El'Jaid rocked with the shuttle as it shot away from the brawl scene. She sat next to the Asari with her other three captors seated across from her.
Rage filled her as time crawled on. She stared down at the floor. I should have seen this coming, there were signs! But then, I've always did have the habit of tripping traps... She mentally soothed.
She looked at her engagement bracelet. She wished that Liara and her had stayed on New Ceylon. That she had never taken that call from Anderson...
...Anderson...
...did he know about this? Of course he knew! He is on the Council! She raged in her head. Her mind went in to overdrive as she thought of some reason as to why the Council would want her arrested. Nothing came to her mind. It makes no sense! If they wanted me arrested, why here? Why not on New Celyon?
She felt the eyes of her captors on her, and she raised her head and looked right back at them. The human male gave a start. In returned she gave him a menacing smile.
She knew what she looked like right now. Her old scars were aflame; her red pupils dominated her green irises. Those two qualities coupled with the dark purple tint of her lips gave her the look of an undead ghoul.
The other two captors next to him quickly looked away.
"Am I making you nervous?" She said, only expanding her cruel smile. The human female swallowed hard, but persisted to look away form her. The Turian shuffled uncomfortable in his seat and the Asari gripped her shotgun just a little tighter.
"What am I being charged with?" She asked calmly but with a dreadful air of detachment.
Her captors said nothing.
She turned to look out the side window, but the glass had been painted over. This was a spook shuttle. It existed to do jobs that were never ordered, and carry people no one had ever heard of, or would ever see again.
It was a Kodiak class shuttle, as the Normandy's had been...
She was shocked back to reality as the shuttle landed on an empty pad. She didn't know where she was.
The door flew open and she stood up before her captors, which caught them off guard. But she had no intention of escaping. The Turian bolted upright only to slam his head against the ceiling.
"Careful. Wouldn't want to hurt your self now." She said.
He rubbed the area here he hit and shot her a sour look. "Shut up." He mustered.
The Asari got out and signaled her to follow. El'Jaid stepped out on to the platform. The freezing wind caught her and it was snowing hard. But she refused to show that the elements were affecting her. They were high in the mountains. El'Jaid guessed at to where the Capitol was, and she was rewarded by seeing the clouds brightly lit in the direction she looked.
The other captors reluctantly got out into the frigid weather. The human female looked at El'Jaid in amazement.
The Turian behind her gave her a harsh push. "Get moving..." He said.
She obliged him, walking behind the Asari.
El'Jaid saw at least six different way she could have tried to escape her captors. The landing pad was empty of other shuttles or skycars, yet had cover. But there were a few problems. First, her Captors were well armed and had armor. She didn't have anything to defend or attack with. She had left her biotic amp at the Ardennes. Second she knew she wouldn't survive the elements in just a simple evening dress. And most importantly third, she wanted to know why she had been arrested.
The doors to the 'prison' snapped open and they quickly filed in. It hissed shut, locking behind them. The entrance was brightly lit, and had a very sterile military feel to it. It was oppressively sterile.
The Turian looked at the human male. "Take her to processing."
El'Jaid looked at him as well, and he gave a glance to the Turian as if he was going to refuse. The Turian only hardened his gaze more.
"Yes Sir!" The human male captor replied. He quickly filed behind El'Jaid and pushed her forward.
"Walk forward!" He commanded. Again El'Jaid obliged her captor's commands.
He controlled her down the hallway to an open room. The decor being the same. Brightly lit, sterile, and completely silent. She knew this place...
"What are my charges?" She asked calmly again.
No response, only the sound of their walking feet.
They came to the open room. "Inside." He said.
I'm being too nice to them... she thought.
The door shut behind her and a bodiless Orb of a VI projection Appeared.
"Your name." It commanded.
El'Jaid stood silently.
"Your name." The program repeated more forcefully.
"Alliance Captain El'Jaid Shepard, Council Specter." she recited.
"Name logged as El'Jaid Shepard." The VI responded.
cute... She thought.
"Hold position." The VI commanded.
As El'Jaid looked around she heard the buzzing and whirring of electronic devices, but couldn't ascertain where from.
"Remove your clothing and any other items you are wearing, place the items in to the empty container." The VI said.
