"Omega Station." Miranda spoke up as they stepped out of the docks, "What a shit-hole, I always feel like I need a proper decontamination cycle after coming here, in addition to several showers."
"Oh? You really hate it that much?" Shepard teased her, "Suddenly this place isn't so bad anymore."
"This coming from the woman who was poisoned the first time she set foot here." Miranda shot back without missing a beat. "Just weeks after I painstakingly resurrected you I might add."
"Ah yes, we wouldn't want all your hard work to go to waste, would we?" Shepard replied. "Just imagine what the Illusive Man would say? Tsk Tsk!"
"If you don't mind Commander," Samara interrupted their banter, "I would prefer we focus on capturing this fugitive before she escapes once again."
"Relax Samara, what do you think we're doing here in the first place?" Shepard told her, "We're going to see what Aira knows about her right now."
"Aria? The Asari pirate that runs this station?" Samara asked in a clearly disapproving tone.
"Yes, that's the one." Shepard sighed, "She knows everything that's going on in this station. And she's an Asari, so I'm sure she has some idea of what to look for in this case."
"Unfortunate that we must deal with such criminals." Samara said, clearly disapproving.
"Aria's been pretty helpful so far." Shepard reminded her.
"I won't deny that." Samara continued, "Often I have been forced to deal with similar criminals in order to obtain information in pursuit of this fugitive. Though rarely do they survive the encounter. I would simply prefer a more respectable solution."
"This is Omega," Miranda mentioned, "There's no such thing as respectable here."
"The cheerleader has a point." Shepard said, intentionally borrowing Jack's nickname just to annoy the Cerberus Agent. "If Morinth was the respectable type she probably wouldn't have come here in the first place."
"I understand." Samara insisted, "But that doesn't make the situation any less intolerable. However. So long as my duty is fulfilled, that is all that matters."
"Well then," Shepard called out, "Let's get this over with."
"Ah Shepard, things always get more interesting whenever you appear." Aria said, the Pirate Queen of Omega smiled as she carefully watched the Spectre and her companions approach the couch she sat on. Her eyes settled on Samara before she added, "And here you are in the company of a Justicar. Did the Matriarchs finally decide I wasn't worth the embarrassment? Really, Shepard, I'm hurt."
"Relax Aria, she's not here for you." Shepard assured her.
"Is that right?" Aria was intrigued, "I'm surprised she hasn't tried to kill you and half your crew yet. As I recall you weren't exactly the 'by the code' type."
"I have sworn an Oath to the Commander." Samara told her, "By the Code I will serve her until our task is done."
"How amusing." Aria smiled, "Tell me Shepard, how'd you manage to put a leash around your very own Justicar?"
"I made a promise of my own." Shepard offered, "I'm helping Samara in exchange for her service. Part of the reason we came to you in fact."
Aria considered those words for a brief moment then nodded her head to the empty space on the couch besides her. Shepard quickly obliged, taking the seat offered.
"What do you need?" Aria asked her directly.
"We're after an Asari fugitive. She's an Ardat-Yakshi." Shepard watched Aria carefully as she spoke, it was clear the instant she said the name that Aira knew something. "We need to find her."
"I knew it." Aria confirmed Shepard's suspicions, "Nothing leaves a body quite so ... emtpy ... as an Ardat-Yakshi does."
"Just the one body?" Shepard asked her.
"Several actually." Aria said cooly, "But not enough to worry about. This is Omega, and you little demon's 'dalliances' would barely register on the radar. It was simply the nature of their deaths that made it worth my while to keep an eye on her victims, just in case she go out of hand."
"You haven't taken steps to kill her?" Samara demanded.
"Why would I?" Aria shot back smoothly, "She hasn't tried to seduce me."
"Anything you can tell us would be helpful." Shepard interjected before there was any chance of the two Asari getting into an argument.
"Her latest victim was a young girl." Aria informed Shepard, "Pretty thing. Lived in the tenements near here. That's where I'd start looking." She nodded to one of her nearby guards who quickly tapped a couple of keys on his omni-tool. Seconds later Shepard's own omni-tool chirpped, quickly she checked it and found she had received a new nav point that would lead her into some nearby apartments.
"Thanks for the help." Shepard stood up, giving a quick nod of appreciation to Aria.
