Chapter 34: Welcome to No Man's Land
The industrial district of Tartagus usually bustled with workers who were busy slaving away in the hellish factories and work houses that were crammed in the smog-filled hub of Omega. Within these chambers lie the heart of Omega's economy, producing anything from steel girders to illegal weaponry and bootleg eezo cores. Criminal syndicates responsible for the distribution of the illegal goods ran the district like slavers, and the workers were little more than contractual prisoners. They would toil for hours upon hours, day in and day out, producing raw materials and anything else that could be salvaged from the scrap that littered the asteroids around Omega. They did this all for as little as a few credits a day, if anything at all.
But that was then.
Now, the district was filling up with Blue Suns mercs, driving away the gangs and the workers as they forcibly and violently claimed several large factories and warehouses as their new base of operations. The quick footed were able to get to safety before the Suns started gunning down those too slow or too stubborn to comply. Some tried to resist, but they only resisted briefly against the might of the Blue Suns.
As the violence reached its peak in the background, Commander Lucas Miller and his benefactor, The Patriarch, walked casually down the halls of a large factory, stepping over the bodies of the dead and dying as they inspected the place.
"Yes…" Miller said, scratching his scarred chin, looking around appraisingly. "Reinforced structural frame, highly defensible positions, not to mention able to withstand a high-yield explosion from without or within… Yes, I think this one will be my new main HQ."
"You have a good eye on you, Miller…" The Patriarch remarked as he walked alongside the man. "Yes, this place should be suitable against any future attempts at sabotage… And this time, by the enemy." He said flatly, causing Miller to snicker.
"Give me enough time and I can do terrible wonders to this place."
The plan had been flawless. Several hours ago, the pair of them orchestrated a trap that eliminated every single Blue Suns Commander on Omega in one fell swoop. Every single commander was wiped out, of course, except for Miller himself. That meant that he was now the highest ranking Blue Suns officer in Omega, giving him full control of the operation up until Vido Santiago himself were to set foot on Omega, but that was still a long time coming.
Their story went that a small force of Aria's loyalist had infiltrated into the heart of the Blue Suns HQ and planted a high-yield bomb just as the commanders were gathering. It was probably in hopes of beheading the Blue Suns by eliminating its leadership, giving Aria's men an opportunity to rally. The Blue Suns commanders were capable soldiers, however, and managed to stand their ground and even overpower the intruders. When they were beaten down to the last few men, this prompted the enemy to just deploy a failsafe measure, taking the entire base out with them in a sea of fire.
Miller couldn't help but grin with self-satisfaction. It was a ridiculous cover story; that much was for certain. Any Blue Suns officer worth their salt knew enough to put two and two together to see that it was a blatant power grab. They would have, anyway, were it not for his near perfect alibi. Who would suspect the cripple and the old krogan, gunned down by the enemy as they tried to escape the carnage? Some random bodies thrown into the gunship made it seem like they weren't alone either, or better yet, helping the other patients of the medical wing escape.
Either way, they had bought it, hook, line and sinker. Hell, maybe even the entire boat, too. The idiots actually bought his story, and allowed him to take charge of the whole damned operation.
There were dissenters against this course of action, of course, but the majority were only all too eager to accept this change. It didn't hurt that with the commanders gone, a lot of second and third in commands were up for promotion very soon. Still, the main point of dissent was Miller's current condition after the 'accident', specifically his gaining back the ability to move his body again.
They couldn't blame him for that one, Miller thought. That part was all the Patriarch's doing. Miller flexed his hands then clenched his fists as he assured himself again that this was not a dream. The energy that he could feel coursing through the veins of his body was exhilarating as well as terrifying, and very, very real. Underneath his armor, his body was wrapped from head to toe in bandages for wounds that have long since healed beneath them. Whatever the Patriarch had done to him, it was wholly unnatural and turned him into something that wasn't human anymore.
That being said, he liked it a lot. But he did not like it enough to not ask questions.
What did the Patriarch do to him?
What did the Patriarch want and what did he get out of it?
The Patriarch had an endgame in mind to which he was not privy to. All Miller knew was that giving him this position of command was somehow benefitting the old krogan. He wasn't a man that was very keen on details, but as it stood now, he only remained alive at the Patriarch's pleasure. He needed some way to make that deal a bit more permanent, even after the Patriarch gets what he wants.
He looked over to the old krogan, trying to read the placid expression on his craggy, scarred face. Huh, easier said than done. Miller's comm beeped, bringing him back from his thoughts and alerting him of an incoming transmission from one of his captains. "Commander Miller, here." He answered.
"Sir, we've secured most of the district, permission to begin setting up technical assets?"
"Granted, captain." He replied. "Also, I'd like the command center set up on my coordinates."
"Understood, sir." The captain replied. "What should we do with the prisoners, sir? The ones who tried to fight back?"
"Prisoners?" Miller scoffed. "Did I say we would be taking prisoners, captain?"
"Uh, no sir…"
"Then deal with it. Creatively, mind you. Miller, out." He said, cutting off the comm and turning back to speak to the Patriarch. "Well, now that we've taken over this place…" he began. "What now?"
"Now?" The Patriarch said, "Now we go to the next phase of the plan."
"Ah, good. Well, it would be helpful if you let me in on what this plan actually is." Miller replied, earning an almost disapproving glare from the Patriarch. "Just a thought." He added.
The Patriarch looked him over, and Miller didn't flinch nor shy away. A moment later, that earned him a smirk from the other man. "Tell me, Miller." He said as they stepped into a large room filled with imposing industrial machines. "Are you a spiritual man?"
"Spiritual?" Miller said, an amused grin crawling onto his face. "Tell me, Patriarch… What part of me says anything about spirituality?"
