Chapter Text
Omega—Afterlife
“Just like the Paradise Bar on Nimbus III where I used to pick pockets and turn tricks.” V’lana remarked as she rolled her eyes. “Gotta watch your step and be careful about who you take a drink from or you might end up on your way to an Orion whorehouse.”
“Speaking from personal experience?” Samara inquired in curiosity.
“My own?” The subcommander answered back with a shake of her head, “No. But I had a few friends…really more business acquaintances who were in the same line of work. When I was a teenager scraping and getting by on that shit planet, it didn’t pay to let people get too close to you. Anyway, someone I knew would disappear one night after going off with a client or after being carried off drunk. Much later, a little before coming here, I and my team ran into a human woman who had been taken by slavers. She was in a cage in a nightclub owned by Hassan the Undying. I always call him Hassan the Fat or Hassan the Shithead though as Undying no longer works for him.”
“Why is that?” The asari justicar queried.
With a grim expression on her face, V’lana responded, “He became Hassan the Dead after I shoved a plasma torpedo up his ship’s exhaust manifold. Anyway, as I was saying, Hassan kept her in a cage to sell to whoever would buy her. That’s bad enough, but it gets worse. The guards in that shithole liked to use their prisoners for…well…you get the idea.”
“I do. Deplorable.” Samara responded with a grim look on her face, “Why is a place like that permitted to exist?”
“Just like Omega, it’s neutral territory—not controlled by any of the major powers for a couple of reasons.” V’lana replied, answering the justicar’s query. “First, it’s more trouble than it’s worth to send a fleet to take out the pirates and mercenaries, and then maintain occupation troops to keep order. And second, it’s a useful place for unofficial meetings that you don’t want anyone to know about. So before I grant any shore leave here, I’m going to have to get Aria’s permission to station security troops as a shore patrol.”
“That’s going to be a tall order.” Kaidan remarked with a sardonic grin.
“Yeah.” V’lana agreed, “I don’t see that happening anytime in the near future. So…no shore leave for now—I’m not going to risk any of my people being snatched. Too big an intelligence risk.”
“True.” Kaidan agreed as the party approached the stairs leading up to the unofficial queen of Omega’s perch. “I wouldn’t want someone like the batarians getting hold of warp drive technology. That would be bad—very…very…bad.”
“Exactly.” The subcommander responded as Anto motioned for them to proceed.
“Aria’s expecting you. Go on up.”
As they entered Aria’s sanctum, the asari crime boss waved off the guard holding a scanning device, “I don’t think that will be necessary now.”
“Thanks, Aria.” V’lana responded with a smile as she took a seat on the couch with Kaidan by her side. “So…how are things going with Tubac? Did you get the dabo tables set up and operating.”
“We did.” Aria responded with a smirk and a nod of her head, “You were as good as your word, profits from the casino have increased markedly. I’d say you’ve earned your ten percent cut.” Chuckling, she added, “The strippers who volunteered to be dabo girls nearly killed your trader when he tried to charge them tuition for training them. His people…what do you call them?”
“Ferengi.”
“Yes. Ferengi. They put the volus to shame as far as both greed and the desire for profit are concerned.” Aria exclaimed with a hearty laugh.
“That’s because their whole culture is based around profit, unlike the volus.” The subcommander explained, “They call their holy book the Rules of Acquisition and when they die, they have to bribe their way into their version of the afterlife—The Great Exchequer.”
“One of these days you must tell me more about the species in your universe.” The crime lord remarked conversationally. Then, her attention focused on Samara, Aria questioned, “Is there any reason why you’ve brought a justicar here? You understand…justicars and places like Omega tend to not mix very well.”
“Do not worry.” Samara declared, “I am not in pursuit of you.”
“Good.” Aria responded, “I’d hate to have to clean up a mess. So…” She inquired, turning her attention back the Romulan seated near her, “Why is she here?”
“We’re looking for an Ardat-Yakshi.” V’lana replied.
“I knew it.” Aria answered back in a grim tone, “Nothing leaves a body quite so…empty…as an Ardat-Yakshi.”
“You haven’t done anything to try to kill her?” Samara inquired.
“Why should I?” The crime boss answered back, “She hasn’t done anything to fuck with me.” Pausing for a moment, Aria passed on her information, “You’ve done some good turns for me. It’s only fair that I do one for you. Check with a woman staying in one of the tenements near the old quarantine zone. Her daughter was the latest victim. A pity…” Aria remarked with just a note of regret in her voice, “from what I was told, she was a pretty human. Also a very talented artist. I was thinking about commissioning her for a work.”
