CHAPTER 5
"Talk 'bout me?"
Rosemary nodded and lifted Keeya to her lap so she could see better. They were in front of the Citadel Council, awaiting their... assessment and decisions concerning Keeya's situation. Rosemary wasn't feeling very comfortable. The last time she had worn formal wear was at her mother's funeral; she felt incredibly stiff. The chairs weren't comfortable, either. The Councilors were talking amongst themselves in heated whispers. They had been doing so for at least twenty minutes. Keeya was feeling restless; Rosemary couldn't blame her. Keeya was three.
"It is rude," Keeya decided.
Rosemary shrugged. "Important people can be rude," she explained.
"Hmph," was all Keeya said to that.
Finally, the Councilors directed their attention to the human and hybrid.
"In light of the recent... event, we have decided to impart sensitive information to you. You are a civilian. This made the decision difficult," the salarian councilor informed Rosemary.
That's what they had been talking about? Rosemary frowned. "And of Ereba's killer?" She hoped her voice hadn't sounded too squeaky. Her voice tended to be squeaky when exposed to uncomfortable situations.
The turian councilor shook his head. "We have known of the assassins for quite some time."
Assassins? As in more than one?
The asari councilor nodded. "They have been hunting the offspring of interspecies relationships, particularly those of asari lineage. Hybrids are their marks. They left a message for us some months ago. They believe the synthesizing of the entire galaxy was a curse. They want things back... as they were."
Rosemary's frown deepened. "They said this... in a message? Why are you only telling me now? Why weren't the people told of this?"
"You must understand," the asari councilor said. "Death threats are a daily hazard in our line of work. The message was lost in... what did Hackett call it? 'The slush pile'. A dozen hybrids were already dead by the time we got the message and tracked the hybrids down. The problem is... We have no clue as to who they plan to target next. There are thousands of confirmed hybrids. We can only do what we can with what we have. What we have now is Keeya, a confirmed target of this... association."
"I want t'stay with Rosemary."
The councilors looked at Keeya, startled. Rosemary couldn't blame them. Keeya spoke quite well for a three-year-old.
"Excuse me, child," ventured the salarian councilor. "Did you say something?"
"I want to stay with Rosemary," Keeya repeated patiently. She squirmed in Rosemary's lap, suddenly shy of the attention. "She's nice. Gave me biscuit."
The councilors leaned forward. Keeya's voice had become a mumble. "Could you repeat that, please? I'm afraid we couldn't hear you," the turian councilor asked gently.
Keeya looked up. "She gave me biscuit. It tasted bad, but it was still... nice."
The asari councilor shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea, Keeya. Rosemary Fletcher may be a nice person, but she's a human. She won't understand."
Ouch. Racist much, Rosemary thought, disgruntled. What did being human have anything to do with anything?
A stubborn look settled on Keeya's face. "Why? She is nice! She was nice... to... mama. I stay with Rosemary!"
Rosemary stared at Keeya. Had she heard a rumble at the end of Keeya's declaration...? Must be her krogan side, she thought, trying not to smile.
The asari counciler sighed. She put her hands behind her back and turned to look at Rosemary. "Very well. Rosemary Fletcher, funds will be deposited into your account weekly to help with expenses. I understand you plan to move to the Citadel. Where does your family plan on residing?"
How had she known that? Rosemary remembered that the asari councilor had asked her a question. "Oh! Um... somewhere? In... the Wards?"
The slightest trace of a grimace crossed the asari councilor's face. "I... see." She looked down at her terminal, and started tapping at it. "Job?"
"I... was hoping to join C-Sec... in a secretarial aspect."
The turian councilor nodded with approval. "Our officers will be needed in the field. Any help you can offer will be appreciated. I will see it done personally."
Rosemary stammered her gratitude. And with that, the meeting ended.
XOXOXOXO
Afterwards, Rosemary walked with Keeya along the greens leading to the Presidium Commons. Young trees dotted their path, freshly planted and already flourishing in the manufactured, artificial environment. Keeya gleefully ran towards the grassy areas of the park, stopping only once in a while to inspect every other flowerbed. They were approaching the Presidium Commons when Rosemary's omni-tool dinged.