"Absolutely nothing at all… You are a wicked man, Lucas Miller. You lied, cheated, killed and raped your way throughout your life. You are aware of this yet you do not repent. Rather, you glorify in your wickedness, breathing it in like one would need to breathe this stale, Omega air." The Patriarch said, pausing as he clasped his hands behind him. "Do you even remember the first man you killed?"
"I killed my first man when I was 13… Dad didn't even see it coming when I splattered his brains across the wall with a pipe." Miller shrugged. "So, guilty as charged, I suppose. But then again, isn't this a case of the pot calling the kettle black?" he said casually.
"Yes. Yes, I suppose I am also a wicked man, Miller. And should we compare notes, my own sins from my very long life easily dwarfs whatever you may have done in yours… That's the plight of the living, you see? The sins of man are ingrained to its existence. To exist gives the capacity for evil, and evil only comes from those who exist."
"Huh, that sounds too deep for my liking." Miller said. "I just do what I like. If I have to trample over a dozen school children to get what I want, so be it. Their lives aren't my problem."
"Huh… I see the appeal in such a lifestyle. I've lived it, even." The Patriarch mused. "But after so long, you realize that there must be more to it…"
"What's your game then, redemption?" He asked bluntly. Miller wouldn't be surprised if it was. The Patriarch was pretty barbaric, even by krogan standards. He was also very old, even by krogan standards. And if anything could make a man re-evaluate his life, it was impending death.
"Redemption? No. Not redemption. It's far, far too late for somebody such as me. You can't redeem the oceans of blood I have shed. The souls I've extinguished." The Patriarch said dismissively. "No… Redemption is a child's folly. I aim for absolution, Miller."
"Absolution? By doing what, exactly? Helping trigger a violent coup and using those you can manipulate while trampling on anybody else in your way?" Miller asked, unable to stop himself. "I'm no theological scholar, but I know that two wrongs don't make a right." Great, now he's getting sucked into it. Miller hated all this deep talk about philosophical bullshit.
"I'm not trying to make things right." The Patriarch countered. "I'm trying to make things the way they ought to be."
Well, that was cryptic. Miller was starting to feel sorry he asked. He absolutely just hated these high strung talks about visions and what have you. Still, he had a lot riding on this. "And in this world where everything is the way they ought to be… Where does that put me?"
"You will be where you should be." The Patriarch replied. "As will I and everybody else."
Miller frowned. "You didn't answer my question."
The Patriarch merely scoffed. "I did."
"You didn't answer it well enough." Miller scowled, pressing the issue. Before he could say anything else, he felt something squirm in his chest… grasping his heart from the inside. "What the-?" A split second later, it squeezed his heart, causing him to drop to his knees, clutching his chest in pain and surrendering to a coughing fit. The pain was unbearable, radiating across his whole torso. Spittle laced with copious amounts of blood splattered to the floor from his mouth as he hacked and coughed.
The Patriarch merely looked at the suffering man unperturbed. "I did."
Miller gasped for air, his vision darkening as white spots danced in front of him and his pulse drumming frantically in his ears. The pain seemed to go on for an eternity, before eventually, whatever gripping his heart finally decided to let go. The pain slowly subsided, but Miller was left drained of his strength, leaving him lying on all fours on the floor, gasping for air.
"If you're quite satisfied with the answers to your questions, get yourself up." The Patriarch said flatly. "We have much to do in so little time."
Miller groaned, spitting up a last wad of blood as he got up, wiping the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand. His face slowly twisted into a scowl as he stared the Patriarch down, who didn't even care in the slightest at his look of defiance. "Yes, sir." He managed to say as cold as possible.
"Very good." The old krogan replied, seemingly satisfied by his answer. "Now, gather the army within the next hour. You will address them."
"Eh?" Miller said, the sudden order taking him out of the moment. "I don't know if you've heard, but public speaking isn't exactly my strong suite. I'm more of a lead by example kind of guy."
"Hmmm… You let me worry about that." The Patriarch said. "You will speak to them, and you will know what to say. The Blue Suns need to hear from their leader. We're going to take this war one more level higher."
Miller wanted to say something else, but the Patriarch had already begun to walk away. Sucking up the pain, he got up to both his feet and shambled after the old krogan. This whole deal was starting to get shittier and shittier by the minute. He was a tool, a means to an end. But he was still alive. He just had to make sure it stayed that way.
The Normandy was currently traversing through what Garrus called the 'dark-side' of Omega; a portion of space outside the station that no ship dared passed through. It was with good reason, as a cloud of debris and small pieces of scrap filled the entire area that the Normandy seemed to be swimming in it. The only reason that the ship wasn't being torn to shreds was because of the shields and heavy armor plating beneath it.
Joker clicked his tongue in annoyance as dozens of proximity alerts popped up on his console. "All hands be advised, blast shields are up. Divert all secondary power to the kinetic shields." He said as armor plating rolled over the cockpit and the viewports of the Normandy, sealing it away from the outside. "Let's keep her nice and steady; don't want to scratch up the paint job more than it already has."
EDI's avatar appeared beside him, something that Joker had become less annoyed by and more accustomed to. "That would be the least of our problems, Mr. Moreau." She said. "According to my analysis, once shields fall, it will take the debris a matter of minutes to shear past the hull armor when flying at cruising speeds. Resulting hull breach would be devastating, with projected casualties to be at over 45% dying from vacuum exposure in the initial 127 seconds. The rest will succumb in the next 245 seconds afterwards when the ship is ripped apart by the sudden change in pressure."
Joker had to face-palm. That just went live on the PA, he thought to himself, mortified. "Thanks for the information, EDI." He said, rolling his eyes and cutting off the feed before she could do more damage to the crew's morale.
