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[IC] Mass Effect: Omega Serenade Page 3
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4 mos ago
Present Day
Hazan stood amongst his team, idly chatting with them as he awaited Jek. Their orders had been simple: because their leader, Nik, had been knocked into a coma that was gonna last a long while, Jek had defaulted to being their leadership for the duration. He'd set them out to do mostly menial tasks that befitted their specialisations; Daro was off at their field hospital, caring for the wounded, Ardan was busy blowing stuff up, Raya was busy killing things, and him? Behind enemy lines, assassinating the enemy leadership. He'd been promised a fine, new weapon to replace his old Mantis as a reward for killing as many of them as he could, of course, and he was just a few minutes away from getting it.
”Oh! If it isn't my favorite group of killers! And look! Uncle Jek’s brought you a present and it isn't even your fucking birthday."
"Two presents, Jek. Remember our deal?"
The Batarian gave him a sidelong glance as Nik rejoined the team. Honestly it hadn't been much of a surprise. Jek had given all of them a call out of the blue, telling them to reconvene within the Revenant's main base. Something about a surprise. What else was so important that he had to recall the entire team anyway?
The drell made a slow walk back to the group and Hazan gave him a smile, raising his bottle of water as a salute while trying not to drop his food packet.
"Welcome back, Nik! We were startin' to miss ya!"
Meanwhile, Jek gave a whistle and one of his men joined him, carrying a large case in his hands. With a nod, the man advanced to Hazan and cracked open the grey metal case. Inside, nestled amongst foam packing pellets, was the stowed, burly form of a sniper rifle. Its plas-alloy body, painted a sleek near-black shade of navy with a single pale blue skull on the side, was also adorned with several bits and pieces of slightly mismatched plating.
Jek, seemingly impressed by the weapon, gave an appreciative nod as he gestured to it.
"Well there you go. A fine weapon, for all the hard work you put in."
He smiled almost fondly. His Mantis, sacrificed just hours prior, was now serving its new purpose well: as decoration for his new rifle. He lifted the rifle from its seat and hefted it in his hands. Slightly heavier than his Mantis, that's for sure, but what it had in weight, it more than made up for it in sheer, unadulterated power.
As he depressed a button on its grip, the rifle unfolded itself into battle mode, its barrel extending outwards as the attached bipod flipped out from within its housing. The muzzle brake was massive, but then again that was what this rifle was for.
Hazan grinned as he proudly showed off his new piece of gear. The word emblazoned on the side of the barrel was nice and clear, and he was happy he'd picked the name.
"So, fellas, how d'you like my new Equalizer? I named her Maker cause she's the very last thing our enemies will meet."
”Oh! If it isn't my favorite group of killers! And look! Uncle Jek’s brought you a present and it isn't even your fucking birthday."
"Two presents, Jek. Remember our deal?"
The Batarian gave him a sidelong glance as Nik rejoined the team. Honestly it hadn't been much of a surprise. Jek had given all of them a call out of the blue, telling them to reconvene within the Revenant's main base. Something about a surprise. What else was so important that he had to recall the entire team anyway?
The drell made a slow walk back to the group and Hazan gave him a smile, raising his bottle of water as a salute while trying not to drop his food packet.
"Welcome back, Nik! We were startin' to miss ya!"
Meanwhile, Jek gave a whistle and one of his men joined him, carrying a large case in his hands. With a nod, the man advanced to Hazan and cracked open the grey metal case. Inside, nestled amongst foam packing pellets, was the stowed, burly form of a sniper rifle. Its plas-alloy body, painted a sleek near-black shade of navy with a single pale blue skull on the side, was also adorned with several bits and pieces of slightly mismatched plating.
Jek, seemingly impressed by the weapon, gave an appreciative nod as he gestured to it.
"Well there you go. A fine weapon, for all the hard work you put in."
He smiled almost fondly. His Mantis, sacrificed just hours prior, was now serving its new purpose well: as decoration for his new rifle. He lifted the rifle from its seat and hefted it in his hands. Slightly heavier than his Mantis, that's for sure, but what it had in weight, it more than made up for it in sheer, unadulterated power.
As he depressed a button on its grip, the rifle unfolded itself into battle mode, its barrel extending outwards as the attached bipod flipped out from within its housing. The muzzle brake was massive, but then again that was what this rifle was for.
Hazan grinned as he proudly showed off his new piece of gear. The word emblazoned on the side of the barrel was nice and clear, and he was happy he'd picked the name.
"So, fellas, how d'you like my new Equalizer? I named her Maker cause she's the very last thing our enemies will meet."
Three weeks ago...
"Jek?"
"Ah, Mr Volintis. Please, have a seat."
The turian nodded as he sat in the plush office chair. Not a day or two ago, he'd been in this office, clad in his armour, dirty and ragged and tired from fighting through Crimson Fist. The rest of the team had been there too, and that was how they'd gotten here in the first place. But now that their fealess leader Nik was in a coma, Hazan had nothing to do.
His mind went back to that day. The night before, Jek had gathered the team and briefed them on the situation: the Crimson Fists were attacking a Revenant stronghold, a choke point across a particularly large canal. They were to assist in the defense and counter attack, as that same choke point was also their offensive point that they'd use to strike into Sirn's territory. The team had deployed the next morning, bright and early, and straight into the singular biggest firefight he'd ever been in, and that was even with his war experience.
The front had held well. Nik was coordinating defense efforts on street level with a human they'd picked up along the way, Daro was near Raya holding the left flank, and another turian was defending the right. His position had been on a roof overlooking the aquaduct and canal, along with the bridge across the expanse as well as the buildings on the other side. Everything was going well. Then someone spotted the rocket launcher on the middle of the bridge. After that, everything went to hell. The line broke fairly quickly after Nik had been knocked unconscious, and it had been a struggle to regain control even after he'd destroyed the launcher and taken out the enemy sniper team across the canal, but in the end they'd did it. Everyone did their part and the Revenants came out victorious, but at a dear cost. Most of Jek's able-bodied fighters were injured or dead, and the rest were either shaken, or scattered about the various other outposts under his control.
Later, after checking in on Nik, he'd gone to investigate the spot where the Crimson Fist snipers had set up, but found nothing. It was only now that he was going to find out why.
Jek caught the concerned expression on his face and broke the silence.
"What's the matter? Rachni got your tongue?"
"No! It's, I -"
"Look, I know you're concerned about Nikusiil. He'll be fine, trust me. But I also know what you're really here for. You want what was in that hidey hole, don't you."
Caught. The Equaliser sniper rifle that the Fist marksmen had left behind was something he had wanted to...appropriate before anyone else got it. But he wasn't fast enough. Not against the Butcher, apparently.
"Y-yeah...that's it. They were hefting an Etisalat , Jek. That sort of hardware doesn't come cheap, especially around here. You of all people should know this."
"And I do, mister Volintis, which is why I'm offering you a chance to earn it."
"Hmm."
He sat back. Earn it? A side job, then.
"Explain, Jek."
The batarian leaned forward, giving the turian a leer as he grinned, showing off his sharp teeth.
"You be my little killer for a while. A gun that I can shoot at whoever I want, until your dear leader wakes up from his coma."
"Mhm. Go on."
Unfazed, Jek sat straight again, steepling his fingers as he rested his arms on the arms of his chair.
"To the point, eh? I like that. Well, to the point then. There are several people in the ranks of the Crimson Fists; lieutenants, leaders of men. I want them dead."
"And the catch?"
He chuckled and grinned again, spreading his hands as a gesture.
"No catch, mister Volintis. Just make sure you can confirm they're dead. Take their ID tags from their corpses after you kill them. I will provide you with a hit list, and you will go after as many of the fuckers as you can, until your precious leader returns from his trip to Wonderland. Impress me, and I'll give you the Widow. Don't impress me, you don't get it. Simple."
"Hmm."
Hazan thought for a moment.
"Why not...I give you a bit of collateral. That way, no matter what happens, I'll be getting my Widow anyway."
Jek shrugged and smiled wryly.
"Whatever you want, mister Volintis. If it helps you sleep better at night, hehe."
From behind him, Hazan pulled his Mantis, still stowed. He placed the rectangular folded gun on the table between them and gestured to it.
"Your collateral, Jek. My Mantis. I'll get this job done with my Mattock and my bare hands, but in return I expect to get the Equaliser no matter how many I kill."
The batarian nodded, stowing the rifle in a desk drawer.
"Alright then. I shall take this as collateral for your new weapon, but return to me with nothing, and you get nothing back, understood?"
"Clear as day, Jek."
As Hazan stood to leave, Jek spoke again.
"Just so you know, mister Volintis, I don't normally...bargain with other people, but because I'm interested in your skills, I'll let this slide. Otherwise, you'd have ended up a smear on the floor, you get me?"
"Ah, Mr Volintis. Please, have a seat."
The turian nodded as he sat in the plush office chair. Not a day or two ago, he'd been in this office, clad in his armour, dirty and ragged and tired from fighting through Crimson Fist. The rest of the team had been there too, and that was how they'd gotten here in the first place. But now that their fealess leader Nik was in a coma, Hazan had nothing to do.
