Jess accepted the coffee. Took a sip. Winced. Cast a furtive glace around and then tipped the last remaining shot into the black liquid.
The best thing about the alcohol in this place? It was probably killing whatever was clinging onto the side of the mug.
And now Part 2:
Aria’s training room was the size of a basketball court with a wooden floor and tan leather padded walls and white leather padded ceiling. The floor had a layer of padding under it to reduce impact injuries, although hitting it full velocity would still hurt like hell. No weapons were allowed inside. Naleena removed her coat, boots, her firearms and the two throwing knives she kept in the neck sheaths of her armor and put them in a locker outside the room. She removed her armor and donned traditional Asari training robes. They were ornate with mythological creatures on them. Naleena wore black. Aria did likewise except she wore white bearing her symbol.
“You’re a glutton for punishment, Naleena. I remember the last time you were in here, you barely made it out alive,” Aria said, “Still fighting Salarians? Or have you moved onto tougher quarry?”
“We’ll see, Aria,” Naleena said as she followed her into the room.
They moved to the center of the room, and took the traditional stance, and began to circle one another.
“So what did you want to talk about?” Aria asked.
“The ship, of course. I think you’re being short sighted,” Naleena said and then ducked the first blow.
“You’ve gotten quicker. Why do you think that?” Aria continued to circle looking for another opening.
“There’s an opportunity, and a big one. There’s a captain named Jess Stone who told me a very interesting story,” Naleena threw a kick that Aria blocked with ease.
“You’ll have to do better than that. And what did she tell you?” Aria glared and used a throw on Naleena. Naleena was quick with her barrier.
“I saw that coming, Aria. She told me that she hired on with you to deliver a cargo of eezo and you sent a fighter squadron to attack her ship. That’s not good faith Aria and it doesn’t play well with the Kings and Queens who own another third of that ship,” Naleena said.
Aria saw an opening and took it. She grabbed Naleena and threw her across the room into the wall. The throw was biotically assisted. Naleena slammed into the wall hard.
“It sounds like you’ve really grown soft. Why are you taking her side, anyway?” Aria demanded and aura flared.
Naleena jumped to her feet and motioned to Aria to bring it on. “Aria, you’ve been hanging around Batarians too much. You’re not thinking like an Asari here. You’re where you are by being the smartest Asari in the room, but you’re not being that. You’re thinking like a Batarian, just thinking you can take things.” Aria was getting angry and attacked. Naleena hit her with a powerful throw and sent her skidding across the floor. Aria put up a barrier before impacting the wall. “That might work in the short term, but for the long game it doesn’t.”
Aria jumped to her feet and flipped across the room lightning quick and landed with her thighs around Naleena’s head and dropped down, slamming Naleena hard onto the floor. Naleena heard a crack in her rib cage. She was hurting, but she couldn’t let on that she was.
“Had enough yet, Naleena?”
“Not even close.”
Aria threw a flurry of punches at Naleena and every one was blocked, and Naleena countered with a double punch that staggered Aria momentarily. Then she backed off and assumed a defensive stance.
“And Captain Stone isn’t too keen on selling you her share either.” Then Naleena grabbed Aria and threw her on the floor. Aria countered with a leg grab and threw Naleena who feather fell to the floor in a defensive stance.
“She said she would.” Aria began circling again.
“Yes she did, but she doesn’t like it either. She has some weight with the one who represents the Kings and Queens who holds the other third, and if the Kings and Queens boycott Omega, that hurts your business.” Naleena said.
Aria saw another opening and hit Naleena in the face bloodying her lip.
“That one is looking to sell her share to the Turians.” Naleena put up a barrier an blocked the second attack.
“She wouldn’t dare!”
“And that would mean a Turian military presence here.”
“I’ll kill her!” Aria shouted and hit Naleena with a shockwave that sent her tumbling.
Naleena was bleeding from her nose and mouth, but she got to her feet… a little slower this time. “No, you won’t. You’ll listen to me for a change, and we’ll make out like bandits, but you’ll have to eat a little humble pie.”
