Shepard Stories II – Ch 35: Baited and Trapped

Main Characters – Liara T'Soni, Aria T'Loak, Milizkia T'Loak

—/

Illium – Aria T'Loak and Tevos's home 2228CE

It had been six long years since her daughter Milizkia had been taken and since she had lost her reign on Omega. Aria had searched the galaxy for her daughter and had found nothing. She glanced at the galaxy map on her vid screen of the places she had been as she mumbled "Where could she be?"

Her right-hand comrade and friend Bray, gently replied "Have you ever…thought…that maybe..."

Aria quickly replied "NO! She's not dead!" She crunched her face at the thought and said "She's not…"

Bray nodded then said "Maybe Jona has her locked away like she did Shepard."

She tossed her hands up as she said "Well, obviously! Just to piss me the fuck off." She curled her lip then said "Get me Liara, so I can get a status update."

Aria paced the room until Liara appeared on her vid screen. "Liara, anything?"

Liara shook her head "No, nothing."

She huffed as she steamed "Damn it, Liara! It's been six years, and your team or the damn Shadow Broker can't find my fucking daughter! You found your beloved bondmate four years ago but not my daughter! What the fuck kind of company are you running!"

She looked down as she let out a breath "Aria, I understand your frustration and my crew has been searching for Mili around the clock but there's nothing on her. The only reason I found my bondmate was because his location was sent to me by an unknown source."

"Oh, and how convenient was that? Just some innocent bystander just happened to know where the fuck he was." snarked Aria

Liara leaned on her desk as she shrugged "I have no explanation, Aria."

"How about you check your fucking crew again, LIARA! Because how fucking odd is that!" Snapped Aria

Liara glanced at Shandri as the thought crept through her mind. "I will." Then tapped at her datapad to make some notes. She raised her finger then tossed some data on to her vid sharing screen "Aria, I need your input on an asari that has consistently come across my desk."

Aria sat on the edge of her desk as she watched the compilation video. She didn't know why but she smiled at the skills and felt proud of the asari before her. "Who is this?"

"Her name is Camilla Tourneau; aka "The Bloody Thorn" aka "Thorn". She is probably in her mid-second century and has moved rapidly through the Eclipse ranks. Besides Benezia this is nothing we have ever seen before. She is extremely powerful and Jona's right-hand lieutenant. She is vicious and kills without hesitation."

Bray quickly snapped his fingers as he said "This is the asari I was telling you about. The purple killer."

Aria arched her brow marking "That's tasteless and unappealing. The purple fucking killer? No wonder I didn't listen to it. You couldn't come up with something better than that?"

He shrugged "Well, I told you about her weeks ago." He tapped his omni tool as he continued "I sent you the info I had on her and everything."

Aria tapped at her omni tool as she opened his email on the vid screen "It's a video of her splattering some dude's brains out and your email reads. Check this out. She's scary." She rubbed her forehead as she pinched her eyes closed. She took a breath then said "How is this even remotely close to the detailed compilation of what Liara just sent?"

He shrugged as he mumbled "I don't know. I thought it was ok."

She looked at him for a moment then looked at Liara who just looked back at her then Aria just raised her brow markings as she lifted her hands.

Liara cleared her throat as she looked down at the dossier "Well, ummm… This particular asari has distinguishing scars on her face, arm and forearm and several others. One discolored eye that seems to have been damaged. A tattoo on the top right of her arm and one on her back shoulder with a few others. Jona keeps her very close, and she is also one of her bodyguards. Her trademark is a thorn tattoo is on the left side of her face."

"Yes, I can see that. She's one nasty asari, and I honestly wouldn't mind having her on my crew."

"The more I review her intel the more I've notice that she reminds us of you. Is this someone you trained and is now working for Jona?"

Aria scrunched her eyes, "Me? And no, I don't train my crew." She huffed "Liara, the only person I have ever train is my daughter." The thought hit her as the words left her mouth. She quickly tapped at the video to play it again and carefully watched frame by frame. She closed her eyes as the asari spoke and it hit her as to who it was then she softly said "What are you doing?"

