Thessia
The skin felt cool to the touch, a tad too cool, Nyrine felt. Running the scanner of her omni-tool once more over the sleeping recruit, she waited for the medical program she was given to run its course. The light remained blue. Within normal parameters, flashed the message. Still, to be certain, she made another visual examination for any signs of abnormality in the healing wounds but they looked perfectly normal for injuries received in a firefight. If all went well, the recruit would be on her feet on the morrow, ready to be discharged. Drawing up the blanket to cover the recruit, she updated the status screen at the foot of the pallet. She got to her aching feet with some difficulty and moved to check the next patient.
"Captain Rylaer, you're not planning a career switch are you?"
The baritone voice behind her was weary but managing to sound light and jocular. It didn't startle her for she heard the tread of approaching footsteps.
"That is most tempting, Dr Thorton," she said softly without turning her eyes from the screen of her omni-tool, "if not for the call of another song, I might consider it."
A small sigh of relief escaped her when the readings came back normal. A hand lightly touched her elbow, halting her when she would have moved on.
"You're here everyday after your shift and stay late. When do you ever sleep?" He frowned down at her.
"When do you, doctor?" she returned. "Your eyes are red and you're-," she paused to think. Hairy didn't seem correct. What was it that human males do? "Not shaved."
"I'm going for the new look." He touched his jaw only to hit the smooth surface of his hazard suit. The abrasive dark growth along his jaw faintly prickled his fingertips. He realised that he had forgotten to throw on the inhibitor spray during his rush home to wash and change that morning. "It's all the rage among human doctors, you know," he grinned at her.
Feeling extremely tired and not inclined to engage in casual conversation, she only smiled and would have moved on but he put out a hand to stop her. "It is really late." He jerked his head towards the overhead chronometer, mounted on the ceiling. "How are you going to be any good if you're too tired to think?"
"The academy is closed. A number of recruits are injured. There is much to be done here."
She turned to look at the wide expanse of the converted warehouse, filled with rows and rows of patients. Hundreds if anyone were to count and hundreds more in erected tents outside due to lack of space. Anyone with any trace of a wound had to be quarantined. An army of doctors and medtechs were on duty but there was hardly enough to tend to all. She tried not to think of the medical centre, overflowing with injured civilians.
"It just takes one. Just one for the situation to-," she trailed off, hardly daring to breathe word of a disaster everyone was hoping would not happen.
Rubbing an aching shoulder, Thorton sighed. Everyone was pulling double shifts and more, trying to cope with the overwhelming number of patients. It was just as bad during the Reaper War. No, he corrected mentally. The war was the worst.
"That is one scenario I'm praying very hard not to happen."
Silently echoing the sentiment, she nodded. "I'll stay another hour, an hour," she insisted when she saw he was about to object. "How much rest will I get for worry over these young ones?"
"It's a matter of whether you want to allow yourself to-," he halted abruptly.
"Doctor Thorton?" she asked curiously when it looked as if he wanted to say something but changed his mind.
"We're short handed but contrary to what you may think, I do rest."
There was a trace of sadness beneath his determined tone that she didn't think he was referring to physical rest.
"There's just this row to see to." She nodded at the line of pallets she was working her way through. Perhaps a twenty score and more remained.
He looked at the pallets, then at the rest of the warehouse and heaved a sigh. "Alright, an hour. After that, if I see you around here, I'm going to throw you out. Consider yourself warned." He flashed her a grin and walked away, bringing up his omni-tool as he did so. There were many more cases he had to attend to.
Nyrine looked at his retreating back with some curiosity before returning to her task, moving slowly from pallet to pallet. With each clear scan, her anxiety lessened bit by bit. By the time she reached the end of the row, she felt considerably relieved. A close examination of the status screen mounted on the nearest wall removed it entirely. She was pleased to see that every patient in the warehouse was checked. There was no sign of TI infection.