Two containers appeared. One had a red jumpsuit with matching red flip-flops, the other was empty.
She looked around. There were no open view ports to be seen. She undressed out of her evening dress and laid the dress, her shoes and the necklace in the empty container. She donned the 'prison' outfit. Her engagement bracelet still lingered on her arm.
She noticed how paper thin the outfit was, and the flip-flops would do her no good in the outside elements. It didn't matter, she had no intention of escaping.
The door to the room opened and a Turian guard stepped in. He glanced down and saw the bracelet.
"Off with the jewelry." He commanded pointing to her arm.
She was getting tired of being told what to do and where to go.
"Like hell." she shot back.
He stepped forward. "Do it or I'll do it for you..." He acidly said.
"You try it, and I'll break your arm!" She sneered back, her eyes flashing red.
The Turian at first reeled back surprised, but then came forward and grabbed her left forearm with his right hand.
That was all the reason she needed. Before he could react, she quickly pulled her arm in, bringing him closer. As he stumbled forward, she twisted her arm to break his grasp. Then she slipped easily behind him knocking his stance out from him, driving him to his knees on the floor. Then her drove her right knee in to his back connecting to where his kidneys were. He groaned as the wind was punched out of him. As she stood over him, she grabbed his right hand.
Thane had shared with her some tips on how to immobilize a Turian. Nothing that would kill, but would still cause intense pain. She wanted answers, and a screaming guard would get her the all attention she wanted.
She quickly found the pressure points at the joints around the Turian's hand and arm, and she twisted and pushed. The lessons proved well learned as the Turian let out a shriek of pain as she held him down.
With in moments, the entrance to the room was filled with three Guards. An Asari Lieutenant stood at the forefront.
The Asari's face was twisted with shock at the scene.
"What's going on here?!" She demanded.
"He didn't understand the meaning of No." El'Jaid said frigidly.
She twisted the Guard's arm even more; she could feel his muscles and tendon's strain.
"Oh Sprits! AHHHH!" The Turian screamed. Tears were running down his face. He wanted to double over but El'Jaid pulled him back, using him as a shield, she drove her knee further in to his back
"Let him go!" The Asari yelled at the other guard's brandished batons.
"Oh fuck!" The Turian yelled.
El'Jaid she twisted the Turian's arm even more to accentuate her command of the situation. His howl confirming it.
The Asari's face twisted. "Let. Him. Go." She again ordered.
El'Jaid smiled as knew she had won this little match.
She smiled coldy. "Sure." In one deft move the quickly rotated his wrist and forearm snapping and dislocating the arm in three places. She pushed the Turian forward and he fell forward like a wet sack.
"I told you I'd break your arm." El'Jaid said. The Turian was still slumped on the floor, groaning in pain. Her irises afire as she stared across to the Lieutenant.
The Asari frowned at El'Jaid, her pistol drawn. "Get him to the infirmary."
She turned to her attending guards. Her eyes flinching with rage. "Show this bitch who's boss..."
The two humans flanking her rushed forward, batons ready.
The thrill of combat rushed through El'Jaid as she move forward to meet the first guard.
She caught the guard's baton hand and pulled her in, quickly pulled her in to a deep thrust to the guard's stomach with her knee. The guard let out a muffled yelp. The second guard was close behind her and he swung with his baton.
El'Jaid had no time to roll so she leaned to one side taking the strike to her left arm. She yelped in pain and drew back. The male guard started to move in and a female guard recovered her senses and then joined him.
The Asari Smiled cruelly behind them at El'Jaid.
The guards came at El'Jaid again, but she was ready. The Male swung high aiming for her head, but El'Jaid ducked the move. As the guard fell forward she quickly popped up and swung both if her fists downward like a hammer in to his ribs. The sound of cracking bone vibrated around the room. He was out of the fight.
The Asari stood up in the doorway shocked. She had barely been able to register what had just happened.
"Get me back up!" She screamed in to her comm.
The human female Stopped and then began to circle El'Jaid.
El'Jaid looked at her like Cobra ready to strike. She rushed forward. A jab went to the guard's shoulder; the hit caused the guard to drop the baton. Then came a low punch in to the Guard's already weakened stomach. As the guard began to fall forward, El'Jaid sent a spinning kick into her, sending her flying back in to the wall.
