Chapter 5 - A Queen In Exile
In This Edition of Badass Weekly
Who Killed Arms Merchant Donovan Hock? - BA Weekly Investigates
Interview - 'Setting The Goddamn Record Straight' With Blue Suns Co-Founder Zaeed Massani
'Keelah Se'Lai, Motherfuckers!' - In-depth With The Migrant Fleet Marine Corps, aka 'The Inglorious Bosh'Tets'
Last Gang Standing - Can Omega's Talons Hold Out Against Cerberus?
Pictorial & Interview - Legendary Asari Huntress Nisira T'Kosh Bares All!
The long wait in line at Gonurul's Home Brews had been bad enough, but what was really irritating turian embassy clerk Taamora Purdakas was the asari standing behind her. The tea shop was among the most popular spots on the Presidium thanks to the exotic blends it imported from all across the galaxy. Long lines were to be expected. But the asari behind Taamora was acting like she had never had to wait for anything in her life, letting out a continual series of growls and annoyed grunts. After 10 minutes Taamora had finally had enough and spun around to give the asari a piece of her mind.
"Spirits, I don't know what your issue is, but you're just going to have to learn to be patient like the rest of us. Stop acting like a spoiled bi-" she began before abruptly stopping when she got her first full look at the asari's scowling, purple-hued face. Taamora's jaw went slack and her mandibles flared out as the cold shock of realization hit her: the asari she had just told off was none other than Aria T'Loak.
The gangster queen looked the turian clerk up and down as she mulled over what to say in response. After a few agonizing moments, T'Loak eventually replied, "Yes, well, I've always found patience to be an overrated virtue. It's never been much help to me. I've found... eliminating irritations to be much more effective."
The turian clerk tried to remain calm but it was no use. "I'm so, so sorry! Here, please, have my spot," she declared, her body now trembling. She turned and quickly strode away, silently praying to her ancestors as she left.
T'Loak smirked. Though she would never say it out loud, the turian had just buoyed her spirits. It was the first time all morning that she had been recognized.
Losing control of Omega to a group of human terrorists had been humiliating enough for Aria T'loak. Living in exile on the Citadel had added fresh insults to the pile. Shortly after arriving on the station, T'Loak discovered that she was little-known outside of the Terminus Systems and asari space. A majority of the non-asari on the Citadel had no idea who she was. Many of those who had heard of Aria T'Loak only knew her by reputation and couldn't pick her out of a crowd. Some didn't even think that she was real, assuming 'Aria T'Loak' to be a fictional character that actress Adria S'Voz had played in the recent vid 'Don't Fuck With Aria,' either not noticing or, if they did, not believing, that the vid was a biopic 'based on a true story.' As a consequence, most Citadel residents treated her with the same casual indifference they gave to any stranger. After centuries of being a feared and respected organized crime leader, being ignored was a new and often aggravating experience for T'Loak.
Even something as simple as getting a cup of her favorite tea, Nevos purple leaf mint, was now a tedious ordeal. Gonurul's Home Brews was the only Presidium shop that imported it and T'Loak was obligated to wait in line to be served just like the other customers.
Aria T'Loak was nevertheless the type who kept the bigger picture in mind. What was important to her was regaining control of Omega. That would happen in due time. Until then, keeping a relatively low profile was in her best interest. If that meant sometimes standing in line with the common riff-raff, T'Loak would endure it. She had done far more unpleasant things when she first rose to power on Omega a few centuries ago. This was just a replay of that, she told herself. And if anything could briefly take her mind off of her current situation, it would be a cup of Nevos purple leaf mint. It was the one thing T'Loak believed was worth waiting in line for.
Her calm, focused state of mind lasted for another five minutes. It vanished shortly after she finally reached the head of the line.
"What do you mean you're out of Nevos purple leaf mint?" T'Loak growled at the volus minding the store's register.
The volus shrugged. "I'm sorry, miss, but we ran out of that particular blend earlier this morning. It's only grown on a few planets out in the Terminus Systems. All of our imports from that region of the galaxy have been severely disrupted ever since that human group Cerberus took control of Omega," he explained. "Can I interest you in a cup of Silean epper bark tea instead? The elcor say it's just the thing to help a person slow down and relax- Miss, will you please deactivate your biotics? You are creating a warp field that is disrupting the molecules of my counter."
"You have no idea how lucky you are to still be alive," T'Loak seethed in response, then turned and left.
"Guys, watch yourselves. Her Majesty is in a foul mood today even by her standards," Bray, T'Loak's chief lieutenant, announced on the omni-tool group chat line used by the asari's henchmen. "Don't talk to her unless she asks you a question first."
The burly batarian's warning caused a frantic surge in activity in the suite of Presidium hotel rooms that served as T'Loak's makeshift center of operations. Several of her henchmen suddenly remembered errands that required them to immediately leave the hotel. The skeleton crew of brave souls that remained did their best to look too busy to be interrupted.
