Mass Effect: The Entangled
Chapter 4
2183 Omega, Three Days Later
The trip to Omega took about two days and when she first arrived, Alivia eagerly made her way to the hanar's shop in the markets. To her dismay, the shop was closed. A nearby merchant did reveal to her that the hanar closed his kiosk about a week prior and said he was going off-station to restock his supplies. Alivia pressed the salarian that gave her the news in hopes that he knew more than he was letting on, but after even a cred bribe, no other information was given out.
Discouraged that she was too late, Alivia decided to pan the neighborhood there to see if there were any more spottings or closer friends. One batarian named Marsh advised her that he had not seen Drelan for about the same time frame, though offered to keep an eye out for his return for five hundred creds. The offer was tempting, but Alivia decided to table it for the time being. She didn't want to hook on anything just yet. Not until she combed the area and got a feel of what she was dealing with. Word on the street was that there was one more shop in the vicinity called, "Harot's Emporium." When she arrived there, she noticed that the elcor owner was talking with a batarian in high-grade armor. He had to be one of Aria's to afford it. Seeing her approach, the batarian cut his previous talk short. "What is it," He snapped.
Alivia disregarded him and focused her attention on the towering elcor. Dealing with batarians was difficult for her. They had bad due to the fallout from Torfan and the fact that it was hard to talk to them because of their extra pair of eyes. "I'm here to speak with Harot."
"Suspiciously. What for?" Harot responded in his emotionless voice as he puffed on a cigar in his mouth.
"I'm looking for Drelan. Heard he closed up about a week ago. Have you seen him around?"
"Cautiously. Why?"
"None of your concern. I just need to know if he's still in this vicinity." Alivia became guarded as she felt all four of the batarian's eyes watching her intently.
"You a merc?" He finally broke his silence with a stifled chuckle at the end.
She looked his way. "What if I am? No law in that, is there?"
"Inquiringly. What has Drelan done?" Harot butted back in.
Realizing that she was getting nowhere there and the batarian was making her circumspect, Alivia didn't bother stating another word as she moved down the steps and onto her next direction. The new path took her to the lower entranceway of Afterlife and a krogan guard stood next to the door. Alivia glowered. There was a good chance that the hanar found a way to get into the club to lay low. The closing of his shop was all a ruse to make it look like he left. If he didn't frequent the club, then most likely no one knew him there. She needed to check, nevertheless the krogan would be tricky. Negotiations were off the table since that would lead a direct path to Aria and she didn't need that attention on her. Bribing him would be just as bad. His pay was more than likely triple what she could ever offer him and he would risk a lot by betraying his boss's trust. It was time for a diversion.
Reaching into the utility pouch of her armor, Alivia retrieved a small flash bang. She would put a timer on it so she could place it near the entrance, but far enough to draw the guard out. Moving over to where a vorcha was loading stock, Alivia hid the explosive device near the back and then stepped more toward the entrance. Casually leaning up against the wall, she waited a few seconds and then tapped her omni to set off the detonator. Instantaneously, the bang exploded and the vorcha produced a high wail of alarm. Nearby shopkeepers and customers panicked at the unprovoked attack. The krogan guard tapped his comm piece then seconds later, the doors to the club opened up and outstepped a second. The pair took off in the direction of the disarray. Now! Alivia made sure no one was looking at her, then darted through the doors to Afterlife just as they were closing. Moving swiftly, she mingled up with the crowd to hide her deception till she was comfortable enough to slow her pace down. She was in!
The beat of the lower part of the nightclub was higher paced than the one up top. The clientele was arranged mostly of a few stragglers from the upper and mercs. A batarian barkeep watched her with cynicism and she moved along her way. Leaning up against the end of the bar counter, she took in the atmosphere; there were a few entertainers and servers. Laughter came from a nearby dance floor as a group of human mercs were having some fun. To the corner, she spotted her query! A lone hanar stood in the back. He seemed so out of place. It had to be Drelan! She had to do this carefully. Moving to a small table, she sat down nearby to keep her eyes on him, but not draw too much attention to herself. To leave the club, he would have to walk past her. This wasn't like I-NOVA, if she approached him out in the open, it could cause too much of a scene. There was a lot of hostility in the room and she didn't want it all to be on her. After all, he had the home-field advantage. Her biotics wouldn't enable her to take on every merc that took his side. Flagging a server, she put in a drink order and waited. She had what she wanted. No drell was in sight. Maybe, she lucked out! For now, she just had to be patient and try not to drink too much.