"What was that?" replied Liara.

"Liara, that's my Liz! That's why you can't find her because she's in plain sight!"

"What? No way."

"Yes, I'm not a hundred percent sure but she reminds me of someone, and I usually remember faces and names. There's a familiarity that I can't place. That's her skin tone, I know she's tattooed and scarred up, and her eye is white, but that's her voice. My heart is telling me that's her."

Liara shook her head "I don't know Aria... she would never tattoo herself like that. Her eyes are cold and not green. I think you're reaching...badly."

"Maybe... but you say her moves and her ways resemble me." She pointed to herself as she said "It would be extremely hard to be me, but my Liz would be the only one to be able to pull that off. That is her in disguise?" she said

"Could be... but how? What is she doing? Why hasn't she fled or tried to contact us over the years?" responded Liara

Aria shrugged slightly as she shook her head, "I don't know. To get an opportunity to kill Jona herself?"

"Do you know how many people she's killed? She kills without hesitation. Death by weapons, biotics and even by her bare hands. She fights like a veteran asari or commando in her mid-second century. That can't be Mili."

Aria smiled proudly "That's her, and she's on a mission. I don't know what, but she's determined to complete it. You say you have someone out there mimicking Alex and killing Jona's crew. Her dad trained her as well and she would know his moves. She's your killer."

Liara sat in silence for a moment as Miranda shook her head then steamed "She is not a killer, Aria!"

"You two want to believe that, but she is a hundred percent. Not because she wants to, but we will do what we must to survive. My Liz is smart, and she's playing the game but if she's anything like me then she's enjoying it too much."

Miranda's eyes flashed as she snapped "Mili is nothing like you!"

Aria smiled broadly as she laughed "Oh, on the contrary Miranda from what I can see she's much worse. Let me know when you all pull your head out of your asses and have a plan."

Miranda huffed as their screen faded to black. "Can you believe her?"

Liara shook her head slightly then looked at the picture of Camilia on the wall "I'm afraid to say that I do." She waved her hand at the image "Miri, look at her! If Aria had a twin, then she would be it! Jona has her own Aria and it's Mili."

Tears streamed down Miranda's face as she shook her head "I am looking at her. It can't be. I don't know who that is but it's not our Mili."

They both turned when Shepard ran through the door with tears in his eyes, "Did I hear that right? Aria believes that Camillia Tourneau is Mili?"

"Yea, but it can't be." Replied Miranda

He cried for a moment then said "It all makes sense now. Camilla demanded that I was cleaned. She demanded that I be treated better. She even thumped my skull during her visit in the dungeon and she looked right at me." He covered his face as he cried then continued "Dead at me as if she wanted me to see, and I didn't." He wiped his tears as he walked to his wife "It's her. Mili, was your unknown source."

Liara closed her eyes as tears streamed down her face. "By the goddess Mili what are you doing?"

—/

Omega – October 2229CE

"Camilla!" Jona yelled

Camilla ran into the room, "Yes, ma'am."

"I want this fucking killer found! He…she…them are tearing through my fucking crew! My ranks are falling apart, damn it! If I lose anymore, we won't be able to fend off these animals chomping at my heels. Damn it they are fucking relentless!" snapped Jona

Camilla rubbed her arm "I know they got a nice chunk of my arm last time."

"Find out who's sending them in," demanded Jona

"I'm sure it's Aria or the Shepard's!" responded Camilla

"I know it's them! Find out who this fucking assassin is and put its head on a fucking stake! This killer has the trademark of the Fucking Red Dragon, but I know it's not him because he's fucking dead! You're supposed to be my number one fucking girl, and you can't find this fucking killer!" hissed Jona

"I'm sorry and yes, ma'am."

