"Talk" - Talk
'Though' - Though
"Embrace eternity" was the last words that Six heard before his world was consumed by darkness. As he looked around stumbling in the darkness he started to hear voices "Truth is, the game was rigged from the start" Six spunned around trying to find the owner of the voice only to turn back and be face to face with Benny pointing Maria at Six head "Benny? The hell! I've killed you!" Six said before Benny pulled the trigger.
With a jolt Six woke up in a very familiar house "Easy there son, you just took a bullet to the head" Six shook his head "Michel? Oh come on! Don't tell me that blue chick is making me relive my memories''. Six looked back at doc Michel who appears frozen in time "The blue chick is in a way doing just that" a femenine voice beside him "My name is Korel T'Loak and you are Six from what Jini told me ''. Korel was sitting in a chair next to the bed that Six was on "When Jini told you that the meld we would share memories, she meant literally. It's a way for us Asari to learn new languages quickly. This should answer your next question and no I can't read your thoughts if you don't allow it that is" she said, chuckling at Six had lowering his finger and closing his jaw clearly having his immediate questions answered.
"Right so you're just going to poke around in my mind? Hoping to find what?" Six asked, getting up from the bed. Korel could se he was getting defensive, she could feel having to focus more to keep the meld holding "Not looking to find anything in expecific, just looking to understand you and also give you a little of information as to where you are" she said as the scenery changed to a garden on an rooftop, toys laying around, sounds of ships flying around, at the surroundings where buildings taller that anything Six had seen bigger even then the Lucky 38 those buildings had a shiny and smooth look to their design. The things that attracted the attention of the wastelander were in a way the simpler, the suave breaze of the wind that wasn't heavy with radiation, the cleanliness of all things and the people in the streets below just going on their marry ways without a worry in the world 'So that it was what could have been before the war' the courier wonder leaning in the railing "This is Thessia, my homeworld" Korel said leaning next to him "It's beautiful and unsettling in a way" that made Korel raise a brow "Unsettling?" Six nodded "Yeah, it's notting, just not used seeing things without rust or feeling the air being clean. How do you change the scenery?" the asari chuckle "You speak as if you just change the channel in the holonet. Just focus on the memory, usually the ones that have the strong emotions attached to them are the easiest to go". Six closed his eyes, focusing on one of his memories.
As Six opened his eyes back he was top of the Lucky 38, the louge, all as he had left the familiar decay of the wasteland being present in every crook and cranny of the building. "Goddess" he heard Korel half-whisper, "Welcome to New Vegas, shiny beacon in the Mojave desert, my home" he said, stretching his arms in a 'tah-dah!' gesture. Korel looked out of the window "Your people were at war?" she questioned pointing towards the destroyed city. Six shook his head "No, that was the great war…" he started to retel his world history all the while thinking 'How many times I will have to tell this story, but better leave the more recent events out of the picture' he thought.
They were sitting in one of the few good chairs in the lounge as the Courier finish telling Korel all he knew of the history of his world, with wasn't much not hole lot had survived the nuclear fires and two hundred years, so most of the time the information of how thing used to be was just pieced together from torn pages, old documents and holotapes, buildings and monuments that still stood. Even House's database was in a way a filtered vision of the past by House's eyes so it didn't paint the truth. Korel was baffled and slightly afraid by what she heard and saw 'His people suffered and they seem to be rebuilding by themselves which is good, but the constant state of conflicts and war… it complicates things the council would see a new Krogan treath and would kill them before they could even prove that they aren't just warmongers' she was brought from her thoughts by the wastelander waving his hand in front of her "Earth to Korel you there? Don't tell me you froze, wait, what happens if you have a headache while in this meld thing?" she shook her head "Just lost in thoughts, if a headache happens you will know" Six chuckle "Cap for your thoughts?". The asari debated if she should tell him or not, on one hand she could see his people becoming a problem in the future on the other she knows that the reasons for Krogan rebellions were a lot more complicated than the council said they were. She needed more information 'Let's see how he reacts to knowledge of the galaxy'.
