A/N: Well I said this was going to be the end, but I was wrong and there will be at least one more chapter. A very special thanks to my friend Tayg (check out her stories too) for her wonderful editing and suggestions to help make this chapter happen – you can also thank her for the additional chapter. Please enjoy and feel free to leave a review. Also, if you like this story, I wrote a companion piece that takes place in the very distant future called A Life Remembered. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 10: Resolution
Joker brought the Normandy in close to one of the docking bays of Omega; the stealth system was still engaged. Lt. Cortez had no problems transporting Ashley and some of the Alliance troops over to Omega. It seemed quiet and they were not met with any resistance.
Ashley disembarked with EDI and the soldiers making up her team. Communications were still out in Omega, but thanks to Sam, she was able to set up a link between her team and the newly arriving mercs. They were all to head out to the main control room and try to get the comm system back up.
Ashley was eager to lead another team. After the discovery on Zenith Station though, she had some apprehension about what she would actually find on Omega. "Okay everyone," Ashley said to the group. "We all know what we are potentially up against. Be ready for combat with Cerberus and any mutated civilians. Move out!" I need to find out what happened to Shepard and my friends. Fucking Cerberus, I hope Aria is as much a threat as she acts.
From their position above Afterlife, Garrus and Shaya had a perfect view of the scene below and all of their potential targets. "Hey kid," Garrus felt right in his element and was reminded of his time as Archangel as he addressed the young looking asari. "Care for a friendly bet? I've seen your work with that Viper… want to test it against my Mantis?"
Being Rhetia's younger sister and extremely competitive, Shaya couldn't help but accept the challenge from Garrus. She also knew that he thought that she was much younger and inexperienced than she actually was. Poor turian has no idea that I've been sharp shooting with my sister for the past 230 years, Shaya thought and smiled to herself. "You're on, Pops!" She decided to throw in 'Pops' to keep up the guise of being younger.
The two snipers moved into position to start their wager and deal Cerberus some serious damage. Garrus was first to make a kill and he happily looked over at Shaya to flaunt it. As he did, she took aim and was able to take out two unsuspecting agents with one shot. Garrus was impressed with the asari's skills and quickly shifted his focus back to the task at hand, kill Cerberus troops and take out more than the asari.
After 15 minutes of taking aim, shooting and then changing positions, Garrus and Shaya had racked up a very impressive body count. Garrus was also aware that Shaya's total was a bit more than his own. What is it with women and sniper rifles? Garrus thought to himself. She reminds me of Shepard, damn it!
Shaya focused, One more, hold still… perfect, she pulled the trigger of her fully modded M-97 Viper sniper rifle and added another body to her tally. She was about to say something smug to the turian when she heard an explosion coming from the private lounge that Aria, Shepard and Liara had been heading toward. She whistled to her sister and pointed toward the smoke; Rhetia nodded and started making her way to the lounge.
Garrus and Shaya both made haste to get into a position above the lounge so that they might get a read on what exactly happened. They also were vying to get the best line of fire to add to their totals. Instead of getting a better vantage point, the two found that the scaffolding stopped short of the lounge and the way the area was laid out, they were not able to see below.
"Figures Aria would make it so no one could use this against her," Garrus said to Shaya, he was actually concerned for his friends and not being able to see the damage below wasn't helping. "We should get down there, that doesn't look good."
Agreed… By the way, I'm at 46 and I believe you are at 37," Shaya could not help but to brag a bit as they made their way down to get to the lounge.
"Yeah… yeah," Garrus was frustrated with the entire situation, but did not want the asari to know that. "There are still plenty more out there to add though."
Rhetia was the first to arrive at the lounge. Wafts of smoke were in the air, but the explosion had not been very large. It looked like the bomb had been used to immobilize instead of to kill outright. There were three Cerberus agents positioned to greet anyone that responded to the explosion, luckily Rhetia saw them first. She quickly threw out a stasis field on the first one, while training her assault rifle on the second and then the third. The one caught in her bubble was trying without success to take aim at her, when she heard the sound of a shot hit him. Rhetia looked up to see Garrus and Shaya standing in the entrance.