She grabbed the closest chair, slammed it down, then threw it across the room "Aaargh! I'm still fucking pissed Shepard got away! Goddamn Liara and her fucking brokerage and now all these damn deaths. How could this be happening? Fuuuck! First him now all this. Do your fucking job and find this assassin!"

Camilla smiled internally, knowing she helped him to be discovered by leaving a micro tracker when she saw him last and sent the signal to Liara from an unknown source. "I've been trying. I follow every lead and find noth—"

She curled her lip then rose her hand and said: "Actually... contact the fucking Shadow Broker and have him find this assassin and when he does, handle it."

"Yes, ma'am. What do you want to spend?" asked Camilla

"Twenty million."

"I'll take care of it now." she turned and smiled broadly as she walked out.

Before she made the call, she buzzed Sederis. "Jona, the shadow broker laughed at your amount and demanded one hundred million with sixty percent upfront.

"I don't give a fuck, pay it!" she hissed

"Yes, ma'am."

—-/

Liara looked down at her omni tool when she received an abnormal shadow broker hit in her email from Glyph. She looked up and saw Miranda looking back at her. They both got up and hurried down to the shadow broker layer. She tapped at the voice modulator and took several breaths then dialed the secure line.

They saw a scarred tattooed purple asari come into view with one white and one blue-grey eye. Liara said, "Camilla Tourneau this is the Shadow Broker you rang for my services?"

Camilla looked back as Jona watched from a distance "I did, on behalf of Jona Sederis."

"What is your request?"

"To find this, Red Dragon mimic assassin and to kill them. Sederis will pay you a hundred million to accomplish this request with sixty percent upfront as you requested." She held up a datapad toward the screen for a few seconds then removed it "Can you comply?" asked Camilla.

Liara looked at Miranda with wide eyes "That amount of money will suffice. What are your terms?"

"As soon as possible. Preferably within a month. Baited and trapped or swift deadly kill?"

Miranda spoke into the modulator and growled out "Baited and trapped!"

Camilla rose a brow marking quickly. "Ok, can you do it within the time frame?"

Liara replied, "We can, and we already have several agents close by."

"Perfect, I'll inform Sederis. Camilla out."

Liara rolled back the vidcall and read the datapad message.

CT = MH

CT = X-(

FQ 62.386

O - Bdg 3 18940# SW Entry. 5FL S

"What the hell does that mean? Is the last part some sort of address." Said Liara then tapped at her omni tool to group call her older children. "Ladies, come down to SB double time."

After a few minutes her older girls ran through the door, "What is it?"

Anna looked at the screen, "Holy fuck! Who is that ugly mean-looking asari?"

Liara replied, "That my dear is your cousin Mili under dangerous deep cover. We need to get in and pull her out immediately."

"What the fuck? So, you knew where she was the whole time?" snapped Anna

Liara shook her head "No, with the help of Aria, we found out not too long ago but didn't know how to retrieve her until now. The gang she's in seems to be slowly crumbling due to unknown deaths. The leader of the gang had her reach out to the Shadow Broker for help to find this assassin."

Benezia smiled broadly "Em is the assassin, isn't she?"

"Yes, we believe so. We have no idea how she got to where she is but with her intelligence and skills she's been playing along quite well. She became one of Sederis's right-hand ladies and a top lieutenant in her gang."

"Ha! She's so damn brilliant." Said Anna

"She's done extremely well for herself these last several years. But you're all here to help decode this message." Liara said as she pointed at the screen.

Riley tapped at the controls and zoomed in.

CT = MH

CT = X-(

FQ 62.386

O - Bdg 3 18940# SW Entry. 5FL S

"Bottom one is a location. Probably on Omega." Said Ry

Gwyn said "FQ... frequency, and that's the number to dial in."

Liara smiled, "Fantastic!"

Benezia pointed, "MH... Mad Hatter?"

Liara nodded then said, "Ok, So, Camilla Tourneau equals the Mad Hatter. Then it says Camilla Tourneau equals X dash open parenthesis?"