The room they were in suddenly exploded in light "Argh! Shit! Warning me that you're about to shove a flood light on my face Korel!" Six complained rubbing his eyes "*chuckle* Sorry, I will warn you next time, but I think it is only fair that I tell you about our galaxy". They were in a completely empty white room as Korel started explaining the concepts of the wider galaxy, things appearing and disappearing as needed. When explaining the races it usually came with a pair male and female of said species along with their home world and brief exposition to their respective cultures, Korel being careful as to not give any sensitive information that could not be found on the extranet. "Uhm, quick question, why did Jini appear when talking about the quarians and Mr 'I got a pole up my ass' when talking about the turians?" Six interrupted her "I suppose your brain is going to the path of least resistance, easier to use your own memories than learn and receive mine. Why do you ask?" she received a smirk in response "Let's see if it works". He started focusing and then 'Big Iron' started playing "Are you even paying attention?" he facked behing insulted placing a hand on his chest "What? I like to hear music" he gave her an innocent smile. Korel merely shook her head at his antics.
Things were going smoothly so far, aside from his need to hear music and crack small jokes and give nicknames to the other species such as bird legs for the quarians, stiks to the turians, frogs for the salarians for exemple. Aside from that he was paying attention to what she explained, that was until she got to the batarians. "...their have a problematic culture to say the least" she said cringing slightly most people didn't look fondly on batarian culture, herself included, "With a face like that they make to ghouls back home sound nice *chuckle* So what is the culture problem they have? They need to have all in double… because of the *gesture to his eyes*... yeah, not my best one" he joked, laughing at his own bad joke, but Korel didn't react "*sigh* No, they have a… slavery culture".
Six stopped laughing immediately after she said that as he clenched his hand. Korel could see she hit a nerve, the look Six was giving the image of the batarian was chilling 'I faced Blood rage Krogans before but even they didn't make me have chills'. "I take it they are being convinced to stop that" he asked completely serious, gone was the jokester that she was talking a few seconds ago "As much as I don't like, not really, the council is trying for years to have talks with them" the answer was clearly wrong as the white room they were in flicked as a flash of something appear too fast for Korel to see but she knew it was one of his memories "Alright Six, calm down, I can feel your connection straining" he promptly ignored her "The only reasoning with a slaver is a fucking bullet to the head" he said with absolute cold fury. Another flicker, this one longer and more intense, filled the air with the smell of burned flesh, blood and the screams of people pleading for their lives "Six! Human! Argh!" she clenched her head trying to stop him from going further. It did nothing. "You don't deal with slavers" he said there was another flick that nearly overwhelmed her, changing their surroundings to a small settlement 'Nipton' it echoed in her mind.
Korel looked around trying to find Six, but he was nowhere to be found. Her attention shifted when she paid attention to her surroundings, bodies, some on the ground, some burned, others on crosses, some of those still alive sobbing, screaming. She felt disgusted, sick "Goddess" she said but her voice wasn't hers it was Six's. She realized she was living his memories in his body. 'This shouldn't happen…' she was surprised 'This must be a defining memory, something that shaped him' she tried to reason with herself but a voice interrupted her "Nipton was a wicked place, debased and corrupt. It served all comers, so long as they paid. Profligate troops, Powder Gangers, men of the Legion such as myself - the people here didn't care. It was a town of whores. For a pittance, the town agreed to lead those it had sheltered into a trap. Only when I sprang it did they realize they were caught inside it, too." a low and filled with malice voice spoke. Korel felt as if she was shoved back being regaled to a spectator view, losing control of the body "Vulpes'' her body said, she could feel the anger, no anger didn't start to describe the hate she was feeling as her body moved forward on its own. Everything went to black, but she knew exactly what happened after and the scarier part was that she liked, she liked the rush of the battle that came. A series of images followed, most of them were battles but some caught her eyes a band of misfits that she could feel a sense of companionship, something that Korel could relate with her crew.
Korel was jolted back falling in a chair "Spirits T'Loak you are alright?" Vakarian's voice came forth with a worried tone. She blinked a few times letting her vision adjust to the lighting "Urhg, what happened?" she said placing a hand on her head trying to make the world stop spinning "I should be the one asking that, you two were in the meld when suddenly you started do convulse, we pulled both of you apart" he said doing a scan on her "Explains the headache, you forcefully broke the meld'' she raised a hand to stop his scanning "I'm going to be fine, how is the human?" she asked, seeing that he wasn't in the room "Jini went after him, what in the Spirits name happened? He looked like he was on a warpath, saying something about needing to calm himself" Vakarian said helding Korel down after she failed to stand up "Touched a nerve" was all she said.
