Kaidan glanced back at the two Matriarchs warily; it made him a little uncomfortable, having them at his back. He stumbled a little, Aethyta's boot catching his heel again. Patience; they were every bit as frustrated as he and with greater cause. If Matriarch Aethyta wanted to take out her frustration by scuffing his boots, it was better than peeling his skin from his bones slowly.
The second asari, Matriarch Benezia, pulled her back forcibly and drew her closer to whisper a rebuke sharply. Aethyta scowled, on anyone else he would have described the expression as 'sulky', but that simply didn't fit with the image of the wise Matriarchs the Asari spoke of. Come to it, they weren't what he had expected at all. Infighting and mocking pet names, a complete lack of tact or respect for Ambassador Udina… that last rather endeared them to him.
Much as he had appreciated Aethyta's comments though, it was the other, Matriarch Benezia, he thought he should address. She seemed to be the more level-headed of the two and the less likely to snap his head off on a whim.
"What are you looking at?" Aethyta snapped. "You would think it was the first time you had seen an asari."
Kaidan decided it would be better not to mention that this was in fact his first time meeting one in the flesh; her criticism earlier had some merit and the reminder still stung.
"Did you have something to say, lieutenant Alenko?"
Matriarch Benezia's voice was cool but not unfriendly. Kaidan cast about for something to say that wasn't entirely inane or needlessly provocative.
"If you will excuse me, I will page my colleague and request a status update."
"Na-"
Aethyta cut her partner off briskly, "No need to excuse yourself; page her now and ask that she meet us at our quarters."
"The chief is in the western wing, your quarters are located in the east. It will take her some time to make her way there in the morning rush."
"It looks to me like we have nothing but time. Unless you know something we don't?"
He could have sworn he saw Benezia kick her partner under the cover of adjusting her skirts, but Aethyta gave no sign of it.
"Yes. Of course." Feeling overwhelmingly self-conscious, Kaidan activated his omnitool and stepped to the side of the hallway.
Aethyta snorted, "You can't walk and talk at the same time?"
The glare that Benezia directed at her should have had her cowering; she looked entirely unrepentant. He genuinely wasn't sure what to make of these two, they acted more like quarreling children than any diplomats he had seen. He wasn't really in a position to comment, Udina frequently threw tantrums that would have shamed a toddler but he had the decency to do so in the privacy of his own office normally-
"What?" Ashley's tone was sharp, and breathing shallow. Evidently this was a bad time; Kaidan caught the satisfaction in Aethyta's gaze and thought he might have seen a flicker of shock reflected in Benezia's eyes. So much for first impressions.
"Checking in for a status update."
"Good news is I've cross-referenced the employees calling in sick leave with the sector's clinic. All save two check out. The bad news is, a few of those employees that vanished last Tuesday still haven't turned up. I don't know if they're dead or complicit."
"Assume complicity and see what you can do about pulling their records."
"Already on it- Watch out! Crap. This place is too crowded, give me a second."
"Where are you, Ash?"
"Ash?" Aethyta mouthed, sharing a look with her ally that boded ill for their future cooperative efforts. Strangely enough, he was looking forward to taking orders this once; it would be a pleasant change of pace to not end up as the scapegoat every time something went wrong.
"Docking bay. You were taking too long, I've been speaking with the names on the list."
Kaidan drew a deep breath, released it slowly; this was neither the time nor the place to remind Ashley that she was supposed to have waited for him. The asari already looked skeptical of their usefulness; he needed them to trust him or they would all end up getting in each other's way.
"Anything interesting?"
"Like I said, a few are missing. A few reportedly were not at their stations during their shift; seems they were enjoying the party too."
Kaidan frowned, "The docks are too far. They'd be caught."
"You would think so. I'm trying to figure out why they weren't. Shockingly, they don't want to tell me; I spoke with the shift supervisor and they are at our disposal- drop by whenever you please."
He could hear the smile in her voice and felt a little lighter for it himself. It was a little early to be celebrating a victory, but it was definitely something and he would take anything at all if it meant being a step closer to untangling this knot of Gordian proportions.