She had just received messages from the asari and turian councilors. Rosemary's slate blue eyes quickly scanned the turian councilor's message. He had already procured her a position in C-Sec. She had been assigned to the C-Sec offices in the embassies. She was to report there the very next morning. Rosemary felt a brief moment of panic. That wasn't enough time! She had to pack, withdraw Oliver from his school, inform her friends, do all the moving paperwork...
She quickly scanned the asari councilor's message. The asari councilor informed her that she was to take residence in a Presidium apartment, and that she had already forwarded the required funds to her account. Rosemary quickly brought up her account and promptly stumbled.
Keeya fussed over her as she sat on a nearby bench. Her little toe was throbbing with pain, but she ignored it. The asari councilor had just transferred an obscene amount of credits to her account! She could rent three apartments with that money! Reapers, she could afford to buy a whole condo!
Then again... she'd have to get a three-bedroom apartment at the very least, to house her father, her brother, Keeya, and herself. Those had to be pricey. Once the throbbing on her toe subsided to a tolerable level, Rosemary and Keeya slowly made their way to the Apollo Cafe for lunch, and to start searching for an apartment on the extranet.
Rosemary ordered spaghetti, and Keeya ordered... some slimy green plants off the hanar section of the menu. Keeya didn't think much of it either when it arrived, and was soon eating off of Rosemary's plate. Rosemary didn't mind. Keeya liked to take a bite of food, spit it out, and study it before eating it again. Within minutes, Rosemary's appetite had gone. She pushed the plate towards her young friend and looked around the cafe.
She saw Balint, of all people, enter the cafe after a little while. He looked different, but comfortable in his C-Sec armor. He saw her and waved.
"Tevos said you would be here."
"Tevos?"
"The asari councilor." Rosemary gestured towards the empty seat next to Keeya. Instead, he took the seat next to her. Keeya slowly spit out her food, looked at them, her food, and ate the food again. Balint grimaced. "That's disgusting."
Keeya seemed used to such comments. "Kids' job to be disgusting," she countered.
Rosemary and Balint smiled. "That's true," Balint allowed.
"Reporting for duty," Rosemary guessed.
"Something like that. Clever disguise, that," he said, looking Keeya over. Keeya wore a jacket with a large hood, keeping most of her features hidden. He squinted. "She looks blue. Tevos said her skin was more of a metallic gray..."
Rosemary shrugged. "It's light face paint. I'm planning to pick up a quarian suit tomorrow, to hide her better."
"Good idea," Balint said approvingly. "So... have you found a place to live yet?"
"I think I've found an apartment near here," Rosemary said, holding up her omni-tool. "It's a large apartment, with three bedrooms."
Balint winced. "Finding an apartment near you will be pricey. Good thing I won't be paying for it out of my pocket."
Rosemary didn't bother to hide her confusion. "Pardon?"
"With your ward a target of assassins, a bodyguard from C-Sec was assigned to you. I asked Tevos for the post."
She was even more confused. How exactly did Balint know the asari councilor so well as to ask that kind of favor? And was it a favor? She hadn't pinned him as the type of officer to go for a bodyguard position. She told him so.
Balint shrugged. "Normally, we don't like being assigned as bodyguards, true. It's damned boring. But I'm used to it. I'm usually assigned to guard Tevos."
"Oh. Okay. But still..."
"And Keeya's a confirmed target. You might get targeted, too. I'm bound to see some action in the near future."
It took her a second, but there was no mistaking his tone. Rosemary's eyes widened. Was he flirting with her? She saw then, that his gaze was lingering on her breasts. He was flirting with her! Suddenly self-conscious, Rosemary positioned her arms on the table to obscure his view of her cleavage. Balint grinned.
Keeya had finished her spaghetti. Her nostrils flared as she sniffed the air. She looked at Rosemary, then at Balint, then at Rosemary again. She giggled.
"You really like turians. I can smell it," Keeya said, giggling again.
Rosemary turned beet red. She could 'smell' it? What did she smell like? Did people in heat all smell the same?
"I... don't know what you're talking about." Damn krogan sensibilities.
Balint laughed.
Rosemary grabbed Keeya's hand. "Right. We're leaving."
