Chapter 21: The Way It Is
ANN (Alliance News Network) was blathering on and on about the current events occupying Citadel Space. But even Emily Wong or Diana Allers broadcasting 'From the Battlespace' or the crowd in Eternity Lounge could not hold the Spectre's attention long despite the fact the sole reason Sam had the news on was to distract her.
Shepard couldn't shake it from her mind: the parallels were there. Five centuries ago the aboriginal peoples of the Americas, Australia and Africa were subjugated by the European settlers. The institution of slavery had become wide spread. Children ripped away from their families because they were half-cast or half-blooded. The natives had their culture taken from them by force, their languages, their stories, histories, heroes. Their culture had been so changed that names had been altered, shifted and turned inside out.
Sam's maternal heritage had come from the Salish, a tribe native to north-western North America. Her mother's family had been bred into an English name of Shepard then back into their native heritage. Yet the name was carried through not as a tribute but as a reminder that what was taken could be recovered—reclaimed and owned.
Shepard's mind circled the plight of the drell and their seemingly benign benefactors the hanar as water circles a drain. Why hadn't the Council gotten involved? Why hadn't they sent ships to evacuate the dying people? Why were the hanar the only ones to come to the drell? And why were the hanar so reluctant to give the drell the freedom from their 'gratitude' and find the drell a world they could live on without it killing them?
On Earth when the tribes were transplanted from their familiar lands to an alien place they often died because they were not adapted to their new home. The drell were in the same situation. 375,000 out of 11 billion saved. And yet their new land was killing them. The solution was so damn simple-move away from Kahje to an arid world. Instead the hanar spent millions on a cure for Keplar's Syndrome insuring the drell stayed ingratiated and amenable to servitude.
Again and again Shepard came back to the thought of why hadn't the Council intervened? Why were they allowing a race to die? Rakhana had been within Citadel Space too, so why was it abandoned to its fate? Back in junior high, galactic history class only glossed over the details of what had happened. Rakhana had fallen due to over-population and industrial collapse, causing the drell to lose their planet and the hanar had been their first contact and rescued them. Her history teacher made it seem more like a cautionary tale than an accounting of historical events.
There would be another time to bring her questions to the Council. They'd probably spout something about how they could not become involved in what was entirely an internal affair, just as they claimed about the attacks on the human colonies out in the Terminus.
It was very easy for them to turn a blind eye to such things. The news of the Terminus human colonies barely made a mention in the news. Apparently Belan, a planet, getting hit by a comet was of greater priority. As was a hanar called Brimyelll who donated the 1.7 billion credit jackpot from the Lucky 88 lottery to the Belan relief fund for the victims of the Kingu comet which had been previously declared harmless by ISAB (Institute for the Study of Astronomical Bodies)
Even the Nekyia Corridor, the newest blockbuster sim that broke first day release records, held higher press ratings than the besieged colonies. Of course the incident surrounding the Vallum Blast had more scene time on the extranet and news but that was to be expected. The disaster had led to armed conflict—a war. Fans of the game Galaxy of Fantasy held a virtual march supporting the survivors of the Vallum Blast. No fans marched for the lost human colonists. None would. It was as if the Collectors had waited patiently to start their abductions now while everyone's attention was drawn to new war.
Arah T'Hass, the asari pop queen, adopted four orphaned children in the blast. Her actions had started a trend amongst other celebrities but who would adopt the children of the sacked colonies provided there were orphans.
Sam drew in a breath through her nose and puffed it out through her mouth. Grabbing the near empty tumbler from her table, she abandoned the booth she had claimed in the bar while waiting for her wife to show up. They had agreed to meet up here for a night out before retiring in Liara's apartment for the evening. It was their last day together before she took off to collect the rest of her new team and head off through the Omega-4 Relay.
Wandering up to the bar she took the last sip of the ale before setting the glass down.
"What can I get you, babe, and don't say sex. I just cleaned the bar," the smoky tones of Aethyta drifted into her ears.
Sam coughed up the ale that was in her mouth splattering it across the bar top. Her eyes watered as she looked up trying desperately to clear her throat only causing her cough even more. This caused the matriarch to chuckle deeply.
The Spectre was still glassy eyed and coughing. "Why...why...why would you say something like that?!" she managed between coughs.
"Don't worry, kid, I was just as you human's say yanking your chain." Aethyta seemed to be taking pleasure in the human's discomfort. "Well you had a toss in the ol' pleasure dome with Sha'ira a ways back," the asari winked—smirking. "Just making sure you're not poaching the rest of the family line."
THUNK
Shepard's forehead slammed against the surface of the bar. She let out a groan before words were mumbled "I knew that would come back to bite me in the ass. And for the record, that was…way before I met Liara and way, way before we even knew she was related to Li."
"HA! I'm her true father, kid," Aethyta jibbed using Alliance Basic.
Shepard raised her head. "I thought the term was sire and Adar," she said in flawless Asarian.
"You're human."
"Thanks for clearing that up," Shepard rubbed her forehead where it had connected with the wooden surface of the bar. "I never suspected I was a human."
Aethyta snorted. "All duo-sexed species are anthropomorphic bags of dicks. Next you'll tell me that if Nezzy and I were both humans we'd be both be called the mother."
The Spectre shrugged. She couldn't deny it, it sounded exactly like something she'd say. "Yeah and...?"
"When my granddaughter is born, once she manages to learn how to speak what will she call you?"
