MASS EFFECT: ENTANGLED
CHAPTER 3
2183: Citadel
One month later after Saren's deadly attack on the Citadel, many of the wards were still closed for repairs and the body count was finalized with numbers in the high hundreds. The death toll could have been a lot worse if Commander Krysta Shepard and her team didn't arrive at the station at the time that she did. The first human Spectre killed Saren and the ship known as Sovereign was shattered into pieces all over the station. The keepers were working overtime to help with the cleanup.
Alivia navigated the vast station with her omni tool's GPS program to the destination of her meeting: I-NOVA, a smaller club in the central part of the wards. There, she would meet up with her new client, a volus by the name of Sen Eppo. He reached out to her three days priors with a proposed contract. After the incident on Akuze in 2177, Alivia underwent extensive psychotherapy for her post-traumatic stress syndrome. Fright and anger consumed her. The Alliance never sent any more soldiers to the decimated colony and went dark about follow-ups. She felt like they were sweeping everything underneath a rug. This infuriated her! How could they write off all those brave men and women as if they were just tick marks? Were their lives always forfeit? Her squad was her friends and even her family for a year before that. She felt betrayed and orphaned. As far as she knew, she was the sole survivor. Attacks against ground troops by thresher maws were rare, but not uncommon. A colony was never consumed by a nest and the chance of survival for any person was very slim. Rumors spread among her peers about her miraculous escape and questioned the validity of it. The therapists urged strong medication, but she refused to take it. She didn't want to be bedridden. Her dreams were consumed by the maws and she fought to sleep as much as possible. She often just passed out from sheer exhaustion.
Alivia tried so hard to show them that she was able to return to full duty. Every day she would put on her full gear and stare at herself in her mirror. She was not permitted to carry a firearm while she was undergoing treatment due to a suicide risk label. She felt weak and a disgrace. She could hear the soldiers scream in her head and the sight of herself in her armor reawakened the hell.
After eight months of aggressive therapy and testing, the Alliance gave her a medical discharge claiming she was unfit for any more duty. This was the final blow to her. To them, she was unstable and crazy. As a vet, she could still have the care that she would need, but they would no longer enlist in her active duty. She tried to continue the therapy she needed in Vancouver on Earth, but the proximity of the Alliance soldiers bothered her. Every day was a flashback. She needed to get off Earth and make a big change. Without giving notification to her doctor at the Veteran Affairs office, Alivia went off-world and used her skills as a freelance mercenary. Three years into it and she felt comfortable in the new role. The pay was good and she was able to choose what jobs she wanted, which were mostly picking up someone who owed a debt to someone: Nothing criminally that would involve a lot of risks. She never had to shoot someone and only fired a gun a few times for warning shots. She got lucky with some of her first jobs because the clients had deep pockets so she was able to purchase medium Guardian armor and two stinger pistols.
Inside I-NOVA, she spotted the volus there sitting in a nearby corner away from the dance floor. His enviro-suit hid his eyes but she knew that she caught his attention. His body language gave him away as he sat straighter in his seat. Eying the entranceway and noting a krogan bouncer nearby, she moved directly to Sen. "You're late," He rasped as she took the seat away across from him.
"I'm here now," She countered, ignoring to give any explanation for her tardiness. "What's the job?" Alivia was impressed with how tough she sounded. A few contracts on Omega gave her a bit more of a backbone and she felt stronger than she did in the years before.
"My partner was killed on Omega last week."
"Omega of course," Alivia mused to herself. Could one job get her away from that filthy asteroid station? "My condolences. How long were you together?" Her voice softened by the news.
"What?" He rasped sharply in surprise. "Min Silok was my business partner. We have a…. shipping business off Omega. He does all the supply runs and I market."
Alivia blushed in humiliation at her assumption. "Oh, sorry. Of course." She furrowed her brow at his disclosure. Just what was this guy shipping off the station? A lot of black market stemmed from the lawless asteroid; all thanks to Aria T'Loak. "What is it that you want me to do?"
"C-Sec doesn't have any jurisdiction in the Terminus," Sen's tone sharpened as if he was annoyed by her unclarity. "I believe the hit was ordered by one of our buyers, a hanar named 'Frelan.' I don't know his soul name."
This was new. Alivia never had to go after a hanar before. The pink jellies were a bit odd to her. "Do you know where on Omega he is located?"