Anna shook her head "No, that's like a dead symbol. X for closed eyes the dash is the nose, and that's a frowning mouth." Said Anna

Liara arched a brow marking "Ok... I would never have gotten that. So, kill Camilla Tourneau?"

"As in fake her death obviously." Replied Benezia

Miranda nodded, "Exactly. It's her way out, so they don't hunt her down."

"But she's wearing a disguise they wouldn't know anyway." Said Anna

"True, but if she's dead, they won't think twice to go looking for her," Liara said then called Aria.

"Liara, what do you have for me?" said Aria

"Mili contacted us briefly with a message that we've decoded except the last part. I've sent it to you."

O - Bdg 3 18940# SW Entry. 5FL S

Aria looked at the message and smiled. "Omega building 3 southwest entry. Door code is 18940# 5th floor is the main penthouse suite of the building, and the rest is storage space and other shit. What's the time frame?"

"She told us within the month with a bait and capture plan," replied Liara

Aria smiled broadly "Damn, I love my girl."

"Aria, we plan on doing this as soon as possible. We need to gather a few things. Will you be able to make it?" asked Liara

"You're damn right I'll make it. I'm already fucking here!"

Liara's eyes flashed, "Don't move yet. She wants Camilla to die, so they don't look for her. Shepard is nearby but waiting on supplies. Miranda and I will leave here shortly with our crews. We'll inform you the moment we're ready to move. Oh, she left a frequency 62.386. Liara out."

—/

Aria closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. She looked down at her omni tool and waited for a moment as she continued to gather herself then typed in the frequency. She closed her eyes, then spoke gently, "Liz?"

Milizkia heard a faint whisper, "Mom...?"

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard her voice, and tears automatically spilled from her eyes. She took a deep breath as she wiped her eyes "Yes... I just received your message, and I'm here already. General is nearby, and the crews are gathering. A plan is in the works. I will contact you when that specific time will be. Be ready to move on a dime."

"Copy that."

—/

Location: Omega – 2229CE

It was the day before the rescue and the crews were preparing. Shepard looked at Aria as he said "Are you sure she'll be listening?"

Aria nodded "She's listening and waiting. I just wouldn't have any of you do it. It was dangerous that I called her that one time."

He nodded as he tapped at his omni tool and sent a message to his daughter Benezia. "Nez, grab a burner from SB and call Mil. Send the coded message, destroy the burner chip then let me know when it's done. Do it now! If you must speak, do it riddles or another form. She's smart and she'll understand."

-/

Benezia looked down at her omni tool when it dinged with a message from her dad. She quickly exited her room and headed down to their underground Shadow Broker lair to grab a burner chip. She headed to the safe room and entered the frequency number. She took a deep breath then gently said "Em?"

"B?"

Benezia smiled when she heard her friend's voice. She looked at her dad's message but had her own to say first "Where has my laughter gone? Nowhere in sight has it been. Days have been dreary."

"Laughter burns now for it is you. Dreary it has been. Darkness came and it has settled for there was no light to push it away."

"Darkness is a familiarity that I feel we share but the sun will shine if you will it."

"Shall I apply sunscreen?"

Benezia pinched her lips to withhold her laughter as she thought of her next response "For it will burn if you do not."

"I see and what is the forecast now?"

Benezia smiled then looked down at her father's message and read it "On a dime before tomorrow's dawn. The flooding will be on all sides, but the fodder will break first. Bring the show and the TR5 will be your ending. Compliance or denial for those that seek it."

"I shall break a leg."

"Before your curtain drops, you shall never take me alive." This was the last of her father's message and she was expecting a "copy that" but received something more.

"If darkness is shared. Does laughter bringeth the reaper?"

"If laughter is what you seek then it must be another day."

"Desired but yet ready to leap. Laughter has always been beautiful. Beauty is left for another day when thine is not rotting in darkness.

Benezia heart warmed at her words and tears filled her eyes "May that beauty always be your light."

"Then I shall step out and feel it's warmth."

