Interesting Times - Chapter 58 (Illium Arc End)

December 9th, 2173

20:10 

Illium, Tesale-System

Nos Astra 

"How did you find out," asked Nessara, also known as the Arbiter, as she leaned back in her chair and interlaced her fingers in her lap.

"I have to say, it took me some time to connect the dots. You did your best to obscure your traces, and many of those my people and I found did lead to nothing. Yet, you got too greedy and contacted the wrong people with your plans." I copied her by leaning back in my chair and adopting a relaxed posture as if my guards weren't outnumbered by hers in the room. "Well, it wasn't you personally who made the mistake. It was your pawn over there."

I waved my hand in Cicerio's direction, who sat to Nessara's right.

"You!" spat Cicerio and jumped out of his chair, clearly angry because of my taunt.

Nessara put her hand on his arm and said: "Calm down, Quintinius. Mr. Denebren is trying to make you lose your cool. Please don't play his game. He knows he's in a bad position and tries to find his feet again."

At her words, Cicerio visibly calmed down and sat back down. I couldn't help the smirk that appeared on my face. He was utterly under her thumb, and when I directed the smirk at him, I tried my best to convey my thoughts to him. It seemed to work as his mandibles flared, and his eyes were windows to the anger and hate he felt toward me, but he managed to control himself better this time.

Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Nessara still had her hand on his arm.

"What kind of mistake did my dear Quintinius commit?"

My smirk turned wolfish, and I tapped my foot twice on the floor. "Cerberus," I simply said and enjoyed the widening of Cicerio's and Nessara's eyes. "It seems like they like me more alive than dead. They couldn't tell me about your proposal fast enough after your agent went out of the door."

"Cerberus, huh?" scoffed Nessara. "I wouldn't have expected them to run to you. They seemed more ambitious than that. I have to say I'm disappointed."

I let out a short laugh. "To me, it seems like you haven't done your homework on Cerberus. They are ambitious. That's a fact. It's just that you missed what their goal is. Their goal is to put humanity at the top of the galactic food chain, and, in their eyes, I am one of the people who is going to make that possible. Killing me and throwing the Alliance into chaos is going directly against that goal. It wouldn't surprise me if those other people who were willing to go with your scheme are going to find their ambitions cut short, and not just by my retaliation but by theirs too.

Cerberus does not have any patience for those willing to stab their own people in the back at the words of outsiders."

The look Nessara sent me would make lesser people freeze in their place and unable to speak another word, but my smile only got bigger. In fact, I felt downright giddy.

Nessara, in her persona as the Arbiter, has given me much grief, and any chance to stick it to her was very welcome.

Of course, I let nothing of that show on my face other than the smirk I continued to hold to show that I wasn't intimidated by her and her show of force in the room.

Nessara's face looked placid as she asked: "Yet, even if this organization talked to you, there wouldn't be anything leading toward me. Even if you found everyone else we contacted. Quintinius was the one organizing the contact with the people inside the Alliance, and every clue you would have been able to gather would point toward him. Something useless to you since you already knew that he was working with the Arbiter to bring you down."

Oh, how I would have liked to have a wine glass in my hand to swirl it around like in those old movies to waste time before answering. I may be getting on in the age department, but my taste for the dramatic and flair was growing, too.

At least, I felt so.

In another decade or so, I could see myself turning around in a swivel armchair with a black cat on my lap that I was petting while explaining how my plans came to fruition.

The thought struck my mind, and it didn't want to leave. Why were we doing this? I was doing it because I sent out a signal to my troops to prepare to attack when I tapped my foot on the floor to activate the transmitter in my shoe. It would probably take a few more minutes before everyone was in place, and they would only attack when I tapped my foot twice again.

Of course, that depended on the factor that the signal could get out of the room. If they took the precaution of proofing the room against signals, that would be useless, and I would have to rely on the scouts on the skyscraper opposite the room to read the situation correctly.

After all, the visual signs I would have to give to communicate with them were extremely obvious so that no small gestures I did by chance could be mistaken for a sign to intervene.

