"I never thought I'd see you again. After a noble sacrifice like that, I don't think anyone was expecting you to come back again. Yet, here you are." Her voice was just as he remembered.
I'm here now. Everything's okay.
"Is it, isaac? Do you truly believe that? You've travelled across the galaxy, seen things nobody would ever believe, managed to be the hero and have come to sweep me off my feet yet again, just like that? Is it really that simple to you?"
I don't get it… I thought you'd be happy.
"How can I be happy when nothing's changed? Everything you've done, Isaac, it's all for nothing."
That's not true. Finding you made everything worth it. We can be together again. And it's all over… No more nightmares.
"What makes you so sure of that? Do you really think it's over? The first day you're here, you're attacked by mysterious aliens, abducting everyone around but leaving you? Do you really think that's a coincidence? This is a never ending nightmare, Isaac. Where you go, death follows. You killed those people. And they all just wanted to help you… Stay away from me, Isaac. Unless you want to kill me too."
No… No! Ellie, please! I didn't-... It wasn't my fault! Ellie!
Ellie!
Isaac jerked himself awake, feeling the cold sweat on his forehead. Instinctively, he wanted to reach up to wipe it off before being reminded by the helmet around his head that that wouldn't be possible. Tali had to make a few modifications to it - and his suit - in order for it to be able to pump breathable air, especially onboard the flotilla where keeping it on was mandatory. Almost immediately upon arriving, he was quarantined, decontaminated, and nearly interrogated by the security team before Tali had her father give the okay. Isaac had the chance to briefly, very briefly, meet Rael'Zorah, who simply did what Tali needed him to do, didn't even glance at Isaac and was out the door in twenty seconds. Tali said he was a busy man, and that certainly proved it. Since, he was allowed to stay onboard the ship Tali was serving on, isolated in what felt like a broom closet with a cot. He could hear just how loud the ships were - like old houses settling constantly. They were running as well as they could be. Isaac had worked on enough ships to know just how old these were, even if he wasn't completely familiar with them.
Sitting up, he stretched, cracking his tired, old bones and lifting himself up to his feet. Exiting out of the tiny little room, he made for Tali's quarters. Last he saw, she was exhausted. Sore, injured, developing an illness - her treatments went well, and they said she'd be fine, but she wasn't out of the woods yet. He had a small sense of pity for the Quarian people, given what he's learned about them so far, but apparently - according to some of the other Quarians - Tali would not have wasted a second to give an outsider like Isaac, especially a friendly one, a full-on tour of the Migrant Fleet, alongside a breakdown of the Quarian people's history, culture and ready to answer any questions he may or may not have about them. In truth, he had plenty. It was a shame someone as eager as Tali wasn't currently able to answer them. Knocking his knuckles against her door gently, he spoke through, "Uh-... Hey, Tali? Can we talk?"
Silence. But – The door slid open, Tali beckoning him inside. After being decontaminated, there wasn't much worry for him to be near the personal quarters of Quarians, "Sorry-... I'm still recovering. I'm a lot more tired and a lot more lethargic than I usually am…" She mumbled, letting the door close as he stepped inside, "I can speak for a bit, but I really need to keep resting soon. I'm glad you came by, though. I know you're not in the most comfortable room, but, are you all right so far?" She asked, with a bit of hopefulness in her voice, as if she was hoping the Migrant Fleet had been anything but sour for him so far.
Even without seeing her expression, that slight tilt in her tone told him what the right answer would be. Isaac nodded his head, "Oh, yeah. It's not that uncomfortable. The flotilla, heh-... It's really somethin'. Never seen so many old ships just working like that. You can really hear it too."
"I can't do without the noise anymore," Tali said, a soft giggle escaping her, "When Shepard first asked me to come with him aboard the Normandy a few years ago, I was so restless. I missed home. I missed all the noises these old ships made - the Normandy runs so smooth, so quiet. It's truly magnificent, but it made me think of the Fleet. As you can see, Quarians like me are very attached to the Flotilla. We live for it. It's–" She suddenly coughed, taking a moment before composing, "Sorry-... Like I said, still recovering."
"Don't apologize. I don't even want to be bothering you right now, I'd rather just let you sleep. But I had to ask you about, well, when I might be able to get that transport. The Fleet's amazing, but… I got someone waiting for me on Earth. Someone really important. I need to get to her. I don't want to rush or seem ungrateful, but – she's all I have left." He had to prove the anxiety that nightmare had given him wrong - Ellie would welcome him back with open arms, not toss him aside and blame him for everything that's happened. That was NOT who Ellie was.
Tali seemed to understand, and sympathize with him, "I know, Isaac. I will get something set up for you quickly." She paused, as if debating whether or not she wanted the next words to follow, but she couldn't seem to help it, "... Isaac, how did you end up so far away from Earth? You seem to be from there, and it'd make sense being a human and all. But you barely know anything about the Terminus Systems or even Omega. Even Quarians are new to you. Where are you from exactly?"
Isaac's mind went blank. Where to even go from here? If he didn't say anything, people seemed to assume the worst. Possibly a merc, or pirate ravaging the Terminus Systems. Or someone who'd had illegal trouble with the crooked groups here. Isaac took a moment - debating whether or not he should tell her where he really comes from, "... To tell you the truth, Tali, I don't even know," It was somewhat honest, "I'm lost. Completely. And if I told you everything, we'd be here too long. And you need to rest. I promise I'll tell you more another time - when you're better. But I'm not a bad person, I promise. I'm not in trouble and I'm not out here doing something wrong. I'm just a man trying to get back to someone he cares about, no matter what."
"Romantic," Tali commented, stifling a light chuckle that ended with a throat-clear, "... I respect that, Isaac. I have a weakness for stories like yours. But you're right - I should probably rest. Just take it easy for now, Isaac. I promise that I will find a transport for you as soon as possible. If only it were as simple as putting you on one of our ships, but it's complicated here at the Fleet. And even requests like mine would be difficult to put through. At the least, I could get you to Omega."
