MASS EFFECT: ENTANGLED
CHAPTER 8
Aria's unmoving judging blue eyes remained transfixed upon Alivia from where she stood in the private booth. Before heading to Afterlife after Thane's departure from the station, Alivia made a quick stop over at Kenn's to see about trading in her Eclipse armor for something more inconspicuous. The quarian was very appreciative for Thane's kind gestures and agreed without hesitation to help her out by exchanging the Eclipse for a black Kestrel armor set. The quality was state of the art and the value was higher compared to what she donned previously. When she arrived at the footsteps of the club, she believed it would be nearly unfeasible to be granted an audience with T'Loak, but astonishingly after dropping Bray's name, she was escorted inside.
The batarian was at Aria's side when she walked up the steps to the private booth at the upper level. Her presence made him tense up. He was not expecting this at all and neither was his employer. She was fuming indirectly at Bray and figured that Alivia was there for extortion. "State your business," Her words were icy and calculative.
"I will spare the details of who I am since I'm sure Bray has already told you about what recently happened."
"He did. You here for payment?"
"No," Alivia shook her head. "I'm looking for work."
"Work?" Aria raised her eye ridge in nonbelief.
"Yes."
"You handled an internal matter for me and then want to work for me?" Aria sneered at the notion as she rose from her couch to approach her. "I don't believe you." She narrowed her eyes. "Tell me why you are here." She crossed her arms. "Bray said you were accompanied by a drell. Where did he go?"
"Off to Ilium for another contract," Alivia divulged.
"Just like that? You didn't come along?"
"He didn't want me to."
"Interesting," Aria was still not moved by the full disclosure. "How long am I to expect your services?"
"Until he returns." A grim reminder of Krios' last words to her wiggled inside Alivia's mind as she spoke. What if he never returned? She felt her chest become tight and she slowly exhaled silently through her nose to suppress the trigger.
Aria gave her one more quizzical look before sitting back down. "I don't trust you enough to have you at my side. Sorry to disappoint if that is what you were expecting. My gratitude does not extend that far." The asari sat up on the couch once more and crossed her legs as her blue guarded eyes directed her way once more. The silence between them felt awkward and Alivia wondered if the matter was settled. She chanced to move her silver eyes over to Bray. The batarian remained taciturn throughout the entire ordeal. She figured it was for his own good since he was already on his boss' bad side. "You may work for me as part of the security detail for the fighting pits." Her words lingered in the air in a provoking matter as if she was expecting Alivia to protest such a low and dangerous position."
The position did make her uneasy, but then there could always be a worse job than that. With a smug smirk, she crossed her arms. "I accept." She would take Aria's challenge head-on.
"And since I don't trust you, I intend to keep you under close observation at all times until your true ambitions are revealed to me." T'Loak changed her focus over to where Bray stood. "You will work the same shift as Bray. You will have a room in his building and he will be responsible for making sure you get here without delay each day and go straight back to the apartment. You will be under constant surveillance so remember that."
"Aria-," The batarian bodyguard finally broke his silence in frustration. The idea of him having to babysit her was not keen to him at all and a heftier price than creds. It seemed like he enjoyed his privacy.
"After all," Aria cut him off sharply. "I'm sure Bray is very grateful for helping him with his problem. Aren't you, Bray?"
"Yes," He muttered.
"When do I start?" Alivia spoke up once more.
"Now. Bray will escort you down to your post." Aria skeptically scowled hard at her.
"I'm not playing you, Aria," Alivia found herself becoming irked by how Aria continuously prodded about a true motive.
"We shall see."
Ilium: One Week Later
"Excuse me," Thane cleared his throat gently to grasp the attention of the Nos Astra cargo transfer officer.
The asari glanced up from her terminal with a perturbed expression on her blue face. "Yeah, are you here about a shipping order?"
"No." He paused to see the other asari worker at the desk in the back ignoring their conversation. "Your name is Seryna, is it not?"
"Maybe. Why?"
"You used to work in security for Nassana Dantius. I need to speak with you regarding a pressing matter that involves her." His obsidian eyes flickered hesitantly to her co-worker. "In private if I may."
"Sure. I get off in an hour. Meet me at my apartment then?"
"That will work."
"I'll send my location to your omni," She pulled up her tool, and her fingertips dashed across the holoscreen. "See you in an hour."
With a slight bow in thanks, Thane turned to head back to the main trade floor of Nos Astra. He would be able to pull up a cab there to Seryna's apartment. He noted that a few asari and a volus merchant took an observation of his stroll back. He pegged them most likely as spies. Drell were uncommon on the spaceport and his presence would spark great interest. Moving from the trade floor, he approached the Eternity Bar entrance. There would be fewer eyes there. The asari bartender gave him a flirtatious smile at his approach. "Hey, handsome. Want a drink?"
"Something light. I'm on business," He stood to the side and propped against the counter. Only a naïve individual would keep their backs turned to those who could approach from behind.
"You got it," She reached down to fetch a glass and poured a light blue substance into it. "This is the lightest thing I have. It's so weak that it wouldn't even knock a salarian down." She chuckled at her joke. "Sorry, my father was a krogan."
"And you are?"
"Matriarch Atheeta. What about you?"
"Tannor Nuara."
"Uh-huh, and what sort of business are you on?" Her words were filled with cynicism.
He downed the sweet liquid and set the glass back down. "Trade."
The bartender was not amused and huffed under her breath. "Hard ass. Suit yourself." She moved away to tend to some of her tasks.