"You are right," I returned to the conversation by acknowledging Nessara's conjecture. "Everything led back to Cicerio, at least from those contacted within Alliance territory. But these people weren't the only ones you contacted, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to weaken the Alliance as a whole if its power was simply shifted within. You needed people from outside to change the political landscape."

I could see how my words affected her as the anger in her eyes lessened marginally, and disbelief joined with it.

"After all, you wanted to improve your standing with the Matriarchs around Asari space. That's why you're planning to kill me in the first place instead of simply taking over all my assets here on Illium. And you weren't as careful with them as you should have been. Cicerio couldn't take your place then since they wouldn't have taken you seriously, and you wanted them to know that it was you who created the opportunity for the Matriarchs to take advantage of a weakened and disarrayed Alliance."

Nessara was about to say something, but I held up my hand to forestall her retort.

"I know what you're going to say, and you're right. None of the Matriarchs talked to me, and I didn't even try in the first place. But I didn't have to. The kind of moves they would have to make in order to take maximum advantage of my hypothetical death have to be prepared in advance. I just had to look at who prepared, when they started to, and the people who met them in the months before that. And guess whose name appeared on the flight schedules of planets far away from Thessia when you said you were trying to find somebody willing to sell me some property? And by the way, it's a rhetorical question."

Instead of getting angry and screaming at me, Nessara started to clap slowly. The sound of the clapping echoed through the otherwise silent room. It was a ghastly sound, and I had to admit that it sent a shudder down my back.

My smirk left my face, but a small smile returned to it after I noticed the trick she was using. She used her biotic powers, a relatively minuscule amount, around her hands to make the slaps sound more powerful.

I was sincerely impressed by her control over her biotic powers. Anytime before, I had only seen their use in combat situations or, very rarely, in construction zones. Yet, none of those had the sheer finesse I was seeing right now.

"It seems like I underestimated you," said Nessara. "After all, you didn't suspect me for quite some time, so I thought you didn't look through my acting."

"You had me fooled," I admitted easily and without a hint of shame or hesitation. "For most of the time even. The first time I was attacked by your forces was when I came back from our first private meeting, so you were on the list of suspects. But I falsely thought nobody would be so stupid to make themselves the prime suspect on purpose. If that was your plan, then I applaud you."

"The flattery is appreciated but unneeded. I just saw a chance and took it. The rest is a coincidence."

I hummed at her reply.

"Can we finally get on? While it's amusing to see you two exchange words, I would like to return to my business. I still have to coordinate the people to take over Denebren's business, Ma'am," interjected Cicerio with a deferential nod to Nessara. I had almost forgotten that he was even inside the room, Nessara's newly revealed presence drowning his without any effort.

"Patience, my dear Quintinius. Everything is going well," said Nessara with a smile and snapped her fingers.

On both sides of the room, a portion of the walls went sideways to reveal pathways where three soldiers each came through with rifles in their hands.

My two guards immediately raised their weapons and pointed them at the newly arrived troops, ready to shoot at the slightest sign that they were going to attack us.

Commander Abebe's hand also went towards her hip and her pistol, but my left hand shot out, and I grabbed her arm. She shot me a disbelieving look, and I shook my head in reply. Right now wasn't the time to attack as we were even more outnumbered than before, and our extra equipment wouldn't stand up to these numbers of opponents.

Despite her visible reluctance, Commander Abebe nodded and moved her hand away from her pistol, but I could see her clenched fists. She would have loved to draw her pistol and start shooting everyone not on our side to be done with this situation.

It wasn't like I couldn't understand her. If our positions were reversed and I was tasked with Abebe's protection, I would rather take action and take out any threats in the near vicinity than wait for something to happen and have to react instead of acting.

Yet, the time wasn't right.

I raised an eyebrow and asked: "A show of power and intimidation? Haven't we already established that you have more people here than I do?"

"Your people are well trained. Almost as good as professionally trained soldiers. I feel safer if my troops outnumber yours by a larger number. Otherwise, I don't like their chances against yours," admitted Nessara.

