Strangely enough, after becoming a commando, nothing really changed all that much.
Sure, beyond the genuine missions I go out on with Kyra and Lynyxa that involve very 'high risk' situations is a pretty new thing. Killing people is still unnervingly easy for me, probably because I'm 'othering' them in my head and I tend to deal with the worst of the worst. Slavers, terrorists, gangs, the occasional cult, those sorts of people.
Given Ilium's proximity to the Terminus, it's a given that a lot of the 'overflow' hits Nos Astra.
But back on point, beyond those things, life really hasn't changed.
I mean, sure, Krya, Lynyxa and I were given a large apartment within the larger super structure of the military headquarters super 'skyscraper-thing', but our days basically remained the same. Training and maintaining ourselves, keeping our equipment in working order, expanding our expertise into more fields in the time in between stuff, it's just we now had the added stress of being on call 24/7 for any incident that might sprout up.
Not that we didn't have any free time.
In fact we were also encouraged, in that way someone tells you to do something but it's basically an order, to take up some sort of extracurricular activity to give ourselves an outlet to de-stress ourselves.
The stuff suggested was the stereotypically asari stuff: dancing, acting, poetry, painting, sculpting, rhetoric, that sort of stuff. Supposedly these sorts of things centered a huntress's mental state and allowed her a productive diversion when not attending to her duties. We were told we didn't have to do any of this stuff, but the tone also made it clear that we didn't have to be commandos either.
It was meant to build a sense of community outside our respective units. Foster a sense of common sisterhood between us. Personally I feel it was just busy work, but that was mostly because I couldn't find anyone willing to play Galaxy of Fantasy with me.
I mean, what are the odds that out of the twelve billion plus players in the galaxy, that only one of them is in this fucking building!
Hmph!
I was the wild card, since I hated most of the 'normal' stuff. I can't dance for shit, my acting is so bad it wraps around itself and becomes hilarious. I have no sense of art or aesthetic so poetry, painting and such were out, and I hate debating with people.
After all, why should I have to debate something with someone when I know I'm right!
Kidding.
….Maybe?
Still, I didn't want to become some pariah, so I looked long and hard (for ten minutes) until I decided on the one thing that didn't immediately turn me off: Swordsmanship.
Okay I can already guess the reactions, but here me out!
I know I live in an era where everyone has guns and the thought of anyone using a sword as a genuine weapon is almost absurd. But I have a powerful counterpoint to that notion.
Swords are fucking awesome.
I rest my case.
The gun range at the barracks was expansive. Lane upon lane open all times of the day for practice or for tinkering using the impressive suite of fabricators on site to add little additions to any weapon.
Case and point, mine.
"Almost there," I hummed to myself as I slid the generator into the firearm, only stopping when I heard the satisfying 'click' that it was in place. Smiling, putting down my tools and starting to 'pop' in all the other pieces I took out.
"This is ridiculous," Kyra protested, "that thing's going to break your arm when you pull the trigger."
"I'll get the med kit ready," Lynyxa wandered off to rummage through a cabinet beyond the shooting range.
"You guys need to have more faith in me," I lift the heavy shotgun off the table. Boy it was heavy now! I mean sure it was heavy before, but now it really strained my muscles.
Guess whose idea that was?
"Yeah you guys need to have more faith in her." Patriarch tried to copy the pitch of Kyra's voice, though far more condescending than it ought to.
When I told the krogan in an offhand way that I wanted to make my shotgun even more powerful than before, he basically said 'say no more' and forwarded schematics of his own design that he used to give his warriors back in the Rachni Wars. Swore up and down that this baby was enough rip through all but the thickest of armor.
I couldn't wait to try it out!
"You be quiet!" Kyra addressed the old krogan over the comm. "You're just some crusty old korgan at a dive bar. What do you even know about fighting, beyond just bludgeoning something to death?"
"I resent that accusation. Before your own mother took her first gasp, I was smashing rachni with my very feet. And you know how I got past all those warrior bugs? Hmm? With a good shotgun."
"She already has a fully automatic shotgun!" Even though he couldn't see it, Krya pointed at my current weapon that I used: a 'medium' (heavy) automatic shotgun that I have mentally named 'Bob'.
'Bob' is a work of art if I do say so myself! A product of my own genius! I've shoved so many dampeners, stabilizers, and gave it such a high quality thermal unit that I could just hold down the trigger and let off fifteen or so shots before there was even a risk of overheating.
Perfect for my 'run and gun' approach to battle.