But before El'Jaid could turn to deal with the Asari Lieutenant, El'Jaid felt something bite her in the back and then she was jolted. She quickly turned around. Her vision was blurred as she saw reinforcements. Are there three more, or five? She stumbled forward as she felt another bite and shock.
She fell to her knees and then forward to the cold hard floor.
As her hearing began to muffle she heard the Asari say, "Get her out of here, NOW!
Another voice, said aloud in disbelief, "No way it took two shots to take her down. One would have put down a charging Krogan..."
[][][][][][][]
Warm rain poured down his face. His cloak was heavy from being drenched in water. I've nearly made it...
Before him, he saw the main gate to the docking platforms. Now he needed to find his way to the SSV Ardennes. He needed to get to Shepard, if he wasn't too late...
A shadow caught his eye, and he jerked his head to the right to try to see. Nothing...
Blood was pounding in his head, and his hands had gone cold. He touched the safely off of the pistol he concealed below is cloak. He felt, no, knew he was being followed.
I'm too old for this... He thought, and with that, he took a deep breath and pushed forward through the doors. Inside the docking tram terminal was still a bustle of activity.
In front of him, he saw two Volus merchants were arguing with a Hanar ship captain. Two Batarian bodyguards accompanied an Asari, and a Human male was seen arguing with an Elcor Sales merchant over an omni gel converter.
Where to now? He thought.
[][][][][][][]
Agent Salya had been tracking Subject Alpha for hours ever since leaving William's Hall. It nearly midnight and the rain still fell, he enjoyed the feeling of the warm rain on his hands. It reminded him of home...
...Reminded him of what he had lost...
He snapped back to the present as he saw his quarry leave the dingy apartment. It had taken Salya days to figure out where Subject Alpha had moved to, but at last he had found him.
He had radioed the voice and asked for instructions, and it had simply asked him to track Subject Alpha. His quarrel wasn't with this subject. It was already being dealt with in a manner far better than a bullet to the brain.
But, if left unchecked, Subject Alpha could upset plans... Salya thought.
He had followed Alpha all the way to the Docking Bays of Esthasia. It hadn't been easy following and keeping tabs on him. The Subject knew how to lose tails, and had switched taxis more than once on his way here tonight. But the Subject had obviously never dealt with a former STG operative either.
"This is Agent Salya, the Subject is at the Docking Bays. Repeat the subject is at the Bays!"
Salya dove in to the shadows as the Subject turned his head.
Damn it! Nearly saw me! He cursed.
"Keep following the subject, but do not intercept. Make sure that Alpha is not, repeat, not going to the Ardennes." The voice said listlessly.
Salya quickly blinked and responded. "And what if Alpha is?"
Salya saw the Subject enter in to the Docking Bay tram terminal.
I can't lose the subject damn it! SAY SOMETHING! His mind screamed.
An agonizingly long moment passed and then the Voice came back.
"If the subject is nearing the Ardennes... Do what you have to."
"Understood." Salya licked his lips and clicked the safety off his silenced Phalanx. He quickly gave chase, passing through the doors, but when he entered the terminal; the Subject had evaporated...
[][][][][][][]
Not much time... he thought as his quickly scanned the docking bay information display. The list was enormous, but he finally stumbled on the entries of several berths occupied by Systems Alliance ships. Since the bay contained either diplomatic of military vessels no ship name was given.
"Ahhh, it's going to take me all damn night!" He cursed under his breath. He pulled his cloak's hood closer trying to ward off any curious on looker. He knew that he had not lost his tail yet, and worse he didn't know who he could trust.
Something moved in the peripheral of his vision, and he turned his head by reaction to gain a better view. His eye caught a Salarian rush through the terminal doors and quickly looked about the terminal in a deliberate manner.
The Salarian was dress in standard blue C-Sec armor, which contracted harshly with his coppery toned skin. But there was something off about his stature that quickly gave away that the Salarian was not C-Sec. He had a limited idea of where he was, but he was looking for something...or someone.
The Salarian turned his head in the direction of the information display and looked right into his eyes.