Jini was worried when both of them started to convulse, she and Atticus moved to separate them, while Korel was slightly stunned Six was pissed off 'By Keelah, what did Korel do?' she thought approaching the furious man "Six, is everything alright?". Six turned towards the quarian making her squirm under his gaze, he noticed that taking several deep breaths, he could see a few guards approaching "I… Korel, touched a sore spot in her memory talk, I guess I lost control especially after she told me about the batarians slavery practices" he admited looking at his hands seeing the stress caused on his gloves from how thight he was holding his fists "Let's just say I saw what slavers can do first hand, is not something you can forget nor forgive" the quarian nodded aproaching and placing a hand on his should "If you need anyone to talk to, I think me and Korel probably could hear you out" Six looked at the hand on his shoulder and gave a tired smile "Thanks, Jini. Uhm, guess aliens are more human than I thought" she chuckled "Or maybe you're more quarian than human" both chuckled at her attempt to lighten the mood.
"What are you planning on doing, Captain? Should we throw him in a cell?" Vakarian asked to a now more recovered Korel "No, no need to put him in a cell, it was a accident and he appears to be calmer too" she gestured to the quarian and human chuckling at something "Guess I will keep the girl around, for a engineer she proved a able diplomat" she watched his relieved expression seeing that everything was alright "Just a minor set back and glad to see you don't have a pole in your ass when giving new people a chance" Korel chuckle to herself but Atticus merely raised one plate-brow "Did you just call me what the human calls me?" she blinked in surprise "Uhm, had a weird experience while in the meld, I saw through his eyes, it must have left a imprint of his personality on me and before you ask it's nothing serious. Just need a good night's rest and I will be fine" that didn't do much to reassure the quartermaster.
"As for what I'm planning, we have to follow protocol, that means the council" Korel answered as both Six and Jini followed by some guards entered the room. "Do what with the council?" Six asked "We have to report the discovery of a new species and one that is pre-FTL, not only that but you ended up here somehow" Six scratched the back of his head giving an embarrassed smile "Well… the latter I can answer and is 'I kind of just did', I should have died in a nuclear explosion, but instead woke up here." everyone in the room just looked confused and Korel started to massage her temples "Is anything simple with you?" that made Six let out a laugh "It never is and I hope it never becomes, no fun that way" Korel shook her head "You're insane" Jini and Atticus both agreed with their captain "Very likely" "Agreed". Korel sighed as she left, telling both Vakarian and Zorah to keep an eye on their guest as she was going to make sure they were clear for departure.
Not long after the Thessia`s Edge was granted permission to leave and they departed on their way to the hearth of the council, the Citadel. "So, how is this human? Only manage to get a glimpse of him when he enters and the camera angles are not the best" Jurhik asked, causing Korel to cross her arms "A handful that's for sure. Why the sudden curiosity, you usually keep it to yourself?" Vaelu looked at his captain "Just making small talk and being curious" she didn't buy that, there was always something more when it came to her pilot "You starting the small talk? The galaxy must be close to ending them" she gave him a smirk "Alright, fine, he is a new species, new species means council and council means STG, I left them for a reason and seeing ex-work colleagues is not on my to do list". Korel never really questioned too much why Jurhik left the STG, the only thing he said was that he liked to think he still had a moral compass. She didn't press the issue further, allowing both of them to watch in silence the stars as they flew to the relay.
Both Atticus and Six were in the armory and Jini had to leave to check on the engines but not before Jini handed him an omni-tool so that Six could understand everyone else. Atticus was doing a check up on the weapons and armors, he could feel the gaze of the human "What is it human?" He looked up from his workbench to see said human pick a piece of one of the empty and disassembled weapons waiting for cleaning "Just wondering how your weapons work, projectile based but no cartridge based, electric induction?" Six continued to speculate "We use a small quantity of element zero to impulsionate a sand size grain of an internal metal block to near speed light. I imagem is nothing like your primitive weapons" Atticus explained being a bit cocky in the end "A bullet is a bullet" Six countered "Just what someone that never fired one of these guns would say" Atticus noticed could see that Six took that as a challenge "Oh, really? So tell me hot shot, is there a range in this tin can so that I can wipe that smug out of your face?" Vakarian merely nodded a smirk plastered on his face.
