Chapter Thirteen
Rumors ran throughout the ship of strange noises coming from one of the escape pods. Zoe saw Aypri at breakfast the next morning. Aypri had a huge grin on her face. She also tried to hide the bow legged walk she sported but Zoe smiled. She mouthed to Aypri about Wrex's size. Aypri measured from the tip of her middle finger down halfway passed her elbow. Wow Wrex is huge. Zoe wanted to christen one of the escape pods herself. She was eyeing the cockpit escape pod. She was also toying with the idea of manipulating the gravity within the escape pod. Sex in zero gravity was a feat that was always on the back of her mind. Maybe the airlock or her cabin was better spots for futuristic fornication.
Aypri was welcome in Zoe's cabin if the Indian princess decided to sneak in a quickie before or after her shift. Zoe was pretty sure the Aypri was a cock worshipper. There was no known cock bigger than the krogan's. Zoe was tempted but she had a few others she wanted to try first. Images of nude turians and drells came to mind. Interesting colors, shapes, and sizes; speaking of which, she just saw Garrus heading for the men's communal bathroom. Liara wasn't there to satisfy her need and Zoe hoped that Garrus could fill in the void.
Zoe felt giddy as she shadowed Garrus to the bathroom. He had locked to door behind him but she already had out her omni-tool out working on the door lock Garrus had put up. She was impressed by the turian's tech knowledge. It was nowhere near as good as Tali or Zoe's level but his locking program was stronger than most basic hacking programs. Zoe activated her cloaking system and silently walked into the large communal bathroom. She saw Garrus's blue and black armor hanging from the wall. He was humming a tune Zoe had never heard of before and his sub harmonics reverberated against the metal walls. The little tune hit Zoe deep within her center. Her grey workout sweats sported a growing wet spot.
She noticed that he never took off his visor. That must have been quite the purchase if he didn't modify it himself to be completely waterproof. Even in this century, water and electronics weren't the best of friends. That bulky armor of Garrus's really hid the turian hunk. His two toned skin had muscles everywhere she looked. He should have been in a body building magazine for how muscular he was. Then again, she knew most of those muscle meatheads couldn't move with the fluidity and grace that Garrus could while at the same time dodging bullets and biotics. It was then when that vibrating gravelly voice hit her deep.
"Increased heart rate, and higher skin temperature, I take it you like what you see Commander. I thought you were attached at the hip to a beautiful blue babe who may or may not be able to flay people alive with only her mind. You have me at a disadvantage. You bypassed my door lock and are ogling me so you aren't shy but if you're still modest you can remain cloaked and clothed. This is after all your ship." Garrus said.
He then heard Zoe discarding her workout gear on the floor. Zoe applied her own designed lock onto the door. Nobody not even Tali' could crack her code. She walked over and underneath the hot water of the shower. She knew turians liked it hot but this water was a little more than her skin could handle. She placed her hand upon his wet sinewy shoulder. His whole body vibrated his heartbeat. That was something nobody told her. It was incredibly erotic.
"You are the most beautiful woman in the galaxy Zoe. I wish I had had the courage to tell you that the first time we crossed paths on the Citadel. I'm sure you have noticed me glancing at you from time to time." Zoe nodded affirmatively. "The hi gher ups at C-SEC only allowed me to join your team if I would write reports on your actions and behaviors. They wanted me to essentially spy on you."
"I've known since I read your first report. Nothing leaves this ship without me and my many digital filtration systems I've built into the ship's network. I knew you were writing bogus reports for your bosses. The last one was quite good albeit a little embellished. You could have a future in writing." Zoe laid a kiss upon Garrus's large pectoral muscle.
"You're into xenophilia? I mean the Asari more or less look like human females minus the blue skin and crests. I didn't peg you for an alien lover." Garrus said as he gently wrapped his toned arms around Zoe's slippery body.
"There are many things you have no idea about me Mr. Vakarian. I also know many things about you. For one, I know your father would challenge you to fight to the death if he ever found out you held a beautiful naked human in your arms." She felt Garrus shudder at the mention of his father. Zoe knew there was palpable tension between father and son.
"You thought it would be a good idea to utter that pig's name in my presence. Have you no sense?"
"I only brought it up because I know how much you keep your personal life private as possible; I meant no offense or undue pain. To be fair, I'm pretty sure my mother would follow in your father's footsteps. She lost her brother in the First Contact War. She may be fine with me and Liara but she despises turians. A turian commander executed her brother in from of his wife and kids. Only a handful of people know that story. We still may face execution if certain factions ever found out about us." Zoe reveled in Garrus's warmth. It wasn't just the hot water. She felt safe in his arms. It was a new feeling because Zoe never needed to feel safe in anybody arms before. She was her own woman who didn't need help from any one. Yet here she was and it was starting to throw her mind in a loop.
She looked up at the six foot three inch turian. His dark eyes shone of a brightness she had never noticed before. His hard mandibles grayish blue and powerful emitted subtle clicks and vibrations. Zoe could only think of a cat and its purring. Would she be brave enough to call him a giant purring kitty cat? Maybe not today but she would someday soon. Something big and hard poked her in the leg. Zoe looked down and nearly let her jaw hit the floor. There in front of her was a large dark purple cock around a foot in length. The head was strange pyramid shaped fleshy knob.
"Is it too late to walk away Garrus? I am feeling conflicted. Part of me really wants for you to plunge that big thing deep inside me. The other half feels awful that I'm being unfaithful to Liara in the sense that she hasn't been informed. If you were looking for exclusivity with me then I can't give it to you. I have bonded already with Liara. It's incredibly deep and really unexplainable to those on the outside. I haven't been in contact with her in almost a week. I'm starting to worry. Not to mention, this whole mess with Feros and the hunt for Saren. I really needed an escape for a few moments."
Garrus spoke no words but started humming that tune Zoe heard when she first walked into the bathroom. This time however, Zoe felt the vibrations pulsating off of Garrus's body. He was singing her into a calm state only Liara was able only able to previously achieve through her biotic touch. Garrus's song ended and Zoe looked up into those dark eyes.
"That was a song my mother used to sing to my sister Solana and I if we were ever having trouble calming down before bed. It's one of the only things I remember about her. She was taken by slavers when I was younger."
"It's hauntingly beautiful. How it was able to calm me down was quite impressive. Thank you Garrus. We may not be to be as close as you may want but I will treasure moments like this for the rest of my years." A loud bang was heard coming from the door. "It looks like our time together has come to a close. Know that you will be in my thoughts Mr. Vakarian. If you've been good enough, you'll make it into my dreams as well." Zoe said as she walked away from the very erect turian. She quickly picked up her clothing and threw them on her wet body. She activated her cloak right before deactivated the door lock. She stepped aside as the door flew open and a marine rushed into the first bathroom stall. Then she remembered it was Tuesday.