His mind went back to that day. The night before, Jek had gathered the team and briefed them on the situation: the Crimson Fists were attacking a Revenant stronghold, a choke point across a particularly large canal. They were to assist in the defense and counter attack, as that same choke point was also their offensive point that they'd use to strike into Sirn's territory. The team had deployed the next morning, bright and early, and straight into the singular biggest firefight he'd ever been in, and that was even with his war experience.
The front had held well. Nik was coordinating defense efforts on street level with a human they'd picked up along the way, Daro was near Raya holding the left flank, and another turian was defending the right. His position had been on a roof overlooking the aquaduct and canal, along with the bridge across the expanse as well as the buildings on the other side. Everything was going well. Then someone spotted the rocket launcher on the middle of the bridge. After that, everything went to hell. The line broke fairly quickly after Nik had been knocked unconscious, and it had been a struggle to regain control even after he'd destroyed the launcher and taken out the enemy sniper team across the canal, but in the end they'd did it. Everyone did their part and the Revenants came out victorious, but at a dear cost. Most of Jek's able-bodied fighters were injured or dead, and the rest were either shaken, or scattered about the various other outposts under his control.
Later, after checking in on Nik, he'd gone to investigate the spot where the Crimson Fist snipers had set up, but found nothing. It was only now that he was going to find out why.
Jek caught the concerned expression on his face and broke the silence.
"What's the matter? Rachni got your tongue?"
"No! It's, I -"
"Look, I know you're concerned about Nikusiil. He'll be fine, trust me. But I also know what you're really here for. You want what was in that hidey hole, don't you."
Caught. The Equaliser sniper rifle that the Fist marksmen had left behind was something he had wanted to...appropriate before anyone else got it. But he wasn't fast enough. Not against the Butcher, apparently.
"Y-yeah...that's it. They were hefting an Etisalat , Jek. That sort of hardware doesn't come cheap, especially around here. You of all people should know this."
"And I do, mister Volintis, which is why I'm offering you a chance to earn it."
"Hmm."
He sat back. Earn it? A side job, then.
"Explain, Jek."
The batarian leaned forward, giving the turian a leer as he grinned, showing off his sharp teeth.
"You be my little killer for a while. A gun that I can shoot at whoever I want, until your dear leader wakes up from his coma."
"Mhm. Go on."
Unfazed, Jek sat straight again, steepling his fingers as he rested his arms on the arms of his chair.
"To the point, eh? I like that. Well, to the point then. There are several people in the ranks of the Crimson Fists; lieutenants, leaders of men. I want them dead."
"And the catch?"
He chuckled and grinned again, spreading his hands as a gesture.
"No catch, mister Volintis. Just make sure you can confirm they're dead. Take their ID tags from their corpses after you kill them. I will provide you with a hit list, and you will go after as many of the fuckers as you can, until your precious leader returns from his trip to Wonderland. Impress me, and I'll give you the Widow. Don't impress me, you don't get it. Simple."
"Hmm."
Hazan thought for a moment.
"Why not...I give you a bit of collateral. That way, no matter what happens, I'll be getting my Widow anyway."
Jek shrugged and smiled wryly.
"Whatever you want, mister Volintis. If it helps you sleep better at night, hehe."
From behind him, Hazan pulled his Mantis, still stowed. He placed the rectangular folded gun on the table between them and gestured to it.
"Your collateral, Jek. My Mantis. I'll get this job done with my Mattock and my bare hands, but in return I expect to get the Equaliser no matter how many I kill."
The batarian nodded, stowing the rifle in a desk drawer.
"Alright then. I shall take this as collateral for your new weapon, but return to me with nothing, and you get nothing back, understood?"
"Clear as day, Jek."
As Hazan stood to leave, Jek spoke again.
"Just so you know, mister Volintis, I don't normally...bargain with other people, but because I'm interested in your skills, I'll let this slide. Otherwise, you'd have ended up a smear on the floor, you get me?"
Two weeks ago...
A whisper. Muffled noise.
Within the confines of an abandoned apartment building, a Crimson Fist assault team fanned out. Their leader, a distinctly large krogan, gestured upstairs with a flick of his shotgun. The gaggle of vorcha with him snarled and loped upstairs, while the salarian and turian behind him fanned out into the other rooms in the lobby. As another turian approached his side, the krogan held a hand to his helmet and activated his comms.
"Sirn? Krom here. We're at the target building. Are you sure he's here?"
"Yes yes, Krom. It's the same building where the shots that killed Barakk came from. He's in there."
Krom huffed and rolled his eyes.
"Alright, Sirn, but I'm trusting you on this. It's the third time this week that we've gone and found nothing in one of these hidey holes."
"Just find him and exterminate him, Krom. That's an order."
Another huff.
"Fine. Krom out."
The krogan signed out as his partner gave him a glance.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. He's just wasting our time out here, I swear."
Just then the salarian and other turian emerged from the back of the apartment lobby. With brief shakes of their heads, they indicated an all clear. Krom nodded, drew a circle in the air with a finger and his squad closed in around him as he advanced forward.
"Alright squad, let's head upstairs. Vorcha are clearin' the place so let's go clean up after 'em -"
Suddenly a scream. Followed by a vorcha splattering onto the floor in front of him. Gunshots echoed from up above, along with the telltale sounds of the vorcha yelling, cursing and snarling and screaming as they perished. Multiple cracks echoed down the stairwell, regular and distinct, amidst the sporadic gunfire put up by the vermin. The squad raised their guns by instinct as the sounds of the vorcha above tapered off until nothing remained. Then the hiss of a heat sink being ejected to cool.
The turian on Krom's left glanced at him.
"That's him. That has to be him!"
"Shut up, Ix! Of course it's him! Squad, close up on my six. We're going up."
The three formed up behind him as Krom started upstairs. The first few floors held nothing, but as they approached the level the vorcha were on, the krogan was the first to behold the carnage.
His gaggle of vorcha were dead, obviously. The corridor that they had entered was their death bed. With such a narrow chokepoint, all their mystery gunman had to do was position himself at either end and open fire. Caught in such a hail, the vorcha had gone down mostly without a fight. Holes peppered their corpses, one or two with a missing hand or a hole in its face. Their shooter was nowhere to be found.
Krom flicked ahead with his hand, and the salarian and turian moved ahead, guns covering the hallway as one of them moved through it, cautiously avoiding the bodies as he went. While Krom kept his shotgun trained down the hall, Ix brought up the rear, his rifle trained at the stairwell.
The turian in the hallway reached the far end and swept it. Krom motioned for his salarian teammate to move down the hall as he moved up to cover him, while Ix kept close to his back, rifle still trained on the stairs that they'd just climbed.
A blur shifted from the other stairwell and headed downward.
As Krom began to move up, Ix positioned himself at the hallway entrance. Then the turian turned around to follow his leader.
Which was when an invisible pair of hands wrapped themselves around his head and twisted.
The sound of breaking vertebrae drew the attention of the rest of them, even as the corpse, his neck horribly contorted, fell heavily to the floor, thudding onto the vorcha beneath him. Krom blasted at the open space even as the blur shifted away, heading upstairs as the rest of the squad opened fire at where it had just been. After about a second Krom yelled.
"Stop! Stop firing! He's gone!"
"But Ix -"
"He's dead! Fucker's in here somewhere."
Krom reactivated his comms as his two remaining teammates advanced forward to recheck the stairwell.
"Sirn?"
"I hear you Krom."
"He's here. I've already lost the vorcha and Ix."
"All the vorcha?"
"All of 'em."
He heard the other krogan sigh.
"Dammit...alright, stay with your team, but I'm pulling you out. Return to base. It's too dangerous."
"Got it. Krom out."
He nodded to his squad, who formed up alongside him as he proceeded back down the staircase. Past the next floor they ran, and down another floor. As they hit the next floor down, the turian behind slowed to clear the hallway as Krom and the salarian moved downward. He turned to follow, which was when an invisible hand grabbed his ankle and pulled. Krom and his squadmate spun round and watched as their comrade was yanked into the hallway, screaming and scrabbling at the ground in terror. A sickening thud and crack echoed out through the hallway as his screams devolved into whimpering gurgles that died out moments later.
The salarian made a move towards the hallway but Krom stopped him with a hand to his shoulder.
"Leave him! We need to get out of here!"
With a pained expression, he nodded and the duo continued downward, but they didn't make it far. As the salarian rounded the staircase and scrambled for the next one down, an invisible hand grabbed his thin neck right in front of Krom. It pulled and the salarian tumbled out over the railing and fell screaming down to the ground floor, where he splattered just like the vorcha before him had.
A gentle tap came from behind him. He spun as footsteps echoed down the hallway to his right. With a growl, Krom racked the slide on his shotgun and followed them, firing a blast down the corridor in a fit of rage.
"Come out! I know you're down there!"
