6315 réponses à ce sujet

[Redbelle]

Jess reached back to lay a hand on Morgan's thigh. "Luv"? She said shaking him. "C'mon. Looks like the world turned under us". Jess swung her feet out from the bed and stretched, raising her arms above her head as she arched her back, displaying no sign that she was uncomfortable with her nudity. "Raaargh"! She grunted out as her spine creaked and popped and she settled her arms back on the bed looking at Dahlia. "I don't know about you luv. But sometimes, it's good to forget your troubles and just go deep into someone. Makes it all fade away". She sighed. "And now it's crashing back in. You going to stand there for your eyefull or are you going to help me find my clothes"?

 

Jess looked around. surveying the room, spying items of her's here and there. Standing she moved over to the bottom half of her green sleevelss jump suit, her ebony skin glinting with sweat as she picked up a few items before pausing to look to the second door of the room. Pushing it open she saw a shower head and turned to Dahlia.

 

"Let Morgan rest in if he needs.... I ran him pretty hard. I'll be down. Straight after a shower". She held up a forestalling hand as Dahlia made to speak. "I promise.... I'll be quick". And she ducked inside. The sound of water came out of the open door moments later.

 

Then Jess's wet head poked out. "And my accent? It's not funny luv. It's pirate...... nah nevermind". She said as she disappeared back in.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Irina tossed another vodka back and followed it with her water. "Oooo. Touchy about that armor, are we now, Krogan? Look, no need to get your plates all ruffled. Hey, Gullet, ****** on his ale. Buy him a ryncol on me. If he's yammerin' about respect for that old hunk of junk, he's got a quad and a story.

 

"So tell me, Krogan, why you wearing that old hunk of junk and not something newer?"

[Redbelle]

Anika looked the newcomer up and down. Her tone setting her hackles up immediately. "How amusing". She said to Vayne. "She thinks she's human".

[Cainhurst Crow]

"Circumstances beyond my control, I'm afraid." Vayne said as he looked to the rynacol, grinning as he looked to the two, "Much obliged." he said, offering it up as a toast to the two of them, careful to only drink half of it in his one goal. He didn't need to get too drunk here, or poisoned, should the circumstances come to that. "Got into a bit of a fight recently, and to make a long story short, my newer, nicer, armor has a huge hole in it, and no working electronics..." he said as he shock his head.

 

"I love that suit of armor. Fits like a glove, insulated climate controls, eezo generators for mass control. But honestly, if it can't take getting a hole blasted straight through it, It makes me almost miss stuff like these." he said as he tapped his old armor, the metallic clank coming from the plates. "These Tomkah suits could be torn straight in half, and still have functional shield generators to keep going. I should know, I've seen em do it." he said, drinking the next part of his drink.

 

"Mighty generous of you to spot me a drink, ma'am." Vayne finally said as he looked the human in the eyes, or eye as his case may be, "Who might I owe for this sign of good will?"

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

"Name's Irina. I been workin' on this goddam rock for the past two years under contract for a private security firm, ERCS," she said, "When I got here I was sorry I took the damned contract. The high pay? The promised room and board? All ****ing lies. Took me two years to finally save enough money to buy passage off this rock, and some ass**** from the DA stole the tools from my bike. If that thing ever needs repair I can't fix it. It'll be a f***ing piece of expensive junk. Do you know how much the tools cost? They're specialized. I'll have to sign another f***ing contract or rob a bank. No, forget those ideas. Now if I can get the goddam tools back from that sh** in the DA...."

 

She finished her drink. "I swear I'm going to blow his f***ing head off."

 

Irina heard the remark from the blonde human, and she turned toward her. "My, my. What have we here? 'She thinks she's human.'" Irina mocked her. "Where did they grow you?"

[Redbelle]

Anika narrowed her eye's. "A genetic research complex. Less grown. More augmented. I wouldn't expect a dirt eater like you to know the difference though".

