Omega Chronicles -33- A Good Plan
The large, luscious apartment was showered by the lights of the big city outside. Whereas Illium never slept, its inhabitants did need rest from time to time, even those willing to embrace a hectic life in the cold, pitiless arms of corporate business.
Matriarch Saneera was more than happy to shed her long dress and kick her shoes off in an uncaring way. She did enjoy walking barefoot on the cold floor, and the light breeze circulating in the room, by means of the artificial ambient settings, was a welcome feeling on her skin. She walked to the kitchen and chose a bottle from the generously supplied drinks cabinet, grateful that her day was finally over and she had some relaxing times ahead of her. Her private transport was ready to fly her off the planet the following day, but she was looking forward to some much needed personal time.
She went to sit on the ample sofa in front of the windows, just observing lazily the life going by outside. Countless flying cars, cabs, service transports were constantly buzzing by, like busy insects. She mused about the ultimate futility of it all just for a few moments, sipping her cool drink. She had reached an age when she had the luxury to see the stark truth of it all, and appreciate it, but still, the habits of a lifetime were not an easy mask to shed, so she usually just immersed herself in her work and her personal goals. Which were less than philosophical. It was all about the money, and the unending power that came with it. It had always been about the money. Now, at a resounding 1137 years of age, was too late to change her attitude, or her routines.
When nothing was left in her glass but the slowly melting ice cubes, she made her way up the large stairs, to her bedroom. She had always hated doors, so she had chosen this apartment for the times she was visiting Illium because it was basically an open space.
When she reached the top of the stairs she took a look at her huge bed, her eyes only showing a hint of surprise upon seeing an Asari, naked as the day she was born, laying on it comfortably, in a somewhat sensual pose. She smiled. "Oh, good. The Agency never fails to remember how I like to be welcomed home. I suppose you will be my... company, for the night." Her voice was elegantly high pitched, and just a tad raspy. Rather pleasant all in all.
The Maiden reciprocated the smile and limited herself to patting the bed sheets next to her.
The Matriarch didn't need more of an invitation. She climbed on the bed with the consummated moves of a predator. Her voice dropped an octave. "I hope you were given precise instructions. Your predecessors certainly never disappointed me."
The young Asari reached for a bottle of perfumed oil that was on the nightstand next to her, a beautiful smile never leaving her face. Matriarch Saneera happily lay down her weary body, anticipating the sensuous massage. She sighed audibly as she put her head on her forearms. "I see you're wearing a bracelet. I do hope it won't scratch me. I would advise to take it off."
The Maiden whispered her reply sweetly. "I will be -very- careful."
Saneera grinned. She liked the girl already. She was happy to feel the warm oil on her back, being spread by soft hands, and she relaxed to the touch in the blink of an eye. She couldn't care less for small talk, and always made sure that the escorts that were sent to her were perfectly aware that even trying to chit chat would result in their immediate dismissal, and pay loss.
It felt good, it felt like this young one really knew what she was doing, her palms and nimble fingers were easily undoing the little knots of stress and tiredness that had accompanied her the whole day, and frankly she was already foretasting the sexual encounter that was to follow. She barely noticed a quick, zipping noise coming from behind her neck.
Liara T'Soni, information broker extraordinaire, was about to add the title of priced assassin to her résumé. She grabbed the end of a thin titanium cord out from her bracelet and zipped it open. In the fraction of a second she placed it around the throat of the Matriarch, pinning her down with her body weight well placed on her lower back. She crossed it and started pulling with all her might. She expected the old Asari to try and use her biotics to set herself free, so she swiftly deployed her own stasis field around her, to counter any possible moves.
As she was skilfully and quickly strangling her, she lowered her lovely face and placed her mouth close to Saneera's ear, to let her know, in a dead serious tone. "Aria T'Loak sends her regards."
A look of pure hatred burst on the face of Saneera as she felt her life slipping away.
As soon as the gurgling noises died down, and she was sure the Matriarch was in the arms of the Goddess for good, Liara got up from the bed and started getting dressed. She didn't bother wiping any potential fingerprints she might have left around the apartment. Any and all data regarding her official existence had been already erased years prior, and she had made sure that no one would ever come in possession of them again. The things she had learned from her days working for the Shadowbroker had been incredibly useful, after all.
She left the building, carefully avoiding the curious eyes of the security cameras, the placement of which she had studied carefully before setting her murderous plan in motion.
Once outside, she disappeared in the Illium night like a cloud of smoke.
Talis Fia was a planet only fit for the Volus. Matriarch Lyria was already annoyed beyond belief at having to wear a breathing mask and a sort of environmental suit every time she needed to use a transport from one place to the other. But the Volus always made for exceptional business partners, and she was willing to withstand the discomfort for a short period of time on the rare occasions she needed to visit this Goddess-forsaken, mold infested rock.