In response, an ice blue lance of fire shot from the other end of the hall, striking the krogan in his knee, making him drop with a roar of pain. Another lance followed right behind it, punching through his calf and shin and severing his lower leg. With a bellow he dropped to the floor, raising his shotgun to fire at the invisible threat, but a third lance issued out, striking his weapon out from his hands. Two more lances burst from the darkness, striking the krogan in his left arm even as he struggled to right himself. The limb broke from the sheer force of the shots and he crumpled to the ground with a cry of pain.
From the other end of the hall, the invisible presence stood, smoke rising from an invisible gun barrel even as the shooter strode slowly towards his downed target. From the shadows, the man deactivated his active camoflage as he emerged, revealing the silhouette of a turian. Krom paled.
"Y-you!"
Without responding, the turian leveled his rifle at his chest and pulled the trigger. A molten bolt of metal impacted his armour, making him grunt and moan in pain as bone cracked from the blunt force. Two more shots followed, sending him flat onto the floor as he strode up onto his body. Staring straight down the barrel of a gun, Krom gulped.
"W-what d'you want with me?!"
"I want your life."
"W-wait don't -"
The turian shifted his rifle to Krom's throat and fired until his weapon overheated. As the krogan gurgled and choked on his own blood, he stepped off the corpse and gave it a cursory once-over. Finding what he came for, the turian ripped the insignia and name tag from the dead krogan's chestplate and stuffed it into a pouch. Just as he left, though, the corpse's comms crackled.
"Krom? This is Sirn, come in. Krom, respond."
The turian leaned down and keyed the comms with a hand.
"Krom's dead."
"What?! Who is this?!"
"A ghost."
Within the confines of an abandoned apartment building, a Crimson Fist assault team fanned out. Their leader, a distinctly large krogan, gestured upstairs with a flick of his shotgun. The gaggle of vorcha with him snarled and loped upstairs, while the salarian and turian behind him fanned out into the other rooms in the lobby. As another turian approached his side, the krogan held a hand to his helmet and activated his comms.
"Sirn? Krom here. We're at the target building. Are you sure he's here?"
"Yes yes, Krom. It's the same building where the shots that killed Barakk came from. He's in there."
Krom huffed and rolled his eyes.
"Alright, Sirn, but I'm trusting you on this. It's the third time this week that we've gone and found nothing in one of these hidey holes."
"Just find him and exterminate him, Krom. That's an order."
Another huff.
"Fine. Krom out."
The krogan signed out as his partner gave him a glance.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. He's just wasting our time out here, I swear."
Just then the salarian and other turian emerged from the back of the apartment lobby. With brief shakes of their heads, they indicated an all clear. Krom nodded, drew a circle in the air with a finger and his squad closed in around him as he advanced forward.
"Alright squad, let's head upstairs. Vorcha are clearin' the place so let's go clean up after 'em -"
Suddenly a scream. Followed by a vorcha splattering onto the floor in front of him. Gunshots echoed from up above, along with the telltale sounds of the vorcha yelling, cursing and snarling and screaming as they perished. Multiple cracks echoed down the stairwell, regular and distinct, amidst the sporadic gunfire put up by the vermin. The squad raised their guns by instinct as the sounds of the vorcha above tapered off until nothing remained. Then the hiss of a heat sink being ejected to cool.
The turian on Krom's left glanced at him.
"That's him. That has to be him!"
"Shut up, Ix! Of course it's him! Squad, close up on my six. We're going up."
The three formed up behind him as Krom started upstairs. The first few floors held nothing, but as they approached the level the vorcha were on, the krogan was the first to behold the carnage.
His gaggle of vorcha were dead, obviously. The corridor that they had entered was their death bed. With such a narrow chokepoint, all their mystery gunman had to do was position himself at either end and open fire. Caught in such a hail, the vorcha had gone down mostly without a fight. Holes peppered their corpses, one or two with a missing hand or a hole in its face. Their shooter was nowhere to be found.
Krom flicked ahead with his hand, and the salarian and turian moved ahead, guns covering the hallway as one of them moved through it, cautiously avoiding the bodies as he went. While Krom kept his shotgun trained down the hall, Ix brought up the rear, his rifle trained at the stairwell.
The turian in the hallway reached the far end and swept it. Krom motioned for his salarian teammate to move down the hall as he moved up to cover him, while Ix kept close to his back, rifle still trained on the stairs that they'd just climbed.
A blur shifted from the other stairwell and headed downward.
As Krom began to move up, Ix positioned himself at the hallway entrance. Then the turian turned around to follow his leader.
Which was when an invisible pair of hands wrapped themselves around his head and twisted.
The sound of breaking vertebrae drew the attention of the rest of them, even as the corpse, his neck horribly contorted, fell heavily to the floor, thudding onto the vorcha beneath him. Krom blasted at the open space even as the blur shifted away, heading upstairs as the rest of the squad opened fire at where it had just been. After about a second Krom yelled.
"Stop! Stop firing! He's gone!"
"But Ix -"
"He's dead! Fucker's in here somewhere."
Krom reactivated his comms as his two remaining teammates advanced forward to recheck the stairwell.
"Sirn?"
"I hear you Krom."
"He's here. I've already lost the vorcha and Ix."
"All the vorcha?"
"All of 'em."
He heard the other krogan sigh.
"Dammit...alright, stay with your team, but I'm pulling you out. Return to base. It's too dangerous."
"Got it. Krom out."
He nodded to his squad, who formed up alongside him as he proceeded back down the staircase. Past the next floor they ran, and down another floor. As they hit the next floor down, the turian behind slowed to clear the hallway as Krom and the salarian moved downward. He turned to follow, which was when an invisible hand grabbed his ankle and pulled. Krom and his squadmate spun round and watched as their comrade was yanked into the hallway, screaming and scrabbling at the ground in terror. A sickening thud and crack echoed out through the hallway as his screams devolved into whimpering gurgles that died out moments later.
The salarian made a move towards the hallway but Krom stopped him with a hand to his shoulder.
"Leave him! We need to get out of here!"
With a pained expression, he nodded and the duo continued downward, but they didn't make it far. As the salarian rounded the staircase and scrambled for the next one down, an invisible hand grabbed his thin neck right in front of Krom. It pulled and the salarian tumbled out over the railing and fell screaming down to the ground floor, where he splattered just like the vorcha before him had.
A gentle tap came from behind him. He spun as footsteps echoed down the hallway to his right. With a growl, Krom racked the slide on his shotgun and followed them, firing a blast down the corridor in a fit of rage.
"Come out! I know you're down there!"
In response, an ice blue lance of fire shot from the other end of the hall, striking the krogan in his knee, making him drop with a roar of pain. Another lance followed right behind it, punching through his calf and shin and severing his lower leg. With a bellow he dropped to the floor, raising his shotgun to fire at the invisible threat, but a third lance issued out, striking his weapon out from his hands. Two more lances burst from the darkness, striking the krogan in his left arm even as he struggled to right himself. The limb broke from the sheer force of the shots and he crumpled to the ground with a cry of pain.
From the other end of the hall, the invisible presence stood, smoke rising from an invisible gun barrel even as the shooter strode slowly towards his downed target. From the shadows, the man deactivated his active camoflage as he emerged, revealing the silhouette of a turian. Krom paled.
"Y-you!"
Without responding, the turian leveled his rifle at his chest and pulled the trigger. A molten bolt of metal impacted his armour, making him grunt and moan in pain as bone cracked from the blunt force. Two more shots followed, sending him flat onto the floor as he strode up onto his body. Staring straight down the barrel of a gun, Krom gulped.
"W-what d'you want with me?!"
"I want your life."
"W-wait don't -"
The turian shifted his rifle to Krom's throat and fired until his weapon overheated. As the krogan gurgled and choked on his own blood, he stepped off the corpse and gave it a cursory once-over. Finding what he came for, the turian ripped the insignia and name tag from the dead krogan's chestplate and stuffed it into a pouch. Just as he left, though, the corpse's comms crackled.
"Krom? This is Sirn, come in. Krom, respond."
The turian leaned down and keyed the comms with a hand.
"Krom's dead."
"What?! Who is this?!"
"A ghost."
1x Like
Daro'Shuris nar Konesh
Picture this: a Quarian leaned down to help another of her kind, his suit ripped open by rapid gunfire; skin singed and punctured by explosives. It took her twenty seconds to hunt for a pulse manually – especially since her omnitool was running on emergency power and glitching like someone had tried to hack it – and ten more to realise there wasn't one, and he was dead. In one fluid movement, Daro held her fist to her chest and switched off the mask's back lights with her free hand in a preemptive move to prevent her from checking the body twice by accident.
After a brief pause that wasn't really hesitation so much as it was a tired, disgusted sigh, she turned over the corpse and inspected the integrity of the medigel packs built into his suit. Aside from the notable scorch marks, they were perfectly intact. Beggars couldn't be choosers, not even when they were winning.
Gunfire erupted a few streets over and she hurried up the salvage with slow yet steady fingers, head ducked low to avoid any security drones or retreating soldiers from the other side. From somewhere to her right, there was a rough grunt of amusement and the sound of a rocket launcher being dropped heavily on the floor with force enough to make Daro wince. "We've got a live one, Doc!"