[Kel Riever]

Morgan was shaking his head in humor at Jess, when he heard some raised voices from downstairs. Dahlial, poking herself in through the door, was also a surprise and he didn't expect her to be the one who came calling on the room.  He felt oddly abashed; knowing she was an asari didn't seem to overcome his reaction to her youth.  He pondered momentarily.

 

"In or out.  Either way, close the door.  I'll need to clean up fast as well."

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Irina scoffed at the blonde woman. "Augmented, eh? I'm impressed. So you're as good as two blondes put together. Now get a woolly dog up ya."

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Dahlia entered the room and closed the door behind her. Being Asari, modesty was something that just wasn't expected.

 

"Morgan! Stop looking at me like that! I'm not a child! I'm 90! And I've lived on Omega." Dahlia said, "Anyway, just before I closed the door it sounded like there were some voices raising. One of them sounded like Anika."

[Kel Riever]

"...Right...," Morgan responded. "You think she's in trouble?  If she is are you on the right side of the door?"

 

"I'm not exactly going to go barreling out there to help someone the way I look right now."

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

"Well, Naleena and Vayne are down there. Vayne came in just as I was coming upstairs," Dahlia replied, "I think they can handle it if it gets out of hand. Besides it sounded like two women exchanging barbs."

[Kel Riever]

"I...," Morgan pointed a finger, then paused.  "You know what?  I'm not going to say a word.  Come in, sit down.  But I'm jumping in that shower."

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Dahlia took a seat in one of the chairs and waited.

 

***

 

Naleena was watching the exchange between Anika and the red-headed woman with amusement. I'm sure Anika can take care of herself. Besides, she started it. I've seen these exchanges many times before. Vayne was seated between Irina and Anika. Naleena caught Vayne's attention and motioned to Vayne that he'd best get out of their way. That was the last place Vayne wanted to be at the moment. She also knew what was going to happen the moment Vayne tried to leave.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Irina turned her attention back to the Krogan. "You know that makes sense about the armor. I kind of like the old tech myself. It's simple and more reliable. Yeah, I carry one of these new pistols in case some ass**** is wearing heavy armor, but for close encounters, this old baby is just as deadly as the new expensive ****," She said putting her hand on her sawed off double barrel shotgun with the pistol grip. "Yeah, you gotta reload it every two shots, but you learn technique and you get fast with it. Keep it clean, and it's good to you. Unlike that pain in the arse bike of mine. I like you, Krogan. What do they call you?"

[Cainhurst Crow]

"The names vayne..." Vayne said simply, looking to naleena as he raised a glass, giving a nod. He could tell there would be a fight, this Irina person and Anika were going to most likely come at each other. And the krogan planned to intervene, or at least try. Besides, it'd be good for them to fight, work out their differences quickly.

 

"Two shots eh? So its kinda like a knock off Raider?" He asked, referencing the batarian shotgun famous for kicking like a mako. "Gotta admit, looks damn good..." he said as he motioned for gullet for a refill. "So this contract of yours, you got a name for who signed you onto it?" vayne asked as he looked into his drink, "Getting scammed on a contract is always rough. I've been there more then I'd like...but if it really is ERCS, and you documented what they did, you can always sue their assess for malpractice and fraud. And when they try and send a squad of goons to shut you up, you have legal right of defense to shoot them dead..." Raising up his drink, he knocked it back in one gulp, clacking the glass to the table a bit harder then he meant.

 

"This DA guy though, he got anything to do with a certain lawman?" He asked, wondering just how rotten this colony was, "Stealing parts and obstructing off world passage without warrant sounds like quite a serious crime to me. Even akin to kidnapping, some might say.Though I'm the krogan dressed like a armored car, so maybe I'm not quite qualified to judge these things."

