Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect
Mass Fiction
Episode 2: Black and White
Kasumi hummed a soft tune as she strolled through the crew deck, quietly laughing to herself as those around her turned to the source of the humming only to find nothing there. She had been on the Normandy for nearly three weeks and the crew still had difficulty with her presence on the ship. Oh, they knew she was aboard, but her exact whereabouts at any given time was a bit trickier.
She had turned to head back to her room when the starboard observatory door opened revealing Shepard who moved past her and looked to be headed for the forward batteries.
"No rest for the weary, eh Shep," Kasumi thought as she watched Shepard make his rounds. Seeing the open observatory door, she decided that now was as good a time as any to continue with a little game she had been playing.
Since her arrival she had spent much of the down time observing the crew and the ground team. It had become a game for her to sneak into the different ship quarters and observe the occupants without being caught. Jacob had been the first and by far the most fun as she had managed to watch his entire morning exercise routine in all its glory. Mordin had also been a lot of fun as she watched the quirky scientist work on his experiments as he sang showtunes. Had it not been for Shepard's arrival she probably would have gotten caught from laughing so hard.
Miranda on the other hand had been excruciating as she watched the woman work for six straight hours until finally taking a break to use the restroom and get a cup of tea. She swore that the next time the ship had docked she was dragging Miranda out to have some fun. Thane had been another bust since all he did in the three hours she was there was maintenance his sniper rifle and sit staring at the drive core. She had been worried that she would be in for the long haul but fortunately Shepard had chosen that time to get to know the assassin a little better.
It was that very need to talk to his team that had offered the chance for Kasumi to try her luck with the Justicar, slipping quietly into the room as the doors closed. Looking around she first saw the Asari, sitting on the floor in a meditative position, blue biotic energy swirling around her. The second thing she saw was the lack of anything else in the room that belonged to the Justicar. True she herself probably had more stuff in her room than the entire crew combined, but even Garrus had that footlocker of his and he was about as Spartan as you got. She did notice a bookshelf with a few real books and moved over to see the selection.
"I'll have to come back later and pick up some new reading material," Kasumi thought perusing the titles.
Kasumi moved silently towards the window trying to get a better look at the Asari's face stopping only when Samara's head turned slightly in her direction. It was only a moment before she returned to her meditations and Kasumi took a spot on the wall, leaning back and studying the Justicar more closely.
She was beautiful like almost all Asari and wore revealing red leather armor with a similar color crest on her brow.
"Looks like a cross between a priest and a stripper," Kasumi thought to herself.
Kasumi watched as Samara continued her meditations, the ball of biotic energy in her hands pulsing and expanding. Without warning, the swirling blue sphere burst, sending out a shockwave that encased the whole room. Kasumi's cloak began to shimmer and spark indicating that it was going offline, a mild panic taking hold of the thief as she tried to quickly reestablish her ability to remain incognito. It was however, too late as the cloak dropped, leaving Kasumi frozen with her hand still on her omni-tool and Samara now on her feet in a defensive stance against the intruder.
"Um…hello," Kasumi said sheepishly.
"Hello," Samara said quirking an eyebrow.
"So…how long did you know I was there," Kasumi said trying to avoid any further awkward silences.
"In truth I was not entirely sure if someone had entered the room. My meditations allow me to attain a deeper connection to my surroundings and I believed that I felt another presence. I have dealt with infiltrators in the past and I knew that a biotic pulse would interrupt your cloaking field, if I was wrong such a pulse would not damage the ship and there would be no harm done," Samara explained.
"I've never tried sneaking up on a Justicar before," Kasumi said leaning against the wall, "guess that's a lesson learned."
"And why would you be attempting to sneak up on me," Samara questioned warily.
"It's sort of a game that I was playing," Kasumi answered shrugging.
"A…game," Samara asked somewhat confused.
"Yeah, I sneak into the different rooms of the ship and try to observe people without getting caught. Have to keep the skills sharp," Kasumi explained.
