Mycerra searched Omega from top to bottom in search of genuine flower petals and a fine wine. She purchased massage oils from a traveling merchant currently on Omega. Amani's perfect night turned into an expensive adventure that dragged Mycerra from top to bottom of the station.
She stopped at Hadar's for her customary varren strips. "Hadar, how's the family?"
"We're thinking about sending Craid to pilot school." He said optimistically.
"Really? That's excellent news. Will he try his hand at flying private or working for Aria?" She asked as she waited for her food. "Yusa must be pleased."
"She says this is your influence." Hadar's mood shifted. "The human putting thoughts into his head when no Batarian will be permitted to rise in the post-galaxy."
Mycerra frowned. "Why shouldn't he believe in himself? Who says he can't succeed?"
"The caste system dictates we must not rise above our class unless we can afford to do so." He explained matter-of-factly.
Her nose scrunched up. "So, your caste system eliminates the possibility of promotions and advancements based on merits?"
"Yes."
"Please don't take this the wrong way, but you're a former slave, yes? That makes you bottom of the caste, yes? And you escaped that, for a 'better' or better existence here. You did that. You. Is that not a good thing? Sometimes traditions are bad and wrong and should be tossed aside for better ones."
Hadar handed the fried varren over. "I am not arguing, Colton. My wife is more traditional than I. We can afford it and we do not intend to return to Kar'shan."
She thanked him for the food. "Hadar, whatever you choose to do for Craid, I'm sure he'll impress you and his mother. He's a good kid. Works hard, just like his father. He's earned it."
Hadar smiled. "I know."
After consuming the varren strips, she visited Dr. Parsi at the clinic, stopped to tell Dr. Firan her foot recovered thanks to his expert care, and concluded her day with food shopping to cook a homemade meal. She returned to Amani's apartment with it and unlocked the door.
A pistol pointed at her.
Amani lowered the pistol. "Cerra, I almost shot you."
"You said tonight was the night. I wanted to surprise you." She shifted the grocery sack. "Clearly I can't do that now."
"What do you have?" Amani stashed the pistol behind the cubical shelf.
Mycerra placed the fresh food on the table. She unloaded the massage oil and jar of flower petals. "I figured, a good soak in your bathtub, a nice massage, a toss in flower petals, before or after the mind meld, and dinner is whenever we want to make it. I figured- "
Amani hugged her.
"I figured fresh homemade food cooked together would set a good mood, before or after." She finished softly and put her arm around Amani.
"You're too perfect."
She squeezed gently. "Are you happy with the plan? I can make changes. There's still time before Tentacle Delights closes- "
"It's perfect." Amani confirmed. "I never known you to cook."
"Never needed to learn. Age birth to six, my biological donors cooked for me. Six to eighteen, Hobalt's cooked for me. Age eighteen to nineteen, I mostly ate fast food. Age nineteen to twenty-five, I worked for a wealthy man. I ate the same food his son ate."
"You're spoiled." Amani teased.
"Am I?" She asked critically. "Alright, Gorgeous. What's the order of events?"
"Hm. We'll prep the bed. Then we'll make dinner. Afterwards we'll shower, massage each other, and then. The main event." Amani decided for them.
Mycerra nodded. "You spread out the petals however you wish. I'll wash the food."
Amani tickled Mycerra before complying.
"Your ass looks great in that lab coat, by the way."
"Better enjoy the view while you can." She shook a finger.
Mycerra laughed and turned to the task of washing the fresh food. She rinsed, lathered, rinsed, and placed it on the countertop to dry.
Amani returned to help with the food prep.
"I chose a thessian recipe." Mycerra shared the recipe with her.
"I wasn't born on Thessia."
"I figured if you were an asari, you'd apprec- "
"It's the thought that counts." She spoke. "Let me. Cooking and chemistry aren't that different."
Mycerra stepped aside and gave Amani the space to perform her magic.
"Not that I don't trust you, but this is fresh food. You must have paid a fortune for it."
"Right, right. Or so you say." She sat back in the booth seating and kicked her feet up on the seating.