This was clearly a test. "Mamma," Sam answered without a missing a beat. Seeing the look of contempt on the matriarch's face, she added: "She's half human. Don't forget that. I also know she's going to be one-eighth krogan. And for the part of her that is asari, my little girl can call me Ada or Adar when she gets older... But if she wants to call me Ma, Mom or Mamma that's going to be her prerogative. And no one stops her from using human words, Basic or Salish, not even her atardi."
Aethyta smiled approvingly at her daughter's mate. "You know I wasn't so sure of my daughter's choice of permanent bond material. War heroes and Spectre's can be such Prima Donna's. And they have shorter life expectancies as it is, even the asari ones.
"And then her lover is one that gets in bed with Aria T'Loak, hooking up with Cerberus…."
"Hey! I'm only doing that to stop the Collectors!" Shepard all but snapped.
"Good to hear. But on the outside looking in it seems a little fishy. A criminal organization that gives you seemingly limitless resources, a new ship that's a lot like the one that was taken from you, even a top agent or two. It tweaked the interests of more than one of the granddame's of the Matriarchy.
"It's why they sent me to keep my eyes on Liara. Make sure she doesn't step out of line like her mother. If you were serious about your dance with Cerberus you wouldn't get within a light-year of my daughter. No one messes with my girl!"
Sam leaned forward on her hands starring at her sire-in-law with cold blue eyes. "I told you why I'm in the sandbox with Cerberus! The Council and the Alliance cut off my 'allowance' and I need resources to fight the Collectors. To stop them from taking more colonies. And don't think for one moment I don't know or believe Cerberus will fuck me over or try to. I know they're trolling. And I know damn well when you dance with the devil you pay his due. Right now I don't have many choices left. All of them are darker ones than I prefer. All I can do is take the best of the worst of them.
"And what happens if you find Liara isn't falling in line? The Matriarchy going to call a hit on her? Because I tell you this, the last time that happened I called a war on those that dared touch her. Don't think for one moment a whole bunch of pretty thousand year old faces will stop me from doing the same."
"That isn't going to happen!" Aethyta snapped causing many patrons to look over to her. She returned a far more intimidating look that swiftly made the bar's customers turn back to their parties. Aethyta may not own the bar but everyone one on Illium knew who truly ran it. And if the surly brown-eyed matriarch behind the bar said you were banned no one questioned it. No one dared. Aethyta was Entirety Lounge.
"I'm glad to hear that," Sam said with pure conviction then in an even more conviction she added, "Because no one messes with my girl."
"Damn fucking straight."
The Specter smiled warmly. "The lives of my best beloveds, my wife and my daughter, are in your hands. Keep them safe." The hints of worry filled the human's words which caused the matriarch to touch her daughter-in-law's shoulders as she would her own child's.
"You never have to worry about them when I'm near, kiddo. I'll protect them both. I promise you, Samantha." A squeeze on the shoulder. "I promise. Your family is safe."
The raven-haired woman nodded in gratitude. "Liara and our daughter mean everything to me, Aethyta. Everything. They are the only thing I can think about every day, every minute. But now with the Collectors taking humans colonies for who knows what reasons and the Reapers coming, no one will be safe from the reaping. There will be killings, death, indoctrinations. We can't stop it. But we can slow it down until we find away to destroy the Reapers completely. We fight or we die. I lost one daughter to this damned war but I'll not lose another. Do whatever you have to do, matriarch, to protect my bondmate and my child."
Aethyta nodded and squeezed the human's shoulder a second time and repeated her vow. "I give you this vow, ield, Liara and Benezia-Hannah will be protected"
For the first time since meeting her in-laws Samantha Shepard fully felt the smile upon her lips. The word ield, meaning daughter-in-law in Asarian, it meant she was accepted as family. Not even the more congenial Sha'ira had ever expressed such sentiments-such acceptance.
"I'll remember your promise. Ammë."
Aethyta grabbed a largish shot glass, coated it with habanero Tabasco sauce and started adding an assortment of spirits and a mixer and set it before Shepard. "You have my word on that, girl. Now tell me before 'our' girl gets here. What's been chewing on your mind? I'm guessing it circles around the higher-ups. The Council, your Alliance. You said they cut you off which made you go into seedy underworld types. So spill before you spew."
"What is this?" Shepard looked to the glass hesitantly.
"My own little party. Vodka, whiskey. Just for you, and because I happen to know you favor it; I used Jack Dannel's. Then I added a bit of bourbon and Tupari sports drink. But only because I like the taste of Tupari versus Pragrade. But any sports drink will work. I'm thinking of calling it a Mind-Blower or a Kick-to-the-Head. Haven't decided. And you're changing the subject."
Shepard took the shot and downed it quickly. Immediately her eyes watered, her body shuddered, her voice evaporated into a smoky mist. "Whoo-ooww!" she coughed out, her left hand clutched into a fist and for a tiny moment she felt her biotics tickle her nerve-endings. "G-g-g-go wwwith Kick-to-the-Head" Sam hacked out, her words held a raspy sound to them, her throat still on fire. She held her stomach for a moment as the burn hit hard. Once she recovered she puffed out a bit of air—still feeling the heat. "Damn…but that's a hell of a shot."
"Yeah I know," the matriarch smirked prideful. "Tell you what, babe. I'll mix you up a real 'mystery drink' and you tell me what's got your head all buzzing."
"The alcohol?" Shepard supplied.
"And the comedian is back".
Shepard signed. "Fine. Yeah it's the Council but it's not what you think. And yeah it's the same old complaint I had since then end of the Saren. The Council stuff-up their ears and will speak nothing of the threat they surely must know is real even in private chambers. They constantly deny it. It's like they can't allow themselves to imagine such evils. They even managed to suppress the news beyond its borders in the Terminus Systems.
