Chapter 05
And then… it was over.
Aria's people had come to collect the humans with proper stretchers and Orgun had had the decency to stay behind and clean up after the mess that was left when Abby had finished digging all the shrapnel out of his body. This endeared him to the veterinarian somewhat. But tending his wounds were sobering and a very grim reminder of what Asura had faced out there and the violence that could always insert itself into their lives. Abby realised that she had become very good at bluffing herself, thinking that they were safe but the truth was, that grace was in Aria's hands.
And the asari was dangerous.
When Orgun left and Grom returned, Abby closed the clinic early despite backlog of patients she would have and fled to their home. There, without saying a word, she took Asura to the shower and carefully undid every buckle and strap on her armour, checking her whole person for injuries before allowing the asari to return the favour of undressing her. They made love in the shower and it was a fierce attempt to convey with physical touch what they both felt. Abby knew that nothing short of melding with Asura again would show her how relieved she was that she returned to her alive. The act, as always, was both fulfilling and hollow – a pale shadow of what a true melding felt like. But it said enough.
"I love you," Abby whispered to Asura as the asari was in the process of drying her hair, something her partner liked doing. "I… I keep wondering what I have gotten us into."
Asura's chuckle was light and wonderful, seemingly acting like a mental caress that Abby didn't realise she needed.
"And here I was wondering the same thing." She was silent for a moment. "I didn't want you involved Abigail."
Her partner so rarely called her by her nickname and it was very precious. Abby looked at them in the mirror that she was sitting in front and tried to imagine her life now without Asura. It felt bleak and colourless and she hoped that she would never find out what little value she would see in life if this asari was gone.
"You can argue that I did this to us. Right at the beginning. I did this to us."
Asura was quiet for a moment. She put the towel down and picked up Abby's brush.
"We have a good life here," she said. "And a plan. I could have whisked us away to some remote planet but what would we do there? You have purpose here and, I don't know if I tell you this enough but you are incredible my love. You took care of all Aria charged you with. Even Orgun. I looked at how you work and…" she trailed off.
"Aria is to thank for this life. I wouldn't have had the imagination to come up with it on my own. I think that we have the best we can have here. And it won't be forever. One day, we can set off and find a different life. But this anchored us and gave both of us a moment to acclimatise." She was quiet for a moment. "And I felt Aria's grief. It is frightening in its intensity. If she does not find resolution to this, it might well destroy Omega. So we did a good thing today."
Abby wasn't so sure.
"Sanders," she began slowly. "Kahlee. She's the one who works with Jack. She knows me Asura."
The brush stopped moving on Abby's head for a just a moment.
"And, Anderson knows me," the asari pointed out finally. "If you are fearing persecution from the Alliance…"
"It's not that," Abby said quickly. "I… Asura, I'm scared Aria's going to kill them when they are done. Kahlee, she asked me to call Jack. She said I should tell her where she is. I… What do I do with that?"
Asura's sigh was deep.
"Try not to get involved?" she offered then seemed to change her mind. "Goddess no, we are already involved. And she'll expect you to go back." She was quiet for a moment and Abby waited for her to speak because she needed the asari's guidance.
"Is it too much to ask to simply ignore the request?" Asura asked instead, studying her expression through the mirror. "Yes, of course it is. Don't look at me like that." She smiled though her features quickly sobered. "You can't talk to Jack about this. I don't know how much Aria monitors communication but I would hate to risk it. And Jack…" She trailed off and Abby could understand her discomfort.
She struggled to understand and come to terms with biotics, the strange power that humans, asari and even krogan had in common. It was… too much like magic and it made her uncomfortable because more often than not, it was simply used as a weapon. But, something she did understand was that Asura and Jack were very evenly matched when it came to power. The second Mass Effect game had all but hinted at it when they put Jack on level with Samara who was described as a very adept biotic even among her own kind. With Jack's ire directed at Asura for helping Shepard get taken by the Alliance and her tendency to want to settle matters with her fists rather than negotiation, their next meeting might well be more heated than a simple apology can settle.
Then, Asura surprised her.
"Just tell Jack she needs to come here, she'll come when you call – if the Alliance will let her. If she can't, then she wouldn't be of much help anyway."