If her troops had any reaction to her words, I couldn't spot any.

In any case, a slight smirk returned to my face.

"Well, thanks for the compliment. I can't take full credit for their abilities by myself, but I convey your admiration to the people in charge of their training."

"How nice of you, but that will not be necessary. Or rather, you will not have the opportunity to do so," Nessara replied with a smile that was simultaneously angelic and cruel. "Or did you think otherwise?"

"I already thought this was going to be your plan, but I hoped you wouldn't go down this route. It is so uninspired."

"Not every plan has to be refined. Sometimes, it is better to make your hands dirty and return everything to its starting point. The Circle can be reestablished with new members. I have done it four times over the last three hundred years, so why not again?"

"Return to the beginning, huh? Will you kill De`Tiyoiv, too?" I questioned.

"That is already in motion. De'Tiyovi has a meeting, and sadly, her shuttle will have an engine malfunction that will end deadly. Thankfully, some of her assets will be transferred to the Circle accounts, so not everything is bad."

I blinked.

Nothing more.

While I had a beneficial working relationship with her, and we had been lovers for a time, there was no reason for me to try to prevent her death.

We were using each other to get what we wanted, and sex had been just an optional feature we wanted for the fun of it and not because we had any deeper feelings for each other.

Besides, what could I realistically do right now? Call her while more than a dozen guns were pointed at me?

Whether she lived or died would be up to her, and I knew she would have the same opinion if our roles were reserved.

Furthermore, after today, our paths would probably only cross during social functions on the Citadel since I wouldn't need her help with anything anymore.

"So, you're committed to making a clean sweep. Otherwise, you would let De'Tiyovi live since she never directly went against you or your goals."

"That's correct," replied Nessara. "The Circle can be rebuilt with new people. Perhaps under a different name, but it will continue."

"With your assets and the promises of the Matriarchs, the new Circle will be more influential and powerful than before," added Cicerio, probably already thinking he would live like a king and as one of the most powerful arms smugglers on this side of the galaxy.

Instead of being annoyed with him and his boasting, I gave him a pitying look and smile.

"So, you have the delusion that you will be a part of the future she envisions? Cicerio, you are a poor fool."

"What are you talking about? Of course, I will be!" he objected and turned to look at Nessara, who also gave him a look that wasn't hard to interpret.

"I'm sorry, my dear Quintinius. But Oscar is right. I said I would start anew, and I mean it."

She jerked her head in his direction, and every single one of her guard in this room raised their weapon and started to fire at him.

His personal shields didn't stand a chance and broke before he even had the chance to fully comprehend Nessara's words and what was happening around him.

Personally, I hoped that he quickly died before he could understand that he never was more than a convenient pawn for her and that the words she used to make her promises to him had been the only payment he would ever get from her for doing the dirty work.

If it had been me, I would have given him what he wanted. Good and loyal service should be rewarded, but not with a bullet in the back.

"Cold," I said from behind Commander Abebe, who had positioned herself between me and the rest of the room when the shooting started.

Nessara simply shrugged at my comment, ignoring the guns my guards pointed at her, something hers did not, and replied in kind by pointing theirs at me. "He was useful for a time, but I didn't see any value in a long-term partnership. And his crush was starting to annoy me. It had been cute at the beginning, but it got old fast. Using it was convenient, but over the centuries, I had much better partners than him. And I mean in every category that counts."

"That's more than I ever wanted to know. As long as it doesn't concern me, I don't want to know what you do behind closed doors," I replied with played and exaggerated disgust.

"Impressive," said Nessara. "A dozen guns pointed at you and not even a blink. The same guns that just killed a man, and you still can joke around. Is it just you, or are all humans so nonchalant and unconcerned about their imminent death?"

"I would say it is just me," I answered. "And you seem to think that I will die today."

"You don't?" Nessara asked, surprised. "I would not have thought you would deny what is right before you."

"And what is right before me? People with guns? You? Nothing insurmountable."