“No!” Aria hit Naleena with another throw and slammed her into the wall.
Naleena slowly got to her feet again. “You have holdings with the AMIC, right? I’ll broker a deal with the other two parties to sell their interests to AMIC. AMIC will approach you through me for the your third of the ship at a now inflated price. Because it’s a source of alien tech, stocks will go up. Everyone gets rich. I collect a commission for arranging the sale because I have connections there.”
“What’s the catch?” Aria asked, and threw a shockwave again, but Naleena backflipped out of its path. She winced in pain as she did it.
“For this to happen, you have to apologize for the fighter incident, in private, to Jess Stone,” Naleena said, “And make it appear sincere.”
“No!” Aria threw Naleena against the wall again. There was another crack.
Naleena peeled herself off the wall and floor, and shook her head. “Yes. It’s not even in public. You can do it on my shuttle for ****’s sake. Then she’ll give the nod for the whole thing. You get her share of the ship, and I arrange the deal for the rest of it. There’s more to consider.”
“Go on.”
“That ship is a trophy. As soon as you try to take it off its mooring, the Collectors will try to take it back. You know that,” Naleena said now walking slowly holding her ribcage. She waved off Aria. The fight was over. “The ship is going to be a ball and chain for you, Aria. Take the deal. It’s the best you’re going to get. I’m going to be pissing blood for a week. We still friends?”
“You’re… right, Naleena, you’re going to be pissing blood for a week,” Aria said, “Yeah, we’re still friends. That’s a better deal than I thought.”
“You want influence? Buy ships with your profit. And don’t pull **** like you did with Stone. That stuff will cost you money in the long term. It’ll cost you influence,” Naleena said. She was half doubled over. “And look at the bright side. You kicked the crap out of me again. **** this hurts. Should I set up a meeting? My shuttle, docking bay 4? You set the day and time.”
“Set it up. Tomorrow. Stone sells me her share. You make the deal for the other two, and broker the third. I get a 10% cut of your commission. Let’s get this over with.”
Naleena glared at her. “Aria, that’s your standard rate. 5% because we’re friends and because you’d be getting screwed if it wasn’t for me.”
Aria sighed. “Fine! 5% then. Do you need help?”
“I’ll make it on my own power. Besides, it’ll be good for your image,” Naleena said. Her face was bruised, and she had a black eye, bloody mouth, and nose. Her leg was hurting... badly, and she had two cracked ribs. She limped back to the locker and got her coat.
Aria at least helped her back into it before she emerged triumphantly from the passageway.
Moments later Naleena slowly limped out, nodded to Aria, turned and stumbled down the stairs. Naleena was showing the world what happens when you **** with Aria. She slowly got back to her feet. Dahlia and Anika saw her, and went to help her.
“Are you alright? You’re a mess,” Dahlia said while helping her to her feet. Anika grabbed her other arm.
Naleena nodded. “Just a few bumps and bruises. Ow, careful. I think my ribs are broken. Help me back to the ship. Anika, I need to speak with Jess. We have a deal.”
Jess finally looked up those sitting across from her. "Okay....". She slurred. "Morgan's either got a major bladder problem in the gents..... Or he ditched us...... or maybe he tried to ditch us and got caught short..... And now he's praying 'when will it ever end'"? Taking a deep breath, Jess stood, causing the chair to scrape across the floor as it did. "Either way..... I think we should call it a good day and head back..... to the Audron. Still got jobs..... And stuff...... really, really important......stuff".
Jess turned her head to look at Eteon. "And I still want to see you in that dress sometime. Seriously luv.... You have something against showing a little skin? You need a little more confidence, luv. Get out of that armour. Live a little"!
"Now then"! She exclaimed. "Someone check the gent's in case Morgan's in there and we'll be off! Back to the ship..... with coolant! Lots and lots of coolant! I got us more coolant earlier....... for no reason at all that you need to know about..... But if you did...... I'd personally not know a thing about the thing. Grudamn ship builders! Who puts pipes like that up through the habitation deck"!