Abby turned away from the mirror where she had been studying Asura and looked up at her partner.
"What do you think she can do?"
Thinking, Asura looked away and then sighed, her expression darkening. "We're in an awkward position Abby, where I don't want David Anderson as an enemy. If Aria… I don't know. She speaks of them as being guests but this has to do with her daughter. I don't know how she is going to keep perspective in this and I don't want her to do anything that might compromise our ability to move to Alliance space if we need to."
Still studying her lover, Abby grimaced and stood up. She went to their walk in closet for a fresh change of clothes because she realised that she would have to go back to the practice. Asura soon joined her and what followed was a kind of awkward dance that couples engaged in when they shared a space.
"Do you think you will have to rescue Anderson, if it comes round to it?" Abby asked finally after she had considered all possible options as to why Asura might need Jack. It frightened her to consider going against Aria and she could tell immediately by how uncomfortable Asura was that she felt the same.
"I'm not sure that will be possible," Asura confessed. "But, I also feel it might take more than me to convince Aria to settle the matter amicably. Anderson wasn't supposed to be there, only Sanders. I'm hoping his presence will stay Aria's hand."
Abby grimaced as she finally settled down to pull on her shoes. "I'll send Jack a message," she said. "It will take her a while to get here anyway. I'm going back to the clinic." She turned a soft look on Asura. "Stay here, rest."
The idea appealed to Asura but Abby could tell she was concerned.
"Don't go to Aria without me," she said. "Please. Call me when they come for you."
When they come for me…
Abby looked up at the ceiling and shuddered, the words making her uneasy and reminding her of Aria's belief that one day a mysterious group of people might come for her to collect what Aria thought was their experiment.
"I'm not sure when that will be," she said. "But I'll call Anto. See if he knows. Rest Asura, there are some left overs in the fridge. Take a moment for yourself."
The asari looked embarrassed. "I just need an hour or two, just a nap. I will join you in a bit."
Smiling, Abby couldn't stop herself from moving to the asari and pressing a light kiss on her lips.
"I'm looking forward to it," she said. "I'm glad you are back Asura. And I am really glad that you weren't hurt." She allowed Asura to pull her into a hug and for just a moment, relaxed into the asari, allowing her mind to ponder on how blessed she was that she had found this life here.
"And I'm glad you felt the need to check regardless," Asura said with a chuckle. "You are everything to me Abigail."
Words would not have done the statement any justice, so Abby simply kissed Asura again and then broke away from her, fixing it in her mind that she had to send Jack a message. She couldn't call her, because signals and space were a strange thing. And she didn't want to make it too complicated because, if Asura's suspicion was correct that Aria might be monitoring their communication, it might upset the matriarch. But, she also didn't want to make it too vague because Jack… Well, Jack was an interesting one.
In the end, before she left their apartment, Abby sat down in the kitchen and typed out a few simple words to her friend.
Jack. I Need you to come and visit whenever you have a moment.
She capitalised the N on purpose and hoped that the young woman, who also spend a part of her life writing poetry and playing with words, would read into how urgent the request was.
The man had introduced himself and explained his purpose for being there and all seemed legitimate. She was even able to confirm it with the Illusive Man who was oh so conscientious when he spoke of her safety and how this man was only there to ensure that he brought no more drama to her station…
But, Aria wasn't convinced.
She was truly starting to wonder at the arrogance of humans and had to admit to herself that she interacted with them far too little to completely understand what drove their race. She had always gotten the impression that it had a lot to do with individual gain. Humans, who were by no means a homogenous race, seemed to be driven by the characteristics that made them unique. Driven to pursue self-fulfilment and success. They acted a little as if the whole galaxy owed them and in council space that was certainly true.
The fifth fleet had sacrificed themselves and saved the Destiny Ascension.
They certainly proved their worth.
But instead of simply being satisfied with their victory, they still purposed their own cause. Rallied to their own kind.
Humanity deserves…
She heard those words a lot.
The fact of the matter was that all of the humans that she had met seemed to be driven by individual need, much more so than any other species that she had encountered. Shepard had been driven to save the galaxy from the Reapers and Aria wished her well in that cause, if it was true and not the ravings of a mad woman. And Abigail Gable, well, that woman seemed mostly driven to remain upright.