[Redbelle]

"The only wooly dog here is the one I see in front of me. I'm not much for a mongral but I suppose I can be charitable". She reached out for the whisky and poured a single finger into a glass before pushing it towards the woman. "After that.... we're on business. Sorry about your tools but I'm not about to let some unknown follow us about while we look into the....... groups..... around here". Anika inwardly winced. The last thing they needed was this stray following them around. Better to keep off the subject of the DA.

[Kel Riever]

Morgan glanced sideways at Dahlia as he got himself up and headed to the shower door.  When he slipped himself in to join Jess in cleaning up, he turned his back to the asari.  Visible upon his back was a tattoo marking him, undoubtedly from the military.  It wasn’t large to the point of showing off or making a statement.  Conversely it was a straightforward Alliance symbol, with crossed, downward pointing swords behind it, and two raised wings extending from its sides, all in black ink, and faded.  Likely indicating that the tattoo was part of a unit’s custom.

 

The shower door was slid open and closed quickly, and with two inside, the space was tight.  Jess was, in fact, almost done, but Morgan put a hand on her shoulder as she was about to be considerate and make room by leaving.

 

“Not yet,” Morgan whispered.  Jess looked at him as if he was going to press on with their prior escapades, but he didn’t move against her any more than needed in the crowded space.  Turning up the water to full, so the sound would drown out as much as it could for an eavesdropper, Morgan went on, quietly, “It is as tough to get a moment with this group planetside as it was packed into that turian ship.  And Dahlia, I can’t help but think she’s even listening in on this conversation, but I’ve been meaning to say something to you.

 

“That day you chased me down through the alley on Omega when I was going to meet Iyana…you know as well as I do that I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that.  And I’ll say thank you, even if you thought it was nothing, or would wave it off.  It wasn’t nothing.  Even if what you did has got me into an entirely different situation that I hadn’t planned on.

 

“You were right, you know, about what you said about me, right when we saw that madwoman, before she interrupted us and everything happened with her.  I won’t say what it was, in case we’re being listened in on, but you remember, and maybe you can figure out why I was that way.

 

Morgan washed and was quiet for Jess’ response.  After a pause, he said, “It’s not in it for me to typically ask for help, but I really could use yours, Jess.  There are important people to me.  People worth making sure they are safe.  And if you can find it in yourself to help me, I would do anything in return.  Now I know you can probably be creative with blank checks, but I mean it.

 

“And one more little thing.  I brought something that I want you to carry around.  Maybe you can use it, maybe you can’t, but I’ve been watching how you operate and despite whatever tricks you have...” Morgan hesitated, took Jess’ right hand in his and looked her in her silver eye.  “And I know you’ve got some tricks…you need sustainability.  So when you get out, on the back of my armor you’ll find a weapon wrapped in green cloth.  It’s for you.  I’ll have to run some details on it by you when I get the chance, but you’re going to need it, or something like it, on Duellos.”

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Irina shook her head and laughed. The woman was oblivious to being told to ****** off. "Alright, we'll call it a truce for now, Blondie." She took the whiskey and slammed it down. 

 

She turned her attention back to Vayne. "It was ERCS, but the agent wasn't. I signed the contract through an agency right after I mustered out four years ago. I had six months off. Then was on Noveria for 18 months. They have to put you up there because it's a hazard zone. That's Council law. If they want Council contracts, they have to abide by that. But then I got sent to this sh**hole, and the real terms of the contract I signed became apparent. It wasn't ERCS but the agency, and that agency is no longer in existence. I'm f***ed. I know. I should have gotten a lawyer to look over the contract. I was a goddam grunt. What the f*** did I know about contracts?

 

"But I get my tools back and I'm outta here. And there's one way I know to do it."

[Kel Riever]

Miss Priss and Miss Shiana, for those who bothered to notice, exited the room without their ‘professional’ clothes, but had changed to a casual dress that covered up much more.  It looked like they were clearly off duty, and wearing garb meant for travelling the streets without attracting nearly as much attention.

