AUTHOR'S NOTE Hey guys. Sorry about the delay and sorry about any lax of quality. My dog has started having seizures recently, two total so far and just last night did we get medications for her. Needless to say it has not been leaving me in the best of moods for writing. Anyways, hope you enjoy.
Commander John Shepard
I woke up the following morning with a smile on my face and pleasant dreams through the night. Not to mention the undoubtedly beautiful woman sleeping beside me. Her eagerness had surprised me. And either she had done some research, or kissing isn't that alien of a concept. I couldn't exactly keep track of how long we were at it, but it didn't last long enough. Tali clearly felt the same, her disappointment obvious as she reluctantly backed off to put her mask and glove back on. To reassure her as she was sealed off from me, I smiled and said "Thank you." I knew she smiled in return, and I could picture it perfectly as we took to our rest. Unfortunately, after waking up, the smiles wouldn't last long. With the Normandy's shield tech no longer being her focus, she had been able to focus on decrypting and analyzing that Eclipse data pad back from when we recruited Samara. And overnight, the program had finished. And who would have thought? She was transported to Omega.
First order of business today, have Joker set a course for Omega. That was easy enough, and took care of it on my way for the second order of business. That being fetch Urz, and go see Jack. Third would be to talk to Samara, let her know. I took the elevator down with Tali in a comfortable silence, just leaning on one another. She got off on the crew deck so she could eat and go to Chakwas for some cold medication. Nothing major, but she had sneezed quite a few times already. I continued on to engineering, finding Urz asleep at the foot of Zaeed's cot. Well, I figured he was asleep, because while his eyes were wide open, he didn't react to me entering aside from stirring slightly at the noise. Zaeed was still asleep, snoring loudly. With Urz stirring, he began to wake, only then realizing I was there before shooting up, and quickly trotting over to sniff at me. I pet him, and led him out of Zaeed's room and down to Jack.
"Jack?" I called out as I walked down the steps.
"Fuck ya want, Shep?" Jack called back casually. Right, biotics don't get hangovers.
"Remember the Varren I picked up?"
"You brought him with us? Hmph," she was smirking as I turned the corner, seeing her sitting on her table. "Bet that got on Cheerleader's nerves." Urz came around as well and studied Jack from a distance at first. "What about him?"
"I can't keep him up in my quarters, thought you might enjoy having a pet overnight."
"Dog Sitting? Me? Really?" Jack laughed, and Urz started to step closer, sniffing at her.
"Just overnight. Besides, thought it might be good for you. And a Varren is a helluva lot more your speed than a poodle."
"Damn right," Jack remarked, noticing Urz right by her. Probably in spite of herself, she started to pet him. "What's his name again?"
"Urz. So?" Jack was quiet a moment, giving Urz some attention.
"Yeah, alright, fine."
"Thanks. I'll give you two some time to get to know each other. Besides, I need to talk to Samara."
"Yeah, sure." She paused. "Whatever." I took my leave. She's trying to hide it. Not well, but trying. I made my way up to the crew deck, and instead of in her room meditating, Samara was getting some breakfast. Some sort of breakfast salad by the looks of it. Also eating were Tali, Garrus, Miranda, Thane, Jacob, Kasumi, and Grunt. As well as Ken, Gabby, Kenn, Lia, Chakwas, Kelly, and other various crew. Nods and good mornings were exchanged as I went to go get a little breakfast bar.
"Samara," I began after the first bite. "Found your target."
"Please, wait for me in observation. I will join you shortly," she answered. I nodded, finished my bar, and waited for her as she asked. Before long, the door to observation opened, Samara stepping through and towards the viewport. "Where has she fled?" she asked, staring out into the void.
"Omega. Unsurprisingly. Strangely enough, the lone passenger that Eclipse were smuggling on their ship. And extra security, but for themselves. And the entire crew specifically picked to only be attracted to men. I'm not sure why they'd be that specific. Just who is this 'Morinth?'"
"That is the name she goes by now? I see. It is vital that she be apprehended before she disappears again."
"This seems more deeply rooted than a professional sense of duty," I remarked.
