Omega Chronicles -17- What doesn't kill you
Flashing images were flooding her mind again, this time they felt so real, so close, so personal. The ancient ruins loomed upon her, dead and grey. The stone was strong, but not eternal. Time always takes its toll. Far away, in the distance she could hear them fall, every now and again, sliding on each other in one last harsh caress before plunging and mutedly landing on their predecessors. Everything in this place spoke of death. Even the flashing headlights of the Geth that tried to kill them as they made their way through the ancient city of the Protheans. The dark halls, once majestic, reverberated with the sharp cracking and booming of weapon shots, the echo making her slightly dizzy, her ears confused by the low vibrations. The drones were everywhere, there were so many of them. What had called them here? Their short, cackling, unnatural language couldn't give her an answer, and she knew it, and she was cursing as she was running from cover to cover, the old dust that blanketed everything made her lungs and her head heavy. So heavy.
And then there was the gas. Creeping up her nostrils, shielding her view, screams all around, it was so difficult to see, so difficult to decide. Is this shell a person that can live, or are they too far gone? Her finger on the trigger, always second guessing herself, sometimes for a moment too long, then their arms would try to get a hold of her and she saw their faces. Distorted in the physical effort, in stark contrast with their vacuous, indifferent eyes. Death, again. Staring at her. There was no light, there was no spark that makes a creature a living being. They weren't strong enough to take her down, but their faces, god, their faces.
And then there was the smell. The putrid stench surrounding this ancient monster, pervading every crack in the stone, every breath that she took. Its thralls defending it, their skin so green, like ancient trees covered in moss. They were hard, so hard, right until they died, exploding in a disgusting, slimy splash. Some of it stuck to her armour, the odour so heady and strong, like a thousand corpses following her around, engulfing her, strangling her. She stopped for a moment by a corner, gagging, her body reacting so violently to it, wanting to get rid of it and not finding a way. Her muscles were burning by now, tired, sore, and those things seemed to keep spawning from the floors and the walls themselves, a never ending fight made of desperation. The last stand of the Thorian, its survival instinct stubborn and unrelenting. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jack being overpowered, swallowed by a group of them, then shafts of blue light started cracking through their bodies, then in a wave of lightning they were dissolved, burned, their existence coming to an abrupt end as Jack stood up to fight again, a smug look on her beautiful face. Who had they been? Before being mauled and mutated and transformed into mindless half plants, had they been teachers? Farmers? Engineers? Death didn't care. It came upon all of them, dealt by weapons, or biotic powers, or even by brute force. Floor by floor, in a rising spiral, she looked for the weak spots, she aimed, she fired, over and over, round and around, in a grotesque carousel.
And then there was that strange, alien Asari, with a green skin and angry eyes. She had killed her... it. She had killed it right away. She could feel the stupid look of surprise on her face when she saw it charging again. Impossibly alive. The second time she had made it a point to blast its head in, bullet after bullet, as her foot, heavy on the creature's neck, kept it pinned down on the filthy floor. But then there it was, again. And again. And again. Every time she thought it would be the last, and every time she was wrong. Until finally she was standing, her hands slightly trembling, on the brink of the chasm, watching the huge, ancient being fall into the darkest depths of the planet itself. She couldn't help feeling sorry for it. A deep sense of loss and an immense sadness settled in the pit of her stomach, of her very soul. Who were they to play god like this? Who had given them the right to hunt down and destroy this incredible form of life? They knew next to nothing about it, and now it was gone. It had outlived entire civilizations, and now it was gone. It might have very well been the last of its kind, and now it was gone.
And then there was the Asari. Again. Only this time she was alive, she was real. The anger was gone from her eyes, even as the stench still clang to her black uniform, a revolting reminder of the betrayal that had made an unwilling slave out of her. She was passing along a gift, a gift that the Thorian had given her, the gift that would make everything all right again, the gift that would finally give sense to all of this, the gift that could sort out all the fumbling horror she was carrying inside her mind. As it was being passed to her, she felt those ancient memories oozing out of their cage, from a black corner of her consciousness, slowly making their way along her neurons, taking possession of all that she was. She felt like she had felt while she had been held by the beacon, a strong fist closing around her, lifting her, encasing her. She felt weightless and vulnerable and bound. She hated it. She fought it. She rebelled against it. But the hold was so tight. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't scream. She couldn't...
