Mass Effect 2 - 8 - Thane - Deception Part 1

Plot: A rewriting of all scenes in ME2 involving Shepard and Thane.

Featuring: FemShep, Samara
Timeline: During ME2
Content: Samara's loyalty mission, part 1.
Eighth part of Mass Effect 2 - Thane Series

Note: I'm afraid Thane isn't present in this part of Deception. BUT you can see where I'm getting at *evil smile*

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Miridian entered the elevator and hit the button of the Crew Deck. She was truly curious about why Samara had summoned her, though she guessed it had something to do with that fugitive she was after. So she hurried to the Port Observation Deck, the Justicar's quarters, and called on the interface:
- Samara, it's Shepard.
The doors unlocked and the young woman was allowed in. She found Samara standing near the large window, staring at the infinite void. The Commander immediately noticed that the old Asari was tensed; with time she had become able to identify the slight changes in her expression and behavior, so many tiny signs of her internal feelings.
- Thank you for coming so promptly, Commander, the Justicar welcomed, facing her.
She waited for the doors to close before going further:
- I must ask for your help… She stated softly, turning back to the window. That is not easy for me.
Miridian observed her a moment then walked quietly to her side.
- I've asked a lot of you, Samara, she replied composedly. It's only right that he works both ways. Just tell me what you need.
The Asari exhaled, apparently pondering on her next words. Eventually, she spoke:
- When we met on Illium, I told you about a very dangerous person I was pursuing. Using the information you obtained, I've located her.
Shepard remained silent, patiently waiting to learn more.
- She's been going by the name Morinth. I would like to apprehend her before she disappears again.
- You said she was an Ardat-Yakshi, the Human recalled. I know they are deadly criminals, but I couldn't find much more about them.
- That is not surprising, Commander, Samara replied immediately. My people try to hide them as much as they can. Ardat-Yakshi is a term from a dead asari dialect that means "Demon of the Night Winds". But that is only mythology. She only a very dangerous woman who kills without mercy.
The Justicar looked away from the window to face her interlocutor:
- Morinth suffers a rare genetic disorder. When she mates with you, there is no gently melding of nervous systems. She overpowers yours, burns it out, hemorrhages your brain… You end up a mindless shell, and soon after you are dead.
Miridian swallowed with difficulty. She had experienced asari melding in her young years more than once, and suddenly realized than innocent riotous girls like the one she used to be were probably the Ardat-Yakshi's favorite targets. She felt lucky for never encountering one before.
- I can see why this is worthy of your full attention, she agreed.
- She confuses her victims, twists their feelings, Samara explained. They will do anything for her favor.
- So I guess stopping an Ardat-Yakshi requires subtlety, the soldier understood. If you attack her directly, she could use her victims as a shield.
- Precisely.
The Commander was silent for a moment, lost in consideration, before finally asking:
- You said you needed to ask for my help, Samara, but I'm a soldier… What do you want me to do?
- For now, I would simply like your help to investigate Morinth's trail before it grows cold, the Asari replied gently. When I know exactly what she is up to, I will devise a plan.
Miridian nodded:
- Just give Joker the coordinates and we'll go immediately.
- Thank you, Commander, her squad mate answered gratefully. There are no words to express what this means to me.
The young woman was about to take her leave when Samara added:
- There is one thing more.
The Human stopped and looked back at her, raising an eyebrow.
- This creature, this… monster, the Justicar trailed off. She is my daughter.
"Oh." Miridian thought, not expecting anything like this. She hadn't imagined this chase was actually something that touched the old warrior personally. How could someone like this righteous Asari give birth to a murderer?
She hesitated: she wanted to show Samara her sympathy, but what did she know really? Who in this galaxy shared the common experience of mothering a sick and perverted being that would later force her to kill her? How could you be at peace when your only purpose in life was to slain your own progeny?
If she knew the Justicar – and she thought she did as much as one could after knowing her only such a short time – Samara would take any gesture of comfort as pity, and would refuse it. She understood the feeling; Miridian herself didn't let many people see her distraught and even more rarely accepted her entourage's compassion. It was easier to bear with the affliction alone… Nice sentiments always had a noble intent, but they only made you crumble when you needed it the least.