"That's fine with me. Just let me know when we're good to go." With that, Isaac turned to leave. Just before he left, Tali stopped him.
"Wait!" Tali suddenly stood up, walking to some old crates nearby and rummaging through pieces of tech and hardware, "This should do…" Standing back up, she walked over to him and presented him with a device, "This is an Omni-Tool. I have several, but I mostly use parts to attempt my own alterations and enhancements. This is a slightly older model, but it should work just the same. I noticed you didn't have one, so… I'm not sure if you know what one is."
"I didn't," Isaac took it into his hands, strapping it onto himself and letting it activate. Before him, he witnessed its capabilities, "Huh-... Damn thing's capable of way more than a RIG link. But it's the same basic concept. Thank you, Tali. This'll come in use for me."
She seemed happy, "Good… Our Omni-Tools are already linked, so communication should be simple between us both. But you're welcome to use that one as you see fit, and talk to whoever you wish. It should be helpful to you in your travels back to Earth." Tali coughed yet again, "... Now, if you don't mind, I should get back to bed… We'll speak soon, Isaac."
"Rest easy, Tali." With that, Isaac left her quarters, the door shutting behind him and living him alone in the dark, noisy ship. It must've still been whatever 'night' time was for Quarians. Lights were off, everyone was sleeping. It was just him and the solitude of having a ship in space all to himself.
Isaac chuckled.
Maybe this really was a nightmare…
Ignoring his stresses, he return to the confined space, ready to sleep yet again.
"What about me, Isaac? I'm another life you just get to toss away? What makes you more important than me? Just because I don't have shit waiting for me at the end of the mission?" Carver walked back and forth, agitated, clearly furious with him.
I didn't mean for anything to happen to you. You stayed behind, why're you angry with me?
"You know damn why. You get labeled as the Marker Killer, and all of a sudden, you got a big badass hero complex, huh? You're gonna be the guy who saves the world, you're gonna be the guy who stops the Markers, who wins and rides off into the fucking sunset, right? What about the rest of us? Have you ever even stopped to consider for a fucking second how lucky you are?"
What makes me so lucky? I've never been more miserable.
"Oh, boo-fucking-hoo. At least you get to live. We all died for you, man. You killed us so you can have a happy ending." Carver threw his hands up, turning away from Isaac, "I was putting my trust in you, man. I thought we were friends. But what kind of man has your back if he's just gonna fucking stab it?"
"He doesn't consider anyone. Why're we surprised? He's the one who drove Nicole to do what she did, after all." Ellie spoke up, coming into view, coldly, staring at Isaac with a judgemental gaze that made him shrink in place.
I loved her.
"Why do you kill the things you love, Isaac?"
Sleeping was overrated.
Isaac spent another couple of days aboard the Migrant Fleet, although Tali wasn't around for much of it. Recovering from both her sickness and injuries, she wasn't able to speak with him much. In the midst of her recovery, she managed to get something cobbled together for Isaac. A shuttle was willing to get Isaac onto Omega, where he could make his way to the port and find another transport that would take him farther. First, Tali offered her own credits, but Isaac told her that Shepard had offered to pay for any transports himself, so she didn't need to bother. Once things had been fully settled, Isaac was ready to depart from the Migrant Fleet, Tali having gotten out of her quarters to see him off at the docking bay.
"Good luck on your journey, Isaac. I hope you get back to Earth and find who you're looking for. It sounds like she needs you." Tali stifled a cough, putting a hand on the base of her throat, "I promise that one day, I'll gladly have you here on the Fleet again, and give you a proper welcome and introduction to my people and our ships. You certainly deserve it. You've got my Link, so don't be afraid to reach out."
Isaac smiled, offering her a nod of his head, "I will, thank you for your help, Tali. It means a lot."
"May the solar winds favor your journey."
With that, Isaac boarded onto the shuttle, piloted by a personal friend of hers that had offered to make the quick trip. The Quarian in a red colored suit greeted Isaac as the shuttle doors closed, "Mister Clarke, sir? Kal'Reegar, friend of Tali'Zorah's and a Marine here on the Migrant Fleet. I'm to ensure your safe passage to the Omega station, from there, you'll be able to find a transport to wherever you need to go. I'd offer an escort through, but schedules are tight. Not to get myself in trouble, but I'm technically away from my post at the moment. When you're on Omega, move quickly, look tough, find what you need and get out. Tali tells me you're something of a fish out of water. Try not to show your fresh gills to the locals." Kal told him, moving to sit in the pilot's seat, "Omega can be a dangerous place if you're not careful. Lots of gangs, thieves and criminals looking to mug you, assault you, scam you. Tough place, so just stay in the well-lit areas."
Isaac took a seat inside the shuttle, listening to Kal's words and warnings about Omega, "Sounds like a nice place." He said, sarcastically, "I can handle myself. I'll be fine." He paused, looking through his new Omni-Tool, tinkering around and getting to know all the ins and outs. He moved to his contacts, seeing Tali'Zorah vas Neema there, "So, Kal'Reegar–"
"Just Reegar or Kal is fine, sir." The shuttle began to take off, leaving the docking bay.
"All right. Kal, what do you know about Tali?" He asked, "I only met her a few days ago and haven't had a chance to talk to her much."
"You know mostly everything about Tali upon first meeting her, sir. Don't you agree? If I asked you right now, what've you learned about Tali in the few days you've known her, what would you say?" Kal asked in return, veering the shuttle off in the direction of the Omega station.
Isaac took a moment to think about everything that'd happened with her thus far, and her interactions with him and others, "Passionate, I guess. She cares a lot about her people. Not afraid to get into the thick of danger with them, either, but she doesn't really strike me as a soldier."
"Aye, sir. But don't let that fool you. She's quick with her own weapons. Apart from the light training every Quarian before their pilgrimage receives in order to protect themselves, Tali's gotten plenty of experience in a combat field working with Shepard a few years ago. Did you hear about her time with him, helping take down Saren?" Kal asked him.