"Now all they care about is what happened in Vallum Blast and the war with the turian Facinus Separatists it spawned. I don't know, maybe because it is more real to them. It's a threat they can see, feel, smell—it touches them. I get that, I do. It's big in-your-face.
"And it's too damn convenient. If I were one of those conspiracy theorists I'd say the whole thing with the Facinus Separatists was due to indoctrinated turians who started the war with their terrorist strikes in the first place. Like what the Reapers did with the Rachni, during their wars.
"Big Media is no better. The airwaves are filled with vids, sims and celebrity tabloid-hooey, vid-games and record braking events like who built the tallest building and where. Goddess the news even fills itself with Illium's fashion icons like Scarlet Jane. Even that multi-billion-credit media giant Micah Envy takes the spotlight on the show Luminary. But news of what is happening to missing human colonies? Nada! It's become little more than a fracking passing sound-bite."
"I didn't take you as one to watch Luminary, Commander," Aethyta scoffed, placing a half-pint tumbler filled with varying blue-white and pink liquors and crushed ice before her daughter-in-law.
"I don't. It's one of your daughter's very guilty pleasures. I just end up watching it when she does. It's half the reason I know that Envy chick was a former homeless street rat come adventurer come merc come actress. I've seen a few of her sims and vids. I've always sorta wondered what a person like that was doing on Li's show.
"Apparently talking about her charity work for Belan, being a first time mother at sixty-three and how to make a thermo clip using only an omni-tool and parts from a junked security mech. Sadly even she trumps what is happening in the Terminus," Shepard snorted in contempt.
"She is considered Illium's brightest 'Luminary'," Aethyta offered. "Big news for the humans living on an asari dominated world. Thought you might be proud she's your people's spokes-person. She comes in here from time to time when she wants to 'slum' it."
"I know that trick," Sam said referring to the converted thermal clip. "It's a good one. One of Tali's actually. I can say this for the quarian people, they are innovative. Envy probably picked it up from them. And I'd be more proud of her if she had anything useful to say…about the Reapers," she snorted and spun the glass of untouched alcohol between her fingers, causing the chipped ice to clink against the glass that was now beginning to sweat with condensation. "Too bad we can't convince her to speak out about what's happening with our colonies or the Reapers. Someone might actually pay attention to a Luminary because they sure as hell aren't paying attention to a Spectre."
Aethyta chuckled. "Give it some time; Liara might be able to do something about that. Names have power and the T'Soni name still means something. It will still curry favor in the right circles. Barring that, a woman like Envy will want information on various fronts."
"You actually think a celebrity like Micah Envy will have an effect?" Sam suddenly sounded doubtful.
"I do. It's like your domino theory with T'Loak that Liara told me about. If the Terminus Pirate Queen tilts in your direction and many more will do so as well. While Envy is no pirate queen she is a voice of stardom and where she tilts other celebrities will do so, if only to keep up appearances and be 'in fashion'. Perhaps that is our strategy, not with the politicians but with movers and shakers of stardom. And of course with the underworld and shadows, this is where you will find your allies, our power bases. These are the voices you need to use, kiddo.
"Tell you what. Do what you do best. Be the hero. Destroy the Collectors, cripple the Reapers. And Liara will do what she dose best, dig up the secrets out of the hidden places and bring them to the light. And Goddess willing she will find something to help you. And as for me…well." A wicked smile appeared on the azure face that would make Lady Macbeth blanch. "I have my ways. And trust me; I have quite a few people who owe me quite a few favors. Remember this, kiddo. If it comes down to money or favors always take the favor. Every time."
"Good advice," Shepard said
For a moment the matriarch studied her daughter-in-law. Searching deeper, looking deeper into her aura. "The news isn't the only thing that's troubling you is it?"
Sam took in a breath and began to explain where her thoughts had taken her concerning the drell and hanar and the questions the topic had aroused.
Silence descended, lingering between the two: asari and human, aged and young. An inextricable expression of sorrow filtered across Aethyta's face. "Through Liara—in the shared knowledge bond you gained our people's language. The two of you shared memories and biotic abilities and now you share a daughter. But despite the fact you know Little Wing's soul as she know yours; my culture is still new to you.
"Humans claim that if you do not learn from history you are doomed to repeat it. Your people are not the only species to hold this axiom. The asari hold it as well. It is a mainstay in our core beliefs."
"Where are you going with this?" Sam demanded.
"Keep your teeth together, girl, and listen. Drink your drink," Aethyta commanded. "I'm being all mystical matriarchal wisdom here. I just don't do it as well as Nezzy did. Well, when she was in her right head that is. So stow it and let me finish."
Sam only nodded, knowing her sire-in-law was leading up to something. "History is the greatest mistress of lessons taught. When the salarians came across the krogan they did not learn from their lessons with the rachni. They interrupted the natural flow of krogan society, interfered with their natural evolution. In uplifting them the salarians ultimately condemned them. The krogan rebelled just as the rachni retaliated before them. And so the turians came with the idea of genocide. Something about bombing them into oblivion, an orbital strike. They argued it was better to wipe out the krogan than suffer more war. But another solution was given. And the genophage was born."
Just like they had with us in the first contact war, Shepard thought bitterly.
Aethyta need not have a soul-bond to know Sam's mind was churning and knew she had to continue her narrative. She felt Samantha's growing frustrations and her spiraling comparatives to the past crimes against Earth's conquered lands of the indigenous tribes from European settlers.
