THESSIA
Atalia is in Meryl's office along with fellow detectives Naava, Sara, Kendall and Andrea, two additional detectives were added to the station about ten years ago.
"Where is she?" asks Atalia.
"Alright everyone listen up!" says Meryl as she hurries behind her desk while the other detectives stand. "Akira has confirmed that the last three victims have died by an Ardat-Yakshi."
"Shit," says Naava.
"Any way of knowing if it is by the same asari?" asks Atalia.
This causes everyone to look at the lead Detective.
"Do we know if we are dealing with one or more of them? Is there any way to tell by how the victims died?"
"Yes there is," says Akira. The Medical Examiner walks into Meryl's office to join the meeting. "I apologize for being late. Two of the victims have the same type of neural decay; the third one is much more precise and efficient."
"Shit," says Naava.
"So that means we have at least two," says Atalia. "Do you think one is acting as an apprentice?"
"That is what you are all to find out," says Meryl. "We have been cleared for overtime people. I need answers to who we are dealing with, how many there are and where the hell they are and I need these answers yesterday! So get out there. Atalia, you are alone until Valya can return to work. If you need assistance we can get help from the Officers."
"How is she?" asks Sara.
"She is going to be fine," says Atalia. "What about her daughter Dava? She is still missing and could be a threat."
"She could be one of them," says Andrea.
The room falls quiet.
"I'm sorry to say that but it is a possibility that we cannot overlook. You said it yourself Atalia that Dava has never fully recovered from the events that transpired 80 years ago."
"But it doesn't make sense that she would be acting out now after all this time, does it?" asks Naava.
"It does if Dava is finally strong enough to kill." The room falls quiet.
"Atalia, we all feel for Valya we do. We do not know if Dava is involved in this or not. The Ardat-Yakshi takes priority no exceptions. We are now up to nearly a dozen murders in the last month and there is no telling how many more bodies are out there that we have not found yet. We cannot have the people of Thessia panic and afraid of going out at night," says Meryl.
"Maybe they should be afraid to go out at night. I mean maybe we should issue a warning," says Kendall.
"No," says Meryl with a stern tone of voice. "We are not there yet. Do your jobs and find these Ardat-Yakshi and the public will never have to know."
"Just how many more asari have to die before we warn the people we have sworn to protect?" asks Atalia.
"Enough! You heard what I said now get to work." Meryl points to her open door.
In silence everyone files out of the room. Akira catches Atalia's wrist and keeps her in the office.
"We need a word," says Akira.
Atalia crosses her arms and looks between her boss and her lover. "What?"
"Akira still has the serum to test and possibly cure the Ardat-Yakshi," says Meryl.
"And?"
"And," Meryl steps closer to Atalia, "that means you do not kill do you understand? You can wound if necessary to apprehend, but we need the subject alive."
"Yeah I will be sure to tell her that when she tries to mind fuck me."
Akira gasps a little.
Meryl's blue complexion almost turns red; she is quickly in Atalia's face. "You need some time off Atalia? Because I can arrange it, permanently."
The two stare at each other.
After a few minutes Akira clears her throat. "In any case, having the Ardat-Yakshi alive would be ideal Atalia. Okay?"
The two asari continue to stare at each other.
Akira touches Atalia's shoulder, "Okay Detective?"
Atalia blinks a few times then looks at Akira. "Sure." Without another word she leaves the office.
"That damn bitch!" says Meryl after she closes her office door. "You better tell your little girlfriend that she is one more outburst away from getting her ass fired!"
Akira looks at Meryl. "My life outside of work is none of your business Meryl so I will forget you just made that comment. If you have an issue with Atalia then you need to bring it up with Atalia. You may want to cut her a little slack seeing as her partner was just hospitalized." Akira turns to leave when Meryl swings her around and is in her face.
"And you better rein her in do you hear me? I mean it Akira. I am done warning her. Either you talk some sense into her or she will find herself out of a job."
Akira is not sure what to say to that so she says nothing.
"Dismissed." Meryl sits behind her desk and starts pounding away on her keyboard ignoring the medical examiner.
Akira leaves the office and closes the door behind her.
TUCHANKA
It has been two days of taking town after town. Shepard is still helping Eli and his clan longing for home, longing for her blue beauty's arms. Of the civilians saved only about twenty have volunteered to join the fight to take on Clan Jurdon. And so far no Krogan has turned from the clan to join Eli. The plan is not working and they need people fast.