"Not much," Isaac admitted, "I haven't had much of a chance to talk with Tali since the mission on Freedom's Progress. She's been recovering."
"Well, you'll get plenty of chances to know her once she's better. She's intelligent and determined, and yes, passionate about our people and our homeworld, Rannoch. Much like her father, Admiral Rael'Zorah. I think it's safe to say the entire fleet is proud of her and living up to her father's name just fine. Why do you ask about her, anyway? Not that I mind telling you or answering any questions you have. She mentioned you haven't met a Quarian until you ran into her." Kal looked back for a moment, seeing Isaac just outside of the cockpit.
"Like I said, I just didn't get much of a chance to talk to her. I think I'm a little curious about everyone and everything so far. She's right - I am a fish out of water. I got a lot of questions about everything, and I'm trying not to spill them out to everyone I meet. Honestly, I just need to focus on getting to Earth."
"Understood, sir. Well, I'll certainly help you get started on that journey. Just sit tight, we got a few hours before we with the Omega Station, then you're good to go from there."
Isaac settled back in his seat, taking a breath. Everything was still so new to him, it was almost overwhelming. Nearly too much. He'd barely had the time or comfort to just stop and think about what was happening to him. And his dreams, now nightmares, only reminding him of the constant guilt and heartache he was feeling, welling up inside of him wanting to burst out. His insides felt as if they'd rip apart any moment. His thoughts were with those in the past, those he hoped to see. Ellie was the only person left for all he knew, but maybe Carver was somewhere out here in the galaxy too? He was with him when the machine was activated. Could he have been sent here as well? If so… He'd have to find him too.
I'm gonna find Ellie. Then I'll look for you too, Carver. I promise.
The shuttle docked within Omega's docking bays, landing and the shuttle door opening for Isaac to step out. Before he left, Kal came to speak with him, "Hold up there, sir. Listen, you might only be here for a short while, but it's dangerous. And so is the galaxy at large. Never know what you'll run into." Reaching behind himself, Kal handed him an M-3 Predator pistol, "Take this, protect yourself. Tali said you might already have a weapon, but," Kal scoffed, "One's never enough, am I right?"
Isaac thought about it.
…
"Yeah," He said, a gaunt, dark, exhausted look in his eyes he was glad Kal couldn't see behind his helmet, reminiscing of his time fighting necromorphs, "You're right about that. Thanks, Kal. I'll use it as a last resort." Putting the pistol away, Isaac offered Kal a firm handshake, "Be seein' you, Kal."
"Stay safe out there, sir." Kal patted him on the back, moving back to the cockpit as Isaac stepped off of the shuttle. For once, he was able to retract his helmet, breathing in the oxygen that was being pumped around the station. As he began to walk, making his way through the docking bay, he was suddenly stopped by a really strange looking alien with four eyes. Hairless, too.
"Some human gets dropped off by a Quarian shuttle, not like we get a lot of those, and has zero kind of identification on him. Hold still," The alien's rough and aggressive voice causes Isaac to stiffen up for a moment. Barely ten seconds in and he was already about to get popped? The alien activated his Omni-Tool, scanning Isaac, "Huh. And your Omni-Tool isn't even linked to you. Mysterious strangers showing up to Omega like you are either bad for business or good. Either way, Aria's gonna wanna talk to you. You have some explaining to do. Follow me," The alien motioned for him to follow, but Isaac refused.
"I got somewhere I need to be. And I'm not trying to stay on Omega for long, all right? I'll be out of here before the day's over." Isaac protested, trying to remain non-aggressive but the alien didn't seem to care.
"Careful, human. See, I'm a nice guy. And when some asshole disrespects me, I let it go. You know why? Because it ain't worth it. I just don't care. But when someone disrespects the boss, that's another story. So if your sorry ass doesn't want to get thrown out of the airlock, or have your balls sold to Krogans, you're gonna wanna come with me. So what's it gonna be, human?"
Seems this guy wasn't going to budge. Whoever Aria was, it didn't seem smart to go against what she'd want, "Fine. Lead the way."
"Smart human." The alien beckoned him over, leading him out of the docking bay and to the streets of Omega. Just ahead, there was a line of people waiting to get into a club called The Afterlife. Isaac could hear the music banging from within, and plenty of humans and aliens lounging or waiting. Some big, tall, four-legged alien was admitting people in or rejecting them. If Isaac hadn't seen lovecraftian horrors attempting to kill him, this would've broken his brain. It just felt too much like a long, winding dream that he'd never wake from. Bringing him inside, Isaac walked down a long corridor, the music steadily growing louder as they came to an opening. There were dim, flashing lights, dancers on poles, and all manner of patrons drinking, dancing or shouting. There were some armed men too, on the far side of the club, other alien guards that looked very different from one another.
"Grath, you Batarian scumbag, you haven't paid your tab yet!" One of the aliens, a bartender behind a counter, yelled but in a more bantering tone than a serious one.
"You'll get your money when I'm dead, you Turian bastard," Grath, the Batarian leading Isaac, yelled back.
So this type of alien was a Batarian, and the other was a Turian. Isaac made a mental note of this.
Grath brought Isaac up along the steps to get to Aria's booth, walking past several armed guards. Soon, he was presented to her, "Got our mysterious stranger from the docking bay. Doesn't have any kind of ID, Omni-Tool isn't linked to him and he got dropped off by a Quarian shuttle. Isn't smart enough to come when your name gets dropped either, so I don't think he knows who you are. Says he doesn't plan on being on Omega long."
Aria, a blue-colored alien, also hairless with tendril-like appendages on the back of her head turned around, narrowed eyes focusing on Isaac, "You're gonna explain yourself to me. It's one thing for nobodies to show up on Omega, it's another thing all-together for some asshole who doesn't exist showing up instead. Either runaways bringing trouble or an unmarked, unidentified assassin sent from a rival trying to dethrone me. So which are you?" Aria took a seat, crossing a leg over the other. She was oozing confidence and dominance, leaving Isaac somewhat intimidated.