Her body jerking up from the soaked bed sheets, Shepard awoke just as she was sharply, loudly inhaling, her eyes wide open, her heart pounding in her chest, desperately out of breath. Another nightmare. Feros. Again.
Startled by the sudden movement and noise, Aria was awake in just the fraction of a second and looking at her lover. Immediately understanding what was going on, her hand came up to the human's back in a soothing caress.
The Commander covered her face with her hands, slowly calming down. She didn't like this at all. She hissed a curse under her breath. "Fuck."
The Asari's voice was even and low, with a hint of sweetness that was somehow uncharacteristic for her. "Not again."
"Yes, again. What the hell do I have to do to get rid of this? Fucking Protheans, fucking beacon, fucking cipher. I thought it would get better, not worse." Shepard angrily got up from the bed and headed for the bathroom. She washed her face and neck and made her way back into the room, a few droplets of water falling from her skin as she was walking. She started getting dressed. "I need to let some steam off. See you later." She grabbed her gun and her jacket and stormed out without another word.
The Queen let herself fall back on the bed, her mind racing to come up with a solution for her Commander's predicament, finding none. She decided to get out of bed as well. She knew perfectly well where Shepard was going. After the soldier had disappeared from their room the first couple of times, she had set a few of her best trackers on her and she had found where the human had gone. Not a place for the faint of heart, not a place for the sane of mind either. Aria had kept it for herself, but she had instructed her people to keep an eye on her lover, ready to give her any kind of assistance, just in case things would get bad. This time though she decided she would go herself, she needed to see just how dire the situation was with her own eyes.
Unhurriedly, she put on her clothes. She poured herself a much needed drink and enjoyed it thoroughly while reading the latest intel on a padd before stepping out of her quarters.
The stale air was filled with the smell of sweat and blood. All around the arena, fans and patrons were yelling their support for their favourites, or colourfully insulting the challengers in a collective trance, a pure rave, faces twisting and mouths gaping in raw screams as they watched the savage fight that was taking place on the enclosed battlefield below them.
It was simply called The Pit, and there was no one on Omega who didn't know of its existence. Finding it however was an entirely different story. The Batarian brothers that had created it had decided to put it at the very end of a labyrinth of disused tunnels, walkways, even large conveyor belts that had stopped working decades prior. In other words, if you did not know where it was, you couldn't get there.
Shepard had been approached by one of the owners on the very first night she had been back on Omega after the mission on Feros. Plagued by nightmares, she had gone out to try and find some sort of relief and had ended up pummelling a small time criminal to death in an alley in the slums. A stupid Vorcha that was trying to mug her, obviously not knowing who she was. But Krothan Sharne did indeed know who he was looking at and, acute businessman that he was, he had approached her right away with a proposition to up her ante and fight in The Pit. Both him and his brother had been very pleasantly surprised when she had actually shown up the following night. This had been a week ago, and Shepard hadn't missed a night since.
As she was standing just outside the entrance to the small arena, wrapping some cloth around her knuckles, her torso naked except for her bra, she was wondering how come Aria hadn't asked her about the dark bruises on her body yet. She had a suspicion that the Queen of Omega, as usual, was perfectly aware of her whereabouts and activities anyway.
The previous fight was now over, a Turian and a Vorcha were dragging out the unconscious body of the loser, a streak of blood in his wake, that was being absorbed effortlessly by the sand. Her mind was a storm of anger as she approached the theatre of her next battle. As she stepped into the harsh lights, the crowd went wild with whistles, yells, some were even chanting her name. She had to admit to herself that it was quite intoxicating. She stood right in the middle, waiting for her opponent to walk out from the other side.