Scouts have reported that Jurdon Gran is getting ready to mobilize. He could be ready to go in as little as a month.
Shepard is back at the base for some needed rest. She told Eli no but he insisted. She thinks it is probably because he wants someone with Wrex. She is outside of his quarters now suddenly nervous to talk to her old friend. Shepard has never been good at consoling or trying to comfort. It does not come naturally to her. She always relied on Liara for that kind of stuff. On her way back she sent a quick message to the asari hoping it goes undetected.
Since there is no door to the room Shepard pops her head in and says, "You awake in there?"
She hears a growl and a smile creeps up on her.
"Come in Shepard," says Wrex.
Shepard almost stops in mid stride when she sees her Krogan friend. It is obvious the poison he was hit with is consuming his body. His head is hanging lower than she has ever seen, there is no sparkle to his eyes and he looks tired, so very tired. She shakes it off and schools her emotions and says, "How's it going?" She tries to act casual but feels it is not working.
Wrex growls again, "How do you think Shepard, I'm dying."
"Complain, complain."
"I should be out there dying an honorable death but instead I am stuck here barely able to make it across the damn room on my own." He sits down already tired from the exertion.
Shepard knows how he feels. She sits next to him shoulder to shoulder.
"The plan is not working is it?" asks Wrex.
"No. We need more people. Scouts have reported that Jurdon Gran may leave the planet within a month."
"You have to get help Shepard."
"How Wrex? I was lucky that I was even able to land here in the first place. They have tightened everything up. How do you expect me to get off planet?"
"You'll think of something, you always do."
"Yeah right. I can't send out a message long enough to explain what is needed. If the message is detected we don't have the people to fight them off. They out number us at least three to one, maybe more."
"Don't remember you whining so much Shepard." Wrex nudges her shoulder. "You'll find a way, you always do."
Shepard stands and starts to pace.
"What is Eli's next move?" asks Wrex. He starts to cough a deep raspy cough.
Shepard swallows, tries not to think about the pain her friend is in. "He is taking two more towns tonight."
"No city?"
"City?"
"Has he taken a city?"
"No Wrex that is what I am talking about. We don't have enough people to take a city. The civilians that are willing to fight hardly remember how to hold a shotgun let along fire one accurately."
Wrex growls.
"What?"
"We are weak!" Wrex stands. He sways a little on his feet. Shepard quickly moves toward him but stops when he waves her off.
"Take me to him Shepard."
"Wrex." Shepard is not sure the Krogan can make the trip.
"Take me to him."
She sees determination in his eyes. "Okay." She leads the way out of the base and grabs the nearest Tomkah.
THESSIA
Atalia wants answers. She practically stormed out of the police station after her meeting with Meryl. Akira has called her half a dozen times but she is not answering. She wants to be left alone. She wants to find answers and she is standing outside of a house where she intends to get them.
She rings the bell suddenly feeling nervous.
A lightly violet shaded asari maiden answers the door. The smile on her face disappears the moment she recognizes Atalia.
"Hello Caressa, I need to speak with you."
The asari starts to close the door but Atalia puts her foot between the door and the door frame. She looks up at the detective, "I can't."
"Please it's important. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't." Atalia sees the fear in her eyes.
Caressa relents and opens the door. Atalia enters the two story home.
"Are your parents home?"
"No."
"Your sisters?"
"No." Caressa crosses her arms over her chest.
"How have they been treating you?"
"What do you want Detective?"
"Could I have some water please?"
Caressa walks to the kitchen which is straight through from the front door. Atalia follows her and sits at the kitchen table. "Are you happy they adopted you Caressa? They seem like real nice people."
Caressa hands the detective a glass of water. The older asari notices her trembling hand.
"I can't have you here, what do you want?"
"I need to know what happened in the shack."
Caressa starts to shake her head back and forth. She starts to pace. "I…I don't remember."
"That's not true Caressa, you do remember."
"I can't, I can't talk about it. I don't want to go back there." She stops pacing and looks at the detective with pleading eyes, "Don't make me go back there."
Atalia remains seated. "I need your help Caressa. You are strong now. You overcame Elina."
"Don't!" Caressa covers her ears with her hands and starts to pace again back and forth and back and forth. "Don't say that name to me please I can't…I can't."
Atalia stands now and slowly approaches the distraught asari. "I need you to tell me what happened while you held Dava captive. What did you do to her Caressa?