"Nothing insurmountable? I admire your bravery, but I have to say it is futile."

I narrowed my eyes. This conversation's topic was too focused on me and Nessara's desire to kill me. I still didn't know if my people were in position, and I had to prolong our talk to be absolutely sure that I wouldn't be left with only five people on my side, two of which weren't even in this room.

Just as I was about to try and steer the conversation in another direction, the communicator inside my shoe vibrated twice in short intervals.

I had to suppress the smile that wanted to appear on my face. Any sign that things were going to go my way wasn't something I should show right now if I wanted to keep the advantage.

Tapping my foot three times in response, I gave the order to slowly advance and take out as many hostiles as silently as possible to have an easier time when the situation went hot. Furthermore, they would be quicker at my position.

"It has nothing to do with bravery," I replied to Nessara, slowing my speech minimally so that nobody would notice but still waste some time. "I simply have confidence that I will walk out of here alive. Maybe with a few hairs out of place, but alive nonetheless."

"Quite the confidence you have. And as I said, admirable. It's a shame you are in my way and in the way of the plans for the Alliance of others among my people. If you weren't, you could have been great."

"That's debatable. I would say I did a lot to get the Alliance to where it is right now. And most people in the Alliance would say I am a great man. I should say that I am not, but I am not a person known for false modesty." I leaned forward, putting my elbows on the table and sustaining my chin on my hands. "You mentioned plans for the Alliance. Care to elaborate?"

Nessara copied my posture with an added smirk. "Why so curious? It isn't like it will have any use for you."

"Like you said, curiosity. Knowing things is something vital to people like us. You should understand. I don't think you are that different from me in this regard. It is like an itch we have to scratch. And since you are so sure that my death is imminent, treat it like the last request of a dying man."

"Well, you are not wrong about the itch you're talking about. You never know when some knowledge becomes useful," she mused. "And while you're right that one shouldn't deny a dying man's request, the knowledge wouldn't be of use to you. For me, it simply is that you're an obstacle and an opportunity to gain more power and wealth here on Illium and back on Thessia. For others? They want control. Control over the Alliance. I don't really buy into it, but a group back home sees themselves, and the Asari as a whole, as the guides toward the right future for the galaxy, and the Alliance is too strong and independent for them. So, they're looking for ways to gain influence over the direction the Alliance is going to evolve in the future. And you're the lever they want to pull to gain that control."

"So, typical Asari arroganz?" I asked.

"I wouldn't say that," Nessara waved my comment away. "We are perfect for such a position, but I don't see the appeal in trying to direct you hairless monkeys toward a fraction of our greatness."

"Hairless monkeys? I wouldn't have expected you to be a speciest," I commented. "You seem above such a petty thing."

"I am not," she countered. "I studied your history. Aren't you humans descended from monkeys? If your bodies were full of fur, I wouldn't be able to find a difference by sight alone."

I sighed at her words and couldn't help but roll my eyes. Hearing such casual insults from aliens in powerful positions wasn't unusual. Yet, I heard that particular insult often enough to tire of it.

Before I could say anything, be it insulting her or trying to stay polite, I heard a small explosion. From the volume and the vibrations reaching the room, I guessed it happened two floors below us.

"What was that?" Nessara asked while jumping off her chair, which tumbled down to the ground.

"I would say that my people currently are fighting their way up and should be here in a few minutes," I replied, leaning back in my chair and putting my right hand on my cheek.

Not a second after I finished talking every single hostile gun was pointed at me, and Nessara gained a blue corona when she activated her biotic powers.

In response, my people grouped themselves around me, and Commander Abebe pulled out her pistol while her left hand hovered over a small box at her hip, ready to throw the transportable shield barrier to create a defense between me and the rest of the room.

"You really think they will be here in time?" Nessara hissed, and her biotics flared up. "In this room are enough people that you and yours will be dead before a single one of your reinforcements even arrives on this floor."

"Let's agree to disagree," I replied and used my right index finger to draw a small circle in the air while tapping my right foot twice in rapid succession.