Amani detailed the cooking process for her step by step in technical terms with great glee. Mycerra basked in Amani's pure joy of the act, the unrestrained intelligence. She activated her omni tool and recorded the asari in full swing. She leaned forward with the biggest, most sincere smile.
"You are absolutely beautiful right now." Mycerra said and walked over to Amani after she put the knife down. "Smile for the omni tool. Wave. Our daughter is going to love this."
Amani leaned as far back as possible and waved before kissing Mycerra.
"Tia. Tia will love this when she's old enough to roll her eyes at us."
"And chase her own love interests and hobbies." Mycerra added mischievously. "Which she will do. So don't lie about it, future Tia." They waved one last time and she ended the recording. "Food smells great."
"I did say I wanted this night to be perfect. What you give to me, I wish to give back."
"A well-cooked meal?" Mycerra teased. "I'm not complaining, but you could try to loosen up."
Amani tasked Mycerra with preparing the dishes. She snuck glances at Mycerra and Mycerra snuck glances at her. Thessian Vegetarian Pie sated their hunger, and a relaxing shower and massage eased the evening into late hours. They lay in the bed of petals afterward. Laying on their sides, they faced each other and lightly touched each other.
"Usually when we mind meld, we say 'Embrace Eternity,' but I prefer to simply lose myself in this. Us. Now."
"How do we do this then?" Mycerra whispered.
"Look into my eyes. And open yourself to me. Share as much as you wish or as little as you are comfortable with." Amani instructed calmly.
Mycerra peered into the pitch-black eyes. Amani stilled. Mycerra fell into the spell. Her breathing became one with Amani's.
An asari child leaned over to touch pond water. "Amani, please be careful!" A woman's lyrical voice sang out from out of sight. The child laughed and danced her fingers along the surface.
Carefree joy uplifted Mycerra.
The pond and surrounding shrubbery transitioned into a patch of dirt. Young Amani sat cross-legged in the middle surrounded by small pebbles placed in a circle around her.
"You must focus, Amani. Focus. It is in your blood. Feel the biotics in your veins, along your skin." The same voice coached.
"This one is too impatient. This one must learn patience." A hanar's voice stressed.
Young Amani sat in the middle of a circle of rocks, head bowed, and face scrunched up in concentration.
"It's okay, Little. You'll learn soon." Amani's mother reassured.
"This one needs a tutor, Lenaye."
"He-Who-Believes, I know." A tired mother says.
Mycerra fell willingly into the trust and maternal love permeating the memory.
The scene faded peacefully.
Something prodded Mycerra to breach her own memories.
She stepped through the 'open door.'
Haven 1 formed image by image. She faced the sky and stars. Relief washed over her, and she stomped down the urge to cry. Her gaze drifted back to the tents surrounding her. Home. This was home.
Night skies flipped to daylight.
The last piece of the memorial wall dropped into place. She placed the dog tags on the wall one by one until her sack emptied. Next, she placed the ID cards. She clenched shaking hands. Closure. She achieved closure.
Her hands brushed over the tags at random. A turian added a set of tags the farthest right.
She looked over at Titus Deltano. "Sir?"
"We all remember the dead, Colton." He said softly. His tones dipped and contrasted.
She held out her hand to him. "We can pray together."
He accepted her offer and held her hand. "May the spirits lead the lost souls no longer with us. On the winds of the present, the past and future will usher them to their next life. May the living find peace in their absence."
"May the living remember to live." Mycerra whispered and squeezed his hand.
"May the living remember to live." He repeated.
She looked over. Titus Deltano cocked his head curiously.
The transition happened more fluidly this time.
A group of teenagers gathered around a makeshift table composed of a broken door and stacks of crates holding the door aloft on both ends. A deck of cards sat in the middle of them. The wind carried a floral scent from one of the flower beds in bloom.
"Bohai, Yu – take it easy on Fitz and Lonny." Mycerra called out. She leaned on a tent pole.
"Yes, Boss." Bohai called back. Yu waved cheerfully. Fitz and Lonny consulted one another in a whisper.
She smiled. Normal. The teenagers were allowed normal again.
Abruptly the blackness yanked away. Blinded by the dim lighting of the overhead pot lights, she blinked slowly.
Amani pulled back and stared at her in confusion.