"I didn't do anything!" Caressa backs up keeping distance from the detective. Atalia does not move toward her.
"Something happened in that shack. I need to know. Dava is in trouble Caressa. I need your help."
Caressa's eyes snap to Atalia's, "Dava is alive?"
Atalia furrows her brows. "Y-yes she is alive. Why are you surprised? What are you not telling me?"
Caressa starts to shake her head back and forth again and starts to pace. "No no no no."
"Caressa?" Atalia reaches for her, but the younger asari steps back. Her lower back bumps up against the kitchen counter. Caressa quickly walks toward the corner of the room by the sliding glass door that leads to their back yard.
"Why are you surprised that Dava is alive?"
"I didn't….I didn't do anything…it wasn't me…I was a good girl."
Atalia feels like she is looking at a cornered animal who is utterly scared out of her mind. She doesn't want to hurt Caressa. The asari has made tremendous progress since her new asari parents took her in. It took only a few months of being with her that they decided to officially adopt her. Atalia has kept tabs on the asari. She knows the treatment she has gone through, the nightmares she suffered from for many, many years. Atalia does not want to cause her to have some sort of relapse, but at the same time she needs information to try to find her partner's daughter.
"Tell me what happened," Atalia says in a calm voice.
Caressa's demeanor changes. Her hands move down and form into fists. Her right hand slowly hits her right hip. Her eyes have a faraway look to them. Atalia is not sure if she should say anything. After a minute of the younger asari just staring past her, Atalia starts to say something but stops when Caressa speaks.
"I brought Dava to the shack. She wanted her, she had to have her."
Atalia slowly sits down at the kitchen table. "You brought her to Elina?"
"Yes."
"Because Elina wanted to use Dava to get to Mia T'Soni?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because she wanted her."
"Who? Who wanted her?"
"Biotics. Those strong with biotics are always the target to get stronger. She said you get stronger when you meld with talented biotics."
"And Elina wanted more power?"
"Yes."
Caressa continues to stare straight ahead. Her right fisted hand continues to hit her hip. Atalia wonders if it is some type of coping mechanism. She is concerned for the asari but continues to press her.
"Where did Elina get her power?"
Caressa's fist stops. She stands very still. After a minute of silence Caressa says, "They told me to leave. Elina hit me and told me to leave the house."
"The house in the woods?"
"Yes. I wanted to stay but Elina hit me. She kept hitting me until I left the corner. I was told to stay in the corner."
Atalia realizes that Caressa is standing in the corner of the kitchen.
"I went outside. I hid. I wanted to know what would happen to her."
"To Dava?"
"Yes. Then she came."
Finally new information. There was someone else involved. It takes all of Atalia's will power to not say anything.
"She entered the shack. Then I heard it." Caressa covers her ears and shuts her eyes tightly. "The screams. She wouldn't stop screaming. I never heard anything like it before." Caressa with her back to the wall slides down and hugs her knees close to her chest. She starts to rock back and forth. "I hid for I don't know how long. The screaming stopped and then she came out and left. I waited. I didn't want to get hit. Elina loved to hit me. For some reason she never melded with me. Mother told her never to meld with me that I was off limits. I think Elina hated her for that and hated me even more. So she enjoyed hitting me and had her fun with me that way."
Atalia feels the heat behind her eyes. She has pushed Caressa too far and she knows it.
"I went back in and saw her tied to the chair. I thought she was dead. She wasn't moving and there was blood all over the floor. Elina dragged me into the corner and kicked me until …" her voice trails off. Caressa starts to rock back and forth.
After a few minutes of silence Atalia decides to try to talk to the asari since she has stopped talking. "Caressa?" The detective moves slowly toward Caressa. She is crouched down in front of her. "Caressa can you hear me?"
"Pills."
"Pills? You need your pills?"
Caressa nods frantically as she continues to rock back and forth.
"Okay honey hang on I will find them." Atalia leaves the asari alone and runs upstairs. She figures pills will either be in her bedroom or a bathroom. She finds three different prescriptions in the bathroom drawer made out to Caressa. She quickly descends the stairs and enters the kitchen. She hears Caressa mumbling to herself. Atalia is reminded of what happened over 80 years ago. Caressa escaped the shack that collapsed during the fight between Shepard, Liara, Raina and Mia and Elina. Atalia got Dava out of the shack just in time. When all was said and done they thought Caressa was buried, but she escaped somehow and later showed up in the Shepard/T'Soni household where she was in a corner near tears and scared to death. Much like she is now.