So she pushed away any idea of feeling sorry for the Asari, instead saying neutrally:
- It's a heavy burden, Samara. But it's necessary. If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know.
The woman remained silent, but Miridian could see that she'd made the right call.
- How did all this happen? She asked after a pause.
The Justicar motioned, pacing very slowly inside the cabin as she explained:
- I spent my youth on the move, adventuring. I killed people, mated with them, or simply danced the night away.
The Human had to resort to all her self-control to avoid reacting at that description: it sounded exactly like the two years she had spent with Kalia. Well, after all there was a reason why she called them her "maiden years"…
- I learnt so much, experienced so much, Samara pursued, oblivious of her companion's inside turmoil. And then my matron days came… I could finally sit back, bask and enjoy my family.
She walked back to the window and stared at the empty space again, concluding:
- But in one moment… It was all taken away.
That too sounded familiar, Shepard silently acknowledged with sadness.
- I sat in a med lab while a near-sighted doctor droned at me, Samara continued, her voice steady, and I learnt that nothing was as it thought I would be. I gave up all that I possessed. I own nothing, claim nothing, all my knowledge will die with me. Now my purpose is to destroy my own children.
Miridian was lost for words, which was rare enough to be noticed. She knew the life of a Justicar was one of solitude and ordeals, but she'd never expected it to be so… raw. The only comparison she could think of was if she suddenly abandoned everything that made her anything else than a soldier, and lived like this for centuries. Nothing familiar, nowhere to come back to… only duty. And the hardest of all.
Yet Samara wasn't devoid of feelings. Shepard had seen, watching from the sidelines, how much the Asari seemed to enjoy having company for a change. She always looked glad to share a conversation with her every day. Like for Thane, loneliness wasn't exactly a choice of live for Samara, but more a habit that was the logical result of her secluded life.
- If it is what must be done, she eventually replied, I will help you find Morinth.
- She must be stopped, the Justicar confirmed firmly. There is no doubt about this.
Shepard nodded and slowly exited the room. She was more than willing to help her squad mate finding this peace before they threw themselves into that suicide mission. And if she had to take on an Ardat-Yakshi to reach that goal, she would do it without a hesitation.

The following day, the Normandy docked Omega, where Morinth's trail stopped. Samara had tracked her there and was certain her daughter still hid somewhere on the untamed station. Shepard immediately suggested they brought their investigation to Aria. Having her little blue hands on everything that happened on the mushroom rock, the asari "queen" was sure to know something that could help them pinpoint the Ardat-Yakshi's location.
Aria T'Loak received the two women almost immediately and asked, without ceremony:
- What do you need, again?
- And here I thought we were friends, the Commander joked with dry wits.
- Don't make me waste my time, Shepard, the Asari retorted.
The Human could tell the Justicar's presence was making Aria quite uncomfortable, no matter how much she tried to conceal it. Usually, the Asari couldn't stop staring at Shepard's bottom when she was around; while this time, she ceaselessly casted cold glances at her bodyguards. So the Commander went to the point:
- An asari fugitive is hiding out here. She's an Ardat-Yakshi. We need to find her.
Miridian immediately noticed Aria's relief at realizing that Samara wasn't on Omega for her. The "queen" definitely disliked any kind of authority representative… to Shepard's exception maybe.
- I knew it, she replied, frowning. Nothing leaves a body quite so… empty… as an Ardat-Yakshi does.
- You haven't taken steps to kill her? Samara inquired with curiosity.
Aria shrugged:
- Why would I? She hasn't tried to seduce me.
- Maybe you're not her type, Miridian couldn't help quipping, enjoying her regular jabbing contest with the Asari.
- Maybe you are, Aria shot back immediately.
Miridian's eyes smiled.
- Her last victim was a young girl, she pursued, responding to Samara more personally. Pretty thing. Lived in the tenements at… this address.
She used her omni-tool to send it to Shepard, before concluding:
- That's where I'd start looking.
- Thanks for the help, Miridian replied, standing up to leave.
- Good luck finding her, Aria wished them. Better luck catching her.

Not long after, Shepard and Samara knocked at the door of the suggested apartment, in another part of the station.
