Chapter 7

A burst of fluorescent turquoise energy came hurtling towards Lea, as she rolled to the side, letting it hit the ground. Angry blue burns were left in its wake. Morinth threw another burst of a biotic warp at Lea. She rolled once more, throwing three high explosive disk grenades at the asari. The explosion shook the ground and made Lea retreat backwards in a display of acrobatics.

"I don't want to fight you Morinth, I don't understand why you do!" yelled Lea. Morinth sneered as she threw yet another warp at Lea. Lea rolled behind a tree and remained there for cover. The warp hit the tree, leaving a crater sized hole in it, narrowly missing Lea's hood.

"Lea, I've known you since you arrived on Analego." Morinth said in a calm tone, as she slowly made her way towards Lea's tree. "You've been nothing but a nuisance to me since that day,"

"Well, as much as you think you're untouchable, a lot of people dislike your existence. I have many clients who wish to see you off of Analego; I do as I am paid to do!"

"Your constant interference forced me to leave my apartment in the city, I think it's time we settled this! Don't you?" yelled Morinth as Lea saw a blue glow becoming more and more intense. Lea dove out of her cover just in time as the tree she was just behind, uprooted and was thrown into the air, landing on the other side of the field. Lea grabbed her shotgun off her back, and fired two shots at Morinth. Morinth's kinetic shield flickered, as she sent a burst of biotics at Lea. This time Lea was not prepared for it. The blue energy caught her in the stomach and lifted her in the air. She found herself being pulled closer towards Morinth, unable to move or resist, she was helpless. Morinth slowly guided Lea in the air, to rest at eye level with herself.

"Lea, this has been quite enthralling. I would've thought the almighty quarian warrior would have lasted longer in combat. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Your race was overrun by your own creations. The quarians must be dumber than the krogan, I mean… At least the krogan CAN fight," Morinth jeered.

Rage was building in Lea, but she could do nothing but watch. Morinth must be generating a stasis field; Lea's whole body was paralyzed.

"Please, tell….Keelah is it? That is your god's name is it not? In any case, give them a greeting from your better," Sneered Morinth as she un-holstered her pistol. The barrel came to rest upon Lea. She saw the barrel, pressed against the mask of her suit. Lea closed her eyes, she prayed deeply for some miracle to intervene.

A sudden explosion sounded, as Lea felt the pistol's barrel rip across her helmet. Lea opened her eyes to see Morinth's expression of terror. She was still clutching her pistol, but everything from the trigger guard, forward, was gone. Morinth swung her head around violently, looking for the source. Lea hit the ground, still unable to move, but Morinth had broken the stasis connection.

"Who are you?" demanded Morinth, as Lea's eyes moved towards where Morinth was looking. A dark figure stood in the distance, partially concealed by a bush, holding a rifle aimed at Morinth. The figure remained silent, slowly walking towards Morinth. The person was a good 50 to 100 meters away, but Morinth spoke with an apprehension as if they were holding the barrel of the rifle to her head.

"Wait…That walk, and…And that figure," Morinth uttered quietly to herself. Lea had regained most of the feeling in her body, as she slowly brought herself to her feet.

"Surprised?" smirked Lea as Morinth eyes widened.

"NO!" screamed Morinth, ignoring Lea, as her whole body levitated a meter off the ground, encasing herself in blue energy. She began hurling bolt after bolt of biotic bursts at the figure still making their way toward her.

"IT CAN'T BE YOU! I GOT RID OF YOU ON ANTRUM THREE YEARS AGO!"

"And you thought I would not pursue?" said the figure in a stern tone, creating a biotic barrier to shield herself from Morinth's biotics. "You are clever Morinth, but not so much as to elude me forever,"

"Those Blue Suns were supposed to deal with and rid me of you!" yelled Morinth, as she continued to throw warp after warp at the figure.

"ENOUGH MORINTH!" yelled the figure as a stream of energy left their hand, catching Morinth in the side. Morinth fell out of the air as the figure strode forward. The blue energy faded from Morinth's body, as she hit the ground.

"So, this is how it's going to end mother?" grunted Morinth.

"You are no longer my daughter, do not call me that!" said Samara, in a tone of anger that Lea had not heard before now. Samara grabbed Morinth's neck and held her up in the air "Find peace in the embrace of the goddess!"

Samara brought her hand back. The same blinding light that had just left Morinth encased Samara. She brought her hand forward, and an explosion erupted from the spot the two asari had just been. Samara was thrown back until she made contact with the building next to the alley she had fought the Sabre mercenaries at, a good 150 meters from Morinth. Samara tumbled down the side of the building, hitting escape ladder and railings on the way down. She hit the ground with a tremendous thud. Samara lay there, blinking blood out of her eyes, trying to understand what had just taken place. She rolled on to her side with a great struggle and looked towards the spot she had just left. She saw Morinth, encased in a biotic barrier, getting up slowly.

It had been a trap. Morinth had intentionally wanted Samara to try to end her. Samara was in immense pain but she fought through it to stay conscious. She looked once more as she saw Morinth standing over a figure on the ground, which had to be Lea. It appeared Lea was unconscious. Morinth un-holstered her firearm from her side and aimed it at her.

"No!" muttered Samara in a pained voice, as she watched helplessly on her side. A single round left Morinth's weapon and the gunshot filled the air. Samara grimaced and painfully forced herself to her hands and knees. She looked up again to see an empty field. Morinth had gone, leaving Lea's body in the open. Samara stood, and limped back towards Lea.

Samara arrived at Lea's body, knelt down, and examined her. A single bullet hole was shattered into her faceplate; a pool of purple blue blood was forming under the quarian's head. Samara slowly took her gaze away from her. The quarian had been a pleasant companion and skilled warrior, but alas, Samara could not help but place the blame of her death upon herself.

"Find peace, Lea'Foris vas Arktannay," said Samara looking back. She got up, and started to limp away, back towards the shuttle port. Suddenly a voice made Samara's stomach drop. A female quarian's voice sounded from behind her. She whipped around to find herself looking at a hologram of Lea.

"To whoever may be listening, you have found my body. I recorded this in order for my work to not go un-finished. I know where Morinth's next destination is, should her position on Analego be compromised. In order to understand, you need to go to my shuttle. Inside the compartment under the data board is an OSD. Take it; upload it to the shuttle's data board. The shuttle will auto pilot you to a friend of mine's home. Inform him of my death, he will know what to do. Do not take this information lightly. Morinth is dangerous and very likely the cause of my death. Do not let this go to waste,"

The hologram faded. Samara stared at the spot where it had been. She quickly turned and turned her limp into a slow, pained jog. Whatever kind of lead Lea had turned up, Samara needed. It was the only way to find Morinth.