April stared at the asari, dumbfounded. The marines were as stunned. Impossible. What she did was impossible. To impale someone with biotics? The only ones with such abilities were Reaper mutated Ardat-Yakshi and asari. What the hell was Cerberus tinkering with? She was not sure she wanted to know. A beep over the comm reminded her of more pressing business but she did not take her gaze off the asari who returned her stare coolly.
"Captain, N1, we've having a siege up here. Squad of nine trying to break in," Sanders said. "I don't think they care about making a mess."
"Harris, see to the civilians. Half the squad with me."
April ran to the doors of the tower to find them locked. She started a hack immediately as Harris swiftly split up the squad. Half to keep an eye on their strange allies and help the civilians, the rest to go with April.
The doors snapped open. April took cover, the marines plastering themselves similarly opposite her, peering in cautiously. The large lobby was filled with neatly stacked pallets lined along the walls. The belongings of the Cerberus troopers were scattered untidily on top. Crates and debris were heaped near the lifts at the back. A doorway gaped open near the lifts, presumably leading to the stairs. No sign of any troopers.
Adjusting the settings of her helmet sensor to maximum, April stepped in and headed straight towards the door. From the muffled thunder of weapons coming over her helmet pickups, the troopers hadn't managed to break in yet. She took the stairs three at a time with the squad behind, careful to watch out for booby traps at the same time. She spotted the mines on the next landing.
She didn't bother to disarm them. A volley from her rifle at a safe distance was enough to remove them. The explosion was lost in the ruckus from the upper levels. It grew louder and louder as they approached. As they reached their objective, there was a tremendous explosion. The doors were breached. April pounded up the remaining steps but someone was faster. She didn't have time to see who it was that eeled past her but saw a flash of dingy armor.
Cries and screams echoed from the corridor. A body nearly crashed into April when she darted through the exit of the stairwell. It slammed into the wall near her. She took a quick glance. A Cerberus trooper. Dead. She turned fully into the passage to see more trooper bodies and the remainder getting tossed one way or another. It was doubtful they knew what was attacking them. One by one, they flew through the air like trampled dolls carelessly thrown aside. The asari stood like an avenging valkyrie over their corpses, her unnatural eyes cold as ice as she looked at her handiwork.
"Is there anything else I should know about?" April queried matter-of-factly as she approached her slowly.
Miona shrugged, spreading her hands. "This is all that I am. Now."
"I am Shepard."
"I know," Miona nodded. "I am Miona."
Up close, April noted that though she was lean, she was hardly breathing heavily despite the exertion she had gone through in putting down a score of troopers. Facial markings were barely visible. The darkness of her silvery star dusted crest was disconcerting. She was not sure what to make of the black streaks creeping up Miona's neck but they reminded her uncomfortably of those she had seen on someone else's face. The lamentable late Illusive Man. Was she indoctrinated? A question that would have to be handled later. Right then, she was not getting any feeling of malevolence from Miona.
Stepping through the gaping hole of the door to Operations, she was glad to note that the infiltration squad was intact. Sitting on the floor beside them was an asari in faded clothing. Behind them, two nervous looking men lay prone. Two small heads peered out from under a desk. She blinked. What were children doing in operations?
Sanders saluted. "No damage to hardware, ma'am."
"I'm more concern with software," April returned.
"Hale and hearty. Not a speck on us," Sanders declared before gesturing to the sitting asari. "Thanks to Bethia. She threw up a shield barrier when those morons blew the doors."
"Bethia." April squatted to have a better look at her. Emaciated as the other civilians but her facial markings, her colouring was normal and her eyes were clear. "My thanks. I'm Captain Shepard."
"No, I should thank you instead. I...it's been so long, we've almost given up hope," Bethia said in a tone that she didn't quite believe what had happened. "You'll take us away from here, yes?" she pleaded hopefully.
"Whoever is left." April offered her hand to pull her up. "Do you know if there are survivors in the other districts?"
Bethia shook her head, rocking slightly on her feet as a wave of dizziness swept over her and smiled her thanks when April steadied her. "I'm sorry, no. Once Cerberus lost control, nothing was ever heard from the other outposts."