"It was just over two centuries ago when the hanar made first contact with the drell. The Council was made aware of the plight of their dying world but Councilor Tevos declared the asari had been down this road before and that we could not partake in any extraction process. The other Councilors at the time were very wary of what had happened with the krogan and followed her lead." The aged bartender could not look up to meet the blue eyes of her daughter's bondmate for the shame she felt admitting the actions of her people which caused others to follow suit.
"And so it was decreed that it was 'a sad unfortunate truth' but the Council could not interfere with the natural progression of another race again. Since the Krogan Rebellion the Council has not interfered with any race that did not already posses mass effect technology. Unfortunately the drell had fallen into this category. The hanar, however, disagreed. They proclaimed that since the Enkindlers uplifted them they must follow the teachings of their gods and uplift the drell and took responsibility for them ever since.
"They were heavily sanctioned for this 'trespass' but the Council gave leniency because of the compassionate nature of the rescue effort. As to why they are not aiding the drell now, I don't know. Perhaps because the Council still views the drell as wards of the Hanar Luminary and thus it is an 'internal affair.'" Aethyta followed her words with a helpless shrug and repeated: "I don't know."
"And what of that new race the asari made first contact with?" Shepard asked almost accusatory. "The asari didn't back away from them just because they didn't have mass effect tech."
Only a month ago the Citadel Council delegation welcomed the planet Tuvess to the galactic community. The avian species called the raloi had lunched their first space telescope in the orbit last year which detected the asari cruiser Azedes. Shortly there after a select party of delegates landed outside six Tuvessian cites bearing gifts and well-wishes. A new comm-buoy was dedicated to the event for twenty galactic standard hours to offer further good wishes from countless others.
After this welcoming ceremony the asari gave the avian species the same welcome they had the humans, they were educated in intergalactic law, history, alien biology and culture. The raloi were also to be given the rudiments in mass effect physics. Something they had not done for the drell. Once more Shepard came swirling back around as to why? Was it because the drell had no true space culture? They had been in the same technological quagmire as the krogan had been - a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world of decaying buildings and land and starving people.
"First contact with the raloi was accidental. When they reached out to the Azedes her crew responded. Samantha, I don't have the answers right now. As you know I'm not buddy-buddy with the 'Old-Crones-Club' as I once was. If you really want to know I can press a few matriarchs I know and pass it along to Liara to give to you if you want."
"No," Shepard's tone sharper then she intended. She cringed inwardly knowing it would send red flags up in Aethyta's mind. In a softer note Sam added, "There are more pressing matters that call attention. All I want you to do is protect Liara and 'Zia. The rest... " A hapless shrug, "I'll figure out on my own."
"Well if that's what you want, it's what you want," Aethyta said dismissively though the tone was anything but. She had lived just over a thousand years and knew well when a maiden was skirting issues they had no desire to talk about. And so she let it go. Besides, anything she needed to know her daughter would tell her. Aethyta also knew Sam needed time to work things out for herself in order to make sense of things she believed to be true and what really was true. They were not always one and the same.
Sam took the multicolored drink and began to drink it. It was fruity, potent and dangerously tasty good in that you'd want a few more. And before you'd know it you'd be three-sheets-to the-wind and out cold.
Because of her heightened metabolism due to her biotics and her synthetics Shepard metabolized alcohol swiftly. In short, it took a lot to get her drunk, or rather keep her in an inebriated state. Still, she felt a slight buzzing in her mind and when she looked up to her sire-in-law, Aethyta looked...different.
Younger. A maiden.
Was that pink markings on her face? Aethyta didn't have markings. She had a few faint freckles under her eyes like Liara but no facial markings. Not Consort's make-up. Why was she smirking like that?
Sam blinked her eyes to clear her head and Aethyta face had returned to her normal countenance.
"Adar, you shouldn't tease her so," Liara's sultry tones drifted sweetly into her bondmate's ear causing the human to smile and her stomach to flutter every time she heard it.
"He-ey." Sam smiled warmly greeting her lover with a tender kiss upon pale blue lips.
"Hey," a soft purr answered back within the kiss. A cerulean hand slipped along Sam's neck, her thumb stroked upwards along her spine to her occipital bone. A touch Liara knew her bondmate thrilled to feel, she knew without looking that Samantha's eyes were closed and she smiled when she heard the soft moan tickle the air.
"Now who's teasing her?" chided the matriarch good naturedly.
Liara made a scoffing sound and planted a kiss just under Samantha's ear. Her thumb continued to rub little circles at the base of the human's skull. "Oh I'm not teasing…I'm enticing. There's a difference." The younger asari winked coyly.
"Hey, she's right here," the Spectre slurringly protested, marginally. Her head was still buzzing from Aethyta's mystery drink and now high on Liara's touch the last place she wanted to be was in a public venue. "And we're leaving," she cleared her throat. "Now!" Sam whirled around on her bar-stool, grabbed her wife's hand and headed towards the door of the lounge.
Aethyta burst out laughing. "You're welcome." she snickered. "Have a good ol' roll between the satins. Wall. Hot tub. Shower. Living room couch or floor. Kitchen table. Take it from me, Shepard, the T'Sonis love impromptu sex on places like the kitchen table."
"Adar!" Liara stopped dead in her tracks causing Sam to stumble backwards into her. Liara turned and stared opened mouthed at her sire. "That is something I so did not want to know!
Sam leaned over and darted her tongue out to lick between the folds of Liara's neck "Sooo…the kitchen table? Your mother had a hidden wild side, eh? Trust the bookish sorts to be all passion when the doors are closed. I'd like to try out the kitchen table thing with you. Sounds like fun."