Ah, her Krogan guard-slash-assistant was tentatively toeing the still form of a Turian with one armoured boot. Daro cursed under her breath and hoped that the translators didn't pick it up. This was why she worked alone, or at the very least with trusted comrades rather than strange, probably brain damaged mercs with less sense that the comatose Nikusiil.
"Go through the checklist," she prompted, wiping her hands clean of coagulated blood and other miscellaneous liquids on the formerly white fabric of her suit, now with a rainbow of several species' bodily fluids staining it. "Is he bleeding out? Is he responsive? What are the life signs on his suit?" At the ensuing silence, she forced herself up onto unsteady legs and braced herself against the makeshift barricade as nausea took over.
Her eyes were closed when the Krogan responded, "He looks like he's just stunned." Daro cracked a smile at that, more so at her apparent position of authority than the prospect of someone actually being reclaimed from the wreckage of a battle two days after its climax. She didn't really count it as 'surviving' until they walked and-or crawled out of the field clinic that had been set up in Jek's main base.
"Pick him up then!" Somewhat belatedly, she continued, "Don't pull out your stitches while you're at it– again. Just take him back somewhere safe." The Krogan, with some great deal of effort considering he had practically been glued back together, did as she asked. Turning back towards the scene of destruction and devastation briefly, she nodded to herself.
That was her downtime, the calm period in the eye of the storm. It was time to get back to work.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
"Everyone on triage! Stabilise the critically injured first, then the moderately injured, and then the easy-to-treat wounds!" A wave of dizzying exhaustion hit Daro, then a brief tremor as the stimulants kicked in automatically. The mark for spending twenty-four hours awake had been hit twenty-four hours ago, but it had been made clear to her that the survival of the mercenaries at such a crucial time in the assault was imperative. They couldn't back off now due to lack of numbers – not when they had them on a failing defense and were grinding them down like desert wind on a sandstone rock.
The fight raging outside, bullets ripping past fleshy targets and into the walls with a sound as loud as thunder, was the worst – or the most difficult – they'd had since the battle that left her team leaderless and, ultimately, stuck. Daro closed her eyes for a moment as her borrowed omnitool (an old make, far too old to run the diagnostics she usually did at full speed) monitored the vital signs of all the current patients.
She wasn't sure what the others were doing, at present. Probably sniping, or blowing up, or ripping apart enemies with their bare hands. It wasn't that Daro couldn't fight with them at times like these, but even Jek reckoned that her skills were best put to use indoors where she could perform surgery in a mostly-sterile environment (barring, of course, the copious Vorcha guts that splattered across the floor after every shift). Honestly, she didn't know if that was true or not: she worked harder, faster, better crouched behind cover, one hand providing blind covering fire over it and the other staunching an ally's wound before he or she bled out.
Her Krogan 'assistant' certainly believed so, injured though he still was. It wasn't everyday someone took a rocket to the face and was fixed up with minimal trauma. Kranesh, as it turned out, had a lovely bedside manner, except when he took a dizzy spell and rammed the trolley of medical supplies into the bed of some sorry soul. Daro shook her head as the mercenary whizzed past. Her hands were already preoccupied with tying a knot on a Salarian's bandages to hold the gauze in place. Medigel was in much shorter supplies these days, and no matter how selfish it might have been, Daro reserved the military grade stuff for her team, just in case they were ever in danger.
They had plenty of drugs to numb the pain, however. Some legal, some not so much. Jek had made her a deal – well, she hadn't asked for it, but he offered – that for "every time she'd saved some fucker's life, he'd hook her up with some". Paraphrased, of course. Daro already had a stockpile of the necessities in her quarters and, unless the makeshift clinic ran-out of them, she didn't have to tap into that resource. All hers.
During a short break whilst the two Salarians working alongside her went somewhere, Kranesh must have noticed her rubbing the back of her tense neck. "I'm taking you shooting tomorrow, doc," he hollered over the beds of mostly-sleeping patients. "You need to work off some steam!" It probably said something about her worsening character that she considered taking pot-shots at the enemy's Vorcha a good time.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
"Now, watch what I'm doing, Doc," said Kranesh as he reached around for his heavy pistol and, in one smooth movement during which no breath was taken, the Krogan shot the speedy, salivating Vorcha as it rushed towards them. Daro wasn't entirely sure what she was meant to be looking out for because that Vorcha was one of many in a wave of the creeps assaulting the walls of the outpost deep in their enemy's territory.
Jek had looked thoroughly bemused when she informed him that she was leaving the half-empty clinic to help out on the other side of their defenses. Maybe this was why?
Daro was having the best time she'd had in weeks, however, because she had been going stir-crazy trapped behind the walls of the compounds with only a few hours break outside each time. She promptly followed Kranesh's instructions, removing her own weapon and aiming it at the next Vorcha, but it took three shots before one landed dead-center in its skull. By that time, its claws had already outstretched, ready to pounce upon her like a wild animal.
They weren't giving them proper armor or any weapons at all. They probably couldn't afford it.
"Not bad," said Kranesh, who Daro would've said was trying to make her feel better if it was not for the Krogan's brutal honesty when ever she did something wrong. "Next wave's incoming. Get ready to do it again– but, uh, reload first." She did so, again and again until Kranesh accepted the fact that he'd probably bitten off a task too large: try and get Daro'Shuris nar Konesh to shoot properly rather than like a scared rabbit.
He claimed that she was getting much better at it though, to which Daro could only manage a meek, "Thanks."
"You'll be wanting to use that fire thing of yours more often–"
It was at that exact moment that one of Jek's lieutenants stepped around the fortified entrance way, reminding her that she had to attend a meeting of some sort with his mere presence. As soon as they made eye contact – or at least, as soon as Daro's head twisted around to see him, helmet included – she turned back to Kranesh with a polite bow. "I have to go now," she told him. "But thank you so much for the lessons. I'll see if I can try and use them to keep myself alive, yes?"
Kranesh let out a hearty laugh. "You do that. And, Doc? If you ever need any help, you give me or one of my brothers a call and we'll see what we can do, Jek be damned." Daro waved again on the way out.
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
It was good to see her team again. As kind as some of Jek's men were, she didn't have the same sort of camaraderie with them that she did with Hazan, Raya and even Ardan. If they were anyone else, even slightly meaner or more menacing or murderous, Daro wouldn't have even considered taking lessons from a Krogan so as not to bring the team down on the field.
What she did not expect was for Nik to be back on his feet again, led to them by Jek. "Nik!" she greeted with a small gasp of surprise. "I knew you weren't brain-dead! I would've found flowers or something to bring in for you in case you woke up, but, ah, I was busy." She had, after all, barely been thinking about their leader – just in case he was dead.
With that said, she moved back a bit to let others do their greetings, turning her head to the side quizzically to see Hazan playing with a new rifle, inspecting it. "It's very... large, isn't it?" she said a bit awkwardly when he asked everyone what they thought of the weapon. "I dare say that could rip through any Krogan's shields and armor."
my Lalia The Master of Hugs
Member
Seen
2 yrs ago
Penoraya T'mivus - Raya
Three Weeks Earlier....
As she watched the Drells chest rise and fall she knew that he would be okay, if only for the current moment. She was grateful that Daro was able to get to them as fast as she did, though now the Quarian was in danger as she was really close to the front. Raya could hear the gun fire was getting closer and she could feel it bounce off the wall she was currently hiding behind. She couldn't let Daro or Nik get hurt, she couldn't let the enemy get any closer. Looking quickly at Nik then Daro she made up her mind. "Take care of him." She said before leaving the cover and running towards the enemy.
Taking cover she stood her ground and tried to keep the enemy back. She was running low on thermal clips and wasn't sure if she was going to be able to keep the enemy back much longer. But she couldn't afford to fall back, she had to hold her ground or else Daro and Nik would be in trouble. As she held onto that thought she ran out ammo. She was about to use her biotics when Jek's forces finally showed up.
She leaned back on the battered wall tired and for the first time wanting this to end. She wasn't sure why she was suddenly tired, as she had been in similar situations and was able to last for much longer. But then she was fighting for herself and had no cares for those she was with, but this was different she cared, even though she tried not to.
Few Days Later
The door frame was cool on her skin as she leaned on it and looked into a makeshift hospital room. On the bed lay the Drell that was the leader of the group, his chest rising and falling in an even pattern. As far as Raya knew she was the only one to have visited Nik, everyone else was busy or trying to be busy as not to think that their leader might never wake up or die. But she, for some reason, couldn't stay away. She had to see him, she had to make sure that he was treated properly, or at least that was what she told herself.
"You can go in you know."
Raya didn't move upon hearing Jek's voice, she just continued to watch Nik's rising and falling chest.
"I got a job for you, come to my office when you are done looking at toady here." He said seeing that she wasn't going to respond to him. And like before Raya didn't respond but this time Jek wasn't going to wait for an answer, he simply left.
Once Jek was gone she moved slowly into room and stood next to Nik's bed. She wasn't sure why or what she was going to do in the room. All she knew was that her feet brought her in and that her chest hurt. She didn't understand the pain in her chest Or why she was still in the room. She looked down at the Drells still face and wondered if he would ever wake up. "Wake up soon Nik, we need you. I ne...... Please just wake up." She whispered as she softly took his hand in hers. Her chest began to hurt again and before it could get worse she squeezed his hand and quickly left.