As she headed back to the Audron, Jess sent a quick message through her Omni-tool. Nothing fancy. Just a quick recorded two and a half second video file she recorded as she hugged a very perplexed Vayne and Eteon to her shoulder's and drawled.
"Waaaaaaazzzzuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup"!
Eteon sighed. "I can't tell...... the difference...... when she's drunk or sober"!
Anika and Dahlia helped Naleena back to her quarters.
Anika looked at the comparatively diminutive Dahlia. "I can handle Naleena myself. Naleena, what the hell did you do in there?"
Naleena looked up and grimaced at the 7' foot giantess. "I'll tell you when we get back to the ship. Take me to my quarters, and don't let that doctor near me. Dahlia, get Jess. I need to see her. And both of you. Thanks for waiting."
Dahlia took off to get Jess, and Anika and Naleena went back to the Audron. The crew saw a battered Asari being escorted by Anika and there was some quiet conversation among themselves. They took the elevator down to the crew deck and entered Naleena's Starboard Observation Deck.
"Help me out of my armor. There's some Medi-gel in that cabinet, Anika. I know you've had some field medicine in your commando training. Scan my ribs and inject it directly at the sites. They feel like they're toward my back. Then check my left thigh. It's just a deep bruise, but should be treated. They'll heal quickly. I'll take care of the facial damage later. And, thanks."
Anika helped Naleena out of her armor. Naleena thought nothing of the lack of modesty, but the sight of a naked Asari was having an effect on Anika.
Dahlia walked briskly through the corridors of Omega toward the Twitch's Bar, and ran into Jess and Eteon.
Dahlia was a little out of breath. "Hey, Captain Stone. Good thing I caught you before you went somewhere else. Naleena wants to see you in her quarters on the Audron."
Naleena told Anika what happened in the training room. "I held back, hence my condition. I appealed to her Asari nature. I wanted the deal. Aria is going to apologize to Jess. Do I have your permission to sell your share to AMIC? I need to make arrangements for the deal quickly."
Anika hesitated...... Then sighed. "I guess someone has to take the first step. Fine". She said as she brushed a darkened patch of blue skin with her fingers. "You can....have them". Taking another medigel applicator she tore her eye's away from Naleena, but could not help but look back, taking in her lithe, toned form. The Medigel package was having trouble going in and she slammed her hand down on it while it was misaligned.
The package cracked and Anika cursed. Then closed her eye's proceeded to remove her armoured gloves. "Sorry". She said. "My bad. I'll need to.....".Anika was sure her face was scarlet, but pressed ahead regardless. "..... put this one on..... the surface...... for the bruising...... could you turn around"? Anika's was sure her heart was about to pop out of her ribcage. It was always the same. Since her first and subsequent joining since training. Though their minds had never touched they had none the less found that through their actions they could read the other well enough.
She wasn't addicted she knew, her body was just......conditioned. It was something that she had worked hard to overcome, but here and now, the sight of Naleena reminded her of her former huntress instructor after they helped one another deal with the daily fallout each other's blows had caused.
Gel..... why does it have to be gel?
Plus she had to admit. Naleena looked magnificiant from the front.... she couldn't wait to see the back.
The walk through Omega was doing her alot of good, she felt. The recycled air was hitting her with it's slightly tell tale pungent aroma that the scrubber's could never really clear out. Dahlia led the way as those who followed trailed behind.
Jess looked back and once again, didn't see Morgan. Her gut was telling her something was wrong. Either that or his disapearence was causing her to ask the questions she knew she shouldn't......
Damn it. He wasn't crew. What he chose to do was entirely his business.
............Good kisser though.
Well, that was good enough! Jess toggled her Omni-tool and called Morgan's. "C'mon luv.... Pickup you mono syballic......".
Death wish. The thought came unbidden to her mind. She remembered feeling Morgan's presence behind her. How he had taken the hits meant for her. At the time she hadn't thought. Just ran. Later she figured Morgan knew his limits and was confident he could absorb the damage, since he was still alive it was a reasonable assumption..... but what if she was wrong in that assumption?