"Yes. I can send the coordinates to his shop there. Though, you will need to hurry. I already contracted another assassin for the job. He's one of the best."
She raised her eyebrow at this statement. "So, why am I being hired too?"
"Well, he's more expensive and I-…." The volus stopped as if he was trying to piece together an explanation for his blundering.
"Who else did you hire?"
"Thane Krios. He's a drell and a premier assassin. I told him I would pay his fee, but now I think he's too much…if you beat him to the job- "
"Wait," Alivia shook her head. She couldn't believe this! "You hire a drell and then realized you bit off more than you can chew, so you are backing out?!" A wasted trip to the Citadel and all those docking fees… There was no way she could square up against a trained assassin.
The rotunda-shaped smaller alien coward in his chair as her voice rose at him. The music was loud so it drowned out their conversation. "My apologies Earth-Clan, you must help me! If the drell realizes that I cannot pay him, he will kill me as well."
Every fiber of her being wanted her to get up and just walk out, but now she was in an advantageous position. This volus was desperate. "Pay me double."
"What?!" He rasped loudly through his respirator. "That's" A breath. "Robbery."
"You and I both know that this drell cost you three times that amount. Pay me or it's your life. What is it?"
He remained poised in his seat as tiny exhales puffed through his suit's mask. "I'll do it."
"Pay me now. I want to make sure you don't swindle me," She leered as she held out her hand for his chit.
"You insult me!" Eppo accused. "I don't have to sit here and take this!"
Alivia nodded her head calmly in acceptance and stood up from the table to excuse herself. "Then good luck with the drell." A tiny smirk formed at the corner of her mouth. She tried her best to save face. She paused there to see if he took the bait.
Sen didn't stand up and a few breaths came from his suit. "Fine." He handed her his chit so she could collect her upfront payment. Once she swiped it, he tucked it back into his pocket in frustration. "You must go now."
Nodding her head towards him, she flashed him a brief smile of courtesy "I'm on my way." As she left the club, she mused over what just ensued. This job was a windfall! The pay was double what she ever received and then some. The volus' loss was her gain. Still, a knot formed in her stomach as she walked over to the nearest elevator. Omega wasn't the thing that scared her; it was the drell. Pissing off a merc was one thing, but an assassin was a different level. She hoped she could get to her query before he did and leave. He had a head start, but she was pretty familiar with the lawless asteroid station. She could do this.
"Commander Shepard," A male voice beckoned behind the blonde woman on the Presidium pedway.
Krysta sighed to herself as she paused to turn to address them. She had just left Anderson's office to head off on her six-month assignment into the Traverse to extinguish the remaining Geth pockets. Ever since her victory over Saren, she was ransacked by fans, politicians, and the media. All desiring moments of her time. She never was the one that liked the limelight. She preferred to get her shit done and move on. Her private terminal was packed with messages coming in every day for interview requests. Hackett's assignment was a vacation to her. As a Spectre, she could deny him without any consequences, but she was still an Alliance soldier in her heart and they were there more for her than the Citadel Council. Her jaw quickly unclenched when she recognized the older gentleman approaching; it was Alec Ryder, a former N7 just like herself. Not only was he part of the elite military group, but he also was part of Jon Grissom's team to travel through the Charon mass relay in 2149. He was accompanied by a younger woman, who appeared to be in her twenties, with cerulean colored braided hair. Unlike her father's clean appearance, she sported a few tattoos on the left side of her face and neck. Krysta snapped a salute to Alec. "Sir, it is an honor." The event was a rarity and she was flattered that he sought her out. In her youth, he was her idol. Despite her being a gang member and causing trouble during her teenage years, his accomplishments made her want to join the Alliance and straightened herself up.
"At ease," He chuckled. "I should be honoring you, Commander. You are making quite a name for yourself: The first human Spectre and now the savior of the Citadel. You are putting this old man to shame." He smiled as he introduced the young woman beside him. "This is my daughter, Torvi Ryder."
"Honor to meet you, Commander Shepard," Torvi extended a handshake.
Krysta accepted it as she studied the younger Ryder. "You have quite the shadow to live up to."
Torvi grinned. "I'm trying."
"She has been more up to speed on what you have been doing than I thanks to the extranet." Alec beamed at his daughter.