"See… now that's 38," Garrus said gleefully. As he looked around at the scene, his tone quickly changed and his concern for his friends became forefront on his mind. He addressed Rhetia, "Where are the others?"
"It looks like they have been taken by force," Rhetia easily maintained her composure after years of being a commando in Eclipse and pointed to three trails left in the carpet by bodies being dragged across it and out a hidden exit. "Come on, let's see where they went."
The exit opened to a very narrow hallway that led to what looked like a maze. As soon as they left the lounge, the trail was impossible to follow. Garrus knew that they didn't have much time to find his friends and immediately had an idea, "We need Tali. She can probably track them with her omni-tool and she can hack anything that might get in our way. Stay here and I'll go back and get her."
The sisters nodded at Garrus and he was off and running to get the quarian. Now that is was just the two of them, Rhetia couldn't help but to tease her sister, "I take it you are ahead?"
"Of course I am," Shaya boasted and then thought of the carnage the two of them had left. "He is very good though… for a turian." They both laughed.
Garrus returned with both Tali and James. Tali was able to navigate the maze successfully, as Garrus had promised. She had led them to another hidden entrance that had a sealed entrance. From behind the door, they could clearly hear troop movement.
"Can you tell how many there are?" Garrus was eager to continue his competition with Shaya and knew that the team would be able to handle Cerberus.
"I'm not totally sure, but it looks to be about 20 or so… and some of those could be Shepard, Liara and Aria," Tali had more concern in her voice than Garrus did and she didn't want to accidently hurt one of their team.
Rhetia was tired of the delay, but wanted to make certain that they had the best tactical advantage, so she decided to weigh her options, "Is there another way in?"
"I'm not seeing any other entrances," Tali replied.
"Well, hopefully we can take them out quickly and by surprise," James was restless and looking forward to taking down more troops.
They all readied themselves for action and got in position. James looked like a tank ready to mow down anything that got in his way. Garrus and Shaya had their rifles ready, both hoping to outgun the other. Rhetia flared her biotics and checked her assault rifle. Tali summoned her drone and took aim with her shotgun.
Tali hacked the door and as it slid open, Garrus took aim and shot the first Cerberus trooper he could. James rushed in and shot anything with a helmet. Rhetia and Shaya worked in unison, one would immobilize with biotics, while the other fired with their weapon and each had a kill within seconds. They all moved out quickly and scanned the room for their friends, it was all Cerberus.
The team worked amazing well together, which resulted in a large body count for Cerberus. Bodies of the troops were scattered all over the room. Some were riddled with bullet holes, some had been torn apart by biotics and some were not recognizable at all. There were pools of blood on the floor and blood spatter across the walls making it look like something out of a horror movie.
Garrus looked at the macabre sight with satisfaction and then over at Tali; it was a scene they had grown accustomed to while fighting alongside Shepard. "Any indication of where the others are?" Garrus asked Tali.
Tali shook her head in response to the question.
They all looked around the room. There appeared to be a lab or some type of holding room in front of them. Rhetia thought that the lab area would be a good first objective and took the opportunity to make a command decision, "Let's start with that one and stay together… who knows what we might run into."
The group nodded their agreement and Tali went to work on the control panel; the team assumed their positions as the door opened. They swiftly eliminated the Cerberus personnel in the room and then started investigating. The workers were not in armor, but were outfitted in specially tailored environmental suits. The temperature had also been lowered to almost freezing and there were workbenches with microscopes and various types of lab equipment strewn throughout. In the back of the lab were racks of tubes that were filled with a slightly glowing, greenish liquid.
Seeing the filled tubes made Tali suddenly very nervous and she instinctively looked to Garrus for support, "Do you think that is the virus?"
"Absolutely," replied Rhetia. "We need to secure this room and make sure that no one tampers with anything until we figure out how to destroy it."
"I volunteer," James quickly offered.