But this man… This… Kai Leng.
Aria wondered what drove him.
"So, you are supposed to be my… what? Bodyguard?" She had been studying Kai Leng and he stood in front of her, seemingly relaxed and confident. With some Cerberus agents she could always pick up that they were uncomfortable around aliens but this man didn't show any discomfort or anything else for that matter.
He smiled at her words and shook his head ever so slightly. "I'm here to make sure that the deed gets done," he said. "Grayson is a dangerous man. If having Kahlee Sanders here will bring him to Omega, I need to make sure that he doesn't leave."
Aria didn't take her eyes away from him, reaching out to sense him mood. She wasn't as attuned as someone like Asura was but she had her own way of reading people. Yet, she could tell immediately that she might have to arrange a discreet interaction between her pet ardat yakshi and this man because she sensed almost nothing from him. No fear, no irritation. Just… focus.
Though that in itself was something to take note of.
"Yes, I've been told repeatedly that Grayson must be killed," Aria said and sat back a little, studying the man's posture. "We shall see if he rises to the bait. What can you tell me of him?"
Kai Leng shrugged. "I doubt I can tell you more than the Illusive Man," he said. "I would rather, if you'd allow me, speak to Sanders."
Aria chuckled. "Oh, that won't happen," she said. "I hardly see the need for it."
Kai Leng blinked slowly and then… he smiled. "We gave you that lead," he said. "I think it's only…"
"Fair?" Aria interrupted him. "He was one of yours and he got one of mine killed. If all was fair on this asteroid, I'd have had your head."
Kai Leng shifted and became another man. The smile stayed, but Aria could see his muscles tense and his hands twitch as if they intended to move to some imaginary weapon. They could twitch all they want, despite the fuss he had put up at her door, she had not allowed him into her company with a weapon. She wasn't that stupid.
"That had nothing to do with us," Kai Leng's tone was as smooth as his smile but suddenly, Aria found herself sitting up as she studied him. Is he lying? Were they involved in Liselle's death?
"Maybe," Aria said. "But we're still trying to put all the pieces together and the truth is that there is a lot of Red Sand out there that he had had responsibility over. And here's the thing, some things just don't add up. Maybe if you told me more of Grayson, I'd be able to put some of my doubts to bed."
She smiled when she saw the faint twitch in the corner of Kai Leng's mouth.
"I hardly knew him," the Cerberus agent offered but Aria held up a hand.
"I don't think that's true," Aria said. "See, when I have something pressing that needs to be done, I choose my team very carefully. I normally send the person best acquainted with the circumstances to see it through to finish. The Illusive Man wouldn't have sent you if you only have a passing knowledge of the man. No, with his need to see him dead coming across so strongly… I'd imagine you have interest in his expiry as well."
Kai Leng was quiet for a moment as he considered answering her. It was a trait that Aria admired in people at least, the ability to think before one spoke.
"He betrayed us and our organisation," Kai Leng said finally. "He was selfish, a red sand addict and in the end lacked what was needed to get the job done. I had to clean up too many of his messes. In the end, yes, I hunted him when he fled from us like a wounded varren. It was my job to take him out."
"And he got away from you?"
"Yes."
Aria smiled. "So he is better than you then? The man I knew had no taste for red sand." Liselle would have mentioned it. She understood as much as I did that you cannot sample the merchandise, nor trust people who wanted to.
Kai Leng's smile was frozen on his face but she could tell by the way he looked at her that he wanted to kill her. That he already thought he knew how and if he could just take that opening, that micro fracture that he must have thought he identified in her protection, he would have her at his mercy.
"Not anymore," Kai Leng said tightly. "I don't make the same mistake twice."
Aria sat back, tired of his company and this game. "I can't imagine that you do," she said and shifted back. "I will keep you in the loop, as I will with your employer. For the time being, stay out of my way and that of my people. If you require board and lodging during your stay here, I'm sure I can arrange something. But for now, stay out of our way until Grayson is here. And, don't think you can try to see Sanders on your own. I run this asteroid."
He had the cheek to bow at her, his back stiff as he dropped his gaze to the floor.
