Dvorak and Kajira strolled over Deck Two, killing time before the lift-off. They found their way into the lounge that was located behind the elevator.
As they entered, Dvorak spotted a pool table that was stashed in the corner. A homey couch and Chairs provided a much needed relief for the fighting troops after a mission. Even a small minibar was located near the exit. But the main attraction of the room was, without a doubt, the great window that allowed the passengers to watch the stars as they drifted by.
Right now, it was closed shut and the only thing visible was the protective shell that ensured the structural integrity of the ship during maneuvers and combat. Although comfort was appreciated, it should not be at the expense of safety.
Nevertheless the odd pair settled down on a sofa as Kajira began to speak: "And this is about it. I think now you've seen pretty much everything of the 'geist. We're scheduled to pick up some more operatives before we make the jump, so we better enjoy the quite before it gets too crowded in here!" She smirked.
Just as Dvorak wanted to reply, the door opened again, and two figures stepped inside the lobby. One had the unmistakable head fringes of an asari, while the other one was an angry looking human male with short, brown hairs. Dvorak hadn't seen either one on his little tour.
Without introducing themselves, the human stepped forward and barked: "Kaj, step away from him!"
Confusion ensued. "What? Why? What's wrong?" Kajira asked, obviously confused. The human and the asari made their way to the couch, and the human barked again: "I'm not going to say it again, Kaj, step away from him!"
Both Dvorak and Kajira leapt to their feet, more reacting to a threat than obeying. She asked again: "Paul, what's going on?"
'Paul' answered by pushing Dvorak against the glass and holding him in a choke-hold with his right elbow. Before Kaj could react to rush to his help, the asari grabbed her arms and firmly held her in place.
Dvorak struggled to free himself, but it was a futile attempt: The other man was many times stronger than him and seemed to hold him in place with one arm as any other man might hold a piece of paper, his unblinking, angry eyes fixated on him. The more he fought the choke-hold, the more the other man pushed, and soon the edges of Dvorak's sight began to darken as the other man kept on pressing.
"Why don't you introduce yourself to us, Mr. Helfer? I'm sure you haven't told Kaj your whole story, did you?" Paul growled, not trying in the least to contain the anger in his voice.
"What the fuck are you talking about, Paul? He's just a marine, what else is there to it?!" Kajira replied for him, her own anger rising.
His little story he'd lain out for himself didn't seem so smart now. He'd always known that the dark stain in his past would come to light sooner or later, but he had hoped later than sooner. And Kaj had been nice to him the whole time they'd known each other. She deserved the truth. Judging Paul, everybody on the ship would know before they left Port, anyway. He turned to Kaj, twisting his throat a little bit to allow himself to speak:
"I left something out of my story, Kaj." He began." I didn't stay with the Alliance after I completed my Basic and Biotic Training."
Her eyed widened behind her face plate, her mandibles twitching in surprise. She stopped struggling against the asari, and instead listened closely to what he said next.
"I got fed up with doing nothing and patrolling empty space while our colonies were being abducted. The Alliance wasn't doing anything about It." he continued, as Paul pressed harder again when he heard Dvorak's stance on the Alliance, but still allowing him to speak on. "So I joined up with a group that, I thought, would protect our people, not pit them against everyone else!"
A realization settled in Kajira's face, the expression of surprise being replaced by a look of betrayal, and then anger.
"When they started attacking other species, I got the hell out of there! I joined to stop the Collectors, not bully our way into more power! She was with them at the time, too, so I thought I could do some good!"
'She' referred to a certain lieutenant commander of the Alliance who was killed a few years prior and miraculously brought back to life by Cerberus.
"Like hell you did!" Paul declared. "Say the name!" he insisted, pushing harder again. Dvorak nearly choked, but he managed to croak out a single word.
"Cerberus"
The asari released Kaj, as did Paul Dvorak. She stepped forward as he lay on the ground, gasping for air. When he looked up, she towered over him, her face a mask of anger and betrayal. The asari and Paul vanished through the door. Kaj opened her mouth, but quickly closed it again, not finding anything to say to the man coughing and struggling to his feet.
When he had regained his feet and was able to look her in the eye, she simply turned around and left the room without a word.
When she was gone, Dvorak stood, alone in the lounge, for a while. A resounding "Fuck!" sounded through the small room, an angry scream that changed into a tortured groan.
What was he supposed to do now? He could live with Paul hating him, but the rest of the crew? But Kaj?
He returned to his Quarters. Peter and Gash still were there, and the Krogan seemed to have sobered up. When Dvorak stepped through the door, they both turned toward him.
"I guess Paul told you guys, too?"
"That you were with Cerberus? Yeah, he kind of told the whole ship." Paul replied. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Because I feared something along these lines might happen."
The Krogan and the red-haired man shared a look. Then, Peter began to speak while rubbing his neck: "You know Gash and me don't care that you were with them. Who cares what you did! The important part is that you're here with us now and help fight the greater, galaxy-endangering threat! After we've beaten the Reapers, there's still time to decide what to make of each other's doubtful decisions!"
Both men shared a grin, and even Gash let out a rasping chuckle.
"As long as you fight beside me, I won't question your past!" Gash announced.
"As will I!" Peter chimed in. "Now, enough with the touchy-feely stuff…"
As if to confirm Peter's intentions, Commander du Pont's voice crackled through the intercom of the ship: "All hands, this is Commander du Pont. Repairs are finished and we're lifting off as soon as the mechanics have cleared the ship. All Operatives, report to your quarters. Du Pont out."
The engines of the Poltergeist sprung to life, filling everything with a soft hum. Dock workers could be seen through the window, hastily retreating from the ship.
"Could my timing be more perfect?" Peter asked, congratulating himself.
"Shut up and sit down." Gash declared while doing so himself. "You too, rookie."
After they did as they were told, Gash produced a deck of cards and a bottle of pale, green liquid in it. "Skyllian-Five! Looser drinks three sips, winner one and the third drinks two sips."
"A drinking game has no point if everyone has to drink!" Peter complained.
"That attitude is probably why you lose so much!" Gash replied, while shuffling the cards.