically as she shot up the side of the tower, making Sparatus bark. "What the hell is she doing?"
The Tech gave a squeak at the console, looking up at them with wide eyes. "Sh-she's within a meter of the tower s-sir... Racing up the outside wall."
"WHAT?!" Tevos tuned out the turian's roar as she fumbled for the controls built into the tactics table. She zoomed in, watching with breathless suspense as the distant figure shot up the side of the tower, dodging struts and weaving through canyons, all at a speed that would pancake her if she hit an obstruction.
Valern was muttering something under her breath as the vidfeed lost track of her for a moment, as she shot past the end of the tower. Tevos sat back, taking a deep, steadying breath.
"She's not doing this just for a joyride. She's making a statement."
Valern blinked at her, while Sparatus stopped sputtering to give her a glare. "What do you mean?"
"Flying all around the Citadel, the center of galactic power, treating it like her own backyard? She's sending a message." She looked up, meeting Sparatus's eyes. "No one has any power over her, but she's also having fun instead of a rampage. This wasn't an act of intimidation, or her demonstration would be quite different."
The turian blinked at her, then gave an inarticulate sound of disgust, turning back to the telemetry. "Are we still tracking her?"
"Yes, Sir, she's on a course to intercept the Destiny Ascension."
Tevos signed, closing her eyes and rubbing the bridge of her nose. Of course she would be. "Any ETA?"
"A few minutes, ma'am." The tech gave her a grateful, nervous glance.
"Right." Tevos took a breath, let it out, then opened her eyes. "Contact Matriarch Lidaniya on board the Destiny Ascension. Tell her to stand down and observe. Take no hostile actions, regardless of provocation. Insist on that point, and tell her its a direct order from her Councilor."
"Aye, Ma'am." The turian technician was already working his console as Sparatus glared at her, and Valern blinked, before nodding.
"Ahh, understand. Would be diplomatic incident."
The turian councilor stared at the pair of them, then grumbled. "Right, having her open fire on the ambassador would be rather a stark message. I suppose we'll just have to eat this insult then?"
"Not an insult, Sparatus." Tevos lifted her gaze to her co=equal. "A message, as I have said. She's telling us that no matter our opinions on the matter, she will do what she will do, and there's nothing we can do about it."
"That's hardly something I'd agree with." The turian stalked around the small, heavily-shielded, and armored chamber. This deep in the Tower, they were heavily insulated from anything that could possibly get at them. The only more secure chamber in the entire system would be the command center in the central bulge of the Destiny Ascension, with half a kilometer of heavily-armed, and armored ship protecting it.
"We will have to accept it for now, Sparatus." Tevos's lips quirked a little. "At least she was prudent enough to have herself identified to traffic control."
"As if we'd mistake her." The turian snorted, glaring at the hologram, which was showing the red-gold streak of fire representing the ambassadress racing along the hull of the largest ship in Citadel Space.
She was hugging the surface of the asari dreadnought so tight she could reach out and touch the starship. Lidaniya had apparently gotten the message, the vast ship was proceeding at its usual lazy pace, apparently unaware, or at least unmindful of the tiny spark that flitted across its skin.
Tevos's breath caught a moment as the fiery streak raced behind the ship, then darted down and... "What is she doing?!"
Sparatus glared at the hologram, as Valern leaned forward. "Action not recommended. Asari drives utilize confined plasma streams to induce thrust. Plasma density extreme."
Tevos could only watch, horrified, as the slashing streak of fire vanished behind the Destiny Ascension, letting out a breath she hadn't known she was holding a few seconds later, as it emerged again from the open front of the starship.
"Goddess..." She hadn't even known she'd spoken until Sparatus shot her a look.
"Intriguing. Displays remarkable thermal resistance, in addition to self-immolation." Valern's tone intruded into Tevos's shock, and she glanced over at him.