"Tell her you're on your way."
"Who's that? Are the Asari here already?" Her smile had clearly vanished.
"Matriarchs Aethyta and Benezia docked a quarter hour past. I'll be over directly."
"Yes, sir." Perfect professionalism, she changed gears faster than he could keep pace.
Aethyta disentangled her arm from Benezia's, murmuring a few words to her that Kaidan's ears couldn't catch regardless of how he strained.
Benezia nodded firmly, stepping away and around them. "We will speak this evening, lieutenant." He recognized a command when he heard it.
"I will call for an escort-"
"There is no need. I know this place well." Matriarch Aethyta didn't seem to care for that response any more than he did. Perfect. The calm one was leaving and he would be left with this harridan.
"I'm not keen on the idea of working with you either so you can wipe that look off your face." Aethyta muttered.
Damn. He must be even more tired than he had suspected to let that thought show.
Aethyta raised her voice again, "Nezzie, you might remember that an asari was kidnapped here not more than two days ago. You want to wait for Shiala?"
Nezzie? It didn't fit her at all, and judging by that quelling look she didn't think so either.
"I do not."
Aethyta seemed ready to say more but Benezia hurried away before she could. That was a spectacular pout spreading over her features; Aethyta hissed between her teeth and activated her omnitool the minute Benezia rounded the corner ahead.
"Shiala, Benezia is in corridor…" She looked about rapidly, checking the wall for any identifying markings. "Sixteen. Meet her at the next intersection and escort her safely to her chambers… please."
Kaidan blinked in surprise, hardly daring to believe that she could be anything but abrupt.
"Yes, ma'am." Shiala sounded about as beleaguered as he felt.
The bright glow of her omnitool blinked out and she raised her brows questioningly, "Where is she?"
It took him a moment to realize the asari was referring to Ashley rather than doctor T'Soni; he turned on his heel and hurried toward the pathway that would take him to the docks soonest, still struggling to stay one step ahead of the matriarch's feet.
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Now that her previous elation had died down, Ashley was once again weary in every limb; her head ached viciously and she couldn't seem to keep her breathing steady without constant focus.
They were so close; they had been, at least. No telling what the arrival of the Asari emissaries would accomplish; Udina would be eager to placate them, he would have no problem throwing she and Kaidan to the wolves if that was what it took to ingratiate himself. She'd have to pull Kaidan aside once this hellacious day was over and grill him for details on how that first meeting had gone down.
Ashley tucked herself farther into the corner to wait; she had already had several unfortunate mishaps with busy workers and neither she nor they appreciated the encounter. How long could it possibly take for Kaidan to get here anyway? It felt like it had already been at least half an hour, logically she knew it couldn't have been more than six or seven minutes.
She brushed the hair from her face and wiped a dirty hand across her sweaty skin; it didn't help that there was no form of temperature control on the open docks and the humidity was high enough that it felt almost like breathing water.
Wonder of wonders, Kaidan appeared in a crowd of heavy-lifters shifting a crate; a tall, dark asari glided behind him, seemingly unaffected by the heat and neatly side-stepping the same workers Kaidan had to jump to avoid.
Ashley stepped out of cover, raising her hand to signal them; no point in stepping on that death-trap until it became a necessity.
The asari caught sight of her first; she tugged on Kaidan's arm, cocking her head in Ashley's direction. The naked relief on his face was enough to tell her that his day had been exponentially worse than hers. She'd step lightly until she had a feel for the new dynamic.
The two ducked and dodged, weaving their way neatly to her; the asari reached her first by a small margin. Her sharp eyes took in every inch of her height, lingering on the stains that dotted her uniform. The docks were dirty, she could hardly be expected to stay neat and clean; the asari's eyes took in the planes of her face, squinting at her forehead oddly. Was something…? Oh. Right.
Ashley blushed, trying to wipe away the soot she had left there in swiping her hand across it. Her sleeve was spattered with dust, and if that sparkle in the matriarch's eyes was any indication she had only succeeded in making it worse. Good to know she had a sense of humor, even if it did feel a little out of place in these circumstances.