Zoe made it back to her cabin undetected. She tossed the wet clothes into the hamper. She pulled out and put on her duty uniform and her leather boots before making her way up to the Combat Information Center and the bridge. She walked over to the Star Map and plotted a course back to the Citadel. She wanted to turn the Baynhams over to either the Alliance or C-SEC but wasn't really sure if those two would face anything more than a slap on the wrist. Hell with their experience, they would probably be offered new jobs in R&D departments at any one of a number of corporations. She felt that she had enough evidence to convict them but not enough that it warranted a death sentence. Joker noticed the new course heading and locked the Normandy on to the signal from the Attican Beta cluster relay. He announced over the PA that it would take several hours to reach the Citadel.
Zoe made her rounds through the bridge and CIC. She reviewed reports from her team of analysts and specialists. She also received a silent thank you from Aypri. The ship and its crew were in top form. She retreated back to her cabin to see if Liara had sent her any messages. She logged into her terminal. There were a few requests from Admiral Hackett but nothing urgent. There was nothing from Liara. Zoe could have forced her way into Liara's mind but that would have been incredibly rude. She would respect her bond mate's privacy. For the time being anyways that is.
There was an email in her inbox from an Unknown sender. If it made it into her inbox, then it passed through her insane security parameters
To: Shepard, Zoe M.
From: Sender Unknown
Subject:
This is a warning to you Commander Shepard. I have been tasked with acquiring, collecting or if you want to call it kidnapping someone who means a lot to you. I have only choice in this matter. Any other choice will result in my death. Who needs a lowly assistant to a man whose power is nearly absolute when said man is planning on replacing me soon whether I complete my task or not. I could try to defect but I don't have the resources others have. If it comes to it, I will present myself to you and you will put the bullet in my head.
A. Creeks
Zoe tried to trace where this email came from but the best she could tell it came from the Citadel. Each member of her squad was very capable of defeating themselves against heavy numbers and low odds unless they were ambushed. She was brought out of her wayward thoughts by a knock on her cabin door. She opened the camera feed from just outside her door and saw that it was Lt. Alenko holding a datapad in his hands. 'Great, now I have to deal with whatever this idiot wants' Zoe pressed a few commands into her terminal and the door unlocked and opened. She heard Alenko walk in uninvited which grated on Zoe's nerves.
"What can I help you with Lt. Alenko?" Zoe said without looking up from her screen.
"I have filled out the transfer request form. My wish is to be reassigned to another ship or back to Alliance command for reassignment. All I require is for you to review the form, sign off on it and to send it up the chain." Alenko said. Neither soldier wanted to look each other in the eye. Zoe knew Kaiden didn't have the balls to honestly look her in the eyes. She also didn't want to allow him to undress her with his eyes with that stuck up smirk.
"You do release that this decision could come back to hurt you later on. I can tell you that leaving one of the Alliance's top ships after it is already shorthanded won't look good on your record. However, I have lost my faith and trust in you that I need my executive officer to possess. You have been nearly disrespectful to every new addition of this crew and nearly insubordinate. I could immediately sign off on your request and you can leave the ship when we dock on the Citadel. You may not like being under my command but I guarantee you that I am one of the better commanders to serve under. If this is what you truly want, I will have this request order ready to go by the time we reach the Citadel. You are excused Lieutenant." Zoe said as she looked over the datapad Alenko had left on her desk. She almost wanted to chuck the fucking datapad across her cabin. She didn't need to deal with Alenko's petty bullshit now. She was tempted to crack open a bottle of her special reserve but that bottle was only reserved for real emergencies.
Zoe checked in on the Normandy's progress. It would be several hours before the Normandy would be docking at the Citadel. She called the Medbay and told Karin that she was taking over as acting head officer. Zoe forced herself up and over to her bed. She didn't even undress as she flopped down onto the bed and fell asleep.
The private ship docked at Armali's spaceport on Thessia. Matriarch Aethyta received no fanfare even a greeter from the Matriarch's council. She laughed at the thought of those idiots giving advice. If the fate of the galaxy were in the hands of those mental midgets, Aethyta would rather be fighting on the other side. She noticed that a human male with dark black sunglasses and short spiky black hair had taken an interest in her during their flight together. He was seated a few rows back from her but she could still feel his eyes upon her. She had lost sight of him in the busy spaceport. This man had an unhealthy fixation on the asari matron. Nobody knew she had booked this trip from Illium to Thessia.
She made her way over to the taxi skycar stand and hailed the first one that she saw. She told the driver to take her to the T'Soni estate. The driver took off as soon as Aethyta had taken one of the back seats of the skycab. The views of the lush Thessian home world were a welcome site to the cesspool the capital city of Nos Astra was built on top of. Some said that same swamp had permeated itself into the culture of Nos Astra. The Azure owner smiled to herself about the swampy atmosphere of Illium. It might have been a swamp but it was her swamp. People came to her business to escape and spend their ill gotten credits any way they wanted. Aethyta always catered to the every whim of every very generous client. The flight took less time than she remembered. Maybe the cabbie was hoping for a better tip because he got her to her destination as quick as possible. Aethyta was however not in a giving mood. Coming back to the estate of her child's mother was no small task. It didn't get any easier the older one got. She thanked the cabbie for the quick service but paid the fare and left a standard tip of fifteen percent. She saw the skycab take off into the setting sun. She took one step towards the gates of the T'Soni estate before her entire vision went black.
He couldn't believe how easy it was to sneak on to the T'Soni estate. The bypass tools from the tech guys would open up every door and fool every type of surveillance. The T'Sonis were known for their technological expertise but he was able to bypass the security system in seconds flat. He slaughtered every person he came across even when carrying that matriarch on his back. He marched in the front door and ambushed two asaris and a human in the kitchen. He didn't kill these targets. He would command top dollar for these hostages.
Such a surprise to find Saren's second in command alive when every news source said she was dead. Her bitch of a daughter laid unconscious next to her mother. Then there was the traitor rat scum, she must have found help from the T'Sonis or worse defected to the Alliance. The Alliance wouldn't know what to do with her let alone accept a Cerberus defector. He dropped them all with three quick shots from his tranquilizer gun. He then pulled out a bunch of long black plastic zip ties. He tied each woman's hands behind the chair they were sitting in. He roughly sat the Matriarch he captured just outside of the estate in a free chair and zip tied her down. He then pulled out a syringe and a phial of dark blue liquid. This was a new drug developed by Cerberus to dampen the biotic abilities of a biotic human person. He applied a dose to each of his victims. He gave the asaris heavier doses. It was just an added step of security quite necessary when dealing with powerful biotics. He had a biotic implant put in but didn't compare in power to those how could wield dark matter naturally.
He then pulled out a small dagger and walked over to Miranda. He slid his dagger under the material of her catsuit. He cut her out of the suit. That bitch had the gall to wear one of the most expensive bras in the galaxy in his presence. Why would she wear baggy boy shorts instead of a more appropriate thong? One swipe with his dagger gave him his answer. Nestled in a forest of black pubic hair was a giant Sequoia on its side. He nearly vomited when he saw it in its naked glory. She was a freak of nature. If he wasn't under order not to kill her, he would have mutilated her body one appendage at a time.