"No. What she had was a short range assault rifle," Patriarch explained. "Now she has an actual shotgun."
"I've seen that thing shred off limbs!" If Kyra had hair, I have no doubt she'd be pulling it out by the roots now.
"Exactly. Sure, maybe for you aliens losing a limb is pretty bad. You asari are almost as bad as salarians in that regard. Crying over the littlest things. But setting aside your own faults, imagine a krogan in a blood rage charging down a narrow alley. They're not gonna care if they lose their arm, or if you blow upon their chest. They'll just keep charging and attacking until either you or they are dead. And I'll sleep more comfortably at night knowing she has the right tools for the job."
"Why the hell would she-"
"Clear the range," I flipped the generator on, it hummed softly in my arms. Glyph fed me ballistics info through my visor as I aimed at one of the shorter ranged targets. Kinetic barriers flared to life across the armor.
Hmm, according to the data, this should be a done deal, just need to-
BANG
CRACK
The target was not so much destroyed as it was obliterated, ripping through the barrier and splintering into dozens of little fragments with a single slug. It was everything Patriarch promised.
Downside: I was on my back, and my arm was bent at a strange angle; pretty sure it was broken.
"Oh Goddess," Kyra swore as she knelt to my level, turning off the gun and ripping it from my unresponsive grip.
Huh, guess that's another thing that's not working alright.
"Okay, I got the med kit-" Lynyxa cut herself off at the sight of me on the ground with Kyra hovering over me. "...I'll get the medic." And off she went.
You know, this probably looks worse than it is. I mean I don't feel anything at all beyond some back pains from slamming into the cold metal floor. Though that could just be the adrenaline keeping the pain away.
Maybe there were some torn muscles….
"Yeah, there it is!" The old krogan cheered. "Heard that over the crap music here! Bet it blew everything apart just like I said. You see, this is why you aliens need good old fashioned krogan solutions-"
Kyra smashed the comms unit to disconnect the call.
Ignoring the medical leave I was placed on and a chewing down from my superior and the master at arms over 'reckless disregard for my own safety' there is a lesson to be gleaned from this: don't use krogan weapon mods unless you have an exoskeleton to blunt the kickback. Otherwise, you'll just break your arm, tear your muscles, and get hairline fractures in your hand.
"What the hell is this?"
That was what my team and I were greeted to as we marched off the dropship to the edge of the police line with a woman looking at us with an expression like she swallowed a sour lemon. The shadows cast by all the high contrast neon lights made her expression look even more forlorn.
Oh well this is a lovely start to an assignment.
Two hours ago a salarian spy ring, which were strangely more common than you'd think, seized a hotel hosting a large business conference. A few dozen corporate types, along with a good number of less important hostages, were currently being held at gunpoint until the salarians' demands were reached.
I didn't pay attention to what the demands were in the briefing, only that they were dismissed outright by Nos Astra officials. However the local special response units from the police were not seen as fit enough to storm the building and not have it end in a mass casualty event.
So, Command decided to send us in.
I don't know if that says a lot about our skill, or how little the government really cares about these people to send a trio of fresh faced commandos into such a high risk situation. Sure, we weren't green, but we were some of the youngest commandos in the force right now.
Hence, the outburst upon our arrival since the cop in charge basically asked for reinforcements and got a gaggle of barely legal girls with assault weapons.
Hell if I was in her place, I'd probably say the same damn thing.
"Your reinforcements," I answered her prior question, very aware of all the eyes landing on us as we passed the holographic 'do not cross' barriers. My visor registered the woman who 'greeted' us as the officer in charge of this whole thing. "What's the situation?"
"Situation?" That got a chuckle out of her. "The situation is that I asked for commandos, not school girls."
"You think we're just carrying all this stuff for fun?" I give attention to our field kit and weapons on hand.
"I think I asked for commandos and got kids," she sighed. "I've got grandkids older than you three. How old are you anyway? Eighty?"
'Seventy', though I didn't say that aloud, trying to take a diplomatic approach. "We were briefed that the terrorists haven't executed any of the hostages, is that still the case or has the situation changed?"
"Not that we can tell," the Capitan, seemingly putting aside her own objections to our appearance for the moment, rubbed the back of her neck with a sigh. "They keep making noise about how 'this time they mean it', but nothing's happening. Pretty sure those guys didn't think this through or even plan to make good on any threats."
