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[Redbelle]

Jess had thought about this on the way over and had prepared herself. "Babe.... How long have you been a dominatrix"?

[Kel Riever]

It was evident Babe didn't know how to answer the question.

"I'm...I shouldn't be here. You mean...I don't do any of that. You mean how long have I been trying to get things to go my way, right?"

Babe looked lost.

"You know I should have said this before I came aboard. It was selfish of me not to. But you can let me go, really. Bad things happen when I'm around and I don't want to...I don't want to remember them all. I just don't want them to happen to you."

Somewhere inside herself, Babe felt that little bit she tried to keep down stir.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

The lift hit the level where the airlock was located and Anika stepped out and headed towards the exit where Tallis was waiting. In her hands was a belt of thermal clips that held a device Anika knew on sight. A barrier generator sat on the belt. Anika didn't know which make or model and resolved to get her own preferred type stocked on the Janiri.

 

Planning ahead a little there aren't you girl? She asked herself as she took the belt and clipped it on. "Thanks Tallis. See you soon". She said as she headed out the airlock and arrived outside the Janiri. Seeing Naleena in the interceptor she jogged over, popped the canopy on her side, and jumped in, remembering to duck her head before she banged it on the Interceptors roof.

 

"Sorry for the wait. Got distracted by this dashing Specter who left me rolling my eyeballs back in my sockets. Had to put them back". She said as she dogged the canopy closed. "So what's got you up? Someone out there whose interrupting our quiet time"?

 

Naleena gave Anika a peck, flipped the lights on and hit the accelerator. "Irina called in. Someone kidnapped Arian. She got make and model of the car and tag number, and gave it to VERA," she said as she hit high speed in traffic following the target. "How did she know it was a kidnapping? They were looking for Arian and VERA located his omni-tool in the back of that vehicle. The woman flash banged Jenus, irina and Vayne. That sounds like a crime to me. C-sec is on this, too. But he's a  member of my team, and I'm responsible for him."

 

And at this moment the gates opened.

 

"And get this. Earlier today I found out that Frank quit and Iole deserted," she said. "Frank's a civilian. He can quit. I wish he'd said something. But Iole? She's military. I'm giving her 48 hours to report in otherwise I have to turn it over to the Asari Military. That's a lenient as I can be."

 

Naleena had the skycar at about 250 kph zipping in and around other vehicles following the path VERA had been providing.

 

"And with the intel I got from the Broker for our next mission I need the people we're missing, but we'll survive. Oh, he conveys deep apologies to Jess about the Medusa. That is not the way the Broker conducts business. Iyana is rogue. That means there's a contract available."

[TheMajonese]

Zakera Ward

 

"Let's make a deal...", Quinn said, trying to calm the upset turian down. He tried to jump up from his seat though his injury and the lack of room to move prevented him from charging at her.  "You come with me now, get some rest and we'll talk later..."

 

"What do you want from me?", Arian asked, not trying to hide his aggression.

 

"I'll explain you everything. But you need rest first. So let's go, now!" The strange woman was insistent to bring him to her apartment and that didn't help Arian to trust her in any way.

 

But in the end, he realized that there was nothing he could do but do as she asked. He was in no shape to resist and besides, she had saved his life from this ambush. And she knew him, she knew Ruyak and she probably had a good reason to be here on the Citadel. With a sigh, the turian began to climb out of the car. After several painful attempts, he managed to leave the car without even having to ask for help, Quinn's reaction was another impressed "Not bad!" 

 

When she grabbed her gear from the front seat, Arian noticed the damage at the side of the car. "What happened?", he asked and pointed at the perforated door.

 

"Oh, that?" Quinn shrugged and handed the Typhoon to the turian before she closed the door again. "C-Sec is searching for us because we're the main suspects of a brutal murder here in Zakera. And your friend Ruyak forgot to tell me that you're working with a spectre. There were a few people searching for you and I had to take them out." She noticed the look on his face. "Don't worry, I just knocked them out. I think your friends are fine..:"

 

"Wouldn't call them friends...", Arian muttered more to himself than to Quinn.

 

"But to make sure they can't find us here, you have to keep your omni-tool deactivated." She took a look around and then pointed at one of the streets that were next to the parking lot. "They must not find us! Or me. And that's why you're not going to tell anyone about this! Not about me, not about the things I'm going to tell you, you got that?" There suddenly was a surprisingly hard look on her face that caused him to give an agreeing grunt, even if it was a bit reluctantly. That she had attacked someone from Naleena's team didn't really bother him. At the moment there were other things on his mind. And he didn't like this situation but Quinn had been right; the fact that she knew Ruyak was enough reason for him to follow her. Even though he still had a few problems walking straight forward.

 

"What now?", he asked with a snarl.

 

"We go to my apartment, you sleep a few hours to get a clear head and I make sure that nobody finds us." There was a smile on her face and a weird glint in her eyes. "Not the spectre and not C-Sec."

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

"Sh*t!" Naleena said. "Arian's signal just went dead. Whoever kidnapped him must have figured out we were tracking him using that. Forturnately, I have his last location, a parking lot in Zakera Ward."

