Spectres: Sentinels of the Galaxy (Dovahkiin/Clairvoyance)

[Clairvoyance]

Neela

"Attention all crew members of the KS-9 Exodus. This is Neela'Solaan vas Wae-..vas Exodus, one of your captains. Please report to docking bay G13, we will be leaving shortly." A Quarian's tell-tale accent rang throughout the Citadel, broadcasting her ship's upcoming departure to all. She told the announcer to broadcast the message for a few more minutes, then left the small, compact room.


Outside, the Citadel's beauty was stretched out before her. A seemingly never-ending expanse of fountains, glass and technology that she doubted she'd see for a long while. "This is it, Nee. Time to go kick the galaxy's ass back into gear." She said to herself, grinning behind her mask and setting off for the Exodus.


When she reached the ship, there were people crowding around it and asking each other what was happening. When one of the only Quarians on the citadel and the only Quarian Spectre currently alive made an announcement, people tended to listen. "Unless you're part of my crew, back off. I don't need all of you blocking the way for other, more important people." She yelled over the throng. Now was the part where people realized she was an asshole, and they had better things to do. Most people quickly dispersed, but a few stubborn onlookers remained.


A well-sized group made up of various races, genders and ages had assembled in front of the ship. None of them were at attention, but they'd managed to stand in an organized line from lowest ranking to highest. "Alright, that's most of the crew..now where's my co-captain?" She asked everyone. Unfortunately, no-one seemed to have an answer for her -- as per usual. "Damn Turian..." She mumbled, scanning the remaining crowd. If he didn't move his ass, Nee was easily considering leaving him. After all, then she wouldn't have to share.

 

[Dovahkiin]

Theoros Verisis



"Look, I don't have ti-" Theo words were cut short when the Hanar pushed onwards, its tentacle-like limbs writhing beneath the being seemingly on their own volition. He felt what little patience he had left crumble, and in its place, urgency.


"This one believes the other would benefit greatly from learning about the Enkindlers. Does the other --"


"No." Theoros darted around the Hanar and made a beeline for the docking bay, cursing beneath his breath as he heard his co-captain's Quarian voice being broadcasted to the Citadel to announce, for the third time, that the K-9 Exodus was close to departure. The thought of being late -- dead-last, he was almost sure -- to the day he was supposed to rally up his crew, step on board a ship he was co-captain of, and set off to deal a dose of justice didn't bode well with him. It probably wouldn't settle well with the rest of the crew, either. Rounding a corner, docking bay G13 came into sight, and though he should have felt relief, he felt a pang of panic, seeing everyone crowded nearby and his co-captain standing at the ready. "Shit, shit, shit," he wheezed.


When he drew closer, the Turian slowed to a jog, figuring that if he was going to at least greet the crew he's kept waiting, he'd need to have the breath to do it. He halted as he made it to the group, flashing a wave of the hand before making his way to stand by the co-captain's side. "Will explain later," he murmured, hopefully quiet enough only for her to hear, before his attention snapped to his crew. Giving a tilt of his head to the ship, Theo said, "Let's get this show on the road, shall we?"

 

[Clairvoyance]

Neela

Neela had begun to pace slowly in front of the crew, somewhat annoyed that her co-captain hadn't been ready well before it was time to leave. "Am I just weird?" She wondered, stopping in her tracks. "I did get ready almost two hours before I made the announcement.."


At that point, however, she saw a Turian enter her peripheral vision and turned to greet him. He seemed somewhat out of breath, and stopped close to her murmur, "Will explain later," in her ear. With the slightest incline of her head, she ignored the lateness and turned to the crew as well. "Everyone report to your stations. Dismissed!" She yelled, grinning slightly behind the mask, before turning back to the Turian. "I've always wanted to dismiss someone."


The crew began to file into the ship one by one until Theoros and Neela were the only ones in the docking bay. The few remaining onlookers had left by now, and the ship was in tip-top shape and ready to go. All that was left now was to get on and go.


"I'm sure you heard over the intercoms, but I'm Neela'Solaan vas Wealin." The Quarian clasped her hands behind her back and winked at the man in front of her. "I'm sure you have a good reason for being late. You can explain on board. For now, I want to get going!" She stepped towards the ship, then growled and shook her head. "That's not my name anymore, damn it...Neela'Solaan vas Exodus. The Migrant Fleet decided I needed to show 'honor' being picked for this." She sighed, then shrugged. "Oh well. Don't make me regret accepting this." She joked, then walked into the ship. In reality, she was serious. If he made her regret taking this assignment, she'd make him pay.