"They're at least thinking clearly enough to know that without the hostages, your people would have stormed the place already," I point out. This was one of dear old dad's earliest lessons to me, if you make a threat, no matter how small or large it is, you have to carry through. Right or wrong, logical or crazy, you just have to do it. Otherwise you'll never be taken seriously again.
Personal experience I guess.
"Already tried that earlier. See that," the cop pointed to a large section of shattered windows along the ground floor, several bodies still lying where they fell. "I lost ten people. The salarians laid out some automated turrets just beyond the threshold, gunned them down when they tried to enter. Each had more time in the force then you've been alive. You really think you have a chance?"
"I mean no offense to your people, but we've trained for high risk situations like this for decades," I puff up my chest. "Combine that with the best equipment and gene mods on the market and I think we have more than just a chance."
"Training isn't everything, you need actual-"
"Does your opinion actually matter," Krya spoke up, narrowing her eyes at the woman. "You have your orders to let us through so we can carry out our orders. So step aside already-"
I jab Krya in the side to get her to shut up.
"We know the risks," I try to salvage the situation. "But this is what we've trained for."
The cop stared Krya down, then grumbled something under her breath, "not like I can stop you anyway."
"Excuse me?"
"I said medic's over there," she pointed to a tent off to the side. "Just don't be stupid and throw your lives away. Worse comes to worse, just report you couldn't get in and command will send another group in. Maybe with actual adults this time."
"Thanks for the advice," I preemptively grab onto Krya to get her to keep her mouth shut.
As we made our way through the rows of cop cars and officers, flashes of news drones overhead, I fought the urge to metaphorically throttle Kyra.
"I hate that woman," Kyra mumbled as she checked her rifle's sight.
"Hate is a strong word for a person you just met," Lynyxa spoke up for the first time, fiddling with her omni-tool as we reached the end of the police side of the line.
"Then I 'intensely dislike' that woman," Kyra corrected herself. "Who's she to treat us like that?"
"You did act like a child for a moment, whining you weren't being taken seriously."
"Hey! I was just trying to explain that her people aren't trained enough or equipped for this sort of situation. We are. Her sending in those people was stupid and dangerous."
"Then why didn't you just say that?"
"I thought I was-"
Before I had a chance to tell the pair to knock it off, a shot rang out from the building and hit my barrier. Hardly strong enough to break it, but it was enough to send the three of us scurrying for cover by the hotel's entrance.
No sooner had we slid behind a row of abandoned cars did those turrets the Captain mentioned earlier open up on us alongside a number of other small arms.
What a pickle.
"Lynxya, can you deal with those turrets from here?" I ask over the constant pinging of gunfire.
The girl pulled up her omni-tool interface to fiddle around, our third member angled her rifle over the top of our cover without exposing herself and blind fired in an attempt to suppress some of the income munitions.
"No good," Lynyxa shook her head, "those things are all hardlined, no wireless ports."
'Well someone's really comfortable with their VI's IFF systems,' I muse, trying to quickly think of a plan as the firing starts to die down. Probably from overheated weapons.
"Okay, Lynyxa, get a hologram ready, and have it go that way," I instructed her, pointing to the other side of the lot we were pinned down in. "Provide covering fire to make it look like your actual covering of Krya and I going that way."
"So we're going the other way?" Kyra quipped as Lynyxa prepared the distraction.
"Nope. Straight down the middle," I answered with a grin.
"What! Are you-"
"Okay now!"
Lynyxa's hologram raced across the open area, and with the covering fire she provided, all guns trained on the light show as Krya and I advanced forward. The salarians wised up soon enough, and swiftly shifted their fire to me and Kyra.
Kyra stopped just outside the lobby area and did her best to suppress the salarians inside with bursts of controlled fire to keep them heads down.
Giving me just the opening I needed.
I biotically charged headlong into the center of their ranks and let out a powerful nova blast that sent people and makeshift cover flying. Salarians were gunned down as they flew through the air or tried to scurry back behind some form of cover getting caught in a crossfire.
I think one of them tried to throw down his gun and surrender, but that could have just been a 'reflex' after getting a new hole in his head courtesy of our resident markswoman.
Some more controlled bursts from Kyra later, and the lobby was cleared of hostiles.
Save for those meddlesome turrets that had flown across the lobby and screeched against the hard floor, their VI's still trying to turn and fire upon the three of us but ended up just looking like a fish on land with all the 'flapping' about.
I casually walked over and put two slugs into the sides of each of them.
Now the lobby was secured.
All that was left was the rest of the hotel.