A woman opened to them, a Human with brown hair tied into a bun. Age fifty or more, Miridian estimated, but the person in front of her looked so tired and desperate it was difficult to be sure. She stared at them, her hand on the interface ready to shut it back down, her expression suspicious. The Commander realized she'd have to play her part well:
- Excuse us, Ma'am. We were told a young girl went missing in the neighborhood, she immediately asserted with her Spectre tone. We're here to investigate.
The woman detailed her from head to toe, and eventually the quality of her armor seemed to convince her for she relaxed a little and replied, her voice shaky:
- You must be here for my daughter, then. My Nef died a week ago… and no one seemed to care.
She moved to the side to let them in and locked the doors behind them. Then she moved to a sofa that had seen better days and sat there while Shepard asked:
- May I ask your name, Ma'am?
- Oh, yes of course… My name is Diana Hartman. I- I work at the restaurant around the corner.
The young woman let Samara take a look inside the apartment while she kept Diana's attention and sat in an armchair in front of her, meeting her eyes and speaking with a comforting voice:
- All right, Mrs. Hartman. You said you daughter died?
Her interlocutor nodded, her eyes watery:
- The medics said it was a brain hemorrhage, but that's not true. It was murder. Someone killed my Nef… my baby.
Miridian felt for this mother who had just lost her only child. It reminded her of the conversation between Hannah and herself when she'd come back from the dead… How much her mother must have suffered when she learnt about her death! But it was even worse for this woman, as it was very unlikely someone would spend billions of credits to bring her back. Life was never fair. She said gently:
- I think she was murdered, too, Ma'am, and I'm looking for her killer.
The old woman extended her arms to take Shepard's hands, exclaiming gratefully:
- Oh, thank you! It's so hard when no one believes you…
"Yeah, tell me about it…" Shepard thought bitterly, preferring not to remember how many times she wished people took her on her word.
- I'm all alone now, Diana added on a heartbreaking tone.
The Commander squeezed her fingers gently, hoping to bring her a little warmth by doing so. Nef's mother seemed to calm down a little and locked eyes with her, as if she was finding some relief in the depths of her black gaze. She shuddered a little:
- Are you… one of Aria's people?
She'd feared that question. She couldn't say she was from the Alliance – she still hoped to walk the station without being recognized – and it was out of question to say she worked for Cerberus. So instead, she chose a response that was not completely a lie:
- I work for Malira, Mrs. Hartman. I was sent here to apprehend a dangerous criminal. I think that person killed your daughter.
Diana squeezed her fingers tighter:
- I knew I should have contacted you! No one else on this hell-hole gives a damn that my Nef is dead. I wanted to call Malira but… I thought they would never send people all the way to Omega. If you're here to stop her assassin, I'll help you however I can.
- Thank you, Mrs. Hartman, we really appreciate it, Miridian answered sincerely. May I ask you a few questions about your daughter?
The old woman slowly shook her head in agreement.
- Did Nef have a lot of friends? The Commander started, as patiently and calmly as she could.
- Not a lot, no, Diana answered immediately. She was shy. Spent most of her time off making her sculptures, not hanging out with friends. Something did change in the last few weeks, though. She started talking about an Asari, Morinth.
Samara and Shepard exchanged a knowing glance. Bingo.
- I see, the Justicar said in a breath, walking back to stand next to the Commander's chair.
- I didn't like her, the Human pursued, a little more aggressively. She kept dragging Nef out to clubs, and I'm pretty sure she gave my daughter drugs.
Miridian's eyes narrowed and she frowned slightly. Drugs? That was even worse than she thought. And she was ready to bet the Normandy that the Ardat-Yakshi was using Hallex. A little expensive sure, but that trash was perfect to trick a victim's senses and lead her more easily to her deathbed… or rape bed, depending the case. She couldn't recall how many times she'd had to punch shady characters who'd tried to give that crap to Kalia, back during her "maiden years".
She turned to Samara, asking on a lower tone:
- Does Morinth control her victims with drugs?
- She controls them through sheer will, the Justicar murmured. The drugs are just a lifestyle. She loves the club, loves the bass. She's what you call a hedonist.
"Charming… a hedonist and a serial killer." Miridian silently groaned. She turned back to the mother of the victim:
- What kind of a person was this Morinth? The Commander inquired, curious to know more.
- I never met her, Diana clarified, but Nef talked about her like she was a queen. You'd swear there was no one else alive when she talked about Morinth.