"She has been my focus for over four-hundred years. It is the most important task of my life, and the reason I became a Justicar."
"Well. Shit," I murmured. "Good news is that we're already en route. But just what are we dealing with here?" Samara continued to gaze out into space.
"She is an Ardat-Yakshi. I do not expect you to recognize the term. The Asari public treats it as a dark secret. The terminology comes from an ancient and long dead Asari dialect. A Demon of the night winds. The mythology aside, she is a very dangerous woman who kills without mercy."
"This breed of serial killer wouldn't have such a unique name unless they shared some unique method. What makes an 'Ardat-Yakshi' so special?"
"An Ardat-Yakshi suffers from a rare genetic disorder that is only possible among pure-blooded Asari. And even then, the likelihood without a family history is approximately one percent. When an Ardat-Yakshi mates, there is no gentle melding of nervous systems. They overpower their victims, hemorrhaging the brain. The victims are left a mindless shell, dying soon after," Samara explained. Well, holy fucking shit that is rather scary. The most sexualized race in the galaxy that have serial killers who kill through sex.
"Well… this is news to me. Then, are all Ardat-Yakshi serial killers? Or…?"
"The gene manifests with maturity, and early detection is extremely rare, even by the standards of the Ardat-Yakshi themselves. Most are only discovered after their first attempt to mate. The first death is never intentional. Nonetheless, they are given a choice. Live in seclusion and comfort in one of the several remote Ardat-Yakshi monasteries, or die, as they have shown their addiction to the surge of ecstasy that they receive from killing their mates. There is no redemption for such a person.
"Addiction?"
"Yes. Of the Ardat-Yakshi who escape and continue killing, some have been found dead, overdosed on Hallex or other such narcotics. Most others are still addicted. The rush they feel from killing is similar to the rush provided by those narcotics. Further, their biotic strength increases. The more they kill, the more they need to kill. It is widely believed that stories of Asari devil figures have in fact been Ardat-Yakshi than went unchecked well into their Matriarch years."
"Then why are they so obscure?"
"As I just hinted, when our race was young, Ardat-Yakshi were fascinating. Some cultures worshipped them as gods of destruction. Now the Asari have their place in the Galaxy. Considering how strongly this position is reinforced through sexual charms and behaviors, they do not wish for this defect to be widely known. Directly, I only know of three that exist today. I know more live in monasteries, but I do not know how many. Two of the three chose a life of seclusion. The third ran. And I am sworn to kill her."
"And I am very inclined to help with that." Samara nodded, glancing back at me. Her face stoic as always.
"She confuses her victims, twists their feelings. They will do anything for her favor," she warned. "And there is one final thing, Shepard. This… monster, that I hunt? She is my daughter."
Well. Shit.
"I… I am at a complete loss for words, Samara. I'm sorry, though that hardly seems like enough."
"Spare me the pity, Shepard. I want none, and accept none. I grieved long ago. I am responsible for her murders, and my redemption lies in ending them. I own nothing, and I claim nothing. My other two daughters chose seclusion. And now my purpose is to destroy my own child." Jesus… all three of her daughters are Ardat-Yakshi?
"Help me find my long lost daughter, Shepard. And kill her."
Tali'Zorah vas Neema
It had been two days since I had shown my face to John. Two days since my first kiss. Keelah do I still feel amazing. Despite the cold. It was worth it. I think the crew was gossiping, at least some of them assuming more had happened than actually did. And I surprisingly didn't care. Besides, Gabby would shut Ken up for me. Regardless, we were still en route to Omega, though our route was taking us through the Hades Nexus. But what's strange is that John has just called myself, Garrus, Grunt, Mordin, and Samara to prepare for a ground op and report to the shuttle, and that Mordin should bring extra dextro based medical supplies. The most I can figure out about what's going on, is that after we had entered the Hades Nexus, we remained in normal space longer than normal, and the ship turning when we should have already been facing the next relay, then entering FTL again. We only just returned to real space. While FTL goes through engineering for us to actually engage it, we don't have navigation down here. We know if we're moving and how fast, but we're completely blind as to where unless we ask or are informed. And as far as real space is concerned, pilot can directly control speed and turning and such at will, while we make sure enough power gets where it is needed, and in the most severe of emergencies, such as a maneuver that would, without doubt, cause a critical overload, we can countermand such a maneuver by redirecting power. Though Joker would never give us a reason to do so.