Isaac didn't know how to answer at first. Surrounded by aliens pointing guns at him, and a blue woman looking at him like he was planning to blow up the station, "Uh-... I'm just a nobody. I'm not here to cause any problems and I'm not bringing them, either. I'm here to get a ride back to Earth, that's all."
"You know, it's not uncommon for a human to be out in the Terminus Systems. Especially those wishing they'd never left their precious Alliance's space to come rolling in the muck with the rest of us. But if you were just some colonist, or Earth-Born traveler, we'd have records on you. So what's your deal, why can't you be ID'd? So far, your story stinks. And you're not going anywhere until I decide what to do with you. Why don't we start with your name?" Aria didn't care for introductions, she was just feeling him out. Would he give up his name?
"Isaac Clarke," He said. Explaining his whole story, Tau Volantis, Markers, the Machine, it just wouldn't go over well. Especially all the way out here, in a dangerous station, surrounded by guns, "I was born out here. In the colonies. Guess my birth just wasn't ever recorded."
Aria shook her head, "Bullshit, Isaac. You're not a colonist. And you're lying. You think I can't see right through you? You're not the first sniveling coward to try and lie to my face. So you'd better start telling the truth."
Isaac looked around himself, seeing just how many men were up here. He counted nine.
"Don't be afraid of them, Isaac. If you give me any reason to think you're a threat, I'll personally rip you apart." Aria, switched legs, getting comfortable.
This wasn't going to work. Isaac didn't have a story. Not a real, concrete one and he doubted anyone would've foreseen something like this happening on Omega. Isaac's heart was about to beat out of his chest, but he looked directly into Aria's eyes, finally speaking up, "Look, lady, I told you. I got somewhere to be. And I've been up against worse. Much worse than some assholes with guns pointed at my head. Back then, I didn't let anything stop me. And now, I sure as shit am not letting your thugs stop me, either. If you give me a reason to think you're a threat to me, I'll kill you and all your men before buying the first ticket off this stinking station." Isaac pulled the pistol out, pointing it at Aria's face, all of the guns around him cocked, pointed right up to his head, "So why don't you tell me, Aria, what the fuck is it gonna be?"
She was scowling up at him. Her men looked like they were ready to tear him limb from limb. Isaac kept his composure, staring with the same amount of contempt back into her eyes. Finally, the silence in the midst of the booming music was broken. Aria laughed, wiping a tear from her eye as she leaned back in her seat, sighing, "You're staring death in the face, Isaac."
"Yeah? So are you." Isaac maintained his composure, keeping the gun pointed at her.
Aria moved her hand up, pushing the barrel of his gun gently away from her face, "Settle down. I think we should talk." She looked past him, nodding her head up at her men. Their weapons were promptly put away, giving them space, "Sit."
Isaac's ears were ringing and the pit in his stomach felt like it was about to swallow him whole. Putting his gun away, he sat down across from Aria. The music only made this more maddening. Surely, he would've died. He wasn't even sure if he'd been able to fire off a round into Aria, and she was probably sure she would've lived. But something about that clearly made her think differently.
"I'm not letting you live because I believe your bullshit story about being a nobody, Isaac. But you're intriguing me." She put a hand up to her chin, "You're either an incredibly stupid asshole or have a lot of guts to point a gun at my face. You're the only person on Omega so far that's ever gotten away with it. But I wasn't impressed by your words, merely convinced you're not here to cause problems. You really do want to get off this station, and you're determined to do it no matter what, aren't you? Even if you would've died, you would've gone out fighting before being stopped by me or my men. Tell you what, Isaac, a lost soul like you? No place in the universe, puttering around in the Terminus Systems, aimlessly trying to get back to Earth. Fuck that. Stay here. Work for me. See if your words have any weight to them. You work with me, you'll get whatever you want on Omega. New start, more creds than you know what to do with, respect. You'll get an identity. And one people know not to fuck with. You have something unique, Isaac. Zero records, no identification, no reports, you're a ghost. It's good to have a ghost working for you. So, what do you say?"
It was a hell of a proposition. Coming from a madwoman and her criminal Empire. But it made him think back to Ellie… Or Carver. Were they here? Was this their world anymore? If he went back to Earth, what were the odds of finding Ellie? No-... No, he had to. He couldn't give up just yet, "I'm no criminal," He told her, honestly, "I'm just trying to find someone back on Earth. Someone important."
Aria didn't seem interested in that, "Prove yourself capable to me. One job. I'll give you a personal escort all the way to Earth, if you want. That, or an offer to work here for me, and get whatever you want. Hell, you can pay for your own trips to and from Earth with the kind of money you can earn working with me. I'm offering you the deal of a lifetime, Isaac. It'd be silly not to take it."
What place did he have in the world now? He was an engineer that possibly wouldn't know how to work on all the advanced tech and alien tech already presented to him in the world. He knew no one, no one knew him, there was no record of him, and for all he knew - the only two people who could've possibly been here were long gone, forever. There was a part of him that heard Aria's words and considered what she had to say. Perhaps, it would be a good fallback. If things didn't pan out, maybe he'd have a spot here. Working as a gun for hire for Aria. Sure, he had some skill. But no doubt, the other mercs here were much more skilled in gunfights than he was. He'd had some experience, but he had no kind of official training, and mostly knew how to tear the limbs off of monsters, "... What would the job be?" Curiosity got the best of him.
Aria smirked, "I've always got something that needs doing. Talk with Grath, accompany him. He'll make a report to me on how you handled yourself."
"All right…" Isaac stood up, ready to leave, before Aria stopped him.
"Isaac, while you're out there, don't forget Omega's one rule: Don't fuck with Aria. I like you enough so far, but break my little rule, and you'll be drifting back to Earth in pieces." She said to him, keeping a constant smirk and deadly look in her eye as she raised her hand, wiggling her fingers, "Good luck."