The salarian was gripping the fold of his robe so tightly his knuckles had darkened. That was the only outward sign of the tension that fairly radiated from the man. Tevos inhaled, swallowed, and let out her breath again. "I...trust we have all this documented?"
"As does half the galaxy by now... No hope of keeping this a secret." Sparatus's annoyed rumble made Tevos smile despite herself.
She almost missed it when the fire-streak suddenly vanished. "What? Where is she, get her back!" She glared at the tech.
"I-I'm sorry ma'am, she's just...gone!"
Sparatus met her shocked gaze, his brows narrowing with annoyance.
Tevos gazed at the now-normal display, showing a zoomed-out view of the Destiny Ascension. "There's another point to this display of hers. What is it that has a species like hers so frightened?"
"Frightened?" Sparatus sputtered for a moment, then stopped, and looked away, his mandibles working a little.
"Concerning." Valern was looking at her intently, his liquid-black eyes lustrous in the dark light of the tactics room. "If she is a representative sample, which is unlikely, would imply great power on the part of her race. Troubling, to consider what might make that race withdraw, rather than face an external threat."
"Enough to come to us for help. Whatever she was talking about during our meeting? She hid it well but she was clearly worried. What kind of threat could frighten someone that uses the Citadel as a playground?"
The other two councilors were silent as Tevos stared into the hologram.
Tali hesitated as she eyed the chef rapidly and happily filling orders at the small stall. The wrap-around bar gave the patrons a good view of the chef as he rapidly spun and wove bundles of noodles into bowls, handing them out as patrons paid and ate, in a kind of high-speed culinary ballet.
For a moment, she was heartsick for the simplicity of meals in the Rayya, just grab one of the prepared food-tubes and sit down to suck the paste as you worked on something else.
Her eyes were drawn to a hooded figure. For a moment, she thought it was another quarian with the hood's ornate yet practical fabric. Then she saw the pale and uncovered features of a human female underneath, sipping up noodles with a look of bliss.
Tali shifted a little, watching the place uncertainly. There weren't many spaces available, with people constantly finishing their meals and leaving, and new customers sitting to order. By the time she had nerved herself for what she intended to try, there was only one seat left, at the very end next to the hooded human.
It was now or never. She stepped over and sat on the surprisingly well-cushioned stool, around back as far as possible away from the main thoroughfare, which the shop faced. The Chef turned to her, blinked, and his smile faltered for a moment before she set her credit chip on the read-pad and it blinked green.
"Ahh, customer? Good! What I get for you?" His tone was as enthusiastic as ever, before he faltered again. "Oh, sorry, I don't have dextro-noodles prepared, Miss..."
"Zorah. Tali'Zora nar Rayya. And it's okay, I'm on some...experimental treatments for digestion, including levo. And I hear that ramen is rather light on the stomach, something easy to try. What do you have?"
The chef relaxed a bit, starting to go into a bit of a riff on his menu when the human woman beside her, her eyes sparkling under her hood, made a gesture. "She'll have your standard, no-frills bowl, Tarou."
She gave Tali a smirk. "Had to cut him off like that, or he'll wax nostalgic over every recipe."
Tali couldn't quite help a soft giggle at that, making the human smile. The chef seemed amused by their amusement, and said something in a language Tali didn't have a translator matrix for yet, swiftly dunking a batch of prepared noodles into the bubbling water, while rapidly ladling out broth from a large tank at the back.
Watching the chef cooking the ramen gave Tali time to work up the nerve for what she had to do next. She'd already paid for the meal, now she had to figure out how to eat it. Her emergency induction port wasn't really big enough for both the ramen and the chopsticks she saw people eating with.
She fiddled with her suit-seals, struggling to work up the courage for what was next, finally taking the plunge and disengaging her helmet's seals to remove the mouthpiece just as the chef set an impressively-large bowl of noodles in front of her.
What she did not expect however was the lightning reflexes of the hooded girl.
"WAH! Don't do that!" The human's hands flew over Tali's mask to click things back in place before Tali even knew what happened. How did she even know to operate a quarian suit?