"How did you come to be here?" a familiar cool voice said.
April turned to see Aria strolling in regally. She didn't think Harris would be able to hold the pirate queen and was expecting her. There was no suspicion in Aria's voice, only curiosity. Behind her, the squad was removing the corpses. Miona stood apart though she was listening intently.
"I didn't have a choice. Either I work with them or I can resign myself to die out there," Bethia said bitterly. "I didn't think Omega would be a good place for a home but it was better than the animosity I faced at the human colony."
"You are not a resident of Omega?" April thought perhaps that was why Bethia didn't recognise Aria.
"No. I was one of several who managed to flee when the Reapers began to invade Selvos, the colony I was at." A shiver passed Bethia as she recalled the chaos and fear at the sight of the alien invaders. "The others who managed to make it out with me, we were picked up by a turian flotilla and evacuated to refugee stations. One of which was a human colony. We thought we would have to shift from place to place in the months that followed but fortunately, the war was over before the system was invaded. We had no where to go but thought we could make a new home but the humans..they were not happy when we arrived. When the war was over, they wanted us to leave. They didn't like aliens," she said with sour fury. She looked at April and the marines. "I'm sorry, I mean.."
April waved away the apology. "Not all of us see eye to eye on certain issues. I take it that certain factors forced them to accept non-humans."
Bethia nodded. "A Systems Alliance fleet was in the sector, overseeing the evacuation effort. After the Alliance forces were forced to withdraw at the advance of Reaper forces, the human colonists became cold and then outright hostile. We had thought the Reapers would invade the planet soon but nothing happened. We managed to live on the supplies left with us by the Alliance. After the war, there were no ships we could book passage on, there was nothing we could do."
April had an idea which human colony Bethia was talking about. "Who were the others with you?"
"They came from many other colonies that had fallen to the Reapers. About thirty or so were from Selvos."
"What happened then?"
"There was no way to make contact with the Alliance or the Council. The colonists refused to let us use the communications array in the colony. We make do with what supplies we had left and what we could get out of the land. It was difficult when we had no steel materials to repair and make better tools. One day, they told us commerce had been established and trading ships would be making port. They said we should be prepared to leave on those ships which would first bring us to Omega from where we could arrange for other transports to take us where we wish." Anger flashed Bethia's eyes. "We didn't know it was a lie. We were only too glad to go, never realising that Omega was not the place we thought it would be."
"All of you to Omega? How many?" Aria asked sharply.
"There were perhaps three thousand or more refugees. I'm not sure everybody came here but that was what they said. I left in the sixth transport."
"When did they start to send people off?" April asked.
"I can't remember." A frown creased Bethia's brow as she tried to recall. "Not the exact date but I think it was end of January 2189. I have been here for nearly two years."
"What was the situation when you arrived?"
"The station was already over run with mutants. The captain of the trading ship that transported us to the station was quick to offload us at the docking bay with a large consignment of cargo. He left without waiting to have his cargo chit signed. We didn't know what had happened, why there was no one at the docking bays and then...," Bethia choked, unable to speak as memories assailed her.
Pardew reached out sympathetically to pat her gently on the back. Swallowing hard, Bethia continued, "Then we were attacked by creatures. There was no place to run to, they swarmed over us. I thought I was going to die but then, General Petrovsky arrived with Cerberus troops and managed to save the rest of us."
"Of course he would," Garza muttered and shut up when Pardew nudged her.
"I know, he was there to get the supply shipment." Bethia shrugged. "But he did bring us back here instead of leaving us there."
"Was the Cerberus contingent larger then?"
"Yes," nodded Bethia. "There were a hundred and fifty troopers. Perhaps more. General Petrovsky tried to keep the few remaining outposts up and sent out troops with supplies. They never returned. One by one, all the other outposts fell silent. Many of the Cerberus staff did not survive so I volunteered to help since I have technical training. The general tried to contact Cerberus headquarters but there was no response. There were no ships we could escape in so the general said we have to try to hold on because he believed the people he worked for would not abandon the troops."