She was terrifying.
Going down the steps, Grath stopped Isaac, "Looks like you're gonna be working with me, human." His four eyes scanned down Isaac's armor, inspecting it, "Guess you're already fitted out. And I see you're packing heat, so that's covered. Consider yourself lucky, human. Clearly, Aria sees something in you. I've never known anyone to point a gun at her and walk away. You so much as whisper under your breath you intend to do anything to Aria, and you'll be turned into a red paste stained on the ground. As you can probably tell, Aria's the type to send messages. Especially to those who've overstepped their bounds with her. See, Aria rules Omega. This is her playground. But there's plenty of other groups that think they've got the same weight to shove around as she does. Big, notable gangs. Sometimes, they forget their place and need to be reminded who's in charge. Our job is to go pay a visit to a Blue Suns captain that's been encroaching a little too freely in territories Aria doesn't want touched. People pay top credits to make sure they get protection from the local gangs, and when those gangs start shoving in like they don't care, we show them why they should."
"If Aria doesn't own the gangs, why haven't they just taken over Omega by now?" Isaac asked, leaving The Afterlife's premises with Grath.
"Aria has more at her beck and call than the three major gangs on Omega. If she wanted to, she could mark a whole gang for death and watch it erupt as every pirate, merc, loyal henchmen, gangster or freelancer charges to kill them. She's the Pirate Queen, Isaac. And this is her ship. Fuck with it, fuck with her, you're done. So be a good boy and follow along with me, all right?" Grath seemed to be one of the loyalists.
"How long have you worked for her?" Isaac asked him, noting how ready-minded Grath was about Aria and Omega.
"Ten years now. I was just a regular slaver back in the day. My team got its hand on some property labeled as precious cargo by Aria. Well, they weren't smart enough to let it go and I knew it was a matter of time before we were fed to a thresher maw. So, I did her an unprompted favor. Mutinied. Killed my whole crew, delivered the cargo back personally to Aria. She offered me a job at her side and I've worked hard to be more than an errand boy. Work closely with her, you can rise up in the ranks like any organization. Do well enough, and you'll be in her inner circle. You'll never worry about going hungry, never worry about some asshole not respecting you. Then you live the good life." Grath smirked at Isaac, "If you ask me, there's no point in playing by the galaxy's rules. Whole thing's set up against you. What's a Batarian like me gonna do when half the galaxy sees us as pirate, slaver scum? If that's all they'll see you as, might as well be the best. You? Some nobody coming from nowhere, not a god damn idea what's going on? Why not make the best of your situation?"
"I guess I just never really saw myself as the criminal type." Isaac told him, "I'm not a killer. Or a thug. I'm just an engineer." For some reason, the words he'd said felt all muddy. As if it wasn't true.
"There's more to you than you're letting on, Isaac. Some 'engineer', no matter how determined he is, doesn't point a gun at the most feared person in the Terminus Systems. Just stick with me, do as you're told, and watch good things happen, all right? Now, you got that gun, I take it you know how to shoot it?"
"I'm a fair shot. Had a lot of practice," Isaac did have to admit to that one.
"Good. You're probably gonna need it." Grath and Isaac traveled to the other side of Omega, a neighborhood that looked better than the slums they had passed by earlier, currently locked down due to some kind of quarantine, apparently. The word alone made him nervous. Quarantine. Surely… It didn't have anything to do with markers, right?
"What's with the quarantine?" Isaac asked, needing to put his mind at ease.
"Some plague's been killing aliens. Doesn't infect humans, though. Seems a little suspicious if you ask me, but, what do I know? I'm just a merc. I'm no doctor." Grath moved Isaac along, "Don't get caught up in the slums, we're not here for that." Leading him along, he got Isaac to their destination, where one of the civilians that lived here met them. He was another human, coming up to them both.
"Did Aria send you? We're paying a lot of credits to keep these thugs out of our neighborhood, something's gotta be done!" The human barked at them both.
"Calm down, Aria's a woman of her word. It'll be taken care of." Grath reached into his pocket, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it, "Tell me everything you know. Aria wants a full report of what the Blue Suns have been up to here. Don't spare any details."
"Hey, we're paying to keep the Blue Suns out and so you guys deal with it. You think I'm suicidal enough to spill all the stuff they've been doing to you guys? Hell no. The moment I leave the neighborhood, if they found out it was me, I'm dead – dead, you hear me!?"
The Blue Suns - from what everyone's been saying, they're clearly one of the top gangs here on Omega. While they probably had dealings with Aria, they certainly were overstepping their boundaries. Truthfully, this all seemed like underworld garbage Isaac didn't want to take any part in. But what he saw before himself, a scared guy that just wanted to be left alone, and live in peace – it resonated with him. He understood, more than others, how much that could be valued. It wasn't like Aria was getting Isaac to go beat on random people, or to kill anyone. Especially someone that didn't deserve it. It was protection.
"They're not gonna know anything about you. You've got my word. What's protection worth if it doesn't save you? Like I said, it'll be taken care of. Just let us know what the Blue Suns've been up to, where we can find them, we'll take it from here. And be quick, won't you? I've got a packed day today." Grath blew a cloud of smoke away from them.
"All right, all right…" The human seemed convinced now, "It started once the quarantine hit. Blue Suns been comin' into most neighborhoods, saying that Aria's not gonna be able to protect us from the plague if it spreads. They want us to start paying them now, and they wanna be able to use our streets and corners to conduct their business. We know what they're doing - they're just trying to expand. Some of us looked on a map, all the spots they've been heading to, they're taking older, further territories from Aria's usual reach thinking she won't notice. I think they're using it as a way to get the Eclipse pushed out from streets Aria doesn't have under her direct protection. Plus, I heard rumors that this is also an attempt to cover more ground to have more eyes out for that Archangel guy."