She made her way to the entrance and stripped off the protective suit. After dumping it into the recycling bin, she entered the disinfection chamber. As she stood patiently for the cleansing cycle to run its course, she emptied her mind of all thoughts, allowing a meditative image to take hold. When the cycle ended, she stepped out with a lighter heart.
"All is clear?" she said when she saw Sanar waiting for her.
"Read my face." Sanar waved at her tiredly, struggling to keep her eyes opened.
"I'll drive." Nyrine chuckled when the lieutenant sighed gratefully.
As they headed for the exit of the quarantine compound, Sanar said casually, "Gallia's at the outpatient tents."
Nyrine stopped short. "What?" she said in astonishment that changed into alarm. "What has.."
"No no, nothing has happened to the recruits at Armali," Sanar reassured her hastily. "She's not injured either."
"If she's not-," Nyrine began in confusion before something clicked in place. "Who is she concerned over?"
"One of the tower five crew. Gallia was posted there before she came to us. The perimeter was heavily hit. Some of the towers are temporarily out of commission."
"Should I read more into Gallia's presence?"
"I think Gallia can't resolve her perspective and her feelings." At Nyrine's questioning look, Sanar explained further. "One of the crew sent a message to me, asking if I couldn't give Gallia a temporary leave of absence to see her colleague. When I asked Gallia about it, I could see she was in a dilemma."
"What does the interested party have to say?"
"According to Nervia, that's the one who contacted me, there was some initial misunderstanding. That was cleared up. However, Pulchia, the interested party, is not pursuing or clarifying with Gallia..."
"Then it is settled," Nyrine said with finality.
"But..."
"Sanar, it is not our business. This Pulchia obviously values and respects Gallia. It is up to Gallia to resolve her internal issues. If she can work pass the problem, she will put it aside and remain friends or she can accept that there are possibilities for her."
Catching the disappointed look on Sanar's face, Nyrine shook her head. It was all very well to wish the best for a friend but another to interfere in their personal lives. They stopped for another round of extensive scans at the gates before taking the skycar allotted to them from the registered fleet parked nearby.
"Has the first transport left?" asked Nyrine as Sanar reclined her seat and settled in.
"Two hours ago," Sanar mumbled, feeling the alluring fingers of sleep creeping up on her. "I heard there was some bickering still on going among some of the first clans."
A tiny snort of disgust escaped Nyrine when she heard that. "They're still at it? If matriarch T'Deynor had not brought up that ancient statute, they'll still be fighting over who should be evacuated first."
"That and the supporting vote. If she didn't have those, I doubt she could toss the opposition. It hardly bears thinking, doesn't it?" Sanar sighed. "This conflict is bringing out the most unpleasant aspects of the people I've never expected to see."
"The take back campaign is taking too long." Nyrine glanced at the spaceport in the distance as they went past it. She hastily directed her gaze back to the lane before them. The blaze of lights surrounding the reconstruction effort to seal the breach was overwhelming. "Progress is too slow. The losses over the years is affecting the clans that have already lost many in the Reaper War. It saps spirit and strength."
"Confidence in the Assembly has dropped again," Sanar muttered as she recalled the acerbic commentaries in the public forum on the xtranet. "Many are saying the human way to fight the TI is the right way to win back Thessia."
"It's not as if we're not trying-," Nyrine shook her head, "but it is hard to move smoothly when part of the old cadre refuses to unchain themselves."
"Honestly, High Command should consider dumping those still hanging on by their claws." Sanar turned her head to look at Nyrine when she laughed. "Wishful thinking I know."
"You are not the only one. Do you know that they tried to hold back their own commandos and recruits?"
Shock held Sanar silent for a moment before she sat up. "What? What do you mean hold back?" she demanded. "Are they still insisting that the old way will assure victory?"
