Disclaimer: Bioware owns all.

Chapter 31

My knife was sharp, exceedingly so, and as well it should be. I had been working almost an hour at the repetitive task upon my return to our rooms, my temper needing an outlet and finding little to occupy my mind. I fingered the hilt, gilded and polished smooth, still beautiful after years of wear. My eyes drifted along the length of the blade, the edge tapered to a fine point and I absently traced my finger along the cool metal. I started in surprise at the thin trickle of blood, realizing belatedly that I'd cut myself. The pain was an afterthought, and I sat momentarily confounded by my own carelessness.

I set the blade aside and wiped the blood from my finger. The cut was shallow, barely deep enough to draw blood, but I wrapped it in a small bandage nonetheless. I had no need of more clothes with blood stains on them.

With little else to do I toyed with my cloak, adjusting the settings and testing its functionality. I was pleasantly surprised when my vision shifted momentarily, a slight haze obscuring my sight as the tech activated. I stood, satisfied with my lack of reflection in the opulent mirror before me. It seemed my tinkering had the intended effect. I had missed my cloak and felt more at ease now that it was back in working order.

Sighing, restless once again, I mulled over the events of the evening. I was disgusted with Vale and annoyed with my reaction. I should have remained calm, played the game and garnered what information I could. Instead I was alone in a hotel room, no further along in my mission than I was before our meeting. I sighed again in irritation, noting the brief reflection of light off my omni-tool. With Vale gone, no doubt busy committing nauseating acts of debauchery with Treia, it was the perfect time to examine the files I had downloaded from Guy-Arnold's apartment. Shaking my head and cursing my stupidity I switched on my 'tool, only slightly annoyed I had not thought of it sooner.

Data scrolled quickly down the display and I adjusted the setting to better view his information. The files had not been encrypted, for which I was thankful, but I was surprised by the lack of security. Perhaps Guy-Arnold never thought to have others poking through his finances? Of course I'm sure he didn't expect to be sedated and left to rot in his apartment as it filled with noxious fumes either. Life, it seemed, was full of many surprises.

I paused the feed as the deposits seemed to decrease in frequency, but increase in amount. Studying the records it appeared that my former target had accepted several large payments through a payer designated only as MWF. The large payments were accompanied by the same number of deposits with similar amounts from a different payer, recorded simply as AL. I frowned, sifting through my memory and attempting to identify the acronyms with little success. I tossed the effort aside and refocused on the data at hand.

I checked his account balance and noted with interest that despite the record of deposits, the most recent transfer of funds from AL had been halted. A sly grin crept onto my face. It seemed that the mysterious AL had reason to disrupt the transaction, and while I had some idea as to why, I had not yet enough information to prove my theory correct. I needed more data.

The door swung open suddenly and in an instant I was on the floor, ducking behind cover. A low, drunken chuckle wafted across the room, soon followed by the heavy scent of liquor. I switched off my omni-tool as I stood, meeting Vale's inebriated gaze and raising inquiring brows at his current state. He wobbled slightly and kicked the door closed with a booted foot, the loud noise echoing briefly off the imported tile flooring. He wore a knowing smile upon his face.

"Ah, you waited up for me. I didn't know you cared." He plopped down on the bed, bouncing slightly as he did so, and patted the space beside him.

I frowned, making my displeasure obvious, and remained standing. "I trust your meeting went well?"

He snorted. "As well as could be once you stormed off." He leaned over to pull off his boots, his difficulty balancing on the soft mattress almost comical. "Might've gone better if you'd stayed. Treia seemed rather fond of you. At first."

I shrugged, unwilling to care about the asari tramp's regard. "Yes well, I'm all a-flutter with regret."

Vale grunted as he finally managed to pull off one boot and then the other. He met my eyes with what appeared to be a mixture of irritation and disappointment. "What was your problem, anyway?"

I shrugged again, feigning indifference as I turned away and sat in one of the lounge chairs. "Frankly, you two made me ill. I was just waiting for the drool to start pooling on the floor."