She was extremely thankful to be able to ditch the entire overalls once she found herself inside one of the many warehouses owned by her company. At least here the atmosphere was controlled and the settings made it possible to breathe normally. Which meant that the Volus, instead, had to be the ones wearing appropriate suits. 'No matter', she thought to herself with a quick shrug of her shoulders, 'we all have to pay a price in order to achieve a measure of success.'
She walked to a spacious metal table at the end of the huge room, which was half filled with shipping crates of different sizes, piled up according to their destination. She picked up a pad, containing all the data regarding the latest shipments, arrivals, departures, making sure that all was in good order and that the well oiled mechanisms of trade and commerce were spinning flawlessly. She was satisfied with what she was reading. Granted, business had been a bit slower in recent years, and she knew they would have to soon move on to another planet in their race for exploitation, but there was still an honest amount that they could milk out of this one, for the time being.
Lyria reached for a cup of steaming coffee that had been placed on the table for her. Whether she liked it or not, she had developed a small addiction to the substance. Humans had introduced it to the Galaxy at large and after an initial period of suspicion, there had been a sudden approval rate shooting through the roof, coming from all races that had open trades with the newcomers. All except for the Vorcha. The wretched things, on top of all their issues, found out the hard way that their bodies were severely allergic to the divine beverage. Poor bastards. And the Hanar. The Hanar had refused to partake in this newfound jewel, on a religious basis, of course.
Her musings were cut short by a series of noises coming from the entrance to the warehouse. She turned around and focused on the big metal door, which was sliding open.
Caught in a sphere of blue swirls, one of the guards was thrown in without much ceremony. His body smashed against a bulkhead and slid down in a graceless pose. A figure entered, in sure steps. She took off the mask from her face and tore open the envirosuit she was wearing by means of a biotic wave that literally dissipated the entire fabric in seconds. Her body was enveloped in red leather, her brow adorned by a golden circlet that accentuated the beauty of her chiselled features. Her big blue eyes were fixed on the Matriarch, who immediately understood the danger she was in. She stood proudly by the table and let her voice ring with a faint echo in the wide space surrounding them. "A Justicar. Haven't seen one of you in ages. I hope you're not here for me." The smile on her face betrayed the mounting fear in her mind.
Samara didn't leave her waiting for a reply. "I am."
That's when the Matriarch began to run.
Lyria was thankful for all the times she had spent in this stupid place. She scuttled through a narrow door and into a corridor, at the end of it she found the red metal ladder she remembered and started climbing it as fast as she could.
The Justicar never expected the criminals she was hunting to just stand still and welcome their death, naturally, so she was always ready to run after them, parkouring her way through any number of environments. Centuries of experience had given her an advantage in this fine art, even when she was not familiar with her surroundings. Her powers of observation made it very easy for her to chase after escaping preys anywhere. She was right behind the Matriarch.
A dim series of stairways and platforms snaked its way on the upper level of the warehouse, but Lyria was making enough noise to give Samara an effortless path to follow. She caught up with her victim in just minutes, cornering her at the end of a long metal walkway, directly above the room where they first laid eyes on each other. She slowed down to a walk as she was approaching her. She knew the Matriarch would not go down without a fight, and readied herself, her forearms enveloped by her biotics, uncharacteristically enjoying the shortness of breath of her target.
Lyria's voice was almost trembling. She knew full well that the combat abilities of a Justicar were beyond anything she could throw at her. "Wait. I know that my... affairs through the years haven't been the most honest, but I am far from being someone a Justicar should set her sights upon. It is just business in the end, and mostly legal." She was walking backwards in half stumbled steps, but she was aware that she had nowhere else to go at this point. "I don't understand. I don't deserve the punishment you seek to serve me with!"
Samara's voice, on the other hand, was as clear and as unfaltering as always. "You do."
"No! I demand to know! Who sent you?" Her back hit the wall behind her and she felt thoroughly trapped. She tried putting up a defensive shield and brought out a gun, pointing it with shaky hands at the figure that seemed unstoppable.
The Justicar waved a hand and the gun flew off, falling on top of some crates that were stacked below them with a few short metallic clanks.
The last words Matriarch Lyria heard in her long life were the most daunting that had ever hit her ears.
"Aria T'Loak."
A blue cocoon enveloped her, her body was raised in the air, and then smashed mercilessly on the floor, several meters below. Her eyes were wide open and fixed on nothing as Samara used her biotics to gracefully land beside her. She leaned down and closed them with her agile fingers. "Find peace in the embrace of the Goddess."
Shepard was standing in the middle of her cabin on the Inanna, as the ship was flying them to the Faia System. Her odd coloured eyes were fixed on the beauty that was the new armour Aria had... procured for her. She was reasonably excited to try it in battle, even though in the back of her mind she wasn't so sure she wanted to replace her old N7 armour, which had served her well for a long time. But damn, this piece was sweet. She put away the last of her concerns and started donning her gift.
The Queen walked out of the ensuit of the small cabin just as the human was locking in the last bit of it, a glove that felt so light and flexible it was almost as if her hands were naked.
"It looks good on you, Commander." The grin of appreciation on the Asari's face was the last confirmation Shepard needed to feel better about abandoning her old means of protection.