She made her way to Jek's office after dealing with a grabbing Turian, who was on his way to see a doctor. Once the elevator reached the top floor and the doors opened, she walked out with a grace that only a hunter possessed. She was half way to Jek's desk when the Batarian looked from whatever had his attention. "I was wondering when you would get your fine ass up here."
Raya smirked slightly, though it was more like a predators before making a kill. Jek seemed to pick that up and did a similar smile back, if it was one thing that she learned it was the Jek would not be out done. He motioned her to sit once she was up to his desk but she refused, predators always stayed alert.
"You wanted me for something?" She asked as she folded her arms.
"I want you for a lot of things, some things that are.... more pleasurable than others. But I brought you up here for something different." He said as he took out a two glasses and a bottle of Batarian brandy. Pouring the brandy into both glasses he passed one to Raya. She took it and as she did so she could see a glint in his eyes, it betrayed his thoughts but then she had seen it before in other males. Seeing that she wasn't going to say anything he continued as he sat on the corner of his desk.
"You and I are alot alike. We are top predators we enjoy the hunt, the kill and getting whatever we fucking please. But mostly we love the kill even if it takes a long time for our prey to die." He said 'kill' in a purr like matter.
"I still don't see why you brought me here." She said as she wondered if the only reason he had her come up was so he could get her into bed. She was in no mood to be seduced. She didn't really like being compared to him, as Nik's words rang through her head. Killing made Jek a monster, while monsters made her a killer.
"Jenik, The Vengeful, Serra T'Suluv, Justicar Lorrina, Xian, Fennar..... The list can go on. Does any of these ring a bell?"
Raya's jaw stiffened as she didn't know how the bastard even knew of her background, half the names he said no one should even know that she was part of. She could see a different glint in his eyes now, one that she knew well. It was a look predators get just before a sure kill. A low growl rose in her throat, as she was not one to corner. Those that did corner her died, some of the names he said proved it.
"You better have a point." She said through a tense jaw. She was gathering energy just in case as she was in no mood to be played, plus she wasn't liking the corner that Jek was backing her into.
"Oh I have a point, the main point being I can't keep your fine blue ass back here. I was informed that if you aren't kept busy people die..... I would like to keep some of my men alive, that's all I need to have the front lines safer than here." He said with slight amusement in his voice before taking a drink of his brandy. "I'm putting you on one of strike teams on the front. Go to Mevic, it's his team I'm putting you on." He said as he lifted his drink to his lips.
Raya took a sip of the drink she was given before placing it on his desk. She bowed her head slightly though her eyes betrayed her malice. She turned and began to walk to the elevator. She was sure that bastard had more to say but she wasn't going to let him, which she was sure would piss him off as he liked the sound of his own voice. Though she could feel his eyes on her ass as she walked away.
Two Weeks Ago.....
"RAYA!"
She sighed as she knew what was coming, she had screwed with Mevic's plan and now the damn Batarian was coming to yell at her. He should of known by now that she doesn't stay in the back, she was a front line fighter. Nik knew as soon as he met her that she was not one to hold back, but everyone here seemed to lack brains.
"I TOLD YOU TO STAY IN THE BACK!" Mevic yelled as he stomped his way over to her, though she kept her back to him which was only adding fuel to the fire. But she didn't care, she was losing that ability fast. She didn't care for anyone on this team, so if push came to shove she kill everyone and not give a damn.
"YOU WILL TURN AROUND AND SHOW DAMN RESPECT TO ME, YOU DAMN ASARI!"
She could hear him lifting his weapon, she inwardly smirked as it reminded her of the last time someone on a "team" pointed a weapon on her. Not many lived to tell the tale, but she was sure that this idiot didn't know about that.
Turning slowly she faced the Batarian, though her eyes were cold and unnerving as they seemed empty. Her aura was cold and it seemed like others could feel the temperature drop. Mevic hesitated for a brief moment before re-composing himself, but if she could of easily taken advantage of that brief hesitation.
"I thought I told you to say in the back?" He said with anger plain in her voice. He was still pointing his weapon at her which was rather annoying.
"Of course, but I'm one to keep in the back." She said coolly as she weighed the situation.
"I don't give a fuck, you go where I tell you to go! Are we clear?"
"I know what you want me to do Mevic, but it's a shit call." She said a bored tone. This made the Batarians eyes twitch for a moment before he turned around, but as he did so he gave a signal and the team surrounded her with lifted weapons. So he was going to kill her, he could deal with her so he was going to have her killed.
"What will Jek say when he finds out that you had me killed?" She said coldly as if she didn't even care that there were guns pointed at her.
"He will never know, we will simply say that you didn't follow orders and got yourself killed......."
If he was going to say more he never got time to as Raya released field of biotic energy that pushed everyone back. Using her biotics, she rushed Mevic while letting a scream escape from her lips. It sounded like something undead and unholy, almost like a demon had possessed her. She hadn’t screamed like that in years, not since joining Nik's team. She may have done it once to scare their target (though it freaked her team out as well), but no one knew it was her that did it.
She had her hands around Mevic's throat as she pushed him to the ground. Her eyes were black, she bared her teeth, she looked nothing like herself at least the self that Nik, Haze, Daro or even Ardan knew.
She could feel the Batarians pulse under her fingers try to quicken and she could see that he was trying to understand what was going on but she knew it was becoming harder for him to do. She let out another scream as she began to lift his head then smash it to the ground. She lost count how many time she did that, but she stopped when she could no longer feel a pulse or got any resistance from Batarian. She looked down at the now dead Batarian and felt a rush go through her body. It was something she always got when she made a kill, but this one was stronger and left her with a warm tingling feeling. Oh, she missed having that feeling.
She stood up an turned slowly, she could see that most of the team was standing there wide eyed and most likely scared. Her chest rose and fell slowly as she looked at them, her eyes were still black. She could kill them all and feel nothing but pleasure, but instead she took a moment and composed herself and make herself look normal as possible.
"Follow me or die, your choice." She said such little emotion that it showed that she wasn't above taking their lives.
Killing made Jek a monster, while monsters made you a killer.
She was no longer sure what Nik said was true.
Present
On all accounts it was nice being with her old team, but the past few weeks had left her feeling like a monster. So while the others talked she mostly remained silent, for all they knew was that she was sent to kill things. Which was true, but there were times when she did more than just kill, she tortured some enemy fighter's. Some of her techniques made some of the team she took over sick, but she enjoyed it. So being with her old team was very bitter sweet.
Just then Jek came with..... Nik? All this time she had been kind of distant but suddenly seeing the Drell pulled her slightly from her cold aura. Her chest began to hurt again only this time for something different. Was she nervous? Or happy? She wasn't sure, but a part of her wondered if he knew about all the things she had done while he was out. Though he couldn't have as he must of just woken up.
She remained behind the others while they greeted him back. When he happened to look her way she gave a small smile, though it felt odd on her face as it had been a very long time since she last smiled (the night both she and the Drell drank in his room).
When Haze asked how everyone liked his new weapon she lifted an eyebrow and nearly smiled when Daro commented how big it was. Hopefully being with her team again would soften her up like before. But her protectiveness over her team had dulled slightly since killing some of members of the squad she took over. But she didn't care for them, she cared for these guys or she did. She was no longer sure of herself.
Jek should of let her be, because now she was damaged again.
GM
Hexaflexagon
Member
Seen
7 mos ago
”Alright, alright you sappy sons of bitches. We got work to do now that sleeping fucking beauty is back to his senses.” Jek explained with a hand as he ushered them to their feet. He seemed more tense than usual as if now that they were getting to the final hours that the weight of it all finally seemed to be hitting him. They followed him back towards the bar walking through what was left of the neighborhood. The lively neighborhood they had seen three weeks ago was more or less gone in its existence. The occasional mortar or rocket fired had ended up piling up over the weeks and days, the decay forcing those that lived there to run and seek shelter anywhere they could find it. The smell reeked as bodies lay scattered across the ground in heaps and piles some set ablaze to keep contamination down but others left to rot, burials were to be had later after they got out of it alive. As they approached the bar security became more tight with metal barriers and even gun emplacements set up upon the street. The careful eye could even spot the sporadic sniper hiding among the dark rooftops peering down and watching their every movement. It was a show of force of sorts but really showed how worried Jek was for it all to come tumbling down.
During this procession through the carnage and destruction the team’s leader was strangely silent. Usually he would of at least tried to start up a conversation but he just walked forward, a deep aura of silence hanging over him like a cloak. Nik looked old and tired his battered armor not showing a glint of shine to it, eyes a thousand yards away. Inside he was beating himself up, he wasn't some amature he was Nikusiil Vos, the Vengeance of Omega and what did he do he went and got knocked out by a brick wall. Sure it was a little bit of a hurt ego but also he failed his team: he was the one that brought them all together, he was the one in charge of them all, and yet they were forced to play the games for Jek for almost an entire month because of him. He regretted taking on this mission, he regretted biting off more than he could chew and in a perfect world he could just shoot Jek now and shoot Sirn and be done with it all. But things could never be that simple could it.
