MASS EFFECT: ENTANGLED

CHAPTER 5

2184, Omega:

Aria didn't bother to stand as Anto walked up the stairs to her private booth along with a familiar Blue Suns female merc. The shoulder-length redhead seemed more perturbed than their last encounter. Celeste was Tarak's second-in-command of the Blue Suns on Omega and his emissary to T'Loak. Her words and actions were his own. "What is it this time?" Aria's brusque question seemed to agitate the vindictive merc.

"There was another hit last night on one of our most profitable operations. We lost a lot of high-grade mods. Something needs to be done about Archangel, Aria. Enough is enough!"

"Is that a threat?" Bray interjected as he took a step forward to place himself between his boss and their guest. He bared his sharp pointy teeth as a low menacing growl came from within his throat. All four of his eyes narrowed at the brash woman.

"Easy, Bray," Aria dismissed his protection with a wave of her hand, prompting him to return to his original stance. "I don't think Tarak meant to demand anything of me. Isn't that, right?" Her blue eyes stared at Celeste. Giving their guest one more look of distrust, Bray returned to his post at his boss' side and glanced over at Sh'sk who was across the booth at his guard post. His fellow batarian friend appeared to be unhappy with Bray's action. This made Bray exhale through his nostrils in discontent. He knew that Sh'sk found a liking to the merc and that his infatuation with the redhead allowed her to have an audience with Aria more than the rest of the major players on the station. Bray didn't understand the batarian's attraction to the human. Their species were not that appealing to him. Of course, he favored the asari more; a common match with his kind. There was strong disapproval of human pairings since the Hegemony was at war with them all the time. This made relationships with humans to be taboo and frowned upon.

With clenched teeth, Celeste uttered, "Correct. Though, I must remind you, Aria, that this will affect our profits and your fees." Her voice almost bragged the latter.

"I don't think so," Aria's retort was scathing. "I know that ever since Archangel arrived on Omega a few months ago that his…. tastes have evolved from hurting the slavers and red sand dealers to various merc groups."

"I presume that you heard about what's going down in the Gozu District. Everyone there is getting sick and dying fast. The vorcha are moving in and snatching up our territory."

"You humans are not getting sick," Anto butted in aggressively. "What are you so fucking afraid of?"

The merc spun around and glared hard at him as her hand moved to her sidearm. As soon as Bray spotted her hand on her weapon, he branded his pistol while Sh'sk followed suit. "I would be wise on what you do next," Aria's voice boomed through the chaos as she stood quickly from her couch. "I'm thinking you are not as friendly anymore. I would hate to remind Tarak of who is in charge."

Complying, Celeste holstered her weapon and made her stance less guarded as she addressed the asari before her. "I will notify Tarak that you are looking into the situation, Aria."

"My message to him will be the same as to the other merc groups that have been whining at my feet over the last several weeks." A beat. "Deal with it."

Celeste narrowed her eyes as she refrained from lashing out. "And the Gozu District situation?"

"Mordin Solus runs a clinic in that district. Word is that he's studying the illness and working on a cure. I have requested his presence for a current report. Trust me, Celeste, I am handling it."

Defeated and dissatisfied with the progression of the meeting, the merc stormed down the stairs to meet up with her boss once more. Aria rolled her eyes as she returned to her position on her plush purple couch. An asari servant hurried over to hand her a new glass of wine. "Bray?" Aria called out to her bodyguard after taking a slow sip from her glass. "That impudent merc has reminded me of something. Mordin has chosen to ignore my invitation. You and Sh'sk go find him."

"What about the plague?" The batarian questioned before moving to the request.

T'Loak took another sip as she shook her head at his querulous question. "Wear a helmet. The plague is airborne. Your filters should protect you if you don't linger too long."

The fractious batarian nodded his head to his companion as the pair left to carry out the task. Bray was not too keen on the idea of venturing out into a plague-ridden district that had a ninety-percent mortality rate against his species. Sh'sk remained silent beside him. "You need to fucking get rid of that one."

"What?" Sh'sk perked up at his curt statement.

"That human merc. If, you want to keep your place with Aria, then ditch her."

Sh'sk scowled at the advice. "Let's just get moving. I want to make this a fast trip."

"You and me both."

Over the past few weeks, Gozu was transformed into a ghost district. Violent coughing could be heard within apartment units and rotting corpses were piling up in the streets as the number of dead overtook the sanitary crew's ability to dispose of them in pyres. Despite his helmet's breathing filter apparatus, Bray still held his breath at times as they walked. Too many of his kin were rotting. He didn't want to share their gruesome fate. "Celeste was right," Sh'sk grunted beside him. "The Suns are gone." He motioned to a pile nearby that contained a few Suns' bodies; even the merc group was falling victim to the plague.

"Let's get this over with," Bray quickened his pace as they trekked through the halls and down the steps to the clinic.

A few minutes later, a worker greeted them at the door along with two LOKI-mechs. "Guns are not permitted on this premises," The human stopped them.

"We are with Aria. We are here to see Mordin Solus." Bray sized him up. Two mechs would not be any trouble for him or Sh'sk.