A large Krogan appeared, deep scars running along the side of his face, an attitude as big as a cruiser in his red, piercing eyes. For a moment, looking at him, Shepard thought that they looked quite funny out of their armours, with that huge lump protruding from their shoulders, like a hunchback from a freak show, ever so slightly swaying with his heavy steps. He stared her down, snarling like a beast. Then his booming voice spoke, and it was easy to hear him above the noise of the crowd.
"This is my match? A scrawny human. And a female at that!" He spat in front of his feet in a gesture of disgust. "This is an insult."
The Commander didn't dignify him with a reply, flashing him with a grin instead. She moved her head from side to side, her neck cracking pleasantly, and she waited for the signal to start the fight.
It felt like they had been fighting forever, when instead it had been just a few minutes. The Krogan was surprisingly quick and light on his feet, quite a talent given his sheer size and weight, and Shepard was having a great time. She hated it when it was all over in just a handful of seconds, she was in dire need of an outlet and this guy was proving to be perfect. She wasn't even feeling his punches by now, she was so desensitized by the insane adrenaline rush. His fist connected with her ribcage and she thanked the Alliance's gene therapy policy. As a result of it her body was faster, stronger, and it could take and deal more damage than an ordinary human body would.
As the fight was progressing, the initial confidence of the huge alien was dwindling. He couldn't understand how this little thing of flesh and bones could withstand so much and still be on her feet and fighting back. He was slowly but surely getting tired. And the crowd was taking notice. Yelling at the top of their lungs, their omnitools flashing in the dark room surrounding the arena, they were placing bets like there was no tomorrow.
The Commander liked to swiftly look at them every now and again, they all seemed so invested in the fight, as if it were a matter of their own life and death. As her eyes rose to watch the spectators, she was met with a sight she did not expect.
Aria.
The Queen was making her way through the large number of patrons. She was musing to herself that this place was a pure goldmine and she made a mental note to have a private talk with the Sharne brothers. Since this seemed to be so lucrative, she figured they wouldn't mind sharing some of the revenue with the one who basically owned all of Omega, including the little spot they had chosen for their business enterprise.
As she walked in sure steps towards the edge of the arena, as soon as they recognised her people of all kinds moved to the side to let her pass. She was cutting through the crowd like a hot knife through butter, Anto and Garrus right behind her, making sure that no one would take advantage of the chaos to try something stupid against the Queen.
She reached the best viewing point possible and her hand came up to rest on the parapet overlooking the pit. A deep wrinkle formed immediately between her eyes as she saw who Shepard was fighting. Talk about a proper blast from the past. She muttered under her breath. "Damn it. Wrex."
Disregarding the possibility of an awkward reunion, caring more about the safety of her bondmate, she decided to stay and observe, with the intention of interfering in the fight only if the Commander's life were to be in jeopardy. She was aware that, as a general rule, these were all fights to the death. She also had a perfect knowledge of just how lethal of a fighter Shepard actually was.
That's when she saw her lover looking up and staring right at her.
Regardless of the situation and her surroundings, she couldn't help thinking that there was something so primitive, so raw, so exquisitely carnal about watching the soldier fight. She felt a sharp twinge of desire stirring deep inside and realized she had been holding her breath.
Shepard gave her a grin and a wink before concentrating on her dangerous opponent again.
There was a slow but constant flow of blood from her eyebrow that was making it hard to see from her left eye. The Commander calculated right away that the Krogan would try to take advantage of it. And sure enough, he did.
She was half expecting the slow, powerful swing the Krogan was trying to place on her from her blind side. She swiftly dodged it, squatting with an almost feline flexibility, pivoting around the alien's legs, hitting him behind the knee with a round low kick and sliding to the other side before he could even crash to the floor, a small cloud of fine sand rising up all around him. With a powerful jump she landed on his chest with both boots, knocking the air out of him and aiming her fist for a final strike just below his chin, on the softest part of his throat. Shepard saw something spark deep within his eyes and it gave her pause. He was not the average pit fighter they had been throwing at her since the first night. There was something more to this one. Something she felt was important, somehow. And that was enough for her.