[Redbelle]

Jess picked up her tumbler and blew across the surface of her tea. "Let you go? Now why would I do that? From what I gather there's no reason to send you packing. I mean..... Just whose ship do you think your own? You think just because what went down in the office means I should let you go? News flash luv. If I thought you were doing wrong I would have stepped in earlier. But I didn't. Now what do you think that says about me"?

[Cknarf]

Iole

"Really?"  Iole asked Kira. "I mean, can you tell me about it?  Or whatever you can about it?  I don't...I've never done anything like this before."

There wasn't much Iole could go on than trust in Frank and his trust in those he knew.  Iole felt so out of place in a way, like she'd basically ended up in Frank's house, if Frank lives with all the people he cared about, the house flew through space, and his family ran a successful business of weapon smuggling.

"You can imagine, I bet, a little of what I'm going through.  I read that message and my stomach did at least three flips."

 

Kira
 

Kira opened her omni-tool, and displayed an image. It depicted a young Kira with a turian in what appeared to be some kind maintenance uniform.  “His name was Altus.” Kira began. “I met him on my very first visit to the Citadel, many, many years ago.” She smiled a little. “I have loved many in my life, but never as much as I loved him. He was just so…” Kira clenched a fist, as she tried to think of how to describe him. “Different? He wasn’t what you’d expect, not from a turian. He was very quiet, and so incredibly shy.”

 

The matriarch closed her eyes for a moment, lost in a memory.

 

“I’ll be waiting for you.” Kira opened her eyes. “That’s what he said just before I left, and every time after that. And wait, he did. Anytime we’d dock at the Citadel, he’d be there as soon as the ramp dropped, with flowers… sometimes jewelry.” She raised her hand, showing off a well worn band of silver around her right ring finger. “He really was the sweetest.”

 

“Our relationship was pushing a decade in length. Hardly a long time for you and I, but for shorter-lived species? That was nearly a third of his life at that point.” Kira bit her lip. “We eventually had the lifespan talk. I think it affected me more than it did him. Suddenly, there was just this sense of… urgency. I felt the need to spend as much time as I could with him. At the time... I was active duty, and you know how extensive our deployments can be…” She shrugged.

 

“The next time we docked at the Citadel, I left with him. Or he left with me, rather. I didn’t give him much of a choice.” Kira chuckled. “We didn’t get very far. It may have been a week until we were apprehended. Goddess, what a week it was!” She closed her eyes again, but only briefly.

 

“Forty years. They gave me forty years.” Kira shook her head. “ ‘I’ll be waiting for you!’ he said, as they hauled me away after my sentencing. And I believed him. He wrote me everyday for the first few years, but as time passed, the messages became less frequent. Eventually, they stopped coming altogether.” She stood from the bed, and began to pace. “For decades I worried. I thought I had lost him… in a way, I suppose I did.”

 

Kira stopped at the small box that Frank had brought aboard and opened it to see if it was more crap to be relocated.

 

“Thank the goddess…” Kira said quietly, pulling out a box of cigarettes and lighting one. She took a long drag before continuing. “As soon as I was released, I tracked him down. It didn’t take long. That poor woman must have been so confused... A strange asari showing up at her home, and demanding to see her husband.” Kira chuckled. “We got everything sorted out rather quickly, and she eventually invited me in.”

 

“I almost didn’t recognize him at first, my Altus. He had become an old man, and he had several children. Goddess, even his children had children!” Kira took another drag. “We talked for several hours, and despite everything, we remained on relatively good terms… at least I think we did. I hope we did... I don’t remember. I never saw him again after that.” She extinguished her cigarette, and tossed the remainder in the trash.

 

“If only I had waited…  ten more years, and I would have been discharged, and free to do as I pleased. All of that time wasted... I could have spent those forty years with him, but instead, I spent them in prison. All because I was young, and stupid. So, so, stupid.” Kira looked off in no particular direction.

 

“I’m glad to have you aboard, dear. I really am.” Kira turned her attention back to Iole. “But if I were you, I’d get my ass back to my post at the first opportunity.” She moved a little closer. “We will reach our destination in a few hours, and you will still have more than enough time to get where you need to be. Whether or not you go is up to you, but if you do decide to stay…” she placed a hand on each of Iole’s shoulders. “You fight, and you fight hard. If they come for you, do not let them take you.”

[Kel Riever]

The Babe intervention

“Nothing, I mean, I would never want this to reflect badly on you.”  Babe took a gulp of her tea, feeling the warmth run through her.  She held the cup between her hands calmly, but her top foot started twitching.  “It isn’t about the office…only.  I worry about things that haven’t happened yet, things getting worse.  I can be a bit…extreme, excessive.  I don’t know, sometimes, where to draw the line.”

Babe did not look comfortable, and the feeling passed onto Jess and Morgan.  The ship that was a rival in stealing the water off the comet came to mind for Morgan, how Babe had let it rip with the cannon.  And she had restrained herself, but not before tearing open the bridge with her shot in addition to taking down the engines.  He had seen something get let loose in the office with Babe, and it reminded him of the relationship that kept being pointed out to him, that Babe was Iyana’s sister.

Somehow.

Morgan couldn’t get the idea at first, and now he had begun to change his mind.  He’d been informed by then of the incident on the Medusa’s bridge while he was gone.  The dark idea that there was another potential Iyana roaming around, and that she was right in front of him, disturbed him to say the least.  But despite those fears, Morgan had already determined to set them aside.  Babe was not Iyana, and in fact, Morgan considered her a key to understanding his enemy.