[Nos Astra Special Republican Guard Records]
[AFTER ACTION REPORT]
Mission Summary for Operation E-11
Mission Status: Complete
Mission Summary: All hostiles terminated. All hostages rescued, no casualties. Property damage kept within acceptable range.
Additional Notes: Recommend commendation for all huntresses for exemplary execution of rescue. Complaint by property owner for punitive compensation for damages dismissed.
Addendum: report forwarded to the Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance by Council authority.
[RECORD SEALED]
Now, with my current line of work, you'd think family dinners would descend into some awkward silence. A commando eating with the Queen of Omega and her right hand underling. Law on one side, crime on the other. Hell I think there's some shows on the extranet that work off this peremis.
But honestly, I knew my current job wouldn't affect our family dynamic all that much. I hardly had time off to even see them, though I did stay in regular touch with Liselle and, to a lesser extent, Dad. Both were proud of me, and both kept their questions to non-intrusive things. How was I doing? Was I eating enough? Was I getting enough sleep? That sort of stuff.
On a few occasions I did manage to get leave to go home, all I really had to worry about was the inherent mundane awkwardness of being with my family.
"Sooooo~" Liselle looked at me like a Cheshire cat, leaning towards me from her side of the table. She even picked at her food like a cat, lazily pushing her dinner from one side to the other with her fork.
"So what?" I wasn't going to give her what she wanted, I kept my attention firmly on my dinner. She was not going to bait me this time! I am smarter and more mature now!
"How are they?"
"What are you talking about?" I knew what she was talking about, I just didn't want to engage with it. Give an inch, she'll take a mile; or a light year. "Who's 'they'?"
"Oh come on, you know what I'm talking about," my sister almost whined at my stonewalling. Liselle had months upon months of teasing built up in her system that she had to get out over the course of a few days. Sure she could do her thing over messages or emails, but I guess nothing has that same impact as seeing me get annoyed right beside her I guess.
"I have no idea," just keep looking at the food, give her nothing, she'll get bored.
Eventually.
"Then let me spell it out for you," she huffed, then grinned, leaning forward. "A bunch of young huntresses, close confines, blood running hot after a mission, all bathing together before going to bed, together, Hmmmmmm~"
Oh for the love of….
"First off, we all have our own rooms. Second, even if we 'bathe together' at times, it's more like a five minute shower before collapsing on the nearest bed or couch," if we get that far.
One time I remember being so out of it I fell asleep at the kitchen table. I only woke up when Kyra turned the coffee machine on and I thought the beeping of it was an alarm going off. Imagine how goofy I looked when I asked her what she's doing in my room at 'this hour' and not only was I in the kitchen in nothing but my underwear, but it turns out it's already past noon.
"The same bed you say~"
"You have a one track mind, you know that?" I tried to ignore her, but was admittedly failing. My wall was falling apart. "And you know I didn't say that."
"I'm just saying~"
"I didn't know you were interested in my life like that."
"You? No. Your teammates however? The mousy one, and the one with all the nice muscles? Those two I am very much interested in~"
"Who are in their late seventies," I point out, knowing full well that by responding to her I was just giving her what she wanted. "I didn't know you liked them that young."
"How little you know of my desires. It's maturity that draws me in, not age. After all, age is just a number."
"So is a prison cell."
"When did you get so feisty?" She giggled at my blank expression, "But I now think I know who wears the leathers in your team's dynamic~"
"Liselle."
"Probably crack the whip every once and while to keep them in line right?"
"Liselle…."
"Though my womanly intuition is telling me that the mousy one also has some pull over the muscular one. I've always found the quiet ones, are the most conniving types in bed~"
"Do I need to get a spray bottle out or something?"
"Don't worry, I know better than to step on my baby sister's toes," she said 'innocently'. "But, hypothetically speaking, I suppose if you did bring them over while I just happened to be around, and we just happen to end up in a situation when I have to take them off your hands. You know, I know this amazing trick with my tongue that-"
"Liselle…"
"Stop riling her up, Liselle," Dad finally chimed in, never taking her eyes off the data-pad. Even at home, her attention was on work. You could almost forget she was even here with how little she spoke until now. Even in her off time, work was work I guess.
"Fine, fine," Liselle huffed and deflated like a puffer fish from our father's chastisement. "Just having a little fun. But you can't deny she looks cute when her face gets all scrunched up like that."
"I'm sure," Aria turned her attention to me. "And don't be too hard on your sister, Aleena. She wouldn't tease you as much if you didn't make it so easy or entertaining for her."
