Three Little Lovebirds
Chapter 14 – The Hooded Claw
It happened faster than the speed of human thought. One minute Tali was planted firmly between Rael and Shepard. The next, a scything arc of deep blue energy erupted from the admiral's palm, sweeping her legs from under her and hurling the young Quarian across the room. She flew straight through the holographic Milky Way, leaving a trail of shimmering disruptions in her wake. Just before landing, the wave of biotic force slowed her descent and grew in magnitude, wrapping sinuously around Tali's limbs and trapping her in place.
"Don't shoot!" Lucy shouted to her crew "Don't shoot or he'll kill her!"
"Kill her!" Rael thundered "Kill her! What do you take me for Shepard? I merely knew that she would not bow down when defending her precious spectre. For Tali's own safety, I have restrained her for the duration of this duel."
"Choking air take you father!" Tali screamed from her biotic prison.
"That's enough child!" the elder Quarian snapped, flexing his fingers lazily. The cloud of blue energy extended across Tali's visor, muffling her cries "Be silent."
"What the hell is wrong with you Rael?" Lucy spat, her attempts at diplomacy forgotten in the face of an assault on a member of her crew "She's your daughter for Christ's sake!"
"But you see she isn't; not anymore...not unless I kill you." Rael drew the second sword from its scabbard and tossed it to the furious spectre. Lucy's reflexes allowed her to snatch it out of the air without breaking 'eye' contact. It wasn't as heavy as she expected and seemed to be made of some kind of lightweight metal filled with tiny micro-pores.
"You won't be familiar with Quarian Songblades," Rael stated neutrally "They are made in pairs and awarded to each member of the Admiralty board upon their appointment to the post. If a member of Quarian society refuses a judgement bestowed upon them, they can petition their captain to duel one of the admirals. It is an ancient tradition and the giving of the swords is now mainly ceremonial. No Quarian has invoked the rite for twenty phases."
"Lucky me," Lucy snarled, tightening her grip on the hilt and silently loosening her muscles in preparation.
"When the blades first meet, the song will begin and shall continue until one of us is defeated. Are you prepared?"
Lucy sucked in a deep breath, casting a final glance around. The Normandy crew had retreated to the far wall, near where Tali was restrained. Their faces were pale and grim, but filled with silent confidence. It warmed the spectre's heart to see them follow her lead so willingly. Having been in the military for so many years, she could reliably distinguish between someone simply obeying orders, and someone who trusted their leader absolutely. That kind of trust was not easily earned, especially when commanding a crew as diverse as the Normandy's.
"I am."
The words had barely left her lips when the admiral struck. The translucent jewel on his blade erupted with a glorious golden light that illuminated the drab interior walls of the starship in a heavenly aura. Every nut and bolt on every bulkhead was thrown into stark relief, each casting a long and spidery shadow behind it. Lucy heard the startled cries of her crew, and was dimly aware of people stumbling backwards, raising their arms to shield themselves from the glare.
In the split second she had to react, Lucy found a small part of her brain wondering why the light did not blind her as it did the others. The thought was fleeting and quickly filed away for later contemplation as she found herself in a desperate struggle for her very life. Rael's swordplay was incredibly fast, and only her above-average reflexes prevented his first attack from hitting home. Instead she dodged sideways and managed to get her blade between them.
As the swords collided, a resonant musical note thrummed from both of them. Lucy pulled back and as her sword moved, it wove a tune through the air. The sound was light and calm; somehow reassuring even if it was in direct contrast to how she felt.
Rael struck again, this time coming in low. A dramatic clash of powerful notes reminiscent of string instruments accompanied the thrust, overshadowing the lilting song of Lucy's blade. She was ready for him this time, and was able to parry the attack with relative ease. Once again the two combatants backed off, each searching for the slightest hint of weakness in their opponent's guard.
This time Lucy was the first to strike, sending a quick jab at the Admiral's throat. Rael raised his blade for an easy counter but at the last second, the spectre twisted her wrist downwards, intending to deliver a crippling slash across her opponent's leg. As she did, her own tune rose in pitch like a banshee's scream.
The Quarian was quicker however and with a nimble piece of footwork was able to shift his leg out of harm's way. Capitalising on his advantage, Rael smashed the glowing pommel of his sword into Lucy's temple. The blow was not disabling, but Lucy could already feel the dull ache and pressure behind her eyes. For the briefest second, the spectre's vision swam. Were it not for the precarious position the admiral had put himself in to deliver the hit, she'd have been dead for sure. The impact was going to leave a nasty bruise...assuming she survived long enough for it to form.