"I'll manage," he said and she wasn't quite sure with what he meant. Still, she waved him off and watched him go as Griss stepped up to her, his hand still on the sniper rifle he had pointed at the back of Kai Leng's head all throughout their meeting. His mandibles twitched and he still looked at the space the man had occupied rather than at her, as if he was still glaring down the imprint of the human.
"I don't know why you're humouring Cerberus," Griss spoke finally. Turning to give him a curious look, thinking that this was the closest he had ever come to questioning her authority, Aria waved at him.
"They're paying me a hefty fee to get this sorted," she said. "Go and get Dr Gable, I want her to have a look at something before she goes up to see her patients."
Abby was finishing up handing a set of spayed teenage kittens back to their owner when her clinic door opened again and Aria's one personal bodyguard Griss silently stepped in. He met her gaze over the counter as she was talking to the owner about post-operation care, which was over in a wink of an eye these days with all that modern medicine had to offer her, and slipped down on one of the chairs. Abby was generally cautious around everybody in Aria's inner circle but she liked the turian. If it had been Anto who had come to fetch her, the batarian would have stormed in, grabbed her by her hair and pulled her to Aria like some strange cave man. Or that is at least how it felt to Abby. The batarian never touched her of course but he had that way about him and he certainly didn't have the tact to refrain from scaring her clients. No, it was only Griss who had the sense to simply wait, trusting her to understand that she didn't have a lot of time but he was willing to give her what she needed. She had even once sent some food home with him when he had come to drop Asura off after they had had a meeting with Aria, thinking that his wife would appreciate the gesture. She only realised afterwards that they couldn't eat it and it had probably ended up in the station's waste disposal. But it had been the thought that counted and her containers were returned to her with several odd Knick knacks and beads she suspected his kids had put together. Abby guessed all of this, the turian never spoke about his private life. But she knew he had a family and that they had at least tried to make an effort as she had.
She was luckily done for the day and the kittens had been the last patients who needed to go home. She was already prepared to leave and quickly send off a message to Asura, telling her that she was on her way to Aria.
She joined Griss when she had all her things and left instructions with Grom to lock the clinic and feed Oz. She had lost track of how long her day had been because she had gotten up early to work in the clinic, waiting for Asura's return. Not having a day and night cycle had its downfall.
Griss didn't take her to Afterlife but to a set of heavily protected apartments a few blocks from it. When Abby started to look nervous, the turian shook his head and motioned to his omnitool.
"I've already told your asari where you are," he said. "Safer that way."
Abby felt relief rush over her immediately.
"You are godsend, Griss," she pointed out. "Ahm… For my sake, where are we?"
"Aria's private apartments."
Well, I guessed that much, Abby refrained from saying that out loud, not sure how well turians handled sarcasm. Instead, she clutched at her bag of supplies, most of which she had sent for from Mordin's old clinic. She had also had an extensive call with Dr Daniel Abrams as to whether or not she had done the right thing. She had been able to record all the data from her care of the two patients on her omnitool and had gone over the treatment with Mordin's assistant in detail. He could not find any faults but said that he would be on stand by if she needed any other advice.
"Are they awake yet?"
Griss glanced at her as he opened the car door. "Who?"
Abby blinked.
"Ahm, the humans. My patients?" The turian grunted.
"Don't know," he said and came round to help her out. "You're seeing Aria first."
Abby had hoped to avoid that but accepted her fate. Griss took her arm when they were out of the car and guided her through a set of doors, past several guards and eventually into a large hallway. It only dawned on her afterwards that nobody might let Asura through and the asari might be forced to wait for her outside.
Please don't let them be that stupid.
She had never been to this area and quietly admonished herself for never even considering that Aria might have a home. She had always just assumed that the asari remained in Afterlife. Every. Single. Second.
"Are you hot Dr Gable?"
Contemplating her own stupidity, Abby had started blushing with embarrassment as Griss led her to a brightly lid room. She hadn't even noticed that they had company until she felt the pressure on her arm release and Griss' presence fade to the background. Abby blinked and turned to find Aria on a couch in what was one of the most ostentatiously decorated rooms she had ever seen in her life. This was nothing like Afterlife where the ambiance was dominated by the loud music, flashing lights and typical gloom encroached corners of the club. Colours of green and gold stood out at her, light flooded the room and there was music, yes, but it was soft and just above notice. There was a smell of incense in the air and strangely the only thing that felt out of place was Abby herself. Even Aria had dressed in colours to suit the room.