"It's not my fault she acts like a woman child," now it was my turn to huff like a child.
"Ha, see!" Liselle pointed at me with all the jubilance of a child.
"Moving on," Aria finally looked up from her pad, "Aleena, how is commando life treating you?"
I jumped on the metaphorical life line Dad dangled to move the conversion onto anything other than my sex life, or lack thereof. "It's not what I expected."
"Oh? Disappointed you're not living out a fantasy you'd find in a Justicar book? No damsels to save, no injustices to right."
"The fantasy part I sort of knew ahead of time," I let out an involuntary nervous laugh, since that actually does hit a little close to home. "No, I'm not disappointed. It's just different from what I thought it would be."
"Different how?" Aria perked up, Liselle also looked interested.
How do I say this tactfully, "it's different in the… different way."
"How eloquently put," Liselle mused.
I shot the woman a glare that sent her into a fit of giggles as our father rolled her eyes and returned to her data pad.
Just another day in the T'Loak household I suppose.
The most annoying missions I found were the ones where I was dragged out of bed and thrown into a ship to be briefed on the way. Half asleep, I barely register going through the motions of slipping into my hardsuit, getting my weapons from the armory, or even just getting a small vial of caffeine to get me to wake up.
I would absolutely crash later from it, but that was hours from now.
The dropship shook erratically as wind and rain battered the hull as it soared out of Nos Astra into the 'wilds' beyond. Various metal bits and harnesses jostled about with every shake. The only source of light in the passenger compartment was the holo table giving us our briefing en route.
"Three hours ago, the Synthetic Insights compound was attacked by the 'Daughters of Blood and Bone', a luddite group against all forms of artificial intelligence and research into them," our operator briefed us over the comms. The holographic display shifted to show a still of the facility in question. "They stormed the compound and killed most of the staff. Those who managed to survive are currently in a panic room in the lower sublevels."
"So this is a rescue?" I questioned, just finally getting the metaphorical cobwebs out of my eyes.
"No," the screen changed to display a blueprint of the complex with a highlighted path. "Rescue operations will be undertaken by the regular Guard, your objective is data retrieval. The facility has two black boxes, a primary and a backup. As of right now, the Daughters have yet to find either of them. Your mission is to extract the black boxes and ensure no corporate information has been destroyed or compromised."
"Any casualties from the lab staff, ma'am?" Krya asked.
"Several," the operator answered, "but of more immediate concern for your team are the security mechs. The Daughters introduced a virus into their operating systems and turned the security systems hostile."
"Excuse me, but isn't the security system at the facility overseen by a sanctioned AI?" Lynyxa pressed, looking up from her personal readout.
"Yes. The virus they used was exceptionally virulent, causing the AI to essentially implode on itself. And since the facility works off the network, it must have been introduced into the facility on site. We're doing a thorough background check on all individuals who worked there to see what exactly slipped the net. But this is beyond your purview."
As the briefing went on, with all the planning and jargon, I had only one question on my mind: how did a luddite group have a computer virus capable of shutting down an AI?
"How long do we have?" Kyra questioned, occasionally her eyes darted out the small portholes of the shuttle to see the vast expanses of sub tropical jungle we were flying over.
"Until sunrise, at which point the Guard's assault will begin. Command wants those black boxes out of harm's way before shots are fired. Get the boxes and bring them back to the LZ for extraction, that is your only priority."
"And the trapped researchers?" I finally spoke up.
"The black boxes are your only priority," the operator repeated bluntly.
So property over life. How 'humane' of them.
"Then consider it done, ma'am," I affirmed, though with my own plans in the works.
"I look forward to your success, Central out." Even as the comm link was cut, I could feel my teammates eyes on me.
I knew that they knew I had other plans for this OP. Well not 'other plans', more like 'expanded purview'. I mean, if I had the boxes on my person and I was attacked by one of those terrorists, I'd have to respond in kind. And if they just kept comming at us? Well, to protect the black boxes, we'd have to wipe them out.
The boxes, as she so eloquently stated, were our 'only priority', but what about radiant, secondary objectives?
"So…" I began, the ramp opening up to an open patch of grass amidst an ocean of tropical trees. I pointed to Lynyxa, "mechs," then to Kyra, "terrorists," and finally myself, "everything else?"
"Sounds fine to me," Lynyxa quickly keyed in disruptor rounds into her rifle, exiting she hit the side of the craft to let the pilot know to close the 'door' as it were.