Neither option was available to Jadak Ahz, T'Loak's communications specialist. The brown-skinned salarian had been tasked with relaying an urgent message to T'Loak from an equally intimidating figure. Ahz gulped, steeled himself and approached his boss.
"What is it?" barked the asari, not bothering to look up from the datapad she was reading.
"Boss, Sur'Kesh sent a message while you were out. It is imperative that you respond, umm, immediately," the salarian announced. He added with emphasis, "What I mean is, Sur'Kesh, not us, said you needed to respond as soon as possible. We weren't given any further details."
The asari let out a loud, heavy growl that echoed inside the room. "Fine. Open a com line and patch it in to my private room," T'Loak replied.
In any other circumstance, T'Loak would have waited to return the call, but 'Sur'Kesh' referred to the one individual that, in her current situation, she could not afford to alienate. T'Loak closed to the door to her room, opened the intergalactic line and was greeted a few seconds later with the holographic image of a small, elderly salarian woman wearing a hooded robe.
"Hello, Aria. I hope you are doing well," the shimmering image of Dalatrass Linron remarked. The Salarian Union's leader looked around at the décor of T'Loak's Presidium hotel room. "Rather nice suite, I must say. I would have assumed you'd have taken a spot somewhere in the lower wards to be closer to the type of hoodlums, prostitutes and junkies you lorded over on Omega."
T'Loak rolled her eyes. "Getting a good intergalactic link outside of the Presidium is difficult. If I hadn't set up here, I wouldn't have the pleasure of your company now," the asari drolly replied. "I'm busier than a whore with two azures, dalatrass. So can we get to the reason you needed to talk?"
The salarian matriarch nodded. "Yes, I'm sure you have a million things to do. I'll be quick. I have some unfortunate news, Aria. A Special Tasks Group source inside Citadel Security says that C-Sec knows that you are secretly involved in the Blasto vid production."
T'Loak cursed loudly and brought a biotic-powered fist down on her desk, sending shockwaves across the room. "What!? How did they find out!? And what do they know!?"
"C-Sec doesn't know much, at least not at the moment, according to our sources. But they are quietly investigating the Blasto production," Linron announced. "So it may not be long before they learn of true purpose of the vid. We do know that C-Sec got the initial tip through a human reporter named Khalisah Bint Sinan al-"
"That bitch?!" shouted a seething T'Loak. "I knew I should have had her taken out. Goddess, this is what I get for listening to the studio publicists at 6th Dimension Vids who said, 'Let it go.' Yeah, easy to fucking say when it's not your reputation on the line..."
Linron crossed her arms and arched a brow. "You've had dealings with al-Jilani, I take it?"
T'Loak shook her head. "Not directly. She wrote an article on the many supposed inaccuracies in the studio's recent vid biopic about me, 'Don't Fuck With Aria.' You know, the one where Adria S'Voz played me. The article went viral on the extranet," T'Loak sneered. "That damn human also alleged that I had something to do with the death of the batarian who wrote the unauthorized biography of me, 'There Is One Rule On Omega.' Fucking slander, all of it."
Linron gave T'Loak a patronizing look. "Aria, you did have the batarian author killed. We helped you target him, remember?"
T'Loak's expression switched from irritated to confused. "What are you talking about? It was the Blood Pack's mercenaries that killed that batarian. They got the contract from another person the author had pissed off. Illium law enforcement did a thorough investigation..."
Linron closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. "Yes, it was Blood Pack thugs that pulled the trigger," she conceded. "The mercenary group did it because the Special Tasks Group hacked into their computers and made them think that the batarian was next on their contract kill list." The dalatrass paused for a few moments to let that sink in, then added, "We did that as a favor to you, remember?"
The asari crime boss was briefly speechless. "No... it was my people who did that," she eventually replied.
Linron gave out a long, loud sigh. "Did you tell your people how to do it? Or did you just say, 'Make it happen'"?
T'Loak, now thoroughly off her stride, blinked and muttered, "The latter."
The salarian leader nodded slowly. "Yes, and your people reached out to mine to do it. They were afraid that if they hacked the Blood Pack's computers, it might get traced back to you and complicate your dealings with the merc group's operatives on Omega. So your people asked the STG for a favor," Linron explained. "You're welcome, by the way."
The scowl returned to T'Loak's face. "Fine, whatever. We're getting side-tracked. How the fuck does that primitive al-Jilani know anything about our joint project with 6th Dimension Vids?"
Linron shrugged. "That we don't yet know. We assume there is a leak somewhere."
"You assume?!" T'Loak sputtered. "You salarians have a seat on the Council! You have complete access to C-Sec files! And you apparently know more about my operations than I do! How is getting info on the humans beyond the all-seeing, all-knowing STG?! Goddess, that species only stopped using stone-tipped spears about three weeks ago! How fucking hard can it be to hack their systems?"