“Babe, even if you had been let go, or left on your own,” Morgan asked, “Where would you go?”

Babe looked up at Morgan, the trepidation evident in her capturing gaze.  She knew he already was well aware of the answer.  Babe tossed the rest of her tea down her throat in one go.  “I don’t know, I’d find someplace.”

“You have nowhere to go.”

Dancing between Morgan and Jess with her expression, Babe simply replied.  “No.”

Morgan couldn’t draw it all out, not in a conversation.  Maybe Jess could.  But while part of having Babe come into her own was sundering her defenses, another was coaxing her out.  She sat there, worried, a full, incredible, complete adult on the outside, and yet within, Babe was half a person, incomplete, unfinished or somehow taken apart. 

“So, let’s put all this talk about you leaving aside.  You’re going to stay, after all, and it’s time we got to know our crewmember a bit better.  Why don’t you start by answering Jess’ first question.”

“The Captain…”

“Babe, she’s said you can call her Jess.”

By then, the embarrassment had come back in Babe and the pull was once again formidable.  Babe was uncomfortable, called out.  It made Morgan and Jess turn inside with incidents of their own shame or embarrassment,  in hand with making them want to reach out and comfort Babe for all the bad feelings she had.  Morgan was well aware something happened that went far beyond the scope of any beauty or influence in the normal range.  There was something about her, some sort of training, or expertise Babe had, maybe even something beyond the senses, that had the effect.  He steadied himself against the emotional pull and waited for her answer.

“I like certain things,” Babe said as she gave up the answer.  “I…like to be in control of things.  I guess because there is so little I can control.  I like the guns for a different reason…they work…I don’t really work.  I have these…gaps in my life and the ones I don’t want to remember…”

“…Like with Miss Priss…”

Babe knew who Morgan was talking about.  “I never meant to hurt anyone.”

“Like Amy Babylon.”

“Right.”  Babe twisted in her seat, which was both provocative, and also reminiscent of a child who couldn’t stand a scrutinizing adult.  “I thought she liked the challenge.  I wanted to…put her in her place.  For her.  But I have that problem…I don’t know when to stop.  And I want to be in control, and then I’m not.  I always get carried away.  So I just keep myself away from people as much as possible.”

“And, as a consequence, you’ve never learned how to deal with it?”

“It’s too dangerous.”  Babe was squirming severely at that point.  She removed her cropped denim jacket as if the heat in the room was rising, even though the temperature was fine.  She then rest her elbow on one arm of her chair and bit her finger knuckle nervously.

Morgan wasn’t a psychologist and wasn’t trying to be one.  He was trying to understand Babe.  Even though he believed her when she talked about her past, he also believed that there was enough left, even in the supposed memories Babe could not recall, that she could reconstruct what had happened to her.  Morgan remembered, too, that Iyana had wanted his sister for a reason.  Babe, again, wasn’t Iyana but he started speculating if something related wasn’t happening with Babe.

That was as deep as Morgan could go, at least for the moment.  He didn’t know if he could go further as Babe kept becoming uncomfortable in her seat, and dragging everyone’s emotions with her.

[Redbelle]

Jess stood up. "You know Babe. It strikes me that..... I don't actually know your name. You know mine after all. The one I was given. Not the one I took to deflect attention from those I wanted to protect from my..... less than lawful antics". She stepped around the table towards her.

 

"I get control. I gave up a lot not more than an hour ago. You were there to see. I had to be coaxed before though. Someone who felt I was being to up tight. I can tell you right now, letting that control go has me tied up in knots inside. Those are my feelings Babe. They aren't from you. I guess it can be hard for you. Never knowing if a person is reacting to their own agenda, or the one you bring to them. Amy? I doubt she'd have let you do what you did if she wasn't under the thrall so to speak..... But me"?

 

Jess stepped in behind Babe and took hold of her shoulder. Gently pulling her back in her chair was began to knead the muscle underneath her shirt. The tension was obvious under her fingers as she coaxed the muscle to relax. "Me? I got to know you. You may affect me but I know now how to separate your feelings from mine. you may feel embarrassed and ashamed right now.... But my feelings luv? I'm worried for you. I'm afraid you'll leave. I worry that you'll simply move on again because you think I think I want you gone..... So luv, that's the first thing I need you to understand. I want you aboard. I want you to stay and to have this place, this ship, as your home. You belong here and anyone who says otherwise has to deal with me and all of us if they try and push you and us somewhere we don't want to be".

 

Jess's finger's found a knot of muscle and Jess used her thumb to loosen it out. "Now, you say you can go overboard sometimes. Be excessive. I saw luv. Morgan and I both did. But the reason it didn't go beyond the point of no return is that we were there. We saw and because we were there, we stopped you. That's not a bad thing Babe. It meant you could come away with a clean conscious. And now I know how I can help you manage your..... condition better".

[Redbelle]

Anika sat back in her seat. Her body occasionally being jarred this way and that as Naleena swerved through traffic.