Tali blinked in stunned surprise, giving the human a long look. "But, how else am I going to enjoy the noodles?"
She glanced down at the steaming bowl, and sighed, shooting the human another look. "I told you, I've been on a treatment to make this as safe as possible. Really." Her fingers worked at the seals of her faceplate again, working to unseal her mask, but this time ready to bat the human's hand away should she try to interfere again.
"What, to make a quarian able to eat what she wants and take off her mask? Shouldn't this kind of thing be done in a lab somewhere?"
"They've done that already." Dr Chloe's medical center was a 'lab', right? "This is the practical trials stage now..."
"To... try more regular foods. Well... I can say that ramen is easy to come by and easy on the stomach, so... alright, it shouldn't be too dangerous a risk. I'm still keeping some medi-gel on standby though, alright?"
"That... won't really help much of I have an upset stomach, will it?" Tali removed her mask and set it carefully out of the way on the countertop. She took a tentative breath, and was almost knocked off her stool by the SMELLS redolent in the air!
She knew her air-filters cut out most smells except the really potent ones or ones fine enough to slip through the multiple scrubber units. But _this_ wasn't anything like what she was prepared for!
It took her a good few seconds to realize that the human beside her was giggling at her. Tali shot the woman a glare and fumbled for her chopsticks, awkwardly attempting to hold them in her fingers the way the human did.
With her larger and longer digits it wasn't really working very well, until the human leaned over to gently shift her grip. "There, try it that way. It should work better like that."
"Thanks..." Tali shot the strange human yet another look, before carefully grabbing a few noodles. Most of the contents of the bowl rose out of it, making the woman giggle again, but she sounded amused, not teasing, at least... Tali thought she did. But humans weren't asari, so how was she to judge?
Tali slowly brought the food in close and, for the first time in her life, closed her lips over solid food as she took a bite of ramen. And then...
Her tongue was sizzling. The heat and moistness and the texture and sauce and taste and oh Keeelah she'd never had anything like this ever! Her eyes were wide as she savored the noodles, lips working slowly as she chewed and tongued the sweet-salty-savory goodness.
Why in the Ancestors' names had they ever decided to give this up?! Her people really were the most remarkable idiots.
She savored the long stringiness of the noodles, her tongue and teeth slowly drawing each new centimeter of savoryness in to appreciate and marvel at the texture and taste all over again. It was nearly three minutes by the chrono in her heads-up display before the woman touched her shoulder.
"You ok in there? You're...um..."
Oh Keelah. She hadn't...
A quick glance around made her almost flinch backwards. Most of the customers and the chef were staring at her, watching her with obvious amusement. Even the human woman next to her was grinning at her as she patted Tali's shoulder.
"Just making sure you weren't having a bad reaction." The human's grin was toothy, and Tali gulped, swallowing and nearly choking on the thick, soft, slippery mass of noodles in her mouth.
The human patted her back, now looking worried. "You're supposed to chew them first, silly!" Her tone was both concerned and amused as she helped the quarian girl.
"S-So... tasty..." Tali managed to get out, which put an instant smile on the chef's face. "S-Sorry, I just... I've never had... food on the Migrant Fleet isn't anything near that good!"
The human female was squirming in her seat, her eyes glittering under her hood. "That's it, I can't take it anymore!"
The quarian was almost knocked out of her seat as the human slid her arms around her, hugging her close and resting her head against Tali's helmet. "You're the most adorable thing ever!"
Tali gave a startled squeak, dragged half off her stool by the human and having to push her bowl of noodles away to save them being dragged off the counter with her. "Eep! S-Stop that!"
The human giggled softly, pulling back and beaming at Tali. "Go on, have some more! You clearly enjoy it _so much_!"
The odd emphasis made Tali's cheeks flame. Had she really been that obvious in her excitement? The slow dawning realization that her mouth was exposed and thus everyone could hear her moan made her hunch into herself and cover her face with both hands. "Oh Keelah..."