Linron shot T'Loak another patronizing look. "Precisely. Humans are newcomers. We haven't had centuries to cultivate inside sources and penetrate their security. Besides, al-Jilani is an independent actor. All we know is that she must have sources, probably inside the production."
T'Loak threw up her arms. "Fine, I'll deal with this. I'll arrange a tragic accident where she chokes to death attempting to swallow a datapad version of 'Don't Fuck With Aria.'"
Linron glared at T'Loak. "Unacceptable. You are NOT to harm al-Jilani, is that clear?" the dalatrass sternly declared. "Cerberus is trying to build anti-Council sentiment among the human colonies. An investigative human journalist having an 'accident' while probing you and your conflict with Cerberus? That will just turn al-Jilani into a martyr, one Cerberus will happily exploit. We need better relations with the humans, not worse. Or have you forgotten they now have a Council seat too?"
The asari gangster scoffed. "Then what do you propose we do?"
The salarian dalatrass smiled. "The situation requires subtlety. I have two of the STG's best agents enroute to the Citadel now. They will quietly plug the leak."
T'Loak crossed her arms and tapped a foot. "Ok, who did you send?"
"Major Kirrahe and Agent Vass," Linron matter-of-factly replied.
The asari rubbed her chin and mulled that over. "Ok, Kirrahe I've heard of. He's at least experienced. But who is this 'Agent Vass'? I've never heard of him. Or have I? Waitaminute, yeah, S'Voz has mentioned him. He was the studio intern assigned as Kirrahe's assistant on the first Blasto vid, right?" T'loak asked, prompting the dalatrass to nod 'yes' in response. T'Loak was incredulous. "Are you fucking with me? That twerp is one of your 'top' guys?"
"He's an STG agent, yes," Linron responded. "He and Kirrahe have been an effective team. What's the issue?"
T'Loak voice rose to shout. "The issue is I have leftover breakfast pastries on my desk that are older than he is! There's mold in this hotel room's shower that's more mature! I can name five volus accountants I'd trust more to do espionage work - and their only training is that they've watched all of the Blasto vids! At least they have lived long enough to do that!"
Linron was unmoved. "Then by all means get your crack team of volus accountants together and do your own investigation, but be discreet. In the meantime, the Special Tasks Group will trust its agents," she curtly replied. "Remember, the Salarian Union is secretly backing your effort to regain control of Omega because we believe it is in our interest to prevent Cerberus from gaining influence in the Terminus Systems. Don't give us reason to second guess that, Aria," the dalatrass declared, then cut off the com line.
As the image of the dalatrass faded out, T'Loak muttered under her breath, "I'd wait until you grew old and died, if I could. But I don't have a week to spare on this operation."
T'Loak was still stewing over her conversation with Linron when asari actress Adria S'Voz dropped by her hotel room an hour later. The exiled leader of Omega was silently staring out a large window at the Presidium skyline as she drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair.
It was a distressing sight for S'Voz. T'Loak had long been a role model and mentor for her, an example of how asari didn't need to rely on diplomacy or subtle politicking, as the matriarchs of Thessia had always claimed. That the asari could simply fight for and take what they wanted with the same ruthless discipline as the turians, the deviousness of the salarians or the fearlessness of the krogan. So the sight of the former gangster queen of the Terminus Systems sitting alone and quietly seething in exile was like seeing a proud monument laying in ruins.
"What's eating at you?" S'Voz gently asked.
The gangster queen drummed her fingers a few more times before responding. "There's a human reporter snooping around the Blasto production. She apparently has inside sources feeding her information about my plans. She's also a pro-human xenophobe, probably a Cerberus sympathizer, if not on their payroll. If she isn't dealt with fast, General Petrovsky will know everything about my plans to regain Omega. The whole mission could be undermined. But my salarian allies don't want me to touch the reporter. Too politically risky, they say. They've instead sent one STG agent and his sidekick, a five day-old hatchling, to plug the leak. My future hangs on those two salarians, neither of whom I have any control over."
S'Voz poured herself a cocktail from the nearby wet bar, then mixed a second one for T'Loak. The actress handed the drink to the gangster queen, then took a chair opposite her. "Well, who's the reporter?" the actress asked.
T'Loak turned on her omni-tool and brought up its viewscreen. It began playing an extranet vid compilation clip titled 'Khalisah al-Jilani's Greatest Hits,' which showed the reporter getting punched by various interview subjects. T'Loak froze the clip just as a hit from a krogan sent the human hurtling past the camera.
"Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani. I figured that was who you were talking about," S'Voz declared. "I encountered her on the Blasto set today. She snuck in on the pretense of doing a soft entertainment piece about the vid's stunt performers. Did you know she has an asari bondmate? Or maybe I should say 'had.' The asari showed up and created a huge scene, blowing al-Jilani's cover in the process."