Jess's finger started tapping on her tool. "Oh c'mon already". She growled.
Naleena knew that the administration of the gel would be uncomfortable. Anika was quite competent. Naleena sensed that she was attracted and she was smiling to herself. It is too soon after Jenira, but I would like to get to know Anika as a friend. Touch me for the sake of the goddess! My shoulders are sore. She turned her well conditioned back to Anika as instructed. Anika applied the gel in the required places.... And she looked around the room and noticed the luxury in which Naleena lived. The sculpting by the Elcor artist Forta was in a display case at one end. It was sublime.
Naleena's long black silk robe was draped over the back of the recliner, although it was sufficiently warm on the ship.
“Are you positive you want to link the account this way?” The banker at the other end of the vidphone looked skeptical. “We have other….services…that are more discreet.”
Morgan was using one of the private terminals at a hub in a much better neighborhood on Omega than where the bar he had come from was. It wasn’t actually that far, but it did require taking a few turns someone had to be familiar with. And he had done all he could to make sure he wasn’t followed. Even on Omega, services for money needed to be handled properly. If anything, the price to pay was far higher for mischief, at least to a financial employee’s personal health. It didn’t mean there weren’t rip-offs. It meant that a client generally knew the circumstances in which they were getting ripped off.
In the case of the account Morgan was setting up, it would only be slightly more expensive than normal, because nothing was being hidden. He confirmed with the banker, “I’m positive. Do the account as I instructed.”
“All right….” The banker finished up with Morgan over the next couple of minutes and then Morgan disconnected. He prepared a dual message to both Jess and Naleena with the deposit information for the account. Morgan followed up with note to warn them to make sure the deposit couldn’t be traced back to them directly.
Once Morgan was finished, he immediately left the terminal and headed out. How much time he had was left up to Iyana now. Morgan knew she’d be contacting him shortly.
Anika scooped the gel out and rubbed it in her hands. Then looked up at the ceiling and counted to ten. Then she slipped her hands over the firm muscle of Naleena's shoulder's.
The moment she did she felt as if electricity was tickling the tips of her fingers. Her breathing grew uneven as she felt her body move closer to Naleena's. It was utterly rediculous. She was still decked out in her heavy armour that was feeling uncomfortably hot and could do little......
.....Another thought approached to the heels of that thought that perhaps Naleena would simply not be interested. She just wanted help recovering from the bruises and the breaks and......
Knock it off, Anika thought to herself angrily. Just help her mend. Even so, she could not help but glide her hands down, over the graceful curvatures of her spine to alight at the small of her back. She was leaning forward, inhaling her scent. Hoping to the high heaven's that she wouldn't notice....... and speaking of not noticing, her hands were starting to wander while her mind was distracted. Brushing over the swell of her hips. She spotted a brusie nearby and quickly aborted where her hand had been been about to travel towards and applied the gel to that area before reaching back up to seize hold of the shoulder's once more. She felt the tension there are kneaded them. Loosening the muscle, seeing how strung she was.
"You need more". Anika said in a voice that was to thick. She cleared her throat and tried to continue in her normal voice. "You need more deep muscle massage. And if any part of you is sore.... keep moving it. The kind of impact you absorbed..... Your muscles might seize up if you stay still to long..... I could help......". She said, trailing off....... She was getting in to deep. The more she touched the more the feeling's in her body arose. Remembering old lessons. It was different with every Asari. Maybe, after the years with the huntress. Maybe her body was simply better adjusted to connecting physically with Asari. The fusion of her nervious system to her huntress teacher's had happened over such a long time that maybe what her body was crying out for was that unity. That perfect connection where no barrier could seperate them. It had seemed so simple. Use the meld to shave years off combat training. But nothing like it had ever been done with a human before. Espcially one that had been gentically enhanced.
Anika knew what she wanted right then, but what she wanted tore her. She wanted to see what this Asari woman could ilicit from her if she allowed her body to meld with her's.....
.....And she wanted to get the hell out of there before the temptation grew to great.