"I'd rather we not engage any hostiles, get in and out without being seen, but I know how these things tend to go by this point," Kyra sighed, checking her grenades. "But please tell me why every mission we have devolve into search and destroy?"
"Hey! Just last week we rescued those hostages from pirates."
"Oh sorry. Why does 'almost' every mission become a search and destroy one?"
"Thank you," I stuck my tongue out at her as I slotted in the mod for shredder rounds into my shotgun. "And the reason is that if we can save people, without risking others, we ought to at least try."
"And our orders-"
"Are still going to be completed and followed to the letter," I replied. "Boxes come first, then we see what we can do about those researchers."
"Those were hardly our…ugh," Kyra didn't have a comeback, only a mumble of an acknowledgment.
I hope Patriarch was right about this new ammo mod capable of ripping apart unshielded organics.
Excessive force to use against some merry band of luddites? Maybe.
Then again, what is a Geneva Convention anyway?
[Nos Astra Special Republican Guard Records]
[AFTER ACTION REPORT]
Mission Summary for Operation KL-09
Mission Summary: Data retrieved. All researchers extracted, no casualties. (NOTE: Huntress Vesta and her team went beyond mission parameters following competition of primary objectives and engaged in hostilities in the facility. All hostiles neutralized, no fatalities among squad or hostages.)
Additional notes: It is undeniable that Huntress Vesta went beyond her objective, even ignoring orders to extract following her primary mission completion. Yet it is also undeniable that her actions saved many lives compared to the alternative we were all bracing ourselves for (see attached: projected casualties). Far be it for me to claim she didn't do the right thing in hindsight.
Additional notes (2): Matriarch Pithia's request for charges against Huntress Vesta for insubordination dismissed, though the incident in question shall remain as a matter of record. Huntress Vesta will be required to undergo several Leadership seminars to better temper her attitude towards superiors during heated exchanges.
Addendum: report forwarded to the Office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance by Council authority.
[RECORD SEALED]
Inevitably, time ticked by.
Days to weeks.
Weeks to months.
Months to years.
Was I just numb to how fast time could speed by now because I was an asari or was it because I was so engrossed into my work and preparations for what comes next, that I didn't even pull my head up in those few off time moments to even breath.
But those moments did come, if a bit too sparingly for my tastes.
"Oh commander, I didn't see you there."
"That's fine, I didn't want to be seen. But since I'm here, it looks like you're ready for a spot inspection. Present yourself"
"Inspection? But ma'am, these are the showers."
"A true commando ought to be prepared for inspection anywhere. In the field, on the range, and in the showers. Now present yourself properly, or I will report you for insubordination."
"But- Oh~ Captain I- you're not supposed to touch there Oh~….."
"Shhh, don't lose focus."
"I- I'll try, Ma'am. But your hands are...oh~"
"Are what? Speak up, recruit."
"They're- cold ma'am."
"Hmmm, well how about you warm them up right here~"
"Ohhhhh~"
"Is this what aliens really think goes on in a huntress barracks? That we're all just one finger touch away from….this!?"
"It's a fetish," I couldn't help but snicker at Kyra rolling her eyes at the vid. Movie night was always a fun time for us. Or at least me.
Apparently, this... thing (abomination) was the 'hottest' vid in Citadel space right now. A historically inspired piece about some super-secret commando unit during the Korgan Rebellions. Or at least, that's how it advertises itself. In reality, it was just some really cheesy softcore porn.
Maybe it did have a good story, but I doubt that's why most people are watching it.
It's hardly a stretch to say asari had a slightly higher bar set for what constituted as truly explicit. Asari were just more open about their bodies and sexuality in general, not to say there aren't standards.
If a six-hundred-year-old matron tried to solicit a thirty-year-old for sex, she'd absolutely get called a pedophile. Booked, jailed, and on a registry for the rest of her life.
By contrast, if a nine-hundred-year-old matriarch got exposed for having a pair of century old maiden lovers? A little sketchy, and there'll probably be some allegations that she'd been 'grooming' them since their 'late fifties', but beyond that nothing would really happen if an investigation turned up nothing. Still shady as hell though.
Asari were created as the trope filled 'green (blue) alien space babes' of Mass Effect, and by god(ess) did they wear it proudly.
"This is the most unrealistic crap I've ever seen," Kyra continued ranting, standing up and pointing at the ongoing sex scene; even rocking the whole couch with her momentum. My popcorn spilled all over from the sudden movement. "Do people really think all commandos do off missions is some endless stream of hedonistic degeneracy!?"