"Well well well, I see the Illusive Man's newest lap dog finally caught up to me." Miranda said groggily. Her natural body chemistry was to metabolize the sedative quickly enough for her to come out of her drug induced nap. Kai Leng growled out loud when he was called a lap dog. He smacked Miranda hard across the face. The dagger slightly grazed the skin opening up her cheek with a hairline cut. Droplets of blood seeped out from the cut. He slapped me. He wasn't man enough to break my jaw with a punch. She looked around the dining room. Both Benezia and Liara were starting to wake up but the third asari was still out cold. "Have nothing to say the Kai? It's not surprising; he doesn't allow many people to speak their minds. Silence is better."
"You're lucky that he wants back alive. I would have just slit your throat and would have been done with you. Traitors always get what they deserve." Leng spat out.
"Just as rabid dogs get put down. Yes, I am well aware of what awaits me wherever I end up. I have to answer for what I have done. I am ready to do so. I doubt you could or would be able to own up for all the wrongs you have committed. You would probably call those acts merits or metaphorical badges of honor." Leng rolled up part of her cat suit and shoved the fabric into Miranda's mouth. He wanted to give this tranny bitch exactly what she deserved but he had his orders. A man is nothing if he doesn't stick to his code.
"Well, you have us right where you want. What is your next move human? You could kill us. You could leak the fact that I am not dead. Most of the galaxy will not trust the source being it came from a human from human separatist movement." Benezia pondered.
"You will remain silent you blue cunt until you are spoken to unless you want to eat your own underwear like this little bitch." Leng then walked over and spat in Benezia's face.
"That's alright. I never wear underwear anyways I feel it a bit to constraining." Benezia chuckled at her own joke.
"Mother, it would probably be wise to not antagonize the person holding us hostage. If he really wanted us dead, we would all have been put down. He is an assassin after all. He almost made it through the N7 program but was dishonorably discharged after killing his instructor after a heated argument over tactics in hostage situations. He somehow beat a court-martial when evidence against him suddenly disappeared. You have a benefactor in high places Mr. Leng who also has you on a rather short leash. And rightly so, you've always had anger issues." All the time Liara had been describing Leng's history, she had been working on slipping out of the plastic zip ties. Zoe had been feeding her information on Leng's dossier the moment Liara woke up and alerted her lover over their bond. If Leng was more observant, he would have noticed the small pool of blood starting to form on the floor just under the chair above Liara. It took a few more moments but she finally slipped her hand out of one of the cuffs. Zoe was also sending extra power through their bond when Liara mentioned that she couldn't feel her own power. It was only enough for one small well placed shot. Liara was going to try a new move she had been developing over the years. It was still untested in an actual situation but she believed that if Leng got in the right spot she would launch a surprise attack.
Leng was almost in position. He had been ranting about the stupidity of women. It probably stemmed from his mother abandoning him with his abusive father. Well she didn't abandon him. His father killed his mother and lied to his son about where his mother had gone. He had always held it against his mother for leaving him alone with his abusive father. The files Zoe had access had been incredibly thorough which meant that Leng's new employer had the same files. He was almost in position. She waited a few more seconds until his back was completely turned towards her. She silently stood up, charged the only biotic power she had and sent a small disc at a high speed directly into the nape of Leng's neck.
His head didn't come flying off in a volcanic eruption of blood. Liara's disc however did cleanly sever the head from its body. The high charge of the disc cauterized both sides of the wound so the blood loss was extremely minimal. Mother would have been answer if this jerk's blood was spilled on her expensive tiled floor. Leng's head did fall off of its pedestal when his lifeless body crumpled down to the ground. Benezia and Miranda were stunned at Liara's brazen attack but quickly shook off their disbelief.
"How could you pull off that biotic feat? I can't feel my biotics let alone power up an attack." Benezia said as Liara cut through the plastic restraint on her mother's hands. Liara then walked over and released Miranda from her binds. Miranda pulled that makeshift gag out of her mouth and threw it to the ground. She was pissed that bastard ruined her favorite outfit. She briskly walked over to the body of Kai Leng. She quickly powered up his onmi-tool before it was rendered inoperable. Some omni-tools were linked to a body's vital signs. If a unit detected no vital signs it would self destruct. Miranda was able to pull everything off of Leng's omni-tool before she heard a fizzling sound coming from his arm.
She stayed silent as she perused through the lackey's files. Liara and Benezia made their way over to the fourth living person in the room. She was still unconscious, very naked and still wore a sme sort of bag over her head. There was a foul odor emanating from between her legs. One of the pet peeves of almost every asari was their distaste of unpleasant smells. Benezia had to pinch her nose as she pulled off the bag from the asari's head. She nearly fell backwards when she discovered it was her bondmate Aethyta. Most bonded couldn't communicate like Zoe and her daughter. Benezia would have been able to pick up Aethyta's unique scent if that overpowering stench wasn't bombarding her nasal cavity.
"Mother, you recognize this woman?" Liara spat out disbelievingly.
"Of course I recognize her. This is Matriarch Aethyta. She has several claims to fame. She is an asari who can't stand the uptightness of the Matriarchs council even more than me. She loathes bulshitters, flakes and fakers. She is the only person I was stupid enough to leave when I needed her help the most…"
"She's my father." Liara's quiet voice rang out.
"Indeed, I blame myself for taking her away from you. I want to claim that I had my reasons for running away from her but those were all excuses." Benezia was on the verge of tears. Guilty tears that she had no right to shed
A gritty raspy voice rang out, "I have been waiting over one hundred years to hear that out loud. I knew if you said it out loud you would have realized what you did. It could have come a lot sooner. I could have also gotten over my anger and resentment and reached out to you Liara. You might have given me a chance. You had a great speech at your graduation from university."
Liara enveloped her estranged father up into a hug that wasn't asked for but was well received. The smaller asari embraced her daughter for the first time and reveled in the closeness. Benezia walked over to Miranda who was shut off to the world as she scrutinized every file in Leng's omni-tool. Most were files the two shared and created by Cerberus. She had quickly passed over anything similar. She jumped up out of her skin when she read one of the recent messages from the Illusive man. He sent out a high priority message to all of his top agents.
The Illusive man wanted to attack at Shepard by targeting her base. He wanted to capture somebody that meant a lot to Zoe. He ordered his agents to track down either Tali, Ash, Liara, Hannah or Karin Chakwas. That insensitive egomaniacal bastard had no idea what he would stir up if he was successful in capturing one of Zoe's loved ones. Zoe carried herself like a caged dragon just wanting and waiting to pounce. She thought that his plan was to fly one hundred percent under the radar. Directly striking out at the poster child of the Alliance was not his normal modus operandi. Kai Leng was one of the Illusive man's better agents.
"Miranda, you look very conflicted. I take it that you've found something disturbing on Leng's onmi-tool." Liara said as she released herself from her father's embrace and walked over to Miranda.
"That harebrained idiot thought that striking at Zoe would be a good idea. He wanted to capture as many of people that were close to Zoe. His top agents will be looking out for you, me, Ash, Tali, Dr. Chakwas, her mother, Captain Anderson. Anybody who Zoe values and cherishes is a target. The good news is that Leng was one of his top agents but we need to keep our guard up as we normally do. I am assuming you have relayed my findings to Zoe?" Miranda asked her bashfully blue friend.