"Typical loyalist." Aria shook her head wryly.
"What happened to Petrovsky?"
"He went to get the next supply shipment a few months later. The last incidentally for no more ships came. He and the troops that went with him, didn't return. Command fell to his aide." A cold note entered Bethia's voice.
"Major Craidan." April forbore to ask what was it about Craidan that Bethia didn't like. "Can you give me a run down of the survivors?" she said.
"There are two hundred and fifty of us, including the children. Two-thirds are residents of Omega, the rest are refugees. When troop numbers fell, the general asked for volunteers to man the turrets and maintain the base."
"Any change in rations?"
"There were MREs and paste but they ran out. Then it was an energy bar a day after general Petroskvy died. Before that, we had access to hydroponics on the third and fourth level of the tower."
"Had?" April said sharply.
"The major decided that the troops had to have better rations to repel any attacks," Bethia said bitterly. "There was more than enough to spare-," her eyes flashed angrily, "but he thought otherwise. We had to find other supplements," she grimaced.
April supposed they were catching and eating rodents. The humans and asari could subsist on those. The turians were likely given the energy bars.
"No medical personnel?"
"A Dr Hurlman and a few assistants. There is a medlab on the second level but not much medical supplies."
"Thank you." April touched her lightly on the arm. "You've been very helpful." She looked at her squad, picking out one of the marines. "Canavan, bring those two men and the children down to the ground floor and have them check over. Sanders, locate any other personnel below this floor and have them all gather in the compound."
"Are we getting off this station soon?" Bethia asked eagerly as the marines moved to carry out the order.
Pardew clicked softly to the children who emerged willingly to grasp her hands and they followed the others out of the room. No one noticed Miona had left.
"Yes, a moment." April put up a hand to halt any more questions. "Stay here, I may have need of further help," she said before gesturing to Aria.
"So Petrovsky managed to bail." Faint annoyance tinged Aria's voice as she followed April to the farthest corner of the room where they could talk privately.
"Disappointed?'
"Immensely," Aria snorted, "when it's an itch that cannot be scratched." She crossed her arms. "You had a better chance with it than I."
April shook her head. "I've no history with Craidan and it's obvious he's out of his mind. Besides, I've more than enough to last several lifetimes and most of it-," she looked away with a sigh.
"It doesn't matter how many there are. Never hesitate when it comes to mad dogs," Aria said reprovingly.
"I'll keep that in mind. Now that we are here, have you decided?"
"Obliteration." Aria shrugged when April looked at her.
It was one of several expediencies she prepared for in the years spent waiting and planning to retake Omega. One of the least probable options crunched about in the deliberations held weeks ago at the Citadel. A broad broom to sweep and cleanse. The fastest, easiest and most thorough method.
If it worked. If not, all the effort they had gone through would go up spectacularly in one swift stroke. Not a result she particularly looked forward to but the appalling condition of the space station had forced her to consider taking such a step. Steeped in unknown biohazards for nearly six years, it would take a long time, perhaps decades to remove all traces of it. Having a viral contagion cropping up in the midst of rebuilding was detrimental.
A smile crooked April's lips though Aria couldn't see it, hidden behind her helmet breathing mask. The pirate queen was prepared to gamble. Win or lose, she would start with a clean slate though Aria probably wouldn't think of it that way. Omega was too large an ambition for her to see anything else.
Realising Aria was waiting for her reply, she said, "Then we'll send the techs after two weeks to see to it. Or would you prefer to have your own men handle it?"
"Why would I do that when it's part of the package?" Aria smirked as she turned away and tossed a question over her shoulder. "Do you really think your fine metal friends can sniff out more survivors?"
"They will try," April said firmly. She didn't care if Aria was cynical of the geths' ability. It was of no issue if the pirate queen wished to have her possession back as soon as possible. "Two weeks, Aria. Two weeks to locate them."
"I question your faith in the machines."
Not inclined to beat a futile round concerning the geth, April switched tack. "How far would you trust Miona and her cohort?"