 

They gave a quick wave to the turian enforcer up on the balcony, but he missed the gestures as he was more intent on watching what was happening at the bar, and silently rooting for the two women to go at it.  Thinking no one had their eye on them, both Priss and Shiana let their fatigue show.

 

“I swear how I feel,” said Miss Priss, but didn’t finish her sentence.

 

“I know,” said Miss Shiana.  “Listen, I need to get out to some stores, so if you would tell Miss Dila I’ll see her tomorrow, I’m going to sneak out the back.”

 

“Will do,” Priss replied.  “I’ll Let Dila know she’s on her own.  If you do need, let me know, I won’t be far from Gullet’s.”

 

The two went their separate ways, Miss Priss heading out the front door and Miss Shiana leaving through the back.

[Redbelle]

Jess looked at Morgan and smiled. "I wouldn't call what your packing nothing luv.... But so we're clear. It was just sex". She hesitated. "Still.... that can go along way.... when you commit to it..... Look luv. Since we're bearing everything here I'll just say that I get it. Trying to protect people from the life you lead. We all came from somewhere and I know..... that these past somewhere's have treasures you don't want to let go of. So you do what you do with treasure. You bury it. You find people who will help you bury yourself and if your really lucky.... You find a Medusa who'll turn you to Stone". Jess's eye's shone as she spoke. When she was done she was silent except for the pounding of the water splashing against her skin sending rivulet's cascading down her body. Looking down to make to step around Morgan her eye's widened in surprise. "Oh fer heaven's sake luv! Three times and still"!?!?

 

Arming her way past him she padded outside and into the bedroom. Morgan turned back to the stream of water, shuffling forward and hung his head, letting the water pound his shoulder's. He was that way when he heard running feet and turned to see Jess take a running leap as she hooked her hands over his shoulder's and wrapped her legs around his torso. "I'm not getting a rep of leaving a man standing". She grouched as his hands moved downwards to grab her and hold her close to him. Jess used the opportunity to grab a shampoo from the shelf and ran it into her hands before slapping them on and began massaging it into his hair.

 

"What are you doing"? Morgan asked.

 

"Multi-tasking luv. Your supposed to be cleaning up. Now be quick. People are waiting".

[Redbelle]

Later on. Toweled off and dressed for business, Jess stopped by Morgan's armour and looked down at the package he'd indicated. Picking it up she thought about opening it there but saw Dahlia looking at her.

 

"I don't think..... I've ever met someone like you whose so.....".

 

"Amazing"? Jess offered with a grin.

 

"Asari.... in an Ardat Yakshi sort of way".

 

Jess ran the word over her tounge a few times.... it sounded familier but she couldn't quite place it. "Yeah.... I'm sure Yakshi's are amazing too". Tucking the package under her arm she walked outside. As she passed the Turian she winked. "My compliment's". She said as she strode by. "Haven't had a pick me up like that in quite some time".

 

The Turian muttered. "I could hear".

 

Not bothering to reply Jess walked to the balcony and looked down. Looking down at the table where they had all been sat.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Dahlia followed the two of them downstairs.

 

***

 

Irina cleared her tab at the bar and left a tip. "Thanks for listening to my b*tching, Gullet."

 

"No problem, Irina. Be careful getting your tools back. I don't want to see you end up as one on the sheriff's 'examples.'"

 

"That is not going to happen," Irina said.

 

***

 

Anika slowly returned to Naleena's side. Naleena had a smirk on her face. "So what got your hackles up with that red head?"

Modifié par sH0tgUn jUliA, 23 juin 2014 - 06:41 .

[Kel Riever]

Does she remember what she actually said?  Morgan thought, but then of course, Jess was at him again. 

 

After they were through and Jess had gone out, Morgan played through what had happened in his mind.  Maybe Stone missed it, thinking he was talking about love, or romance, in a way she probably thought was necessary after the kind of, well, interaction she had.  If there was time, or the lack of an unknown with Dahlia overhearing, there could have been some clarification. 