.......
For grud's sake. Still in her armour!
Anika brought her hands away and grabbed the nearby robe. Taking one last look before reaching around and handing it to Naleena. "I.....uh..... I forgot. There's something...... I need to do...... Back in my quarter's". Grab me! Tear me out of this stupid tin can and throw me over something! C'mon! Don't hold back dammit! Anika's inner monologue was deafening to her. But she just stood there. Trying not to let what was under the surface show.
Jess read the message from Morgan, reading his warning that the money not be directly linked......
Oh great! How many times had she heard that one!
Jess keyed her comm. "Anika? Jess. Look, somethings come up and I need to deal. See if you can grab anyone on the Audron and........ Actually, forget it"! Jess said, remembering exactly who it was she needed to speak to. "Just.... do whatever it is your doing. Like I said, you get to choose what to do with your share. Just tell Naleena I'm authorising release of my share on your's and her's say so. Dual lock and that". Jess paused and added. "Look, I really want to be there, but something's not sitting right with me right now. Woman's intuition. Just let me know if Morgan shows up, okay"?
With that, Jess shut down her comm channel and opened a new one to the Audron. "Aelias"! Jess greeted the Audron's communication specialist. "How's my favourite specialist? Look luv, don't want to keep you..... but I need to know if you can trace location's when messages are pinged to someone's Omni-tool".
"Yeeees". Came the reply. "I could..... but we don't because it infringes privacy laws".
"Well luv..... I don't see much law on Omega. So if you ever wanted to try now's the time".
"Don't go. Please. You must be awful hot in that. You have my permission to remove it. You've been with Asari. You've lived with Asari. Dispense with the human modesty," Naleena said, smiled, and looked up at Anika. Naleena was still grieving the loss of a friend, and needed company. Everything had been happening at light speed. Anika's touch was firm, honest, and gentle. It was something stable. Naleena needed that right now.
Anika felt as if the ground had just opened up under her.
She want's you, said the little devil on the right shoulder.
You can't take advantage of a vunerable Asari. Said the angel on her other.
"I've......got tools". Anika managed to get out, slipping a hand into the pouch at her back. The emergency torque screwdriver was a smaller version of the one in her's and Jess's quarters. Holding just enough power to remove, or put on, a suit of armour like hers. Provided one was careful with handling the charge.
There was no question that she wanted to stay even though she felt that once free she'd probably collapse. The suit's extra structure allowing her to simply lock her knees in place and rest her weight forward while the suit's weight held her to the ground.
"Thanks". She breathed. and moved over to where she could sit. That part over so that she could try to bring her body back under some kind of control, she brought the tool to the screw mounts and started unscrewing herself out of her armour. The job allowed her to focus and soon she was able to peel herself out of the top torso half.
Anika looked up and saw Naleena..... smirking.
Anika dropped a piece of armour that clattered to the floor as, internally, Anika groaned. Worst.... Striptease...... Ever. She thought as she hurriedly stripped off the rest of the hard armoured exterior before peeling herself out of her white pressure suit.
She stood up, exposed before Naleena's eye's. Memories of her past life with the Huntress warring with memories of Jess and the Medusa.
"You should find something more flattering to wear. Perhaps we should order you some commando leathers later. It can be custom made and you would look quite... attractive in it," Naleena said and smiled, "There's some Serrice Ice Brandy in the liquor cabinet, the good stuff, why don't you get us a couple of glasses and bring the bottle over. We can relax and get to know each other."
Naleena turned on her sound system......the volume was low enough so that they could talk. While Anika was getting the glasses and drinks, Naleena tapped a quick text message to VERA: "Set up a call with Alestia Anotaria of Anotaria Industries for first thing tomorrow. Tell her it is Naleena T'sarius and that I have a captured alien ship for sale. Tell her it is very alien."
VERA (text): "Acknowledged."
When Anika sat down next to her with the bottle and glasses, Naleena poured their drinks, smiled, and leaned against her. "Tell me about yourself, Anika."