"Impractical isn't it?" Nyrine flashed her a bitter smile. "I didn't know about it either until Izharia Vantios brought it up in the meeting. We are hemmed in on all sides. The TI are the most infectious and dangerous foes we have ever faced and they want to employ guerrilla strikes. When HC proposed picking up the pace, they want their troops held as reserves. They didn't want their own people anywhere near the front lines when the new TI conversion method and the tunnels were discovered."
"They don't happen to be the northern confederacies, do they?" Sanar said suspiciously.
"Unfortunately, yes. Considering that they have the most number of veteran commandos, HC has to tread a fine line."
"What?" Sanar said sharply. "What has happened?"
Nyrine remained silent for a moment. "They are proposing to abandon Kelice and Sharzis. That most of the populace be shifted to the Citadel and the rest to the surviving colonies."
"What?!"
Nyrine set the skycar down at the block of apartments assigned to military personnel in the designated safe zone. Until the rest of the city was declared secured, they could not return to their own quarters and had to share an apartment. She stared out of the windscreen for a moment and turned to Sanar.
"The northern republics suffered the most during the war. When this campaign started, everyone thought it was just a sweep through the garden. Pick up the pieces and rebuild. No one expected such strong resistance from the TI. When it came down to fighting our own, you saw how it is. This fight is too close to heart. The people are divided, over and over.
"A misguided minority."
"An undermining minority," Nyrine corrected softly. "Their dissent has hindered. It doesn't help some members of the Assembly are part of it. We're fighting a two way war that's cutting us up. Some of the old cadre are beginning to question why are we even staying to fight."
"They want to leave?" Sanar said in disbelief. "Give up the work everyone has put in for six years? Leave Thessia to the TI?
"Since it's inevitable the TI will die. If they don't, the Prothean device would do its work."
"That's utter foolishness!" Sanar burst out, slapping her seat in anger. "Die yes, but what if the medical and technical analysis are wrong? Have they thought about how long the TI will continue to live? Would the device really work as it should? If it doesn't, would the TI remain quiescent? We're not talking about husks here, we're talking about TI thralls that have the ability to think, to plan. They didn't spend the last six years thinking running at us would wipe us out. They came up with the new conversion method, they dug those tunnels. They can find other ways to bring the fight to us even if all of us leave!"
Nyrine nodded in agreement. "They may even be cognizant of their psychological degradation and find ways to circumvent it. If they could go as far as that, they could carry their fight from Thessia and spread their affliction."
Sanar closed her eyes and sagged back in her seat. "I don't even want to think about that," she muttered. "The idea of abandoning Thessia is ill conceived and abhorrent. We can't."
Nyrine felt stifled in the car. "Come, the air in here is getting stale." She alighted from the skycar, hearing the thud of the door of the skycar a few seconds later. "Does soup sound good?" she asked as Sanar fell into step beside her.
A grimace crossed Sanar's face. What she had just heard killed off any desire for food. "I don't feel hungry."
"You are hungry whatever you feel right now," Nyrine said softly as they crossed an empty lobby and entered the lift. At that late hour, there was hardly anyone around.
"I fear I may not keep it down."
"That's why I suggested soup," said Nyrine, stepping out of the lift when it halted. She palmed the door panel of the second door along the corridor. "Go ahead."
She nodded towards the bathroom as she headed towards the small kitchen and opened the storage cabinet. There wasn't much to choose from among the packages of paste and RtE-rations. Not much cooking to do. Not that she did her own meals under better circumstances. She couldn't remember when she last prepared one. Was it ten years ago? Eleven? Dumping two RtE soup packs on the kitchen table, she went over to the sink and splashed some cold water on her face before sitting down at the table. Heating up the soup was easily done by pressing the tabs outside the packages.
Wafting warm moist air and a faint fragrance, Sanar joined her several minutes later, looking more alert. "You never answered my question," she said as they sipped hot soup.
"Which one?"
"You said HC had to tread a fine line," Sanar reminded her.