"Naturally my dear Lawson, Life would be easier if we were just dealing with Saren and his rogue geth but then when is life ever easy and simplistic. Mother, father, I no longer believe that the estate is safe enough for any of us anymore. If this agent was able to somehow find a way then there will be others who would be able to breach our security. I would like us all to leave but there is apparently some cleanup work to do first if we are to believe that headless hump other there." Liara said as she pointed at Leng's body.
"After Nezzie and I had our troubles, I never spent much time in one place for very long. So leaving here is fine with me. I had forgotten that the estate brings back unsettling memories for me. I'm not really sure why I booked a ticket back here. Sure, I wanted to pay my respects to my dead bond mate who is very much alive."
"If it hadn't been for the intervention of Liara, Miranda, and Zoe; I would have been dead. They would have had to put me down. My mind had been warped by some unknown force aboard Saren's ship. One could say that the ship itself was sentient and wanted to turn Saren and anyone else aboard mindless slaves." Benezia explained to Aethyta.
"We believe this race or class of machines simply know as the Reapers. These reapers are what we believe caused the extinction of the Protheans. The information on the reapers is extremely esoteric. If people have even heard of this race, they mainly brush it off as nothing more than a fantastic myth. We believe that these machines are agents of total annihilation. They come around every fifty thousand years and exterminate the most evolved species. We haven't been able to figure out why these harvest need to occur but finding out why may be a fruitless fancy if we can't figure out a way to stop these world destroyers. That is a brief synopsis of what's been going on. We still need to figure out our immediate next move." Liara said.
"Well I'm assuming that would be assassin followed me from the spaceport. I hailed a cab and used the informal entrance that most of the staff use. Unless that whelp blew up or disabled every ship in the small T'Soni fleet, then leaving this planet will be simple. Liara and Miranda should head to wherever your bondmate is. You are stronger together than you are apart. I know of a place that nobody would ever look for Nezzie and me." Aethyta said.
"I'll follow you wherever as long as it's not into that slime hole of a world of Omega. Aria would kill to get her hooks into either of us and through us the T'Soni fortune and influence. It's funny because it's Liara who controls everything now. The inheritance clause of my will kicked in the moment I was deemed an enemy of the Council or something like that I forget the exact wording. So Aria's potential act for seduction will be all for naught." Benezia let slip a quiet chuckle.
"No, I have no intention of going to that piss hole ever again. You aren't the only one from a wealthy Asari family. No, I was thinking of one of my family secret getaway spots on Ontarum. Since I have no family members of any kind, we won't ever be interrupted."
"As tempting as that sounds, I don't want to be completely cut off from the galaxy. Both Liara and Zoe could use our knowledge and experience. Some type of very secure communication system will be needed. That is my one and only stipulation. We could find all the necessary parts on the Citadel. My only concern left is what to do with the estate. That man violated our space and if he could do it than if word ever got out looters would be at the gates with pitchforks and torches." Benezia heard Miranda chuckle. Benezia had a secret stash of trashy human romance novels hidden away for those lonely rainy days. Not that she'd ever own up to owning such a frivolous item.
"I think rendezvousing on the Citadel should be our next step but it will be very risky. The folks at C-SEC air traffic control aren't the most discreet bunch. I'd doubt that Tevos would let us use her private landing pad. She wasn't too happy when you stole me away from her all those many years ago." Aethyta said.
"Mom, dad, we'll figure something out in route. As for the estate, I think we should let it burn before anybody has a chance to loot the place. Once I was notified of the clause activation, I started moving anything of significant monetary or sentimental value to a well secured and obscured vault hidden away. The entire computer system has been backed up off site as well. It cost quite a lot of the fortune but I figured it was well worth it." Liara was surprise when her mother walked over and hugged her. Liara hugged her mother back.
"That's exactly what I would have done if I were in your place. Thank you for doing that." Benezia said before she released her daughter. Benezia then walked over to the built in haptic display on the wall. She used her passkey to access the estate's mainframe. She then activated the estate's self destruct feature. Benezia secretly had the bomb installed after thwarting an attack single handedly just before Liara was born. She wasn't going to let her enemies ever prosper from her estate should it ever fall into their hands. She set the time to go off in an hour's time.
"We have an hour to leave the estate unless you have a secret desire to die in a fiery explosion. You can all ask me why the estate has such a feature when we are safely away from here. Now let's head to the launch bay." Benezia said as she made her way out from the kitchen. The three other beings stood in stunned silence as they watched Benezia sashay her hips quickly out of the room. All three looked to the numbers ticking down on the glowing orange screen. All three then quickly raced out of the room to catch up with Benezia.
They all saw the carnage that the Cerberus agent has laid in his wake. Liara thought it would have for the best if all the evidence was incinerated in a giant fireball. It was tradition for the asari to set their deceased loved ones to float adrift in the sea. Liara didn't believe in these traditions. Was she a closet pyromaniac? Nobody could prove anything in a court of law. From the ashes, new growth is blessed to grow. She saw the D'Nasir's gangway down and Benezia walking up into the ship. She followed Aethyta, and Miranda over the ship and boarded the ship. Abbie had lifted and Liara heard the propulsion system come to life. Liara sat down next to Miranda in the galley.
Through the window, Liara could see Thessia slowly become smaller and smaller. Benezia pulled up omni-tool and pulled up the countdown clock. She keyed in a few commands that shortened the countdown clock down to sixty seconds and restarted the clock. The next time Liara looked out the window she saw a massive fireball thousands of feet below her. The explosion of her estate would probably make the galactic news reels before they reached the Citadel. Hopefully, Zoe won't worry too much if she happens to see any of the potential news reports. Abbie announced that it would take about a day to reach the Citadel under normal propulsion. Liara got up from her seat in the kitchen and made her way to the only bedroom on the ship. She wanted to claim it before anybody else did. It had already been a long day and the fatigue had finally caught up to her. She closed and locked the bedroom door. She didn't even pull off the thin layer of clothing she had on before she collapsed onto the soft bed.
Ash was one of the few soldiers who volunteered to stay aboard the Normandy while it was docked on the Citadel. She, Zoe and Tali had all stayed behind. Zoe was bogged down in paperwork that normally would be assigned to the XO. Lieutenant Alenko requested to be transferred and Zoe had approved it early this morning. Alenko was the first one off of the ship as he frog marched himself to the Alliance outpost on the Citadel. Ash wanted to stick her favorite shotgun up the Lieutenant's ass but that would have been insulting her shotgun. Tali on the other hand was more a wall flower than a social butterfly.
Ash had just finished a vigorous workout and was even her clothes were soaked in sweat. She grabbed her towel and toilettes before heading up to the crew showers on the deck above. She didn't think she'd become a sentimental sucker but ever since Miranda had left for Thessia; Ash felt something intangible had been taken away from her. It was something that Ash needed back very soon. As soon as she passed the threshold into the crew showers, she dropped everything she was carrying. She saw a beautiful soaking wet silky mane of very long black hair with purple streaks. The hair was attached to fit body of purplish gray skin covered in pink soapy suds.