Kaidan eventually caught up, taking in her disarray at a glance. Even she had to laugh when he pulled a kerchief from his sleeve. "Do you always carry a kerchief, sir, or are you practicing to be a magician?"
"Lucky for you, I was told to keep one on hand for just such instances as this. You can thank me anytime."
"We could get back to business anytime."
So much for that sense of humor; still, the gentle rebuke was deserved. Ashley had the good grace to brush as she extended her hand, "Gunnery-Chief Ashley Williams at your service."
She went to pull back her hand, only then remembering how filthy it was, but the matriarch enveloped it in a firm grip. "Matriarch Aethyta. I will be overseeing this investigation in company with the lieutenant."
Her grip was a little too tight and Ashley squeezed back warningly. Aethyta released her, trying to surreptitiously wipe her palm on the edge of her shirt; that was one way to meet the new boss, she supposed.
"You have something for us?"
"The shift supervisor is holding two men for us. Peter Sykes and Ed something or other."
"Something or other." The asari murmured, Ashley wasn't sure whether she should take that as a question or a comment on her memory.
"Starts with an A. Point is, their alibis felt a little off. I looked into it and their friends all named them in different places at the same time. One of the others said they were sneaking a break off at the banquet hall, but neither one of them will talk to me."
"It's clear on the other end."
"Exactly. This could be how they dropped off the surveillance grid for so long. There have to be maintenance passages, maybe we can convince them to show us in exchange for keeping their jobs."
"Or maybe we could have the coordinates to the passages and their jobs." Aethyta growled.
"We'll have neither if I can't find a way to pry their stubborn mouths open."
Kaidan motioned them forward, "Let's go then. See if we can think of something between the three of us. Ash, you still up for bad cop?"
"Hell yeah. Now more than ever."
"Settle. Both of you. There's no need for playacting and dramatics." Her face twisted into a sneer that made Ashley's stomach tingle uneasily. "I'll make them sing a pretty tune."
Coming from anyone else Ashley would have labeled that line a show of bravado. Faced with the reality of Matriarch Aethyta she thought this once it might be nothing more than the simple truth.
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Shiala bolted from her quarters the moment Aethyta closed the link, skittering out the door and down the hallway before her sisters-in-arms could do more than call her name. She hadn't even an inkling of where she would find corridor sixteen, but at least she knew the general direction. With a little luck she would find her mistress before she ran into Matriarch Aethyta.
The stamp of boots on the polished floor gave her pause, Aethyta's voice drifted to her where she stood.
"I hope you and your crew know your business. I don't have time to hold your hands."
"This is a first, no one has ever been so blatantly taken from the atrium doesn't mean we don't know the ropes."
"Hm. Just think. It happened on your watch. There's something to write home about."
The footsteps paused, "Is this going to be a recurring theme? Personally I had hoped that we could lay aside the blame-shifting until we had the doctor back in our care… ma'am."
"That's odd."
"Odd?"
"I think I could learn to like you. Alright lieutenant, no blame-shifting. Our priority is Liara." Aethyta's tone dropped to a mellow register; that could be a good or a bad thing. She hoped for both their sakes Aethyta was sincere.
"That's… good to hear. Do you think you could extend the same courtesy to my partner?"
"Don't push it."
They were walking again. Shiala waited until the sound of their voices had faded before hurrying in the direction from which they had come, scanning the walls for whatever marker Aethyta had used until at last she found the blue imprint of sixteen.
No use trying to cut Benezia off at the next intersection, wherever that happened to be. It had taken her long enough just to find this path.
She hurried down the corridor, doubling her speed when she heard the familiar click of Benezia's heels. She rounded the corner and found Benezia waiting, hands folded at her waist and eyes fairly snapping with temper.
"Shiala, is there somewhere in particular you need to be?"
"Matriarch Aethyta sent me to escort you wherever it is you're going."