"HC is not keen to have the Thessia referendum put before the people. The northern confederate troops will remain behind the front lines as reserves. That-," put in Nyrine before Sanar could air what was on her mind, "or lose them completely from the battlefield."
"Are they going to put those troops on the Citadel if they're withdrawn?"
"Or posted to the colonies."
"Would they go?" Sanar said doubtfully.
"They might." Nyrine saw the younger asari's silent denial. "Think about it. For six years we have been getting up to uncertainty and a relentless enemy every day. Resolution seems so illusive. Some may be persuaded to drop the burden totally and hope the old approach would accomplish the same result."
It was a feeling Sanar empathised with all too readily. It was getting harder and harder each day to face the recruits. She never knew how she managed to go on as she did but she had and she would continue. Shepard never gave up. The humans never gave up. The turians never gave up. None of the others spoke of abandoning their homeworlds.
How can we do any less? We, the Asari who hold ourselves so high above all others.
"The more I think of it, the more ludicrous it is." Sanar stared unseeing into at her bowl of soup. "Evacuating the civilian populace is a prudent provision but think about it-," she looked up, eyes glinting with suppressed anger, "how can we, the Asari, continue to claim our place in the galactic community if we give up the fight for our homeworld so readily?"
"That has been something I've been asking myself when I heard of the proposal," Nyrine admitted. "Have they truly considered the ramifications of abandonment? An act of dishonour that will be etched in the annals of not just our own history, in future generations that would follow us, our hearts but also in the eyes of our allies. What hope and faith can they place in us in future collaboration?"
"That is what many will ask of themselves in the days to come. I will not be surprised if the old cadre are called to step down from their responsibilities."
Nyrine heaved a sigh and got up to put her empty bowl and spoon in the recycler. "I'm going to sleep on it," she said and headed for the bathroom. The floor tub beckoned invitingly but she didn't think she would be able to pull herself out of it once she was immersed in it. Settling for a quick shower that did much to chase away the vestiges of her aches, she dried off and padded naked into the bedroom dimly lit by a small lamp. Sanar was already huddled under the blanket but not asleep.
"Do you really think the prothean devices will work?" Sanar muttered as she slide in beside her, staring up at the ceiling.
"Sanar, it's a long day. We have to resettle recruits that will be released from the infirmary tomorrow." Nyrine closed her eyes, reaching for the plane of repose. "Rest."
Sanar lay quietly, hearing Nyrine's breathing settled into an even rhythm. Moving slowly, she brought up her omni-tool and read Hiaras's email again, smiling at the underlying anxiety her lover was trying so hard to hide. Her smile faded away as she thought of the plans they made for the summer. Such hopes they have had, that things were getting better. After all that they had been through, surely the goddess would bless them a small window of joy? Rubbing her eyes wearily, she closed down the omni-tool, turned off the lamp and let herself drift off into the darkness.
Omega Nebula, Sahrabarik, Omega
Normandy
The new addition to the desk was easy to spot when Miranda stepped into the loft.
"This is a lovely picture." She picked up the photo frame of Shepard, Liara and baby Delenn. The couple were caught at the moment when they looked at each other, their affection crystal clear. A little envy flashed through her. Would she similarly find someone to live the rest of her life with? "Nice capture, whoever took this."
"Uh huh-," Shepard said distractedly, scrolling through the latest despatch from the Alliance on her workconsole.
"It must be hard to leave them behind." Miranda carefully replaced the photo frame on the desk.
"Uh huh," Shepard repeated, frowning at the screen.
Miranda crossed her arms as she stood behind Shepard's chair, regarding the back of her head. Was Shepard even listening at all? An impish grin lit her face. "You know, I've recently made an interesting discovery."
"Uh huh.."
Bending close to Shepard's ear, Miranda whispered, "You should have said that the asari practice polygamy. It's mind shattering to think about it. More than one partner. Two, three and more. That's one giant orgasmic party every night if you've the heart for it."
"Hmmm.."