Never known to be one who fought or lived by the rules, her hand stopped less than an inch before delivering the expected, potentially lethal blow. A smug grin slowly spread on her androgynous features. A warm feeling of satisfaction rising up inside of her.
"What are you waiting for?" The Krogan's booming voice taunted her. He'd never give up, never surrender, never admit defeat even in the face of Death itself. That was something the Commander could respect, and she did.
Shepard jumped down from his chest and offered him her hand. "I have a feeling you will be more useful to me alive. My name is Shepard, and I'd be honoured to have you fight at my side, instead of against me."
The alien seemed thoroughly confused for a few seconds, then his brain put one and one together and he realised what was being offered to him. He admired the strength, the resilience and the charisma that exuded from the human and he made up his mind right then and there.
He grabbed her hand and rose back to his feet, his eyes never leaving the soldier's. "I am Urdnot Wrex. I don't know what you're fighting for, or against, but I like your style. I accept."
Ignoring the loud, booing sounds of the crowd that felt denied of their much anticipated bloodbath, they walked back into the very frugal locker rooms.
Having witnessed the end of the fight, Aria started making her way down to the locker rooms herself. A rude voice sprang behind her as she was passing by. "I wouldn't mind a piece of -that- ass. What d'you say baby? I can make you happy!"
She turned her head and focused on the face of a Turian. She thought briefly that he must be awfully new on Omega. Her hand glowed menacingly in electric blue swirls and all that was left of him were blood splatters on the clothes of those around him. Without missing a beat, amidst the "Oooh!"s and "Aaah!"s of shocked spectators, she continued on her way.
Garrus entered the changing room and saw the big Krogan sitting on a bench, busy donning his armour, while a still half naked Shepard was washing off some blood from her brow with a wet cloth. As soon as the Commander saw him, a smile spread on her face. "Vakarian! I hadn't pictured you for the pit fighting fan. What brings you here?"
"Oh, I'm not interested in the least, I can assure you. I'm on the job. The Queen is here to see you."
"Mh. Thought so. I saw her in the crowd. I should have known you wouldn't be far behind. Say: on a scale of one to ten, how pissed off is she?"
The Turian looked uncomfortable for just a second. "She just turned a guy inside out because of a rude comment."
"I see. An eleven, then." Shepard sighed and threw the cloth carelessly on the floor. She looked at Wrex. "Do you mind giving us some privacy?"
The Battlemaster was checking his shotgun as he replied. "I don't know what your relationship is with this Queen, but you can always try some poetry. It works wonders with our females."
The soldier nodded her approval. "Thanks for the advice."
Garrus quickly escorted the Krogan out from a secondary exit.
"I know you are in need of stress relief, but I can assure you there are other ways. I have kept my mouth shut about this for too long for my taste. Look at you. How many injuries have you suffered in just a few nights?"
Aria was fuming. Shepard had a small smirk on her face. "Aw. You care. That is positively nice of you."
The shadow that passed on the Asari's blue eyes was nothing short of terrifying. "Careful, Commander."
The human slowly took the few steps that separated them and stood proudly in front of her. "I can't always be."
Aria's sensitive nostrils were hit by the smell of her sweat and her blood. And there was something else. Shepard was definitely, unmistakeably aroused. The Queen's hand grabbed her neck and her fingers buried themselves in her short hair. Unable to stop herself from reciprocating that hunger, she dragged her face to within an inch of her own, their eyes locked onto each other. "You can be too arrogant for your own good."
The Commander replied in one low, raspy breath. "And you love me that way."
Without waiting for a retort, Shepard's teeth were on Aria's neck, biting her hard enough to take her to that heady line between pleasure and pain.
The Asari moaned deep in her throat, her voice still angry. "Fuck. Yes, I do."