Garrus had moved next to Tali who was now fidgeting nervously with her hands and he could tell that the quarian was deeply concerned by their findings. He decided to comfort her and lighten the mood by shifting the conversation back to his losing efforts against Shaya, "Sounds good, I still need to catch up to Shaya… what's the count now? I'm at 48."
"53," Shaya said triumphantly and flashed Garrus a cocky grin that brimmed with confidence.
There were no other entrances or exits into the room, so the team headed back to the main area that had all the now dead troops. There was one more door to open and Tali eagerly started to hack it. Again, the team took up their positions as the door opened. This time, they were met by Aria and Liara, who was supporting a battered looking Shepard, all had their biotics at the ready.
Rhetia was the first to identify the group and yelled to everyone, "Aria." Still on guard, she was able to relax slightly at the sight of her superior.
"It's good of you all to finally fucking find us!" Aria kept her biotics at the ready and shot Rhetia a glare that showed she was very annoyed with the situation.
Liara did not allow anyone time to respond to Aria's gibe and was truly relieved to see the group. Even though Shepard was conscious, it was obvious that she was hurt and Liara was still feeling the after effects of the meld with Aria. She looked over at her friends and called out, "Garrus, Tali, help me with Shepard!"
They both stepped forward and were at the Commander's side, letting Liara fully regain her balance.
Garrus looked over his wounded friend and then to the body slumped next to her. It was obvious that Shepard had not made the kill and both Aria and Liara seemed to be keyed up. "What happened here?" Garrus said and pointed to the body that was slumped next to the wall.
Aria was fast with a response and spit it out with pure venom, "That was the Cerberus bastard who tried to destroy Omega." She looked down to address the corpse, "I warned you that I would be back… you broke the first rule of Omega… don't fuck with Aria!"
There were footsteps approaching the room, a lot of them. The group was not in the best position tactically and it was obvious that Shepard was not up for a fight. Liara instinctively erected a barrier to protect her love. The rest of them readied themselves for combat.
"The control room is over here," a familiar voice shouted from outside the door.
"Ashley?" Liara and Tali said simultaneously and with relief at hearing their comrade.
They all relaxed as Ashley Williams, flanked with a mix of Alliance soldiers and mercs, entered the room. "Normandy, we found them!" Ashley said excitedly into her comm.
Still processing all the emotions from the meld and steeped with concern for Shepard's injuries, Liara addressed the group, "We need to get Shepard to Dr. Chakwas."
Shepard spoke up, "I'm okay… stop fusing over me Liara… I…"
"Enough," Aria interrupted. "You took the brunt of an explosion and you were knocked out. You need to be looked at and that is final! You are an incredibly stubborn human."
Shepard and the rest of the Normandy crew looked stunned that the directions came from Aria and not Liara.
Liara smiled, Aria is still feeling the effects of the meld too.
Not wanting to fight with both Liara and Aria, Shepard admitted defeat, "Okay… Okay, I'm going."
"Come on, I will make sure you get there in one piece," Liara returned to Shepard's side, snuck in a kiss and took her hand. She could not help but give Aria a very warm smile as they made their way out.
"Alright, let's make sure that Cerberus no longer has any presence here," Aria was feeling her full authority return. She looked at the incoming mercs and quickly directed them to start a level by level search for any evidence of her nemesis. "Williams, any chance that your people can help get the Omega Clinic up and running? We are going to need medical supplies and a safe place for people to go."
"Of course," Ashley replied although she was not sure she should be taking orders from Aria.
Aria quickly added, "Also, I'd like to borrow your quarian for a little while."
"The quarian has a name, it is Tali'Zorah," Tali proclaimed. "What do you want with me anyway, Aria?"
Aria smiled at Tali, as she actually had come to like the quarain and saw her as an asset. She didn't want her to know that though and answered her in her sarcastic tone, "I thought that you might actually be able to get the communications up and running. You seem like you are a rather handy and a capable engineer."
"Thank you… I think," Tali was never sure how to interpret Aria. "I might need Traynor to help too. Cerberus really messed things up and in taking out the comms, your people were quite thorough and destructive."