Jini sighed, she hoped both were alright 'I hope they didn't kill one another in there, they were antagonizing one another since they met' she thought as she entered the elevator. 'Ancestors, who designed these elevators to be so slow, I just want to get to the armory' Jini froze at that thought. 'The armory…' "Keelah! I left those two alone in the armory!" she half-panicked touching the button to the armory floor repeatedly having no success in making the trip faster. She called Atticus omni-tool "Come on! Come on! Pick the call you bosh'tet!" he didn't pick up 'No, no, no! Ok, no panicking, maybe he is just busy doing something… that doesn't involve death'. As if hearing her prayers the elevator doors opened and she bolted towards the armory. As she was approaching she heard the muffled sounds of gunshots, Jini gulped and loaded a overload program in her omni-tool hoping that she didn't have to call the captain and tell her that one of them or both were dead 'Why did I had to leave those two alone'. She opened the doors to find a scene she wasn't expecting.
"Like the fella once said 'Ain't that a kick in the head'?" Six said with a wide grin while the turian just grumbled "No need to gloat, you won by just one point! And it was because Jini called me on my omni-tool that threw my aim off" that didn't have the desired effect as the human just smiled more "Excuses, excuses. What did you say to me 'nothing like your primitive weapons'? Well guess the primitive here just showed who's the better shot" Atticus wasn't going to let that slide "Better of three then, let's see if your victory wasn't just a fluke. Unless you're afraid of losing and proving my point" he provoked back "Oh, you're on! But how about we spice things up? The loser gets a weapon from the winner" Six shot back "Do you even have guns? We scanned you before boarding and you didn't have anything" Atticus asked seeing Six stiffen a little "Fine, I will buy you a gun if I lose then" that got the turian to grin "Ha! Finally I'm going to be able to get that rifle I've been looking at on the extranet". They were interrupted by a laughing quarian that was holding her stomach "Uhm, is she alright?" Six asked "I think so, guess is just a quarian thing." Atticus said. After a quick explanation of her sudden laughing Jini asked "So… about the bet, can I join? I have a gun" she said grabbing a pistol from the shelf both Atticus and Six agreed.
Korel had not heard from either Jini, Atticus or Six in a while they were nearing the Citadel and she needed to make sure they were ready 'Better check to see if things are alright, from the cameras they all seem fine, but I can help but feel that there was something off'. As she arrived at the doors of the armory she could hear an intense discussion happening, mentaly preparing herself she opened the door to see the three of them arguing over what appears to be a scoreboard. "Yeah, but I won three times first, how come I didn't win?" Six complained "You won in that regard, but I had the more shoots hit the mark them anyone else" Jini said proud of herself "That is because you took 5 minutes between every shot, I had the highest hit per time, so I won" Atticus defended his point of view "I think all of you lost" the three of them stopped their bickering as they saw Korel in front of them a frown on her face "Vakarian, since when does my ship have a shooting range?" The military training kicked in the turian "Sorry ma'am, since a week after I was placed as quartermaster did it so I could calibrate the weapons better" the frown didn't leave her face "And what bet were you three doing?" Six tried to deescalate the situation "What? Bet? No, no, this is just a…" he was cutted by Korel "I know varenshit when I hear it, so all of you better spit it, what bet?" The quarian broke first "We bet on who was the better shot" followed by the turian "I might have provoked Six into doing this" Six just looked at them with a mock disappointment "Come on guys! We were supposed to be a team!" Korel merely chuckled "And none thought to invite me? Smart, I would win" that threw all three of them for a loop "So, you're not mad?" Six dared ask "I never said that, but there is a time and place for that and now I need the three of you to gear up, we are arriving in the Citadel" Korel said, leaving without giving time for any of them to complain or say anything else.
The three of them quickly geared up, well two of them, Six was already wearing his gear. "By the way, do you think I will be able to upgrade my stuff when we get this council thing over with?" Six asked while walking to the observation port with Jini and Atticus "Uhm, if you stay, yeah probably" Atticus answered. As they arrived in the observation port the Thessia's Edge had just passed the nebula that surrounded the Citadel, causing both of the newcomers to the ship let out a 'Wow'. "Shit, that makes New Vegas look small" Six said gawking as they flew to the docking ports. They all felt the ship shake indicating that they finally docked "Welcome to the Citadel, try not to leave your jaws in the observation port" Jurhik said over the coms. As all of them made their way to the airlock Six couldn't help but feel like this was the start of a new adventure 'It did start with a bang too that's for sure' he chuckled to himself.