"Keep talking with my sire about our sex life and you'll be having fun on that table all by yourself," Liara said crossly.
Sam made a miming action of buttoning/locking her lips closed and tossing the phantom key over her shoulder. She was awarded with two cerulean fingers trailing along her jaw line. But it wasn't the touch that caused a blush to creep along the human's cheeks; it was the image Liara sent into her mind. Liara turned and swaggered towards the exit, a quarter of a heartbeat later the Spectre was scrambling after her.
Aethyta broke out laughing—watching as the lovers walked out of lounge. More for the fact her girl had the great Commander Shepard, the mighty Spectre, on a leash.
MEMEMEMEMEMEME
Jona Sederis was furious.
She had come to Omega, the staging ground for Shepard's war against the three most powerful merc guilds: Eclipse, Blue Suns and the Blood Pact. If justice was to be found it would be here. The Queen never forgave a slight. Shepard made the fuck-ups of all fuck-ups. She had killed one of the Queen's favored former handmaidens. Seeking an audience would be the more challenging prospect. Not everyone got to see the Queen of Omega.
But the founder and leader of the Eclipse mercenary guild was not just anybody. Aria T'Loak would make time to see her. She only had to drop her name to one of T'Loak's handmaidens.
Within moments of giving her name to one of Aria's asari handmaidens, a batarian came for her.
"Aria wants to talk to you," the thickly muscled brute barked out.
"Of course she does," Jona spat out, "Get out of my way, four-eyes. Aria may tolerate your kind but I have no time for you ilk, cockroach. Do the galaxy a fucking favor and go space yourself." The mistress of the Eclipse guild shoved past the henchman and headed for the stairs leading to T'Loak's 'audience chamber.'
"My, my what do we have here?" Aria purred as the Lady of Eclipse climbed the last step to her 'throne room.' Her back was turned to Jona; here eyes were fixed upon her beautiful libidinous pole dancers. "A little lost duchess? Having a wee bit of trouble on Illium?"
"Your pet! That talking pyjack Shepard is my problem. Your little minion slipped her leash and killed my commanders Jaroth, Vorleon, and Morl. She didn't stop there. She slaughtered my captains Enyala and Wasea…"
"Wasea?" Aria T'Loak whipped her head around starring at the Eclipse leader and founder. Her eyes drew cold and demanding.
"Thought that would get your attention. She was one of your favored handmaidens wasn't she? Before she joined me, that is," Jona jeered through a mouth full of teeth. "Shepard had her turian lackey pop her in the head. But not before Shepard tore Wasea apart with a biotic storm.
"One by one that talking pyjack took them all out-my most prominent members of my organization. Her little war you allowed here, her rampage on Illium, all those strikes on my bases and operations she's beyond an irritation! She's a disease! One that must be quarantined before she spreads the infection."
Aria was still stunned by the news of Wasea's death. The Eclipse Captain was no mere handmaiden... she had been the Queen's eldest daughter. As she had with Liselle and the others, Aria insisted Wasea keep her relationship to the Pirate Queen of Omega quiet. Her eldest was not to share it with anyone, not even with her other sisters.
Aria's jaw clenched so tightly she dare to shatter her own teeth. "She died in battle?"
Jona lips curled into a thin malevolent smile, barely perceptible. She had promised her niece that heads would indeed roll. After the massacre of the Eclipse Sisters, her niece had gone stark raving mad. The maiden coated her naked body in their blood until blue skin turned deep purple. The mismatched yellow armor had swaths of blood painted on it was if it were war paint.
Jona had promised the younger asari heads would roll. Starting with that accursed Spectre. Aria's pet. But Shepard had fucked up. The human had taken the life of one of Aria's special handmaidens. The Queen was going to want vengeance. She'd put down her little pet.
"I have proof." Jona handed a USB of the Spectre's battle in the warehouse claimed by Wasea and her crew. "Security feed of the whole thing. Including what happened in that office. Shepard's little suit-rat tried to shut down all the CCTV but she didn't short out the security drones hidden amongst the framework of the warehouse.
Aria schooled her face, betraying no emotion as she took the data stick. She rose from her custom made couch pushed past Surik, Anton and Liselle and headed for her private chambers.
Jona made to follow her but she was stopped by T'Loak's bodyguards. The one that directly stood in her way was the asari huntress who was currently one of T'Loak's favored handmaidens.
"Sit your ass down, Sederis. The Boss didn't invite you," Liselle commanded.
Jona snarled at the punk-assed kid but stood down and retreated to the couch, glaring at maiden.
Steadying herself to watch her eldest daughter's death Aria slipped the disk in to her computer, pulled up the app and began play. The Pirate Queen was impressed at Shepard's leadership and effectiveness in battle. The girl could dance, that was for damn sure. Beautiful, actually.
It was a bit disappointing to see Shepard pause at every locked door and play hero to every quivering little peon. She even let that little shit maiden go free if she gave up Intel. Apparently Wasea was dealing in shipping not only illegal drugs but persons as well. Granted an ardat-yakshi was big…too big for a Spectre to take on her own. But then Shepard wasn't alone, she had a Justicar.
Goddess, the woman had a savior complex. She was so much like Nyreen.
Damn if I don't have a fucking weakness for the good girls who dabble in the shadows. Nyreen, now there was a …Oohh… what a woman….