He cocked a single eyebrow. "And here I thought that maybe you were jealous."

"Hardly," I snorted. "I don't care what you do behind closed doors, but it's nauseating to see such gratuitous displays of ineptitude. At your age, I would've expected you to at least exert some modicum of restraint."

Another drunken chuckled escaped his lips. "Treia's seen it all before. No sense in hiding it."

Anger welled up within me and I stood, moving quickly toward the door. The man's innate ability to irritate me seemed to have no bounds and I was loath to remain in the same room with him.

"Where are you going?"

"Out." I shouldered my holsters, the familiar weight calming my frayed nerves.

"You really are jealous." He laughed again and my temper flared. I was quickly growing tired of being the comic relief. "And here I thought Treia was just baiting you. She was right all along."

"Hardly." I blurted again. "Public displays of affection - or in your case blatant groping - disgust me. I had little desire to sit and watch more. I doubt our host would have appreciated my vomit on her expensive shoes."

He chuckled again and stood, the previous wobble all but gone. "Cute, but I don't think that's the case at all."

I huffed and pulled on my jacket, shooting an irritated scowl toward Vale. "Think what you want. I don't care."

I made toward the door, but Vale grabbed my wrist with surprising strength. I turned on him, my irritation quickly turning to anger as I yanked my arm from his grasp. Indignation heated my veins and I seethed with contempt. "How dare you lay your hands on me!"

"What's wrong, Jin?" He stepped to the right, boxing me in and backed me up against the wall. His hands were on me again, pinning my shoulders, liquored breath hot on my face. Vale's voice was low, almost sultry, and drifted over me with the smoothness of silk. "Surely you're used to being a plaything."

My will faltered, surprise at his words momentarily overriding my better sense. I met his eyes and recognized the flicker of heat within. A part of me responded to his drunken desire as warmth crept down my spine, pooling in my core. It was not an unwelcome sensation and I hated myself all the more for it.

Vale took advantage of my surprise, pressing his body to mine and running his lips along the curve of my neck. He reeked of bourbon and Treia's rich perfume, and in that moment my fury sparked anew. How dare he lay a finger on me after all the comments he had made, after pawing on that whore. He had no right, and I let loose the tightly held reins of my temper.

It happened in the flash of a moment. Vale's eyes widened in surprise before quickly doubling over in agony. I used the wall as leverage as I shoved him to the ground, stepping over him in haste as I made my way toward the door. I rarely had need for such an obvious tactic, but a knee to the groin of an aroused man was ever a useful defense. He lay there on the floor, writhing in pain, and I left him with no more than he deserved. Jealousy or no, I was not a plaything to be toyed with.

I slammed the door shut, striding angrily down the hotel's hallway as I seethed with contempt. Fury boiled within and I despised the source. I was as angry with myself as I was with Vale, to be so easily cornered, so easily swayed by green eyes and a silken voice. I had long thought myself to be immune to such cravings and memories of Uta surfaced unbidden.

I could still hear her voice in my thoughts, her unending questions and whispered promises. She had been my solace amidst the storm, my comfort in confusion, and I had lost myself in her for a time. But it ended as all things must, and I pushed away the pain of that memory, willing it from the forefront of my mind. Instead I turned my attention to the present, hastily exiting the opulent hotel lobby and breathing in the rich night air of Illium.

The horizon glowed with the illumination of countless lights, advertisements adorning giant billboards, streams of traffic floating in the dark sky. Oh yes, despite its dangers Illium remained beautiful. I leaned momentarily against the railing and absorbed the sight before me. Regardless of what fate held in store for me, I could take this moment to find peace in beauty, and I did so without hesitation.

I wandered the walkways for hours that evening, welcoming the shadows that clung to the corners high above the ground. The air was sweeter in the heights and a cool breeze kept accompaniment to my morose musings. I enjoyed my aloneness, the fear of trust pleasantly absent on my solitary trek. I debated returning to the hotel, and when I came to no definite conclusion, I allowed my thoughts to wander as freely as I did. And they wandered to my past as they were usually wont to, but instead of Uta I remembered Arch.