The next few minutes passed without incident. Both duellists clashed several times, each verse of their songs in turn rising and falling in volume like waves breaking on an ocean shore. Despite the elegance and skill with which they both fought, neither could seem to land a solid blow on the other. Light from the swords flickered and danced in time with the music which in turn had its tempo dictated by the flow of battle.
As the minutes passed in a flurry of parries, counter-attacks and sweeping flourishes Lucy felt herself beginning to tire. Ordinarily she could fight for hours without feeling any fatigue, but her already drained body was being pushed to its limit just to keep her on a level footing with Rael. It was obvious to her, even if it wasn't to the others, that the admiral was the superior swordsman by far and only a clumsy mistake on his part or a healthy dose of luck on hers would result in her victory.
Apparently fate wasn't on Lucy's side. As she parried a particularly vicious blow from the Quarian, she felt her foot catch of one of the tiny ridges formed where two plates of metal decking met. Having to concentrate to prevent herself falling gracelessly to the floor, the spectre wasn't prepared for Rael's follow up attack. By the time she saw the blade stabbing at her face, there wasn't time to put up any kind of proper defence. Instead, she desperately swatted at the sword with her own, hoping to at least deflect the thrust to a less fatal part of her anatomy.
Rael's jab missed Lucy's ear by millimetres, glancing off the bulkhead behind her instead. The spectre's grip however hadn't been firm enough and the sword tumbled from her grasp. The music from the blade faltered and trailed off to a piteous whine, accompanied by the sound of rattling steel as the Quarian admiral kicked it away into an unoccupied corner of the room. Gradually, the golden light from both swords faded and with a final note of triumph, so did Rael's song.
Silence engulfed the room. Blinking and dazed, the Normandy crew opened their eyes to see Lucy backed against a wall, weaponless, with the admiral's rapier a mere inch from her throat. The sudden calm was punctuated only by the sound of laboured breathing; no one dared move for fear of what Rael might do.
"Go ahead." Lucy's voice was barely a whisper yet to the onlookers she may as well have shouted "Finish it you heartless bastard."
The image of the Quarian admiral readying himself for the killing blow blurred across her vision. With a calmly executed flick of the wrist, Rael's blade arced through the air...
...and slid cleanly into the gilded scabbard at his hip.
As the sound of scraping steel reached her ears, Lucy let out the breath she'd unconsciously sucked in. She could feel her heart beating like crazy from the adrenaline still coursing through her system. The rhythmic thumping in her chest was proof enough...she was alive.
As if he could read her thoughts, Rael erupted with uncontrollable laughter. The sound was rich and deep...a sound of genuine amusement that flooded Lucy with relief despite its unexpectedness. Confusion was a small price to pay for keeping all her blood inside her body.
"Oh the fire in this one!" the Admiral chuckled, the cape behind him billowing as his shoulders shook with laughter. With a casual gesture of his right hand, the bonds surrounding Tali dissolved into nothing, depositing the speechless Quarian back on her feet.
Lucy found herself equally lost for words. She didn't even know where to begin making sense of the situation.
Rael looked between the two confused women, humour evident in his posture. When the spectre's expression didn't soften, he straightened slightly, his voice taking on the more serious note it had before.
"In truth Shepard, I must apologise for my charade. Had I known of your relationship with my daughter beforehand I would have been more...tactful in my approach."
Lucy glanced at Tali. Her expression was unreadable as always, but she returned the look and Lucy could almost feel her bewilderment.
"Perhaps I should explain myself further." Rael continued "It was never my intention to kill you, nor do I desire to make my daughters choices for her. When I heard that Tali was travelling with a spectre, my first thought was for her safety. Your kind has a reputation for getting into trouble."
The Quarian Admiral paced the deck with a familiarity born of a life spent on star ships. His words had lost their confrontation edge, but the power behind them was still evident.
"Sadly, not all of the council's right-hand are as honourable as you have proven to be. There are many who would be willing to sacrifice those beneath them to achieve their goals. I had to be certain you were not one of them...for Tali's protection and my own peace of mind."
As Lucy wrapped her head around this sudden change of character, she found the pieces slowly fell into place.
"As captain of a vessel and leader of the Quarian people, I am only too familiar with how dangerous and unforgiving the galaxy can be. I would not ask you to guarantee my daughters safety, since I know such promises are impossible. Instead, I had to know that you would be willing to do everything within your power to protect her...even risk your own life. I know that I would do so for any under my command and I expect the same of all other Quarian captains. You humans are an unknown quantity; it was imperative for me to find out what codes of honour your species follows."
