Disclaimer: Bioware owns all.
A/N: This chapter is rated M for f/f and other naughtiness.
Chapter 28
I had no need to worry over my fake name. The identicards Vale modified were flawless and it was a salarian security officer who monitored the scan. No doubt every human looked the same to him just as the majority of salarians looked identical to me. Aria had taught me to recognize the subtle differences: the slant of the eyes, skin color and tone, posture and bearing, but the characteristic I found easiest to identify was hesitation – the slight pause before a practiced lie. It seemed universal; those individuals with something to hide always exaggerated their mannerisms, and to someone like me such a slip up was an invitation no matter how minute the error.
I sighed with memory, the ache of longing stirring once more within. I missed consistency, security, even if it was only an illusion. Reality had a bitter edge and even though I owed him my life, I resented Vale for taking the veil from my eyes.
He was a step behind me in line, eyes heavy with fatigue. We had been up late last night, each working on our individual projects. Thankfully, his was successful. I had yet to test my cloak and I would not consider it in working order until I did so. I missed my cloak.
The line moved forward as boarding began and I heard Vale grunt with effort as he shouldered the bag. He would not hear of stowing away our only belongings in a cargo hold and I agreed with him. We both knew all too well how lax security was in the hold. Although I wondered if he was purposely exaggerating his efforts; the bag was not nearly as heavy when I had carried it to our room.
I stumbled ungracefully onboard the transport, the aisles between seats narrow and packed with passengers. The rank stench of cramped travel filled my nostrils and I suddenly wondered if another trip in a crate wouldn't have been so bad. Slowly, pushing aside my distaste, Vale and I made our way forward, brushing passed others in an attempt to find a vacant overhead compartment.
Luckily, we need not look far and I turned to point out a compartment off to our right. Pushing past the stationary salarian in front of me, I reached for the lid, pulling Vale with me despite the irritated protests of anonymous travelers. He shot me a questioning glance, but I wrenched the bag from out his hands and tossed it into the compartment. Satisfied that at least we had accomplished one goal on our travels, I settled in to a nearby seat, only to have Vale plunk down beside me.
"It would be better if we didn't advertise to everyone we are traveling together, don't you think?" I hissed. I had no doubt that anyone attempting to track me down would be on the lookout for a man and woman traveling together.
Vale shrugged indifferently and sunk further into his seat, knees pushing against the chairs in front of us. "Maybe, but we boarded together. It would look worse if we sat apart."
An irritated sigh escaped my lips. I hated to admit it, but he had a point.
And so I readied myself for another journey, air thick with the scent of alien races, the murmur of indistinct voices a low buzz in my ears. My thoughts wandered until I realized I was grinning stupidly, marveling at the similarities in travel as if the last two hundred years had not occurred. Flights were still crowded, space was limited, and I was almost positive at least one of the washrooms failed to work properly. From my vantage, the glamour of the future – the propaganda of Citadel space – was not but a lie. Yes, reality indeed had a bitter edge.
Time ticked away, the dragging pace akin to the plodding of an inebriated elcor, but far less entertaining. Various travelers meandered through the narrow aisles, shifting seats and exchanging insults. The temperature in the cabin slowly rose and I had a thin sheen of sweat upon my brow by the time we finally were cleared for launch. Vale didn't so much as twitch during liftoff, so deep asleep was he.
I took a moment to study him in the light of day, realizing that this was perhaps the first time I had seen him as such. He looked no different without the mask of flickering light and shadow, save the color of his hair. What I had once taken to be dark was not as such. A mop of chestnut topped his head, streaks of bronze glinting in the sun's rays. A stray lock curled around the tips of his ears and I resisted the urge to brush it away.
Soft snores brushed passed his lips and I frowned in irritation. Why did men always seem to breathe so loudly?
Restless silence settled over the cabin as the transport entered the lower troposphere and remained so until the darkness of space filled the viewports. The air seemed to expand as the passengers relaxed ever so slightly, the murmuring of voices once more accompanying my symphony of boredom. With Vale snoring on my left, and a surly turian across the aisle to my right, I was at a loss as to what to do with my time. Until I remembered my omni-tool.