"They're volatile, dangerous, but on the same footing as the other survivors. No more, no less. Whatever dispositions are made," Aria said, "their existence is a tangle coil of complications."
"I'm aware of that," April said dryly.
"No doubt the debate would be lively and contentious."
"Do you have any suggestions?"
Aria didn't say anything for a while, seeming to be in deep thought. "Patriarch is with them."
"Patriarch?" April recalled the old krogan she helped years back. The former owner of Omega who was defeated by Aria in her bid to gain control centuries ago and reduced to wandering the lower clubs as a trophy and a tale spinner. "I'm surprised he left you standing."
"He didn't." Aria chuckled at the human's start of surprise. "Oh he didn't want to, someone gave him a better reason not to."
"And?"
"They want nothing more than to return home and continue with their lives."
"I understand that but-," April hesitated.
"It will happen. I will try to make it happen." Aria leaned in, so close April could see the grey of her eyes through her helmet visor. "And so will you. We travel the same road on this issue, you can't deny that." She turned and strolled out of the room, leaving a wide-eyed Bethia to stare after her.
"Who is that?" she asked when April came up to her.
"Someone with an ego as big as this station," April said humourously. "I need you to continue to monitor the defense perimeter while the evac ships get here. It shouldn't be long now." She turned to one of the consoles, bringing up the command index. "Power is restored."
Seating herself at another console, Bethia confirmed it. "How're we suppose to get across to the docking bays?" she shuddered at the thought of traversing through the district.
"We don't. There's an emergency airlock at the top." April called up the schematics of the tower, pointing out the exit to her.
"Why didn't you-," Bethia began to say, "oh but you couldn't," she corrected herself. "You couldn't be sure they did not do something to that entrance."
"Not a good idea to funnel through an area as small as that and-," April waved at the consoles, "we couldn't risk collateral damage to hardware."
"What's going to happen to this place?" Bethia asked curiously. "Is the Alliance going to take over now?"
"No, we're going to lock down and seal off Omega Control. After that, we'll look for survivors in the other districts..."
"Survivors?" Bethia interrupted incredulously. "I'm sorry, but that doesn't seem likely."
"I understand. Nevertheless, we have to try because we're redirecting the discharge of the reactor core two weeks from now."
"Redirecting but how, why-," Bethia trailed off, confused.
"To kill off all organic lifeforms on this station." April nodded sombrely when comprehension lit Bethia's eyes. "Down to the smallest microbe."
"I see. Is that possible? The amount of radiated energy could destroy the entire station."
"I'm no engineer but there's a possibility the amount of saturation can be controlled. Besides," April added, "it's not my call."
"It's that asari, Aria, isn't it?" Bethia guessed. "If the Alliance isn't going to take over this station, why..."
"Long story but let's just say we've an agreement. I don't-," April broke off when faint panicked screaming was heard. Her comm crackled.
"Captain, we've a situation at medlab on level two!" Sanders reported curtly.
April could hear someone begging and Aria speaking aloud. What was going on down there? "Can you show me the way to medlab?" she said to Bethia who sprang up immediately.
They hurried down the corridor, down the flight of stairs and emerged at a cluttered doorway to the second floor. Large decals on the wall declared they were on the administrative level. Down the passage they jogged, then a left turn. April could hear voices but not what they were saying. Another turn, and another.
"Put him down!" Sander's order came loudly and clearly as they approached a set of large open doors.
Archives, the sign outside read. April pulled up short at the sight when she stepped in. Dangling stiffly in the air, gasping for breath was a balding man dressed in a labsuit. Ignoring the rifles Sanders and the other marines trained on her, Miona stared hard at her victim and looked pleased when the man wheezed in agony. His face was screwed up with pain, his colour was dreadfully pallid and sweat streamed off him. Off to one side, Aria stood looking on.
"Goddess," Bethia breathed in horror behind April.
April waved Sanders to silence when the marine noticed her presence, then gestured to the rest to fall back. She took a step forward. "Miona?"