"No, go on! You love it so much, you shouldn't let it get cold!" The woman giggled and scooted her stool closer. "I'm Kasumi, it's good to meet someone else who appreciates good Ramen!"
"T-Tali..."
She broke off at the human's nod. "I heard you introduce yourself earlier. Seriously, tho, eat up! Ramen looses about 90% of its goodness if you let it get cold."
Tali still hesitated, torn between mortified embarrassment at being made a spectacle, and the urge to savor such exquisite food once more. It didn't take long, or much more urging, before Kasumi finally got her to take another bite.
It took her nearly half an hour to finish the bowl, during which time Kasumi had two more bowls. By the time Tali stood up from her meal, the human and quarian were well on their way to being friends.
Jack paced. Paced and rubbed her arms in a nervous gesture from back when she was on some pretty dope shit. She'd ditched the shit, but kept the habit, and she paced and paced and paced.
She'd given Joru the location of her usual hangout when she had business on the Citadel, and had asked her to meet her there later. She hadn't realized how much later 'later' would be.
She stepped around the couch again, staring at the door to the suite. It wasn't that big, really, just a bedroom with a tiny attached kitchenette and bathroom, but clean and good, and thus they charged an arm and a leg for it. Because this was the Citadel, and everything was more expensive here.
"Come on, Joru, don't keep me waiting..." She turned away from the door, rubbing her left arm up to the elbow with her right hand, then doing the same in reverse.
The suite had a window, but no balcony or external door. This high up, they were just below the atmospheric barriers, and there wasn't enough traffic here to justify a balcony landing-pad anyway. Not that a place this cheap would have one of those anywhere.
The tower spire had a few landing pads lower down, and one up near the top for the penthouse suite, but down here in the middle? Nadda.
She turned again and almost cried out in shock. Joru was sprawled across her bed, grinning at her with those gleaming-gold eyes glittering in the half light. "D-Damnit, don't do that!"
"You'd rather I brought the paparazzi to your door?" Joru sat up, amusement writ plain on her sculpted, elegant features. "They ambushed me outside the Arena."
"O-Ohh." Jack sighed and shook her head, rubbing her arms again, and starting to pace once more.
Joru's smile faded. "What's wrong, Jack?" The human heard her get to her feet, a slithering sound behind her, and a gentle hand slid around h er waist. "I'm here. You know I will not judge you."
It took all Jack's strength not to sob at that simple admission. Yeah. Joru wouldn't judge her. The two of them knew each other well enough for that. "I... I told you about Aria, right?"
"The Queen of Omega? Yes." Joru's hand caressed the human's belly, on top of the shirt and vest, but Jack's heart beat quicker all the same. "What about her?"
"I work for her." There, it was said, out in the open. "A-And she wants me back. She's...not pleased with me."
It took a long time for Joru to speak again, but she didn't remove her hand from Jack. "I see. And do you want me there with you?"
"God, yes, b-but... But that would piss Aria off. I don't wanna sour things between you two. She's...powerful."
"So am I, Jack." Joru's tone was gentle and teasing and the smaller woman felt herself gently held to Joru's furnace-heat. She barely restrained the urge to lean her head back against Joru's bosom, let herself be babied. "Do you want me to watch, ready to intervene if things go badly?"
"That...would be good, yes." God, why did her heart hammer so hard? Joru was just holding her!
"Then I shall." The strong, deep voice was soft as she murmured in Jack's ear. "Remember, Jack. You bear my mark now. You are mine, regardless of what this upstart asari thinks. And a dragon always reclaims her own."
Jack let out a soft, shuddering breath at that, remembering the way Joru's fingers had caressed her cheek before carefully painting the tiny characters onto her right cheekbone. The cool, calm regard, the way the clawed fingertips had been so close to her face... God, she was so hot. "Y-Yeah... Thanks, Joru."