As Anika sat and took the glass from Naleena she took a moment to look into her eye's. They were perfectly clear. From what she knew from her past life, the swirling black that could engulf those eye's arose only when the Asari wanted to meld..... or when their biology was stimulated in just the right way that their reproductive urges kicked in and began to force the process. Her huntress teacher had told her about it. About how Asari had to train to hold back the worst of the meld, keeping a degree of seperation that held back taking another's essense while basking in the radiance of another. It took time, patience, commitment to the ways of biotics. Naleena's clear eye's and her body language told Anika that she wasn't interested in her as a partner. She drummed that phrase through her mind. But still......
As she took the drink Naleena had laid into her and unbidden, Anika's arm had slipped around the back of her shoulder's till she was almost cuddling her with one hand, while the other held the glass. The skin to skin contact was setting every nerve ending on fire. And the heat! She was hot enough, right down to her core, that she was worried she might break out into a sweat. She took a long sip of brandy. Trying to keep her cool.
"I'm..... not that.....". She managed to get out, when something inside her snapped.
It had been almost five years now. Five long years since escaping the complex and practically a lifetime since she'd been made into the person she was today. Always hiding, afraid they'd find her and take her back.
"I was..... different once". She began, not knowing where to start and deciding that the very beginning was probably the best. "I wasn't always blonde for a start. I was born on Earth. My family wasn't so well off and then when I was about to start school a man appeared. Said I was exactly the kind of person they'd been looking for. They said they had managed to track me down thanks to a blood sample doctor's took from me when I had an infection and that they'd spent alot of time finding me. Apparently.... I had the right genes".
Anika closed her eye's. Focusing on the past was helping her forget the present where her finger was running circles over Naleena's bare shoulder.
"The man spent month's talking to my parents. Asking for more samples. Every time they took one I remember my parents were happy. I learned later that a lock of hair, or a swab of saliva was being paid for. My blood actually reduced my mother to tears of joy when she looked at the figure sum they were willing to offer...... Then one day the man came again and I was told to go to my room. I heard arguing downstairs, I snuck out of my room to listen at the top of the stairs..... They were talking about sending me away to a school. A school where they would pay my parent's for me to attend. It wasn't a long conversation and I ran back to room and started packing. I figured then that since I was supposed to be in a school then why not one that helped my parents"?
Opening her eye's, Anika tilted her head around and ran her finger up, past Naleena's coller bone, the muscle of her neck to gently stroke her throat. Wondering what it would be like to run her lips over that exposed surface.
She was getting distracted. Her skin warming once more. Taking another sip of brandy, which probably wouldn't help in the long run she knew, but decided just getting through the her and now was more important, she continued.
"Dad was having second thoughts when I came out with my case. The man though said that the funds had been transferred and going back on the deal now would cause legal disputes. Mum talked him round. So off I went. My first voyage through space. I spent the whole trip glued to a window looking outside. Then we arrived at our destination and saw the planet I was going to call home for most of my childhood years".
"To cut a long story short, I wasn't the only one there. Apparently other's had gene's the people wanted. It wasn't a school either. It was a camp within a complex. Each day we'd be taught basic lessons and each day they'd collect samples of some kind. Then one day, instead of something taken from us, they started injecting something into us. They told us we were very special. That what they were putting into us was for us, and us only. Then weeks later we all started noticing things..... Some of us were growing taller. Other's who had trouble keeping up in exercises found they could last longer. Some of the girls in glasses found they didn't need them anymore. One day I found my hearing could pick out a conversation. Saying that some other girl called Miranda was going to be a masterpiece by the time their research was done. Which I thought was odd, because all the girls in the complex knew each other.... and there wasn't any Miranda there that we knew of.......".
Anika actually found herself chuckling. "And that was when I knew what that place was. It was more than was let on. It was a test bed of human genetic manipulation..... And shortly after......". The laughter died away as the memories came to the surface. "..... After, some of the girls started getting sick. They were taken away and we didn't see them again. We didn't know why but now, if I had to guess, I'd say the gene therapy didn't take. I don't know what happened to them. Only that they never came back..... By then we were all getting into our teenage years. And that's when things started to change for the survivors..... That's when I met my first Asari".