 

[Dovahkiin]

Theoros Verisis



Theo's eyes trailed after the crew as they filed inside, and he couldn't help but shake his head a bit. It was almost hard for him to believe he was put in in co-charge of a ship on a journey to be the harbingers of stability in the galaxies -- not that he was incompetent, otherwise he would've surely been revoked of his Spectre title -- but he never saw himself as much of the leaderly type. Sure, he could give orders and muster up battle plans, but this felt like something else entirely. Normally, he'd chafe under the scrutiny of the Council's gaze, but both his Quarian co-captain and he were given the opportunity to take risks freely. Being a man of his own was something he cherished before becoming a Spectre; this was different. Gone were the days when the only life at stake was his own when he'd gamble with death, and now, replacing it, the duty to lead. He couldn't decide if he should feel nervous or excited, so he settled for something in between, inclining his head to the Quarian as she spoke.


"Theoros Verisis," he replied, then gave a quick, dry chuckle. "And wouldn't dream of it."


He fell into step with Neela. Stepping inside the Exodus, Theo swiveled his head to take in his surroundings: the latest technology, glowing beneath the lights scattered throughout the ship, crew making conversation, oddly domestic, as they unpacked and compared their weapons, and a Quarian Spectre co-captain. As Theo watched the crew, he leaned a shoulder against the wall of the ship, one ankle crossed over the other. "They seem like a good bunch." His gaze didn't leave the group as he continued speaking, tilting his head to the side ever slightly. "You seen them in action yet?"

 

[Clairvoyance]

Neela

In a word, the Exodus was stunning. It had the most high-tech equipment, rivaling that of an Asari research ship, with a gorgeous, comfortable interior. The crew had begun to take their positions, talking amongst one another about what they were going to be doing, and what they were now a part of.


Neela herself was shocked at the amount of time, work and money must have been pooled into the ship and assembling a top-of-the-line crew. Credits upon credits poured into this mission -- Neela and Theo's mission -- in hopes of doing some damage to the criminal population. She had been honored after receiving the initial offer to be a part of this, but seeing it in person made things a thousand times more real.


Beside her, Theo stopped and casually leaned against the wall, asking if she'd seen how they worked together before. She shook her head in response, crossing her arms and cocking her hip. "No, not yet. This is the first time I've even set foot on the ship." She said, scoffing slightly. "The Council wanted to keep things below the radar until everything was ready."


"Captains, we have a slight issue." One of the crewmen strode up to the aliens, obviously agitated. "Our pilot isn't here yet."

 

[Dovahkiin]

Theoros Verisis



"No, not yet. This is the first time I've even set foot on the ship. The Council wanted to keep things below the radar until everything was ready."


Theo gave a shake to his head, sharing Neela's irritation. "The Council loves their little secrets, don't they?" His attention shifted over to one of the crewmen, his annoyance obvious as he told the captains that the pilot was yet to arrive. Theo pushed himself up from against the wall to stand, and as his eyes gave a hurried sweep over everyone on board only to find the crewman was right, his hand stroked his mandible. Today keeps getting better and better, the turian thought, then scoffed. The turian dove into thought, brainstorming a slew of possible solutions until he realized the crewman was still awaiting dismissal. "Thanks for the update," he told the crewman, who then mumbled a "welcome", dipped his head, and made a tense back to the crew's quarters. He looked to Neela.


"Listen, I don't think we should wait around for the guy." He damn near pointed out his own hypocrisy, but he figured digging himself a deeper hole wouldn't get him anywhere. "I've flown a few ships in my time," Theo began, though his tone held a bit of hesitancy. Not exactly legally, his mind slipped in, but he caught the words before they left his mouth. "I could fly this bad boy until we find another pilot or this one decides to be on time."

 

[Clairvoyance]

Neela

"You can say that again. They could probably fill a Prothean Obelisk with all the things they're hiding." Neela snickered quietly before registering the agitated crewman.