"Huh, guess I'm not surprised. Archangel's been giving them a run for their money for a while now." Grath tossed the cigarette on the ground, stepping on it to put it out, "That's all we need. And where are these assholes holing up then?" He asked, waiting for the last piece of the puzzle.
"Down the street, a floor down, there's an old warehouse they turned into their little base. Running their businesses in and out of there. And that's all I got, okay? They could have ears on me…" He looked like he was trying to hide himself with his jacket, stepping away from Isaac and Grath, "Just-... We've been making our payments, take care of it! I'm going inside!" The human hurried back to his residence, leaving the both of them standing alone outside.
"Now what?" Isaac looked to Grath, afraid of what his answer would be.
"Now we send our message. Come on, let's pay a visit to these Blue Fucks. Show them Aria's not fucking around."
"Wait, wait," Isaac stepped ahead of him, stopping in, "What're we gonna kill them?"
"Most of 'em, gotta leave at least one or two alive to spread the word. Normally, I wouldn't consider this a killing job. But they did more than step into territory they have no business in. They started working, and I know Aria's not gettin' a cut. Worse, they started charging Aria's customers for protection, taking more money away from her. This is more than broken fingers, Isaac, this is lives now. They'll get it. They're not gonna come back with a vengeance, if that's what you're afraid of. You live and you learn, and they're gonna learn."
"I'm not afraid of that. I've just – I mean, I've killed people. But I've never really picked the fight," Isaac told him, "I don't know what kind of man you guys think I am… I've gotten my hands dirty, but always because I was forced to. I don't know if I could pull the trigger on a man who isn't crossing me."
Grath was quiet for a moment, listening to Isaac's words. Stepping to face Isaac directly, he put a hand on his shoulder, "The Blue Suns are scum, Isaac. Everyone here on Omega is scum. Sleep easy knowing the next man you shoot is as much of a piece of shit as the next guy. We're all crooks and sinners, Isaac. The bad guys, I suppose. Every one of us. There's no justice on Omega, only righting the wrongs other pissants deliver to you. Returning the favor, you know? So quit being a little priss and come along. Aria sent you with me as my backup, so you're gonna be my backup. You've shot a man, good enough for me. Let's go shoot some more."
Isaac figured Grath was far too comfortable with the concept of killing other, living people. But then again, when it came down to it, Isaac had killed without remorse if it meant saving his skin. Following Grath, the two made it to the warehouse where the Blue Suns had been conducting their business. Outside of the main warehouse doors, a couple of guards were posted. More batarians, talking amongst themselves when Grath and Isaac walked up to them.
"The fuck do you want?" One of the guards asked, reaching for his rifle.
"I'm here on Aria's behalf. Think you folks've been expecting someone like me to come along eventually. I don't have words for you, but I've got words for the sorry son of a bitch inside who thought he could step into Aria's territory without getting stepping on some toes. Move aside unless you want to answer to Aria."
Both guards looked at one another, then stepped aside, allowing them entry. Grath and Isaac moved inside, where the main operations were being held. There were Blue Suns gangsters everywhere, and a couple other alien types Isaac hadn't seen before. Curiously, no other Quarians. Perhaps, they kept much more to themselves than he'd thought. Didn't seem the same for everyone else. He made a mental note to ask Tali about that - Surprisingly calm for the deadly situation he was walking into. Truly, he was used to it at this point.
"What the hell do you two think you're doing just walking in here? Why'd my guards let you in?" A human Blue Suns Captain stepped into view, followed by three other men while the rest of the warehouse quieted down to pay attention to the scene that was unfolding.
"You know damn well why I'm here. I recognize you. Yeah, you're that small-dicked human that's always going just a little too far every time. Aria remembers you, Renald." Grath got another cigarette out, "I'm Grath. You should know my name. I'm the guy Aria sends to deal with dumb assholes who forget their place."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted. As if every single Blue Suns soldier in here was suddenly afraid of not only Aria, but Grath too. He noticed it on Renald's face, as did Grath who let out a low chuckle. "Yeah, I'd be scared too if Death showed up on my doorstep, Renald."
Renald stepped forward, "Look–"
"You're good right there," Grath pulled a pistol on him, making Renald seize up, "Now, explain yourself."
Renald looked around at his men, nervous that he'd look weak in front of them, "Look here, Grath, we've been abiding by everything that Aria has asked of us so far. But Archangel has made it impossible to operate. Wherever we go, he's a step ahead and always slips away. He's not just bad for the Blue Suns, he's bad for Omega, Grath. Her real beef should be with Archangel for forcing us into the position that we're in now. We're trying to corner him, get him into a spot where he can't keep escaping us anymore and we're nearly there. We're taking care of a temporary problem that's impacting us all, Aria included. If she cares about Omega, she'll let this go."
Grath thought about it for a moment, then smiled, "See, Renald, maybe that story would've worked for. Hell, I'm inclined to agree with you. Archangel certainly is a problem and if he gets any more unruly than where he is now, she might see to him personally executed. But here's the thing, Renald. In the middle of your quick-thinking, you forgot something."
There was silence, broken by Renald, "... What? What did I forget?"
"You forgot your place, you damned fool. You had no right poaching business from Aria, you had no right not asking for permission, not asking for a sit with Aria, not even getting any kind of contact across and trying to make her customers pay extra for protection through the Blue Suns. You knew what you were doing and you have royally fucked up, my friend." The pistol was raised up to Renald's forehead, and cocked, "I'm not here to remind you of your place, Renald. But I am here to remind every dumb son of a bitch stupid enough to follow you that they need to check themselves next time they do something so god damned stupid."
"Wait!-"
Isaac flinched at the gunshot that sounded off in the warehouse, Renald's body collapsing onto the ground. His mind flashed for a moment to Unitologist executions. He didn't want to be anything like them. Sure, there was a difference. But right now just wasn't the time to dwell on it.