Benezia smiled as she wiped her tears, discarded the burner then messaged her dad "She'll be ready."

"Copy that." Replied Shepard

-/

The day of the rescue. Shepard, Aria, Liara, and Miranda stood in a circle, "Ok, are you all ready?"

"Yes, let's get it done." Said Aria

Liara took a breath, "Aria, did you get our cannon fodder crew?"

"I did! There should be plenty for all teams. We need to do this just right. If she plays Camilla to the end, then she will kill several of these people." Aria pointed to the map displayed on her omni tool. "Once we enter here our crews will break off. Shepard and I will hit them head-on. Liara will break left, and Miranda will break right. We will have all the exits covered, and there will be no way out! If we do this right, they won't fire the alarms until we are practically on top of them. You all remember the signal?"

"Yes."

"Ok, once the signal is made, our main crew takes point, and we take them out."

They all acknowledge with a nod.

Aria pointed to the map "Now, the main elevator stops here on the fourth floor, which is the lower part of the fifth floor. We'll head up the main staircase here. Liara, take Miranda, and your crews will cover this secret exit in case they try to flee as we come in through the front entrance. Don't let them make it to this level or they will get out. There's a hidden elevator back here that comes directly off this back exit."

Liara nodded, "Got it."

"Alright, Let's bring her home." Said Shepard

Shepard and Aria's crew quietly entered the building and moved swiftly throughout the building, killing the Eclipse crew as they moved forward.

Camilla smiled when she woke from the security alarms. She jolted to wake the passed-out Jona from her body, but she didn't move. Camilla yelled, "Fuck!" Jona didn't move but just grunted. She rolled her eyes then shook Jona hard "JONA! Get up!"

Jona snapped at her, "WHAT!"

"Wake your ass up we have intruders."

Jona lifted her head off her chest and looked around in a daze "What?... What's happening?"

"Intruders, get dressed." They rolled out of bed and quickly got dressed. Camilla pulled a case out from under the bed and grabbed several handguns, and clips then ran through the door and checked the security cameras. "Jona, they came through the southwest entrance." She looked over at the Eclipse members "Ladies, barricade the main entrance. The rest of you with us let's go out the back entrance." She said as she quickly tapped away at the nearby computer. When she was finished, she pointed to another member "You, once you're done there clear these fucking computers." She walked over to the main armory, grabbed an assault rifle and threw it to Sederis then grabbed one for herself "Let's go!"

They exited the top floor suite out of the back entrance and made their way down the first set of stairs to the landing floor and were about to head down the next set when they heard a crew coming in through the bottom door. She looked down toward the door and fired at them. When she stopped, she saw her aunt and Miranda carefully look up at her. Her stepmother's gaze landed directly on Jona.

Miranda growled out in hatred as she pointed to Sederis, "You're a dead bitch!"

Sederis laughed, "I don't think so! We will kill you all!" She snarled then shot at her.

Camilla tapped Jona's arm. "We need to head back into the suite better cover in there."

"You heard her head back inside!" Scowled Jona

Once back inside, Camilla barked at a few Eclipse members, "Seal that exit!" She looked at Jona. "We're sitting ducks in here! I mean… we can hold our ground and pick them off hopefully."

Jona looked at Camilla "Call in a shuttle to this floor!"

She hit her com unit, "I need a shuttle at the penthouse suite main living window, now!"

"Take this fucking window out!" Yelled Jona as she pointed to the large window.

"Yes, ma'am" without hesitation, she grabbed her rifle and unloaded it at the window. "Fuck these are bulletproof and shatterproof windows."

"Fuuuuuuck!" screamed Jona.

Camilla stayed in the center of the room and could hear them blasting at each door. She quickly reached into her pocket and broke the tiny vial and let its contents spill out on to the tips of her gloved fingers. She walked over to Jona and kissed her. As she kissed her, she placed her fingers contaminated with potent liquid on Jona's neck ezone.