Jek shoulder his way into the bar forcing the door open, the silence was the first thing that hit Nik. The last time he had been in their it was a rowdy place filled with shouting, laughter, drinking and even strippers. Now it was empty and Nik could see it more for what it actually was. It was an old room with well worn stains on the ground, the stench of excrement but in reality more empty than anything else. In a way it was fitting for it to be Jek’s establishment for resembled his own self in many ways. A facade of greatness hiding an aging and rotten core. The batarian led them to the back and up into the elevator where they rose up in silence. The table they discussed at before was still there. Jek took his place at the far head and Nik at the opposing head the others filling in around them. The batarian pressed a button underneath the table and the wood covering retracted revealing a holographic display underneath which lit up displaying the neighborhood. Little dots began to fill the map as the map picked up on transceivers that Jek’s men carried showing their locations amongst the streets.
”Alright let's get down to business.” Jek explained producing another one of his trademark grins as he began to shift the hologram around as the data morphed and changed displaying a top down map with several arrows on it. ”Thanks to all our “wonderful efforts to the contribution of society”, including maiming, killing, assassinating and blowing up everything that stands before me and my fucking goal it is time to bring the axe down upon our krogan friend's head.” The map began to whirr and zoom focusing in on a large structure far into Sirn’s territory. ”That building right there is loving called the Pitts. It is a gladiator arena of sorts used for anything from live deathmatches to Varren fights, you know all fucking fun bloody stuff like that. The Pitts also happened to be Qiyrloc and mines first business venture years ago and serves as his HQs. Now it is time for me to take back what was rightfully mean with deadly force.” The map pulled back again to the screen with the arrows. ”My boys and me are going to take the fun route and smash right into the last of his defenses right up in front. This should provide you all with a distraction big enough so that your team can infiltrate in through the rear and cripple him from the behind. We both push and sandwich him in the middle at the Pitts. There we fucking finish the job. Sound like a plan.”’ Jek explained looking towards Nik.
”It’s a classic, I’ll give you that. And if you are able to make a big enough bang it’ll work.... How long do we have to prepare?” Nik asked calm and collected.. all business
”A day at the most. I’ve got to give time for my boys in the field to finish setting up a few surprises. In the meantime I suppose you and your team has some planning and catching up to do.” Jek explained receiving only a nod in response. ”Though before you all leave, I got a present for you.”
Nik raised an eyebrow as Jek pressed another button on the table and began to talk out loud. ”Amaandis bring the boy up and tell him to make sure he looks halfway decent.”
Somewhere below them Jek’s Hanar assistant was in a small dark room in the sub basement of the Bar. It was cold and dark and smelled like decay and death. Along with Amaandis was another figure who had been waiting down there for some time now, called back from the field just for this special meeting. Amaandis pressed a concealed button with his tentacle and the stone wall pulled back coating the room in a harsh bright light, an elevator. The hanar spoke to the other body in the room. ”Master Jek will see you now Mister White.”
During this procession through the carnage and destruction the team’s leader was strangely silent. Usually he would of at least tried to start up a conversation but he just walked forward, a deep aura of silence hanging over him like a cloak. Nik looked old and tired his battered armor not showing a glint of shine to it, eyes a thousand yards away. Inside he was beating himself up, he wasn't some amature he was Nikusiil Vos, the Vengeance of Omega and what did he do he went and got knocked out by a brick wall. Sure it was a little bit of a hurt ego but also he failed his team: he was the one that brought them all together, he was the one in charge of them all, and yet they were forced to play the games for Jek for almost an entire month because of him. He regretted taking on this mission, he regretted biting off more than he could chew and in a perfect world he could just shoot Jek now and shoot Sirn and be done with it all. But things could never be that simple could it.
Jek shoulder his way into the bar forcing the door open, the silence was the first thing that hit Nik. The last time he had been in their it was a rowdy place filled with shouting, laughter, drinking and even strippers. Now it was empty and Nik could see it more for what it actually was. It was an old room with well worn stains on the ground, the stench of excrement but in reality more empty than anything else. In a way it was fitting for it to be Jek’s establishment for resembled his own self in many ways. A facade of greatness hiding an aging and rotten core. The batarian led them to the back and up into the elevator where they rose up in silence. The table they discussed at before was still there. Jek took his place at the far head and Nik at the opposing head the others filling in around them. The batarian pressed a button underneath the table and the wood covering retracted revealing a holographic display underneath which lit up displaying the neighborhood. Little dots began to fill the map as the map picked up on transceivers that Jek’s men carried showing their locations amongst the streets.
”Alright let's get down to business.” Jek explained producing another one of his trademark grins as he began to shift the hologram around as the data morphed and changed displaying a top down map with several arrows on it. ”Thanks to all our “wonderful efforts to the contribution of society”, including maiming, killing, assassinating and blowing up everything that stands before me and my fucking goal it is time to bring the axe down upon our krogan friend's head.” The map began to whirr and zoom focusing in on a large structure far into Sirn’s territory. ”That building right there is loving called the Pitts. It is a gladiator arena of sorts used for anything from live deathmatches to Varren fights, you know all fucking fun bloody stuff like that. The Pitts also happened to be Qiyrloc and mines first business venture years ago and serves as his HQs. Now it is time for me to take back what was rightfully mean with deadly force.” The map pulled back again to the screen with the arrows. ”My boys and me are going to take the fun route and smash right into the last of his defenses right up in front. This should provide you all with a distraction big enough so that your team can infiltrate in through the rear and cripple him from the behind. We both push and sandwich him in the middle at the Pitts. There we fucking finish the job. Sound like a plan.”’ Jek explained looking towards Nik.
”It’s a classic, I’ll give you that. And if you are able to make a big enough bang it’ll work.... How long do we have to prepare?” Nik asked calm and collected.. all business
”A day at the most. I’ve got to give time for my boys in the field to finish setting up a few surprises. In the meantime I suppose you and your team has some planning and catching up to do.” Jek explained receiving only a nod in response. ”Though before you all leave, I got a present for you.”
Nik raised an eyebrow as Jek pressed another button on the table and began to talk out loud. ”Amaandis bring the boy up and tell him to make sure he looks halfway decent.”
Somewhere below them Jek’s Hanar assistant was in a small dark room in the sub basement of the Bar. It was cold and dark and smelled like decay and death. Along with Amaandis was another figure who had been waiting down there for some time now, called back from the field just for this special meeting. Amaandis pressed a concealed button with his tentacle and the stone wall pulled back coating the room in a harsh bright light, an elevator. The hanar spoke to the other body in the room. ”Master Jek will see you now Mister White.”
CutUp Ya Never Be This Cool
Member
Seen
9 yrs ago
Dark Places | Numb | Glory | The More | Been To Hell
Two Weeks Ago...
Ah, Omega. The most vile, the most dangerous, and most bloodthirsty place in the galaxy. A perfect place for a budding mercenary to make a name for themself. That's what the young, and ruthless human Jason White came to do. He's been apart of a few mercenary bands before for a very short time, but now he wanted to make a name for himself. His dream is to go down in history as the galaxy's greatest gun-for-hire. And as with anyone else with such ambitions, he's come to Omega to fulfil them. He stepped off the transport vessal he hitched a ride on. He held his beat up looking armor's helmet between his left arm, and took a big whiff of the surroundings. It smelled disgusting, like a beaten old dead cat. A smile crossed his lips, it felt right.
As with anyone's first stop on Omega, he naturally went to the closest strip club. He felt like a drink, and a lap dance. Upon arriving at the nearest strip club, the bright lights, and thumping music were like a siren's song calling to him. Once he entered the club he got many, many dirty looks by the patrons of the.....'fine' establishment. Mostly Batarians, and Turians, the usual suspects. He grabbed himself something to drink, and took a seat in front of the stage of the dancing Asari, and enjoyed the show. But he couldn't really enjoy himself from all the glares he was getting from the aliens.
He laid his helmet on the table in front of him, and leaned back in his chair. Almost as soon as he laid it on the table it was knocked off by a disgruntled Batarian, backed by another Batarian, and a Turian. He sighed, and rolled his eyes. Here it comes. "Humans aren't welcome here." The lead Batarian snarled at him. "Didn't see a sign four eyes." Jason replied with a very slight Southern accent. "Well we're telling you now. Leave now while you still have all your limbs." He said as he poked Jason's shoulder. The Human sighed. "Let me grab my helmet." He said in a somewhat defeated voice.
He got out of his chair, and leaned down to grab his helmet off the floor, with the trio each having a satisfied grin on their faces. Once he got hold of his helmet, he quickly jumped up, and smacked the Batarian with his helmet. The Turian rushed forward only to be met with a punch to the face from his helmet. The other Batarian then rushed at him. This time Jason grabbed his bottle of booze, and broke the bottle across his face. As the second Batarian went down the Turian leaped back up, and placd Jason in a tight bear hug while the other Batarian got up, and came towards them. Jason rushed backwards, and slammed the Turian into a wall to get free. As the Batarian got closer, Jason stabbed him in one of his eyes with the remains of the shattered bottle.