I saw him in my mind's eye again as if it were only yesterday, the steadiness of his snores drifting upon the air, the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he slept soundly. His face was peaceful, almost beautiful as he dreamed, and I remember in that moment how I had loved him once. Despite his temperament, and despite his appetites, he had also been kind to me and I believed had even loved me in his own way; as much as a man such as he was able to love.

And I killed him.

The memory of that night gave me no pleasure, but I felt no sadness at his demise. In fact, I felt little at all. Those memories I held dearest of our time together were of the lash, the mix of pleasure and pain that I had learned well to enjoy. Such were the events that shaped my future and led me to the predicament in which I now found myself. Such was the sickness inside that I found revolting and alluring as well.

I stared once more into the brightly lit horizon and watched the traffic stream by in a line of colorful lights. Pondering my situation and the web of intrigue surrounding the attempt on my life, I had given little thought to Vale's related predicament. He had saved my life, whether by accident or design, and in doing so tied his fate to mine. I had not seen him with an omni-tool, and he had demonstrated only mediocre technological aptitude, and so I couldn't help but wonder what orders he followed.

Leaning on the railing again I attempted to recall our many encounters. He had seemed only a drunken lout at first, an image he'd done little to discourage, but he had a tendency to appear in the oddest of places. I knew it was no mere coincidence given our venture together, as he was likely ordered to keep tabs on my position and progress.

If he was not lying, and his penchant for honesty was questionable at best, Arnold was bait to lure me out into the open. Vale had remarked that he was contracted to terminate Arnold and in discussions to end my life as well, but another had accepted that particular job. The question with regard to Vale, however, was not who had made attempt on my life, but who gave him his orders now? Was he even in contact with the "independent contractor" since leaving Omega, or was Aria's intelligence correct and Vale's deal was with Cerberus?

So keen on trying to tease apart the threads of intrigue was I that I had blinded myself to Vale's communications, or lack thereof. I had not seen him contact anyone since leaving Omega, but then I had not been as committed to my surveillance of him as I should be. I resolved in that moment to redouble my efforts, to deciphering the mystery of Vale as well as discovering those behind my botched termination. Considering my current lack of options, I had little else to occupy my time.

Straightening, I let loose a deep breath, and with resolve in my step I turned back toward the hotel. Following my omni-tool's map I made good time, only mere hours passing since I had stormed out. The gaudy lights of the hotel came into view, vibrant greens and blues lighting the walkways and leading me ever onward towards the opulent lobby. I turned once more to view the night sky, the blur of light still bright against the darkness. Such beauty was enthralling and even though I longed for the time to enjoy its splendor, there was much work to be done. I entered the courtyard, halting in surprise as a deafening explosion rocked the very air about me.

My reflexes took hold and I dove behind the closest form of cover I could find. I found myself briefly hoping that the enormous stone planter withstood the shock of the blast, and as debris rained down around me, my thoughts ran to other matters. Screams of confusion and pain filled the air, heavy with the acrid scent of smoke and blood, and no longer did I enjoy the sweet breeze. Sparing a glance at the scene around me, I readied myself for the scene of carnage to follow.

The once beautiful hotel was awash in flames. Two floors had been completely destroyed, the decorative glass littering the courtyard. Bodies were strewn haphazardly about, the occasional mound of gore almost recognizable. I crept from my position to a nearby embankment, hiding in a cluster of stunted trees. From my vantage I watched in morbid fascination as the emergency crews arrived, securing the site and dousing the many fires. Survivors wandered aimlessly, blindly following the orders of the rescue teams, blood splashed across their expensive finery.

It took no time at all to recognize that our floor that had been obliterated and I saw no sign of Vale as I observed the goings-on. Much to my surprise, the thought of his loss was distressing. I was awash with a mix of anger and abandonment and in my fury I realized only one individual had knowledge of our whereabouts. The familiar weight of my holsters remembered, I disappeared into the shadows of Illium, intent on a target with creamy skin and a voice like velvet.