"Human, what would you do to such a one who held the knife and changed you into a tool with no self-will? When you are no more than dirt beneath his feet?" Releasing her hand slightly, Miona watched as the man gulped frantically for air. "Who took pleasure from pain and the unwilling?"
So that was what it was. The fellow was one of the researchers working for Cerberus. It also explained why Aria was making no attempt to interfere. Even if the man wasn't Cerberus, she wasn't sure the pirate queen would or even if she did, would be able to talk Miona down.
"End him," April said frankly, "quickly." The man's eyes bulged in terror. He tried to shake his head.
"Should I?" Miona smiled as she cut off the man's air again. Held immobile in the generated biotic field, he could only work his mouth futilely, nostrils flaring frantically.
"Miona...I can never understand your pain, what you've gone through but there is something you have to consider...," April took a deep breath. "Sie'ai'vies'es Shairio."
That snapped Miona's cold gaze to her, along with Aria's. Not expecting her to sprout an Asari adage, they stared at her in astonishment. If possible, the cold glint in Miona's eyes became more chilly as the impact of her using the old formal orthoepy hit home. They knew of whom she spoke of. It was not a subject the asari particularly want to talk about or be reminded of but then, it was part of their history and denying it would be turning away from the nature of their existence. Not something she would think of bringing up under normal circumstances but this wasn't. Miona's displeasure was a good sign.
"You...dare to..." Her outrage put April further at ease. "Your bondmate is very fortunate," Miona muttered, looking away before turning back to her victim. There was an audible crunch and the man ceased his fight to breathe. Tossing his body aside, Miona glanced contemptuously at the medlab assistants cowering behind the medtables. "I'll leave the rest to your authority," she said as she walked past April.
"Profound," Aria quipped as she followed her. "Remember what I said," she added softly.
"Who was that man?" April said to Bethia after the two asari disappeared through the door.
"Dr Hurlman." Bethia couldn't help staring at April, trying to stifle her immense curiosity. "He was already here, with the others, when I arrived. Didn't talk much. Kept to himself except when there were medical cases. I assumed he was a medic assigned to the Cerberus garrison. How long have you been bonded?" The question leaped out in spite of herself.
"Um...six years thereabouts."
April felt homesick suddenly and wished she was back on the Glasgow with Liara, better yet, back on Thessia. "Sanders, get the rest to the compound. I'll be down shortly to brief the survivors. Come on," she said to Bethia, "we have a lot of work to do."
It took a day to get all the survivors into the medical transports and several more for the Alliance techs and engineers to install shield generators, new sensors, calibrate the V.I. for the turrets, strengthened the defense perimeter and closed off the tower. The last to leave the station, April made one final check before sealing the door of the emergency airlock of the tower behind her. She made her way through the docking tube to the last medical transport.
The scanners at the airlock of the medical ship ran a quick decontamination cycle on her before she was allowed onboard. The soft voice of a V.I. instructed her to disrobe once she exited the airlock and entered the cleansing stalls. After transferring all the data into a triple encrypted datastick held in a secure box, she removed her omni-tool and tossed it into the incinerator to be destroyed. Days spent working, sleeping and eating in her hardsuit made her more than glad to shuck it off along with her undersuit. She grimaced at the vacuoles, bulging with body wastes and put both hardsuit and undersuit in decontamination cyclers. It would take a day for them to be completely disinfected and cleaned.
She stepped into one of the stalls and dunked herself under a hot shower with water and soap that smelt strongly of pharmaceuticals, making sure to wash her hair thoroughly. Then she walked naked through a small room to be bathed in rays that both scanned and expunged any remaining microbes. A medtech handed her a towel, underclothes and a simple coverall in the dressing area before showing her to a isolation room where she would have to dwell for a day or more, pending results of a medical examination.
Retrieving the datastick from the secured box and putting it away in the pocket of her coverall, she sat down at the console in the room and made a call to the primary medical transport for updates on the problem group. It was too soon for the old man or the Council to come to a decision but she wanted to know if there were any incidents over the last few days.
To her relief, the chief medical staff doctor who took the call reported that the group was cooperative though their obvious manifestation of Reaper cybernetics and possible indoctrination had caused much unease among the staff. Due to the nature of their augmentations, they were separated from the other survivors and accommodated on a different level under tight security.