Aria smirked as she witnessed how Shepard took out the gunship. Smart. Very smart. She liked it. The more she watched Shepard fight the more she liked what she saw. Too damn bad the human had a bondmate…because goddess she would be a good fuck…
The footage changed. Jona had edited the reel so now the vid-feed was over Wasea's shoulder pointing at the door. She heard her daughter say:"Everything has gone to hell since we smuggled that filthy creature off-world. First a justicar shows up, now you." A pad was placed upon the desk; Wasea downed the rest of her drink before she continued to taunt Shepard. "At least I can take pleasure in turning your head," she drew back her hand, one shipping crates to lift up and hurl at the human, "into a pulpy mass!"
Aria continued to watch as Shepard deployed her team effectively, trading biotics and weapons fire.
"If you're helping the Justicar," the call came from Wasea above the staccato of weapons fire and the 'wharr-woumph' of biotics, "you're deep into something terrifying."
Aria knew why her daughter fell. She lost her objective when she saw several of her Eclipse Sisters fall. Her mechs destroyed. She was too accustomed to putting down humans who thought wearing customized armor gave them an edge. She wasn't prepared to face off against a Spectre.
"You're not going to leave here, Spectre!" her body encased in the cyan glow of her biotics. "You're not the only one who knows how to flare!" She reached and pulled back, targeting Shepard. She lost sight of all others. Her face never even registered the surprise of being hit square between the eyes.
"Scoped and dropped," a turian boasted.
"So, Shepard's archangel got the drop on my daughter." Aria paused the screen.
It was a fair battle. The only edge Shepard had was that Wasea had completely underestimated her. It wasn't murder. It was Spectre verse a merc captain. Aria hit the play button on the viewer and watched as Shepard tossed the office looking for something. It didn't take long to discover what it was. The Spectre was looking for a shipping manifest for the Justicar.
What intrigued Aria was why a Justicar had 'hired' a Spectre to harass the Eclipse Sisters and go digging for her? Why not do it herself? If the Justicar was after the ardat-yakshi she'd not give up the hunt unless there was conflict within the Code. Assuming there was-the Justicar needed a proxy to act for her. Why not a Spectre? Especially a do-gooder like Shepard?
They must have made some sort of pact that if the human got the name of the ship the Justicar needed to hunt down the ardat-yakshi she'd…what? Join Shepard's fight against the Collectors-the Reapers? That had to be it. Aria knew Shepard was headhunting a new crew. And as it happened she had a Justicar on her ship.
Wasea… died as she lived. It wasn't cold-blooded murder; it wasn't vengeance, the only motive on Shepard's agenda was to get an invoice for a Justicar. Hell, if Wasea would have just given Shepard the Intel no doubt the Spectre would have left without a shot fired.
"Oh, Whay' … you fucking stupid fool. Dealing with an ardat-yakshi? No wonder you ended up dead. What the hell were you thinking? Shit. SHIT! Whay'…Where in the hell did you drop her off?" Aria turned off the viewer and a breath hissed out of her mouth.
Shepard and her turian lackey weren't to blame for her firstborn's death. They were the cause of it but not the blame. Live by the gun die by the gun. A mercenary's truth. Aria had accepted that philosophy the day her daughter signed up with the Eclipse Sisters after Jona recruited her.
That was the nature of the business. Aria knew that game well. For centuries she was a mercenary. In her youth she had a few of her own very close calls with death, some even with friends at the other end of a muzzle of a gun. In her heart the lilac matriarch knew that it was sometimes better to disappear then have to kill someone. Sometimes you let them disappear—like Nyreen.
There was another thing that was a factor. Like Nyreen before Shepard, Aria had shared mind melds. Granted the ones with the turian had been during their Joinings and when she was teaching Nyreen how to control her biotics. The one the Queen had shared with the Spectre had been violent, painful and deep. She knew the young human's mind very intimately because of it. She wasn't a murderer, but she was lethal, determined, stubborn and nauseatingly forthright. Just like Nyreen. She was another thing. She was right. There was storm on the horizon. A big one. The galaxy was going to need a nauseatingly forthright, lethal, determined, and stubborn storm-chaser.
Wasea died as she lived. Her death wasn't unexpected—never is in the merc business. Aria tapped her inner ear radio. "Liselle, escort Jona to my chambers. Just you."
*You got it.*
Two and a quarter minutes later Aria's youngest brought in a very smug matron. "So time to put down your little pet?"
"No," Aria said
"WHAT!?"
"No hunt. No bounty."
"You can't mean that! She killed one of your..."
"Daughters," Aria interrupted, stunning the younger asari into silence. Both she and Liselle stared mouth agape at the lavender skinned Pirate Queen. "My eldest."
"Your daughter?" Jona gasped.
Liselle stayed mute, too shocked to say anything. She knew, suspected, she had sisters. Hell, it came as a shock when she found out Aleena was her aunty. Her mother had a lot of secrets. Hidden half-truths and open lies that were necessary for Liselle to accept. She had accepted her mother's rules concerning their relationship in order to keep her safe.
"Yes. My daughter," Aria repeated
Jona looked to Liselle and back to Aria, putting together half surmised pieces of ideas. Before Liselle, Wasea had been a very favored handmaiden. And it was a well known fact Aria bedded her favoured handmaidens and pole dancers. Something she made no secret of. She also made a point that if anyone tried to ransom one of her girls she'd rather shoot the abductees than be held to ransom: or in a case like the Patriarch have someone paid to protect them as not to appear weak.
"I saw the footage. Wasea died because she overplayed her hand. She used untrained troops against a Spectre. What kind of chance do you think they would have had against a Justicar? If Wasea had crossed the Justicar the results would have been the same. No, she would have been ripped apart by a singularity and not just 'popped' cleanly in the head by Shepard's archangel.
