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Chapter 9

The lights sparkled, dimmed only by the presence of the artificial flames licking up the walls of the entryway. Our entourage was small, Arch and I accompanied by only two other guards. He knew well that Aria did not approve of large crowds entering her establishment if they weren't spending credits. Arch was nothing if not practical, and his additional men awaited his orders outside with the long line of eager patrons.

He had bought me a new dress for the occasion, but I had learned by this time to do my hair and make-up on my own. I knew which styles pleased him and did my best to alter my usual appearance to his preferences. He seemed satisfied with the results and had barely removed his hands from my body since our arrival. I endured his attentions with practiced false grace.

Our guards pushed through the crowds to a booth and proceeded to requisition it for Arch and me. The previous patrons scurried out of our way, proving that a loaded SMG was a powerful motivator. I made myself comfortable while Arch ordered drinks. The server appeared with alacrity and remained amazingly unobtrusive. I barely noticed her presence at all, save for the clink of the glasses as she set them down.

Arch's eyes lingered on her, but his hand stayed hot on my body. I had learned to tolerate his wandering eyes, certain that I was not his only conquest; just his most regular. It was not until recently that I began to question my place at his side and my memory slid back to young slave girl. I cringed inwardly and banished the image from the forefront of my mind. Tonight was meant for fun and entertainment, not suspicion. We still had plenty of time before Arch's meeting and I wanted to make the best of it while I could.

We shared a bottle of wine that evening while Arch treated us to a private dance. He had remembered my curiosity from our last visit to Afterlife and decided to splurge. From the hunger in his eyes, it had been worth it. She was beautiful and her body exuded such sensuality as to elicit lust from even the most chaste of men. I could only hope to radiate a single iota of her sexuality, although given my position at the time, perhaps it was best I did not. I had more than enough of Arch's attentions.

The alarm on his watch caught his attention and he abruptly stood up to leave. He kissed me lightly on my brow as if I were an innocent child and extended his hand to the dancer, helping her off the small stage. He tossed me a half-hearted goodbye and left our booth, dancer in hand, for his meeting, his guard tagging along behind him. I remained, a glass of wine in my hands and looked after his trailing form. Only one guard remained and he stood as if a statue, an unmoving stone. I would find little company in him.

Instead I stood also, carefully smoothing down my dress, the material clinging to my form. I had no desire to wait idly by while there was entertainment to be had and so I left the booth, safe in the knowledge that the guard would keep it available for my return. Arch had said nothing about my continued presence and I thought to take advantage of his slight oversight. A small taste of freedom was mine to be had.

I need not look far. The view was spectacular from my vantage, and I leaned on the glowing rails overlooking the stage below. Once more I was in awe. The dancers looked as if to be swimming in a sea of light, their curvaceous forms causing an ache of both longing and envy. So enamored was I that I barely noticed the presence suddenly beside me.

"See something you like?"

Aria's question hung in the air and at first I was unsure how to respond. Should I be appreciative and applaud her on her choice of dancers? Or should I be complimentary, and imply they hold not a candle to her? My gut clenched with indecision, and in the span of a heartbeat I decided not to care. I would give her my answer, as I had no idea what she truly wanted to hear.

"Yes. They are quite fascinating."

A hint of a smile curled her lips and for an instance I feared that I had answered incorrectly. I had heard rumors of her power from Arch, what she was capable of, but actually speaking with her face to face was an experience in and of itself. I could feel her confidence radiating off her body in waves, centuries worth of intrigue and secrets filed away within a keen mind. Brazenly I met her eyes, and again, for barely an instant, I recognized a familiar glint.

"I'm impressed." The hint of her smile disappeared as she snorted with disdain. "Normally people try to flatter me any opportunity they get. You do not."

"I've no need," I blurted without thought. Blood pounded in my ears, certain that I had overstepped my bounds and readied myself for her anger. Instead, an unexpected peal of laughter trickled from her lips.

"My, my." The luscious smile graced her face again and I struggled to control the emotions running rampant within. "Perhaps you are more than Arch's plaything after all?"

I bristled at the backhanded compliment. Coming from her, the truth held more venom than I had realized and my words were out before I could warm the chill in my voice. "We are all more than what we appear."

"Indeed."

Again I recognized the glint in her eyes as she turned, eyeing me as a hunter stalks her prey. A mix of fear and excitement welled up inside and I laughed inwardly at the odd fact that I had caught Aria's attention. I had yet to decide if it was either positive or negative, but in that moment, I cared little. There was nothing she could do to me that mattered. I had very little to lose.

"You're very astute for someone so young." She turned back toward the dance floor, her gaze following mine. However, I don't believe either one of us were truly watching the dancers any more. "Tell me, what is Arch to you?"

I took a sip of my wine, contemplating an answer. I had mulled over his purpose in my life on countless occasions, but it always came back to the inevitable. He was my master and I his slave. There was no handsome veil to disguise the truth and the reality of my existence sickened me still.

"My mother was indebted to Arch. I am her payment."

An inarticulate grunt escaped her full lips, but she said nothing for a time thereafter. We stood in silence, eyes on the floor below us, our attention elsewhere. I could feel her presence next to me as plain as the ringing of a giant gong. I could not ignore her no matter how hard I tried. I was, however, pleasantly surprised when she finally broke the silence between us.

"Have you ever thought of leaving?"

The question startled me and I tightly gripped the glass in my hands, certain that I would drop it in my shock. Of course I had thought of leaving, of escaping Arch's apartments and regaining my freedom. I had dreamed of traveling through the stars to distant worlds and breathing fresh air. My vivid childhood imagination had painted an impossible picture of contentment beneath blue skies, fresh grasses tickling my toes.