Jona kissed her hard, ran her hand down her scarred face, and said, "Do what you must."

After she finished kissing her, she carefully removed the glove she had on and placed it on the table. Camilla looked at her then kissed her one last time "Stay here. Behind cover. Save your energy and bullets until you must. I've got you."

Jona nodded then moved behind cover off to her right. "I know you do."

Camilla snapped her fingers as she barked out orders "You four, over there. You three, over there. The rest of you spread the fuck out. You, here with me and you two, cover Jona. No one gets to her!"

Camilla fought against her own family and put on a show of a lifetime. Barrier after barrier with soft pulses and gentle shockwaves toward family members. Violent and deadly biotics to those she didn't know. She looked around when she saw most of the sisters and other Eclipse members were dead. She yelled, "You will never take me alive!" The first set of people she saw were her uncle, Kay, her mom, Bray and several asari she knew. The second set of people she saw were her aunt and stepmom coming through the back door with Shay and several asari she knew as well. Liara, Shay, Kay, and Genrie all shot at her, and she threw out a steady barrier. The rest of the crew killed the remaining Eclipse members. Then Aria hit her with continuous biotics to tire her down. Camilla growled loudly then sent out a large blast that knocked them all back.

Aria stumbled backward and mumbled "Damn!"

Liara gave a quick confused look at Miranda. Miranda shrugged then came up quickly from cover and shot at her and Camilla tossed out her barrier once more. Liara hit her with steady biotics then Aria did as well. The instant she dropped her barrier, Shepard hit her with a tranq dart, and Bray simultaneously hit her with several TR5 shots to her chest. Camilla looked down as she touched her chest and looked at the indigo blood oozing from it. She pulled her indigo covered hand away, then touched her mouth as she coughed. She dropped to her knees as she looked at Jona then fell back.

Jona curled her lip and flashed her eyes at the sight of her right-hand lady and lover getting killed. She yelled as she shot at all of them, then crawled over to her and touched her face as she kissed her. Jona rose to her feet, "Damn you!" She screamed as she tried to blaze her biotics, but they just flickered. She looked at her hands. "What the fuck?"

Aria walked toward her slowly and laughed. "What's the matter Jona? You too fucking high and stoned to use your biotics?" She glared at her "Now... about my daughter, you executed!"

Jona looked at her with terror, then at Shepard then Miranda and Liara moving toward her. She quickly reached for her gun.

"Oh no, you don't!" Growled Shepard then shot her with a tranq dart. He hit his comm unit "Packages in hand. Kill the security and wrap this place up."

Aria looked at Shepard and patiently waited for an all-clear. He nodded at her then she hurried over to Camilla and knelt down as Liara and Miranda did. She looked Camilla over and touched her face gently then picked her limp body up carefully. "Come on, baby." She said softly then made her way out of the suite and down the main staircase to the fourth floor, where two transportation units were.

Shepard clamped quadruple biotic cuffs on Sederis's wrists then threw her in one of the transportation units. Aria gently laid her daughter into the other unit. They sealed the lids and carted them out.

"Bray, help secure this place. Once we get these two to their priority locations, I will retake Omega! Once, Shepard has the security footage send the rest of the Eclipse gang, the death of Camilla Tourneau and the capture of Jona Sederis. I will let them know that you don't Fuck with Aria T'Loak when I'm done with her."

—-/

They were in one of Aria's secured private medical facilities in Omega. Aria gently removed her daughter from the transportation unit and placed her on the medical table. Liara and Miranda stood next to her "Ok, Zen scan her. Let's see how many of these are real." Said Liara

Zen looked at her and couldn't believe the Asari before her. The young girl that became this. She wiped the tears from her face then scanned her then looked at them "Can't be! It says all of these are real."

Aria scrunched her face as she shook her head "No! This is her. I know it!"

Liara stepped back as did Miranda then Zen said, "Please tell me Mil isn't still out there!"

Liara shook her head "I don't understand we saw her with the coded message. This is her!"