 

Frank had quit?..... Shame. He brought a little life to the motley crew of theirs but then, as Jess had once pointed out, separation was inevitable. A fact driven home as old faces aboard the Medusa had disappeared and more had taken their place. The last voyage she'd had aboard drove home that she didn't know half the people aboard anymore. Sure there was Jess and Dogger. Morgan was known to her. As was Dahlia but the rest?...... And Dogger had gotten married? Anika was torn about how she should feel. The truth was that since he'd left she hadn't given him a second thought.

 

Life aboard the ship was moving on. Jess had encouraged her to do so to. Yet refused to let her go. If she were honest she was grateful. She'd known Jess the longest and having that contract was a lifeline between her moving to someplace where she'd be out of element. A single star among a sea of stars.....

 

But, that was changing she thought to herself looking at Naleena. Her lover was apart from everything she'd ever known and it was her she wanted to be with. Yet moving in with her meant moving away from everything she'd ever known. Everything she'd built.

 

Heck, was there anyone other than Naleena she knew aboard? Really knew? It would be starting from the ground up again.....

 

Arian had been kidnapped.... She'd probably better think on that......

 

Seriously though, Frank she could understand. But Iole? She'd done what she'd wanted to do, but was holding back from doing.... She'd followed.... certainly not common sense or logic. She'd done.... what?

 

"Nally..... What's going to happen? Iole going off with Frank. Is it really something you have to deal with? I mean, sure she promised service but.... Aren't all contracts open to renegotiation"?

[Kel Riever]

One useful aspect of Babe's aura was that it could get easy to tell when her mood changed.

The embarrassment changed to fear, the kind when a person knows something bad will happen, but isn't sure exactly what. It was like the room turned blue and cold, with the scent of the tea becoming overbearing. Babe stopped twitching her foot and became still as a scared rabbit.

"You shouldn't tell people you're real name."

For the first time ever, including when she was working on the guns, Babe broke a sweat. Morgan watched and it seemed to him like she was lost in her thoughts. Or maybe she was trying to remember something.

"Jocelyne..."

The fear took on the characteristic of a warning, or a forbidding. Morgan saw Babe's face twist with her struggle.

"...Vivian..."

Then there was the feeling of terror, like a pit was about to joe and swallow the room. Babe's lips tried to form at least a letter, but the name she wanted to say next couldn't be spoken. It was paralyzed with her memory.

The dread started to subside as Babe surrendered the fight. She looked up and behind to Jess, helplessly.

[Redbelle]

Jess slid around her then and crouched by her side, one hand on the arm of her chair. "Between you and me, I like Babe. Reminds me of someone else I used to be. You know Silver? The infamous pirate of the shipping lanes"? She shrugged. "She was getting to much heat anyway. So I retired her, in a sense. Still coming up with something to replace her. But behind the masks you have to remember who you are or you'll lose yourself behind that mask".

 

Jess reached and took one of Babe's hands in her's. "You can tell me luv. If you want to be the Babe then that's who you'll be to me. But we both know you can't stay a Babe forever. Everyone grows up eventually. So, who do you want to grow up to be luv"?

[Kel Riever]

Babe shrugged. The pull of her strong emotions faded. Jess' question confused her initially, the she said, "I want to be like you."

The cloud of fear dissipated and Babe was back, without the extension of her aura. She looked innocently at Jess.

Anything that delved at Babe's deeper personality seemed to be deflected or hidden, even from Babe herself. A defense that could hardly be by Babe's design alone.

"If you don't mind, Babe, what does it say on your ident? About what you do for a living, your name, all of that?" Morgan was asking Babe about the identification data every galactic citizen had, in one form or another, usually stored on an omni-tool or some other device, even planted on a chip just below the skin on some.

"I don't have an ident."

Morgan was astounded. He wouldn't believe what he heard if Babe wasn't just so blatantly honest. She said it with such an 'of course' tone, he hit the idea that mostly no one questioned Babe about anything much, no matter how strange the things she said might be.

"How do you get be security anywhere? How did you get past Citadel customs?"

Babe shrugged again.

Morgan examined Babe, trying to find some sort of obvious device on her. "Money isn't an issue? What about if you get sick?"

Another shrug. "Basic needs? I've never really had any problems about those things that I needed an ident for."

Influence was one thing, function was another. Morgan had no doubt Babe could get others to pay her way. Maybe she was healthy, or could spin a good story for medical care. But the lack of ident he couldn't get over. He got up and walked to Babe's other side. "When you change your wardrobe, is there anything you can't do without?"

"Everything is subject to change," Babe said with a smile. She started to go over her next outfit in her mind. "I suppose I always have Sammy around."

"Sammy?"

"Sammy is my dragon."

Morgan pondered. "Do you mind if I get a look at Sammy?"

Babe glanced between Jess and Morgan. "Not at all. But only because it's you two." Babe leaned forward and pulled the white cotton crop top up over her head. She kept it wrapped around her neck and front, leaving her shoulders and back bare. Exposed it all its magnificence, on Babe's divine, sculpted back, was the intricate and perfected tattoo of her western dragon. Wandering the multi-colored art, Morgan was near immediately drawn to the profile of the dragon's head, which sat on the shoulder blade. Glinting back at him was a piece of jewelry, a small, flat gem that was the dragon's eye, a deep golden color.

"How interesting? What kind of gem is that?"