- That sounds familiar, Samara whispered to Shepard, resting a hand on her armored shoulder.
The young woman nodded. They were clearly on the right trail, now if they could target a specific location…
- Did Nef hang out anywhere in particular?
- She was always quiet, working here at home. Then a few weeks ago, she started going out all the time, to that VIP club down the street, the Insanity. I think you need a password or something to get in there.
"Note to self: ask EDI to look for that password." The Commander commented silently.
- The change was so sudden, Diana pursued, her eyes shining with contained tears again. She just seemed… tired and distracted when she wasn't around Morinth.
That sounded a little extreme… Even when you had feelings for someone, it shouldn't change who you are. Though from what she understood Nef was of a fragile constitution. She asked softly:
- What kind of a girl was your daughter?
A light of pride illuminated the old woman's eyes:
- My Nef had a fire inside her. She was shy but, she was creative and driven and… the best girl a mother could hope for.
That explanation caught the Justicar's attention:
- You said she made sculptures?
- Yes. Several galleries were interested in her, said her work was fresh. I can show you if you want, her room is full of them.
She stood up and led them through a corridor to another door that she opened, revealing a small modest teenager's bedroom.
- I didn't want to disturb anything, Diana explained, her voice faltering as she spoke. Her clothes, her art, her sculptures… Everything is the way she left it. The way it will always be. My baby is gone…
She lowered her head and Miridian caught sight of tears starting dreaming down her face.
- She's gone, the old woman repeated, sobbing. And nothing will fix that.
She couldn't stand there and do nothing: Shepard walked to her and gently patted her back.
- I'm sorry for your loss.
- Thank you… Diana whispered, crying. I just… miss her so much.
- I know what it means to lose a daughter, Samara intervened sternly. I will avenge her.
- Thank you, the old Human said again, grateful. Please, if it helps you find her killer, look through her things. I- I don't mind.
- We will be respectful, the Justicar swore.
- Nef will rest easy soon, Ma'am, the Commander added, releasing her. I promise.
Diana Hartman nodded slightly and the two warriors started searching the room's content with clever eyes, avoiding disturbing anything if they could. Miridian took a look at the victim's art, her eyes lingering on a beautiful little sculpture with many elegantly polished details. Diana noticed her attention and said:
- Nef made that. A man from some gallery offered me four years' salary for it. But I'd never part with it.
- She was certainly talented, the Commander approved.
Among the girl's belongings, Samara found a message that was clearly from Morinth, but it mainly spoke of art and they couldn't get anything useful from it. As the Justicar pursued her search, Miridian started peeking into Nef's personal console… Many people had their lives registered on them.
Double bingo. She found the girl's holo-diary and started playing the latest entries. Nef's voice echoed inside the small room:
- Hey, diary. Cycle 34, orbit 671. There's a lot to talk about. I dropped Jaruut's name and they let me into the Insanity. I was sure everyone was staring at me. Then, the most beautiful Asari starts dancing near me. She moves like water; form and volume but shifting, changing… I'm in a trance. Then I'm dancing with her! Later, we went for skewers, and I'm supposed to see her again tomorrow.
"Note to self: forget the previous note." Miridian thought with satisfaction.
She then played the next log:
- Cycle 36, orbit 671. Am I a freak? Morinth is a girl like me, and she's definitely not human.
"Yeah, no kidding. She's blue and has an octopus on the head, but how did you figure it out?"
The soldier wanted to roll her eyes: how could a girl still be so naïve in 2185? She should have been bothered by the fact that this Asari was clearly nearing the end of her maiden days and not yet mated despite the fact that she was incredibly attractive… not by the fact that she was a girl of a different species! But Nef wasn't done:
- Just… when we dance, and the Hallex is flowing through me…
"Triple bingo, and I get to keep the Normandy."
- The way she looks at me… with a hunger, a longing… No one's ever looked at me like that. We kissed tonight.
She'd heard enough. She played the very last entry and dread filled her veins when she saw that Nef looked absolutely ecstatic:
- Cycle 42, orbit 671. She's going to take me to her apartment tonight! Whatever happens, I want to be with her forever. She can sell my pieces. We can live somewhere glamorous, like the women in Vaenia, that vid Morinth likes… How did this happen to me? I'm just dumb trash from Omega.