Rael sucked in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.
"Sadly I could not take your word for it. Lies are the one free commodity in this universe and as I believe your people say 'actions speak louder than words': an elegant saying and one that I took to heart. The only way to be certain of your sincerity was to engineer a situation where you'd be forced to choose between your safety and hers."
Pausing with his back to the Normandy crew, Lucy saw the Admiral's shoulders slump ever so slightly. When he turned around, his words addressed Tali directly.
"I am truly sorry for my callousness, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. By the time I learnt of your feelings for Shepard, I was already committed to my path. I could not back out without exposing my deceit. I regret that that led to somewhat...unfatherly actions. Believe me when I say that I had only your best interests at heart. Now I see that I needn't have worried; if your destiny lies here with the spectre, I shall not deny you."
Tali looked to her lover, and Lucy could sense her need for reassurance. She was also acutely aware of all the pairs of eyes watching both her and the young Quarian intently. Lucy nodded ever so slightly, favouring her engineer with a warm, supportive smile of encouragement.
Tali gulped visibly, but didn't shy away as she approached her father. As she did, Rael held his hand out; spreading his three fingers apart in what Lucy guessed was some kind of traditional Quarian greeting or gesture of affection. Whatever it was, it apparently it wasn't meaningful enough for the young girl because the Admiral suddenly found himself the recipient of a ferocious hug that seemed to knock the breath from his chest.
The sight of reconciliation between father and daughter warmed Lucy's heart. She couldn't help but grin at the surprise evident in Rael's manner as he awkwardly hugged her back. From what Tali had told her, the Admiral wasn't exactly the touchy-feely type of parent.
Not wanting to intrude on their private moment, Lucy turned her attention to the rest of the Normandy crew.
"Show's over people, everyone back to your posts; the ship isn't going to work itself."
As the crowd dispersed back to their original postings, Lucy retrieved her sword from where Rael had kicked it aside. She rose just in time to see the Admiral murmur something quietly to his daughter. The words were too faint to hear, but from the effect they had on Tali, they were clearly significant. Standing on tiptoe, she touched masks with him an approximation of a kiss and gave her father one last tight embrace before stepping back.
Rael took a moment to settle the cape of office around his shoulders and then turned to Lucy.
"I wish you all the best in your mission Shepard. I am glad that through my daughter, the Quarian people can do their part."
"You're leaving already?" Lucy enquired, offering the sword to Rael. Taking the blade and sheathing it in the same fluid motion, he nodded solemnly.
"I'm afraid I must. I have already delayed the migrant fleet longer than can be justified. No doubt I'll be getting a lecture from the rest of the board upon my return."
Lucy held up her hand, offering the thumb and two forefingers in her best imitation of the gesture she'd seen earlier. Rael placed his three fingers against hers with a nod of approval, before turning to leave.
"Farewell Shepard. May you and my daughter find happiness together."
Turning back to face his daughter, he added, "And farewell to you, my child. You will always be welcome on the Flotilla should our paths meet again. If not, remember what I said...nothing shall ever change it."
Lucy could feel Tali shiver beside her. Instinctively, she slid a protective arm around the young girl's waist, gently pulling her closer until their shoulders touched together. As Rael strode away, cape billowing around his feet, a sudden thought occurred to the spectre.
"Admiral!" she called after him, "How did you know where to find us?"
The elder Quarian turned, and looked at them blankly.
"I...I can't remember."
And with those words, he was gone.
"The consort will see you now. Enjoy your visit Mr. Von."
The portly Volus gave a tiny bow, before hopping down from his chair. His legs were stumpy and the way he walked almost comical, but no one present noticed; each too engrossed in whatever activity they were partaking in. When you had to wait months for an appointment, you didn't tend to care too much for the business of others.
The young acolyte, one of the newly appointed human species, at the foot of the stairs gestured for him to ascend. The steps were just a bit too high for him to easily manage, but when you worked on a station designed to accommodate all the different species, certain concessions had to be made. It was even worse for the Elcor. Outside of the embassies, few doorways were designed with them in mind, let alone the tiny pods of the rapid-transport system.
Now standing outside the doorway, Barla was aware that he should feel nervous. Certainly many in his position would be, even if they had visited Sha'ira before. No one could ever really guess what gifts the consort would give them...to most, she was utterly inscrutable.