Thane sighed slowly as he glanced around the bar. Its patrons were a mixture of asari, salarian, and turian. The music was light and tranquil. His mind thought back to Alivia on Omega. He wondered how she fared on the space station. He felt so guilty leaving her behind, but a mistake almost cost him her life on the pirate-filled asteroid. His mind flashed back to their last few words and their kiss. He could almost feel her moist soft lips on his. Her taste was unlike his wife's. How he longed to be lost in his memories.
Omega, Two Weeks Later
Alivia yawned as she stood outside the pit's main entrance where betters arrived. Captain Galvorn was on guard duty with her. The militaristic turian became irked as it seemed fewer and fewer mercs other than vorcha were coming down to watch the varren fights. He found the bat-like bipedal aliens to be annoying. About a week ago, there was word coming through the station's intercom that rumors were popping up all over about mysterious sightings of Commander Shepard. The Alliance was tight-lipped to all media outlets. Still, they weren't denying anything. A spark of hope arose in Alivia since then. She leaned on Krysta's courage and defiance of the trauma from Torfan to continue to fight for humanity. Her strength inspired Alivia to continue to live through all her troubles and know that she would endure. Ever since the news report, all Alivia could think of was Krysta's resurrection from the dead and perhaps seeing her again. Still, there were no captured images or videos of the Spectre. Alivia would still not lose optimism!
"Great. More damn vorcha," Galvorn complained as he came over to her side. His avian eyes panned over the crowd that was forming near the active pit. A krogan battlemaster's varren was going to take on a one-eyed turian's. The krogan's had won three straight fights that day and the turian's was a newcomer, but younger. The bets were rolling in with the turian picked as the winner.
"Yesterday, there were a few Suns left. Now, they are gone," Alivia took note.
"I guess they are all playing war with that crazy Archangel. What a pain in the ass."
"I take it you don't like him?" Alivia inquired. There was that vigilante again she read upon. He was still holding his own.
"No. With him causing a frenzy, all the non-Blood Pack vorcha are coming here. Aria is allowing the Suns to recruit upstairs so there go all the freelancers. Can't wait till they shoot his ass."
"You sure he will die?"
"You didn't hear?" He chuckled. "Word on the street is that mercs banded against him and his squad. Took them all out but him. He is cornered down in Kima. They will get him soon enough and then we can have some normalcy."
A commotion near the pits grabbed their attention as two vorcha were in a high-level vocal argument. Then it elevated as one shoved the other. The crowd gathered and egged them on. Then one of them picked up the other and threw him down into the pit where the two varren were with their handlers. Their handlers exchanged private looks of amusement and released their savage war beasts on the fallen vorcha. Within seconds, they were upon him, tearing at his flesh. The vorcha screamed in pain as he was being consumed alive. The spectators cheered at the barbaric gruesome display. Alivia cringed as she tried to block out the nightmarish sounds of one of the worst ways to go. Galvorn jeered in amusement. "Finally. One is dead. We need more like this."
As the cacophony of shouts boomed throughout, Alivia noticed one of Aria's krogan walking in and over to where Moklan sat on a bench. She picked up earlier on some of those on T'Loak's payroll and that also included the batarian. The krogan said a few words to him and then both left. She tapped Galvorn on the arm to get his attention. "What's all that about?" She strained her voice loudly over the noise as she nudged her head over to where the two were leaving.
"No idea. Visitor maybe?" He shrugged indifferently as he walked back to his post and shoved a few patrons to the side to clear a path. "Come on now. Get out of the way."
Alivia chewed her lip as her eyes remained glued on where Moklan and the krogan went. What was going on?
Later that evening when Alivia met up with Bray to head back to the apartment to get some rest, she noticed that he appeared extremely irritated about something. "Something happen today?" She sincerely asked the troubled batarian.
Both sets of his almond eyes didn't look her way as he kept to himself while walking home. "That damn spectre from the dead, Commander Shepard, came to the station and had a chat with Aria. Not sure why Aria has an interest in it."
"Shepard…." Alivia anxiously gasped at the name. "Where is she? Is she still here?!"
"Doesn't matter," Bray griped. "Why are you damn cheerful about it? You know her or something?"
"I ran into her on the Citadel years ago…. she inspires me," She openly admitted, but refrained from disclosing that she too was in the Alliance as the famed blonde. "Did she say why she is here? I need to find her."
"She's fucking annoying," He growled through clenched teeth. "And don't let Aria hear that shit from you. I'm being punished as it is."
"Why does she bother you so much?" Alivia chided. He wouldn't dare to face her. What was he hiding?
"Just shut up!" He finally snapped and turned her way as he came to a halt. "I need a damn smoke. Go on. There's somewhere I need to go." He reached into his pocket to retrieve a cigarette. Alivia hesitated on what to do as her silver eyes moved toward the direction of the apartment. She kind of felt secure having him around to lead her to and from the apartment and Afterlife. He lit up the cigarette and motioned her to leave.
Reluctantly, she obliged and moved steadily to her apartment. Her mind raced. Was Krysta still here? How would she be able to locate her? Why was Bray so angry about her arrival? What happened with Aria? She needed to find her. As she went inside the apartment complex, she debated using the extranet terminal in her room. Most likely, that console was tapped and all search queries would be sent to T'Loak. After all, she was keeping tabs on her. Inside her empty apartment, she spoke out to no one, "Thane…. I need you. Please hurry and come back."