"As for the other deaths, your people invited it when you took up the bounty placed on her bondmate. Shepard steps one foot in Eclipse territory on Omega she's on her own. Anywhere else, she's mine. As you said she's my pet. She's useful to me."
"And your daughter? You don't want vengeance for her death?" Jona was grasping at straws.
"She died as she lived. That's the way it is. My pet had no idea who Wasea was to me. Only that she was an opposition on a job. As for your other people, they died as they lived, and they died because they underestimated the human. You might want to remember the first rule of combat." Aria got directly into Jona's face. "Never start a war you can't win." Her body glowed in a flash of cyan as she slammed the matron into the wall and kept her there. "You better remember no one gives orders on Omega but me."
Liselle's jumped to her mother's defense, out of reflex her body shimmered in the glow of biotics coming to power. She stood down almost as immediately as she leapt up. Truth-be-told she loved watching her mother work-over anyone who tired to push her.
"The real estate Eclipse runs on Omega exists only because I allow it," Aria snapped. "Liselle, get the pad Shepard recovered from Jaroth's corpse."
As swift as the orders were given they were obeyed. Liselle went to her mother's desk, opened the secured locks and retrieved the data pad.
"Read it." Aria demanded.
Liselle cleared her throat and began.
"I've spoken to Garm, and he and his men are on board. Assuming this operation is successful, we can count on high morale and extensive buy-in from the men. From the losses we've already taken, possibility exists that we won't have the men needed to continue on to the next objective. It's clear, though that none of our organizations would be ready to move on Aria without the assistance of the other two."
Aria dropped the founder of the Eclipse mercenary guild to the floor. As Jona lay there Aria swaggered up and put a boot heel to the matron's throat. All it would take to snap the vertebra would be a twist of the leg and foot. "You're not stupid enough to pretend you didn't know about this. And I know you're not stupid enough to try and convince me otherwise. I can kill you. Still debating on that." It was flippant comment. "Get this thought through your fucking head. You don't make demands of me on my station. You don't make a single move against my pet. Shepard belongs to me. You're dangerously close to breaking Omega's one rule.
"Today I'm going to be very generous. On the account of the death of my firstborn and the fact she found you worthy to follow I'm going to let you live. Know this, you owe me. One day I will call in that favor. When that day comes you will obey—without question—without hesitation—full commitment. Now get the fuck off my station you little cunt."
After Jona Sederis had fled Afterlife, Aria turned to her youngest. "Ask them already."
The young maiden wandered to the minibar in her mother's chambers. "What kind of questions can I ask that you will answer, Naneth? I knew you had other daughters. I know I'm your youngest. I mean if you had a kid with Nyreen she would be the most secret youngling in history."
Aria grinned dismissively. "Believe me, having a daughter with Nyreen had been a very tempting idea for a few months. But you were my last daughter and you know damn well you're my favorite."
Liselle was silent for a moment, drawing in her curiosity; her mother would only answer so many questions before she shut down. The young maiden knew she had to be careful in selecting which of the dozens of questions she held to be answered. Finally she spoke. "Apparently a lot of relatives are coming out of the woodwork. First an aunt and now my eldest half-sister. How many more will make an impromptu appearance?"
Aria was quite. Her silence terrified Liselle. Perhaps she had chosen poorly. "Nan?"
"I don't know Lissy…"Aria rubbed a hand across her crest. "What I know…I don't want you here anymore."
Liselle gasped, opened her mouth protesting but Aria held up her hand. "No. You don't get to protest. Your sister died because of stupidity. I'll not lose another daughter to the same. I'm going to send you to your sire."
"Since when has Tevos had any interest in me?" Liselle scoffed.
"Always. But she knows her place. And it is to serve Thessia not to play parent. She won't claim you as hers openly. She can't. But you'll be on her security detail. You stay there until Shepard gets jumpy about the Reapers again. Right now she's after the Collectors. It's going to consume her every thought. After she deals with them she'll go back to the Council and plead her case that the Reapers are still a threat, though I doubt they will make a move.
"So, Shepard will do something drastic to get them to move. When she does you will extract yourself from Tevos's detail and you will go into one of the vaults on Thessia. You stay hidden, girl! You hear me? You stay buried and you don't rise until I give the word."
Liselle was now terrified. "Nan?"
Aria took her child's face between her hands. "You don't tell your boyfriend. You don't tell anyone. You don't talk to anyone but your adar. Not until I give you the all clear."
"Naneth!"
"Shepard had it right: we fight or we die. You saw it, Lissy. I ripped into Shepard's mind. I saw what's coming. I don't want you here. I want you safe. Of all my daughters you are my most beloved. You will obey me."
Liselle swallowed hard. Never had her mother spoken like this to her. Not ever. She had never seen her mother so spooked. Hell, she had never seen her mother anxious. "Why weren't you upset about Wasea's death? It's like it didn't even faze you at all. Would—would you be like that if it were me? If Shepard was the one to put a bullet in me, would you have let her off the hook so easily?"
"Of course not! I'd tear Shepard apart if she dared try. I'd burn down the galaxy if anyone took you from me. If you think I'm not upset about your sister's death then you're wrong. Wasea became an Eclipse Sister and since the day she earned her uniform I expected her death. That's the lifestyle, Liselle, you know it. You live it. You want to see how your sister died, watch the vid; you'll see she wasn't murdered. It was death by stupidity."