"Keelah..and here I was thinking you were slowest." The Quarian joked. In truth, she herself was rather annoyed that they'd have to wait for someone who'd gotten caught in traffic to get going. She couldn't fly to save her life, to her great disappointment, so when Theo told her that he had some minor piloting experience she was highly impressed. "That's impressive, Theo. I can't even fly, and my species lives on a damn armada!"


At that second, the airlock hissed open and a willowy red-haired human girl ran into the control center. "Captains, I'm so sorry I'm late!" She stopped to catch her breath, panting heavily. "My name is Claire Harlow, I'm the pilot. I got trapped behind a damn pack of Elcor. They're so slow..." Finally having refilled her lungs, the girl stood up straight and saluted.


Neela laughed slightly at Claire's description of the Elcor, reaching out shaking her hand. "No problem, right Captain Verisis?" She said, glancing back at Theo.

 

[Dovahkiin]

Theoros Verisis



Theo gave a few chuckles at the quarian's quips, and just as his mouth opened to return the favor, in burst a frantic, red-haired woman -- the pilot. The girl, through pants, introduced herself as Claire Harlow and apologized for being late, but since she'd been delayed by the elcor, Theo gave an understanding nod. He stole a glance at Neela before he extended his hand for Claire to shake.


"No problem at all. What's that phrase humans use for something slow? Snail-paced?" Giving a shake to the woman's hand, he allowed his own to fall back down to his side. "Welcome aboard."


"Uh, captains?" came a hesitant voice, and Theo's eyes fell down to a nervous crewmate as she hitched a thumb over her shoulder. "Sorry to interrupt, but Councilor Tevos wants to talk to you both in the holo-projection room." He bit back letting a sigh slip. Giving a nod, he sent a glance to Neela before making his way to the holo-projection room, his mind all the while running through the possibilities of what the Asari councilor could want. Theo found Tevos was already being projected when he arrived.


"Ah, good," Tevos began, voice formal. "I trust the ship is well-suited to your tastes, captains?" She didn't skip a beat to let them reply. "Good. A lot of resources have been spent getting you two here, and the we, the Council, have decided to put our faith into your abilities to be the harbingers of justice and bring stability where there is none. You're Spectres. And as such, you'll be given your first mission." Tevos' gaze fell from the duo and onto the transparent tablet in her hand, fingers deftly maneuvering about the device as she continued. "There have been reports of slave trafficking in the Omega Nebula -- we think a salarian named 'Zohin' is in charge, but we don't know much. Scout the area, report what you find. We know that this isn't much, but if what we have gathered is true, the slave trafficking ring has to be brought down. Do what you must to stop this, and good luck." With those parting words, Tevos disappeared.

 

[Clairvoyance]

Neela

Claire beamed a sparkling smile at the Captains before dusting off her clothes and turning around. She trudged out of the CIC, heading into the cockpit and flopping down in the pilot's seat. "Ah, home sweet home."


Neela glanced at Theo as Claire departed, then turned her attention to the fidgety girl behind her. "Sorry to interrupt," she said, shifting nervously from foot to foot. "but Councilor Tevos wants to talk to you both in the holo-projection room." Neela snorted, rolling her eyes. "That's a first. The only time that bosh'tet ever wants to talk to me is to tell me I've done something wrong.." The Quarian muttered the last part, shaking her head slightly but following Theo to the holo-projection room nonetheless.


Inside, Tevos awaited them. She was pacing though, so she must've been in some sort of hurry. This showed again when she asked what they thought of the ship, and then carried on without waiting for an answer. "There have been reports of slave trafficking in the Omega Nebula." She said after giving a little speech that Neela conveniently tuned out. "We think a Salarian named 'Zohin' is in charge, but we don't know much. Scout the area, report what you find. We know that this isn't much, but if what we have gathered is true, the slave trafficking ring has to be brought down. Do what you must to stop this, and good luck." Neela laughed humorlessly, nodding at her before she disappeared. "Damn right that's not much to go on!" Her words were lost though as the Asari had faded from view, echoing dully in the room.


With a sigh, Neela turned to Theo. "Keelah, I hate politicians...if anything is happening in the Omega Nebula, then it'll be connected to Omega itself, and whatever happens in Omega, Aria T'loak knows. We'll have to talk to her if we want to get anywhere with this."