"Good luck finding her," Aria told her as she watched her leave, "Better luck catching her"
Shepard quickly made her way out of the club intent on visiting the victim's apartment as soon as possible. To her surprise Samara stopped them almost as soon as they left the club.
"Shepard, if you don't mind, I have a request." Samara insisted.
"A request?" Miranda looked at her with a questioning glance. "I would have thought you would be eager to finish the job as quickly as possible."
"That I am," Samara replied. "But certain matters must be addressed beforehand."
"What is it?" Shepard asked her.
"I would prefer if we handled this with just the two of us." Samara explained, "No offense meant towards Ms. Lawson, but this is a deeply personal and important task. It is an obligation I want to burden as few people as possible with."
"If this fugitive is as dangerous as you say, we probably should bring backup." Shepard suggested.
"I am confident I am at the very least an even match with her." Samara insisted, "With you there, Shepard, I am certain we would have no problem subduing this criminal. Also I would have you there to fulfill your promise to me. Beyond that no one else should be needed. The choice is yours, I understand, but I would appreciate your concession on this matter."
Shepard resisted the urge to yell at the Justicar and explain, rather loudly, how and why she was being completely mistaken about the whole thing. But in the end this was Samara's personal mission. As much as Shepard didn't like it, she had to respect that.
"Fine, hope you don't mind, Miranda." Shepard said.
"Not at all." Miranda said, "I've already expressed my feelings on being here. I'm more worried about you. I can guarantee you'll manage to get yourself nearly killed somehow."
"And yet somehow I'll survive." Shepard joked back, "Worst case you can always have the Illusive man spend another couple billion credits resurrecting me."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that, shall we?" Miranda said as she began walking back to towards the docks.
Shepard and Samara managed to find the apartment they were looking for quickly after that. The lonely mother mourning the loss of her daughter was evidence enough that they had found the right place. Shepard took the time to console the grieving woman, convincing her to tell them what she knew of her daughter's death. It didn't take long to confirm that Morinth had been behind Nef's death. Then soon after her mother broke down in tears.
Instinctually Shepard walked up, placing her arm gently around her.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Nef's mother said as soon as she could regain some composure. She couldn't stop her tears from falling, then she didn't bother trying anymore. "I just miss her so much."
"It's alright. Don't apologize. It's ok to cry." Shepard tried to be as empathic as she could manage. She didn't think she was doing a good job, she was never good at the sensitive stuff. But at least it seemed Nef's mother appreciated her efforts.
"I know what it means to lose a daughter." Samara spoke up. Even now there was no emotion in her voice, "I will avenge her."
The words ignited a rage inside of Shepard. Samara hadn't lost a daughter, she drove her away by threatening to imprison her. And now she was promising to avenge this death by actually killing her own daughter. It truly bothered Shepard to see Samara trying to relate her own struggles to what this woman was going through.
But Shepard fought down her anger. Nef's mother needed to grieve for her loss, and she needed a sympathetic ear. For her sake, Shepard simply let the matter drop.
"Do you mind if we look through Nef's things?" Shepard asked a moment later.
"Please, if it helps you find her killer." Nef's mother replied, "Do what ever you have to do, just find her."
"We will be respectful." Samara assured her. Though Shepard felt her tone left her somewhat unconvincing.
"Thank you." Shepard said simply. Better to focus on the mission and get the whole mess over with quickly.
Nodding weakly, Nef's mother moved over to her daughter's room, unlocking the door for them. She stepped aside, not bothering to open the door herself. Shepard realized she probably didn't feel strong enough yet to face so many memories of her daughter. Instead Shepard took the initiative, walking into the room first.
It was a typical tiny apartment, with just enough room to live in, containing the bare minimum needed to survive. It was clear this girl spent a great deal of time here by the sheer amount of stuff she managed to squeeze into every possible space in the apartment.
Suddenly something caught her eye. It stood out, alone on the desk. It was a sculpture of some kind. It dawned on Shepard that it was made from the same rock as the astroid that Omega station was built on. She couldn't believe that such a beautiful thing could be made from something so plain and ugly. The sculpture's lines were jagged and sharp and yet somehow still flowed smoothly together. The entire effect was - Shepard simply couldn't think of a better word - intense.