Zen looked Camilla over carefully. "Unless this is a high-tech disguise. Undetectable by regular equipment."

Liara quickly tapped at her omni tool and called Kasumi "Kas, what disguise equipment is out there that can fool a scanner?" She saw Kasumi smile, "Mine!" Liara blinked several times "What do I need to do to discover what is what?"

"I sent Shepard that particular revealer it should be in the shipment I sent him."

"Thank you. I'll call you if we need anything else." Liara turned to the others "Miri, the revealer is in with the equipment Kas sent."

"Ok, I'll get it. I'll be back," said Miranda as she turned and ran out of the room.

-/

Zen looked at the upgraded scanner "Hmmm Nice. I'm keeping this." she said as she looked at Liara. "Alright, let's see what we have. These facial pieces are fake, arm scar here is fake, and arm scar here is fake. Eyes are contacts that adhere and are semi-permanent without the correct equipment. I'll need to find the equipment that removes those. The rest are hers, unfortunately. Terrible repairs here, here, and here. The rest are surgical repairs from gunshot wounds, knife wounds, and who knows what else. I can fix the majority of these. Let's see… leg repair, arm repair, several broken rib repairs, hand fracture and a broken nose that's been repaired. Partial full upper arm tattoo. It can be removed without issue. Partial full lower arm tattoo can be removed without issue." She paused for a moment when she grabbed her wrist. "Aria..."

Aria leaned in closer and clamped her fist tight at the branding tattoo. Liara and Miranda looked at them both, "What?"

Zen continued, "Branding tattoo. This particular JS tattoo means Mil was one of her inner circle lower lovers at one point." She pointed to the small one on the front left side of her collar "This one is different. This is a possession signature. It's visible to everyone so that they know she was Jona's."

Liara covered her mouth as she shook her head "Goddess...Mili..."

Zen pointed to the small one on the top of her shoulder, "Another Jona here." She biotically and gently flipped her over. "Medium tattoo upper shoulder. It can be removed without issue. Blood rose with two thorns and a stem down the length of her spine." She pointed to another small Jona signature along the side of the stem "Another here."

Zen turned off the lights and shined a special light on her. "Goddess above... All of these are ultraviolet tattoos." She pointed to the one below her neck ezone. "This one here is a third-tier initiation tattoo. Christ… that must have been some kill." She pointed, "Another Jona here at the base of her neck." Then pointed to her lower left back "Another here. "She turned her over and pointed to her neck. "Another here." Then pointed to her chest, "Another here."

"Bloody hell! She was infatuated with her. Loved her even. She literally wrote her name all over her to let everyone know she was hers and only hers." Said Miranda

"In afterlife that would have shined through for everyone to see." Growled Aria. "Can they be removed?"

"All the regular and ultraviolet ink tattoos can be removed. Not all the Jona tattoos are branding ones, but the ones that are will be more difficult to remove. The ink can be removed from them, but the scaring the ink sets on the skin is what's difficult. With numerous treatments, they'll eventually go away. Just know that with tattoo removal, there will be some depigmentation, but it will subside over time."

"Fuck..." said Aria

"She also has numerous drugs in her body. I'm surprised she was even able to function as well as she did during your battle. She'll definitely need to go through a detox, and I'll have medication ready to help her with the withdrawals." She sighed, "Ladies, it's going to be a long road to recovery, but she'll get there."

—/

Hours later, Milizkia opened her eyes and saw her mom sitting in a chair next to her asleep. "Mom?"

Aria's eyes snapped open, "Liz?"

Milizkia smiled then quickly said, "You came for me!"

Aria nodded, then replied, "You're damn right. I came for you. I've been... we've been looking for you for years. You've been right under my nose this whole time, damn it, child!"

She looked at Liara and Miranda walk over then smiled at them all "I did good, huh?"

Aria hugged her "Better than good babe. You were phenomenal! I'm so damn proud of you!"