Manej stepped off the shuttle that brought him from the Khukuri to Omega station. It had put down purposefully in a dock far from the Audron. Nobody bothered the lone salarian with a worn, light grey suit at first, but then a dock inspector approached Manej.
“Your information,” the turian inspector demanded as he brought out his omni-tool.
Activating his own omni-tool in turn, Manej transferred a proper sum of credits. “Aria more on guard these days?”
The inspector didn’t respond until he verified the amount. “This is her agreed upon price. No questions asked, though you are aware of her limits. Do not cross the line.”
“We appreciate a healthy relationship with the Queen of Omega,” Manej confirmed. “If anything, this will only make things easier for her. You can assure her this is strictly professional and will not infringe upon her or her business.”
Nodding, the inspector let Manej pass into the station.
http://youtu.be/BoGRQb7bjkc?t=1h20m50s
Naleena didn’t like the fact that Anika had been experimented upon against her will without her knowledge. It didn’t change the person who Anika was inside. She didn’t have to tell me this. Genetic experiments on a child! Horrible. I underwent them myself but with my consent. People who do this to children need to be ended. I'm glad Anika survived. Naleena brushed Anika’s hair with her fingers and tucked it behind her ear and pulled her close.
“You know that I kill people for a living, Anika, but I really didn’t want to do that. It’s… very complicated, and I… don’t tell people about this... especially people I just met. What is it about you? You know my true identity, so you might as well know the truth, but you must promise not to tell anyone else. I trust you, and that doesn’t come easy for me, but I need to trust someone.
“I was born on Cyone in the city of Polos. My father was a Drell named Teshek, an assassin. My mother was a history professor, and a powerful adept. Her name was Elsa. She was already an older matron when she met my father. My father taught me the Drell empathy exercises at a young age and I mastered them. He died when I was 60. I had a younger sister named Irissa. She was a free spirit who loved to dance and travel. I, on the other hand, was into petty crime and thought about joining a merc band. Instead I became a professional thief. I was good at it.
“When I was 100, Irissa had invited me to a resort on Nevos where she was dancing at a club. I didn’t know this at the time, but she was also prostituting. I had a job I had to complete before I could go,” Naleena looked up at Anika and her eyes were filled, but she kept talking. “By the time I arrived it was a crime scene. Irissa was dead. When I spoke with some of the other dancers, they told me she said she had a very high paying client to see and couldn’t go partying with them after work. Irissa had been tortured to death. Tech burns all over her body. I had to find out who did it. I wanted vengeance.
“I contacted the people I was working for and told them. Within a week they had a target, but I had to do other jobs first, and undergo this treatment before they would give it to me. It would take 100 years off my life, but would increase my biotic abilities by 1/3. I did it. That’s how they get you in. Ten years of killing before I got the name. I saw his dossier. They showed me what they got from the Shadow Broker. He was a real sadistic bastard. He was the head of the Salarian Special Tasks Group. He probably had help in that room, because Irissa could take a single toad. Toads never operate alone unless they’re on an assassination or espionage assignment. I killed him, but I made a mistake on the job and got ID’d,” Naleena put her arms around Anika cried, “There’s more….”
Anika caressed Naleena’s crest and neck, “You don’t have to right now.”
“You’re right. No more talk about this,” Naleena downed her brandy, and gazed into Anika’s kind eyes.
Naleena loved the feel of Anika’s skin. She liked her scent. She had never been with a human before, only other Asari. She put her hand behind Anika’s neck, pulled her toward her, and kissed her lips, first gently, then a bit deeper, then passionately. Naleena’s body gave off a gentle blue aura that enveloped the two of them.
Anika was lost.