"But don't worry. While the rest of the crew dies slow, horrible deaths, you would be obliterated into paste and die instantaneously as the razor sharp edges of the shrapnel-like debris burst into the cockpit and tore into your flesh."
"Thank you, EDI." Joker said through grit teeth, cutting her off from her morbid analysis.
"Should I survive, I would keep the pieces of you in the fish tank so I can see you every day."
"What?"
"That was a joke."
"That was a joke?" Joker just had a confused look on his face. "EDI, there are dark jokes and just plain dark. What does that even mean?!"
"I would suggest you keep your focus on the flying, Mr. Moreau." Edi said. "Unless, of course, you would prefer being obliterated into paste as a better alternative."
"I'd prefer a mute button."
"Would you like to know what I would prefer?"
"I… I'm ignoring you right now."
"On your knees. Yes, that would be my preference." The AI spoke, almost musingly.
"These things that come out of your mouth." He said for a lack of a better term. "Do you even process them before speaking?"
"Yes. I analyse my statements an average of 1,326 times before speaking and choose the ones that would get the most reaction from you."
"Alrighty then…" Joker sighed. "Great, the toaster is ribbing me and getting off on it. Hold on, I think I have a visual on our drop off point on one of the cameras…" Through the sea of scrap, the hull mounted camera outside was able to make out a series of blinking green lights. The only lights throughout this abandoned part of Omega.
"I have calculated a pathway through the debris and displaying it on your console." EDI said, her tone unchanged but somehow it was now all business. "You may follow it on your leisure, Joker."
"Thanks. Making my approach. Keep docking protocol on standby." Joker said as he yoked on the controls. "Well, time to let the boys and girls know that playtime is almost here."
The light was blinding, and all he could hear was the high pitched ringing in his ears. The light slowly started to dim, and the scene slowly bloomed back into his vision. As his head lolled about, other sounds rose above the ringing in his head.
Gunfire.
Explosions.
Muffled screams.
Shepard shook his head as the shell shock wore off, picking himself up on the ground as he scoured the still smoking wreck of the APC he was riding on. A hand clasped on his shoulder, and he turned to see one of his men pulling him back down to a crouch, just in time as a barrage of bullets flew overhead.
His mouth was moving, but all Shepard could hear were muffled cries that seemed to come from far away. The man shook him, his face full of panic. Slowly but surely, however, Shepard's senses started to sharpen and focus back into reality, thrusting him right back into the chaos of the battlefield. "-ir!? Sir!? Are you alright?!" The man said in panic, shaking him.
Shepard brushed him off gruffly. "Easy, Rogers! I'm fine!" he barked over the sound of gunfire and explosions, dirt and debris intermittently raining over them as the ground shook. He took a moment to make sure that he was alright, going over his vitals on his omnitool and wiggling his toes to see that his legs were still of use."Give me a sit-rep, soldier!"
"We have high casualties, sir! Echo, Lambda and Foxtrot squads were wiped out in the initial barrage!" The man said in panic as they both huddled behind cover, bullets whizzing over their heads. "Half of Hotel squad is dead and dying and we haven't even heard from Charlie or India squads! Alpha, Bravo and November squads were spared the brunt of the attack and are now the only things keeping the enemy from overrunning our position!"
"Damn it!" Shepard cursed through grit teeth as he fumbled for a weapon, taking an assault rifle from a mangled corpse. "What about Whiskey, Zulu and Tango squads?!"
"Already en route for extraction, sir!" Rogers said proudly.
"Extraction?! On whose orders?!" Shepard demanded.
"I'm sorry sir! You were unconscious! We're being slaughtered by the dozens! I thought the worse and- urk!" The man yelped, struggling to keep his throat from being crushed.
Shepard pulled the man close to his face and sneered menacingly. "Listen to me, Rogers." He began coldly, eyes burning with fury as he stared the younger man down. "You do something like that again and I'll shoot you for insubordination. Am I clear?"
"Bu-But sir!"
"What the fuck did I just say?" Shepard said, shoving the barrel of the assault rifle under the man's chin. "I came here to kill some batarians, and I'm not leaving Torfan until each and every one of those filthy animals is left in an unmarked open grave, to be feasted by the vermin of this fucking backwater planet." Shepard continued. "And I'm prepared to do whatever it takes… Understood, son?"
Rogers gulped. "Yes, sir."
"Alright, now patch me through to the men." He said. "We're bringing these bastards down, no matter the cost!"
"Shepard?" A female voice said, echoing in from the distance.
"Shepard?"
"Shepard!"
"Huh?" Shepard said as he turned to face Tali. He was inside his quarters, suiting up with the fourth new set of armor that he had acquired in the last couple of days or so. It was another set of light armor that Feron had given him because he had all but scrapped his last ones, two of which almost consecutively. Bearing red Shadow Broker regalia, it was mainly white with black trim. "Oh, sorry, Tali." He apologized.
Tali tilted her head just enough to let him see past her glazed visor and see a raised eyebrow on her face. "Welcome back to the world of the living."
"Sorry, just got taken by my thoughts." Shepard said as he adjusted the straps of the light armor he was wearing.
"Anything you want to talk about?"
"I was just… It's nothing."
"John…" Tali said. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"
"Hey, don't worry about it." He said, grinning reassuringly. "I was just… remembering things that are best left in the past."
"Is it…" Tali began carefully in a hushed tone. "Is it about Torfan?"
"Heh, got it in one." Shepard said with a sad smile. "Am I that easy to read?"
"No." Tali said, shaking her head. "I just know you better than most."