"Dr Gable?" The asari rose from the couch and approached her in such a way that demanded her attention. "In your own time."
Abby tried to gather her thoughts. "I… No," she said. "I'm not hot just…" She might as well say it. "Impressed. This is your home?" It was hard to judge whether Aria was amused or irritated with her.
"All of Omega is my home," she said. "This is where I conduct some of my more subtle business arrangements. Come here, I want you to look at something." Her manner became more business-like as she waved Abby over to a wall where a holo screen had appeared. Abby frowned at the image it displayed, her heart leaping into another gear. Walking over to the wall, she studied the scene before she turned and frowned at Aria.
"What's this?"
It was a video from some kind of medical procedure. A man was strapped to a table, a woman at his head. The video quality was bad and grainy. Abby saw the woman perform some kind of intubation, possibly endotracheal though she couldn't be sure. The image flickered and then the man was on the bed, lying there shuddering with what looked like a mass of wires were connected to his body.
"I was hoping you can tell me," Aria said as she slipped in beside her, her gaze focused on the screen and not on the veterinarian. "This is Paul." She motioned to the man whom Abby could only assume was being tortured on the bed. "My team managed to extract this from a console on the station just before it got destroyed. Do you know what they are doing? Do you know who they are?"
Abby frowned at her as she set her medical bag down and stepped closer to the screen to try and have a better look.
"Not all humans know each other Aria," she said a bit tartly. "I know less than most."
Aria's expression was like ice when she met her gaze. "Yes," she said. "But you've been on a Cerberus vessel. Recognize anybody?"
Abby weighed her tone and realised that the asari's patience was actually paper thin. Pointing out that Shepard's crew had already renounced the Illusive Man when she joined them might just tear through that thin veil Aria had on her self-control. She turned to the screen and made an effort, trying to spot something, anything that might help. There was very little and she couldn't understand what Aria had thought she'd be able to see.
"I don't Aria," she said. "Do you think this is Cerberus?"
Sighing, Aria replied honestly. "I don't know. I don't even know how old this recording is. But it came from the lab where they extracted the two humans from, perhaps they'll know."
Abby tore her gaze away from the looping image. "How are they?" She asked. "Are they awake?"
The asari turned on her heels and moved back to the couch. "That is for you to determine," she said. "And what I am paying you for, yes?"
Abby nodded solemnly but didn't know what to do.
"Do… Do you want me to ask them about this?" She asked, motioning to the video behind her.
"I thought my intention was obvious Dr Gable," Aria replied. "I want you to help me solve this mystery. There are several Cerberus operatives on this base, I need to determine what kind of hospitality I need to show them now and into the future."
Abby surprised herself by answering without thinking.
"Get them all out. They're not good people Aria."
The asari laughed as she sat down on the couch and pulled a datapad closer. "Very few of the denizens here are Dr Gable," she said. "They're good at turning a profit but credits aren't everything you know." She was pretending that it was all about the money again. Abby looked around the room and saw that they weren't alone that Griss was still there as well as two of Aria's regular attendants, both asari. She wanted to ask about Liselle but realised that it might not be the right time. Instead, she went over to her medical bag and picked it back up.
"Your people will let Asura in when she comes, won't they?" She had wanted to make it sound like a command rather than a request but had lost her nerve right at the last minute. Aria didn't even bother her with a reply.
"I'll come and see them when you are done," Aria said. "See if you can put them into a cooperative mindset."
Something strange happened in Abby's mind and for just a moment, though it felt endless across the expanse of time, she wasn't in Aria's lounge at all. She was in a tiny, filthy room with a bucket of water and a bucket to relief herself in and with her were two aliens, creatures she couldn't believe that she was seeing.
A batarian and an asari and all they had wanted from her was her cooperation.
She shivered; her mind frozen with a remnant of the fear that she had felt there. She had not cooperated and it had gotten her shot and nearly killed. What would happen to these people if they decided to follow the same path?
The End of Chapter Five