"What?" She asked, her mind fogged.
"Boss?"
She laughed. "Wei Bohai called me that from Day 1."
"They're like family to you. All of them." Amani guessed.
She nodded numbly.
"Look into my eyes again. I promise to not break the mind meld again." Amani kissed her forehead.
Mycerra touched her nose affectionately.
The soothing melding swallowed her.
Young Amani played tag with small boulder sized krogans and wiry thin salarians. She sprinted past the young turian on her team and tapped the fleeing krogan on his shoulder. "YOU'RE OUT!" She called back and dodged a salarian hand reaching for her.
A knee jerk reaction guided by yearning whipped them to a darker place.
Hulking outlines of buildings against the dark skyline boxed in the refugee escort. Mycerra stood with several heavily tattooed men in red and blue bandannas and scavenged armor and weapons. She adjusted the strap on her assault rifle sling and mentally counted the thermal clips. Her eyes lifted past the hulking outlines to the stars.
So beautiful and perfect. Why had she never noticed them so clearly before now?
Light invaded the darkness.
Amani tagged a salarian. "YOU- "
"-OUT!" A krogan caught up with her and tagged the middle of her back.
She pouted, then smiled. An older asari beckoned her out of the park. "Mom! Mom, they invited me to laser tag. Can I go?!" She begged.
The woman patted her tendrils. "We can play laser tag together. Promise."
"Ew, no. I want to play laser tag with them." Amani pointed to her new friends.
Her mother laughed.
A stuffy gymnasium replaced the park.
Mycerra sat on bleachers and watched a vicious game of tag football. She jumped to her feet and cheered as a tall, muscular teen boy sprinted and side stepped around the opposing team. His blue jersey rippled as he twisted and spiked the football to the ground in the end zone. He danced on the spot and winked at Mycerra.
She whistled.
He picked up the football and tossed it to the gym teacher, Mr. Ether.
"No biotics." Mr. Ether yelled at a student on the opposing team. "Kiss your girlfriend later, Drydck."
The teen boy stopped dancing.
Mycerra sat back down. She jokingly blew him a kiss and waved cutely.
The noise faded out. The game played out soundlessly. Afterwards Drydck and Mycerra sat on the bleachers.
"Do you ever think about the future, Cerra?"
"Every day." She said with a smile. "Once we graduate, we should travel together. Visit all the mega cities. Mars?" She nudged him with her elbow.
He blushed. "Why me though? I'm boring."
"Who better to travel with than someone you trust?" She leaned on him.
He put his arm around her shoulder. "We're almost done. Going to be one hell of a party once we graduate."
She laughed with him.
The gym faded into darkness. Sadness crept in on the pleasant memory.
They seemed to hover in its vast inkiness, Mycerra and Amani. Mycerra reached out with both hands and placed her hands against Amani's.
Admiration. Respect. Trust.
Amani believed in her.
Hope. Love. Want. Need.
Mycerra wanted to believe this would last with Amani, no more first dates.
The scene set itself at Tentacle Delights. Mycerra witnessed through Amani's eyes the events as they unfolded. Anxiety calmed by trust in the skill and knowledge Mycerra used in the heat of the moment, Amani admired not the body but the person inhabiting that body. Through Amani's eyes, she saw not a woman struggling but a hero, someone who made people believe.
Wei Bohai's words haunted her. "You never stopped trying when it mattered, Boss. That's just who you are. You're a boss."
"A boss has answers."
"Answers aren't solutions, Boss. My Mom used to say that. And sometimes we don't need solutions. We only need someone to tell us it's okay. And we'll figure out the rest."
"You're a good kid. I know you'll do well for yourself. You don't need anyone to tell you that."
"It's nice to hear it still." Bohai whispered.
She nodded, throat tight.
The disembodied moment tripped into the next slice of memory seamlessly.
Ordering to-go for their second date set off a new series of anxiety attacks that ended once they left the area of the incident. Mycerra's hand in hers anchored her to a place of faith, a place that brought comfort to both.
Amani's thoughts crowded around her. Before Mycerra figured out how to fully separate them, the focus slipped away.
In a flash, they're in the stands watching the Annual Omega Street Race.