An hour later, a pink blur brought her attention back to Drelan. He walked past her and seemed to be going down a hallway to where the bathrooms were. Swiping her chit to pay her tab, Alivia got up and slowly followed him. Her heart raced in her chest. This was it! Looking back for a second to not look conspicuous, she returned her attention and then felt her body crash into someone else in the narrow hallway. She bumbled for an apology and then realized that the being she walked right into was a male drell! The reptile-like alien's obsidian glossy eyes stared down at her. The way he looked at her sent a cold chill down her spine. "My apologies, miss," His voice was soft.
Biting her lip and realizing there may be more of a confrontation now than she hoped, she quickened her pace to get closer to Drelan. She had to reach him first! The crash caused her to lose ground with her query. Taking out her pistol, she followed the pink jelly into the bathroom and cocked her weapon to announce her presence to stop him from venturing further. "Hold it right there, Drelan."
The hanar froze in his step. "This one does not want wish harm upon himself."
"You should have thought of that before you killed that volus." Alivia kept her pistol poised on him. "His partner, Sen, has placed a contract on you. I'm to take you back to him on the Citadel."
"Will you not hear this one's rebuttal? I am innocent. The volus threatened harm against this one."
Alivia rolled her eyes as he rambled on. This was taking too long! "Look, pal, I'm not an officer. I'm a merc. I just want to get paid. Come with me and I won't hurt you."
The hanar glided around till its head was now facing her. It loomed over her. "This one may pay."
"If you are smart, then you will go with her and not risk your life," The drell's voice nearly made her jump out of her boots. He was standing right at her side and she stifled a gasp of alarm. He was so noiseless! When did he get there?
His announcement confused Alivia. Was this the same drell hired by Sen? If so, why was he not trying to take her prize? Or was he going to double-cross her outside the club to where there was less attention? "I got this," she said determinedly, avoiding his eyes as she kept her sights on the wavering hanar.
"Be careful. The hanar are swift. Don't expect him not to run," The drell advised.
"I said I got this," She gritted her teeth.
"I will accompany you to make sure he doesn't get away. I have dealt with many," He offered.
This confused her and she nearly lowered her arm away from Drelan at his statement. "I'm not splitting the fee." Alivia decided not to admit that the volus already paid her in full.
"I'm impressed how quickly you found him. Though, your…diversion…. did grant me inside the club as well." He pointed out her tactic with the flashbang.
She cracked a smile his way. "It worked, didn't it?"
"Not as subtle for me."
Feeling sheepish that she took a job from him, she sighed hard and unstiffened her posture. "Look, Krios."
"Ah, my employer divulged my name."
"Let's split what he paid me. We both are here and you're right, I may need help getting him back to my ship. Fair?"
Thane thought for a moment, then gave her a handshake. "An acceptable offer." He took out his sidearm and aimed it at the hanar. "You lead the way."
After Drelan was safely secured back on her ship for transport, Alivia smiled back at Thane as she collapsed her weapon. "He's not going anywhere. Care for a drink?" She worked the business alone so long that she was becoming isolated. He was the first one like herself that she encountered on the job at the same time.
"Why not. I know a place. Follow me."
Krios led her to a small salarian owned restaurant that was just outside Afterlife. She sat at the table across from him and enjoyed a bottle of imported human ale from Earth. She wasn't quite sure what he ordered. She didn't recall the name and she felt silly to ask. "How long have you been on Omega?"
"About a day before you arrived. A few of my contacts alerted me of your questioning at the markets."
She blushed at his feedback. "Your contacts?"
"Yes, in my previous travels here, I created a network of those that I can trust for information."
"Like spies?"
"Yes. Connecting with locals helps. You tend not to stand out in a crowd that way."
She winced. Another jab at her. Her finger traced up the bottle's side slowly as humiliation drowned her. Despite the years she spent as a merc, compared to him, she was a greenhorn. "I guess you noticed a lot that I did then."
"Pressing for information makes you become the outsider or desperate."
"Sounds like I have homework."
"Watching one's movements can give you clues about their habits. These can be used against them." His eyes darted over to the club behind them and he motioned her to look at well. "Take that batarian for instance."
Alivia's eyes widened when she saw the same batarian exit the club from Harot's. "I know him. He was at Harot's."
"His name is Bray and he's on Aria's payroll as one of her private bodyguards," Krios continued. Bray stopped after clearing the club's entrance steps and took out a cigarette. After a few puffs, he walked along. "That's his fifth today. Every time he exits the club, he has one."
"Habit? Stress about his job?" She tossed out a few obvious answers.
"He's paid quite well. I doubt it's his job. There could be a darker side to him. Perhaps, a past that torments him daily." The lecture went on, "If you were going after him for a contract, when would you strike?"