Still high on the excitement of the fight, adrenaline pumping in her blood and in her ears, Shepard pushed the Queen and slammed her back against the lockers, a metallic, crashing sound echoing in the room, her entire body weight pinning the Asari there. She put her palms on her hips and forcefully turned her around, her hands moving quickly, one to cup her breast, one to grasp her between her legs, demandingly, eliciting a gasp of pleasure from Aria's blue lips. The human could feel how hot and wet her lover's sex was even through her clothes, and it made her head spin with desire.
But the Queen had other plans. Her whole body started swirling with wisps of blue light, she channelled her biotics and pushed Shepard back a few inches. She turned around and grabbed the Commander in a swift wrangling move, making her lose her balance, lifting her body and throwing it flat on the bench behind her in a loud thud. With the grace and prowess of a big cat Aria was immediately straddling her, holding her down. The Queen was swayed by the fire she could see in the human's eyes and she felt her inner muscles clenching eagerly in a blind lust.
Shepard's upper body sprung up, her hands tore the Asari's top open easily, to reveal her perfect, full breasts. She enveloped her with her arms and her lips latched onto a dark purple nipple, sucking it, nibbling it, biting it until it was a ball of pure pleasure. They were breathing hard now, both consumed by a deep hunger for each other that never seemed to be sated.
Aria's hands were in the human's hair, she pulled her head back in one raw movement and her mouth started ravishing her in a voracious kiss, separating only to draw quick, laboured breaths and exhale low sighs. The Asari's hips were grinding hard on the Commander's groin, their excitement building up fast.
Shepard let a hand trail down between them, quickly sliding into Aria's tight pants, grateful for the give of the elastic fabric. Her fingers followed the moisture to its source and she pushed inside her lover, both grunting in unison at the sudden and welcome invasion.
As the human was pleasing her so completely, fucking her so vigorously, the Queen's eyes turned into wells of pure black and she was in Shepard's mind. Like twisters of heat they breathlessly met, they crushed, they grappled, they became one in a drunken, ecstatic symbiosis. It was so inebriating, it was overwhelming. They fed off each other's craving, pushing each other to the edge, hovering on it for an infinite instant. Their orgasm rocked them to the core, a raptured cry erupting from Shepard's lips, over and over again as she let her passion out, her forehead on the Asari's chest, her hot breath almost scorching on her blue skin. Aria's biotics exploded in a wave that smashed and destroyed whatever spartan furniture was in the room, her head tilted back in a silent scream, her hands clutching the Commander's naked back, her white nails penetrating her flesh, leaving deep scratches that slowly oozed red blood along her pale skin.
Finally, utterly spent, they remained perfectly still, clinging to each other, Aria's head now resting on Shepard's shoulder. As she let the meld fade, she murmured in her ear in a sensual, hypnotic voice. "This, dear Commander, is why I let you get away with your insolence."
The human's hand slowly slipped out of her lover and out of her pants, she wrapped the Asari in a close embrace, her arms tightening around her and enfolding Aria in love and warmth, mirrored by the Queen's arms around her shoulders. Shepard's reply was little more than a low, heartfelt whisper. "I love you too."
Aria slowly caressed her bondmate's hair, they raised their faces at the same time, to stare at each other in an intense, lingering gaze. Then the Asari's voice came out with a note of tenderness that was so rare, it made the human's soul shiver. "Let me take you home."
Just outside the locker room, Wrex and Garrus were exchanging war stories and battle tales, getting along like they were old squad mates, naturally. At the sudden, loud, crashing sounds and screams and groans coming from inside, the Krogan stopped talking for a few seconds, his eyes looking at the Turian in a curious stare. "What the fuck is going on in there? It doesn't sound good. Aren't you supposed to be like a bodyguard or something? Shouldn't you go check?"
Garrus let out a short snort of amusement. "Nah. They can get a bit... carried away, at times. You know, when they have an... intimate moment?"
As realization dawned on the Battlemaster he let out a booming, knowing laugh. "Ah, yes. The good ol' pounding like pyjacks. I should have known."
Still unaware of anything about the Queen of Omega but her name, Wrex pondered that he should ask Shepard to introduce him to her one of these days.