They are so close. Maya Brooks and the Clone have spent the past weeks training the mercs, training with the mercs, and they're ready. Over meals, the Clone and Brooks go over plans, strategies, potential obstacles and ways to work around them. Together they review Commander Jane Shepard's history, her interviews, unauthorized biographies of her life, even security footage they've intercepted from C Sec. Shepard is a difficult woman to catch off guard. She's never seen off ship without full armor and a squad to back her up-save for two places. The Normandy they eliminate immediately-it would take too long to override the ship's AI, and with Shepard and her crew on board, it would cost them more than time. However, when the Normandy docks at the Citadel, the crew parts ways, some to a few hours of shore leave, others for their non-Council duties, Alliance or no. In these hours, Shepard often heads off by herself, making a laughably predictable circuit of the Embassies, the Presidium, the docks, and the refugee camps, even a dance club called Purgatory. Now it's only a matter of being ready the next time she stops by.
With the losses on Thessia, Shepard must be heading to the Citadel soon. She'll have diplomatic meetings, hoards of refugees to visit (since she banned C-Sec from turning them away), and likely strong drinks to buy with her favorite Asari warlord. Brooks and the Clone deploy pockets of mercs to infiltrate the wards, some posing as refugees, others as off-duty soldiers, still others as private residents. With the recent coup, Cat6 has plenty of identities and weaknesses to exploit.
"So...what's our next step?" The Clone leans her chin on Maya's shoulder, getting on her tiptoes to do so.
Maya leans her head against the Clone's. "I need to meet with a contact on the Citadel. We'll need someone to smuggle in our arms if we have any chance of making it through security."
"And then we arrive and wait for Shepard."
"Mmhm." Maya turns, running a finger up and down the Clone's arm. It makes her shiver, but the Clone presses on.
"How are you going to signal?"
Brooks scrunches up her nose. "Through your omni-tool, of course. An encrypted message."
The Clone fingers Brook's collar. "How long should I wait before sending reinforcements?"
"You mean if I fail?" Maya snorts. "That won't happen."
That night the Clone had some of the mercs smuggle in a bottle of champagne (more like she seized their bottle of champagne upon entry, but they're in her employ, so she feels she has a right to it), and she pops it open over dinner with Maya. Their rations are still barely edible, and they're drinking out of regular glasses, but this is as close as they can get to a celebratory dinner, then she'll take it. She even finds a couple emergency candle sticks for when the backup generators fail, and she lights them, using machine parts for holders.
"What's all this?" Maya sits down, datapad still in hand.
Reaching over, the Clone grabs the datapad, and turns it off. "Things are going to get pretty crazy once we reach the Citadel." She leans forward, pouring the champagne. "This might be our last chance to celebrate."
Maya's smile glimmers in the low light. "Funny, I had the same idea."
The Clone blinks, watching as Maya pulls out a slim black box. A gold ribbon ties the layers together, the Clone fingers the bow, glancing at Maya.
"Go ahead. It's a gift."
Pulling the ribbon as if she's disarming a bomb, the Clone gingerly lays it aside, lifting the top to reveal the contents inside. She gasps softly as the metallic sheen of a shotgun catches the candle light. She swallows, delicately taking it out of the box.
"It's the M-11 Wraith-the same shotgun-"
"Shepard uses, I know." The Clone interrupts softly, standing so she can test its feel in her hands. She pops open the ammunition chamber, running her finger over the ammunition block, closes it, then checks the next chamber for heat clips. She only finds two in the filled chamber. "Ballsy, giving me a loaded gun." It's a gun so deadly it's banned in Citadel space, but that doesn't stop mercs, pirates, and the infamous Commander herself from using it.
Maya smirks. "I know you're not stupid enough to use it now." It's not quite trust, but it will do. "There's more underneath." Is she shifting in her chair? Brooks never squirms.
The Clone sets the gun down, lifting the next layer of the box and setting it aside. She eyes the last object in the box, quirking an eyebrow at the woman across from her. "You bought me a fake penis?"
Laughing softly, Maya reaches over, taking the Clone's hand. "I know it's been hard for you lately." Her thumb brushes the back of her hand. "I wanted to show you how I appreciate the woman you're becoming."
"By buying me a dick." The Clone laughs too, but she swallows at Maya's touch. She knows where that touch leads, regardless of the awkwardness.
"You might like it." Maya picks it up, managing to thrust it through a ring she makes with her finger and thumb.
They break down in fits of giggles together. The Clone squeezes her hand. "Thanks, I think." As weird as it is it to get a gift from Maya, maybe it's a good sign. Maybe she's becoming a different person, too.
"It's not the same as Asari biotics but it does vibrate."
The Clone freezes, her gaze cold and hard as she says "Don't."
"I know." Maya squeezes her hand. "I'm just trying to help." She stands, heading for their bedroom alone. The Clone stares at the dildo for several minutes, and then she throws it back into the box, slamming the lid closed.