"Life's a little dull at the colony. Thessia sounds rather sumptuous. All that adventure to be found in the night is very tempting to lonely me. I just might uproot to Thessia."
"This-," Shepard pointed at the screen, "doesn't look good."
"Did you hear what I said?" Miranda stepped away and leaned against the desk, frowning in mock anger at Shepard who cocked an eyebrow at her and grinned.
"You're more than welcome to face the perils of Thessia," said Shepard. "But I'm afraid I'll have to pop that balloon of an orgasmic party. Asari don't practise polygamy."
"They do when you think about it." Miranda shrugged when Shepard looked quizzically at her. "They have more than one partner in their long lifespan."
"But not all at once." Shepard waved dismissively and indicated the console screen, more interested in the despatch. "Remember that Cerberus fleet escort for the freighters at Omega? ANI thinks Greenacres sent them to attack the Asteria colony."
Miranda straightened at that. "They did? Asteria is an agrarian colony, what does he want with-," she broke off abruptly. "Did they make off with some grain shipments?"
Shepard nodded. "Ten freighters, including one loaded with a cargo of genetically enhanced prototype that was to be transplanted to Earth to see if it would speed up land reclamation in the northern hemisphere. Its nutritional value is boosted by as much as fifteen percent. That has to be his target."
"What about the crews?"
"Manned by Greenacres's people. Ten families uprooted themselves from the colony. The original crews for those freighters were found drugged and locked up. Colony admin couldn't shoot down civilian vessels and had to let those ships go." Scrolling further down the page, Shepard read quickly. "According to colony records they pulled up, those ten families have been on Asteria for over a decade."
"They knew about the project. Sooner or later the colony would come up with a new strain." Restlessly, Miranda began to pace. "What's the damage for the Asteria taskforce?"
"The taskforce destroyed the Cerberus fleet with minimal losses." Shepard frowned. "They didn't send a casualty list. I can't make contact with the Asteria fleet since ANI imposed a temporary comm blackout. I supposed they want to make sure there are no Terra Firma operatives remaining on the colony. I don't think they'll find any."
Miranda nodded in agreement. "It looks like your theory is gaining traction. The mass relay navigational matrices, the fifty freighters, the grain from Asteria.."
"And with every disaffected human from Earth and the colonies, they can set up a viable emancipated colony out there."
"I looked up every defected Cerberus scientist I can think of. I've yet to come across any one who has anything solid on mass relay projects." Miranda paused in her pacing. "I keep thinking of those matrices. They bought up a lot of them, quadruple the number of hulls they have."
"That we know of." Making a steeple of her fingers, Shepard said thoughtfully, "Mass relay nav matrices are the most complex devices to manufacture. They could be nothing more than a stockpile. Since they are the keys to using the relays, they wouldn't want to be stranded in wherever they're going. If they are intending to start from scratch, there's not going to be any extensive industrial production for some time to replace any of the hardware."
"You think they could be meant for something else."
"There are always possibilities. Like I said, the matrices allow a ship to tie in to a relay and use it, but how much do we understand about the relays other than they kick us from point A to B? We don't even know who built them. Is it really the Reapers? Or is it or some other civilization that predates them?"
"That's one hell of a tomb dig. I don't think we're going to get any answers unless Greenacres would care to leave something for us to study."
"I doubt he'll tell us." Shepard shook her head. "What we can be certain of is that they're going to drop themselves down a deep hole and probably come back in a few hundred years. The Terra Firma question is going to bug the Alliance since there is no avenue into which they can be pursued. That is likely what Greenacres wants."
"Getting us to the core could be his way to sucker us into a cauldron of contention that may or may not create a crisis in future." Miranda resumed her pacing. "If some idiots back home suddenly decide whatever we find on those bases, if we find something, is Alliance property and nick our allies in the back."