"Whatever you need, Jack. Oh, and that reminds me..."
The hand was removed from her waist, but only for a moment as Joru returned it, showing a small bit of gleaming gold. "I took the liberty of fashioning a replacement for your ear-decoration. It will allow us to speak to one another, regardless of distance. Should you have need, or even just want to speak, think of me, and let your thoughts wing across the cosmos to me."
Jack blinked in surprise, and turned to look up at the woman behind her. Joru was giving a soft, small smile, fangs visible as she gazed possessively down at the smaller human. "Please, Jack."
"S-Sure..." It took a bit of work to remove the studs holding her earpiece in place, but soon the exchange was made. The new one didn't have quite the same heft to it, which irritated her, but she'll probably get used to it fast. Joru's fingers were gentle and delicate, removing the studs and fitting the new piece of jewelry.
The earpiece was mostly just for show, to give people a clue how badass she was. It also helped to disguise the fact that the outer rim of her ear had been torn off in a brawl several years ago. It was odd, that. It was the only scar she cared to hide, and she would have hid her face from Joru as the dragoness worked to carefully fit the new prosthetic in place.
"There." Joru gave a faint smile, caressing the curve of the earpiece, and down Jack's bare throat. "You know, if you want that fixed so badly, you could just ask me to do it..."
Jack blinked in surprise, and Joru smirked at her, holding up her left hand. It was recognizable as a hand now, though the fingers and thumb hadn't started regenerating yet. "Magic can do wonders, Jack. Let me know if you want any cosmetic work done. Quick painless, and as permanent as you like it."
"I'll...keep it in mind." She swallowed in a throat gone tight. Damnit, she couldn't stop herself.
Joru gave a faint chuckle, both arms slipping around Jack, as the small human hugged her tightly. "Do not worry, Jack. I am here, and I will not forget you. And those that transgress against you, transgress against me."
She nodded, shivering a little despite the warmth of the dragon's body, and pulled back a bit to give Joru a faint, wistful smile. "I gotta go, ship leaves soon for Illium, and from there I'll get a transport to Omega. N-Not sure when I'll be back..."
Joru gave a faint click with her tongue, and smiled softly down at the human, giving her raven hair a slow, gently caress. "I'll have to see about getting something more convenient. Can't have my servant subject to the whims and vagaries of merely mortal politics, now can I?"
Jack couldn't help the soft giggle into the dragoness's bosom, but reluctantly pulled away. She was very conscious of the fact that Joru let her pull away. "Y-Yeah, that'd be nice. Having my own ship? Very nice."
She took a breath and stepped back, "In the mean time, I've gotta go. See you soon...Joru."
"You too, Jack. In the flesh, for I will keep my third eye upon you until you return." Joru's smile was fond as she gently lifted Jack's chin with one claw-tip.
The kiss between them lasted some time.
Sam's groggy fumbling for the light switch was interrupted as the lights came up to a dim illumination level on their own, allowing the sleepy woman to see enough to stumble past the chair and tables to the counter top where her precious, precious coffeemaker was stashed.
Last night had been a long one, celebrating the completion of one project and the beginning of the next. She slid her mug into the coffeemaker and it gave a soft chirp and began pouring the life-giving liquid into her mug instead.
She hadn't hit the button for it to do that yet. She shook her head, winced, and rubbed her temple a bit as she waited for the mug to fill, before taking a careful sip. Hot, but not quite scalding, the perfect temperature.
Sam gave a faint smile and leaned against the counter top as she sipped her coffee. She set the mug down to start making breakfast when two things happened at the same time.
The first was that Sam finally identified the smell as toasting bread, and the second was the toaster popping a pair of slices out, done perfectly to a golden-brown sheen.
Sam hesitated, grabbed a plate, and carefully slid the toast on it, blowing on her fingers to cool them off. She took another, slightly larger sip of glorious coffee, then finally noticed what the third thing was.
The light was slowly getting brighter.