[][][][][][]
Agent Salya started to walk to the side. He had the Subject in view and that was enough. As long as he is not making his way to the Alliance berths... Salya thought.
But then he realized that the Subject had seen him and started to make his way to the Bay trams in a calm but urgent fashion.
"Shit!" Salya spat as he gave chase.
The Subject quickened his pace, dodging between packs of people and cargo to put more distance between he and Salya.
Where are you going? Salya wondered as he pushed by bewildered people and loped over fallen crates, his quick pace bursting in to a full run. The hallway was jammed with cargo and people, even in the middle of the night.
"He is in good shape." He heaved as his breathing became more rapid with the exertion of the chase.
As he spun around a corner, his eye caught a display that read, 'Tram to Alliance Bays 12 to 19 ahead.'
Salya rounded another corner having briefly lost his sight of the Subject, but then regained it as he saw his target jump a full flight of stairs and came crashing down. The Subject struggle to his feet and then started a loping run towards the Tram.
Have to make this clean... Salya thought as he pulled out his Phalanx. He turned the targeting laser off, it was the last thing he wanted seen in a busy tram station.
He aimed and took a shot, but the round whizzed pass the Subject's head a dug in to a pillar near by.
Fuck! He cursed his nerves. And quickly fired off a follow up round, which also missed it's quarry.
The Subject dove behind a set of crates and fired off two round from a pistol he was carrying. The sound of the weapon going off sent passengers fleeing in all directions, and two Alliance personnel came rushing forward on him .
"DROP THE WEAPON!" One cried at the Subject.
No no no no! You don't get away that easy! Salya thought and quickly called his combat drone down on the Alliance guards. The red orb angrily pounced on it's unsuspecting victims, drawing their attention away from Alpha.
As they were busy with the drone Salya pressed forward to get a betting shooting angle. But he ducked again behind another pillar as the Subject fired at him again. He heard another shot and he peeked around and fired another round that went wild into the crate that the Subject was using as cover.
He saw that the Alliance Guards no longer had his drone to content with and one of them had rushed forward to where Alpha was hidden and began to pepper Salya's Pillar with shotgun rounds.
"Tram now arriving." A VI reported calmly.
As the Guard's with the shotgun stopped to pop out his thermal clip; Salya saw the other Guard holding the Tram's door open waving at the Subject. The Subject started to make a break for it.
Salya peeked from his cover and fired off another round, and with satisfaction saw Alpha fall forward knowing the round had found it's mark.
Salya heard the sounds of marching feet and knew that his time was up. He threw out a flash bomb and not a second to early as a Squad of C-Sec agents rounded the corner, and it went off in a spectacular fashion of blinding light and thick smoke.
As the agents yelled in their blindness, Salya dashed for the guardrail of a near by ledge and leapt over it in the dark void below.
[][][][][][][]
Liara looked around, straining to see anything as she felt her way forward through the darkness. She heard nothing, saw nothing as she floundered. Then finally, a soft blue glow appeared behind her, and she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
"Dr. T'Soni. So glad you could come by." The male voice sounded smooth and cold. It held the hint of a smile.
Her ears caught the faint sound of an exhale of thin smoke, and she heard the clinking of ice in a glass. She turned to face him. On all sides of him, she saw reports, read-outs, and surveillance information. None of it she could see clearly. He sat comfortably with the vista of a cold sun behind him.
Liara was rooted in her place. She couldn't move, yet she let out a shiver as he peered back at her with his eyes lit by a blue flame.
"What do you want?" She asked him automatically.
He smiled at her again with a look of Satan. "I just wanted to thank you..."
Liara saw a figure walk up next to him. She couldn't make out the image, only that it was a being standing on two legs.
"For...for what." She asked.
He took up his cigarette and took a drag, then let the smoke flow out of his mouth like a smooth silver thread.
The smell of it was nauseating.
"You performed your function perfectly. You gave me what I wanted."
Liara felt dread fill her as she wracked her mind as to what that could have been. She had always been on watch for him and his ilk ever since she had become the Shadow Broker, and had kept close tabs on his operations...
Her mind latched on to this singular thought, this one idea...
"What have you done with Feron..." She asked with a chill in her own voice.