The moment she felt the lip's against her own her skin prickled, then she felt it, the sensation's of another that were not her own. She was connected. But not like any other time. Other times. Other Asari. It had been as if she were feeling what they felt through a barrier. Slipping a leg around Naleena she sat between her and the couch and reached down to pull her close. There was no barrier here. Only raw intensity. Naleena's skill manifested in a total union of their bodies and for a moment Anika felt fear that it would not end. That she would lose herself utterly to this meld.
Then the fear went away as she felt the heat of the other's body against hers as she felt her own heat returned to her through the other. Her leg's crossed behind Naleena's back, or was it Naleena's leg's wrapped around her? Hand's roamed and explored. Not knowing whose but knowing that they would not do anything the other would not allow. Focus allowed Anika to pull herself back enough that she knew she had tilted her head back and soft lips explored her throat, soft kisses accented by the scrape of teeth as she fell back into the meld her body remembered with such joyful exilaration.
There was more to tell, more to hear. But for this stolen moment, both seemed to have found something in the other that would serve to comfort them.
The rest could wait. The pulsing beats of the music and of their bodies were what mattered. As Anika felt Naleena push her further back, spreading her over the rest of the couch, Anika had a dim, fleeting feeling, she was forgetting someone, or something. Then there was Naleea and soon she didn't care.
Naleena, too, knew there were things that needed to be done, but at the moment there was only Anika, and the other things could wait. She'd done enough for now.
"Anika, run your fingers down my spine until you find a flap at its base and gently touch it," Naleena directed Anika to Azure. Anika found it. Naleena gasped, her eyes blackened, the blue aura that enveloped them grew stronger and sweeter. The dark pulses of the music reverberated through their very souls. Naleena gazed deeply into Anika's eyes. "Do you want this?"
(it's getting hot in here)
Anika's hot mouth was open and gasping against that of Naleena's, both waiting for the other to give in. "Yes"! Came a low toned, frenzied plea. She saw it then, the blackening of the eye's as cloud's of darkness engulfed them. By her own will, or perhaps because of her body, Anika didn't know, but she knew that Naleena was plunging into a part of the meld that was the most intense aspect. If Naleena didn't hold back then soon her mind would come crashing into her own, all thoughts and feelings magnified and thrust into her own concious as her's would do to her Asari lover. Both feeling what the other felt as the meld would wrap them tighter and tighter together.
"Yes, damn you. Yes"! She said, not knowing if she was telling or begging her. Determined to take some hold of the situation she used her strength to push Naleena down till she was underneath her. Running a hand over her lips before using the tip of her thumb to part the lip slightly before sliding it into her mouth. "Yes". She said once more.
Deidrus had spent his time in Kyrgis, a bar in the upper bounds of Omega near the long mine shafts that reached into the meteo the station impaled. It was an old establishment and fairly reputable for the fact it was one that was frequented by the eezo miners. They were hardy no matter the species and had eyes with the glint of murder and glee in them. It was enough to make people uncomfortable, but it was just the right atmosphere that Deidrus wanted. Nobody was going to pick a fight, but at the same time it was far from a safe place. A favorite of his in that respect.
He had been drinking since he had left the scene of the Collector Ship. Nothing heavy, light drinks interrupted by water and food. He spent the time thinking, his mouth and mind equally full. The tech teams he had left on the ship didn't report anything of note. Propulsion systems were all eezo-based as thought and there was very little unique about it aside from the materials used to make the ship. The beam weaponry on the other hand... A main battery that could punch a hole through a frigate. The Turian shook his head at the description. It was a shocking proposition to simply destroy a fully-shielded ship without too much effort though with the odd abilities of their adversary it was far from something unreasonable.
Now what is the next step? That was not readily answered. They knew what the problem was: Collectors. The real issue of significance now is 'how the hell to we manage to catch up to them?' They lived beyond Omega-4 probably and if they did that posed the issue of how to strike there? Any ships sent beyond Omega-4 were destroyed or never returned, either one, and if the Collectors were strong enough to fend off dreadnaughts then something truly odd was occurring. And it didn't sit well with Deidrus.
"Embrace eternity!" Naleena's body went rigid as their minds became one.
http://youtu.be/BoGRQb7bjkc?t=1h26m
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