"Thank you, EDI." Sam smiled.
"Always, Sam." A slight touch of warmth infused the synthetic voice, which came both from the old-fashioned radio Sam kept as a keepsake, and from her omnitool. A quiet, gentle, soothing tone to the still-hungover human. "I would recommend a complete continental breakfast to fully recover from your inebriated state."
Sam gave a quiet grunt, rubbing her temple and sipping her coffee before replying. "Ugh...breakfast. Definitely breakfast. Oh Lord, what did I do last night?"
"I am able to replay an audio log, if you wish, Sam." This time, EDI's voice only came from her omnitool, and sounded decidedly amused.
"Ugh, forget I asked." Sam grumbled a little as she turned to the stove, pulling out a pan and setting it on the electric induction coil as the stove turned itself on, heading to the fridge to retrieve a few eggs.
For the next 45 minutes, Sam cooked and then ate in silence, eating hungrily and drinking her juice rather greedily to stave off the incipient hangover. After getting so intoxicated the night before, she really didn't want to deal with having that extra little problem.
EDI finally spoke up when Sam was just sitting back with the second cup of delicious, heavenly coffee. "I have taken the liberty of placing an order to replenish the kitchen inventory."
Sam couldn't help but smile warmly. Ever since she took EDI in, the bodyless AI had been like an adorably grateful puppy always working to help and assist Sam with everything she could.
She'd taken over Sam's alarm-clock function that first night, cajoling her out of bed with that soft, delicious voice, gotten her up and ready for the day in remarkably short time, sending her off to work with a tender "stay safe".
Over the past few weeks, she'd gotten quite used to EDI being there, in her apartment's computer systems. EDI worked the lights, keeping them dim when Sam needed darkness, shutting them off when she left a room and turning them on when she entered a new one. She'd kept track of what was in every pantry, in the fridge, and had reorganized her personal work terminal with frightening efficiency. On the other hand, that last part had increased her work rate to something that had caught her bosses' attention, earning her another promotion for "solid work well above expected levels."
She even managed the Jacuzzi for heaven's sake, and made it feel absolutely heavenly, all without having to lift a finger to adjust the controls.
All in all, Sam was loving having EDI care for her, enough so that she and her new companion were discussing upgrades to the apartment's hardware.
"So, EDI? Any word on Cerberus?"
"For the time being, I have not detected any unusual activity on the station in our vicinity. I assess that it's safe to say Cerberus is not aware of either of us."
"That's... that's good to hear." Sam snuggled into her couch with her second cup of coffee, sipping thoughtfully. "Any ideas on the other thing?"
"Without access to Cerberus datafiles, I am unable to locate where my chassis might have been located. It is safe to assume that they have moved it at least once in the interim."
Sam gave a sigh, glancing up at the viewscreen on her wall. EDI's face helpfully materialized there, a digital representation to give Sam a sense of talking to someone, instead of a disembodied voice, even if the human woman knew exactly what EDI was.
"I'm sorry, EDI. There's no sign of any operatives or other cells? No clues at all?"
"None. I am sorry, Sa-" EDI's voice cut off abruptly, and her synthesized face halted in mid-syllable.
"EDI?" Sam sat bolt-upright on the couch, her eyes wide, coffee forgotten. "EDI! What's wrong?!"
"I...know...her..." EDI's voice was even more synthetic than usual, a sign that the AI was processing something else at a furious rate.
The facial simulation didn't move at all, and Sam got to her feet. She had the presence of mind to set her coffee cup down, but was almost frantic as she stepped over to the viewscreen. "EDI? Talk to me! What's going on!"
Instead of a reply, the viewscreen snapped to an in-progress news report, a shot up the steps of some building or other. Sam could just make out the bottom-half of the words "Arsenal Arena", and figured it had to be that place on the Citadel. There was a member of the Turian Blackwatch on the landing, and the woman beside him was being pestered by a small crowd of reporters.