"It's artificial, actually. The color shifts depending on my mood, though of course I can't see it."

Morgan laughed inwardly. As if anyone would have a hard time figuring out Babe's mood. "Is that a piercing?"

"Yes. You can remove the auto clasp beneath the skin by pressing it a certain way."

"I don't want to remove it, I just want a closer look at Sammy's eye."

It took Morgan a minute or two peering closely at the gem before his expert eye spotted the imbedded chip. He used the magnifier application on his Omni-tool to get a better view of its minuscule form. And while it wasn't exactly the same as his, Morgan recognized the Mockingbird chip. He told Jess about the chip. Babe didn't even seem to register when he mentioned it.

"Thanks, Babe. You can hide Sammy again. So I'm wondering myself, and of course because I like Jess too, and that's putting it lightly, why you want to be like her?"

"Well, who wouldn't?" Babe said, not aware of her compliment. "She has everything. A gorgeous ship, people who admire her." Babe turned to Morgan as she paused briefly, as if she needed no words for her next part, then, "...and she's got control, she works. But I like most of all that Jess has so much time. Like she'll be around forever. That makes me happy."

[Redbelle]

Jess raised an eyebrow as she looked over the Dragon with Morgan. The Mockingbird chip was apparent when Morgan pointed it out. Thinking about how long Babe must have gone, the checks she must have passed with it set off alarm bells at just how effective the chip could be. Though part of her wanted to do some comparisons on the chips she reluctantly set the issue to one side as she regarded Babe. Settling back on the table she picked up her tumbler and swirled the half drunken tea in one hand.

 

"I'm happy your happy luv. But my history is..... well let's just say nothing here fell in my lap. I had a few close calls and a lot of struggle to get where I am today. As for control? You'd be surprised.... But that's the thing about control. If you let a little go with someone who responds in kind, you can find yourself, not in a wrestling match for dominance.... But in a duet where co-operation.... Where your partner matches your steps.... can make what you do extraordinaire". Jess took a final swig of her tea and placed the tumbler back on the table. Then leaned forward till her nose was practically touching Babe's. "Ever wanted to let go of control with someone you trust? Someone who you know will protect you? Maybe not on purpose but someone who in your heart of hearts.... you just.... can't resist the attraction of".

 

Standing slowly Jess placed a hand on Babe's shoulders, a gentle touch as she walked around her, trailing her hand over her skin as she did. "Someone must have given you that tattoo luv.... Or you got  it for someone.... Something so.... intricate. Why the dragon I wonder? Perhaps for the power? The fury? The outward strength? Or maybe you just wanted a dragon on you".

 

Coming to the end of her slow walk Jess allowed her finger's to brush Babe's cheek as she pulled her hand away before returning to rest at the table. "It's true luv. I do enjoy being at the top of the chain on board. So much power and possibility. Is that what excites you? Is that what you feel deep down you need? To get that release? To feel like you've accomplished something.... If power and control are what you want luv.... What happens when you get it"?

 

Jess looked down at her hand as she idly stroked a finger across the surface. "On this ship, all that power goes to serving our bottom line. We go where we have to for the profit. If someone get's in our way and wants to start a fight, we finish them. If someone tries to screw us over a deal, we screw them first. If the law starts sniffing, we lay a false trail and get away. I can't do it alone of course. Everyone helps. You know. You helped when you hulled that ship. You're a part of what makes this ship great..... And I've been lax in telling you and the crew that.....".

 

Jess stopped stroking the table and then up Babe. "What do you want Babe? What is it your trying to achieve being out here by yourself"? The image of Babe's dragon tattoo flashed in her mind and Jess leaned forward. "Do you mind if I see your gem? I've never seen anything like it in a tattoo.... Can you...."? She gestured to her back. "You can lie on the bed if it helps".

[Kel Riever]

"I...I didn't mean the kind of control that...that made someone do something they didn't want to. I meant the kind that just let you hold it...."

Morgan was keen to Jess, and what she was up to. It also didn't take a genius to figure out the effect it was having on Babe as the emotional state of the room change again.

"Captain...Jess, Sammy was a..."

Babe looked like she was trying not to remember something again. She looked at the part of her cheek where Jess's fingers had brushed against it. There was a tinge of color that hued her skin there.

"There are things I want that I should not have. You shouldn't want me to have them. I mean, I have a problem with excess...."

It was getting very warm in Jess' cabin. Morgan checked the time.

Well, it wasn't like they were about to be part of some high speed chase.

[Redbelle]

Jess sat back once more and regarded her with half lidded eye's. "If you want to be me luv.... Sorry, there's only one me. But maybe, I can show you how I got to be who I am. And maybe you'll like it. I'm going to give you what you want Babe. But I'm going to be with you every step of the way. You shoot my guns, I'll mentor you. And I hope your a fast learner because my sister's not going to forget about you anytime soon and.... Well after what I saw in the office.... She needs handling... juuuuust right".

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Anika and Naleena

 

Anika sat back in her seat. Her body occasionally being jarred this way and that as Naleena swerved through traffic.