"I thought as much." Benezia tilted her head, gesturing for Shiala to walk beside her. "Aethyta has gone to meet with Lieutenant Alenko's comrade, I imagine she will assist in any interrogations that might have been arranged."
Shiala waited patiently for Benezia to speak again, but the matriarch was absorbed in her own thoughts, eyes fixed ahead.
Twice she almost asked Benezia where they were going, but the silence weighed heavily on her, discouraging any conversation.
"We must speak with councilor Tevos. She will want to be kept abreast of the situation."
Shiala remained silent, it sounded more as though she was speaking to herself.
"Aethyta is cunning; her hotheadedness is little more than skin-deep. You stand as an example of that. When you go back to her, you will tell her of my conversation with Tevos, but nothing farther."
Shiala groaned softly, she deeply regretted ever becoming involved in the matriarchs' games. "There is nothing that should overly concern you. I will speak with Ambassador Udina and ensure his enthusiastic cooperation; I have friends here that may be willing to help. You will accompany me on these errands."
Shiala nodded her acquiescence. "Are you familiar with the Atrium, Matriarch?"
Benezia almost smiled, "I have been here before."
She turned sharply down another hallway, Shiala could see the shine of natural light just ahead.
They emerged into an open space, the walls fashioned of glass and etched to catch the sunlight, patterning rainbows on the floor. Shiala held out a hand, watching the light play across it wonderingly.
She thought she saw the ghost of a smile tug at Benezia's lips, "This is the heart of the Atrium; there are chambers ahead with communications equipment. It has been nearly a decade, but I imagine my code will still work. Humans rarely take note of smaller details, such as voiding a diplomat's security clearance for instance; they are too hasty."
Normally Benezia was not one to share her thoughts so easily, that she did was either a mark of her distress or an attempt at distraction. Shiala was not sure which she would have preferred.
They walked a little faster now, past rows of trees planted incongruously in bare patches of earth scattered at random among the marbled tile. She would have liked to have seen this when she actually had the time to appreciate it.
Benezia skirted around a pond still enough that she nearly mistook it for glass. She eyed her reflection in the water as they passed, noting her wide eyes and open mouth. Shiala shut it quickly, she was gawking like some maiden freshly arrived from the colonies. She hurried back to Benezia's side and down a shadowed stairway, the chamber beneath was cool and shady, the walkway lined with climbing ivy.
They paused before a glowing panel and Benezia's fingers hovered over the keys uncertainly, eyes growing unfocused as she strained to remember. Her fingers moved swiftly, typing in an entry code but the pad flashed red.
She frowned, trying another. Red.
Her eyes widened slightly, nostrils flaring in frustration. She tried a third, fingers striking somewhat harder than before. The pad flashed green and the door hissed open, permitting them to enter at last.
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The room could not have been any more different from the Eden they left outside, but it had its own clinical grandeur. Everything in shades of gray or white, an arching ceiling designed to amplify acoustics and a phosphorescent lighting dim enough to verge on the intimate.
Benezia wasted no time taking in the sight, from the corner of her eye she could see Shiala examining the structure and layout. She made her way to the comm and accessed Tevos' private channel directly.
It was nearly six minutes before the councilor answered and Benezia could see the signs of a hasty wake-up. Sleep was a precious commodity when one was required to deal with everything from minor disputes to diplomatic crises on a day-to-day basis.
"Councilor Tevos, we have landed safely as I'm sure you are aware."
Tevos blinked the last bit of sleep from her eyes and squared her shoulders determinedly, "I trust the Alliance has lent you its cooperation? I had expected a report from Aethyta on the matter."
"She is otherwise occupied." Benezia's tone suggested the less said of that the better, and Tevos was wise enough to let it pass.
"Is there something you require of the council?"
"I understand you have likely placed the power in Aethyta's hands even if only to be rid of her for this short time."
Tevos looked ready to protest, but Benezia raised an elegant hand in a hushing motion, "Regardless, it was a wise choice. I am confident of her ability to resolve our difficulties with her usual panache." Benezia's lips twisted.
"However, should Aethyta at any time endanger our priority I would formally request veto power-"
"No."