It was something Shepard was afraid of. Given Cerberus collaboration with the Reapers, the wealth of information and plausible technological leap if intact mainframes in the Cerberus laboratories were discovered would be extremely attractive. The salarians would try to siphon off as much as they could should they find such a cache, the geth would merely find it as one more catalog for their library. The rest would joggle to grab as much as they could. Should the politicians back home decided belatedly to take it into their heads to slap Alliance labels over any discovery, it wouldn't go down well.
Perhaps it was a mistake to call for an allied effort to take out Cerberus. But if there was a trap waiting on the other side, the Normandy wouldn't be able to handle it alone. She wished once more that they didn't have to follow the trail Greenacres was laying down for them. He had to know they would suspect a trap. He had to know she would surmise his intentions about her. What was he really up to? The intercom beep. She hit the answer key.
"Yes?"
"We have arrived at Omega, sir," said Araki. "Docking procedures complete."
"Still no word from ANI?"
"No, sir. The allied taskforce just sent an update on their ETA. They will be on site in two hours."
"Keep me posted." Releasing the key, Shepard looked over at Miranda. "He must have really done a number on the third code."
"You've to give him credit for his creativity," Miranda said dryly. "He hid the first one within a cargo manifest, the second in plain sight with Conrad Verner and the last in the medical files on the prothean dig site on Gei Hinnom. What do you suppose he's trying to tell you?"
Shepard stood up and stretched her stiff muscles. "If there's a message, I'll figure it out eventually. In the meantime, let's find out what Aria wants."
"I'll see you at the airlock," Miranda said with a little wave and left the loft.
Moving to the armour locker, Shepard stripped and pulled on the protective undersuit and hardsuit. Pulling out her personal pistol, she checked it, clipped it to her hip and grabbed the helmet before heading for the lift and took it down to deck five. While she was certain Aria would put in a better infrastructure for her beloved stomping ground, Omega was still a place she wouldn't walk in unarmed. Most especially the people she was going to meet. Accordingly, she signed out an assault rifle and other items from the armory. Miranda said nothing when she saw how she was outfitted when she arrived at the airlock on deck two, she herself was in a light hardsuit and carried only a pistol. Hiaras was as usual, fully suit up and armed.
There was no one at the end of the airlock when they went through it. The corridor was brightly lit and clean, Shepard noted. The walls were decorated with all the usual logos and signs. There was a neatness about it that was decidedly odd. Exchanging a bemused look with Miranda, Shepard took point and stepped through the hatch at the end of the corridor. She stopped when a blast of noise hit her.
"Well, she certainly did a number on Omega," Miranda murmured, eyes wide as she turned slowly to take in the sights.
"She certainly did," Shepard muttered in disbelief.
Unlike the dark, grungy and brooding Omega of old, the new Omega was bristling from top to bottom with bright, colourful holo displays of all kinds. The boardwalk was filled with a motley crowd. From flashy fashioned dandies to armored mercenaries. The air was stuffed with a cacophony of voices, canned advertisements, music and the occasional whiff of food being sold on cart stands. It looked surreal to Shepard.
"I wonder if she shifted the club location," she said as she looked around.
The Normandy had docked at the central hub so Afterlife should be right before them but it wasn't. The central structure loomed familiarly overhead.
"That looks like a visitor terminal." Hiaras pointed to a short pedestal nearby. It looked similar to the Avina terminals on the Citadel. "Or not," she said when they went near it. On top of it was a button and printed below it were the words; Punch Me.
"Give it a shot," said Shepard, eyeing it curiously. She was certain the V.I. would not be an asari hologram.
Hiaras pressed the button. Nothing happened. She tried again. Nothing. She slapped down hard on it when there was no response. A bulky hologram popped into view.
"Yeah, whaddya you want, weakling?!" the krogan V.I. bellowed.
"This couldn't be Aria's idea," said Shepard, lips twitching as she looked at the V.I. from head to toe. It reminded her somewhat of Wrex with his red head crest.
"Why not?" asked Miranda as she stared in fascination at the V.I.