"Whatever you need," Aria knew that she was going to get her desired request and decided to change her tone slightly. "Maybe you ladies would be so kind as to equip me with one of those vid comms as well."
"You would need to clear that with Shepard first," Tali said as she started working on the remains of the main computer.
"I will make sure to ask her then," Aria said, trying not to sound too obvious about her request. Liara could probably help make that happen… I will have to mention it before I talk to Shepard.
"No Commander, you may not return to active duty for at least 48 hours," Dr. Chakwas was having a hard time with her very stubborn patient. "You suffered a concussion from an explosion... do not make me pull rank."
Shepard had started to complain, but Liara placed a finger on her lips to stop her, "Doctor, I will make sure she gets plenty of bed rest." Liara gave Shepard a knowing smile and Shepard immediately stopped her protesting.
Dr. Chakwas shook her head in defeat, knowing that the Commander might be in bed for 48 hours but she probably would not be getting much rest, "Fine Liara, but at least be somewhat gentle."
"Come on, let's get you to your quarters," Liara gently helped Shepard to her feet and led her out of the medical bay.
Since the communications were still down, Aria decided to make her request for the vid comm personally. She arrived unannounced at the Normandy and ran into Sam, who was heading out to help Tali.
"Hello, Sam," Aria used her seductive tone on the human, knowing that Sam was easily flustered by her. "Are you off to help Tali fix up Omega?"
Sam smiled warmly at Aria, "Yes… I heard that I am needed to rebuild and calibrate the comms system and… you probably don't want to know all the specifics, do you?"
Aria just shook her head and smiled back at the awkward Specialist. "I will make sure to see you later." She actually meant it, as Aria had come to enjoy the girl.
Aria found out that Shepard had listened to her directions and went to the medical bay to get checked out, so she headed there with purpose. When she arrived, the doors opened up to reveal the two people that she was hoping to meet.
"Aria," Liara was surprised to see the asari. She was feeling smug and almost giddy at the thought of getting to have Shepard to herself for two days. Liara could tell by Aria's expression that she immediately knew her plans for the Commander.
Aria had her own agenda but was actually happy for Liara. The result of the meld had left her with a genuine affection and respect for Liara. She decided to use this in making her request to the Commander, "Shepard, I wanted to see how you were doing."
Unaccustomed to any concern shown by Aria, Shepard narrowed her eyes and looked at her curiously, "Really Aria? Why are you actually here?"
Aria returned Shepard's expression, "Right to the point… I want one of those vid comms for my private use and I was told you're the one to make that happen." After the request, Aria directed her gaze to Liara and saw that she was sympathetic to her needs.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Shepard was shocked by the request.
"Shepard," Liara spoke to her lover with pure sweetness and made sure to gently caress her back while speaking. "Don't you think it would be in our interest to make sure that Aria has a direct line to the Council and the Normandy? If Cerberus returned, we would know about it almost instantly. Besides, it would be good for Aria to owe us a favor."
Shepard thought about saying no, but she could tell that Liara had her reasons and she had learned to trust her, "Fine… EDI, make sure that Aria gets her vid comm and make sure that I am not bothered! I am on bed rest for the next 48 hours."
"Yes, Commander," EDI replied.
"Okay, Aria… you got what you wanted. Now it's time for me to go lay down. I'll check in with you before we head out of here. I think that a week should suffice to help you get this station in some sort of working order." Shepard hesitated for a moment and then added, "One more thing…"
Aria looked inquisitively at Shepard, "What?"
"Since you are here and so eager to get a vid comm, why don't you go update the Council for me. The last thing I want to have to do is talk to them and you seem very keen on a certain asari…"
"Fine!" Aria cut her off before she could finish her sentence. Aria did not hesitate and headed for the lift to take her to the war room and Tevos. She did not see Liara lean in to kiss Shepard as they made their way to the Commander's quarters.