Benezia froze; it had been years since she had heard that word. She was shocked at how little she cared to hear it now.
"That would defeat the purpose entirely. Matriarch Benezia, you are a respected peace-keeper among our people and your efforts are to be commended; in this instance, force may be required." Tevos' face hardened slightly, revealing lines on her face that had not been there a decade past.
"We are both aware of how much Aethyta excels in that respect. Granting you power over her would defeat the purpose of placing her in charge. You are to be a check, not an obstacle. I am formally denying your request, if you feel that Aethyta has at any time overstepped her parameters you may contact me and we will discuss a resolution. Not until then."
The comm winked out, plunging them into shadows once more.
That had not gone as planned, and now she was stranded on a foreign planet with an unpredictable element that had already made her disdain for the local authority blindingly apparent.
She was quite sure she had been in worse predicaments sometime centuries ago.
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"What did you say your name was? My memory has grown spotty with age."
"Ed Agapios." The shorter man swallowed nervously, a thin sheen of sweat glinting on his skin. Aethyta supposed that must be the natural reaction to being pinned biotically to the wall nearly seven feet off the floor.
"Agapios. A Greek name?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Wonderful, he was already addressing her respectfully. This shouldn't take much longer.
"I glanced over basic Human mythology shortly after the First Contact War; I imagine you're a little young to remember that though. The Greek tradition was particularly fascinating."
Benezia would be so proud of her, this was the perfect example of marrying her cool intelligence to a more action-oriented plan.
"Did you ever hear the story of Prometheus? Brought fire to humans against the will of the gods, punished to have his liver devoured every day for the rest of his everlasting life."
He was silent, but she could see the blood draining from his face.
"I always wondered what that would be like. To have your liver ripped out of your living flesh while you lie helpless."
Her smile was knife-thin. "I think that would be about the worst thing that could happen to a man."
Alenko, Williams and Agapios all swallowed; good to know they had an understanding.
"I don't have to talk to you."
Damn, this one was really holding out. If it hadn't become such a point of pride she would have interrogated the other now. As it was she shifted him a few inches lower, her free left hand glowing with biotic energy as she clenched an unclenched her fist.
"No. You don't."
"Fuck. There's a ladder near berth nine, it leads to a walkway that passes under the supports. There's an opening that'll take you to the first floor of the banquet hall on the Southern side."
"Thank you, that's very helpful." Ashley chimed. Her voice was thick with satisfaction and Aethyta herself had to fight the urge to grin smugly. No blood had been shed, no overt threats uttered and the union rep had stopped pounding on the door five minutes ago. All in all, a good day's work in less than an hour.
"Did you see anyone while you made your way there? Anyone you didn't recognize… anyone you did?"
"Quiet as the grave. It was just Sykes and I."
"And yet someone saw you."
"They were guessing. Anyone goes missing on shift they've gone down there for a break. Everyone knows."
"Is it open to everyone?"
"Will you set me down?"
"Is it open to everyone all the time?"
"It's not locked if that's what you mean, minimal clearance."
"Interesting." She dropped him to the floor, leaving him to sprawl at her feet, shaking in every limb and breath coming fast.
"Get out."
Kaidan unlocked the door, ushering the man through the door carefully.
"I think he might have wet his pants."
"Good." Ashley muttered, "Maybe next time they'll be a little more eager to cooperate."
"We need the plans for that tunnel. We need to know every possible exit and every camera located near those exits. That's on you, chief. Alenko, drag the other one in here and we'll see if you can't play bad cop this time."
"I'm not sure this is the best course of action. It may be better to wait for clear-"
Aethyta rolled her eyes; a regular hero, this one. Nothing more tedious than a knight in shining white armor.
"Change of plans. Williams, drag him in here; Alenko, find the blueprints."
He wanted to argue, she could see it in the sudden thinning of his lips and the way his fingers twitched where they dangled at his sides. He wouldn't though, she knew that too; the Alliance military was far more relaxed than the turian military in such matters, but taking orders still came naturally.
That would work as much to her benefit as detriment in the days to come.