This was the opportunity I had been waiting for, and leaving Vale's rhythmic snoring behind me, I made my way to the nearest washroom. Situating myself as best I was able in the small space, I activated my 'tool and contacted Aria. I had little doubt she would have words aplenty for me.
"Jin?" Her voice was even, but despite the display's distortion, I recognized the barest hint of anger upon her face. "Report. Where are you?"
"In transit. Off world." Adrenaline surged with my lame response. She would not appreciate such a vague answer.
She met my eyes through the display and I could feel the heat of her fury even so. "What exactly happened to my bar?"
I explained the situation as I knew it: an unidentified band had laid waste to her holdings in their attempt to terminate me. I made no mention of Vale or our escape in that damnable crate.
"Come home. I need you here. We have business to take care of." Again her voice was even, but her eyes sparked with the same fury I had seen before.
I could not go back. Not yet. "I may have a lead – I'm looking into it now. I'm sure you'll be interested to know who is costing you credits these days." I marveled inwardly at the ease at which the lie slipped through my lips.
A slight twitch of her jaw, but otherwise nothing betrayed Aria's ire. "Is that so?"
"Yes." Too fast. She would know – had to know I was lying.
"Your lead," she purred. "He wouldn't happen to be named Vale, would he?"
My face was a mask. I didn't so much as blink at her question. Perhaps Aria had taught me well after all. "You've news?" An open question, vague. I could be asking about anything.
The display flickered, but I recognized the hint of a smile curling a single corner of her lips. "Traipsing around the Terminus with a Cerberus lackey, are you? Dangerous jaunt, that."
The breath caught in my throat. "Cerberus?"
Aria nodded slowly, her smile widening. "Oh yes. He has ties to Cerberus - likely a direct operative."
"Likely?" I ignored the pounding of my heart, adrenaline racing through my veins, and focused on maintaining the blank expression on my face. "It's not like you to be unsure." I winced internally. Stepping carefully in conversation with my employer did not include antagonism.
Her eyes narrowed a fraction. "Indeed. My sources tell me many things these days."
Alarm thundered in my head and I adjusted the display, heightening the distortion and warping the image. "I'm sorry." The apology sounded sincere to my nervous ears. "I'm getting interference from the sun's radiation. I will contact you again as soon as I am able."
I could barely make out Aria's face as my display flickered rapidly, her mouth open as if to speak. I snapped off my 'tool, unable to continue my charade. I pushed as far as I was willing to go today, Aria's words – her voice echoing in my ears. I doubted she was lying as she had no need. Vale was Cerberus. I should have known.
I leaned back, the walls of the tiny stall seeming to press in against me. A hint of foulness clung to the air, building in potency as the temperature rose. I snorted in disgust, taking a moment longer to enjoy my solitude, albeit while holding my breath.
I slid through the narrow aisle as I returned to my seat, deftly avoiding the numerous travelers and their appendages that seemed ever present and in my path. Swallowing my annoyance I brushed past Vale, stepping carefully over his legs, and sinking into the seat by the viewport. After my trek through the craft, I had no desire to sit by the aisle. While I wished for distraction from my foul mood, I did not wish to have travelers carelessly bump into me during transit. Such annoyances would only serve to darken my mood.
However, a dark mood seemed to be the status quo of late.
I searched the stars out the viewport, traces of their light dotting the darkness of the void. Letting idleness take me, I allowed my thoughts to wander aimlessly, questioning the length of our trip and longing for the snug comfort of the chair in my apartment. I'd given little thought to my possessions and the memory of familiarity stung. Mentally, I brushed aside my care, forcing down my burgeoning frustration.
Time moved slowly in transit, marked only by the sluggish passing of Osun as it seemed to grow smaller in the viewport, its glow diminishing the closer we came to the relay. Vale woke once to eat, handing me one of the mealbars he'd stashed in his jacket. I had little appetite and ate more out of necessity than hunger, my eyes never leaving the darkness of the void beyond. It seemed comforting, the fading of the light; a reflection of my mood as well as my life. I had thrived in darkness, in anonymity, and as Osun's light was finally eclipsed, I took comfort in its shadow.