I arrived at the shuttle, armed and ready for combat alongside the others requested. John, naturally, was already waiting, fully prepared himself. He began to explain.
"Shortly after coming out of Relay transit here in the Hades Nexus, we picked up a distress call bouncing around the comm buoys. It's about two days old, and Quarian in nature." Two days? That's not a good sign. Unless it's as simple as them being stranded, they would, in all likelihood, be dead or worse already. "Considering that we're in the Terminus systems, and close to the Perseus Veil at that, there are no emergency services in the cluster, and the beacon isn't marked as having a response en-route. Even pirates do that to claim a score. Unfortunately, the signal itself doesn't tell us much. Only that a Lieutenant Farzan vas Idenna, pilot of the scout ship Cyniad, is requesting immediate assistance before cutting to static, and the coordinates pointed to the planet we're orbiting right now. Gei Hinnom. EDI has already performed a scan and confirmed the presence of a crashed Quarian ship. However, considering the region they landed in is lush, results are inconclusive, other than that there is more than local flora present. While no one's responding to our hails, with luck, this will be nothing more than landing, letting survivors aboard, and making sure they get home safe to the Idenna."
"But it's never so simple, hence having us around. Just in case," Garrus remarked.
"Naturally. And if we do have to fight anyone or anything off of the Quarians, I want Mordin administering first aid as needed, while Samara, I want you to keep them all alive. Probably a barrier. Let's go." We quickly boarded and took off towards the surface. I can't help but fear for my people. And these are survivors of the Idenna. The ship Cerberus boarded. If they're ok, I wonder how bad of an idea it would be to have them recount their memories of the attack. For the hesitant crew and Lawson. Though that might have to be done without explaining the full truth of the ship.
"We've broken atmo. Scans are picking up a camp below. Got a landing zone, but no sign of anyone yet," John called out. The fact that they were able to set up camp at least is a good sign. "We're being hailed on short range. Letting you all in on the transmission.
"Thank the Ancestors! We've lost over half of our survivors to a large pack of Varren! They know we're here, a-a-and I think they're coming for the rest of us. Hurry!" a female voice pleaded. Damn it all, why can't things ever just go ok?
"We've locked onto your signal. Get out in the open, and we'll land beside you. Don't waste a damned second hopping aboard," Shepard ordered.
"This is Tali'Zorah vas Neema. Listen to him, we'll get you back to the Idenna safely," I added to reassure them.
"O-ok. Hurry," she answered. We could hear gunfire through her response.
"Grunt, Garrus, at the sides of the doors. Shoot any Varren making a go for anyone," Shepard ordered. "Samara, quite literally, give anyone who needs it a lift to stay safe."
"The Quarians shall lose no more this day, Commander," Samara replied. Garrus and Grunt got in position, and Samara glowed blue in anticipation. Moments later, the shuttle slowed as the door opened, a rough, rapid landing. It was a jungle environment, and there were several freshly dead Varren and torn tents. And a Quarian body with bite marks at the shoulder and claw marks streaking down its back. I don't know if they're alive or dead, but they won't be left behind. The survivors, six of them, hopped in but the Varren were starting to charge, not wanting their prey to escape. Several were being gunned down, and another was going for the body. Not if I can help it. I tossed Chatika out of the shuttle and barged out, shotgun in hand, killing the Varren going for the body, while Chatika formed, set to defend me.