"If it was realistic, I doubt it'd be this fun to watch," I chime in, "more so for us in particular. Otherwise you'd probably be sitting there pointing out all the minor things they'd get wrong rather than the plot of the story."
"Plot!? It's just a caricature of military life that is based on some alien fetishes on what they think we are like! What plot is there?" She pointed at the screen, another woman had entered the showers to join in the 'inspection.'
Oh my~
"Well let me put it like this," I decided to educate her on the 'plot' people were actually watching for. "There is the plot, that is the story with way more holes then I put into people." Honestly the storyline was just a vehicle for plot contrivance to happen to lead to the next sex scene. Not that I was complaining. "And then there is the 'plot', as in the reason most people watch this sort of stuff."
"I don't get it." Kyra sighed, "what other plot is there? Are you reading the show's summary while we're watching?"
Did she not get the...
Oh!
Oh no~
You sweet, sheltered, innocent, child.
I shouldn't say anything.
I shouldn't ruin her child like innocence.
She's too pure.
I should just let it be.
But…..
I fear the urge to utterly corrupt her is too strong to ignore.
"Let me rephrase it. There's the story plot, and then there's the 'plot'." At the mention of the other plot, I gestured to my breasts in a grasping motion in the space above them. "The 'plot'. See?"
It took a moment for my words to click, like a little hamster on a wheel doing its damndest to work. And then…
She let out a groan and quickly buried her face in her hands, though I'm sure I saw a soft blush moments before she obscured her face. "Why am I hardly surprised you would be into this sort of thing."
"Hey!"
"Don't 'hey' me, I've seen your extranet search history! You are hardly innocent!"
"Why were you looking at my search history-"
"But why did you have to put it up for movie night? If you want to watch porn, just close your door and we'll give you some space."
"Wait, what? I didn't put the vid on," Wait, she thought I wanted to watch this cheesy thing? While I have no reason to subject my squadmates to my unique collection of fetishes, if I did I would have at least chosen something with a better story and a lot more skin!
Though she probably knows that given she apparently looked at my search history. Also, to self: have Glyph scrub the history of my 'normal' terminal use in addition to my 'personal' searches. I can only imagine the looks she sent if she searched through stuff for political figures like Matriarch Benezia like some cyber stalker.
"Wait, if you don't then who-" she realized who it was before she even finished. Krya turned to the only other person in our dark living quarters.
Illuminated by the light, innocently quiet Lynyxa had been watching the movie since it started. Her eyes glued onto the scenes going on, so engrossed that she didn't even notice the conversation going on next to her. Her eyes moving in tandem with the actresses on screen.
Kyra looked like she swallowed a lemon and all I could do was laugh.
After all, like Liselle said, it's always the quiet ones.
"Low Priority Escort."
That's what our mission was officially.
It was nicer than saying 'babysitting'.
Basically, some city council person's daughter just graduated college, and to celebrate she decided to do what all stupid young adults do: Get wasted.
So the three of us 'volunteered' to keep her safe in some undercover style operation. We were all 'young enough' (our commander's words, not mine) to not look out of place, and thus were chosen for this 'mission'.
None of us had to wait long for the wasted bit at least. She went into the back with a gaggle of scantily clad dancers a short while after arriving and hasn't left since. Sadly, the story ends far less interesting then it might seem.
Thanks to Lynyxa hacking the cameras, we got to keep track of her in the back rooms. Turns out the girl can't hold her liquor and just fell asleep in the back room to the equal disappointment of the two dancers she brought with her.
And there she slumbers even now. Until she either wakes up or is thrown out.
Meaning we're stuck here until then. In a table in the back as far from the main 'noise' of the club as possible. Possible for hours….
Yay…
"Do they have anything here that won't cost a month's rent?" Kyra scowled at the menu, looking at the drinks like she was trying to solve some puzzle.
"Sure there is, it's called 'the door'," I snarked, grinning even as she punched me in the arm for my 'amazing' joke. Everyone's a critic.
"I don't think so," Lynyxa quipped, her voice just barely audible over the club's ambiance. She stirred her own drink with a tiny umbrella before taking a sip. "Places like this make their money primarily on drinks."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"Not from...them," Kyra gestured towards the vast variety of dancers and strippers in the club.