Aria moved to her desk and activated her FTL-comm system. It would be easy for Liselle to look over her mother's shoulder to see who she was contacting but knew better than that. She had known not to ask questions about her mother's business since she was five. But there were questions she possessed she was permitted to ask.
"You said it wasn't safe here for me. I'm one of your top enforcers, though, what I do for you isn't safe. You send me into danger all the time. So why now? Is it these Reaper things? What exactly did you see in those images you dug out of that human's skull?"
Aria looked up from the computer screen. For a moment there was a flash of deep concern in the blue eyes. Only someone very close to Aria would have spotted it. Liselle padded up to the matriarch and placed a hand over her mother's heart. "I'll go, Nan. I'll do whatever you say. But, Naneth, why not just send me to one of those bunkers now? Why wait?"
"Because I need you there. Press your adar; let her know I'm making my own preparations for the Reapers arrival. I told her once but she needs prodding." Aria smirked. "I know how to play her buttons but sometimes she needs real incentive. Me sending you to her will be a message. 'Take that goddess-damned-Spectre seriously'. Oh and you can tell her about Wasea and the fact I didn't move on Shepard. In fact I want you to show her the vid of your sister's death."
"Okay… I won't pretend to know why you want me to. Seems you're sending Tevos more of a message to take the human seriously. It's like you telling her Shepard is yours."
Aria grinned. "Jona is right; Shepard is my pet even if she doesn't know it. I also consider Shepard a friend. And a good one."
"Something I wager Shepard doesn't know either," her daughter mused.
"Not exactly. She only knows that I like her. She's smart enough not to trade on it too deeply. The last time she did she paid a hefty price."
"You mean the meld."
Aria shrugged indifferently. "One of the things I like about Shepard, she knows how to pay for any favor she asks for. She knows she owes me. Remember this, Lissy. Take a favor over cash every time. It's worth more. Just like information." The Pirate Queen moved to a desk drawer and withdrew a data pad she had confiscated when the Collectors had struck Omega. "And never get into a deal where you don't come out on top."
It was a list of all known human settlements and a compilation of their population totals. It was something Aria had kept hidden for months. She trailed a finger across the pad, activating it. The glow of the orange screen cast an unhealthy contrasting pallor on the Pirate Queen's lilac face then she shut it off, and for a moment she hesitated whether or not to shove the pad back into the drawer or to yield it to her daughter. The drawer was slammed shut minus the pad.
"Above all else, Liselle, knowledge is power. Real power. Those that trade in it hold true weapons. Keep this in mind as you serve the Councilor.
"She will allow you to 'see' certain things that she knows will be passed to me. Play the game. Play it as I taught you, Liselle. Look to all the shadows simulcast by the others on the Council. Everything hangs in the balance of Shepard and the Collectors. And we can only wait to see where the balance falls. But I mean to see it fall into a favorable direction."
The matriarch swaggered from behind her desk and handed the pad to her daughter. "Once Shepard passes through the Omega-4 Relay you will give this to the human Councilor Anderson. You will make a second copy and pass it to ANN's Emily Wong or barring that Diana Allers from the Battlespace. And you will tell them the only reason more lives were not lost was because Shepard went to war on her people's behalf. Tell them to release the data should any persecution befall Shepard. Tell them where you got it. Make sure they understand so that it is not prematurely released."
Liselle opened the pad and read its contents and looked up to her mother. "Is this accurate?"
Arai spared a look to her child that said 'Of course'.
"Why not give it to the humans now?"
"The Game. Leverage is needed. This will give Shepard an edge when she is discredited by her superiors. This will happen because she is using Cerberus resources."
"I do not understand, Naneth, why are you trying to save this human? Is she really that special to you? I get it if you think you owe her because she and Solus cured the plague that ravished the Gozu Distract. But there's something more, isn't there?"
Aria touched her child's cheek in a fashion she hadn't done in well over a century. "Just do as you're told, rėl. Get packed and be ready to go. You'll be taking one of my transports."
Rėl - daughter. It was the closest to a motherly sentiment Liselle had ever heard her mother say in a very, very long time, perhaps as far back as her second decade. Now the young maiden was well and truly worried.
MEMEMEMEMEMEME
AN1: Notes of ANN based on stories taken from Cerberus News Network during the time centered on ME2. They can be found on Mass Effect Wiki. I love the stories as they brought more depth and richness to the universe. I know the beginning sounded like a supposition but I felt it was necessary to set the mindset of Shepard's path and motives in future chapters as a well as the actions of subsequent supporting characters.
AN2: This may have the feel of an awards winner acceptance speech but I feel the dire need to thank everyone for the reviews. Those that question and make me think, those simply liked what I wrote and those and gave me the encouragement to continue and those that brought up plot questions and doubts or praise it makes me dig deeper and deeper into the rich world of ME and the characters both canon and those that I made in my own fannon. I wanted to say thank you to one and all. All feedback is helpful. With some readers I've used their knowledge in science and physics and I bent a knee to their aid and great gratitude for helping me. To those that like me dabble in the craft and helped me grow as a writer and to those that questioned me all the way always has helped me make the story believable. And those that simply said they enjoyed what they read. Thank you to all. And thank you for reading. And most importantly vast gratitude to my beta readers to which this story would be real crap because not only do I spell phonetically I am dyslexic so they have a lot to deal with to clean it up
AN3
Tolkien elfish all academic copywrite belong to the great professor:
Lield = daughter-in-law
Rėl = daughter
Atardi = grandsire
Ammë = sire-in-law
Nan = Mommy / Momma
Naneth = Mother