"Tali! What are you-" Garrus called out. "Damn it, I'm coming to help." I started picking up the body, a woman's, Chatika zapping a Varren that got close while Grunt shot others, Garrus firing twice as he ran to join me. With his off hand, he helped pick the body up, and we ran back to the shuttle. Chatika right behind me, deforming and returning to my belt as we returned. Garrus banged on the door to the cockpit and the shuttle doors closed. Mordin was ready immediately to examine just in case she is alive. I wasn't focused on feeling for breathing, just getting her in the shuttle. We laid her on the floor, stomach down so that the wounds can be addressed quickly as Mordin ran his scan, one of the surviving men with the same clan pattern tried to get close to help.
"Stay back. Suits may have contagion. Subject alive, immune system and body in shock. Must work quickly. Get to medical bay." Mordin stated, before applying medi-gel to the wounds, both from the claws along her back to the bite on her shoulder.
"Are there any other survivors?" John questioned through the speakers.
"We don't know," a woman, with the patterns of clan Farzan answered. "Doubtful. That was our only camp and the Varren picked off our scouting parties. When we called them back, they tried to take them out. There weren't that many of us to begin with," she answered. John was silent a moment.
"Understood. When we're back on our ship, we'll help you get in contact with the Idenna." Shepard began the return to the Normandy while Mordin worked to stabilize the wounded member of clan Yemos. The medi-gel was applied followed by an emergency suit sealant.
"Tali, help turn patient onto back." I did as the doctor requested. Her frontside appeared unharmed. She seemed to be barely breathing. "Emergency blood transfusion required. Tali, retrieve blood bag from medical pack. F negative. Will suffice." I found it easily enough, handing it over to Mordin while he expertly found and inserted the transfusion into the suit's injection port. The bag would automatically regulate the flow of new blood, allowing us to focus on helping her. "Administering immunoboosters." Moments passed and we were nearing the ship. Chakwas was waiting to rush her to the med-bay, but Mordin spoke up again. "Decreasing heart rate. Administering cetophene to counter." I think the human equivalent is called Adrenaline. That kept her stable until we landed, and that will put an end to my own helpfulness with that matter. The shuttle doors opened, Chakwas rushing out of the elevator with a medical gurney. The patient was quickly helped onto said gurney, Chakwas and Mordin took the Gurney up the elevator first, allowing the other member of Yemos to join them. The other survivors wanted to at least wait outside the med-bay while we got them in contact with the Idenna. We took it once it had finished the first journey, though Grunt waited as he just wanted to go back to his room. We took seats outside the med-bay in the mess, John sitting across from Forzan, and myself beside him.
"Thank you, Human, for saving us. However, I only know the name of your compatriot, Tali'Zorah. You are?"
"Commander John Shepard. Welcome to the Normandy. I wish it could be under better circumstances."
"Yes, we heard of your exploits during the Geth invasion." John simply nodded before proceeding.
"What brought you out here?"
"The Cyniad is-was, a scout ship for the Idenna. While the Idenna departed from the fleet to scout for suitable planets. Unfortunately, we're close to the veil, and were targeted by Geth. They shot us down, but didn't follow us planet side. And our Captain, unfortunately, did not survive."
"My condolences. How can we see about getting you in contact with the Idenna?"
"We had a rendezvous in the Phoenix Massing. Unfortunately, we would have missed it by now. Fortunately, they would have left an additional scout ship there in case we were late, while sending a smaller one to investigate the buoys for any distress signals."
"Then we'll set course for the Phoenix massing immediately. It's only the next cluster over, and on our way regardless," John answered.
As the course was set, the surviving crew began to settle in. Several starting to fall asleep. Hours later, Chakwas stepped out of the med-bay.
"Casu'Yemos is stable, at least for now. Her wounds are cleaned and closed, her suit sealed, her blood levels normalized, and given as many immunoboosters as is safe. However, a resuscitation was required, and we cannot be sure if her body will fight off the infection. She will be safe to transfer whenever it is necessary."
"Thank you, Doctor," Farzan stated, tired herself, keeping awake because of the weight of responsibility, I'm sure.
"Commander," Joker spoke over the intercom. "We've arrived at Phoenix Massing. There's a Quarian ship here, alright. The Lieutenant might want to do the talking, though," he remarked. Naturally, Quarian ships do have to be cautious, especially in Terminus.
"Come on, let's get you home."