 

Talking was so damn difficult.  Morgan seriously questioned why he even tried.

 

The Ardat-Yakshi comment caught Morgan's ear.  He knew what they were, from a peculiar bit of reading he had stumbled across a long time ago.  Compared to then, he wasn’t nearly as paranoid about asari.  But a few run-ins as an agent had his past self looking into things, and one had stood out as the underbelly of the asari species.  And sensitive secrets were part of the job.

 

Morgan had also looked into it because of other speculations which had later proved to be unfounded.  But he did his best to put those out of his mind.

 

When Morgan stepped out, Jess had just exited.  The only person left was Dahlia, who he saw staring right at him.  It made him stop, wondering what was going on, then he sighed and went to pick up his armor.

 

“Curiosity killed the cat,” Morgan said to Dahlia.

 

“What?”

 

Morgan looked at her as he put his environmental skin suit back on.  “Never mind.  That Ardat-Yakshi comment, I heard it.  Not the nicest of things to say, even if you think it rings of some truth.”

 

Dahlia shrugged.

 

Morgan shook his head.  “Well, if you are up here, make yourself useful.  Help me with the plates.”  She assisted, though Morgan thought she didn’t seem thrilled to be doing something less ‘useful’ again.  Maybe he read her wrong.  Nevertheless, he was back in his Predator armor very quickly with the bit of help she provided.  He did a quick check of his weapons, and ordinarily would have waited for her. 

 

“I’m not saying you don’t know things, by the way,” Morgan stated, “But you are missing a couple of tools in your social repertoire if you know what I mean, and that don’t necessarily have to come with years.”

 

Dahlia appeared confused.  That’s when Morgan headed for the door.

 

The youthful asari followed Morgan out, and then as he caught up to a slower moving Jess

 

“What do Ardat-Yakshi’s have to do with anything here?” Dahlia asked.

 

Morgan made a cut off sign with his hand.  “You and I need to speak.  Later.”

 

Conversation was loud at the Bar.  Morgan spotted the newcomer Dahlia had spoken of.  The tension was thick in the air as he also saw Anika returning to the table.  It was something in the look on Anika’s face that riled Morgan, and he took another gander at the redhead at the bar.

 

Pissing off Anika?  Morgan contemplated.  He couldn’t imagine that was easy to do.

[Redbelle]

Anika settled in her chair and folded her arms. "It's.... nothing. Okay her general attitude". She paused. "And she called me a big mouth". Anika's mouth compressed into a frown. "And that bloody red hair! I knew a red head who mouthed off just like her once. Where we were created and she bullied me every day! then that woman walks in and.......". Getting visibly agitated, Anika took a long cooling breath. "I guess i just saw her and..... reacted. Doesn't matter. We're here for a reason. Investigate. The fewer people who know what we're doing the better. If new's travels it could reach the wrong ears. If there are wrong ears.... here..... on the planet. I mean if there are people who would oppose us if they knew what we.....".

 

Anika realised she was making little sense as she stumbled through her words. Suddenly her irrational dislike of the red headed woman seemed silly and trying to explain it to Naleena just made it wound even worse. She heard the stairs creak and she looked up and saw Jess descending. "Thank goodness. You took your time"!

 

Jess pulled up next to the grup and dropped a package on the table before pulling out a chair, spinning it around so the back faced the table and straddled it. Hands leaning on the chair back. "Fruitful endevours luv. Pumping those two for information was hard work. We got it out of them though. And may I say..... If Morgan ever propersitions you? Take the offer. You won't be disspointed". Jess looked around and spotted the red head. "This the lady Dahlia was worked up about? What's the issue luvs? People walk into bars all the time".