Aria found herself staring at the controls to activate the vid comm. She was not use to the feeling of wanting someone for more than just casual sex. During her meld with Liara, she had used her emotions for Tevos to help free herself and Omega. Now she was left with a raw sensation of uncertainty and vulnerability, two emotions that Aria did not allow herself to feel or admit to. Yet, here she was… staring at blank space in front of her and wanting to be looking at Tevos instead. She reached out and activated the connection.
Tevos appeared wearing a stoic expression, "Aria, what is going on with Omega?"
Aria studied Tevos for a moment, letting herself enjoy the familiar view. She was quick to notice that Thea's normally calm features were the same, except for her eyes. Her forehead was slightly furrowed and her eyes were narrowed slightly holding a worried expression.
Aria hesitated for a moment to take her in and then felt her anger and frustration at Cerberus, "They used my people as fucking lab rats, Thea. They removed the humans and rounded up the rest so they could test some kind of Reaper virus that they made. Those bastards were trying to make some kind of fucking soldier. They ended up infecting or killing half of Omega!"
Tevos appeared shocked at the news, her body language softened and she looked as if she wanted to embrace her. "I am truly sorry, Aria… are you okay?" Tevos spoke gently and with concern.
"We stopped them, but…" Aria trailed off and her voice got softer, "It was at a horrible cost." Aria was reliving the devastation of Omega, but was also dealing with the feelings of the loss of Liselle.
Tevos could see the weight of the situation and the hurt that Aria was feeling and felt helpless to do anything to help comfort her, "I am sorry," Tevos offered, but knew that her words were not enough.
Aria tried to shake off her feelings and her expression changed, she seemed to harden. She looked at Tevos in the eye and spoke with her usual authority, "Thea, Cerberus has some kind of twisted plan that involves using the mutated creatures and I think it's aimed at the Citadel. I want you to come here. We've got the space and resources to accommodate a lot of the refugees arriving at the Citadel. You can inspect the facilities and have the refugees accompany you."
Tevos was not expecting the news about Cerberus or the offer to help refugees and could not help but to look surprised, "I don't know… I should speak with the Council."
"No, Thea… I don't think you understand just how dangerous these things are and the Illusive Man has already shown that he's insane and will discard non-humans without thought," Aria was not going to take no from Tevos. "If he has more of that virus, then all non-humans are in immediate danger."
"Aria… don't you think that you are overreacting?" Tevos still didn't know what to think of the demand that Aria was making of her.
"Damn it Thea, I will not let that twisted fuck take any more from me!" Aria said angrily and with a tinge of fear in her voice. "If you don't agree to leave, then I'll be forced to get you myself."
Tevos noticed that Aria's posture had changed and was now more threatening. Aria stood at her full height and made herself as large as possible. Tevos saw the determination in Aria's posture and could hear the commanding tone of her voice. Thea also recognized the feelings that Aria were conveying to her without her outright declaration. "Alright, Aria… I will inform the Council and will start to organize refugees to depart for Omega immediately. It will take a little time to work out the details, but I will be in touch," Tevos was trying to reassure herself and Aria. "Thank you, Aria… I will be alright and you will be helping a lot of people."
"Please don't take too long. I want you here!" Aria could hear the urgency in her own voice, but she did not want to think about the consequences if Cerberus was targeting the Citadel. I will not let that bastard hurt her.
Tevos nodded to Aria and looked at her with longing; she realized that she too wanted to be on Omega with Aria at her side, "I will talk to you soon, Aria… I am touched by your concern and your offer."
Aria recognized the concessions from Thea and knew that she had convinced her to leave the Citadel. She still felt vulnerable and retreated back to more familiar behavior, covering her feelings with arrogance, "Just get here and then we can do something about the touching."
The screen faded and Aria was left standing in front of the empty space again. She felt a partial victory at Tevo's response, but still very helpless to defend her against Cerberus while she was on the Citadel. Aria hated the feelings of doubt and reliance on another. She thought back to her meld with Liara and all of the raw emotions that the two had exchanged and knew that like it or not, Thea Tevos was part of her now. She will be alright and she is coming.