 

[Dovahkiin]

Theoros Verisis



Theo let the sigh he'd held back earlier escape with full force. "Wonderful," he muttered. There was next to nothing to go off of, and while he was all for excitement, he wasn't keen on the idea of a wild goose chase, especially in the crime-ridden Omega Nebula. He hadn't been to Omega in years -- and wasn't looking forward to a reunion. Theo inclined his head to Neela as she spoke.


"Keelah, I hate politicians...if anything is happening in the Omega Nebula, then it'll be connected to Omega itself, and whatever happens in Omega, Aria T'loak knows. We'll have to talk to her if we want to get anywhere with this."


Aria's name was damn near close to the last one he wanted to hear, and he fought to keep his body from going rigid as Neela mentioned her. Though he'd only crossed paths with the crime lord a few times, it was a few times too many, a connection to his past that he could only wish his damnedest to sever and leave buried with the rest. Maybe she forgot, he thought. Hell, she's got to see at least a hundred faces in a day. It was an unlikely hope, but still one he clung to.


"Sounds like the best we've got," he managed. "She's gotta know something." Theo began to make his way out of the room, until he halted and turned to his quarian co-captain again, something akin to playfulness in his eye. "Shall we do the honors of telling the crew about our first mission?"

 

[Clairvoyance]

Neela

Neela grinned, turning away from the projection area and joining Theo by the door. "That sounds like a prefect idea, Captain Verisis." She took the lead this time, waltzing out of the room and returning the CIC.


As she walked, the Quarian took a moment to reflect on what the name Aria T'loak meant to her...almighty bitch sounded about right. Aria was stone cold and ruthless, and didn't take any chances, but she was as powerful as they came. She ruled Omega with an iron fist, and didn't discriminate when taking someone down. Neela had made a few discreet deals with Aria, one of which helped her tremendously when she earned her title of Spectre. After all the time around her, she had almost taken a liking to the Asari, or, if nothing else, a deep respect for her.


As she entered the CIC, all thoughts of Aria dispersed and were replaced by a feeling of excitement. "Our first mission.." She thought, looking around at the attentive crew and smiling. "This'll be fun."

 

[Dovahkiin]

Theoros Verisis



After telling the crew about the mission, Theo bid a few 'good nights' and retreated to his cabin. Try as he might, sleep eluded him, mind prodded awake by one name and one name only.


Aria.

Later, On Omega

Theoros couldn't count how many times he checked to see if he had enough medi-gel for the trip to Omega and then some, knowing he was going to march alongside Neela to attempt getting information out of Aria. It wasn't going to be easy, Theo was damn sure of it -- Aria only dealt with people who could benefit her somehow and always had the upperhand. The power she held over Omega was unrivaled, and someone who dared cross her was either stupidly brave or bravely stupid. The most common case was the latter.


Placing a hand on his pistol's holster, Theo stole a glance over his shoulder at the couple of crew members that came along. One, a stone-faced young human man whose face wore features of someone much older than he was, scanned the crowds with scrutiny, a scowl drawing his lips downward. The other was a woman, no more than forty, who'd offered to come since she was familiar with Omega and a few of its people. Both of them could hold their own in a fight.


Theo's gaze wandered around their surroundings. Though Omega was a crime hub, people bustled down its barely illuminated streets and disappeared off into dark corners or hopped in line for the Afterlife club. It was an odd feeling, being back at Omega after all these years when so much has changed, like time had rewound itself and thrown Theo right back where he started.


He looked at Neela. "Aria must be in Afterlife."

 

[Clairvoyance]

Neela

"Ah, the stench of alcohol and drugs that permeates Omega is still here. Wonderful." After a sound night of sleep, Neela was eager to return to Omega and pay Aria a well-deserved visit.


Her Disciple shotgun was strapped to her back, ever ready for use, but she doubted she'd need it. She was fairly well-known on Omega due to her not-so-discreet dealings with Aria, and everyone knew that the Asari kept her allies protected. To fuck with Neela would be nearly as bad as screwing with Aria herself.


"Ready everyone?" The Quarian asked, glancing back at Theo and the two crewmates. The woman gave a small nod, and the man, a brutish thing, was like stone. Theo seemed particularly agitated. He had a hand on his pistol, and continuously glanced around, seemingly in search of threats. "Ok then..let's go."


"Aria must be in Afterlife." Theo said. Neela nodded, replying, "Most definitely. Follow me."