[Kel Riever]

Previously...( http://forum.bioware...res/?p=16743377 )

 

Cluster unknown, System unknown, aboard the Khukuri

Jrudek prepared the Khukuri for its transition to sub-light speed. His position at the pilot’s chair had him far forward of Xhuan Setura, at the command center on the same deck. The Khukuri, a Far Reach class frigate, was of human design, and while ordinarily humans preferred their command and helm to be in the same place, the Far Reach class was influenced by the advancements of other species. In that regard, the Khukuri borrowed from the separation of the pilot from the captain, as was typical of turian vessels.

It wasn’t an aesthetic that Jrudek happened to appreciate at that moment, as his backup pilot had been relieved so that Iyana could lounge near the batarian.

With a peak at his old war gauntlets that lay for good luck on a control panel, Jrudek risked a peripheral glance at Iyana. The benefit of having four eyes was that species with fewer eyes couldn’t correctly anticipate exactly how much a batarian was able to visualize. Iyana had donned her eccentric combat armor, with a surface that fluctuated in colors ranging from black to various metallic violet hues. What she wore was psychotic to Jrudek, evoking what he would imagine was every adolescent human male’s dream in that it revealed…strategic…places of vulnerability. But to assume the combat suit was anything less than a masterpiece of work, had certainly led to the deaths of countless who underestimated its capacities. Like anything else the taskmaster associated herself with, it was as functional as it was sinister and evocative, if not more so. All that was missing was the helmet, which Iyana kept off so that she might peruse the displays at her position in comfort.

If one was naïve enough to be lulled by Iyana's visage, they might find themselves unprepared for one of her probing questions. It was never a good idea to fail to have answers ready for the woman. On the other hand, appearing constantly on guard would allow Iyana to predict reactions, and give her the upper hand in her inquiries. Jrudek had survived her leadership long enough to remain alert, but not to pass tension through as an expression. The stress of maintaining such a dichotomy took its toll, but it was better to have stress than to be dead. As such, Jhrudek was ready when Iyana abruptly shattered the quiet.

“How has everything been working with Xhuan?”

A dangerous probe, demanding a balanced reply. “I swear that asari had a batarian father,” Jrudek answered.

Iyana laughed. “Do you not know because she didn’t inherit that horrendous meat moustache marring your people’s face?”

The insult was stinging, and Jrudek’s pride was wounded, but he had come to expect such treatment. It was important for him not to react to it. “Actually, I find asari and batarians seem to get along almost as well as asari and humans.”

Curious, Iyana looked over to Jrudek, “What do you mean? We fought each other, your race and mine.”

“We did,” Jrudek admitted, “But it made us stronger. In fact, the strongest senior I have ever had to answer to is human, not asari or even batarian.”

Iyana’s lips curled upward. She went back to her displays. Jrudek had passed.

“We are almost at the ten minute mark,” Iyana invoked the topic of the mission. “In what ways can they know we are coming?”

“In no way, other than they have our time of arrival,” Jrudek assured Iyana. “One ship with no pickets to detect us when we pass will always be taken by surprise, at our faster than light speed. They will only know we have come when we are there already.” That question from Iyana wasn’t a probe, but had come from the paranoia that was another aspect of Iyana that Jrudek had learned to adjust to.

“That ship almost certainly has armaments that are concealed. I want us at maximum range, though I have instructed Setura to keep our weapons cool. Make your approach innocent. We’re all friends here.”

“Aye.”

Iyana pushed a com button to the command center. “Xhuan, are we ready?”

The asari’s voice, obedient, came back, “Yes my superior. The Khukuri is as you asked, and our ‘mercenaries’ are prepared for boarding.”

“Excellent,” Iyana said with anticipation, “You may proceed, my hawk.”

Aft at her command position, Xhuan’s countenance became that of a warrior. Her voice rose as she spoke her orders for all the ship to hear. “Battle stations! Operation will commence in ten minutes, and counting. Synchronize on my mark. Mark!

Xhuan then changed her com frequency to Jrudek directly. “Pilot, bring her out.”

The Khukuri decelerated to sub-light speed, a wolf in sheep’s clothing.