An age long hurt swelled in my chest and I forced it away, recognizing that it would only serve to bring pain. I had pain enough already and took another sip of wine. It burned going down, but it was a welcome relief compared to the ache that came before. My dreams had long ago turned to ash with the first fall of a flogger.

"Well?"

"A slave would be stupid to answer that question."

Aria barked a harsh laugh and turned fully toward me, leaning casually again the railing, the iridescent lighting reflecting off her perfect skin. "You're outspoken, for a slave."

I met her eyes but said nothing. The gears turned in her mind and she wore the same look I had seen when last I was in her presence. The pirate queen of Omega was formulating a plan, but I was not so egotistical to think I had any part in it. What did a lowly slave know of intrigue?

"What if I made you an offer?"

The wine caught in my throat and I decided I should set it aside for the time being. I would need all my wits about me to answer such questions. The lights flashed on the floor below and I made as if to examine the dancers once more. In reality, my mind reeled and suspicion leaked to the forefront of my thoughts.

"Depends on the offer."

Another slight smile and her eyes glittered darkly. I knew she was planning something, but exactly what, I could not fathom. "Work for me."

Again I was caught by surprise. What in Omega's piss-hole could she possibly want with a used slave? I grew frustrated and my anger flared. Silently, I damned Arch for his passions, his business dealings, and I cursed myself for my weakness.

"You want me to trade one master for another." It was a statement, not a question, and it tasted like acid on my tongue. I struggled to control the emotions warring within me, only to succeed in appearing like an even larger fool. I had little doubt Aria would use me just as Arch had and an old human saying suddenly popped into my mind: better the devil you know.

"Ah, Jin." He voice was firm, almost resigned as she turned back toward the dance floor. The artificial flames below played havoc with her skin tone and shadows danced across her face. "I have no need for slaves."

Despite my better judgment, I was intrigued. My curiosity outweighed my frustrations and I gazed at her with interest. "What is it that you need, then?"

"I'm in need of a talented employee." She turned back toward me then, easily slipping into an almost friendly pose, although I knew better than to be persuaded by such blatant posturing. "We are alike, you and I."

I snorted in response and quickly regretted it. It would not do to piss off the most powerful person on Omega. She seemed almost amused by my indifference, the familiar glint once more lighting her eyes.

Aria straightened suddenly, as if she had made her mind up and would brook no refusal. "I have a man, a friend you might say, who has been instructed to deliver a package."

I looked at her with curiosity, but held my tongue. I was interested to hear what she had to say.

"He will deliver it to you at the appointed time." She glanced out over her realm briefly before continuing. "You can choose to do with it what you will."

"A package?" I asked, doing my best to mask the excitement in my voice.

"You're a nice ornament on Omega, Jin." Aria shrugged nonchalantly. "That doesn't make you a necessity. Think it over."

She disappeared into the crowds as quickly as she had come. I was at a loss as to what I should think, a myriad of questions pummeling my mind and fighting for domination. I had found it surprising indeed that Aria had even noticed me, let alone requested my services. And then I questioned what sort of services she had in mind. I doubted I would be just another plaything for her as I was for Arch. An asari of her stature had no need to barter for her toys; they came to her willingly.

I downed the rest of my wine and returned to the booth, the guard still ever present and unmoving. I eyed him momentarily, studying his resolve. He remained still, devoid of any overt emotion and I sighed with discontent. The bottle of wine still stood on the table top and I poured myself another glass. I had much to think over.

O o O o O o O

Arch left on a business trip the following day. I wouldn't have thought much of it save he took his new slave girl with him. Conflicted emotions swept through my veins. I was both relieved and irritated I would not have to endure his attentions. If his pattern held true, Arch would try to break her, and I wasn't sure if I wanted him to succeed.

I used his extended absence to devour all the knowledge I could find, continuing my studies on chemistry and biology. I had found an interesting recipe that mimicked the hanar's natural poisons, only requiring surprisingly few ingredients. The trick was to let it set, and allow the natural poisons to germinate from within prior to harvesting. If either the temperature or timing was off, the poison's base components would break down into useless biological wastes. Intrigued, I filed the recipe away based on its potential.

The site also linked to another, which provided directions for construction of homemade explosives. It was amazing the information available on the extranet and curiosity got the better of me. I clicked on it and was overwhelmed by all manner of highly volatile and hazardous materials. The majority of the recipes were beyond me, incorporating a combination of chemistry and VI-assisted interfaces, many requiring mechanical skills far more advanced than my meager talents. It was almost humorous, the amount of destructive capability one site could hold.

My curiosity sated for the moment, I decided to access Arch's systems again. He had linked his omni-tool to his private terminal and left it atop his desk. I never imagined he would become so complacent. I remember he had once told me that nobody could touch him. His ego was truly enormous.

The yellow glow of my omni-tool lit up the desk as I hacked into his systems. Readouts were as usual and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I took the time to peruse his schedule and noted with irritation the dinner he had scheduled later in the evening. It seemed he was starting the new slave off young, as he did with me.

I pushed an uncomfortable memory aside and focused on the task at hand. A string of text caught my attention and I adjusted the interface on my 'tool. It seemed that Arch had upgraded his security systems recently, although it did nothing to prevent my intrusion. Curious, I investigated further. A wall of code flickered on my display and it took me a moment to recognize what exactly I was looking at. A wicked smile creased my face. I had stumbled upon his access codes for the housing complex.