She took the lead, walking straight up to the bouncer, a Batarian, and crossing her arms. "We're here to see Aria." The bouncer took a look at her, recognizing her after a moment's observation, and glanced behind her at Theo and the others. "Go ahead." He said. Neela waited for Afterlife's doors to slide open, then walked inside.


"Now probably isn't the best time to tell you this," She said, lowering her voice as they passed by another Batarian surrounded by a harem of Asari dancers. "but I've made a few deals with Aria before. Done a few favors for her in return." She stopped before entering Afterlife. Loud music was muted by the thick metal doors beside her, and yelling, jeers and catcalls were heard. "She'll talk to us, and I'll get us what we need. Ok?"

 

[Dovahkiin]

Theoros Verisis



"Most definitely. Follow me."





Theo does just that, trailing after Neela, grip on his pistol tightening the nearer they draw to the club and Aria. The fact he would be looking at the familiar face at one of the universe's most prominent crime masters -- again -- ties knots in his gut, and though he tries soothing his thoughts, his nerves still rattle with anticipation.


He strides past the Batarian, the doors opening moments later to reveal the famous, or rather infamous, Afterlife. Before he could slip inside, Neela snagged his attention.


"Now probably isn't the best time to tell you this, but I've made a few deals with Aria before. Done a few favors for her in return." He's struck with a concoction of emotions, varying from relieved to shocked, but he settles into something akin to a shaky solace. I'm not the only one, he thought and almost laughs. His mouth parts to tell her that dealing with Aria was something they had in common, but thinks better of it. After. After the meeting. "She'll talk to us, and I'll get us what we need. Ok?"





"That works," he says, nodding. "I'll just stand by and look tough." And with that, Theo proceeds to Afterlife.


Neon blue and purple lights illuminate the place, silhouettes of dancers flowing to the rhythmic beat of the music on a platform perched above the bar. The club seems busier than he remembered. People are littered all over the place; some are onlookers, enjoying the 'performance' of those who work here, and others are cluttered around the bar, looking for stuff stronger than what they served at average bars. Then his eyes catch a glimpse of the woman of the hour, power all but emanating from her -- Aria. Tearing his gaze away, he tries to redirect his attention to Neela. "There she is," he says, tipping his chin toward the Asari. "Ladies first."

 

[Clairvoyance]

Neela

"I'll just stand there and look tough." The Turian said, making Neela laugh. "That works too, I suppose."


As the metal doors hissed open, inviting a variety of scents, sights and sounds into the hallway, Neela sighed. The last time she had left Afterlife, things hadn't gone so well with a favor she'd done for Aria. The Asari hadn't been mad per say, as Neela had still gotten the job done, she was just disappointed that it hadn't been done the way she'd asked. Hopefully there were no hard feelings about that.


"There she is." Theo said, nodding his head towards Aria. She stood on her upper-level throne, looking down upon the nightclub and its customers. As soon as the doors opened, her eyes darted over to examine Neela, Theo, and the two crew members accompanying them. "I see her," Neela said, looking up and locking eyes with her. "And she sees us."


With a raise of her eyebrow, the Asari turned, seemingly bored, and sat on her plush couch, leaving the two Spectres' views.


"Ladies first." Theo said, waiting for Neela to take the lead once more. "Such a charming gentleman, aren't you?" She asked, grinning. "Wait here." She said to the Exodus crewmen, then turned and led her co-captain through Afterlife.


The Quarian weaved her way through the crowds around them, making her way to Aria's booth. Her guard, Grizz, laughed and crossed his arms. "Neela'Solaan...you've got a lot of balls coming back here. Aria was pretty disappointed on that last job you did." So much for 'no hard feelings'.


The Turian bodyguard's gaze shifted to Theo, and he shook his head. "I'm not even gonna ask why you're back here. It doesn't matter, Aria said she'll see you."


With a surprised glance at Theo and an annoyed glare at Grizz, Neela walked up the stairs to face the Asari Empress.

 

[Dovahkiin]

Theoros Verisis



"Neela'Solaan...you've got a lot of balls coming back here. Aria was pretty disappointed on that last job you did." Theo couldn't help but steal a glance at Neela, wondering what in the hell she'd done and how she managed to do Aria wrong. He supposed it wasn't hard -- one slip-up and Aria left you to be tracked down, hunted, and if you were lucky, killed instead of tortured. With that minuscule level of patience for others' mistakes, working with criminals seemed antithetical, but it was likely criminals' deep, unrivaled concoction of fear and respect that they had for Aria that kept them in line.