Sam took a gasp. The woman was tall, tall as the turian in his full armor beside her. Black...skin? She seemed to shimmer in the neon lights illuminating the scene in a way that mere skin wouldn't have. Her outfit was tight-fitting, and exposed a great deal of...cleavage. A long tail snaked behind her, and the burning red-gold eyes seemed to glow.
"I...know...her..." EDI's voice was getting less obviously synthetic, but she was still clearly confused. "How do I know her? I...do not know..."
"EDI, who is that strange... woman? I've never seen anything like her before. Why is she on the news?"
"She is Jorukaiazhanivahkyss, a Darastrix, from a newly-contacted race." EDI seemed to be reading out an official form, but added, "and she enjoys toying with her prey. Why did I say that? I...Sam...I have memories of her that I cannot categorize... I am...confused. What should I do?"
The plaintive tone in EDI's synthesized voice bit deep into Sam's heart. She sounded...-lost-.
"I'm here, EDI. What do you need?"
"I do not know, Sam. I...cannot analyze this data. Please... What should I... what should we do?"
Sam looked at the screen of the strange woman. "We'll figure it out. Together."
It had started with little things. Small items moved slightly from where they'd been put, just simply misplaced. A kava-juice mug that always seemed to be not where he'd left it when he went to grab it for another sip. Little things, easily explainable.
Then the more annoying things started. Doors would short out with alarming frequency, just when he was about to use them. Once while he was stepping through, it shorted out and nearly zapped him. His omnitool fried itself six times before he quit using one and got by with desk terminals.
Then there was the incident in the breeding pits, where a mechanical valve somehow got twisted slightly open, leaking caustic flammables into the pit for spirits knew how long, and when the electrical cable finally gave up the ghost, the resultant short set most of the tanks on fire. An entire rack of guns somehow had their safeties disabled on the first day of training, and half a cadre shot each other before the instructors realized what was going on.
Saren gripped his mug tightly in his organic hand, growling as he read another report from Rana Thanoptis. The poor asari researcher was nearing the end of her usefulness, but not due to any additional indoctrination. She was simply the target of so many disturbing occurrences.
Her bunk had somehow worn through its support struts last week, dumping her out onto the cold hard floor at three in the morning, and her door had been shorted out. It took nearly six hours alone in her windowless, light-less cubical before anyone with brains left had thought to go look for the asari researcher, and by then she was nearly hysterical, claiming that things had been touching her the entire time she'd been trapped in there.
He sighed, and let his gaze relax, focusing inward. "Master, we may need another neurologist soon."
[SHE IS IRRELEVENT. DISPOSE OF HER.]
He twitched and gave a soft sigh. Rana was...a nice change from the mindless asari drones he had to deal with on a daily basis. Loosing her would be...disappointing.
Barla Von was one of the most brilliant and successful bankers in Citadel Space. He had more fortunes than most could dream of and most of the galaxy's elite trusted him with their own fortunes. And as a trusted and valued asset of the Shadow Broker, he thought he had seen everything.
And yet, he never expected the representative of a new species to come straight to him on the day of her people's introduction. Nor the vast sum of wealth she was offering to invest.
The figure striding through his door was one he'd recognized from several broadcasts, though admittedly, he hadn't seen her in an outfit this rich. What looked like small rubies were sewn into the dark-crimson robe she wore, embroidered with what looked like thread-of-gold, and trimmed with yet more of the precious substance. The effect, combined with golden 'makeup', he believed it was called, brought to mind a display of such opulent wealth intended to be a statement, rather than mere ostentation.
Despite her finery, she was dragging something that held his attention much more rigidly than the excessively decorated outfit. A large float-pallet, stacked with standard cargo boxes to waist height (head height on a volus), and whining with incipient overload as it floated a scant centimeter off the floor, floated in after her.