She didn't bother to correct the doctor on his assumption of indoctrination and thanked him instead for the update. Sitting back in her chair, she wasn't sure what she could do to help them at this point, despite Aria's belief that she could. That they were fully cognizant would have to be determined. In Miona's case, there was no question on that aspect. At least, for the time being. Their enhanced abilities was the next stumbling block to immediate resettlement.
Drumming her fingers on the armrest of the chair, she weighed options. It was up to the Council representatives to determine what they could do. They might decide that since Cerberus was a human organization, reparations should come from the humans. That would certainly rouse a nest of hornets back home. It wasn't her potato to juggle. She hoped the old man wouldn't suddenly throw it to her because she saved that lot. On the other hand, if he did she could pass it to Aria since the pirate queen showed a strong personal concern for them. She wondered why. Patriarch and Miona she could understand. Patriarch had a past with Aria and Miona saved her life. But the rest?
She sighed. On a positive note, the Alliance marines came off almost unscathed saved for a few injuries. The exception being Aria's mercenaries but the pirate queen didn't seem troubled by the lost. She had bigger problems in the shape of Patriarch who was itching to punch her lights out. Fortunately, Aria wasn't on the same medical ship as he. Otherwise, there would be a riot. A look at the chronometer told her it was late into the night on the Glasgow. Liara would be resting. Throwing herself onto the single bunk, she elected to catch up on sleep that was sorely lacking for the last few days. Twenty-four hours later, she regretted not making the call.
Snip. Snip. Snip. Whirrr.
Locks of red hair fell over her face but April didn't try to sweep them away. Not with the grumpy air the wielder of scissors was exhibiting. Opening her mouth then might provoked her into giving her a bristly head. She settled for blowing softly as the curls dropped down, in an unsuccessful bid to move them a distance from her face. There was no mirror into which she could see the work in progress but she had implicit trust in Liara's skills. So she sat on the chair, in the shower room of their cabin, patiently enduring the itchy prickling of hair that slipped into her coverall.
After what seemed like a long intermittent of shifting about, Liara said over her shoulder. "Done." Before she cleared her eyes, she knew her bondmate had exited the shower room. The first thing she did was to look into the wall mirror. A sigh of relief escaped her when she saw the sharp neat cut. Running her hand through her hair which felt considerably lighter, she recalled the mess Liara had made in her first attempt to trim her hair and how she had ended up with a thistle stack of hay. Ignoramus in hair fashion she might be, even Liara knew she had made a crock of it and was mortified. She said nothing but had gone quietly to a professional barber thereafter with most of her hair shoved under her Alliance cap to hide the damage.
Those lessons she took really paid off.
Peering through the open door, she saw Liara seated at the desk. It didn't look like she was going to join her in her shower. No matter. Turning, she stripped off the coverall and underwear, dumped the chair outside and turned on the water. Using her foot, she activated the cleaning bot which immediately removed the locks on the floor. Ship regulations on water usage restricted the desire to luxuriate but she took pleasure in the heavenly smell of scented shower gel, expunging the unpleasant odour of the medical bath that clung to her. Throwing on fresh underwear and a T-shirt, she sat on the bunk, towelling her hair dry, wondering if Liara would finally deign to talk.
When nothing happened, she reached for the new omni-tool the quartermaster had gotten for her and transferred over all the contents in the datastick. She spent some time adjusting the settings to her liking. On looking up when she was finally satisfied, Liara was still tapping away at the console. Gloomily, she wondered how far she had upset her. There was nothing coming through their link, leading her to wonder if Liara had put up a barrier.
Laying down on the bunk, she watched her. The cant of her head spoke volumes of her bondmate's concentration in whatever she was doing. Perhaps dragging her to the shower room was one of her auto-modes in her 'to-do' list. Liara had brought up the subject of her tresses getting longer a few times.
"April."
"What?!" She snapped awake instantly, realising she had fallen asleep.
"We are going to Ilos," Liara said, sitting beside her.