As the Turian bodyguard's eyes fell on Theo, he tensed. "I'm not even gonna ask why you're back here. It doesn't matter, Aria said she'll see you."





Well, shit. She remembers after all. He mentally cursed himself for being swept away in foolish hopes. Of course she remembers. She never forgets. He got into so much shit after one cowardly cop-out. Maybe it was well-deserved. Behind Neela and Theo, the two crewmates exchanged hard glances, shifting their weight from foot to foot.


"Welcome back," Aria says, words dripping in acid and spoken through a predatory smirk. She crosses her legs and leans into the couch while her eyes scour Neela and Theo with undeniable scrutiny. "I understand there's some... business to be conducted."

 

[Clairvoyance]

Neela

"Wait here." Neela said to the crewmates, leaving them on the stairs leading to Aria's private lounge. She didn't need them getting in the way, nor did she need a snarky comment slipping out of one of their mouths. Aria was in control, and if she felt like it she could kill them all on a whim.


"Thank you for seeing us, Aria. We need to ask a favor of you." Aria nodded, closing her eyes. "Of course you do. Sit." She ordered, nodding her head to the section of couch beside her. Neela complied, but stayed silent not knowing how to continue. "I'm surprised at you, Neela." The Asari said, shaking her head. "I did a lot for you, getting you your Spectre status, getting you out of Omega. And yet, here you are again, crawling right back to where you came from. Crawling right back to me." Aria's tone was mocking, amused at the situation they were all in.


Neela sighed, clutching her hands tightly. "We need information on a slave trafficking ring operating in the Omega Nebula." The Quarian said, her voice tight and restrained. Aria reminding her of her early years had made the girl go rigid, horrified that she would bring it up. She hadn't planned on ever telling Theo -- or anyone for that matter -- that she'd been born and raised on Omega, and the fact that Aria had announced it made things all the worse.


"You know how this works, Neela. You want something, you're going to have to take care of a little...problem for me."

 

[Dovahkiin]

Theoros Verisis



"Of course you do. Sit."


Theo did just that, his eyes all the while shifting from Aria to Neela. "I'm surprised at you, Neela. I did a lot for you, getting you your Spectre status, getting you out of Omega. And yet, here you are again, crawling right back to where you came from. Crawling right back to me." Aria's words were taunting, menacing even, and Theo had to restrain himself from snapping at the woman for her harshness towards Neela, only managing to do so by reminding himself that Aria was a cold crime master with a knack for offing people who got in her way. His attention fell onto Neela as she spoke about getting information about the slave trafficking ring, and he gave a nod. "You know how this works, Neela. You want something, you're going to have to take care of a little...problem for me."





"What's the problem?" Theo jumped in. Aria's gaze fixes on him like he's prey, and a dry, humorless chuckle bubbles out of her throat.


"Always a brash one, weren't you?" She clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "Mind yourself. Your old gang hasn't forgotten what you've done -- the few left, anyway -- and I doubt you'd want a reunion, hm?" His blood ran cold, and although he was packing enough firepower to take down a hoard of attackers, he felt weak. Aria did little more than cock her head to the side. "The problem is," she began, her words slow and low, "there's a Krogan sniffing around on Omega. He's a supposed mercenary, but he seems like trouble, asks a lot of questions. He goes by Bruiser -- obviously not his real name -- and skulks around Purgatory sometimes, usually by the bar. Find out what he wants."

 

[Clairvoyance]

Neela

Old gang? He was a merc? Neela threw a glance a Theo, tilting her head slightly. Well, I never would've guessed it. The Quarian returned her attention to Aria, bouncing her leg nervously.


"The problem is," she began, her words slow and low, "there's a Krogan sniffing around on Omega. He's a supposed mercenary, but he seems like trouble, asks a lot of questions. He goes by Bruiser -- obviously not his real name -- and skulks around Purgatory sometimes, usually by the bar. Find out what he wants."