Prostitution was hardly taboo in asari society. Was there some sort of social stigma associated with being a prostitute? Sure. But it was no different from saying you were a janitor or did some other low 'class' physical laborer. It implied you were young, poor, or didn't have a higher education for anything else. They are, however, the go to part time jobs for maidens looking to exploit the bodies that aliens seem to salivate over.
"They don't bring in as much as you'd think," Lynyxa explained. "Sure it's a stable source of income, but their real job is to get people to the drinks."
"Well, I guess they can... certainly bend," Kyra's awkward attempt at small talk was pretty endearing in its own way. She looked away from the main stage, the lead girl deciding to do a split that made even me awkwardly move my legs in reaction.
"They could at least tone down the strobe lights," I muse. You can't even see the girls with the damn things flashing this much!
"Can't be good for drunks, that much I know," she grumbled in repsonse.
But our bitching and moaning was interrupted when Lynyxa tapped my shoulder.
"More importantly, Aleena, is everything alright with you?"
"Hmm?" that threw me for a loop. "Yeah, why'd you ask?"
"You seem a little down today," Lynyxa explained.
"Or this whole week," Kyra quipped, "seriously, after your birthday, you look all gloomy. Is everything all right?"
Oh.
That.
"Everything's fine," I try to wave off their concerns, "I've just been staying up later than usual playing GoF. With the next expansion coming out, I've been having my guild go through a literal boot camp to get ready for it. But maybe I am overdoing it a little, hehe," I rub the back of my head.
I think Kyra bought that, but Lynyxa looked less taken with my 'story' but didn't bring it up again. Maybe she assumed it was something personal, and knew not to pry.
Well, she was right, in a sense.
I couldn't deny I was a little down recently. The cause? I was now one hundred years old.
I'm not gloomy for being that old, or for the party they threw for me. Liselle even came by in person to wish me a happy birthday, and embarrassed me beyond belief. Dad chimed in via an audio only vid call. It was short, but sweet of her to do. Even absent mom made a 'guest' appearance with a massive credit chit and words about how 'we'll meet soon', for whatever good that'll do.
Honestly, while everyone seemed to have fun, I think Liselle was having the time of her life with Kyra specifically. While both Lynyxa and Krya know I grew up on Omega, they didn't know who our dad was; or at least her name.
So I can only imagine the look on dad's face when Krya was telling her to keep clear of 'Aria T'Loak' and her 'criminal enterprises'. Liselle was right there and she was barely able to keep it together, constantly adding to it by agreeing that Aria 'ought to be on the lookout for Aria T'Loak'. Pretty sure dad broke down when the call ended, calling in her whole gang to tell them, though that is just me speculating.
But I digress.
The reason I was upset due to that fact was two fold, but ultimately simple: I was now one hundred years old and thanks to some advanced mathematics (by knowing Liara T'Soni was currently forty-four years old and knowing that she was one-hundred and six in 2183 CE) I now knew what year it was. The year is currently 2121 CE.
The Reaper invasion, if canon was true, was only sixty-four years away, and I'm barely any closer to stopping it then I was a hundred years ago.
I knew I had to do something now, otherwise, even if I accomplished phase one of my plan to help the Galaxy, there'd be no time to actually do anything if I didn't start right now!
As the hours of the night had dragged on, the girl still out like a light in the back rooms, I decided to mix some truths and half truths.
"I was actually thinking about taking some time off soon, to see the galaxy and all that," I tell them, interrupting an unrelated conversation the two were having.
"Well you probably have months worth of leave saved up," Kyra mused. "Thinking about going to Thessia for a while? The Citadel? Some place in the Terminus?"
"Eventually," I drummed my fingers along the table as the music picked up. "But for now, I just want to look at some future career options."
"What? You're quitting being a commando?" The two looked concerned at that. "After serving for just a few decades?"
"No, no. Not quitting," I chuckled at that, calming the pair down. "More like, looking for something to do on the side."
"Anything in particular," Lynyxa asked, curious about this kind of sabbatical I was going on. "I could ask one of my cousins to put in a good word for you with Elanus Risk Control, they hire freelancers from time to time."
"Eh, I do want to do more with my life than just gun people down," I shrug, resting my eyes from the constant flashing lights and scantily clad girls to think. "If I had to say right now what I was thinking, I would say something in the information business."
AN: Slice of life fluff, with a mix of worldbuilding and time progression. Who could ask for more?
And I expect nothing to go wrong or awry with Aleena's 'Shadow Broker' plan~
Nope.
Nothing at all!
Also, a lot of sealed records. Probably just an oversight by the author that will never come up again...
~Wink~