"Not her style?"
"Get on with it, whaddaya want? I'm busy," the V.I. said impatiently, slamming one fist into the other hand.
"The location of Afterlife," Hiaras said with faint distaste for the V.I. seemed to be leering at her. That couldn't be right. V.I.s were programs, not living beings.
"Go on down the walk, you can't miss it," the V.I. growled. "Don't bother me next time if you can't even pack right." It showed its teeth and disappeared before Hiaras could formulate an answer.
"I'm not sure that's a V.I.," Miranda said doubtfully.
"It does seem too lively." Shepard agreed as she glanced at the concourse. "Let's go."
People gave way easily as they made their way down the concourse. No doubt a wary response to their armed status, not fear. The shops they passed displayed wares that ranged from weapons to miscellaneous household items. Nothing atypical except for the prices which were markedly lower than those on Thessia. There had to be under the counter trade offs. Shepard would love to find out how Aria managed to get that much merchandise flowing on Omega. Was it from the pirate queen's stockpiles or stuff she relieved from competition?
Despite the varied music clashing with one another, she could make out a familiar deep thrum. Her suspicion was borne out when it became more perceptible as they drew nearer to a broad tier flight of steps leading up to a pair of wide doors beneath a huge holosign. Afterlife. Even without it, the long queue snaking up the stairs would have drawn attention.
Taking point, Shepard headed up the stairs, preparing to thrash it out with the guards standing at the doors. However the head bouncer sorting out would be customers at the head of the queue spotted her approach. He took one look at her and turned his head to mutter something to the guards behind him. They stepped aside when Shepard and her group reached them, allowing them to pass through. This drew a chorus of protests from the queue. Shepard could hear the bouncer rumbling back at them before the doors snapped shut.
"She didn't change anything in here," observed Miranda, taking in the dim interior with flashing varied lights. Dancers gyrated to sultry music, high above the crowd on a circular two tier platform with a familiar purple holographic column.
"It's a nightclub, how much change can you inflict on it?" Shepard said dryly, spotting the private lounge easily. "Come on."
Once again, the guards knew who they were and let them ascend the stairs to the private lounge. However, Aria wasn't on the luxurious couch. A turian beckoned to them to follow and led them to a secluded corridor. Pressing once on the chime of the first door they came to, he opened it and waved them through. Stepping in warily, Shepard saw there were only two people in the room. Aria and another asari. An asari she knew all too well. Miona. On seeing her, Hiaras moved away from the others for a clear line of sight. If the dialogue didn't turn out well, the situation would turn ugly fast
"I'm not interrupting am I?" asked Shepard when Aria didn't say anything. The two looked as if they were in the middle of an argument. Although Aria was leaning casually against the far wall, she could sense the tension in her. "I can come back later if it's not a good time," she added when neither one answered.
"We were just having a discussion," Aria said finally, looking over at her. "Miona is keen to join you in your battle against Cerberus."
"Just you?" Shepard looked at Miona. "I thought..."
"My companion has died." Miona turned, her face was still but her eyes glittered with simmering emotions. "I will join you in your fight against Cerberus."
Shepard didn't answer immediately. She tried to gauge the younger asari's state of mind. Plainly, the death of the companion had a deep effect on her. The last thing she needed was an augmented biotic running amok onboard the Normandy. Having seen Miona's abilities, she couldn't deny that she would be of great help should they run into harden defenses. Should she risk it? As if she knew what Shepard was thinking, Miona stood and faced her directly.
"You need not fear that I would unleash my anger unjustly," she said. "All I want, is to kill every Cerberus minion and ground their leaders into dust."
"Then you must know there are former Cerberus operatives onboard my ship," said Shepard. "Will you kill them too?"
Miona's eyes flicked to Miranda as if she knew who Shepard was referring to. Did she know she had worked closely with TIM?
"If they have abandoned their allegiance, they have nothing to fear. Please, Shepard, I want to do this."