“Thanks, Aria.” V’lana replied as she rose to her feet.
“Good luck finding your Ardat-Yakshi.” Aria responded, adding with a faint note of sincerity, “Better luck catching her.”
As they passed by a batarian street preacher ranting against humans, V’lana shook her head, “He’s still here? He was here the last time I passed through. Thought I was human until he saw my ears.”
“Even though the humans in this universe paid a steep price to save the Citadel…” Samara lamented, “A lot of ill will towards them still exists…and…” she remarked somberly, “sometimes with good reason. The humans in your universe have by and large embraced the diversity of life, but here…there is still a great deal of mistrust and xenophobia.”
“A lot of good people died to defeat Sovereign.” Kaidan reminisced. “I was with Shepard when she made the decision to save the Council. She could have easily saved a lot of human lives and let the Council die. I also lost a lot of friends and former shipmates on the Cape Town."
“There’s mistrust and suspicion on all sides…human…batarian…turian.” V’lana noted as the loudspeaker reporting the latest from the batarian state news agency boasted about a recent attack on a human colony followed by an editorial calling out the Council for its restrictions on the slave trade. “Hear what I mean.”
“Yes.” Samara acknowledged, “Even we asari are often withdrawn and narrow where the other races are concerned. We hide behind a mask of superiority because of our extended lifetimes. Living a long life…” the justicar reluctantly admitted, “does not necessarily mean that the person living that life is a wise person. It just means that they’ve lived a long life.”
“This is the apartment Aria was telling us about.” V’lana stated as she pressed the door’s enunciator and spoke, “May we come in? We’d like to talk to you about your daughter.”
“One moment.” The door opened to reveal a haggard looking human woman, her eyes red from tears. “You’ll excuse me if I’m not at my best…”
“It’s all right.” Samara replied soothingly. “We regret your loss.”
“We have some questions if that’s all right with you?” Kaidan asked in a consoling voice.
"Of course." The grieving mother replied as she ushered her guests into her cramped abode.
“May we ask your daughter’s name?” V’lana questioned as she began the interview.
“Nef.” The mother responded as she sat down at the edge of her bed. “Her name was Nef. Short for Nefertiti. She died a week ago and no one here seems to care. The medics said the cause of death was a brain hemorrhage, but that’s not true. I know she was murdered. Some sick person took my baby away from me.”
“We think she was murdered too.” V’lana affirmed, “We’re looking for the killer. Will you help us?”
“Thank you.” The distraught mother sobbed, “I didn’t think anyone would ever believe me. It’s so hard…I’m all alone now.”
“You’re not alone.” Samara replied in a soft voice. “We will get justice for your daughter. This I swear to you.”
“Were you sent by Aria?” The mother asked as she dried the tears from her eyes.
“We’re here to help you.” Kaidan interjected, “Does it matter who might or might not have sent us?”
“I’m sorry.” The mother apologized, “It’s just that no one else here on this hellhole gives a damn. You’re the first people I’ve talked to who do. I’ll do everything I can to help you. For Nef.”
“Thank you.” The Romulan subcommander replied, “Did you daughter have a lot of friends?”
“Not really. No. She was very shy and spent most of her time in her room making sculptures. Something changed in the few weeks though…”
“What?” Samara gently inquired.
“She started talking non-stop about this asari she’d met. I think her name was Morinth. I didn’t like her.” The mother gritted her teeth, “She dragged my daughter off to clubs and I think she was giving her drugs.”
“Samara?” Kaidan queried, “Does Morinth use drugs to control her victims?”
“No.” The justicar responded, shaking her head, “She doesn’t have to. She controls them through sheer will. The drugs and clubs are just a lifestyle choice for her. You could say that she’s a hedonist.”
“I am too.” V’lana remarked, “But I don’t go around killing people for my kicks.”
“Did this Morinth kill my daughter?” The mother asked, tears once again running down her cheeks.
“We think so.” Kaidan replied.
“As we promised…” V’lana answered back in a compassionate voice, “we’ll make sure that Nef rests easier with the Elements.”
“Thank you.” The mother tearfully replied, “I hope so.”
“Can you tell us anything more about Morinth?” Kaidan asked.
“Not much.” The mother shook her head, “Nef wouldn’t bring her here, but she always talked like she was some sort of queen or goddess.”