"Tali? Is that you?" Ash called out. Tali was caught off guard and dropped the container of soap. Ash pressed her luck a little farther. "You are an amazing beauty. Have I developed a crush on this gorgeous Quarian before me?"
"You can only come closer if you lose those horrendous smelling clothing. We Quarians have quite the enhanced olfactory senses due to centuries of being in very confined spaces. I probably could have smelled you from across the ship if I really wanted to." Ash took offense to being called revolting. She quickly ripped off her sports bra and launched it at Tali's head. The large elastic and cloth strap got snagged around Tali's neck. The Quarian flailed as she tried to get the offending garment off of her body.
Ash then pulled down her workout shorts and soiled elastic panties. She quickly pulled both of Tali's arm behind her back and used the panties to tie her wrists together. Ash pushed Tali up against the wall of the shower. Tali pleaded with Ash to let her go but Ash couldn't hear anything Tali said. Ash's blood was boiling inside of her.
Zoe was once again stuck doing paperwork. She would have put a bullet in Alenko's head if it didn't cause her more even more work. She hated doing inventory and supply requests from the quartermaster that drove her nuts. What was the point of having a quartermaster when she was doing all of his work on top of her own. Was there a genetic defect on the crew's male population that made it impossible for them to do their jobs? Maybe it was a study that Karin could look in to because Zoe wanted to know.
"Normandy VI to Captain Shepard. Normandy VI to Captain Shepard Come in Captain Shepard."Zoe smiled at the reprogramming Tali had done on the ship's virtual intelligence.
"Go ahead VI." Zoe responded back.
"Two Normandy crew mates are having a fight inside the crew showers. Direct action will be necessary. One combatant refuses or is unable to hear the pleas of the other." The ship's VI informed Zoe. Zoe grumbled as she messaged Karin that her leave was cancelled and that she was needed aboard the Normandy. Something must be in the air that is driving her crew insane.
She logged out of her workstation and headed to the crew restroom. She set her stunner on incapacitate as the door slid open. Zoe couldn't believe her eyes. Ash had Tali tied up on the ground. Zoe saw such fear in Tali's eyes as Ash thrust two fingers in and out of Tali's slippery quim. Zoe didn't need to see anymore. She fired out an incapacitating surge of electrical energy from her omni-tool. Ash collapsed to the floor as her body seized underneath the effects of the shock treatment. Zoe was on her knees next to Tali trying to conform the quivering quarian. Zoe noticed a blueish fluid leaking out from Tali's quim. Just what was going through her gunnery sergeant's head was exactly what Zoe wanted to find out.
She relayed another message to Karin that she had two new patients. Zoe somehow coaxed Tali to her feet and guided the wet quarian back to her cabin. She told Tali that she was going to lock Tali inside her cabin for safety. Zoe quickly returned to the showers where she dragged the unconscious and naked Ashley over to the medical bay. She then hoisted the very muscular marine on to the exam bed where she then used leather restraints on Ash's four limb and chest. Whatever behavior caused Ash to act out of character needed to be restrained until Karin could accurately diagnose Ash's condition.
The doctor soon entered her own medical wing carrying a very recognizable purple shopping bag a fact which Zoe filed away for later. "I was in the lobby of a very swanky hotel on the way to a romantic rendezvous with a very handsome younger man when I got your message. You better have a good explanation of why I was called away and an even better one on why Miss Williams is naked and restrained on my exam bed." Karin said before she put down the bag from Imina's Intimates on her table.
"The ship's VI informed me that there was some sort of altercation going on in the crew's showers. There were only two other members on board. Ashley and Tali both volunteered to stay behind with me as is protocol to leave behind a few personnel. I was utterly shocked but what I saw in the bathroom. Both Ash and Tali were naked on the floor. Tali had her hands bound behind her back and a large bit of fabric stuck in her mouth. I saw pure undiluted terror in our Quarian's bright silver eyes. Ash on the other hand was thrusting two fingers in and out the Tali's womanhood. I believe Ash might have been the thing she fears most. I want Ash to undergo one the most invasive physicals you've ever performed but first I want you treat Tali. I noticed some bleeding coming from her womanhood before I brought her to my cabin." Zoe saw Karin grab her mobile medical kit before exiting the med bay.
She let the doctor take the lead out of the medical bay. Zoe sneaked over to Karin's desk and peaked into the bag from Imina's. Karin had exquisite taste. She had purchased a gold Asari silk negligee with matching bra and thong. The younger man would hopefully accept a rain check. Karin was definably worth it. She quickly caught up with Karin and unlocked the door to her cabin.
"Tali, it is Zoe and I've brought Dr. Chakwas with me. I was worried when I saw the bruises and the blood leaking from several open wounds. Ashley has been sedated, strapped down to an exam table and locked down in the med bay. We are coming in slowly." Zoe said after the door slid open. The duo saw a quivering mass underneath Zoe's bed sheets. They both heard soft crying coming from Tali. They slowly made their way over to the bed in hopes of not spooking Tali.
Zoe reached the bed first. She could see Tali's blood stains on her sheets. She sat down in the edge of her bed very gently. She motioned to Karin to do the same on the other side. They both grabbed a part of the top sheet and slowly pulled back the sheet. Tali was curled up into a ball. "Tali, can you look at us?" Zoe asked. A much shaken Tali turned her head and looked at Zoe. "Tali, I have Karin with me and I would like her to patch up those open wounds. Now, I can leave the room to give you two some privacy…" Tali's hand and latched onto Zoe's thigh.
"Please stay Zoe. You are one of small few I trust implicitly." Tali's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Of course I will stay with you." Zoe took Tali's hand and tried to reassure the Quarian. Zoe had been in Tali's position before but Tali was attacked by a supposed friend and that made Zoe feel even worse. Ash and Tali were supposed to be friends. Did Ash truly not deal with her xenophobia and this was her lashing out.
"Zoe!" Karin had to shake the commander's shoulder to get Zoe's attention. Zoe's eyes fluttered back to reality.
"Zoe. I have closed all of Tali's exterior wounds and applied medi-gel to all of her bruises to ease the rate of swelling. However, Tali has sustained some internal trauma to her womanhood and that I will have to fix with a small surgical procedure. I have applied Medi-get to the surface of her hood and very gently to her folds in hope that the gel eases her discomfort. The gels should also me the time to exam Ashley and get her out of the Med bay before I schedule Tali's surgery. She is stable right now and needs someone to keep her company."
"I'm not going anywhere Karin but could you open up the comm. in the med bay to my omni-tool so that I can listen in. I know it's unconventional but I have a feeling that you'll find something off. Ash is one of the most stalwart of soldiers I have ever come across. Tali and Ash shared a hot tub together just a short time ago and that didn't lead to this. I have know if I have to bring Ash up on criminal charges." Zoe said the apprehension dripping from her voice.
"I don't know how I feel about broadcasting an exam. It goes against many of the oaths that I have sworn to uphold. You will be my first stop as soon as my exam is done I promise." Karin could see the disappointment in the Commander's eyes. Karin got up from the bed but before she left the cabin she turned back to Zoe. "Unless every Alliance psychologist missed something in Chief Williams' required psychological evaluations, I share your concerns that something has affected the marine's behavior." Karin saw Zoe gave her a silent nod and turned to leave the Captain's quarters.