The Batarian screamed in intense pain as he backed away, yelling several insults at the man that he couldn't quite understand. Jason tackled the Batarian into the table, and bashed his head against the edge of it. Once he was on the ground, Jason kneeled down on top of him, and began ruthlessly, and repeadly punching his face. Blood began splattering everywhere, the Batarians comrades couldn't do anything but watch in horror as Jason beat their friend to death. Once the Batarian was throughly made into a unrecognizable mess of pulp. He got up from the ground, and wiped the blood off his face, and grinned at his handy work. He grabbed his helmet, and turned to face the exit. "Next time, don't be racist dicks." He smirked as he patted the Turian's head, and then left.
Once he was out of the club he went to the hotel he'd be staying at for the near future. Upon going inside the room he soon found out he got a message. That was fast. He opened the message to see it was from an old friend, his teacher, a stubborn old Krogan by the name of Raik Brac.
To Jayson
Hy kidd got a job for ya. Old bud names Jek lookin for talen. Gaver your nsme. You welcpme.
Dam thwse small kes!!!!!! ASFJNJGSNJJWEJONJVKN,M,MEJL
And the rest was a unlegiable mess. Brac most likely got frustated by the machine, and tried to punch it. It made Jason laugh out loud at it. He figured that a Krogan nearing a thousand would be able to send a simple message. Things were already at a good start. This was going to be fun.
Right Freaking Now
Jason sat in the waiting room, tapping on his helmet as he stared at the Hanar assistant. He's been doing a couple jobs for Jek steadily since he arrived, and was now selected for some special mission for the boss. He didn't really know what it was about, nor did he care. As long as the gravy train kept on going, he'd go skinny dipping with a bunch of Krogan if the money was right. The Hanar made no sound, no noise as he went about his business. He was tempted to make faces at him to see if he's see them. He wasn't quite sure if they eyes, or how they saw. But that'd look rather unprofessional.
"Do you at least have a cross words puzzle or something?" Jason asked with a smirk. He was given no answer. He let out a loud sigh. "You are quite the talker aren't you?" He joked as he leaned back into the chair. He sighed once more, and began playing with his thumbs. He bent his thumb unaturally backwards to try to get a reaction out of the Hanar, and it did not. He returned his thumb to it's normal way, showing no sign of pain whatsoever.
Finally something happened. The Hanar pressed some kind of button that brought down a secret elevator. He stood up, and let out a big yawn. "About fucking time. I was worried he would have forgotten about me." He groaned as he entered the elevator. "Good talk buddy. It's been real. See ya around." He said with a slight wave. As the elevtor ascended he leaned against the wall, and brushed some of his long blonde hair behind his ear.
The elevator began moving upwards, feeling like an eternity. "Man, whatever happened to elevator music?" He asked no one in particular with a slight sigh. Finally the elevator made it to the floor where everyone was gathered, and opened up to their little meeting. He stepped out of the elevator, and looked over this motley crew of these supposed badasses, and grinned slightly. "Sup? Name's White, Jason White." He introduced himself.
"I'm here to chew bubble gum, and kick ass. And I'm all out of gum." He smirked. Then he realized that no one was human, and probably didn't understand what he said. "Man, that would have sounded a lot more badass if some of you were human." He muttered to himself. "So these are the guys Jeky? Can't say I'm really impressed. You do realize that the easiest way to get rid of all the crime on this big rock is by blowing it up right rather than doing this whole 'vigilantie' fad? After all you have to try to find someone who hasn't murdered another person on this hunk of floating junk." He stated, showing rather indifference towards their cause.
"Well, I guess that does help with the ladies. They oh so do love a rebel." He added with a wink directed to the Asari, and Quarian.
Dervish Let's get volatile
Member
Seen
1 mo ago
This had to be a joke. A bad joke, one so offensively stupid that the speaker was effectively blacklisted for a week for killing one’s brain cells. This human, this Jason, spoke like undisciplined, arrogant trash and he carried around a mane of untrimmed head pubes that probably had gotten him mistaken as a woman by more than one drunk. Ardan didn’t care for humans, certainly enough that he resigned his lucrative military career because the Council was a bunch of spineless lapdogs who were too busy tongue-punching humanity’s asshole to realize that if you keep spoiling the child, they will act out, and this Jason was as sure of a sign as anything that was wrong with their horrible species.
Ardan turned, looking between Jek and Nik. “So, was there some kind of bet that Nik lost? This idiot is a ‘present’ in the same sense as lighting a bag of varren shit on fire and leaving it on a disliked neighbour’s doorstep is a present.” The turian said, facing the new human, his face rigid.
“So, you’re too good to be a vigilante, yet here you are, being offered up because you had nowhere else to go. If we wanted to impress humans like you, we’d strand around showboating instead of getting the job done like we have been doing. We’ve been fighting a war, and you’ve been doing what, exactly? Getting your hair done at some over-priced beauty salon? Here’s some friendly advice, cut that shit, lest one of Jek’s boys who haven’t had any action in weeks mistake you for a girl and find it convenient to grab a hold of. That or you get it caught on some machinery and find yourself getting scalped.” Ardan said, bouncing his helmet around until it was straight enough to slip on with an easy gesture. He stepped close to Jason, meeting the man eye-to-eye.
“I don’t know what the hell we did to have Jek think you are a favour, but if you treat either Daro or Raya as anything other than a teammate, you won’t have eyes to ogle them with. Got it?” he stepped away from the human, snorting disdainfully as he headed back to the others, slipping his helmet on. “I have some last minute prep before we set out. You guys can decide what to do with the talking ham. He doesn’t seem too bright, I vote cannon fodder. That should sober him up.”
With that said, Ardan moved to one of the make-shift benches made out of lined-up storage crates that seemed to be the typical go-to solution of any war zone and set out his weapons for eventual inspection. But first, he had to run through his omni-tool programs and the connections to his HUD, which seemed to have a loose connection since the fighting took a turn for the worst a couple days ago. He listened in on the conversation, and the inevitable retorts, as he cycled through his various omni-tool programs and studied their functionality on the head’s up display. Turning on his IFF tagging system, he looked over his shoulder at the group, several friendly indicators filling his visor, including Jek – but the human was omitted. Ardan smiled to himself, relishing the irony that his HUD didn’t identify this new merc as a friend while he himself considered Jason to be a waste of recycled air. Still, he scanned Jason’s armour and after finding the signal, his outline popped up as green – friendly. He hoped that Nik would tell the new guy to fuck right off back to Earth, but Ardan knew that Nik couldn’t afford to be picky after the unit had eaten a lot of losses weeks ago, a bit before Ardan himself joined up. He knew his say didn’t amount for much, given he was still new to the outfit, but Ardan had fought alongside these guys long enough to consider them his unit. The last thing anybody needed was a hotshot who didn’t know how to behave in a team, and his immediate arrogance made the turian want to beat him with rubble until he eventually wizened up. Given the dull, ox-like mentality of the human, the point would probably be entirely lost on him. Oh well.
Ardan turned, looking between Jek and Nik. “So, was there some kind of bet that Nik lost? This idiot is a ‘present’ in the same sense as lighting a bag of varren shit on fire and leaving it on a disliked neighbour’s doorstep is a present.” The turian said, facing the new human, his face rigid.
“So, you’re too good to be a vigilante, yet here you are, being offered up because you had nowhere else to go. If we wanted to impress humans like you, we’d strand around showboating instead of getting the job done like we have been doing. We’ve been fighting a war, and you’ve been doing what, exactly? Getting your hair done at some over-priced beauty salon? Here’s some friendly advice, cut that shit, lest one of Jek’s boys who haven’t had any action in weeks mistake you for a girl and find it convenient to grab a hold of. That or you get it caught on some machinery and find yourself getting scalped.” Ardan said, bouncing his helmet around until it was straight enough to slip on with an easy gesture. He stepped close to Jason, meeting the man eye-to-eye.
“I don’t know what the hell we did to have Jek think you are a favour, but if you treat either Daro or Raya as anything other than a teammate, you won’t have eyes to ogle them with. Got it?” he stepped away from the human, snorting disdainfully as he headed back to the others, slipping his helmet on. “I have some last minute prep before we set out. You guys can decide what to do with the talking ham. He doesn’t seem too bright, I vote cannon fodder. That should sober him up.”
With that said, Ardan moved to one of the make-shift benches made out of lined-up storage crates that seemed to be the typical go-to solution of any war zone and set out his weapons for eventual inspection. But first, he had to run through his omni-tool programs and the connections to his HUD, which seemed to have a loose connection since the fighting took a turn for the worst a couple days ago. He listened in on the conversation, and the inevitable retorts, as he cycled through his various omni-tool programs and studied their functionality on the head’s up display. Turning on his IFF tagging system, he looked over his shoulder at the group, several friendly indicators filling his visor, including Jek – but the human was omitted. Ardan smiled to himself, relishing the irony that his HUD didn’t identify this new merc as a friend while he himself considered Jason to be a waste of recycled air. Still, he scanned Jason’s armour and after finding the signal, his outline popped up as green – friendly. He hoped that Nik would tell the new guy to fuck right off back to Earth, but Ardan knew that Nik couldn’t afford to be picky after the unit had eaten a lot of losses weeks ago, a bit before Ardan himself joined up. He knew his say didn’t amount for much, given he was still new to the outfit, but Ardan had fought alongside these guys long enough to consider them his unit. The last thing anybody needed was a hotshot who didn’t know how to behave in a team, and his immediate arrogance made the turian want to beat him with rubble until he eventually wizened up. Given the dull, ox-like mentality of the human, the point would probably be entirely lost on him. Oh well.