Darkness enveloped the transport. The other travelers had taken a cue from the shadows and another restless quiet descended, blanketing the passengers in reticence. I heard an occasional mutter, a hoarse whisper, but otherwise there was nothing. Even the stars seemed flat and listless in their inky heaven.
Vale shifted slightly beside me, his now familiar soft snores breathy and even. Again I allowed my thoughts free rein, drifting over memory and settling on hot skin and pliant flesh. A flood of emotion struck me and I shut my eyes tight against an ache I'd thought firmly contained. I sunk deeper into my seat, curling into myself as the taste of her lips and the scent of her body dominated my consciousness. Gradually, and with much effort, I slowed my breathing to a more controlled rhythm, the power of the ache dissipating only marginally.
With some semblance of control I sifted through the memory of that evening, buried so deep in my past I'd almost forgotten. She'd left work early, trading shifts with another dancer, and had come straight to my quarters at the time. Uta had brought with her a bottle of wine, a gift from a patron, and we'd gotten drunk on it and each other. Her skin tasted of sharp spice and smoke, and the heat of her lips blazed a trail over my body.
A lust-laden sigh escaped me as I fought to control the memory, but I was lost to it even as my hand snaked down my body. I spared only a brief glance at my surroundings, and noted nothing of import in the darkness. Even the sound of Vale's snores did nothing to dissuade my need, and my fingers pressed against soft warmth in the lightlessness. I was poised to melt as the memory took hold.
A shower of shadows danced across her body as she approached, the sheen of sweat on her skin glimmering softly in the dim light. She smiled, eyes sparkling with mischief and desire as she kneeled before me. I remained seated, the glass of wine half-empty in my trembling hands, mesmerized by the sight of her. She was absolutely breathtaking.
Delicate fingertips traced formless patterns up my legs, the teasing smile upon her lovely face brightening the room. Her knowing eyes danced with lust and I set my glass aside lest it spill the forgotten spirits within. The sweet taste lingered on my lips and I bent down to catch hers in a soft kiss.
She tasted of wine with a hint of musk, a flavor I had become intimately familiar with, and my heartbeat increased its already rapid pace. Her light touch sent waves of pleasure through my system, the warmth of the tiny room building, heat lingering on my skin even as the tickle of her lips sent shivers up my spine.
A throaty laugh escaped me and I almost gave up the pretense of control, moving to the floor to meet her, to feel the press of her body against mine. We tumbled drunkenly onto the fuzzy rug she had bought only a week before, the frayed edges ignored in our pursuit of pleasure even as the stringy fibers clung to our damp bodies. I pulled a stray thread from her skin, tracing the lines of her shoulder to her bare breasts, hypnotized by the play of low light against her nakedness. She smiled once again, eyelids lowered as she arched her back invitingly.
I complied, pinning her wrists above her head, conscious of her curves beneath me. She moved subtly, enticing me as her hips pushed against mine. I traced a path down her body with my free hand, cerulean flesh quivering in anticipation beneath my fingertips. I studied her reactions intently, the openness of her expressions both foreign and intriguing to me.
Her breathing grew ragged as my wandering fingers traced small circles further and further down her body, the heat of her flesh scorching against my own. I dipped down and tasted her once more, her lips demanding and insistent upon my own. I smiled inwardly, not quite ready to give in even as I felt the soft warmth of her yearn for me.
Wrapping her legs about my midsection she pulled me to her, hips riposting hard against my own. A slight grunt escaped her, barely audible over the pounding of my heart, and I felt my control slowly slip into oblivion. Relenting, I plunged into her, tasting and nipping at the tender flesh of her neck. Once more she arched her back, her supple figure damp and hot as the tang of her sweat seared my tongue. Unfamiliar emotion flooded my core and I tried to drown my confusion in our passion.
Vale's soft snores continued unabated as my breath came in uneven gasps. The muscles of my hand ached with fatigue even as desperate pleasure rippled through my body. I shut my mouth against the sharp tide of ecstasy, the remnants of memory gradually fading as languor settled in its place, the taste of Uta remembered once more. Sated, my eyelids drooped, heavy with sleeplessness; and I let exhaustion finally take me.