The man stepped aside to allow them passage. "He's down the hall and to the left. Please refrain from any violence. This is a sanctuary."

Bray eyed the sick patients queuing up in the waiting area. Many were feverish and barely conscious while the others were hacking their lungs out. "A sanctuary from what?" He murmured under his breath as he briskly moved to where Mordin was.

The young assistant noticed them first and tapped the salarian doctor on the shoulder to grab his attention. "Professor Solus."

The doctor paused in his work and vigilantly eyed Bray and Sh'sk. "Don't have time for all the incessant interruptions. I have patients to tend to."

"You better make time, doc," Bray ordered gruffly. "Aria is waiting."

"Her meeting?" Mordin balked. "Too busy for her obsequious task. Studying plague for a cure. Death rating climbing. Must remain here."

Swearing in his native tongue under his breath, Bray approached him. "I'm not fucking asking."

Just as he neared, Mordin held his M-5 pistol in his direction as his eyes narrowed. "Not going," He sternly persisted.

Seeing the unexpected weapon drawn on him, Bray held up his hands in a non-hostile gesture while Sh'sk reached for his sidearm. Mordin swiftly moved the barrel of his gun to where Sh'sk was and pulled the trigger. The round precisely struck the batarian's pistol, causing it to fall to the ground. The batarian nearly jumped out of his skin at the near hit, "Fuck!"

"Warning shot," Solus simply stated. The room became deathly quiet and the only sounds heard were the beeps of machinery, the coughing in the waiting area, and Mordin's assistant whimpering in the corner from the disarray. "Tell Aria that when the cure is ready, I will let her know."

Thirty minutes later, Bray and Sh'sk were at the back entrance of Afterlife, empty-handed. They both knew that Aria would not be pleased with their progress, but at least they were able to breathe without worrying about dying. To their surprise, T'Loak was not alone in her booth. She was accompanied by her lover, Nyreen Kandros. Both were seated on the couch, but apart enough to make the event professional. The turian's avian eyes swept over to the two batarians. "Told you he wouldn't come," She scoffed to her partner as she crossed her leathery arms smugly.

The asari grimaced and fire rose in her blue eyes. "You have to be fucking kidding me. You two couldn't drag a salarian back here?"

"He was armed," Bray argued.

She lifted an eye ridge at his excuse. "You both are."

"How bad was it down there?" Nyreen spoke up softly with a look of concern.

"Bad," Sh'sk shook his head to shake the gruesome images from his head. "Dead bodies everywhere. Some in piles, some burning. Glad to be away from there."

Kandros rose and turned to directly face her lover. "Aria, something has to be done about this. Too many are dying! You can't just sit here and let it happen."

Aria chuckled at her passionate plea in amusement. "Nyreen, you remind me of those mercs whining to me about Archangel. Mordin Solus is working on it. Calm down."

"What if we just throw Archangel in the slums and let the plague handle him?" Bray mumbled.

Nyreen turned on him. "Not funny, Bray. Innocents are dying down there. Don't joke."

"You are so naïve, Nyreen," Aria giggled as she called her back to her. "There are no innocent people on Omega. When will you learn that?"

Enraged by her lover's dismissal, Nyreen clenched her talons as her mandible twitched. "What kind of leader are you, Aria? Send people down there to rescue those who are abandoned. They shouldn't be left there to die like the others."

"Fuck no," Sh'sk blurted out.

"Sh'sk is right," Aria was unmoved by her outcry. "I send my forces down there for this 'rescue operation' and we will bring the plague here. We have to assume all of them are infected below." She diverted her attention over to her bodyguard. "Bray, I want it shut off. Full quarantine. Is that clear?"

"Understood."

"No!" Nyreen moved to the batarian before he was able to carry out the order. "Belay that." She held his wrist firmly with her hand. In elevated desperation, she turned her body once more to look at Aria. Her eyes now pleading to the asari that she loved. "You can't be this cold, Aria. I fully protest this action. Do a full evacuation of the Gozu and surrounding districts."

Without a word, Aria stood up and placed herself right in front of Nyreen. Her blue eyes directly stared at her. A purple aurora surrounded the asari's form. Bray knew that the display was not for show. Somehow, the turian managed to get under the asari's skin. It was best to be quiet on his part. "Careful, Nyreen," T'Loak lowly hissed at her through her royal purple lipstick-colored lips. "I enjoy you, but remember who you are talking to."

Nyreen didn't back down and held her lover's eyes with her own. She was unmoved by the ominous purple glowing asari. Aria T'Loak was an asari commando and had the capability to filet someone simply with her mind. Her biotic skill level was on a whole other level compared to Kandros'. "Enjoy?" Pain came through her thin lips. "Heh, I thought I knew you. I guess I was wrong." She pivoted on her heel and stormed down the steps.

"Want me to follow her?" Bray inquired as he watched Nyreen disappear into the crowd of club patrons.

Aria nonchalantly returned to her couch and nestled her back up against the soft fabric. "That won't be necessary, Bray. I know Nyreen. She won't go far."