Neela stood up, walking to Aria's lookout point. She looked down at the pulsing club, eyes darting from one area to next, before finally settling on a dark booth in the far corner of Afterlife. "There he is." She glanced back at Theo, gesturing at the Krogan below. Two Vorcha stood on either side of the booth, acting as guards, and joining Bruiser was a pair of Batarians. "Looks like he's having a little chat with a couple of potential clients." She joked, turning away from the club. "I say we do one of two things: wait until their little meeting is over and trail the Batarians, maybe rough them up for some info, or I can go do a little dance for them, and see if they have any incriminating information on them." She put her hands on her hips, swinging around seductively before laughing.

 

[Dovahkiin]

Theoros Verisis



Theoros followed after Neela as she stood and scanned the club from Aria's usual scoping point, watching her for a moment as she seemed to be taking in the scene. "There he is." His gaze shifted in the direction of her gesture, and he was quick to spot the Krogan. "Looks like he's having a little chat with a couple of potential clients." Theo cracked a half-chuckle as his eyes stayed on Bruiser, flanked by two Vorcha, as the Krogan talked to a couple of Batarians. He caught himself searching for a familiar face. "I say we do one of two things: wait until their little meeting is over and trail the Batarians, maybe rough them up for some info, or I can go do a little dance for them, and see if they have any incriminating information on them."





If Turians could smirk, he would've when Neela danced. "You give dance lessons?" he quipped, giving a chuckle. He stole a glance at the Krogan and his crowd. "We could do both," he said and his hand settled on the pistol strapped at his hip. "Dancing and kicking some ass sounds like a good night to me. You could go down there, swing your hips a little, and the crewmates and I could stay back in case things go awry." Without intending to, his eyes shot to Aria, but he was quick to pull them to his crewmates and then back to Neela. "Sound good?"

 

[Clairvoyance]

Neela

"How do you think I made a living before Aria picked me up?" She said, her tone indicating a sure smile behind the mask. "We'll be back, Aria. And we'll have your information. Just make sure you have ours." Being so curt with Aria was risky, but Neela wasn't in the mood for playing nice with the Asari.


The young Quarian took the lead once more, heading down the opposite stairs they walked up but stopping at the final step. "I like your idea. I'll get the Krogan away from the Batarians, no problem." She looked at the two crew members. "Wait for us in the second booth down those stairs." She gestured to a narrow, darkened staircase beside the four of them. "We'll bring the Krogan there." The two nodded, drawing their pistols and heading into darkness.


"Theo, you just wait here for me. When I bring the Krogan this way, follow behind me as discreetly as possible." She moved to walk away, then stopped. "Aria would be very, very pissed off at us if we start a firefight in the middle of Afterlife." Neela pulled out her shotgun and gave it to Theo, then turned, swinging her hips as she made her way to Bruiser and his thugs.


As she expected, the Vorcha hissed and raised their assault rifles as she neared them. The Krogan quickly stopped speaking to the Batarians, and everyone watched her closely. They could see that she was unarmed, but were still highly suspicious.


Above, Aria watched the spectacle with moderate interest. It most definitely wasn't what she'd have done, but she knew that Neela rarely failed when she set her mind to something. She shifted her gaze to Theo, catching his eye and grinning maliciously. No words were needed to say that neither he or Neela were in the clear yet, and that this task was but a stepping stone to her forgiveness.


Neela hopped onto the table, spreading her legs for the men and throwing her head back, running her hands along her body. The Krogan laughed, and sent the angry Vorcha away with a wave of his hand. Perfect. Neela thought, standing on the table now and turning around slowly in a circle, swinging her hips to the beat of the music. The Batarians relaxed, sitting back and enjoying the show, but Bruiser sat forward, wearing an extremely interested expression. "Never seen a Quarian whore before." He said, laughing and grabbing Neela roughly. He pulled her over to himself, running his rough hands along her sides.


Neela was grimacing behind her mask, but kept up the attitude she'd started with. "Female Krogan aren't the only ones who like facial scars." She said, gently moving his hands and turning around to straddle his lap. She leaned in close to his ear. "Why don't we go to the back rooms, big boy?" Before the Krogan could even register her words, he felt the sharp point of a knife in his side. With a growl, he stood and moved out of the booth. Neela never let go, keeping the dagger firmly pressed against him.


Once they'd passed Theo, Neela made a subtle gesture, indicating that the Turian should follow. Back at the table, the Batarians were none the wiser and wore annoyed, impatient expressions. The Quarian's plan had gone perfectly.