Supped sky cars zoomed past. A large hovering screen displayed the position rank and followed the cars along the windy course. They bet on The Champion, an easy favorite who drove a flashy black and red sky car covered in stereotypical flames.
Mycerra's arms wrapped around Amani. Amani leaned back into Mycerra's embrace.
"AND THE CHAMPION TAKES 2nd. KALGER CREEPS UP ON 3RD." The Announcer speed talked.
"C'mon. C'mon. 10,000 credits." Amani muttered.
"Don't jinx it." Mycerra kissed her neck.
She shivered. The need to slip away into the lust and bury herself in it passed from Amani to Mycerra in an out-of-body like manner.
"But it's 10,000 credits. I can pay off debts with that."
"Who do you owe 10,000 credits to?" Mycerra asked.
"Doesn't matter, Cerra." She spoke.
"UTOLLA CROSSES THE FINISH LINE IN 1ST PLACE! CHAMPION THREE SECONDS TOO LATE, 2ND PLACE! MOPPEL SQUEEZES PAST KALGER FOR 3RD. AN ANGRY KALGER SNAPS UP 4TH!"
Amani tossed her betting slip.
"Don't worry about it. We'll earn it back and then some." Mycerra assured her. "Let's head out before the next race starts. I want to see Blasto 2 before the batarians and krogans jockey for space in the theatre."
"Blasto 2 is a shame to the series."
"The whole Blasto series is a shame, but it's part of Omega's culture. And culture is important." She kissed Amani. "It is an identity. And we all need an identity in the aftermath."
"You're such a romantic." Amani teased.
Omega infrastructure blacked out.
Mycerra struggled to breathe.
Amani sprinted away from a reaper creature. A biotic force caught the strange mutant and threw it to the side. Aria T'Loak stepped out from a doorway and brandished a rifle. "Aria!"
Aunt Aria.
The thought raced through Mycerra's mind at lightning speed.
They jerked from the mind meld. Mycerra's breathing struggled to pace independently. "Breathe." Amani coached. "Breathe."
Mycerra focused on breathing.
In, out. In, out.
"You can't- "
In, out. In, out.
"Mycerra?" Amani fussed.
"I'm here." She said softly. "It's a lot to take in."
"About Aria?"
"Everything." Mycerra sat up slowly and propped herself up on the pillows. "I never realized how much I miss Hammy. Hobalt's pushed it students hard. He – we'll talk about Hammy later."
"I assume his full name isn't Hammy Drydck."
"Hamilton Drydck. Dry-deck." Mycerra clutched her hair in her hands and raked her fingers through it. "He knew that I liked girls only. We were friends, close friends, so everyone assumed we were dating. He was the cute, muscular jock everyone loved. I was the weird biotic girl with anger management issues. No one understood why we were 'interested' in one another. If the school stayed off our backs, we kept up the front."
Amani rubbed her back. "I'm sorry about your friend."
"It wasn't the Reapers. For once, they're not to blame." She swallowed hard and clenched shaking hands. "You noticed my arm was scarred up in that memory, yes?"
Amani nodded.
"Hammy visited me every day in the infirmary. Prayed with me. Well, he prayed. I pretended to." She breathed evenly. "The ground is a frightening thing when it rushes at your face. The singularity nearly threw out my back, but I was alive. Hammy, he tried to joke about it."
The silence dragged between them.
"Nine months from now, we'll be expecting." Amani cleared her throat awkwardly. "I thought this would be less awkward."
Mycerra laughed.
Amani laughed.
"You're weird. I'm weird. Let's be weird together, right?"
"Right." Amani agreed. "That is the worst pick up line I've heard."
"But it worked." Mycerra pointed out.
Amani laughed again.
The kids informed her about the invitation to Aria T'Loak's private party hours before she received the e-invite from Anto. They tasked her with planting cameras in key parts of the station they had an interest in. She saw no reason to not plant the cameras and agreed to it for a fee, nothing outrageous, and promised to start on it after the party.