Shepard just smiled as he slipped on the armor's gauntlets around his forearms. Tali walked up next to him and helped adjust the clasps and straps. He had done it thousands of times unassisted, but he knew she was helping him not because he needed it. She was helping him slip into his armor because she just wanted to. It was one of the few things they could do as a couple that had some semblance of normalcy, strange as it may sound.
"Well, are you going to tell me?" She said expectantly as she twisted a cuff on his elbow, earning a pressurized hiss from it as the gauntlet locked onto the rest of the armor in an airtight seal. "Or am I prying?"
"Hey… I promised you there would be no secrets in this relationship, right?" Shepard said as he cupped her face in his hand. He lightly touched his forehead to her visor, leaving it there for a few seconds before pulling back. "I… I was remembering one of the soldiers under me. A man named Rogers." He said, then snickering mirthfully. "Man? Hell, he was still a kid, really; A greenhorn with only a couple of years of peace-time service under his belt. He was the one who pulled me out of the wreckage when the batarians blew our APC up to kingdom come and shit hit the fan." Shepard shook his head. "He was a good kid, young but promising. But you know how the story goes… I got him killed… along with the rest."
"John..." Tali said quietly.
"They call me the Butcher, Tali. And it's not just because of the dozens of batarian lives I took that day." He continued. "It's also for all the lives I got killed under my command. I was driven by so much hate because of what the Batarians had done to my family that I… I made that mission personal. And damn it… I was willing to give the lives of those men just so I could kill those batarians…" He paused, turning his gaze to the floor. "Sorry, I thought I was past this… But I'm thinking about it more and more, recently. It's… It's like I can't get it out of my head."
"John, look at me." Tali said, touching his chin with one hand and gently turning his face towards her. "We can't change or run away from our past, but we can't live in them either. We can only take it for what it is and carry the burden with us. We learn from it and we go forward…"
"I know, but some burdens are heavier than others…"
"That's why we have loved ones to help us carry it."
"I can't ask that of you, Tali." He replied, earning him a playful flick to his nose.
"The point is you don't have to ask me. I'll do it because I love you." Tali said, walking around him to stand behind his back, working on the clasps and straps of the chest piece, ensuring that it too is sealed airtight. "I accept you for who you are and what you did, both past and present, both butcher and John. The dead can't forgive us anymore, but you can forgive yourself."
"Yeah… Yeah, I suppose you're right." Shepard relented. "Either way, that should be the least of my worries right now…" Shepard said, trying to change the subject. "I mean, really, it fades in comparison to what Feron told us about what was really going on in Omega."
"Well, there are a few things that could possibly be more taxing than some secret cult, possibly of the doomsday variety, working behind the shadows with malicious intent." She replied playfully, walking around him to face him once more. When she spoke again, a slight tone of fear crept into Tali's voice. "That woman, Tarrana… Feron says that she was a member of that cult. Do you think that all of them are… like her?"
Shepard looked her in the eye. Even behind the tint of her visor, he knew just where to lock his stare into. "I hope not… But it doesn't matter." He said. "Whatever they are or whatever they're up to, we'll stop them."
"Well, after facing Sovereign and the Collectors, if anybody can do it, it's you."
"Us." Shepard corrected her. "If anybody can do it, it's us. I could have never achieved any of those feats alone. But if it's all of us, we can definitely do it. No doubt in mind."
"Well…" Tali said as she picked up Shepard's helmet, slipping it over his head. "You should save the peptalk 'til we're in front of everybody else." She said, securing the helmet to the collar of the armor. "Hold still, John."
Shepard's vision went dark for a moment before the helmet clicked, booting up its HUD and linking up to his omnitool. "Thanks."
"You can thank me by remembering this is light armor." Tali said. "It won't be able to take the usual amount of punishment you expose yourself to. Be careful."
"Don't worry, it's just a placeholder. Aria said she has a suitable replacement for me once we reach her safe house."
"That's not what I meant…"
"I know; I'll be careful. Besides…" Shepard clenched his right fist and the omniblade spun to life, sprouting from his wrist. "Thanks to a special somebody, I got a new trick up my sleeve." Tali tilted her head and Shepard could only snicker in reply.
It was at this point that EDI's voice chimed in once more. "Shepard, we will be arriving at our destination in 5 minutes and 32 seconds and counting."
"Thanks EDI, tell the ground team to assemble in front of the airlock, asap." Shepard said, then turning to Tali. "We've got to get a move on, as well."
"Alright, what will you be taking?" Tali said as she walked towards the far wall and activated her omnitool, waving it in front of her. A panel slid back, revealing a rack of guns; Shepard's personal armory.
"Just give me my standard load out." Shepard said. "But there'll be plenty more guns at Aria's."
"Copy that, you mooch." She snickered, grabbing an assault rifle and laying it down on the bed.
"Thanks." Shepard took a moment to check the gun's specs, before collapsing it into standby mode and storing it on his back. He looked to see that Tali had also laid down a pair of carnifexes for him on the bed. After running another quick check on those, he twirled them in his hands and stored them on his hips.
"Let's not forget the best for last." Tali said as she hefted a couple of shotguns in her hands, tossing the other one to Shepard.
Shepard caught the weapon mid-air and checked its specs, before storing it on his back. "Well, ready to earn our salt?"
"Salt? Is that another human pop-culture reference that always goes over my head?" Tali asked, running a quick diagnostic scan on her gun.
"Back in the day, ancient Roman legionnaires were paid in salt instead of gold." Shepard explained, earning a curious look from Tali. "My older sister was a hard-core history nerd, and she loved reading up on the Roman Empire. If she were still alive, she might've enlisted with me, too." As he spoke, his mind was slowly creeping away from the good memory of her life to the scarring one of her death at the hands of the batarian pirates that raided their home. But Tali was one step ahead of that thought process, and she spoke quickly to keep him in check.