"Oh yeah, Ilos-," she muttered, still befuddled. "..why Ilos?"
"Here." Liara handed her a datapad. "Read this."
Pushing herself up, April leaned against the headboard and took the datapad as Liara continued.
"There is also a stack of messages you will want to check. First and foremost are those from Admiral Ruox, Module, Miranda and Dr Chakwas. One from Javik. Another from Admiral Langdon. Several from your trainees on Thessia..."
"Whoa..whoa...hold on, let me get this." April held up a hand to stop the flow, focusing on the message from Roux. "What the hell...in a force field...what's that hammy salarian up to now?" she muttered as she scrolled through the contents.
"Apparently he attempted to break into the cyphers and triggered a security protocol that erected a force field around the archives."
"Protection against unauthorised intrusion," April nodded, "huh...Vigil isn't responding..."
"It is responding," Liara corrected, "they have no idea what it is saying when they tried to communicate with it. Translators do not work."
"Gibberish?" April put down the datapad to look quizzically at Liara. "Its language cognition program could be damaged."
"Read the message from Javik," Liara prompted.
April's eyebrows went up when she opened Javik's email.
"They called him in?" she said in amazement. "He has no idea what Vigil is spouting either but-," her eyes widened. "You're kidding. He says it sounds like an ancient formulaic tongue. Why are they looking at me?" she exclaimed. "I don't have any credentials in ancient Prothean languages."
"No but they thought, the Council thought as well, that since you managed to break through to Vigil, perhaps you can do it again."
"Damn, just as well I said nothing about the Cypher in my reports. Can you imagine how much credibility I would have in a situation like this?" April put down the datapad.
"Saying nothing sparks the suspicions and speculations..."
"I know, I know." April sighed, running her hand through her hair. "Ten to one, they also guessed I locked up the archives."
"It is the right thing to do," Liara stated firmly. "No one has taken you to task over it which means they approve. I have been searching for any references to ancient Prothean formulaic languages and the possibilities of bringing down the force field by other means but so far-," she shook her head at her failure. "I think the force field is the same defense field I accidentally triggered in the Prothean dig site on Therum."
"Great, those poor sods have to be starving by now.."
"Which is why we are on our way to Ilos." Liara reached for the datapad but April caught her hand instead. "You have not read the rest of the messages-," she chided when her bondmate brought her hand up to her lips and kissed her fingers.
"Leave it for a few hours, I missed you." April leaned forward but Liara halted her with a hand. "What?"
"I want to ask you about that fight you had with the Cerberus major. Why bother?"
"Don't tell me you're mad over that-," began April.
"Do you know what it was like, watching that man try to cut you open?" Liara said icily. "You accommodate him when you could have ended it quickly."
"It's-," April tried to find words to try to explain why she had chosen to fight Craidan and failed. "Come on Liara, you know how it is..."
"What was it that you said about Aria? Ego as big as the station, was it not? What do you say about yours?"
"That's not fair..I..." April tried to say and blinked when Liara pulled her down onto the bunk before climbing over her. It was then she realised her bondmate was dressed in a soft robe.
"For putting me through that long moment of anxiety, you need to be punished."
"Really..how.." April's next words vanished as Liara kissed her and her breath came a little faster as hands slide under her shirt. She reached out to pull the robe apart, only to have them entangled when Liara pulled her shirt off. The next moment, she found she couldn't move her hands at all.
"Hey..," she gasped and closed her eyes at the electrifying sensation of the soft kisses along her throat. Her nerves went on the alert as lips moved down. Such an immediate reaction meant Liara was using her biotics. She had forgotten the role biotics could play in sex. All thoughts promptly flew out of her head as light fingers trailed lazily over her stomach and dipped lower. She tried to move her hands again but couldn't.
"Punishment."
The whisper over her breasts sent a shiver through her and she could only moan when Liara finally dropped the barrier she had been putting up, sweeping her away in a fiery flaming wave of desire.
Sie'ai'vies'es Shairio - Tear the heart, scorn the fire, savor the pain, lest Shairio walks again