She dress shopped at one of the fashion stores. She never understood why the options of fashion consisted of long dresses or tunics and pants. She never understood why baggy or loose fitting wasn't an option either. She adjusted the dress she found with help from her omni tool and software she downloaded to assist in the process. She wanted people to stare, to pay attention and receive the message she wanted them to receive. Aria had one rule. If Mycerra wanted to survive Omega she needed to think like Aria.
Don't fuck with Colton.
A small part of her liked the idea of people noticing her and backing off. Regardless of how well this plan worked, she needed a better plan than hope, pray and stumble forward. If Aria wanted to use her, she'd use Aria.
She modified the sleeves of the dress and the length of the skirt. A half sleeve covered her left arm, her right arm exposed entirely. Dark scarring veined up her arm grotesquely. The skirt capped off at her knees, pleating added to make it 'swish.' She repurposed the rest of the discarded dress material into knee high stockings and bought a pair of classy heels for double the cost of a pair of combat boots. A high ponytail completed the schoolgirl look she aimed for.
"You're not going to the party dressed like that." Amani interrupted her finishing touches on the outfit.
She looked up. "Why not? I can handle myself." She smiled at her favorite chemist.
Amani gestured head to toe. "Cerra, aside from the ridiculousness of the pattern patched together for the stockings, you look gorgeous."
"I can play innocent lab assistant for you if you'd like." Mycerra winked.
Amani covered her face with her hand. "Woman, seriously. Do not tempt me."
Mycerra laughed. "Or do you prefer the innocent schoolgirl? The promiscuous one?"
Amani's skin color shifted imperceptibly. "You are awful. Go. Before I lock the door."
Mycerra purposefully stood in front of Amani, all smiles and faux innocence. "Oh, but my sweet, when I return from the party, I am ALL yours." She moved in for a peck on the cheek.
Amani captured a deeper kiss. "I'll hold you to that, Cerra." She smacked Mycerra's ass on the way out. "Good luck dealing with all those assholes." She called after Mycerra.
Mycerra couldn't decide if it was the pattern that attracted attention or the design of it. She relied solely on physical training and biotics today.
The short block to the neighboring tower gave her time to gather her thoughts and feelings.
Bray greeted her at the elevator. "Colton."
"Bray." She smiled. "You look snappy."
He looked at his clean suit. "Thank you."
"Same party?"
"Yes. Security." He revealed a concealed firearm in the small of his back.
She nodded. "I thought firearms were prohibited."
"For guests, yes." He answered.
She nodded slowly.
Bray input a key card. "Aria T'Loak wishes to speak with you before you leave the party."
"What does Aria want with me?" She challenged.
"I'm not Anto." Bray sounded offended.
She almost sarcastically quipped that all batarians look alike and caught herself. "I think I have an idea. Right, Aria?" She looked up at the elevator camera.
Bray feigned indifference.
The elevator traveled to the top floor. She stepped out into a luxury suite furnished with the finest leather, the shiniest metal flooring, and a bar that rivaled Afterlife's. The private room and bathroom hid behind locked doors. She noted the secondary bathroom available to party guests next to the balcony and its impressive ugly view of Omega.
Every person present dressed in their finest. She ran her hand along her ponytail with purpose. She wanted to be someone other than Mycerra Colton, in spirit. Tonight, she'd practice living.
Heels clicked on the floor.
She barely scanned the room when a firm hand curled around her arm. "Colton, you made it." Aria cooed in her ear.
She stiffened. "I did. Yes."
"Interesting outfit."
"I wanted to surprise Amani." She told the truth. "Besides, this is Omega. This is the place you make your own rules if they don't break the golden rule of Omega."
Aria's eyes pierced Mycerra's soul in a way only a protective parent could. "The drinks at the bar are safe to consume. Enjoy your evening. We'll speak later."
"I look forward to it." She said.
Aria let go. "Don't bother Anto."
"Yes, Ma-am."
"Don't call me ma-am."
"If you wish, Aria." Mycerra guarded her tone. "I'll help myself to a drink."
She snagged the lightest alcoholic content drink possible to the disappointment of the turian bartender. "Almost everyone thinks they can handle Ryncol." The bartended goaded her.
"I've talked to enough krogan to know that only the krogan can handle that swill." Mycerra shot back. "Besides, I'm not trying to pass out drunk in Aria T'Loak's apartment. That's disrespectful."