He wasn't 'most'.
Pausing before entering, the Volus tapped a few keys on the control panel, navigating the citadel systems with a casual brilliance. In the space of a couple of seconds, he'd hacked the encryption on the internal communication systems and downloaded the specially prepared virus he'd uploaded earlier. The rouge piece of programming would stall any communication signals leaving the room long enough for him to accomplish his task. It would also lock the door behind him.
With the preparations completed, the banker entered the chambers.
As per usual, Sha'ira stood with her back to the rest of the room, apparently engrossed in one of the many priceless Asari art pieces that lined the walls. She didn't look round as he came in, but then again, why would she? She knew exactly who had just walked through the door. How complacent of her...
"Barla," Sha'ira's voice was a perfect blend of lyrical sensuality; utterly irresistible to practically any organic in the galaxy, "What brings you to me today?"
Her little game was almost cute. For a sack of organs and fluids, the consort was certainly quite smart; she'd managed to work her way to a position which was nigh-on untouchable. She had enough blackmail material to shut down any politician who may try and make a move against her.
"We had a deal Sha'ira," the voice that came from the Volus' mouthpiece was a far cry from it's usually, wheezy tones. Instead, it grated through the air like iron-filings scraping a metal surface "You double-crossed me."
That got the consort's attention. She whirled around, arm already raised and glowing with biotic energy. Barla Von simply laughed. There was no humour in the sound.
"Nobody crosses the Shadow Broker."
The Volus banker's body dissolved in the blink of an eye, dissipating into immaterial flickers of light. The hologram collapsed to reveal an immaculately dressed synthetic, with what could only be described as amusement playing across his skeletal features. Red lights mounted in artificial eye sockets shone with cold, calculating malice.
Sha'ira didn't hesitate; she threw a full force biotic blast straight at the Shadow Broker with enough power to stop a Thresher Maw in its tracks. Her attack lacked the finesse of a trained commando, after all it had been years since she has had to resort to violence, but like all Asari she possessed an innate ability for biotics more powerful than any other species. Her bolt streaked through the air faster than the eye could see, but didn't even make it half way before simply dissipating into nothing.
In the time it took for her to ready another attack, the synthetic man had crossed the space between them. His metallic hand closed around her throat, and as it did, the singularity at her fingertips sputtered and died. Whatever the Shadow Broker was made of, it seemed to absorb biotic energy.
Sha'ira grasped at the cold fingers gripping her neck, but robot's grip was like an unbreakable vice. With no evidence of any physical exertion, mechanical or otherwise, he hoisted the Asari into the air, holding her wriggling form a good foot off the ground.
"Did you give Shepard the Prothean relic?" his voice was low and dangerous.
"I...I," Sha'ira gasped, struggling to alleviate enough pressure for her to breathe "Please, I didn't..."
The Shadow Broker didn't give her a chance to answer. Instead, he threw the consort clean across her chambers, smashing her though the translucent pleasure-pod. Purple glass exploded everywhere, showering the room with razor-sharp fragments.
Rounding the wreckage of the bed, the malevolent synthetic advanced on the cowering Asari.
"Please!" there was nothing seductive about her voice...no musical undertones now. How quickly organics dropped their masks when faced with their own mortality. Asari were always the best; they lived so long they forgot what awaited them in the end.
"I-I didn't know!" now she was sobbing, it was so...undignified "Oh Goddess, I beg you! I'll tell you everything..."
"Yes, you will."
Clamping one hand across her mouth to stifle the inevitable screams, the Shadow Broker flexed the forefinger of the other. As he did, a long, thin spike extended from the tip. It grew to about a foot, revealing tiny, blue lights along its length.
"It's a pity, you won't survive the process."
Tightening his hold to prevent the Asari's squirming from disrupting the extraction, the synthetic position the tip of the bard between two folds of Sha'ira's head crests. Then, with a focused burst of strength, he drove it home.
Lucy watched the last furl of Rael's cape disappear into the airlock before turning to her Quarian partner. Tali was still trembling ever so slightly; enough for the spectre to justify a few on-duty displays of affection. Wrapping her other arm around the engineer's diminutive frame, Lucy hugged her tightly to her chest. One of her hands found its way up Tali's back, slipping under her shawl to rub soothing circles on the back of her neck.
"What did he say?"
The Quarian drew a shuddering breath.
"He told me he was proud of me." she whispered.
Lucy smiled warmly.
"He has every right to be."