"Nef made that." Her mother spoke in a soft voice filled with equal parts pride and pain. Shepard looked back to see her hanging by the doorway, still refusing to go inside. She quickly added, "A man from some gallery offered me four years' salary for it. But I'd never part with it." Only then did Shepard realize she must have been staring at the sculpture intently for a long time.
"It's ... amazing." Truly Shepard was at a loss for words.
"This is typical of Morinth." Samara said, breaking Shepard out of her subtle trance, "She is attracted to artists. Someone with a creative spark. This girl was also somewhat isolated, the perfect target."
'Way to spoil the mood', Shepard found herself thinking. However she forced herself to focus once again on the mission. The more she learned about Morinth the easier it would be to take her down. It was, as Garrus would remind her, part of her Infiltrator sensibilities.
Shepard continues searching for anything useful. She wasn't entirely comfortable going through Nef's private journal, but if it meant catching a killer she wasn't about to let that stop her. Shepard skimmed through most of the entries, she really only listened to 3 of them all the way through, just enough to find what she was looking for.
"Well it sounds like the VIP club at Afterlife is going to be our best bet." Shepard said.
"Indeed, that seems to be her preferred hunting ground." Samara added. She still saw her daughter just as a monster.
Shepard nodded as she looked over Samara's shoulder. Nef's mother had left them, Shepard wasn't surprised she wouldn't want to listen to Nef's video journals. Shepard walked over to the room's door and cycled it close so they wouldn't be overheard.
"Alright, if there's anything else you can tell me about Morinth now would be the time." Shepard told Samara.
The Justicar nodded before she began to lecture about her target, "She impresses with sophistication and sex appeal then she strikes, the hunt interests her as much as the conquest. Morinth speaks to you on many levels. Her body tells yours that she'll bring unimaginable ecstasy. Her scent evokes emotions long hidden. Her eyes promise you things you were always scared to ask another. Her voice whispers to you after she is done speaking."
Shepard stood there, unimpressed, as Samara went through the practiced speech. Perhaps the Justicar was trying to convey just how dangerous Morinth was. Or perhaps Samara was trying to seduce her, Shepard considered briefly. Either way the description just came off as ridiculous as far as Shepard was concerned, and thus failed on both accounts.
"Well if you put it that way," Shepard spoke with dripping sarcasm, "Then I can't WAIT to meet her."
"You joke Shepard," Samara said disapprovingly, at least she was starting to recognize sarcasm. "But for all your bravado you will be in grave danger"
"She kills with sex." Shepard stated bluntly, "And I have NO plans to sleep with her."
"Perhaps you have a right to be glib, Shepard, but caution is wise here." Samara began pacing slightly. Equal parts frustration and determination bleeding into her voice as she continued, "Storming her den would be a mistake. She will have a hundred escape routes planned. She will go to ground and disappear for 50 years or more. This is the closest I've ever been."
"Right, I get that." Shepard said, "So you have any ideas on how to trap her before that happens?"
"Afterlife's VIP section. You must go there alone and unarmed." It was less of a suggestion and more of an expectation.
"Seriously?" Shepard asked disappointed.
"You cannot barge in with guns blazing." Samara explained, "Morinth is far too cagey, she'll simply disappear."
"So instead you want to use me as bait?!" The idea itself didn't bother Shepard. The way Samara simply expected this of her did.
"You can draw Morinth out." Samara said, "She'll certainly flee if she catches sight of me. But she won't be able to resist you. You are an artist on the battle field, you have the vital spark that attracts her."
"You're not very convincing you know." Shepard told her.
"Regardless, you swore you would assist me in this matter." Samara said back to her, "Rest assured I will be watching from the shadows, ready to strike when the time is right. Unless there is some other plan that I am aware of, I would recommend we move forward with this quickly before this opportunity escapes us."
"Alright," Shepard spoke up after a heavy pause, "If I'm doing this then I'm doing this right. Come on" She stepped past the Justicar and slammed her fist on the door's panel to force it open. She quickly stepped through before the door had opened fully.
"Where are you going?" Samara asked suddenly finding she had to move quickly just to keep up with the Spectre.
"Back to the Normandy." Shepard stated simply.
"But Why?" Samara couldn't quite hide her confusion.
"You really need to get out more." Shepard quipped, "I'm not going into a night club in armor. I need to look the part and that means grabbing the dress Kasumi got me."