"You can't treat the Blue Suns like this!" One of the gangsters began to fire down at them from the second floor, others joining in and others running away, not wishing to further incur the wrath of Aria. Grath pulled onto Isaac, getting him to run and take cover behind some machinery.
"Watch yourself!" Grath shouted to him, moving out from his cover to fire several shots at some of the enemy gangsters up top, gunning a couple down. Still, they must've had over twenty men gunning after them now.
Isaac grabbed his pistol, now in a fight or flight moment, he had to make a decision. Either he hid, let Grath get overrun, and possibly die, try to run and be shot in the back, or fight back as he'd become used to doing. Moving out from his cover, he took aim at one of the gangsters up top and shot him down, causing him to collapse down to the ground floor. Running from his spot, he took refuge behind some metal canisters, getting a wider area the two could use to cover one another. Ground troops were moving onto Grath's position, "Watch your left!" Isaac moved over the canister, firing off several shots into the gangsters moving onto Grath. The bullets hit most of their marks, causing two to be injured while the other two had shields protecting them from the barrage.
Grath quickly moved, firing off his shots and killing the other two that were encroaching onto him. The gangsters up top began to descend down the steps, keeping suppressive fire onto Isaac's position, pinning him while the others got an angle on Grath, attempting to keep Isaac's cover from being able to assist him. In the heat of the moment, a decision had to be made. Isaac had enough juice to use his stasis module at least 6 times. Unsure if there would be a way to refill it, he'd kept it on-hand for emergency situations. This time seemed good enough - taking a risk, he threw himself out of cover, launching a stasis shot to the group of men coming to Grath's position. With all four of them hit by the blast, he took aim and began firing at each one. He must've fired off ten shots, most hitting their marks, neck and headshots while the others missed. Overstaying his welcome, he felt the bite of a bullet latch into his shoulder, knocking him back. Luckily, the armor kept him padded and protected, but it'd still leave a hell of a bruise. Grath looked over his cover, noticing the men exiting stasis and immediately collapsing.
"They've got a biotic!" One of the soldiers shouted, before Grath began to put them down. Overpowered by Grath's firing, Isaac picked up his weapon and joined in, taking down the remainder of the gangsters that were on the ground floor. The rest of them all disappeared, probably having run off. Grath stepped over to Isaac, panting.
"Good work. We killed enough of them, the rest will scurry back to their Blue Suns leaders and tell them what happened here. If they wanna move in on Aria's territories, they're gonna have to ask for permission first." Grath cocked his head, having Isaac follow him back to the doors they'd entered from, "Didn't mention you were a biotic. Big advantage in a firefight." Grath suddenly fired off several shots through the door, making Isaac jump at the sudden shots.
Isaac looked between the door, then Grath, confused, "... I'm not a biotic, whatever that is. Just an old tool I had with me."
"Well, whatever it was, it sure as shit came in handy." Opening the door, Grath pushed aside two freshly killed Blue Suns guards, the ones they'd met outside of the warehouse, "You handled yourself well. I'll make sure Aria knows. You'll get a cut from this job, good enough to get wherever you need to get. But if you ask me, you might wanna consider her offer. Working closely with Aria makes Omega a little less dangerous. You become the danger," He chuckled, "We should get back to her, let her know what happened here."
Isaac looked at the bodies, then back into the warehouse. His hands weren't even shaking. In fact, this didn't feel all that wrong.
"You all right? You're not gonna go throwing up on me, are you?" Grath asked, eyeing Isaac.
"No. That's the thing," Isaac looked back to him, "I'm fine."
The two returned to The Afterlife, where Aria had been waiting for them to get back. Stepping up to her booth, they stood in front of her to give her the report.
"Blue Sans Captain Renold was the one in charge of this little operation, he's been taken care of. It was an attempt to get Archangel into a tighter corner, but they got greedy." Grath crossed his arms, "Message was delivered. Plenty dead, plenty ran. Renold's space dust, no worries there. If they try anything again, we'll deliver a harder message. For now, I think they got the point."
Aria rolled her eyes, "This Archangel crap needs to end already. I didn't think I'd care until the gangs started getting too comfortable with how they wanted to handle things," Her eyes wandered over to Isaac, then back to Grath, "How'd he do?"
"Took care of himself, got me out of a bind. Took a shot, but he's walking it off. All in all, whole thing went off without a hitch." Grath answered her.
Aria crossed a leg, smirking at Isaac, "So maybe this line of work does suit you, after all. Wire him his creds." She ordered one of her guards nearby.
"Uh-.. Aria, I can't. He doesn't have an account." The guard answered, sheepishly.
"Then make him one and wire him his fucking creds. What do I have to do? Hold your damned hand?" She shook her head in annoyance, "You'll get paid, Isaac. But I want you to sit down and tell me if maybe you've changed your mind? You don't find people like Grath around the corner. You make them. I could always use more of him. What do you think?"
Isaac didn't give it much thought. Sure, it could've been a whole new life here on Omega. Dirty, stinking Omega with gangsters, crooks and violence all over the streets. Or he could get himself to Earth, "I can't give you a decision yet," He told her, not wanting to completely pass the opportunity up just yet, "I need to get to Earth, Aria. I told you, I've got someone waiting and I need to find them. That's my first priority. After that, we'll see. If I do find her, I don't even know what I'd have going for me besides her in this galaxy."
"Hmm… Fine, that's an acceptable answer for now. If you find yourself done with drifting through space junk, come find me again here in the Afterlife. You'll be more than welcome. Until then, Isaac Clarke." She smirked, as if she knew he'd be back.
Leaving, Grath followed behind him, stopping him just outside of the Afterlife, "Hold up there, Isaac. You did a good thing for me back there. Watched my back. So let me give you some advice - don't leave Omega yet. You took a shot. Let it heal. A night with some medi-gel. Leave first thing in the morning. There's a motel not far from here, Solar Clouds. Got a deal setup with the owner that lets Aria's men stay at no cost. Tell him I sent you, sleep off that injury after getting some medi-gel on it, then be on your merry way. I know you got business on Earth, and it ain't in my place to tell you what to do, but if I were you, I wouldn't pass on Aria's opportunity. Lone drifters like us, Isaac, we eventually need a place. A team. Without it, we're doomed. Think about it." Grath patted his shoulder, "Be seeing you, Isaac."