He set down his cigarette, crushing it's embers on his chair's arm. He steepled his fingers as he sat back. The figure next to him hadn't moved in the slightest, but had cast an unmistakable cloud of oppression in the room.
"Doctor. I don't care about your information network. Nor the people you have chosen to run it. Remember I gave that to you, as repayment for your work you did for me. I don't take back my gifts, even from those who spite me."
She wanted to rush forward in on him. She wanted to hit him with a field so hard that he and his chair would go careening across the room. Yet she couldn't even raise her hand.
The figure that had been standing at his left had now moved to his right. Liara hadn't even seen the creature move at all. Like it was a ghost...
...And then it opened its eyes. Its pupils shone like the man it stood next too, but unlike his, which were a cold icy blue. It's were red. Red with the very color of fire, human blood, rage, hate, and vengeance.
Vapor rose from Liara's mouth as she exhaled heavily. The room was frigid cold, but her eyes were fixed as the creature started to walk forward, the sound of chains had become evident as it move towards her. Light started to creep on its form.
"Li...Liara. Why, why did you do this? Why did you bring me back?" It said to her said. The voice barely containing the rage that pulsed forth from the creature. It stepped closer to Liara and she could finally see it for what it was.
She knew the creature's fiery hair, and knew the figure's dark amethyst lips. She knew those eyes. Those almond emeralds colored eyes, which were lit up like lasers.
The man sat back in his chair, his smile growing wider as his eyes gleamed blue in the dark shade of his chair. The Sun behind him had turned its shade to a crimson red.
Tears rolled down Liara's eyes as El'Jaid came in to sharp view, wearing her Red scratched and scarred battle armor. Her face was a patchwork of flesh and red-seething scars. Shadows still covered Liara's view of her from her mid-chest down. Liara couldn't breath. She had been taken from her just hours ago yet here she was now?! No...no... this isn't her. It can't be. It's impossible! It's a dream!
"I..I told you. I... did it for you." Liara croaked. "You were gone. I gave you to them to bring you back..." Her chest burned from a lack of air.
The creature move forward, angrily. "You caused all of this!" It shrieked. It lifted its chained hands. Red blood dripped from one hand, and purple seeped from the other. Its face contained the image of a relentless butcher twisted with rage and wrath...
Liara recoiled away. Screaming in terror as alarms filled her ears.
[][][][][][]
-"Miranda! Dr. Chalkwas. I need you up on deck now!- Joker screamed over the comms.
Liara bolted awake. She wasn't sure if it was Joker's yell over the open comms or her nightmare. She got up and haphazardly found her research outfit that she had worn. She took a glance at the krono. 12:30am local time.
Her head pulsed with pain, and she wiped away the tears from her face. "Oh El, where are you?" She said softly as she flew out of her room and hit the elevator.
When the doors rushed open the CIC was it chaos. People were running back and forth, but most of the commotion was near the main airlock and Liara rushed forward. The airlock's doors burst open and two marines stumbled in carrying a limp figure of a man between them.
Liara couldn't see the figure's face as it was covered by draped hood. The body looked as if it was dead, or nearly so.
Dr. Chalkwas ran up with a anti-grav stretcher and Miranda and Kaidan were hot on her tail.
"What the hell happened?" Boomed Kaidan.
"We...We don't know sir. He came running from a C-Sec agent who shot him with a silenced handgun. He needs treatment and fast." One of the Marines said. His compatriot groaned under the load of the hefted man and his own injuries.
Two other Marines rushed forward to help them quickly lift the body on to the stretcher, and as they laid his head down the hood fell away.
"On my God! It's Anderson." Miranda cried.
Liara's eyes caught the human Councilor's face. It had paled and looked as if it was starting to turn cold.
"Captain. I have C-Sec on the line. They want to know what happened..." Joker quickly piped up from the cockpit.
Kaidan looked down at humanity's first Counselor lying on the stretcher. He wanted to scream, he wanted to hurl someone across the room. He felt helpless. First Shepard, and now Anderson?!
"Tell them...tell them that Counselor Anderson was attacked by a C-Sec agent. A Salarian wearing C-Sec standard issue armor." Kaidan reached down for Anderson's neck checking for a pulse, his face turned as hard as stone.
"Tell them that Anderson is dead."