Atalia snaps out of her reverie and slowly approaches Caressa after grabbing a glass of water. "I have your pills Caressa. Which ones do you need? Caressa?"
"She's going to die."
"Who?"
"Dava. She is as good as dead."
"Why Caressa? Why do you say that?"
Caressa shakes her head back and forth and rocks with more fervor. "No no no don't hurt me, please don't hurt me."
"Caressa I am not going to hurt you. Which pills do you need?"
"Please no don't hurt me, please don't hurt me."
Atalia feels sick to her stomach. She caused this. She caused this relapse. "Caressa? Can you hear me honey? I am going to call your Doctor okay?"
Atalia stands and turns her back on Caressa. She places the pill bottles on the kitchen counter. She hears Caressa yell "No!" and before she can turn around she is slammed into the counter. The air is knocked out of her. She sees Caressa run out of the house screaming "No no no not again!"
Getting to her feet Atalia grabs the pill bottles and runs after Caressa.
Liara rolls over reaching for her bondmate. When her hand finds nothing the asari opens her eyes. It takes a minute for Liara to realize that she is in bed and that Elly is not next to her. Then she remembers that she was working and suddenly she gets out of bed and rushes to the secure room.
Liara finds the room open. The door is not locked. She doesn't understand. She starts to panic a little wondering why the door is not secure. She doesn't remember locking it. She doesn't remember going to bed.
"Mom?"
Liara turns and sees her oldest daughter Raina staring at her with concern in her eyes. "Raina. Wh-What is going on?"
Raina moves to her mother and guides her into a chair. She explains everything. How she put Liara to bed. How she and her sisters worked on the data Liara has collected. Raina explained how they asked for Miranda and Oriana's help.
"They came over a few hours ago. We asked them about how they communicated with each other during the time Oriana was on Earth working on the cure for RUST. Do you remember Mom?"
Liara still tired and a little dazed just nods her head.
"Well they had this device. Anyway, Miranda and Oriana configured all of our omni-tools and they sent code to Dad's omni-tool. We are waiting for it to finish running and then we can get a message to her without being detected. Miranda said because it is a remote fix to Dad's omni-tool there is no telling how long it could take. She suspects half a day. So we are hoping that in a few hours the program will finish and we can call her."
Liara tears up. "You did all of that while I slept?"
"You were exhausted Mother. Your Dad was here for a while too, but she went home about an hour ago."
"Goddess." Liara rubs at her temples.
"Are you alright Mom?"
"What time is it?"
"It is nearly midnight."
Liara's head snaps up, "What? Midnight? I slept the entire day?"
"You needed it Mom."
Liara stands and starts tapping away on a keyboard at one of the consoles. "What is happening with Tuchanka do we know?"
"There is a type of black out happening. Communications are being monitored to and from the planet as well as all docking ships. The Shadow Broker said that…."
"You spoke with the Shadow Broker?"
"Well I didn't, Miranda did. She pretty much scolded her for not knowing more information."
"Her?" Liara and Shepard have not shared the identity of the Shadow Broker with their children.
"Well I don't know if it was a her, but the word choice used and my…well you know," Raina smiles, "I think it is a woman."
"I…I cannot believe you did all of this. Thank you Raina thank you." Liara gives her daughter a big hug.
"It was a family effort Mom. We want to help. We want to help Dad off Tuchanka. We want her home."
"I do too Raina. Where are the rest of your sisters?"
"They are in bed. We worked a bit in shifts. I wanted someone to be awake for when you woke up so you could hear what has been going on. I didn't want you to panic or worry because you slept so long. I think we made some pretty good progress."
"Yes, I would say so."
"Grandpa brought some food. Would you like some?"
"Yes please I am starving."
They both make their way to the kitchen. "How was your grandfather?"
"Crabby as ever," says Raina with a smile. "You are worried about her?"
Liara shakes her head.
"You are worried for her mother. You are worried her end is near."
"Please stop Raina."
"I apologize."
They eat their meals in silence.
Once the dishes are done Raina says, "Oh Goddess I almost forgot."
"What?"
"There was a short message from Dad. We had to take your omni-tool so Miranda could update it."
"What does it say?"
"See for yourself."
Liara pulls up the message after activating her omni-tool.
Love you Liara. Need military
Liara looks at Raina.
"Do you think she is requesting military personnel?" asks Raina.
"I think that is exactly what she is requesting."