"Another one of you? And a female to boot? The galaxy would be long gone before the Reapers could show up." She replied, both of them sharing a good laugh out of it. "I would have loved to have met her, John."
"Jane would have loved meeting you, too." He said with a sad smile.
"Well then, let's bust a few heads in her honor tonight." She said, storing the gun on her back and locking her fingers together, eliciting a satisfying crack from her knuckles.
Shepard chuckled. "Yep, she would have definitely loved meeting you."
A few minutes later and Shepard found himself facing a small ground force of soldiers comprised of his team and Feron's operatives. It was a tight fit to get them all lined up in front of the hallway that led to the airlock, but they had somehow managed it. Everybody was there except for Jack and Samara, who were still incapacitated in the medbay, and Mordin who opted to stay behind and continue digging through the specimen in his lab for anything that might prove useful against Tarrana and her ilk. Almost all of them had donned some kind of armor or pressurized suit for the nature of this operation; even Miranda had traded in her usual cat suit for some black light armor. Then again, Aria, Tali, Kasumi, Thane and Feron still wore their usual gear, preferring their mobility over added protection.
It has been a while since Shepard commanded this many men at once, having operated with a small 3 man squad almost exclusively for the past few years. The last time he had done so was back on Torfan.
"Alright soldiers, listen up." He said, trying to lock his gaze on each and every man and woman present if even just for a second. "Right now, we're going in blind. Quite frankly, even I don't know what we're getting ourselves into. So here's our short term game plan." Shepard said, pacing back and forth. It was a simple, straight forward plan, and no doubt it would change as soon as they made contact with the enemy. But it was the best that Shepard could do with what he's got right now. He'd make it up as he went along. "Our first priority is to secure Aria's safe house, find out what's been going on in the station and make our way into Omega proper. Once we've done that, we're splitting up into teams." He stopped his pacing and looked towards Feron. "Feron, I need you and your men to do what you do best. Be our eyes and ears. Find out what the enemy wants and where we can find it."
Feron nodded curtly, sporting a new brown long coat around his shoulders and his sword in its sheathe, tucked securely on his waist. His face was hidden by the recon hood he wore, his visor glowing a dangerous red. "Of course."
Shepard returned the nod and continued talking. "Alright, meanwhile I and the rest of the team will work with Aria in coordinating with her forces." He said, gesturing to the very definition of murderous intent wrapped up in a very feminine form to his right. "We'll give the enemy something to focus on while Feron's team do their digging."
Aria eyed him with her usual bored yet determined expression. "You're reducing my part in this whole operation into what? A smokescreen, Shepard?" she said dangerously. The silent whir of her mechanical fist opening and closing lent an almost eerie undertone to her otherwise threatening disposition.
"You are getting what you want, Aria." Shepard replied, unperturbed. "Does it matter if I get something out of it, too? Besides, this situation could be an even bigger threat than what Omega is already facing."
Feron stepped up. "It is a bigger threat. Not just to Omega but to the entire galaxy." He said coolly, weathering Aria's piercing glare.
Aria merely scoffed, saying nothing more to them, which was probably as good as any consent that they could get out of the woman.
Shepard had to hold off a sigh. It wouldn't have been good for morale if he had done it in front of the others. Aria was going to be a wildcard in this operation. She acted the haughty femme fatale, but Shepard knew that most of it was just for show to throw off others from her true intentions. Whatever happens, he knew he could count on Aria on one thing though: She would do whatever it took to save her kingdom.
Joker's voice played through the PA. "Commencing docking procedures." He said as the ship shook a bit, the airlock locking on into the lone docking port on this side of Omega. "Pressurizing the chamber… Docking operations successful." He said. "Anytime you're ready, commander."
"Thanks, Joker." Shepard said as he made his way to the airlock, the small troop of soldiers behind him following suit.
EDI chimed in, "I have run a scan on the local atmosphere. Oxygen levels are down by 20%, but I detect no toxins in the air. I would advise that you keep your helmets on regardless, commander."
"Noted" Shepard said as he pulled out his rifle, turning around to gesture to several people. "Aria, Grunt, Garrus, Tali, Jacob, we're taking point. The rest of you, wait for the all clear." This was uncharted territory; no sense putting everybody at risk. If the worst case scenario happens, the others could bail them out.
The six of them stepped up to the airlock door, guns raised and ready to open fire.
Tali cleared her throat, catching Aria's attention. "So, I thought this place was supposed to be a secret hiding spot that only you knew about?" She said. "What exactly are we preparing to shoot?"
"You can't be too careful." Aria replied. "After what the Patriarch did to me with his little coup, I wouldn't be surprised if there's an army on the other side of this door." She said. "Or a bomb."
Jacob raised an eyebrow at that. "How likely is that scenario?"
"Next to none… But I haven't been in here for a couple of years, so it's anybody's guess." Aria said, looking down the barrel of her pistol. "Besides, the vermin may have let themselves in."
Tali tilted her head. "Vermin?"
Garrus clicked his mandibles. "Vorcha."
Jacob just rolled his eyes. "Of course there'd be vorcha."
Grunt grunted in disgust at the word. "Ugh. I hate vorcha. It doesn't taste bad going down, but it's the aftertaste that will make you want to wretch out your guts."
Garrus managed to remain deadpan while everybody else showed their disgust on their faces. "You've eaten vorcha before?" he asked flatly, raising an eyebrow.
"Nah, it's in the memories of Warlord Thrakk the Insatiable." Grunt said dismissively. "That bastard Okeer imprinted me with very detailed memories. Some of which I'd rather he didn't."