T'Loak arched a brow and turned towards S'Voz. "Really? I've been told by a couple of different sources that al-Jilani's zealously pro-human and quite paranoid about other species. I assumed she wouldn't be open to an inter-species relationship."
S'Voz took a sip of her cocktail. "Well, I watched al-Jilani and a teal-hued asari have a lovers' tiff today if I ever saw one. Before that, al-Jilani interviewed me at the Blasto premiere on Illium. And again after the biopic of you came out. Definitely flirted with me each time. So, she's into asari, at least. There was something else, too..." S'Voz thought for a few seconds then snapped her fingers. "Now I remember! She was there when I had a secret meeting with Kirrahe on Illium during production of the last Blasto vid! Yeah, I recall it now. She approached my table and had me autograph a copy of Vaenia."
T'Loak bolted up in her chair. A corona of biotic energy crackled around her and she squeezed her cocktail glass so tightly it shattered in her hand. "This human was there when you met with Kirrahe?! That must be why Linron doesn't want her touched! She's a secret STG asset!" T'Loak exclaimed. "Those devious bastards! What is their angle?"
The actress adopted a soothing tone. "I don't think that's the case, Aria. I think al-Jilani was just a fan and her encountering Kirrahe and I was a coincidence," she replied. A quick glance at T'Loak's sneering face indicated that the crime boss remained highly skeptical. "Look, I get approached a lot by fans. You develop a sense for these people and situations," S'Voz explained. "It was obvious that al-Jilani was straight-up horny each time she talked to me. After her bondmate was dragged away by security, I had al-Jilani ejected too because the bondmate let slip that the human was actually writing an expose. Even then, as we waited for another set of security guards to take her away, the human was bashful and mooning over me," S'Voz remarked. "That or she's a better actress than I am. Which I highly doubt."
T'Loak scoffed as she used her biotics to disintegrate the shards of glass on her hand and forearm. "And I have a sense for spy games," she retorted. "The words 'coincidence' and 'Special Tasks Group' do not belong in the same sentence." The crime boss leaned back in her chair and thought for a few seconds. "Maybe you're right and she's just a human snoop who just happens to have learned something about my Omega plans OR maybe I'm right and the STG is planning something that involves al-Jilani and keeping me in the dark about it. Either way, I need to know more and this human is the key. And you are the key to that key, Adria."
S'Voz puzzled over this. "What does that mean? If she's the key, then wouldn't I be the lock? Or-"
"It means that you get to be the off-brand me not just on the vid screen, but in real life," T'Loak explained. "Find al-Jilani and learn what she knows."
The actress drained the rest of her cocktail. "How do you propose I do that?"
T'Loak rolled her eyes. "How do you think!? Seduce her! You're the one who claimed that al-Jilani's panties get wet whenever you're near. And that she's just broken up with her asari bondmate. Use that and, once you're alone, meld with her and poke through her brain."
S'Voz's jaw dropped and she slammed her glass down. "Hey, I'm not one of your Afterlife dancers anymore! That ended centuries ago. You can't-"
T'Loak sat forward and stared S'Voz in the eyes. "No, but you might have needed to go back to dancing if I hadn't convinced your competitors for the Commander Shepard part in the Blasto vids to drop out! Or if I hadn't made the deal with Blasto to get the script for the first vid re-written! Or if I hadn't insisted that you to play me in the biopic," the crime boss angrily declared. "You owe me, S'Voz. So you will talk al-Jilani into bed."
The crime boss sat up, walked over to her bar and began mixing herself a replacement cocktail. She looked over at the actress and shook her head. "Goddess, I can't believe I even have to push you into hooking up with somebody! That was never the case in the old days. What happened to the adventurous maiden I met centuries ago?" T'Loak remarked as she took the first sip of her new drink. "You've changed, Adria."
S'Voz scowled. "Yeah, I grew up," she retorted.
The actress stared at T'Loak. She had known the crimeboss for centuries but had never seen her this angry, this bitter, this frustrated, this... desperate. There something else too. T'Loak was doing everything she could to hide it outwardly, but to S'Voz it was obvious: the former Queen of Omega was afraid. Everything she had done over an asari lifetime had been taken from her. She had maybe one chance to get it all back and now that was slipping away from her too. T'Loak faced the prospect of spending her remaining years on the Citadel as a forgotten relic.
'No, it cannot end this way,' thought S'Voz. 'I won't allow it.'
"Ok, Aria. I'll do it. I'll find out what al-Jilani knows," she announced. "I'll do it because I don't want Cerberus to win any more than you do."
T'Loak nodded and took a sip of her cocktail. "I will remember this."
S'Voz knew it was as close to "Thank you" as she or anyone else would ever hear from Aria T'Loak.