"Skills? Are you an assassin," Samara asked knowing most infiltrators were usually associated with black ops projects or other unsavory tasks.
"Oh no," Kasumi said raising her hands, "our assassin lives in the life support room. I'm the ships resident thief."
"A thief? What skills would someone of your profession offer for our current mission," Samara inquired.
"Infiltration and hacking mostly," Kasumi said grinning, "there isn't a security system in the galaxy that can stop me as far as I know. Kasumi Goto at your service," she said with a slight bow.
"I am Samara of the Justicar Order," Samara said returning the gesture her posture finally relaxing.
"I've never even heard of a Justicar until I came aboard. What exactly does a Justicar do?"
A small smile graced Samara's lips as she had just finished answering that exact question from Shepard.
"Justicar's travel the galaxy, fighting injustice wherever we encounter it," Samara explained.
"So…does that make you like a cop," Kasumi asked.
"No, police are bound by the rules of a government. The Justicar's adhere to a code of conduct that has been in place for millennia. The closest example I could compare it too in human terms would be a knight-errant of your medieval period, perhaps mixed with a bit of…"
"Samurai," Kasumi finished, Samara nodding the affirmative. "My people are descendant from the samurai. Well maybe not my family, we were probably ninja."
"Ninja?"
"Medieval infiltrators," Kasumi explained.
"I would assume that since you are here, that you are no common thief. If I may ask, what is it that you take," Samara asked with an even gaze.
"Art mostly, paintings ,statues those sort of things. Most wealthy private collectors are willing to pay good credits to get their hands on a famous piece of work. Occasionally I get requests to steal information either for someone's spy network or another black op relating thing. Sometimes I just do it for kicks," Kasumi said hesitant under Samara's gaze. It wasn't a hateful look, but a disapproving one, like the one her grandmother use to have when she got caught shoplifting candy as a kid.
"For kicks," Samara repeated.
"Yeah, I like the challenge of hacking a new security system. To see if I can do it and not get caught is a real thrill," Kasumi said grinning at memories past.
"You sound very much like my daughter," Samara said, a firm look on her face, "she was always a free spirit."
"I hope my occupation won't be a problem," Kasumi said noticing the serious tone Samara's voice had taken.
"For now it is not, as I am bound by my oath to Shepard. You are vital to his mission and that prevents me from taking action against you. Until Shepard's quest has come to an end, you have no need of fear from me," Samara said returning to her meditative position.
"Well…that's good I suppose," Kasumi said unsure.
"Do not misinterpret my words, Miss Goto, I harbor no real malice towards you. I am only adhering to the code and what I must do," Samara explained.
"So the code dictates all your actions, there's no room for your judgment?"
"The code does not allow for gray to cloud the judgment that I must dispense. It is designed in clear black and white terms that while harsh are the very core of which our lives are based. It is one of the many burdens we bare for the tasks we must undertake," Samara said with just a hint of sadness in her voice.
The room was silent as the thief regarded the Justicar before nodding.
"I understand Samara, and thank you for the warning," Kasumi said turning to leave. She approached the doors preparing to reengage her cloak when she turned back.
"It must be lonely in here all by yourself. If you ever want to chat or have a drink, my room is right across the hall," Kasumi said chuckling, "since I'm safe for the time being."
A ghost of a smile came to Samara's face as she returned to her meditations.
"Although the code forbids me from imbibing in spirits, I would enjoy having another person to talk to besides Shepard. I appreciate your offer Miss Goto."
"Anytime…and please, call me Kasumi," she said activating her cloak.
"Very well…Kasumi," Samara said as the door closed behind her.
I've seen Samara and Thane being a common pairing for BFF's but Kasumi in game talks about speaking with Samara and is the only one to notice if Morinth replaces her making me think they had something of a friendship as opposed to the rest of the crew. I'll have their conversation in Kasumi's room farther down the road after a few other pairings. If you have any you want to see in particular, drop me a review and a request and I'll make it happen. Until next time read and review people.