Shepard just chuckled as he raised a fist to signal them. "Settle down guys, eyes on the prize." He said. "Joker, open the hatch."
"You got it, commander. Give 'em hell."
"Always."
There was a hiss of air escaping as the hatch clicked a few times before sliding open, revealing the red tinted haze of the safe house's docking port. Taking only a split second to survey his surroundings, Shepard moved in, eyes staring down the barrel of his gun as he swept the area. Aria, Grunt, Garrus, Jacob and Tali followed suit, guns ready to blast anything that moved in the dimly lit room that wasn't them. They took point, surveying the scene for anything at all that could pose a threat to them.
Even though she wasn't a member of his team, Shepard noted that Aria moved surprisingly well in tandem with the others, managing to stay out of their firing lanes while simultaneously keeping them covered in hers. That stuff didn't come naturally; it was ingrained through blood, sweat, tears and rigorous training. Aria had some military experience, or at least military-level training. Just another piece of the puzzle in the mystery that was Aria T'Loak, he supposed.
The docking port was a wide open space that was capable of holding a couple dozen of people comfortably. A few crates littered the place, and Shepard half expected an enemy to pop up out of cover and open fire on them. On the far wall across from them was another door, the one that led into the safe house proper. Dust kicked up around Shepard's feet as his boots clacked against the metal floor. His eyes immediately looked down to look for other footprints in the dust. Nothing, it looks like they were the first ones here for a very long time. Well, in this room anyway.
Shepard didn't lower his guard as he approached the next door. Aria stepped up beside him and ran her omnitool over it. A holo-interface danced on the door's surface as several locks unlocked themselves in a series of heavy clicks. A moment later and the door slid apart, revealing nothing but darkness on the other side.
Aria frowned, checking her omnitool. "The generator must be down; the place is only running on minimum back-up power." She said. "That would explain the quality of the air, too."
"Then we get it fixed." Shepard replied, turning to Tali. "Can you do anything about it?"
"That depends on the state of the generator." Tali said. "Where is it located?" She asked Aria.
"Two levels down, follow me."
Shepard and the others followed closely behind Aria. Their HUDs pinged quietly as their night vision filters kicked in, revealing a plethora of furniture in a large studio type apartment. "Nice place." He commented.
"It's alright." Aria said, a hint of nostalgia to her voice. "I used to live here back when I first got into Omega…"
Garrus whistled. "You lived all the way out here?" He said, creeping along a row of shelves. "How'd you even manage to set this entire place up, anyway?"
"This place wasn't always a ghost town." She said. "I just managed to let this place remain untouched and forgotten while everything else went to hell in these parts."
"What happened?" Jacob asked.
"A Krogan named Barago Ragar staged an uprising against the current ruling faction." She said. "It was a bloody war, and hundreds of thousands died in the crossfire. Entire districts were wiped out by bombings and biological warfare, leaving them barren and uninhabitable. Just like this one."
The mention of the name Barago caught Grunt's attention. "Barago? As in that clan Barago?"
"Yes. That clan Barago." Aria nodded.
"Impossible." Grunt dismissed. "They were ruthless warriors, but my memories say that they were wiped out to the last man for that attack on the turian colony planet of Fariscira."
"Yeah? Well one of them got away, going into hiding on this station until he decided he wanted a slice of the pie." Aria explained. "And he's made a very nice life for himself here… up until he decided to fuck with me."
Shepard raised his brows as he put two and two together in his head. "The Patriarch."
That earned a snide chuckle from Aria. "The one and the same." She confirmed. "I took away everything that he was all years ago. Everything except for his life." Venom dripped from her words "This time though, I'm going to correctthat mistake and go all the way."
Shepard took that in as the small group moved slowly in the dark. The place was deathly silent, and only their footsteps echoing in the dark broke the quiet. Dust kicked up into the air as they went along their way, and Shepard was careful to look for any other footprints in them besides theirs.
A few moments later and they faced a door, opening up to reveal a stairwell going a level up and a level down. "There's another floor above this one?" Shepard asked Aria as he eyed the stairs going up.
"Just the trophy room and my quarters." Aria answered.
Garrus hefted his rifle and made for the stairs going up. "You head on down to the generator with the others, Shepard." He said. "I'll cover the upper floor."
"Good idea." Shepard agreed. "Keep in radio contact and keep your guard up."
"And keep your hands to yourself." Aria added, obviously displeased by the idea but understanding its necessity. "Trust me, I'll know if you go through any of my things."
"Copy that." Garrus said flatly, rolling his eyes as he ascended into the darkness above, parting from the rest. "Eyes sharp, Shepard."
"Likewise." Shepard nodded to the rest and he led the way to the stairs going down.
Garrus stepped into the darkness, peeking over the edge of the stairs as he swept the area for any dangers under the green haze of the night vision. He felt a an impulse bolt up his spine as he saw a humanoid shape standing in the middle of the room, then calmed himself down when he realized it was just an asari statue.
"Yeesh… I'm pretty sure Aria wouldn't have appreciated me riddling this thing full of holes." He murmured, walking around the statue.
Aria's trophy room was full of just that, trophies. Glass cabinets lined the wall holding various objects of interest such as ancient looking tablets, guns or even pieces of battle-worn armor riddled with burns, slash-marks and bullet holes.
Garrus crept through the displays, wary of anything that could be hiding in the dark. There were no windows in this place, and if there were, they must have been covered by metal shutters. The floor seemed clear of any dangers, but outside these walls, Garrus wasn't so sure. He took a deep breath, knowing full well that soon they would be traversing through the expanse of No Man's Land. He didn't like the idea, but it was their only way of getting into Omega undetected.