“That is how Morinth controls her victims.” Samara declared in a somber voice. “Her force of personality is so strong that only the strongest of wills can resist her.”
“Did Nef have any places where she liked to go?” V’lana inquired, “Like clubs…museums…libraries…bars?”
A chuckle both sad and ironic escaping from the mother’s lips, the distraught woman replied, “Libraries? Museums? On Omega? No. She always kept to herself and worked from home. Then…a few weeks ago…”
“Right after she met Morinth.” Kaidan concluded.
“Right.” Nef’s mother nodded her head, “She began going out all the time to the VIP section of Aria’s club. I think you need a password to get in. That was when everything about her began to change.” The mother moaned, “She looked tired and distracted whenever she was here. She couldn’t wait to get back to Morinth.”
“Could be the drugs causing that.” V’lana conjectured, “And other possibilities, Samara?”
“It’s part of the subversion process.” The asari justicar declared, “Her will overpowering that of her victim’s.”
“What sort of person was Nef?” Kaidan queried.
“She had a fire smoldering inside her.” The grieving mother replied, “She was shy, but also very creative and driven. And she was the best girl a mother could hope for.”
“How did she express her creativity?” Samara asked.
“She was a sculptor.” The mother responded, “A very good one. Several galleries were interested in her work. They said it was fresh and different.”
“Can we examine her room?” V’lana asked, “We’ll try not to disturb anything, but there could be some valuable clues in there that would help us.”
“I didn’t want to disturb anything. It’s all as she left it.” The mother sobbed, “That’s the way it always will be. My baby’s gone and nothing’s going to fix that.”
Acting instinctively, V’lana embraced the crying mother, hugging her briefly.
“Thank you.” The mother responded through her tears. “I’m sorry. I just miss her so very much.”
“We understand. We’ve all suffered pain and loss.” Kaidan commiserated as memories of Jane flitted through his mind.
Samara gravely declared in a somber, sympathetic voice, “I too know what it is like to lose a daughter.”
“Thank you…thank you all.” The mother said with a sniffle. “If it helps you to catch the killer, feel free to look around."
“We will be respectful.” Samara promised as the grieving woman opened the door to her daughter’s room.
“A note.” Kaidan exclaimed, pointing to something lying on the bed. Picking it up, he read aloud, “Nef…I’m sending you this hologram by the elcor artist Forta. His work is sublime, but don’t stare at it too long or you might go mad.”
“It’s like looking into the abyss.” V’lana commented as she examined the hologram. “You know you shouldn’t look too long at it, but you’re drawn to it.”
“There’s more.” Kaidan said as he continued reading, “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you, love. Can’t wait to hear what you think of Forta.”
“Her diary?” V’lana announced, pointing to a still open computer. “Might be something useful in here. “Read the newest entry.” The Romulan subcommander requested as a ghostly holographic image of Nef appeared on the screen.
“Cycle 42, Orbit 67. She’s going to take me to her apartment tonight. Whatever happens, I want to be with her forever. She can sell my pieces and we can live somewhere glamorous, like the women in Vaenia, that vid Morinth likes.”
“Vaenia is an erotic work in our literature.” Samara explained, “It has been adapted for several vids. The work reaches Morinth on a sensual level.”
“How did this happen to me? I’m just dumb trash from Omega.”
Shaking her head as she gazed at the collection of sculptures and sketches in the room, V’lana declared, “She wasn’t trash. She was a talented artist cut down before she even had a chance to spread her wings.” Taking a breath and exhaling, she commanded, “Play the middle entry.”
“Cycle 36, Orbit 67. Am I a freak? Morinth is a girl like me, and she’s definitely not human.”
“I know that many humans in this universe still have taboos regarding interspecies relationships.” V’lana declared, “Does that also apply to relations between those of the same sex?”
“Not really.” Kaidan shook his head. “But there are exceptions. While the Systems Alliance and most of the nations on Earth respect and legally protect same-sex relationships and marriages, there are some nations and religious faiths that still frown on it. Maybe she belonged to one of those?”
“Could be.” V’lana nodded her head as the ghost on the diary screen continued to speak.
“Just…when we dance and the Hallex is flowing through me…”
Pausing the recording, Kaidan explained to his Romulan lover, “Hallex is a very powerful drug popular among the club set. It’s taken in pills and heightens the senses and also gives the user a feeling of extreme euphoria. It’s also highly addictive.”
“It weakens the resolve of the user.” Samara interjected, “Making them less aware and more willing to mate.”