Karin was almost at the door to the med bay when she heard a large crash come from within. She brought up her omni-tool and tapped into her web camera she used for recording patient notes. She could see that Ashley was awake and had somehow ripped through the leather restraints. Thankfully, Ash didn't have an aptitude for hacking because the electronic door locks on both the outer door and the door to Liara's office were keeping Ashley from rampaging around the ship. Karin ran back to get Zoe. It had been over thirty years since Karin had gone through basic training. She could still fire a gun but her accuracy was never the best. Secondly, she was doctor first and wasn't trained for fire fights. She was happy to leave that up to the professionals.
"Zoe, I need you now." Karin said as she burst back in to the Captain's quarters. Miss Williams somehow broke through the leathers straps and is prowling around the med bay like a caged lion. I am hoping you can use some of the tranquilizer darts you used on the Matriarch. I think two round should bring her down but bring three rounds just in case," Karin saw Zoe hop off of the bed and head right into her small weapon's locker where she pulled out a pistol and loaded it with a clip of the tranquilizer rounds. Zoe then followed the doctor back to the med bay. Zoe crouched down in a ready position as Karin unlocked the door. As soon as Zoe has a wide enough crack in the slow moving door, she fired two quick rounds into Ash's body. The drugs took immediate action but Ash was still standing. Zoe loaded the next dart into when she saw Ash tumble to the floor.
Zoe helped Karin lift Ash back up on to the exam bed. Zoe had been in enough medical bays to give Karin a helping hand. Time was of the essence. They didn't know how long the sedative would keep Ash down giving her unknown condition. Karin quickly took a few vials of Ashley's blood before turning on the all purpose medical scanner. While the scanner was booting up, Karin took the samples she collected over to her lab station. She used one of the samples for a run through her portable blood analyzing machine. The results left Karin extremely unsettled.
Ash's blood contained high levels of pure anabolic steroids somehow blended together with a minuscule amount of red sand. Karin immediately began prepping the drugs to deal with a severe case of 'Roid rage. She prepped a syringe of a lithium solution to counteract the steroids. The scanner had completed its task and displayed its findings on the screen nearby. Karin nearly dropped the syringe when she saw an image of Ash's head. There was what looked like a control chip parked right above Ash's amygdala. Karin put down the syringe on a cart and walked over to the bed. She lifted up Ash's hair and saw a small a faint scar just above the hairline. The scar hadn't fully set in so that meant that the chip was put in between a year and eighteen months ago.
"Karin, you look like you've see a ghost." Zoe said as she walked over to the good doctor.
"I unfortunately have come across this level of depravity before. I came across several Alliance soldiers with the exact same scan profiles. The truly haunting thing is that the rest of those soldiers perished on Eden Prime. I made that horrifying discovery during their autopsies. I was sworn to secrecy by the Alliance." Karin explained.
"Somebody or something targeted the 212? Why? They were just a bunch of jarheads sent to guard Eden Prime. I don't see that there is any value about this unit. Is there anything we can do to help Ash? Can the chip be removed? Is she a ticking time bomb waiting to explode? This just leads to more questions instead of answers." Zoe said as she sat down on in Karin's office chair.
"I won't even attempt to remove that chip. I am a board certified internist not a neurologist or neurologic surgeon. I make one mistake with my scalpel and Ashley is a vegetable. I believe it's some type of experimental behavior control chip but that's merely a guess due to its location. We will have to ask Chief Williams when she wakes up but we have to be careful. We might unknowingly trigger her psychosis again. Now, if you can go back to your cabin and persuade Miss Nar Rayya to come back in here; I will perform those minor operations." Karin asked.
Zoe wearily pushed herself up from Karin's comfy chair. The door silently opened and Zoe took the quick walk across the ship. She unlocked the door before it opened automatically. She saw a quivering mass underneath her bed sheets. Zoe's heart went out to the young Quarian. Zoe made her way over the bed and softly called out to Tali.
"Tali, Karin and I have secured and heavily sedated Ashley in the med bay. She can quickly patch you up and have you out of their in no time flat" Zoe said as she slowly pulled back the sheets. She could see fresh tear tracks on Tali's face. Zoe took Tali's hand within hers and helped the quarian to her feet. Hand in hand, Zoe led Tali back to the med bay. Tali flinched when her silvery eyes came across Ashley chained down to the exam bed. The heart monitor was quietly beeping away.
"Tali, you have to know that Ash didn't attack you willingly. Karin found abnormally high levels of human strength enhancing substance called steroids in Ash's blood. While that substance alone is part of the reason she attacked, Karin also found a microchip implanted deep within Ash's brain. She believes it's some sort of behavior modification chip but has no idea how it ending up in our gunny's head. Now Ash is heavily sedated and I know she's not going to wake up for another day or so." Zoe felt Tali's grip turn from firm to a vice like clamp.
Zoe had no idea how strong Tali could be when she wanted to be. Karin closed the privacy screen around Ash's bed and then guided Tali over to the other exam bed. Tali wasted no time and quickly climbed up on to the bed. Karin booted up the internal imaging machine as Zoe helped Tali out of her shredded clothing. She whispered in Tali's ear that as soon as the Doc had patched the quarian up that Zoe was going to take Tali shopping at Xan'raha's. The promise of another shopping trip put a smile on Tali's face.
"Zoe, I can take it from here. Miss Nar Rayya is in very skills and capable hands." Karin told the Commander.
"Actually, I would feel more comfortable if Zoe were to stay here and perhaps hold my hand. This would be a first. A quarian being operated on without an evirosuit on will be one for the record books." Tali asked the good doctor.
"Well this request is highly irregular but apparently that is standard operating procedure here on the Normandy. An asari with a massive penis, a suit-less Quarian, what will walk through my doors next? I hope it isn't a mechanical sexbot with massive breasts or we will never get our helmsman back." Karin turned to Zoe. "Commander, I know you've seen blood out there in the battlefield, but seeing one of your crewmates being operated on requires a different mindset of cold calculated detachment. We cannot see Tali as our friend but merely as our patient who needs to have a problem solved. Now if you can't keep the proper decorum, I will pull rank on you as chief medical officer." Karin explained.
"I can handle myself Doctor. Please start the procedure." Zoe said as she wrapped Tali's hand up within hers.
"Well, first things first, I need to scan the afflicted region." Karin said as she brought over the scanning unit. She aimed the unit at Tali's lower abdominal region and started the scanner.
"Doctor, I'm feeling really disoriented all of sudden. The room is starting to look really blurry." Tali said with a worrying wobble in her voice.
"Damn it, there is the little blighter. Just as I suspected, Tali is bleeding internally. Zoe, you'll have to hold her down. I don't have time to properly work up the correct dosage for a sedative. Forgive me Tali but this is going to hurt." Karin said as she picked up her plasma-ray scalpel.