The bartender slid across the bar a lime green colored drink. "Glass of water afterwards?" She mocked.
Mycerra smirked. "We'll see. I may nurse this all night." She shot back.
She walked away from the bar before an argument ensued.
A batarian gun runner tracked her to the balcony. She cautiously soaked up the views. An asari joined her on the balcony. She glanced over at the taller woman and nodded wordlessly.
"Word is you make things happen." The asari finally said.
"I guess I do." Mycerra admitted. "Rock and a hard place are hardly luxuries."
"You make people disappear too?"
"Are you asking?" She shot back curiously.
The well dressed asari shrugged. "Heard you managed to make Maryn Qinna disappear."
Mycerra thought hard on it. "That was the slaver, right?"
"She used to run red sand for the Talons." The asari said.
"You're not going to shove me off the tower, are you?"
The woman answered. "You have potential."
"For?" Mycerra angled toward her.
The woman met her energy. "For greater success. If you wish to take that step."
Mycerra cocked a brow. She trusted none of the words out of the woman's mouth. "Do I have the pleasure of a name?" She asked cautiously.
The woman smiled. "One day."
"Well, I don't work for nameless people. But thank you for the compliments." She sipped the drink and immediately almost spat it out. The sweetness of the drink overpowered her taste buds. She promptly dumped it out over the railing. "Too sweet."
"If you like something with a more bitter taste, I'd try Hari's Nightwalk."
"I'll keep that in mind." Mycerra said. "Well, thank you for the distraction."
The asari looked straight out at the orangish skyline. "Be careful, Colton. Qinna tried to climb the ladder. All it takes is one bad day."
"Meh. Reapers were worse." Mycerra said and entered the party again. She placed the empty glass on the bar top, requested water, and made her way to the large seating area. The L-shaped black and white leather couch claimed a sizable portion of the living area not dedicated to a kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom.
She claimed a spot on the end. Music pounded in the background to ease the invitees. It irritated her ears.
The batarian gun runner joined her. A known salarian hacker accompanied the gun runner and talked business.
She stared forward at the wall and turned her ear to the many conversations. They clipped and edited together disjointedly. She rubbed her temple and sighed.
Why did she accept this invitation?
Her sipped the water and washed away the lingering sweetness from the previous drink.
Sounds of distant gunfire intruded through the music.
She conducted a sarcastic orchestra with her free hand.
"Do you do that often?" Aria asked and sat next to her.
She stopped. "My first night I slept like a baby. Someone tossed a grenade close enough to wake me up. My body learns schedules. Trained into me at an early age. So naturally because someone woke me up between one and three am, I now consistently wake up between one and three every day."
"Do you really?" Aria sounded concerned.
Mycerra shrugged. "Hobalt's is competitive. It was part of a circuit of private military type schools. There's clubs for everything. Except biotics. Hobalt's specialized in biofeedback therapy. Part of why I was sent there." She half lied. "The other part is my genetic donors were assholes."
Aria studied her.
"But I'm sure you've heard about that."
"I haven't." Aria said. "Are they in your life?"
"I can explain it more in detail in private. I don't need people eavesdropping on my personal information if it doesn't involve them." She said loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. "Only one person on Omega should have that power, and that's Aria T'Loak."
Aria nodded along. "Why did you choose my chemist?"
"One can say I owed her a debt. I thought she looked cute, and I wanted to take her out to lunch. She said yes. It's that simple." Mycerra explained.
Aria squinted in suspicion.
"I like her, Aria. I'm not building an army. I don't need one. If you'd like to talk about this more, in private, I'd be happy to fully discuss it."
The gun runner and hacker listened in and maintained a decent cover conversation about rates for dangerous jobs. Anyone worth their weight in credits listened to this conversation.
"I may even toss in some family history if you promise to not sell that lime green swill to people. Way too sweet." She sipped her water and trained her eyes on Aria T'Loak.
Aria crossed her legs. Mycerra reminded herself how old the asari was and removed the dirty thoughts from her mind. "That would offend my bartender. I like my bartender."
"Fair enough."
"My chemist is top of the field."