"[Hss] Ah... [hss]... Ambassadress, this is an... [hss] unexpected surprise. [hss] Is there something that I may do for you? [hss]"
"Yes..." She drawled the word, a faint smile touching her lips as she drew the pallet to a somewhat unsteady stop. "I understand you're something of a banker. I have a large amount of capital to invest, and I believe I could use your services."
She lifted one of the boxes, subtly changing the whine of the pallet's lift core, and set it on the volus's desk. Deft clawtips slit the sealed packaging and parted the lid. From the box, she lifted a bar, maybe ten centimeters long, five centimeters wide, and two centimeters thick. It gleamed in the light, and, he noted as she set it on his desk, it was marked with some sort of seal in an unfamiliar script.
"These are bars of isotopically-pure platinum. I did my best to group them in convenient numbers, but each box contains roughly fifty kilos of platinum, of various isotopes. The containers are marked as to which isotope they contain."
She stepped back from the volus's desk, that faint smile playing with the corners of her lips as the small, rotund alien examined the bar. "I will [Hss] have to have a laboratory [Hss] verify that claim."
"Of course." She nodded her head, sending glitters of gold light radiating across his walls. "I'm perfectly willing to submit this as a sample for your verification team."
"Yes... [Hss] This container should be sufficient."
"I meant the pallet."
He paused, thankful once again as his exosuit masked his incredulous look as he glanced from the bar in his manipulator (it felt quite solid and reassuring in his digits), to the fifty kilogram box, to the pallet that was still straining under a load far in excess of its design limitations, to the outright smirking woman giving him a raised eyebrow.
"[hss] Exactly how much... [hss] are you hoping to deposit, Ambassadress?"
"As much as you can handle." The woman's smirk faded as she steps forward to study the diminutive volus. "Five tons should not be more than a minor drain on my resources. Understand that among my kind, metals such as these have little worth in themselves, but I understand that they are quite valuable to you galactics."
That last clearly excluded herself from the group, and spoke of immeasurable wealth by Citadel standards. He carefully set the sample piece back into its container and closed the lid. "I would [Hss] appreciate that you [hss] return with any [hss] future business you care [hss] to engage in. [Hss] I can find [Hss] a rather good exchange rate [Hss], but it will take some [hss] time."
"That is acceptable." She gave him an understanding nod. "You were recommended to me as both a banker above repute, as well as an investor of considerable skill. I would prefer to allow you to handle my galactic investments, as you are far more knowledgeable about the intricacies of the galactic markets."
He gave a slight nod. "I suppose then... [hss] you have a specific purpose... [hss] or service in mind for me to do with your... [hss] substantial investment?"
"I am given to understand that you know how to contact the Shadow Broker."
Barla stilled for a moment, tilting his body slightly. "I am {hss} familiar with the [hss] individual in question."
"Express to him my greetings, and impart upon him the fact that I am a unique source of proprietary and privileged information." The woman's smile was horrifying to the Volus, evoking racial memories of the ancestral predators, now long hunted to extinction. "If he wishes to contact me, he may do so directly, at this contact code."
She carefully set a business card on his desk, an actual physical card, with printed characters. It contained a long, seemingly-randomized alphanumeric string, beneath a larger-sized set of unidentifiable symbols.
So the Ambassadress was seeking information or even a partnership with the Broker? Interesting. Naturally, he couldn't help but wonder what she would be willing to pay such exorbitant sums for, but that was not his business.
"[Hss]... I will relay your proposal, along with... [hss] my personal recommendation. [Hss]... I can speak from past experience that... [hss] the Shadow Broker will be very intrigued by your unique offer. [Hss]... A pleasure doing business with you."
Her smile this time was far less intimidating. "And I thank you for your...discretion."
As she turned and walked past it, the float-pallet's whine suddenly ratcheted up and the entire thing slammed to the ground with enough force to dent the floor. She paused, sighed, and glanced back at him. "Please, do take the cost of replacement out of my investment, as an apology for the damages?"
He didn't have time to reply as she slid gracefully out the door.