 

Frank had quit?..... Shame. He brought a little life to the motley crew of theirs but then, as Jess had once pointed out, separation was inevitable. A fact driven home as old faces aboard the Medusa had disappeared and more had taken their place. The last voyage she'd had aboard drove home that she didn't know half the people aboard anymore. Sure there was Jess and Dogger. Morgan was known to her. As was Dahlia but the rest?...... And Dogger had gotten married? Anika was torn about how she should feel. The truth was that since he'd left she hadn't given him a second thought.

 

Life aboard the ship was moving on. Jess had encouraged her to do so to. Yet refused to let her go. If she were honest she was grateful. She'd known Jess the longest and having that contract was a lifeline between her moving to someplace where she'd be out of element. A single star among a sea of stars.....

 

But, that was changing she thought to herself looking at Naleena. Her lover was apart from everything she'd ever known and it was her she wanted to be with. Yet moving in with her meant moving away from everything she'd ever known. Everything she'd built.

 

Heck, was there anyone other than Naleena she knew aboard? Really knew? It would be starting from the ground up again.....

 

Arian had been kidnapped.... She'd probably better think on that......

 

Seriously though, Frank she could understand. But Iole? She'd done what she'd wanted to do, but was holding back from doing.... She'd followed.... certainly not common sense or logic. She'd done.... what?

 

"Nally..... What's going to happen? Iole going off with Frank. Is it really something you have to deal with? I mean, sure she promised service but.... Aren't all contracts open to renegotiation"?

 

Naleena sighed. "Here's what I know. We have a new member of the team now: Jonathan Daniels. He's former Alliance. He was with the Alliance for 7 years. They have a program where a Marine can apply for leave or muster out after seven years of service. It's generous. I know this because Irina told me, and I made sure that Daniels filled out his docs before he came aboard," she said. "I'm civilian and don't know much about the Asari Military except I know you can't just walk away from your post. I have to deal with it because Tallis asked me to deal with it. She could have gone to Selani.

 

"If Iole wanted out, she should have made the request from the military. They probably would have been granted her wish at the end of her current deployment. If she doesn't return, she'll be facing forty years in prison. And they will catch her."

 

The car slowed as the parking lot loomed below. Irina, Vayne and Jenus just arrived along with three C-sec squad cars. Naleena parked the car near them, popped the top and got out.

 

"Alright, so this is where the signal went dead," Irina said. "What do we do now? There's four hi-rise apartment buildings in the immediate area, what do we do now? Go door to door?"

 

Another unmarked C-sec car pulled up, and a medium height and build C-sec officer with dark hair approached. "I'm Detective Kielb, and that's exactly what we do, ma'am," he said and turned to the Spectre who was standing by the interceptor. "What do you have?"

 

"You might want to talk to the red head."

 

"Right," he said and turned his attention to Irina.

 

Irina smirked. "I have a picture of Arian, and a picture of his kidnapper, the woman in the car. I'll upload them to your omni-tools."

 

"Whoa! Check this! That big guy got taken out by a woman?" one of the officers said.

 

"Yeah, and I took down a Krogan warlord at point blank range," Irina countered and glanced at Anika and sighed. "Twenty-second Century and we still don't get respect. So we gonna find him or stand around jawing?"

 

"Irina, you and Vayne work together. Jenus and Detective Kielb. Anika and I. The uniformed officers all have partners. Fan out and cover the buildings starting from the bottom floors and work your way up," Naleena ordered.

 

"What if no one answers?" Irina asked.
 

"I'm authorizing hacking the door locks and entering," Naleena said, "I'm certain it will take more than one to hold Arian. Anika and I will remain in the parking lot in case they try to leave."

[Redbelle]

Amy was pacing. Pacing furiously. Which in the small.... cubicle as she thought of it, was an achievement in itself.

 

She'd been humiliated.

 

Abused.

 

Grud, the cleaning bill alone would raise eyebrows.

 

And she'd need a new suit.......

 

.......

 

.......

 

She'd really liked that suit.

 

Amy paused in front of a mirrored section of the compartment and looking down, saw a fold out sink handle, grabbed it and yanked it open. The sink came out with a angry thud and the light above the mirror flickered on as water began pouring into the bowl. Amy looked at herself in the mirror.

 

Grud she looked terrible. Her hair was out of place and sticking out at odd angles. Her makeup was streaked.... When they filmed the recruitment ad at least she'd have a baseline as to how the victim looked.

 

"Okay". Her hands delved into her pockets and her finger's closed around a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "Okay... Calm down. It's not all bad. They can't say they did anything or I can claim they attacked me and took me to this ship while I was vulnerable. It had to be drugs". She reasoned. "Some kind of pheromone. Something. I'm not into.....". She tried to find the words but instead found her finger's tearing a cigarette out of the pack. She brought it to her lips and had to flick her fighter three times before it lit and the end of the cigarette burned into ash as she drew a quick breath and she watched the smoke escape into the air ventilation as she exhaled.

 

"Grud dammit". She cursed. "I need a comm terminal".

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Earth – Seattle

 

In the apartment where she was hiding on Harvard Avenue East, Samantha Traynor sat in front of her computer communicating through three alias accounts with her friend Oriana Lawson. The reporter had arranged for Oriana to visit Sam at a local coffee shop on Pike Street on the hill. She closed her laptop, took a deep breath, left her apartment, and walked through the misty grey weather. Sam had to be careful she wasn’t being followed. The government had its ways of tracking down people.