A swift cut and a loud scream later, Karin had a sterilized glove inside of Tali. She quickly isolated the bleeding vessel and pinched it off. She spread open her fingers a little and placed the scalpel just above the vessel. Karin powered up the knife and cauterized the wound. She then slowly pulled her fingers out and began closing the incision. All the while, Zoe was staring into Tali's beautiful silvery eyes. She kept whispering words of encouragement to the young Quarian. Karin walked over to the wash station, washed her gloves off before she removed them and disposed them in a trash receptacle for biohazard waste. She gloved her hands once again and grabbed a dispenser of medi-gel.
"Tali, the scan also showed that there was minor tearing and some bleeding within your womanhood. With the help of the medi-gel, it will fully heal within a week." Karin squirted out a dollop of the gel onto her index and middle fingers. Using her free hand, she gently spread open Tali's battered lower lips. Karin heard a muffled whimper as she slowly inserted her two fingers. Tali shuttered as two fingers probed her insides. She could feel the gel starting working its magic. The pain in her pussy started to fade away. Karin saw the grit slowly fade from Tali's face.
"Good, I can see the medi-gel is starting to do its job. Now before I discharge you from the med bay, I have some restrictions for you. You are on severely modified duty. I would still be keeping you here in the med bay but it would be better if you were not here when Ashley wakes up. Now there will be no heavy lifting of any kind. You are banned from the ground team until I sign off on your return to duty. Consider it a vacation if Quarians do indeed take them." Karin said before she walked over to her desk. "You ladies never stick around to deal with the reports I have to finish. I swear the next person who is stuck in my med bay is writing up their own report."
Zoe extended her arm and helped Tali up off of the exam bed. She told Tali that she needed to speak to Karin alone for a little bit regarding what to do about Ashley. She gave Tali permanent access to her cabin. She then told Tali that they would be heading out to go shopping. Zoe watched that shapely Quarian ass walk away from the med bay. The lavender skin got Zoe's blood flowing as the extremely long black hair acted as broom sweeping that ass.
"Tali really does cut quite the figure. Does she know that it's really rare to see a quarian not in their suit let alone absolutely nude?" Karin said before letting a chuckle escape from her lips.
"You are so ruining the moment. Keep it up and I'll make you drop and give me twenty in your birthday suit inside my cabin." Zoe said.
"Promises, promises Commander. I might have raised you but we aren't related in any means. The cougar still likes to prowl. Now I heard moaning coming from Ashley. I don't think she will be much of a problem but still it behooves us to be prepared." Karin said before handing Zoe her sidearm. Zoe followed Karin back into the med bay. The screen had been pulled back and Ash laying on the bed. Her body twitched as the marine started to regain consciousness.
Ashley moaned as her eyelids fluttered open. She tried to move her arms and legs but found her body was restrained to a bed. The words what the fuck were running through her mind. She tried to speak but found her throat extremely scratchy. She faintly heard the voices of Zoe and Dr. Chakwas telling her to not to move but that rage was building deep inside her.
"Why am I being restrained? I have done nothing wrong." Ashley growled out. Her eyes threw daggers at the two Alliance officers.
Zoe felt insulted by Ashley's words. Her righteous anger causes her body to flare biotic blue. She raised her fist to see it glowing. She really wanted to strike Ash but that punch would have done severe damage internally. She knew that you couldn't solve a problem of violence with more violence.
"You have been restrained because you brutally assaulted a lovely quarian on my ship. I…"
"You're giving me shit for messing with a shittin' suit rat? I am an Alliance marine on an Alliance vessel. Since when did we allow suit rats on board one of the most advanced ships in the fleet?
"You are lucky I didn't put a bullet between your eyes when I saw you raping Tali." Zoe growled back. She tightened her grip around the butt of her sidearm. "Go back and read the rules and regulations. Sexual assault of any kind is a felony at the very least. I however am tempted to toss your ass out of the airlock."
"No Alliance tribunal would ever convict me." Ashley smirked at her statement.
"You forget that I am a Council Spectre. I can make you disappear with the easy snap of my finger." Zoe heard a beep coming from her omni-tool. She saw the message from Karin and nodded her head. Zoe silently started charging her omni-tool as she walked up next to the younger marine. "Your death will only be mourned by your family but they won't ever be able to bury your body. No honor guard or expensive funeral that a marine truly deserves." Zoe put her hand on the base of Ash's neck and angled it at the location Karin mentioned in her message.
"I don't need a fucking honor guard. I…aye…yai…yai.." A powerful electrostatic discharge erupted out from Zoe's omni-tool and nailed Ash right below her trademark bun. Both Karin and Zoe knew that somebody else was in control of Ashley through the control chip. Once again, Ashley flopped around the med bay but luckily she was restrained to the bed.
"Hopefully my friend Aela is still on the Citadel. She is probably one of the best neurosurgeons in the galaxy. Even luckier is that she owes me a huge favor." Karin rushed over to her video communicator and pulled up her friend's contact information. The call went through and a gorgeous blonde answered the call. Zoe couldn't hear what the gorgeous blonde was saying but it looked like good news given Karin's smile. "Thank you so much Aela. Yes, yes this totally makes us even unless you want to go double or nothing. Yes, yes, we shall see you soon." Karin swiveled around in her office chair.
"Zoe, would you please escort my friend through the frantic mess that is C-SEC and bring her back here. We pretty much have everything we need here. We are just lacking skilled knowledgeable hands." Karin never saw Zoe leave the med bay so fast before. Beneath that crusty exterior, Karin knew Zoe had a heart of gold. Karin moved the portable scanner back over to Ashley's bedside. She aimed the machine at the spot where Zoe fired that lightning bolt. The scanner was showing a slightly singed chip. Hopefully Zoe's accuracy was as good as she claimed it was. Ash was in Aela's hands now.
The D'Nasir landed on the private landing pad of Diara Industries. The company was located on the fringe of the factory district of the Citadel. It was the company Aethyta inherited from her parents. She had no control over the day to day operations and loved to keep it like that. She led Benezia, Liara, and Miranda off of the D'Nasir and into the stylish office. Benezia stood in awe of her bondmate's hidden wealth. It never bothered her that Aethyta was wealthier than her own family because Aethyta never showed off. It was never her style. Aethyta walked over to a bookshelf and pulled on a specific book. The book turned out to be a latch which opened up a biometric hand scanner. Aethyta then placed her hand down upon the scanner. Three seconds and a hand scan later unlocked a secret room behind the bookcase.
"What did you expect from the former head of the Commando training school? Of course I have a room like this for this exact purpose. I have enough light armor and small arms to protect us in case we get in a sticky situation. Anything else would require a larger storage bunker and those are hard to hide on the top of an office building." Aethyta waved the group inside her hidey hole.
Inside there were several ranks of pistols and small submachine guns. Aethyta was checking out the sets of body armor hanging on a clothing rack in the back of the room. She selected one that was slate grey and had royal blue accents. Liara chose a white a blue suit with a flared out tails on her top half. Miranda one again chose the tightest skin tight armor Atheyta kept in stock. Benezia chose the only one that could equip a helmet or visor. She was still dead to the galaxy after all.