"She will be a great asset," Aria said persuasively when Shepard visibly hesitated. "Better than a squad."
"Do you need to pack-," Shepard began to ask.
"I'm ready." Miona bent down and picked up a bag that was hidden beneath the chair she was sitting on.
Shepard heistated before coming to a decision. "Right. Hiaras, Miranda, why don't you escort Miona back to the Normandy?" She glanced at the other two who said nothing but did as she asked. She waited till they left before removing her helmet with a sigh. "Alright, what happened?"
"The Cerberus implants and augmentations in her human companion were steadily degrading," said Aria. "He finally went mad. He killed several club patrons and would have taken down more if I had not stopped him."
"Did you lock him up?"
"Briefly." A grimace crossed Aria's face. "I gave her a choice. Either she kills him or I will. While she was trying to decide, he broke out of confinement and killed some of my guards."
"Who took him down?"
"She did."
That explained the deep grief she sensed. "She wants to die, doesn't she," Shepard said softly. "That's why she's volunteering."
"You have to try to make sure she doesn't. Persuade her. Shepard-," Aria put up a finger to forestall the human's answer, "she's important to us. I kept a medical profile on her ever since she chose to return with me. Unlike the rest of her compatriots who survived Omega, she's the only one who has yet to show any sign of degeneration. According to medical analysis, it's not likely to happen."
"Does she know you're spying on her?"
"She's no fool, Shepard," Aria returned coolly. "Only young."
"What do you want to do with her?"
"Return her to Thessia. She could be the next step in our evolution."
Shepard stared at her in disbelief. "I hope you're not proposing augmenting every asari with those kind of implants." Her stomach clenched as she thought of Delenn. No way was she going to allow her own kid to be implanted with Cerberus tech!
"Really, Shepard," Aria stared chidingly at her. "Do I look maniacal? Do you think the Assembly would allow it? Or the people would approve? Somehow Miona is able to merge with the technology. Perhaps it has altered her genetic structure, enhancing her abilities. There may be more alterations in the years ahead. Whatever it is that had happened, whether she induced the merge consciously or not, we need to find out what it is. We prefer to study a project in progress than a dead subject."
"What if it cannot be duplicated without using the implants?"
"Then perhaps it can be passed down to her progeny."
"What, she's a prize cow now?" Shepard snorted in disgust. "Does she know anything about this proposal?"
"We were having a discussion." Aria flicked her eyes to the chair Miona had sat in.
"I gather she isn't having any of it."
"You guess right." Noting Shepard's clear disagreement, Aria shrugged. "Think about it. If nothing else, she deserves to look away from the past and into the future. A life, if she wants it."
"Under the scope." Shepard shook her head. "You are so...never mind."
She pinched the bridge of her nose. Aria was right in a way. Miona ought to be dead but she wasn't. Whether her change was deliberately planned or a flux, it could wrought changes among the asari. Talking about the Cerberus implantations, however, was an unhappy reminder of what they did with her.
"I'll think about it."
"Fine." Aria smiled.
"What, no attempts to change my mind?" Shepard asked mockingly.
"I only make a suggestion. You do as you see fit." Straightening from her casual slouch, Aria crossed over to her and leaned closer, looking into her eyes. "Just make sure you leave nothing of Cerberus behind when you're finished with them. All of us have just about enough of those demented bigots."
"Of that, you can be sure," said Shepard. "Be seeing you, Aria."
She turned to go but Aria suddenly reached to grasp her face. The next thing she knew, she was thoroughly kissed. Her mind went blank. She stood there frozen, making not one sound of protest when Aria pulled her closer. Before she could gather her scattered thoughts, she found herself returning the kiss. What the hell?!
Aria almost laughed at Shepard's stunned expression when she drew away. Tracing a finger along Shepard's jaw, she said softly. "Thank you, for returning Omega to me. May you return safely from your quest."