“Drugging her victims.” V’lana scowled, “How quaint.” She then unpaused the recording.
“The way she looks at me—with a hunger…a longing…no one’s ever looked at me like that. We kissed tonight and it felt so right.”
“Play the oldest entry.” The subcommander requested as Nef’s image again appeared.
“Cycle 34, Orbit 671. For once, I’ve got a lot to talk about! I dropped Jaruut’s name and they let me into the VIP room at Afterlife. I was sure everyone was staring at me! Then, the most beautiful asari began dancing near me. She moves like water—form and volume, but shifting, changing. I’m in a trance. Then I’m dancing with her! Later, we went for skewers and I’m supposed to see her again tomorrow.”
“End playback and close journal.” V’lana commanded, “I think we’ve gotten everything we’re going to get from the diary.” The Romulan subcommander explained, “No need to pry any deeper into her life.”
“Agreed.” Both Kaidan and Samara echoed, the human biotic declaring, “Let the dead rest in peace.”
“Morinth is attracted to artists and creators. Someone with a spark who is slightly isolated from their peers.” Samara explained, offering her own insights into her daughter’s behavior. “She impresses and overpowers her victim through sex appeal and sophistication. Then, when her prey is off guard, she strikes. For her, it’s not so much the conquest that matters as the hunt.”
“Be careful, Kaidan.” V’lana advised as she placed her hand on her lover’s forearm. “Morinth’s been at this for a long time. We’re dealing with a dangerous t’liss here. Don’t underestimate her.”
“The subcommander is correct.” Samara confirmed, “Morinth will speak to you on many levels. Body...scent...her eyes and voice...she will engage all of your senses...and then...when you are at your most vulnerable--strike.”
“Are you sure you want to go through with this, Kaidan?” V’lana, her face etched with worry, cautioned her lover.
“I don’t see as to whether we have any choice.” The handsome Canadian replied, “Morinth has to be stopped or she’s just going to kill more girls like Nef. I know what you’re thinking…that it’s another ‘honor crusade’ like with Garrus and Zaeed, but this time it really isn’t.” Kaidan explained, “Morinth is dangerous.”
“I know.” V’lana interrupted, “She’s been at it for over four hundred years—all the more reason why you shouldn’t…”
“Someone has to.” Kaidan declared, cutting off his lover before she could finish her sentence. “It can’t be you because your people aren’t well known here yet. While yes, a part of her would probably be drawn to you, she would also be more on her guard. Also, you don’t really understand the culture here. You could very easily say or do the wrong thing and spook her. It has to be me…do you see that?”
“Yeah. I do.” The lovely Romulan reluctantly conceded, “But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“I know.” Kaidan replied as he gave his paramour a quick loving embrace before turning his attention to the justicar who had been silently observing. “What’s our next step, Samara?”
“Storming her den is out of the question.” The justicar answered back, “She’s got escape routes planned and will be long gone before we can catch her and we won’t see or hear from her again for fifty years or longer. We can’t afford to make any mistakes.”
“So we have to set a trap for her.” Kaidan prompted, Samara nodding her head in response.
“Precisely. She seems to like using Afterlife’s VIP section as her hunting ground. You’ll need to go there alone and unarmed.” Speaking quickly before the subcommander could interrupt, the asari justicar declared, “If she sees that you’re carrying weapons or sees me, she’ll know it’s a trap right away. And, if you go with the subcommander, she won’t even approach you. You have to lure her out and into her quarters where I’ll be ready to strike.”
“How do you know she’ll be attracted to me in the first place?” Kaidan questioned.
“You helped take down Saren and have lived a life of violence.” Samara replied encouragingly. “That will attract her. You also have a sensitive and creative side, she will be drawn to that as well. I promise you that I will be constantly watching over you. You will never be alone.”
Shaking her head, V’lana reluctantly agreed to the plan. “If you’re going to do this, you need to get started. Good luck and Jolan tru, Kaidan.” Turning to Samara, the subcommander gazed directly into the asari’s eyes, “And Samara—you better keep your promise and take care of him or I’m going to go on a ‘honor crusade’ of my own. Understand?”
“Clearly, Subcommander. I swear I will look after Commander Alenko.”
“Let’s go.” Kaidan prompted, pointing to the exit, “The sooner we get started, the sooner we can get it over with.”
As she watched her lover and the justicar walk out the door, V’lana took a deep breath and exhaled as she muttered to herself, “Why do I think I just made a huge mistake?”