Liara and Miranda leaned in and hugged her. "How'd you get away?"

She let out a breath, "I... I don't know if I should say."

Liara pinched her brow markings "Why?"

"She saved my life." She made a circular motion on her face "She did this for me, and I don't want to put her in danger."

"Danger? Danger from who?" asked Liara

She looked at her aunt, "From you."

Liara pinched her brow markings then said, "I don't understand... why me?"

"She was one of your top commandos." Replied Milizkia

Liara looked at Shay "Top commando?" She shook her head "No, the few we found were all new recruits, and I killed them all. Who else?" She said as she looked at Milizkia, but her niece just shook her head. Liara took a breath "Mil if I have another one still in my crew, I need to know."

Milizkia sighed "It was Vi..."

Shandri quickly looked over "What?"

Liara stepped back and shook her head, "Can't be... Vi was killed at the estate. She was cremated."

Milizkia looked at her as she squinted her eye. "Are you sure about that...?"

"That would explain why Mil has all this high-tech equipment. Definitely, gear Vi would use." said Miranda

Liara clenched her fists "Arggh! It breaks my heart that she would do this, I trusted her! She was part of my mother's crew. All my top commandos are. I grew up with her, and I thought I knew her. How could she do this to us?" she said as tears drizzled down her face.

"Jona has her sister. She said she betrayed her second family she loved to try and save her. She didn't know Jona was going to kill anyone. She thought she just wanted Omega and ransom money. As for me, she didn't know until the last minute. I don't know if she ever saved her sister, but I never saw her again, and she's not among the Eclipse sisters. She said she will accept her fate if you ever find her."

Shandri shook her head slightly as her own tears fell down her face "If she had told me we would have helped her with her sister. Stupid…Vi….so fucking stupid!" Grumbled Shandri.

Milizkia looked toward Shandri then said, "She didn't understand how Jona had her information, and she didn't know who else within Liara's crew was involved."

Liara grunted. "What a mess… She could have come to me directly."

Miranda shook her head "She's almost as good as Kasumi and learned tricks from Alex. We'll never find her unless she wants to be found."

"How did you have time to assassinate all those people?" asked Liara

Milizkia furrowed her brow markings "I didn't kill them. I thought it was you all."

They all shook their heads, "No! Then who? said Liara

"Vi is the only one besides us that would know Alex's moves." Said Miranda

"Well, I thought you all knew it was me for a while. My life was saved numerous times while I was in gunfights." Said Milizkia

"Vi... must have been watching you and killing the Eclipse sisters for her own revenge." Replied Shandri

They all looked over when they heard "Mommy mommy!"

Milizkia scrunched her brow markings as she looked at her mom, "Mommy?"

Aria picked up her little one. "Yea, this is Jeserie. Jeserie, this is—"

"Milwee!" the little one said happily

Aria smiled "Yes, that's correct." She looked at her daughter Liz as she said "Oh, don't give me that look I obviously had time on my hands!"

Milizkia laughed "I didn't say anything."

Miranda and Liara looked at Milizkia then at each other "Speaking of... we need to get going." Said Liara

Liara hugged Milizkia. "Mili welcome back. I'll see you back at the estate—"

Milizkia sat up quickly "Wait! Where am I?"

Aria looked at her "Omega…"

She looked around angrily, "No, get me the fuck out of here! I have visions of sunshine in my future."

Her mother arched a brow marking as she replied, "You need to detox and recover not hit up the fucking beach."

Milizkia chuckled as she said "I'm sorry. You're right."

Aria rolled her eyes as she waved her hand at Zen "Will you please get her on some meds and get her head straight. Listen to this nonsense."

Liara tapped the transportation unit as she looked at Milizkia "Ok, hop back in here and I'll transport you to my ship and we'll take you back to the estate."

Aria looked at Liara then said. "Liara…"

Liara nodded as she replied "I know. It won't happen again. I'll make damn sure of that."

Aria hugged her daughter tightly, "I love you."