"You too." Isaac watched him go, thinking about what he'd said. A motel, huh?
Once Isaac had found the near-rundown motel, Solar Clouds, he went inside and spoke to another long-necked alien type that offered him a room once he told him Grath had sent him there. Apparently, most rooms came with a Medi-Gel dispensary, so he'd be able to fix up his injury and sleep overnight to recover. Walking down dark, dank halls and listening to all manner of noises, moans and groans coming from the other rooms, he found the one he'd been given and went inside. Shutting the door, he removed his suit, then the casual garments he'd worn underneath, leaving himself in a tank and his pants. Stepping into the bathroom, he looked in the mirror to see his disheveled appearance. His hair, beard, both unkempt and in dire need of a shave and a comb. Then there was his injury, a large bruise with some reddened, broken skin and dried blood from where the bullet had hit him. Now that he was seeing it, he could feel the stinging pain. Applying Medi-Gel using his Omni-Tool, he'd immediately sigh and feel it working its magic. With the pain lessening, and the wound being treated, he washed his face and threw himself onto the presumably dirty bed, staring up at the dark ceiling.
The bed was surprisingly comfortable. Maybe he was just glad to not be cooped up inside of a tight, claustrophobic closet anymore. Or a cell. He had a room, he didn't have to wear a helmet… Letting out a long sigh, Isaac finally felt like maybe he could get a good night's rest. Truthfully, this made him think about Omega and everything that Grath and Aria had told him. Perhaps, it really wasn't so bad here. Maybe he could have some kind of life here. A ding sounded off on his Omni-Tool. Raising it up, he viewed the notification. A bank transaction - for X. They'd provided him with a bank account, assuming one not tied to any legitimate or legal network, along with a scrubbed name to keep his 'ghost' identity. 35,000 credits for that job? Aria certainly had the money to put into people's pockets… If he stayed here, she could take care of him. So long as he pulled his weight.
Another ping. This time, a message notification.
Tali'Zorah: Isaac, do you have a moment to talk?
Isaac: Hey, Tali, good to hear from you.
Tali'Zorah: It's good to hear from you as well, Isaac. I am recovering still, but feeling better. If you have a moment, perhaps you'd be open to a video call?
Isaac: Sure, go for it.
After a few moments, a holographic video request had come through. Isaac and Tali could see one another, and speak now too, "Hey, surprised to see you're up. Could've sworn you'd still be recovering. Your injuries doing better? Still sick?"
"I'm fine, Isaac," She answered, "Thank you for asking. I'm recovering well but I wanted to check on you. Were you able to get yourself out of Omega? I hope you didn't have too much trouble."
Isaac thought about it, "... Well, not yet, no. And I didn't have any issues. I just – I enjoyed my time on the Fleet, but I needed a good night's rest. Got a room to spend the night in. I just needed to sleep on a bed for once. I think that closet left me sore all over."
"Ah- right! I am so sorry about that, truly. Like I said, I promise next time it won't be that way. You'll come aboard the Flotilla and truly get to experience it in a beautiful way. Not many other people ever come to the Flotilla, it would be an honor for us and yourself to be able to experience our culture and people firsthand. Though, we are very careful about contamination. It can make things difficult at times, but we cannot hide ourselves from everyone forever."
"I'd – yeah, I'd certainly be honored to come aboard again in the future. Hopefully under better circumstances. But, listen, thanks for calling in to check on me. I appreciate it." Isaac offered her a smile. And appreciate it, he did. He couldn't remember the last time someone checked in on him like this. Not since… Well, since a more complicated time.
"Of course, Isaac. You helped in the rescue of me, my team and Veetor. I owe you more than just a ride to Omega. I hope I can properly repay you some day. You're a stranger to our world, somehow. And I want to ensure you have a friendly voice to communicate with. If ever again, there is a way I can help you, just let me know. I'll do what I can."
"Thanks, Tali. Listen, uh -... It's nice talking, really. But I feel like I'm about to drop. You can contact me anytime. I'm around. Got nothing but traveling to do, anyway. Might as well talk to someone."
"You as well, Isaac. I am a rather busy person, but I make time for my friends. Sleep well and take care of yourself."
"You too."
Holo-Call ended.
Isaac laid back down, staring up again, feeling much better. At times like this, lonely and with his thoughts, it was easy to lose himself in his mind but the kind words of a friendly voice helped to put him at ease. There was every reason to be afraid, worried, or just concerned and sick with himself for everything. So many different things running through his mind, whenever he was doing nothing, it just came spiraling into view. But for once, a good night's rest awaited him.
I'm figuring things out. I'm doing better now. I can believe in myself for once, so won't you? I've been thinking about you a lot lately. Well, us, actually. I'm gonna have so many things to tell you when I see you again. I'm just holding onto that hope - and it's keeping me going. There was a time where I didn't care whether I lived or died, but you changed that. Just keep holding on.
"Isaac," She spoke, looking back at him, finally without a look of contempt or disgust.
Yeah?
"RUN!"
His eyes shot open, immediately reaching for his gun but they'd beat him to it. He felt the butt end of a rifle slam into his stomach, and arms restraining him down. Out of breath and gasping for air, he weakly struggled against them, trying to free his arms from their grip. The lights were flicked on, staring up at the faces of several aliens and masked Blue Suns gangsters, "That's him!" One of them yelled out, "That's the one that was with Grath."
One of the Blue Suns removed his helmet, walking up and staring down at Isaac, "You made a big fuckin' mistake, you cunt. Knock him out and take him back. If we can't have Grath, we'll have him."
Looking up, the last thing he saw before the lights went out was that same rifle, slammed into his face.
With that, he was out.