Daro'Shuris nar Konesh
Daro rolled her eyes so hard behind the safe anonymity of her mask that she swore they nearly came out of their sockets. Yes, Ardan. Just a little bit over the top. Turians really did hate humans, then, or at least, that was how it appeared. He wasn't as bad as the long list of insults implied, not that Daro had any real frame of reference for what a human should look like in terms of – well, "hair" and all that. On women, the Asari frills or the Turian crests were more interesting and appealing than a human's long strings of dead protein, and on men–
Well, if they weren't dextro, she wouldn't really notice them.
"I haven't 'murdered another person on this hunk of floating junk'," Daro commented rather unhelpfully after Ardan had finished and stepped back. She waved at the human, Jason White. "Though, I suppose that's using the technical definition. I haven't done the cold-blooded type, if that helps? Daro'Shuris nar Konesh, unlicensed doctor."
She did completely ignore the human's last comment – the one that Ardan went mental over. It was true. Girls did often like the roguish renegade sort. It held a certain allure, probably down to so many holonovellas during her teenage years, and Daro did tend to have her fair share of inappropriate crushes on the bad boys.
So long as they weren't human, of course. Ew.
Speaking of humans: "Oh, no," Daro said, completely sincere and more than a little panicked. Her fingers were already tapping away at the second-hand soldier's omnitool attacked to her envirosuit, screens and technical reports crossing the various holographic screens sluggishly. Behind her opaque helmet, the doctor frowned. "This program's ancient – it isn't compatible with humans, really, which just serves me right for breaking my old omnitool. If you're going to get hurt, could you do me a favour and... make it an easy thing to fix, like a broken bone; a stab wound? Or, alternatively, make it fatal. I don't want to look incompetent."
Her wink went awry with the mask in the way, and she could only hope that humour was one of those universal things that crossed the borders between species. Human anatomy was one of the simpler sort in the galaxy, she knew – a real bore compared to the Salarian's space-saving organs or the Krogan's unholy resistance to painkillers and all that. Granted, she could count the number of male humans she'd worked with on one hand, if only because most of her human patients at the clinic had been victims of trafficking or the like.
She was ninety percent sure that at some point during her prattling, everyone in the room had tuned out, but it was her job to warn her (future) patients about (future) problems! Daro just forced herself to stop talking.
DJAtomika Second to Most
Member
Seen
4 mos ago
"A human."
His casual observation did not go unnoticed. Several of the other turians and assorted aliens in the immediate area took notice of the blonde haired, rugged looking man that appeared out of an elevator in one of the nearby buildings. This...present wasn't exactly a welcoming sight. Granted, their team was short on members but the last human present had...seen better days.
How long had it been since he'd seen a human? Not counting that other guy, it'd been years, and the wounds left by the war weren't kind. After the first human had bit the bullet, he'd relaxed loads, but now that another was here, he began to feel on edge again. He didn't discriminate now, but as always, the war hadn't been kind.
Instinctively he stood in front of Daro, his sniper rifle not leaving his arms as he gave the hume a once over. The man was armed well enough for a soldier of his type, in fact he was more armed than anyone else in the team. A rocket launcher too, though he knew he that Ardan would put to shame whatever notions on how explosively prepared he was. Other than that he was strikingly similar to their last human teammate. He hoped that maybe this guy wouldn't be as expendable as the last.
He found this new face annoying almost immediately; ignorant to their reasons for fighting, and a jackass towards others unlike him. Ardan said his piece through and through, which left him with nothing. However, when the other turian left, Hazan went forward, inwardly biting his lip to keep in anything stupid he had to say.
"Excuse our teammate. He's new, he never knew that we had a human in our squad before you came along. Unlike him, I prefer to practice tolerance, especially towards people in our line of work. Name's Hazan Volintis, recon and sniper overwatch. Oh, and before you ask, the other human bit the bullet during the last raid. Shit's getting hairy and you showing up with extra firepower couldn't have come at a better time."
He extended a hand to shake as a form of greeting. Ryland, the last soldier that had been in their team, had gone down during the same raid that Nik had been hit in. They'd never recovered his corpse. Hopefully Jason would last longer.
His casual observation did not go unnoticed. Several of the other turians and assorted aliens in the immediate area took notice of the blonde haired, rugged looking man that appeared out of an elevator in one of the nearby buildings. This...present wasn't exactly a welcoming sight. Granted, their team was short on members but the last human present had...seen better days.
How long had it been since he'd seen a human? Not counting that other guy, it'd been years, and the wounds left by the war weren't kind. After the first human had bit the bullet, he'd relaxed loads, but now that another was here, he began to feel on edge again. He didn't discriminate now, but as always, the war hadn't been kind.
Instinctively he stood in front of Daro, his sniper rifle not leaving his arms as he gave the hume a once over. The man was armed well enough for a soldier of his type, in fact he was more armed than anyone else in the team. A rocket launcher too, though he knew he that Ardan would put to shame whatever notions on how explosively prepared he was. Other than that he was strikingly similar to their last human teammate. He hoped that maybe this guy wouldn't be as expendable as the last.
He found this new face annoying almost immediately; ignorant to their reasons for fighting, and a jackass towards others unlike him. Ardan said his piece through and through, which left him with nothing. However, when the other turian left, Hazan went forward, inwardly biting his lip to keep in anything stupid he had to say.
"Excuse our teammate. He's new, he never knew that we had a human in our squad before you came along. Unlike him, I prefer to practice tolerance, especially towards people in our line of work. Name's Hazan Volintis, recon and sniper overwatch. Oh, and before you ask, the other human bit the bullet during the last raid. Shit's getting hairy and you showing up with extra firepower couldn't have come at a better time."
He extended a hand to shake as a form of greeting. Ryland, the last soldier that had been in their team, had gone down during the same raid that Nik had been hit in. They'd never recovered his corpse. Hopefully Jason would last longer.
my Lalia The Master of Hugs
Member
Seen
2 yrs ago
Penoraya T'mivus - Raya
The present that Jek was giving them was none other than a human. This brought out a horrible reaction from Ardan, he obviously hadn't been with the team all that long as he wouldn't have threatened the human about looking at her. She was death incarnate, so his little out burst was annoying but also amusing. Haze acted civil, though it was easy to tell that he didn't trust the human. Which was made very clear as soon has he placed himself between Daro and the human. Daro just simply took things in stride and even joked a bit,which nearly made her smile. But the smile never reached her lips, the only time she smiled now was when she needed to or when she was being sadistic.
Raya glanced at Jek and could see that he was enjoying the little bit of drama that this human had suddenly brought up. The bastard must of known that she was looking at him, as he looked over at her. He was stilled pissed at her for killing Mevic, but his anger was lessened by a side perk she offered. Though she only offered to save Nik from the fall out of her actions. He smirked at her which made her roll her eyes before looking back at the human.
She gave the human a sultry smile as she looked him over. To everyone, except Nik and probably Haze, it would of looked like she was interested in the male. But the two that knew her best, would know that the small spark in her eyes was not one of admiration or flirtation. But more how a predator looks at new meat. But only they would know.
When it was her turn to introduce herself the smile was still playing on her lips, if only slightly. "Raya." She said not bothering to give her full name as it meant that he suddenly had useful information to get her with. She still had no idea why the others didn't do the same thing, but maybe it was a trust thing. Regardless she never gave out her full name as she had it bite her in the ass before. Hell she was probably still being hunted, but it was hard to find someone with only a first name.
She looked over at Nik and gave a small nod, it was to let him know that if he chose to keep the human then she would be okay with it. She couldn't look at Nik for long, as her chest began to hurt. Why? She wasn't sure, it could of been she was happy to see him up or she was ashamed at how far she had fallen since he was out. Or maybe it was a mixture of both. She looked back at the human, if he had said his name she didn't hear it, so he was simply the human to her. "Excuse me." She said coolly before turning and walking a short distance from the group.
She couldn't be around them, though it felt nice to be with them again, she had a growing feeling that she no longer belonged. The three weeks did a number on her, she slaughtered many people on both sides and she didn't care. Being that careless about life reminder her of the early days when she first started her killing career. She was angry and killed anyone, including the innocent.
How could she find her way back to not being the cold heartless bitch, or at least not as cold and heartless, as she was before the past three weeks. The torment in her head was like the storms that plagued the oceans of the Hanar home world. She could feel herself slipping if not falling into the darkness. Maybe it was for the best, but once you get use to the light, no matter how small that light is, it's hard to forget and you always want it back.
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