She followed Aria as she opened a metal box and brought out its contents. It was a pristine Asari Commando uniform, black as the depths of a moonless night, a small Omega symbol on its rigid, short neck. Shepard had never seen it before. "And where have you been hiding -that- little masterpiece?"
A small, almost nostalgic smile curled the Queen's perfect blue lips. "We are old acquaintances. I haven't had reason to wear it in a rather long time, come to think of it. I had a few modifications applied to it through the centuries, to keep it... up to date, shall we say."
Shepard frowned visibly as she was checking her Carnifex before putting it at her side. "You did not use it in any of the more or less messy battles we have faced together thus far. I must assume you expect this one to be a particularly nasty one."
Aria raised her eyes to give her a meaningful look. "And I assume you have never fought an angry, self-entitled Matriarch before. They tend to be dastardly snakes. No amount of preparation ever goes to waste, I can assure you."
She placed her trusted shotgun behind her back, while the human was putting on a technical visor.
The Commander stopped what she was doing, abruptly. She tore the visor off her face and threw it on the bed next to her. Her voice had a definite bitterness about it. "I forgot." She shook her head, cursing herself, staring at the floor in a quiet rage. "I still forget."
The Asari knew what she was referring to. It was always a source of acerbity to see Shepard struggle in fully coming to terms with the presence of her bionic eye, even after so long. It had been an unwelcome gift from the Battle of the Citadel. It seemed to have happened long ago, when in truth, to the Commander, it felt like yesterday. She stepped close to the soldier, a blue hand coming up to cup her cheek with a touch of sweetness that was so rare, it was still unexpected, and all the more cherished for it.
The human allowed her lover's touch to shift her face so that their eyes met. Aria moved her fingertips ever so lightly along the thin, deep, vertical scar across Shepard's ice-blue, artificial eye. She leaned in closer and kissed it gently. Her voice was velvet. "Don't treat it as something alien from you. Use it, embrace it, it is yours now, it is part of you." Her arms circled the Commander's waist and drew her even closer, their cheeks brushed together softly. She whispered in the human's ear. "Besides. I happen to find your scar very appealing." Her teeth tugged not too gently at Shepard's lobe, then her purple tongue darted out to soothe it in a warm, purposeful lick. She heard the sudden intake of air in the throat of her bondmate and was quick to retreat from the embrace in a bewitching motion, slightly pushing against the Commander's chest. The look her electric eyes gave her was blatantly inviting. "Later."
"As you wish, my Queen." Shepard's voice was low and full of hunger.
She kept her desire in check, sat down on a chair and decided to enjoy the show of her lover smoothly sliding into a uniform that left nothing to the imagination. She chuckled lightly and allowed a thought to escape her mind and materialise audibly. "No wonder the Asari Commandos win all the battles. Your enemies must stop dead in their tracks, mesmerised by your... generous appearance."
Aria replied without so much as blinking, a regal dose of irony in her tone. "Isn't it you humans who coined the phrase 'All is fair in love and war'?" She regaled her lover with a grin that made her heart skip a beat, as always.
Before exiting the cabin, she picked up the Commander's discarded visor. "I will take advantage of this, since you don't need it."
"Be my guest." Shepard was already at the door, motioning with her hand for Aria to exit first, in a gentlemanly gesture that the Asari never failed to secretly appreciate.
Relan, their Lysteni pilot, welcomed them with good news as soon as they reached the bridge. "You will be happy to learn that the first two targets are down. We received confirmation from both Liara T'Soni and Samara. And the news of Matriarch Saneera's death have already hit the media like a small storm. We have very little time to act, I believe."
Shepard keyed in a few commands on the console next to her. "It looks like we're almost there. ETA 15 minutes. I hope they haven't had the time to put up too much of a defence in the meantime." She opened a comm to Jack, who was eating in the canteen of the ship. "Jack. Time to get ready."
Before the biotic could reply, a tiny cry came through the channel. Unmistakable. The Commander's eyes fixed on Aria's, fast as lightning, her voice was serious and urgent. "What is our daughter doing on the ship." It was barely a question.
Aria stared back and coolly offered the most logical answer. "Did you expect me to leave her on Omega? With whom, exactly? All of the people you trust are here. Garrus, Liselle, Jack, Tali. It is not a very long list, you might agree, and I am -not- going to employ a stranger to watch over Metis. You would be surprised at the amount of enemies that are out to get me, any which way they can."
"I doubt it." Shepard's comment was tinged with sarcasm. She sighed a short sigh and conceded. "But you have a point."
Liselle interjected, in her usual carefree attitude. "That's ok guys, I will stay on board and take care of the munchkin. And I won't get in Tali's or Relan's way, I promise."
The Queen made herself heard, and there was no room for debate in her tone. "Fine. But. Never call her munchkin again. I detest it."
"All right, enough with the pleasantries. I want everyone in the cargo bay in five." The Commander easily took over. It came naturally to her. They were now in -her- territory after all.