Alivia chewed her lip as she watched Bray move on and disappear into the crowd to leave the area. "Well, not there in front of the guards."
"He has another closer to where he lives. I would strike there."
She gasped at the information. "How do you know…?"
"Next time, you go to a job location, do not rush in. It's wise to know all your angles and what you are dealing with." Thane ended the coaching session as he returned to his beverage. "Given your straightforward approach, I would say that you were once in the Alliance."
Alivia hung her head solemnly as guilt washed over her. "I was…. until the thresher maw on Akuze…then I was discharged. It's hard sometimes getting up every day…wondering why I survived and they didn't…" Her blame mutated into anger. Her jaw clenched tightly and she tightened her fists. "The Alliance wrote them off and didn't bother to look for survivors. I lost all my friends that day."
"The gods saved you for a purpose," Thane Krios simply stated as he listened in. "Find strength in it and continue to live. Your soul is still with your body."
Alivia felt tears coming to her eyes. Words could not fix what she went through and was still going through. She felt so out of place as her years as a merc. It was as if her body was in control and she was just there along for the ride. The rejection from the Alliance disheartened her. Where did she fit in? Taking a breath to remain in control, she kept the tears inside her body and met his obsidian eyes once more. "What about you? What brought you to this lifestyle?"
"Lifestyle?" His transparent eyelids blinked at the question and he chuckled softly under his breath. "Most humans get to choose what profession best suits them. For me, it was a matter of honor and debt. The hanar saved my kind by allowing us to live on Kahje to avoid extinction and I serve as their instrument under the compact."
Now, it was Alivia's turn to be muddled by his cryptic answer. "I'm sorry…I do not know much about your kind. What's the compact?"
"It's the debt of gratitude that we owe the hanar for their aid in the evacuation of our homeworld of Rakhana."
"What happened there?"
"Overpopulation made resources very scarce. This ignited mass starvation and wars over what we had left. Many lives were saved thanks to the hanar."
"Sounds like hell for those that couldn't be saved…"
"Yes, I pray daily to the goddess, Arashu, for her unending protection of them."
"So, if you kill for the hanar, then why hunt one done?"
"My apologies. The hanar did train my body, but it does not make them all righteous. Your human history has shown wickedness throughout thousands of years. No species is without sin. My contract was with a volus as you well know. Drelan cheated him and his partner. For a mercenary, killing is for credits and even sometimes pleasure. For me, killing is an art. I'm an instrument of my employer. Amonkira, Lord of Hunters, grants me the skills for each target."
Alivia smiled as she listened in. Thane was mysterious and his explanation of his profession was unlike she ever heard before. His voice soothed her and she found herself in a completely tranquil state as she sat at the table with him. The longer she sat, the more she wanted to remain at his side. Before she was able to respond to his explanation, an asari announcer over the station's PA system interrupted her train of thought. "Breaking news! The Alliance News Network has reported that the Normandy SR-1 was destroyed by an unknown vessel. The majority of the crew including the famed human spectre, Commander Shepard, are still missing and presumed dead. There has been no confirmation yet from Citadel Council. More to come."
Alivia's heart nearly stopped when the news hit her. "What?!" Tears flooded her cheeks and she jumped out of her chair as if she could ask the announcer to replay what they just said. Her body shook as she felt her knees become weak. Krysta was dead?! It couldn't be! She just talked to her before leaving for Omega. Saren was defeated. Who else would have wanted them all dead?!
Thane was at her side in a flash and he held onto her to keep her from collapsing. "Alivia! Are you okay?!"
Her world was spinning and the next announcer's voice deafened out his words. "This just in." A batarian male's voice came over the PA. "Listen up. The butcher of Torfan has been killed. That's right! The Alliance just confirmed the attack. I don't know who did it, but kudos to them. More to come as the story develops."
The speaker's celebratory words echoed in Alivia's head and his mocking fueled the unrest inside her. Her chest heaved as her breathing became quicker from the trigger. She shut her eyes tightly and tried all her might to regain her composure, but all she could think of was Krysta's death and the lives of so many others. She could feel Thane keeping his arm across her back for comfort. "It is alright, Alivia. Regain control. Take slower breaths." Unable to speak, she nodded her head vigorously and then focused on her breathing till finally it became a slower pace.
"S-Sorry….," She clambered as her face grew hot from having the reaction she did in front of Thane. There was so much to take in and she needed to grieve alone and not with a stranger. "I-I need to head back now to the client. Thanks for the talk, Thane. Perhaps, I will see you again?"
The drell smiled at her question. "I would like that. I will send my contact details to your omni should you ever need me."