Every lady pulled off everything they were currently wearing. Atheyta was surprised to see a good sized cock dangling between Miranda's legs. Somehow she was able to remain silent as she watched the buxom brunette bombshell pull on her cat suit. Atheyta felt her lips moisten and her nipples harden. Miranda knew that Atheyta was ogling her. Miranda put on a little show for the matriarch. She wasn't terribly interested in the asari but she never said no to a little teasing.
Benezia and Liara pulled on their armor quickly. Neither was enamored with Miranda's novelty pistol. Both then grabbed a pistol and SMG and attached each weapon to their armor. Atheyta was the last one to pull on her suit of armor and grab necessary arms and ammo. "Now that we aren't running around naked, I am going to get an appointment with Tevos. She owes me a few favors that I can happily call in. Nezzie, I'm really at a loss about what to do with you. The galaxy believes you're either dead or a traitor and fanatic supporter of Saren. Hopefully, that helmet and visor combo will keep your identity a secret so long as you don't go up to the Presidium. You two giant cocks with legs are free to do as you please. Both of you are being hunted by those idiots from Cerberus so keep your guard up at all times. The ship and I are planning on leaving this station in twelve hours time, if any of you are here great, you're welcome aboard. If not I'm sure we'll cross paths once again. The galaxy ain't that big." Athetya pressed the button for her private elevator. The elevator appeared in seconds flat. "I can take you all as far as the lower Zakera wards after that you're all on your own." The asari said as she stepped into the elevator.
Zoe had escorted the ravishingly blonde buxom Aela Bjornsdottir through the leering eyes of C-SEC control. The redhead and blonde certainly turned heads as they walked back from the main lobby of the security hub over the lift that took people up to docking bay. That pain in the ass bint from Westerlund news was hovering around the lift portal. Zoe went over to a C-SEC guard standing nearby and told him that the reporter was trespassing and in violation of a newly passed security clearance law. The turian smiled as much as he could when she told him to bounce the reporter. Once Al-Jilani was removed from the vicinity, Aela and Zoe took the lift up to the docking D-24. Zoe then authorized Aela's clearance onto the Normandy.
As Zoe led Aela down to the med bay, she asked about the procedure. Aela told Zoe it was a rather risky procedure to implant such an experimental chip in the first place. Removing said chip would be just as risky. Aela said that Zoe should prepare for the worst. It was lucky that Ash survived this far with the chip. The surgery wasn't an easy routine surgery. Operating on the brain could be notoriously risky.
The door to the med bay slid open. Once Karin saw Aela, she quickly walked over and enveloped the taller woman in a warm hug. They both exchanged a greeting in a language Zoe couldn't understand. Karin told Zoe that with Aela's help, the odds were in Ashley's favor of making a full recovery. She claimed the less distractions around would help the doctors concentrate better. Karin recommended checking in with Tali. Zoe could tell when she wasn't wanted anymore.
Zoe walked across the ship's interior once again on the way her cabin. The door slid open as she saw a shapely lavender rear being pulled into a suit. Zoe's nipples hardened and her pussy started to lubricate. Before Tali fully pulled on her suit, Zoe ran up to the quarian and wrapped her hand around the warm firm breasts. Tali nearly had a heart attack as she felt someone groping her breasts from behind. Then she noticed the tattoo Zoe had on the back of her right wrist and relaxed into the Commander's embrace. Zoe really wanted slip a finger into Tali's slit but the doc said to give Tali at least a week to recover. So instead Zoe nibbled on Tali's neck and shoulders. She felt the young girl shiver.
"We have a few hours until shift change. How would you like to sneak in a quick shopping trip?" Zoe's voice was practically purring against Tali's smooth skin.
"I'd thought you'd never ask. Then again I'd never think that I would be able to wear the skimpiest clothing in my life time but look at me now." Zoe looked down and saw a black thong with N7 printed just above the crack of Tali's purple ass.
"I see you raided my panty drawer. You know it has a matching bra somewhere around here." Zoe said.
"Ohh I didn't take these from your drawer. I took this one from your hamper and it was still wet. I'd love to taste that wonderful nectar of yours soon. As for the bra, my suit has built in support." Tali said as she pulled on the rest of her suit. She then put on her lavender shaded mask and booted up the suit's onboard systems. Tali squeaked as a wave of pleasure ripped through her body when Zoe pinched her nipple. "Don't know how sensitive my nipples are?" She said as she slapped Zoe's hand away.
Tali took the initiative and left Zoe's cabin first. She could feel Zoe's eyes engraving Zoe onto her ass. She yelled at Zoe that the shops wouldn't be open all day. Zoe ran to catch up with Tali on the stairs up to the CIC. Seconds later they were heading through the airlock. Zoe messaged Karin that she was locking down the Normandy. She didn't wait for a response. They both rode the elevator down to the atrium of Citadel Security. Zoe was happy to not see that whorish reporter anywhere in her line of sight. Zoe walked over to the rapid transit kiosk and ordered a taxi. A few moments later, Tali and Zoe were in a skycab heading towards Xan'raha's store.
It was rare to be greeted by the lady Xan'raha herself. The legendary matriarch rarely ever left Thessia unless it was to release a new design. Xan'raha's skin was the deepest shade of purple imaginable. She had a few of her tentacles of her fringe pierced along with a nose ring. She had exquisite white tribal marking on her face. She wore the skimpiest outfit that barely covered her large breasts and shapely curves. On the security monitor on her desk, Xan'raha saw one of her favorite customers and a quarian walking in the front entrance. Xan'hara rarely ever interacted with her customers but exceptions are made when one is a Council Spectre.
The asarian designer made her way out from the back of the store out on to the sales floor. "I see you are looking at the work of my newest protégé." Xan'hara said to Tali. She saw the quarian admiring a sheer purple and gold outfit that hugged the breasts and flattered the ass nicely. She heard Tali gasp when the quarian looked at the price tag. Xan'hara knew that if the Quarian really wanted it all she had to do was to ask the Commander. Doing research on your best customers wasn't just a good idea it was also good business.
"The material is exquisite and the designs are very familiar but I can't remember exactly where I have seen it before." Tali said.
"The price is a reflection of extreme rarity of the fabric. You are looking at some of the only pre-Morning War silk from Rannock. I would have never come across such a fabric if not for my newest protégé. She has been a real godsend. My sales were starting to slow down but her creative eye has boosted my sales to record highs." Xan'hara saw Commander Shepard walk over to her and the quarian.
"Zarha, I couldn't help you tell Tali about this wonderful new protégé you've discovered. I find it a little rude you've kept that from me. I am after all one of your best customers." Zoe grabbed Xan'hara's huge ass and gave it a few shakes.
"I already give you a significiant discount Zoe. You can't seduce me anymore than you already have. Second, are you calling me out on my holding back secrets when I had to hear about your elevation to the being the first human Spectre from a cheap news report. I was just one vid-call away. Now, Tali was it?" Tali nodded. "If you two would like to meet my protégé, you can follow me into the back of the store." Xan'hara led the two passed racks of clothing into the back of the store where there was a Quarian working with her back turned away from the new arrivals.
"Ru… we have some guests" Xan'hara said. The shapely Quarian turned around and a loud thud was heard as Tali collapsed to the floor.