Not waiting for anything to happen, I threw myself to the ground, the rest of my team following me down to the ground. At the same time, Commander Abebe detached the portable shield generator from her armor but didn't deploy it immediately since she knew what would happen.

As if waiting for this moment -which could be a very true statement- the glass front on the other side of the room broke and flew inwards, showering the room in splinters.

Yet, there were far more important things to worry about.

For example, how more than half of Nessara's troops fell dead to the ground in the next ten seconds before they could react to the sudden attack.

As the portable shield deployed, the door behind me sprang open, and the two guards who had remained outside sprinted into the room. One of them was less sprinting and more dragging himself with a limp leg, yet before he could find any cover, a member of Nessara's troops took the opportunity and gunned him down.

That one didn't have the chance to rejoice about taking out one of my few guards before Commander Abebe bent around me and returned the favor with a couple well-placed shots from her pistol.

Sadly, the snipers I had placed on the skyscraper with a view of this room did not have a clear field of view anymore after Nessara's troops ducked and she activated the emergency window shutters. Furthermore, the confusion of the attack faded away, allowing Nessara and her troops to reorganize themselves and mount a counterattack.

The shield before slowly turned red from the barrage of gunfire trying to get to me, indicating its weakening. Yet, before it could collapse from gunfire, a wave of biotic power came from the other side around the room, throwing me and my group toward the wall on our side.

The only reason we weren't immediately beset by Nessara's troops was that her biotic push destroyed the table in the room, and her troops dove instinctively out of the way of the flying debris.

As I slammed against the wall, my kinetic barriers absorbed most of the damage, but as I took a deep breath, I knew that some of my bones were bruised. Nothing that a few days of rest wouldn't heal, but I would need to be alive to have the time.

My eyes fixed on the other side of the room, and I could see Nessara slowly walking toward me through the destroyed room, her troops fanning out through the room, keeping their guns trained on my guards and Commander Abebe, and only Nessara's raised hand stopped them from outright shooting us. After all, they didn't have to fear any snipers anymore due to the emergency shutters.

"A valiant effort, but ultimately useless. I will be long gone before your body even drops cold on the ground."

She lifted her own pistol toward me and recognizing the model, I knew that it would overwhelm the remaining charge of my shields and burst my chest open like an overripe fruit.

"It's been..."

Before she could finish her sentence, two things happened at the same time.

Commander Abebe jumped toward me in an effort to shield me from the bullet, and the emergency shutters exploded inward, startling everyone in the room.

Nessara fired her weapon in surprise, and the bullet ripped through Commander Abebe's arm, blood splashing over my face.

Yet, the other bullets that started to fly were far more important since they tore through everyone still standing, which amounted exclusively to Nessara and her troops, dropping them like flies.

I looked to the newly opened wall on the other side and could see a shuttle hovering right outside, its side door open, and six soldiers in Ad Astra colors with their rifles in their hands standing there.

"Perfect timing!" I shouted. "Now, get in here and bring your medic. We've got wounded."

My head turned to Abebe, and I asked concerned: "How is it?"

"I will survive. It is only a flesh wound. The bullet didn't hit anything vital," Commander Abebe reassured me.

Trusting her judgment, I gave her a nod and helped her stand up.

She held the arm with the wound, her pistol still clenched tightly in her hand.

I slowly walked toward where Nessara had fallen and looked down at her body.

She was still alive, her breathing rattling, and the blood filling her mouth was dribbling down.

Seeing this, I held out my hand to Commander Abebe, who understood what I wanted and put her pistol in my hand.

Lifting the pistol to Nessara's head, I looked into her eyes, and I could see the realization in them. With a smile, I repeated her words back at her.

"A valiant effort, but ultimately useless."

My finger pulled the trigger, and a bang ended the threat of the Arbiter.

I turned to Commander Abebe, who was seen to by a medic, and said: "Let's clean this up. I will have to bribe some people to ignore this mess, but we will be off Illium before the week is over. Furthermore, I think we all deserve a small vacation back in Alliance territory after all this excitement."