 

She arrived at Pasquale’s ten minutes early, ordered a latte, and found a couch in the lower lit area in the back: a comfortable area where she had her back to the wall and could see everything. The atmosphere was nice, too. There was a gas fireplace, which was welcome to take out the chill, and modern artwork on the walls. She had to feign having a virus to keep several other people from sitting at any of the tables nearby. About 25 minutes later a tall dark haired woman entered. It was Oriana.

 

Oriana ordered a snack and an Earl Grey tea. She looked around and spotted Sam, then casually made her way to the chair next to her.

 

“Finally, I’d about given up,” Sam said.

 

“My shuttle was late. Sorry, but you said not to call,” Oriana replied. “So… are you alright?”

 

“I’m… glad you’re here. Were you followed?”

 

Oriana looked around. “I don’t think so. Have they been in touch?”

 

“Who?”

 

“Your boss.”

 

“They’ve tried. I’ve had to move around. The information I have is very damaging… and before you ask, yes, I’ve made copies.”

 

Oriana took a bite from her scone. “What exactly did you find?”

 

“Oriana, you know I can’t tell you. It would make you a target.”

 

“Come on, Sam, it’s me. I can handle myself. No one is going to come after me, and you have to tell someone. The stress is killing you.”

 

Sam scanned the shop. She turned on her omni-tool and searched for active scans. There were none, but she wouldn’t pick up a parabolic microphone, however the shop was empty. “Alright, Ori. I was running routine maintenance on Prime Minister Shastri’s VI and found someone had accessed the backdoor. I warned them about allowing a backdoor to the OS in the first place because you know how dangerous those things are, but they said they needed to have one just in case someone locked them out there was a way of getting back in.”

 

Sam sighed with a deep breath. “Then I did some digging and found it had been accessed going back almost a year. There were hidden files on the system. There are always hidden files, but what were in these are the damning things. The system had been accessed by someone with a Batarian address and they were issuing military orders in the Prime Minister’s name. No one would check that because of from where the orders were being given,” she said, and then took Ori’s hand. “Here’s where it gets crazy. I made copies of the files, and opened some of them. They were orders to start the project in the Bahak System.”

 

Ori shook her head in disbelief. “No, why would the Batarians do that?”

 

“Don’t you see? They’re trying to start a war with the Alliance, and they don’t want to appear as the aggressors. They want to build sympathy and play the victim card,” Sam said.

 

“What about the terrorists on Caleston?” Ori asked.

 

“The Batarians said that was a fringe group, and that the Hegemony doesn’t authorize terrorism.”

 

“Don’t make me laugh. Do you really think the galaxy buys that?” Ori asked.

 

“Ori, wake up. That’s not the problem. The problem is there’s a major breach in Alliance security and the government is in the middle of a big cover up,” Sam replied. “I’m in danger because I know too much.”

[Redbelle]

Anika kicked back against the interceptor and looked down at her barrier belt. Reaching down she thumbed on the device. Without her armor she was feeling exposed in the open air and the hum of the device made her feel better. Looking up, Anika sighed.

 

"I guess we're on standby till  we get called.... Or the action comes to us". She scanned the area before tilting her head upwards to see along the upper reaches of where they waited. "I thought I might have been picking up on things between Iole and Frank you know. I put it down to my imagination. If they decided to be together.... I get it. Daft but I get it. I mean, there's someone I want to be with but duty keeps me from making that commitment". She turned to look at Naleena. "Throw in your word to follow what you feel is important or follow through on your commitments and be apart from who you love. Were they in love"? Anika asked. "I thought I was being silly thinking..... I mean Frank's fun but..... And Iole? I can't think of a more mismatched pair".

[TheMajonese]

Zakera Ward - Quinn's apartment

 

It took them almost twenty minutes to reach Quinn's apartment. When he asked why she had parked the car that far away, she just said that it was necessary to deceive any pursuers. And to his surprise, they hardly even saw anyone in the streets. The area reminded him of Omega, just a bit less dirty and crowded but with the same seediness.

 

When they stood in front of an abandoned looking building, the turian wasn't sure if this woman was just another assassin, trying to lead him into a trap. But not for the first time, he repressed the doubt about Quinn's motives. "What is this place?", Arian asked in disbelief when he stepped through the door. He wasn't sure if the things he perceived were real or if it was just his imagination that lead his mind to belief in what he saw.

 

The apartment was nothing more than a spacious room containing a bed, a table with a chair, a large wardrobe and several lockers. The door next to the entrance lead probably to the bathroom. The furniture appeared old and dirty but it was nothing really unusual, considering the look of the whole building. But what really caught his attention was everything else.

 

One side of the room was occupied by a small wooden table which had a strange white symbol on it, a large pillow was lying on the ground in front of it and the wall behind it was covered with paint which appeared to be another symbol. The only light came from two small lamps on the table. The ground was covered with all sorts of garbage, empty cans, food wrappings and other things. Surprisingly, the area around the table was clean.

 

Quinn seemed a bit embarassed. "Ahm...sorry...I haven't cleaned up for a while..."

 

"What is this?", Arian repeated his question, ignoring her comment.

 

"Remember the deal...", she said with a chiding tone in her voice and pointed at the bed. "Lay down for a while, you need..."