"She's humble for being the best in the field." Mycerra said seriously. "I thank you for the invitation, Aria, but I'm not much a dancer and I don't intend on building businesses. Nor do I intend to work for people, therefore, if you don't mind- "
"I didn't invite you for networking, Colton." Aria announced. "Councilor Irissa T'Aes, the Citadel representative for the Asari, is in a precarious position that demands she walk a fine line given current events. It so happens the rumors were true. You do have contacts in high places."
Mycerra sipped the water nervously.
"Primarch Victus inquired directly about your occupancy on Omega. I informed him that while I am aware of humans on Omega, I have no knowledge of the SSV Philadelphia. Transport will be made available to rescue those stranded on Omega."
"And I'm staying while everyone else leaves." Mycerra guessed.
"Willingly." Aria demanded. "My chemist tells me you're the father of her child."
"Amani and I agreed after the baby are born that I would return to Earth- "
"Which you will. After the child is born. I told you before, if my chemist dies, you die." Aria's voice firmed.
Mycerra frowned. "Did Palaven give specifics?"
Her feelings fluctuated drastically. She gripped the glass hard enough to crack.
Aria removed the glass from her hand. She handed it off to a waiting servant. "He's sending someone you're familiar with. You'll ensure the point of contact walks away with the impression Omega is not inviting scrutiny and enforcement."
Mycerra flexed her hand and pulsed biotics.
"We're in agreement." Aria decided.
"Who are they sending?" Mycerra demanded.
Aria checked her omni tool. "Wei Bohai. Spectre Calun Dravis. They'll arrive on the Normandy SR-2 in several days."
She clenched her fists. "First off, Wei Bohai knows me well. He's not going to buy the lie you want me to sell. He's smart enough to know someone like you knows what happened to SSV Philadelphia. However – "She gave the listening gun runner and hacker an evil glare. "Could we continue this discussion somewhere more private? Professional courtesy."
Aria motioned for Mycerra to follow.
They vacated the sitting area and moved to the bedroom. Mycerra entered a domme's playground.
She blinked several times and visually counted the number of toys.
Aria cleared her throat.
"As I was saying, Bohai can be convinced. And I'm more than willing to stay until our child is born. I want to be there for Amani as long as I can. Earth is safe for her. A good place with clean air, open space, and I have goodwill going for me there."
"Do you know why Amani is on Omega?" Aria asked bluntly.
"You paid her debt on Illium."
"Has she told you why?" Aria countered quickly.
Mycerra shook her head. "Doesn't want to talk about it, and honestly, I understand."
"You should know why." Aria obscured Mycerra's view of the restraint rack. "Amani has a history of catastrophic choices. If it weren't for her mother and me, she'd be in an early grave eighty years ago."
Mycerra nodded slowly. "Bottom line, how soon can she leave Omega without having Illium hunting her down?" She asked and slapped her fist to her palm.
"Bottom line, Earth may be safe. For a limited time. The corporation she crossed will not accept a monetary repayment. They want a commitment of three hundred years of indentured service. The law stated once the debt is paid, the debt is settled. The corporation refuses to abide by that."
"I'm not adverse to a few dead bodies. You know that."
Aria closed the space. "Are you willing to cross that line?"
"For the mother of my child? Absolutely." Mycerra crossed her arms.
"It'll come to that." Aria warned.
Mycerra shrugged. "I've survived Reapers and Omega hasn't killed me yet. I've managed to not have a hit put on me by the Alliance. I think I can manage a few corporate assholes with a stick up their ass." She held out her hand. "I'll do what I need to do."
Aria's grip crushed Mycerra's hand. Mycerra returned the crushing grip. "I'll hold you to that, Colton."
"I'm playing for keeps, Aria. She may be your chemist and your niece, but she's my woman."
Aria beckoned for Mycerra to leave the bedroom.
"By the way…" Mycerra turned to the warlord. "Anything happens to Bohai, and I don't care who that person works for. I will hunt them down and kill them. With or without an audience. Consequences be damned."
She exited the bedroom and left the apartment no fucks left to give.
It became personal.
Her emotions refused to suffer close examination without flying out of control.
She needed her head on straight before her allies arrived.