On the far side of the room was a large door leading to what must be Aria's bed chambers. Garrus readied his rifle and scanned its surroundings. No sign of anything wrong, he thought to himself, slowly approaching the door. Raising his omnitool, he ran his hand over the door attempting to open it, only to be repelled by a powerful lock.
"Typical." Garrus clicked his mandibles. "Well, looks like this floor is clear. No more window shopping for you."
Nothing. After a few more moments of silence, Garrus cleared his throat before speaking up again.
"You do realize you can come out now, right Kasumi?"
A few moments passed before the air beside him flickered in blue sparks, revealing the familiar form of Kasumi's sneaking suit. "Alright, what gives? I sure as hell didn't make a peep and I was careful to only step on the footsteps of others." Kasumi said, obviously annoyed by her detection. "What gave me away? Hint of perfume? Did I kick up dust without noticing it?"
"Lucky guess." Garrus said flatly, grinning beneath his helmet and watching with terrible satisfaction as the woman's shoulders drooped down.
"I've become that predictable?" Kasumi asked exasperatedly.
"Well, I wouldn't say that…" Garrus began, "But it was a fifty-fifty chance. Oh, and come on, the moment Aria said 'trophy room' I could practically hear the cash register ringing in your head."
Kasumi shrugged. "Guilty." She replied mischievously. "Still, other than that statue, nothing of value out here outside of sentimentality. Of course, people pay a great deal for sentimentality. But until I get a job order, I'm not hauling around random bits of scrap." She said, approaching the door. "But behind this door, however…"
"You're not seriously considering robbing the most influential gangster on this side of the Terminus, are you?" Garrus asked. "Besides, that's a military grade lock on that thing. We'd be here all night if you tried to crack that."
"Depends…" Kasumi said playfully as she ran her hand over the door. Her omnitool flickered to life, activating the door's holo interface as various data processes occurred all at once. "And please, remember who you're talking to." A moment later and there was a loud click, and the door slid open.
"Well, damn." Garrus said as he walked through the door, rifle ready.
"Hello? Best thief in the galaxy?" Kasumi said, strutting into the opened room after him. "It's exactly what it says on the tin."
"I'll keep that in mind just in case I ever get locked out of my place." Garrus replied. The bedroom was a large chamber, dominated by an equally large, circular bed in the middle of it covered by a white sheet to keep the dust off of it. The walls were lined by paintings and shelves, holding crystals, vases and small sculptures. Aria really knew how to treat herself, he thought.
"Oh my, some of these things look like they're from the turn of the millennium…" Kasumi said as she prowled off to ogle; the girl always had a knack for art. And a lot of these things did seem pocket sized.
Garrus just shook his head as Kasumi acted like a kid in a candy shop. Surprising as it was, it didn't feel awkward to try and speak to her even after their last encounter. Now that was awkward. It didn't feel like they were skirting around the topic either. Somehow, just talking to each other seemed natural enough.
Even so, they'd have to deal with that when it came to it, but was that time now?
Kasumi was still busy running an inventory on Aria's collection that she barely heard Garrus clearing his throat. "What? I haven't taken anything yet, right?" She started defensively.
"We have to talk about what's happening between us." Garrus said, cutting straight to the point.
The bounce from Kasumi's step seemed to fade, but there was no awkward silence that followed. "Yeah, I suppose you're right." She conceded, folding her arms over her chest. "What in particular did you want to talk about?" Kasumi just dipped on her hip, looking awfully stiff for someone who was usually so limber. And no, it was probably not from her injuries.
Oh, Garrus thought, he was supposed to take the first few steps in this little dance? Garrus just clicked his mandibles. Well, here was that awkward silence he was looking for. His hand reflexively went to scratch his scar, finding it to be obscured by his helmet.
Taking a deep breath, Garrus took a moment to choose his words carefully. "Well, for one, I'd like to talk about everything, actually." He began, feeling as if he had just dived underwater, holding his breath in his lungs as he went deeper. "This tension between us… I'm still trying to figure out where that comes from."
Kasumi chuckled nervously. "Yeah… Feels like it kind of just happened, huh?"
"Yes… and no." Garrus replied. "I think it's always been there, we just haven't realized it was until that other night…"
Kasumi bit her lip under the faceplate of her suit as her thoughts went back to that night. He was right, she thought. She and Garrus had always gotten along well enough; then again, she had always gotten along with the entire crew.
What made it different with Garrus? There was obviously something there; she just couldn't see it well enough yet. And it didn't hurt that he was pretty manly. She wanted this, but at the same time, she was afraid. He was still standing there, waiting for her to reply.
This was it; this was where she had to choose.
Should she stomp out the fire or pour gasoline all over it?
Enough was enough, she decided. She wasn't some hormonally struck teenager. She was a woman that knew what she wanted. And when it came to love, she was the predator and not the prey.
Yeah, maybe she'll take this chance. Who knows? Maybe she won't come to regret it.
"Is that what you think?" Kasumi said, her confidence slowly trickling back. She paused just long enough to make it a bit uncomfortable for him, smiling underneath her mask. Yes, if they were going to do this, they were doing this her way. "I think that you and I may be on to something here."
Garrus' head perked up at that, and so did her Cheshire grin. "So what do you propose?" He asked, and she almost giggled to see him cringe at his poor choice of words.
"I propose…" she said teasingly, approaching him. "That we let it run its course and see what happens…"
"A wait and see method?" Garrus asked as she drew closer to him.
"Yeah. See, we're two very complicated people. So complicating our lives even more with a little dance doesn't seem very appealing." Kasumi nodded, drawing a finger over the lines of his armor. "No pressure, no games… Just us; and whatever may become of us." she whispered. "Can you live with that?"