 

"I need rest, I got that!", the turian snapped at her. He sat down on the bed and placed one hand on his forehead. The headache got worse every minute. "Why can't you just tell me everything right now?"

 

Quinn laughed at his question. "Just do as I said. Believe me, we will need some time to talk about everything. And I need you to listen carefully."

 

With a grunt, Arian tried to lay down on the bed but he was a bit too long for it. He heard Quinn's voice while she was looking through in a locker. "If you want to have a drink...well, I have a bottle of water...water, water...and I have some water with water..." She grabbed a cheap plastic bottle and tossed it over to the turian.

 

"Great...", he muttered to himself and closed his eyes. If she wants to murder me while I'm sleeping, I'm not really trying to make it hard for her... It seemed to be only a matter of a few seconds until he fell asleep again. This time at least, he wasn't in an uncomfortable position like he had been in the skycar.

 

 

 

The woman looked at the turian and sighed. Then she got into her black armor, placed the sword on her back and began searching through another locker. She needed a while to make a decision.

 

When she left her apartment, she carried a heavy rifle in her arms with an unsually thick barrel, her face was hidden behind a mask that did more than just hide her face. On her way back to the parking lot, she avoided moving through the streets and instead chose to make her way over buildings and through maintenance tunnels while staying out of any source of light.

[Kel Riever]

Babe

As her answer, Babe rose, took a deep breath and headed over to Jess’ bed.  With her back to Morgan and Jess, she took her white crop top off, matter-of-factly, and lay, face down, with the long dragon gloriously displayed on her back.  The tip of its tail touched the direct bottom of her lower spine, which was recessed within her powerful lower back muscles and curved posterior.  It wound itself around, the body heading to the right while the wings headed left, and its neck buckled and bent around to display its angled head low, with bared fangs. 

Babe waited, displaying herself and her artwork for the other two.  She thought of things that she hadn’t for a while, but she worried aloud again, “I don’t want to hurt anyone, not really.  Sticking to the guns is a good idea.  Maybe we can just do that, and forget about the rest.”

The room didn’t actually change color, but it certainly seemed to like an optical illusion.  It was a warm, rose color, or soft red.  Babe closed her eyes, but she certainly wasn’t falling asleep.
 

[Kel Riever]

Iole

Fixated through the entire time Kira was talking, Iole's golden eyes followed wherever she went.  When Kira was done, Iole stood up, went to her, and hugged her with all her might.

"I know I'm just a kid, but you are so, so brave."

Iole gave her an extra squeeze for good measure.  Then, when she pulled away with moist eyes, she said, "I'm going to talk to Frank," and headed out the door.
 

[TheMajonese]

Zakera Ward

 

Climbing up the four story building was much harder than expected. The weight of two heavy weapons on her back was a bit more than she had expected but the mag locks on both her boots and gauntlets allowed her to climb vertically. The building didn't directly border the parking lot but at the same time, standing on top of it offered Quinn a perfect line of sight on her skycar.

 

She laid down, close to the edge of the ceiling and folded out the rifle's bipod. One hundred twenty meters... Quinn placed down the rifle and targeted the car through the sight. Shouldn't be too hard... The weapon couldn't hold whole magazines, so she had to load the heavy projectiles one by one. But she doubted that she would need more than one anyway.

 

Several C-Sec cars were already on the parking lot and Quinn spotted C-Sec officers, as well as a group of people that looked quite familiar. A red-haired woman, an asari and an one-eyed krogan. Aside from these three, there were also two other figures; another human, almost as tall as the turian that was now lying in her apartment, wearing heavy armor and wielding- amused Quinn raised an eyebrow- a Typhoon light machine gun. The other woman was an asari and the way she moved and gestured caused Quinn to asume that she was the spectre. It seemed that she just gave orders to the rest of her team.

 

Time to turn around!, she thought with a grin and charged her weapon. The humming sound caused her laugh briefly. After all this time on the Citadel she never had chance to blow something up. To do it now wasn't the best move, but Quinn could do almost everything to get what she wanted. And at the moment, she really felt like causing some chaos. Besides, this is my own car so they can't blame me... Two C-Sec officers who had to examine Quinn's car moved back to their own car, probably to grab some gear or give a report. Full of anticipation, Quinn pulled the trigger.

 

Everyone on the parking lot could hear the loud gunshot and just a second later, the blue skycar disappeared in a large fireball. 

[Kel Riever]

Jenus

Irina didn't quite realize what hit her until she was flying backwards, held by Jenus, heading for the ground far away.  

Both rolled, Jenus making sure as they crashed to the ground that Irina wasn't hurt.  The momentum had them keep sliding after they stopped rolling until they hit a wall lightly.  It wasn't enough for Jenus, as she grabbed Irina as she was getting to her feet, and dragged her behind the nearest corner, to take cover.  

There was a wreck of a scene from the explosion.  Jenus was rather forgiving for someone who'd been batted upon the side of the head enough to severely injure her if she hadn't been quick enough to put up a barrier.  She had a thing for tough people.  But this...now this was getting on her bad side.

Over the sound of a roaring fire, Jenus shouted, "You are a goddess damned *ssh*le, and now you made a mistake!"

Jenus wasn't going to kill this woman.  She was going to crack her in the side of the head and watch her puke up her bratwurst.