"Hell… This girl had serious self-esteem and affection issues."
Sometimes, Miridian was glad nobody could read in her thoughts.
She closed the holo-journal and Samara whispered to her ear:
- This is Morinth's work. She is attracted to artists and creators. Someone with a spark, slightly isolated from their peers. She impressed with sophistication and sex appeal. Then she strikes. The hunt interests her as much as the conquest.
The Ardat-Yarkshi was definitely a menace. Shepard couldn't agree more:
- Anyone who's successfully hunted sapient beings for 400 years warrants caution, she replied on a low tone too. Let's head back to the Normandy, I'd like you to tell me more about Morinth.
- Of course, Shepard.
The Commander turned back to Diana:
- We have everything we need, Mrs. Hartman. Thank you again for your help. I will keep you informed of any progress in our investigation.
- Thank you again, Officer, the old woman replied heartedly.


Minutes later, the two warriors were back in the streets and en route for the nearest dock where the shuttle was waiting for them. Miridian asked Samara:
- This young girl was obviously unprepared for the dangers of Omega, but how could Morinth change her character so fast?
- Ardat-Yakshis speak to you on many levels, the Justicar explained with her usual tranquil demeanor. Her body tells yours that she'll bring unimaginable ecstasy. Her scent evokes emotions long hidden. Her eyes promise you things you were always scared to ask of another. Her voice whispers to you after she is done talking.
Shepard was about to say that this description sounded more like an ad for an exotic whore, but she was afraid it would hurt Samara's pride about her daughter. So, again, she kept her mind unspoken. Instead, she stated:
- She sounds more like a highly evolved killer than a genetic defective.
- The condition has been present since my people huddled around fires at night, the Justicar replied, before cautioning: Perhaps it is symbiotic, rather than a defect.
- Mmh…
They walked in silence for a moment, Miridian pondering everything they had learnt for the past hours to try and devise the best angle of attack, when her friend said:
- Storming her den would be a mistake. She will have a hundred escape routes planned.
It seemed to the Human that Samara was speaking her mind out loud while she, too, searched for the best way to approach the criminal.
- She will go to ground and disappear for fifty years or more, the Justicar pursued, tension in her voice. This is the closest I've ever been.
When hunting a prey that cowered deep inside its lair, there was only one viable solution.
- We need to lure her out, Shepard declared evidently.
- You read my mind, my friend, the Asari answered with a faint smile. The Insanity seems to be her preferred hunting ground. All we need to do now is find the right bait.
They had just reached the shuttle. The Commander opened it and let her squad mate hop in before following her; as the doors closed behind her, Shepard's eyes glittered with amusement:
- Do you think I'd make convincing bait?
The Justicar faced her and answered very seriously:
- This would be too dangerous, Commander. You are vital to our mission.
- That's not what I asked, Samara, Miridian retorted softly.
The Asari was silent for a moment and the Human could tell she was fighting between the risk of throwing her friend between's her daughter's hands and the necessity of stopping Morinth. Shepard didn't care about the danger; she was pretty sure she could handle a 400 year-old Asari, Ardat-Yakshi or not. After all, she'd killed Matriarch Benezia when she was even less experimented than now.
- She would never be able to resist you, the old warrior finally admitted. When some of us have a spark, you are a fire, Shepard. Your power will draw her in. But you will need to go alone and unarmed. She'll flee certainly if she catches sight of me.
Alone, fine. Unarmed, not so much. Her gun was like an extension of herself, she would feel terribly naked without it, but she understood they had no choice.
- Got it. Try to keep an eye on me if you can, though.
- Both, Commander. I swear no harm will come to you as long as I am alive. I will be in the shadows watching, and when I am sure she can't escape, we'll strike together.
- Sounds like a plan, Miridian nodded with satisfaction, heading for the cockpit. We can work out the details when we're back on the ship. And tonight, we start the hunt.
But in her preparations to play the part of the lure, Shepard had forgotten one tiny detail: her outfit. Finding one wasn't a problem, as she'd bought a few nice dresses back on the Citadel for the nights she went out dancing alone, in secret. But the crew – and her squad – had never seen her in anything else than pants, and she wanted to keep it that way.
After going over their plan with Samara, Miridian went about her normal business until the time came to get ready for the show…