"Yeah…" Garrus nodded. "Yeah, I can live with that."
Kasumi's eyes seemed to shine with a predatory light underneath her visor, and Garrus didn't know whether to be excited or afraid.
"Perfect." She purred.
Maybe both, he decided.
Aria led the way as they descended deeper into her safe house, looking for the generator that powered the small facility. They passed a floor filled that seemed to be the garage, passing several old trucks and skycars.
Jacob whistled. "Man, talk about classics." He said as he eyed the collection of vehicles. "Those things look way past vintage…"
Aria sneered. "Any more comments about the age of my things will be seen as a comment at my age." She said. "You've been warned."
Jacob raised a hand to calm her down. "Easy, I'm just saying."
"You've said enough."
"Settle down you two." Shepard said, turning to Aria. "Where's the generator?"
"One more floor down, come on." She said, turning towards the last flight of stairs. "Unless your friend there has any more useful comments he'd like to make."
For his part, Jacob just shrugged and said. "Don't get your fine panties in a bunch on my account, I was just saying."
Aria just stared at him, eyes glaring daggers.
Grunt snickered while Shepard and Tali just watched in shock as one of the mellowest members of their team just said that to the face of one of the galaxy's deadliest gangsters.
The two stared each other down, with Jacob weathering Aria's fearsome gaze. Everybody's fingers gingerly tapped at the triggers of their weapons knowing full well what Aria's temper was capable of doing, ready for anything that may come to pass.
After a few moments that seemed like an eternity had passed, Aria broke off the stare, chuckling in amusement much to the surprise of the others. "As if I wear any." She said as she walked off ahead of them, going down the stairs and leaving them with their jaws dropped.
Grunt was the first to break the silence, snickering. "Hehehe, nice…" he said to himself as he hurried after Aria, leaving Shepard and Tali with a rather stunned Jacob.
Shepard picked up his jaw from the floor, shouldered his gun and walked up to Jacob, grabbing him by the collar of his armor as if to snap him out of his daze. "The hell has gotten into you, Jacob?" he demanded. "You literally just flirted with death! Do you realize the body count that woman has? The last thing we need is you goading her on!"
"Sorry, Shepard." Jacob said, grabbing his hand and prying it off his armor. "I don't know what came over me."
Tali stepped up to him with a softer tone to her voice. "Jacob, are you alright?"
"I'm fine… Really." He added, as if he could feel Tali's concerned gaze. "I've just been on edge lately."
Shepard scoffed. "No, really? And here I thought you were picking fist fights with Zaeed for shits and giggles." He said, turning to follow Aria and Grunt. He stopped after a few steps and turned back to face Jacob. "I don't know what happened to you, but I need to know that you're up for this, Jacob."
"I'm good." Jacob insisted, brushing his way past Shepard and Tali as he made his way for the stairs. "The sooner I can find something to shoot, the sooner I can work out my issues."
Shepard watched as Jacob disappeared down the stairs. "Like a fucking kindergarten…" he murmured as he followed after him, Tali walking along at his side. "Any guesses as to why our dear Mr. Taylor is acting out?"
"Women troubles." Tali said without a moment's hesitation, causing Shepard to raise an eyebrow.
"Your sources?"
"Women's intuition." She said, and Shepard could swear she was winking at him under her visor.
"So…" Shepard said, rubbing the back of his head. "Panties."
That earned him a punch to the shoulder, but both of them were laughing afterwards. They walked downstairs to find the others in front of a massive generator. Aria was kneeling in front of it as she tried to figure out what was wrong on her own. She looked up over her shoulder at Tali, her face back to that serious scowl she wore. "Took you two forever and a day…" she began, "A little help over here?"
After several minutes of work figuring out what was wrong and several failed attempts, Tali finally realigned the correct circuits and replaced the correct fuses. "There." She said as she dusted her hands off, getting up to her feet. "This should do nicely."
Aria walked over to inspect her work. "Hnh, would have never thought of that." She said. "Thanks, now we can power up the place."
"Hold on, I've got to alert Garrus before we blind him." Shepard said, linking up to Garrus' comm. "Garrus, we've fixed the generator. Turn down your night vision."
"Copy that." Garrus replied through the comm. "It is all clear up here, too; we'll see you downstairs."
"We?" Shepard asked in confusion.
"We." Kasumi's voice replied playfully over Garrus' comm.
Aria frowned. "Is that Goto?" she began. "Tell her not to bother; everything's ID tagged."
Shepard just rolled his eyes. "Alright, night vision down. Let's light this place up."
Outside, the area surrounding the safe-house was a city in ruins. The other buildings were little more than skeletons, surrounded by rubble, scrap and debris. It would appear that only Aria's abode was spared the destruction. The very air shook as the powerful generator started up, breaking through the otherwise solemn silence of the place.
It only lasted for a moment, but a moment was all it took to catch the interests of red eyes glowing in the dark.
"Hmmm, hear that?" A scratchy voice snarled. "Over there, in big building…" the vorcha said, pointing a twisted, clawed finger at the safehouse in the distance.
"Big Building?" Another said, scowling. "Bah, we try to get in many times! Big Building is impe-… Impene-… cannot be entered!"
"No-no! Not enter!" his companion urged. "What if something come out? Like shiny trinkets… or meat… or shiny trinkets on meat…"
A third vorcha approached them, overhearing the conversation the pair was having. "You say something about shiny trinkets and meat?" he demanded.
"Yes-yes!" The first vorcha said. "We hear generator start up… something is inside Big Building."
The third vorcha growled. "Yes-yes… sick of eating other vorcha… want variety in diet…"
"Go tell others, quick." The first one said, narrowing his sights upon the safe house. "Tonight we feast…"