"I'm sure most of it is filtered," Krysta muttered. She didn't give a damn as to what the biased media reporters said about her. If they were aliens, then they would criticize her role in assisting humanity. If they were human, then they ridiculed her choice of helping out the aliens. She was very reticent and wanted to keep it that way as much as possible.
"Off again?" Alec inquired.
"On a mission to help out the Alliance with the remaining Geth."
"Then we will leave you to it. Make us proud, soldier."
Krysta fired off another salute with a delighted smile on her face. "Yes, sir." As she watched the pair walk on to their undisclosed destination, Shepard grinned inwardly before returning to her path. The odds of their meeting were a thousand to one on the vast station. Was their meeting pure coincidence or was it fate? It took over half of her life so far for their encounter and she savored every second of it. Her mind switched over to Torvi. The woman reminded her of Krysta during her teenage years. It was strange how Alec's offspring revered in Krysta's achievements as she did with him. Giggling to herself, she continued to C-Sec and tapped her ear comm. "Joker, this is Shepard. Begin the departure checks. Don't let C-Sec give you any bullshit either."
"Aye, Aye, mam."
Alivia moved through the C-Sec security checkpoint to be cleared for departure. As she waited in line, she thought back to the ignoble volus and his request. The whole ordeal was beginning to cause her anxiety and she felt her chest tighten. Realizing that a panic attack was on the brink, she shut her eyes and went through her breathing techniques to remain calm. Her feet shuffled along to keep up with the crowd even if her mind was distant. Keeping her fists clenched at her sides, she could hear herself exhaling slowly. "Get it together, soldier…"
Once cleared, she moved towards the docking elevators and stopped abruptly when she caught a glimpse of Krysta Shepard hastily making her way to her Alliance-designated private one. She never saw her fellow soldier in person and only on vids. Determined to introduce herself for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Alivia broke out of line and hurried her steps to catch up to the marine. "Commander!"
Hearing Alivia call to her, Krysta swore under her breath. "Damnit. I was almost gone…" She greeted the approaching woman. "I'm on a mission. May I help you?"
Sensing the underlying tension from the woman's words, Alivia cringed. Now, she felt silly. Her words stuck in her throat as her mind raced to come up with what to say. Why wasn't she prepared?! "S-Sorry, mam. My name is Alivia Lykaia, a former Lieutenant of the 218."
"One of the battalions that were taken out on Akuze," Krysta filled in the rest as her voice softened to compassion. "You were the only survivor…" Her brown eyes then flickered upon Alivia's attire. "What's with the getup?" Her stance quickly switched to scrutiny.
"I was relieved from duty about a year after what happened. The diagnosis was anxiety and PTSD." Alivia felt herself growing angry inside as her mind thought back to the months that followed Akuze. "They all think I am just now crazy," She scoffed.
"Are you?" Krysta inquired in a flat monotone voice.
This bewildered Alivia. She wasn't quite sure if the admired woman before her was judging her or prying her mind. "I'm doing better now that I left. Mam, if you don't mind me asking. How did you get over Torfan? Your entire unit was killed." She carefully and purposefully removed the other fact that many believed Shepard's recklessness was what cost their lives despite the victory against the pirates on the moon that day.
"Death is never easy when you are in command." The commander's voice quaked as her eyes moved away from Alivia's. Krysta's mind flashed to Kaidan. The pain of Virmire still was fresh. She missed him so much but would dare not to let this show as a weakness to anyone. It was the grim reality of being a soldier and she blamed herself for getting close to him. Feeling herself crumble, Krysta squared her shoulders back and clasped her hands behind her back in a more formal military stance. "You find strength in it and move on." Krysta felt like she was being grilled about Torfan; a deja vu. She decided to turn the tables on the woman before her. "If are you no longer a soldier, then why the uniform?" She lifted an eyebrow. "Are you a freelancer?"
"I am," Alivia felt judged and a part of her wanted to hurry off. "I-I have handled a few contracts on a variety of people. Nothing too severe. I'm heading out to Omega."
"Omega?" Krysta tossed her a sloppy grin. "Nothing too severe? Sounds like you are going to the wrong place."
Lykaia gave a half-hearted shrug and boasted, "Been there a few times already. Not too bad."
"Don't get cocky there. You are still a soldier. Always keep your guard up." Krysta reached out and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "Akuze was years ago. Remain strong."
"You too, Commander…er I mean Spectre."
Krysta smiled warmly at her. "I'm still with the Alliance. I know you still are in your heart. That's all that matters."
