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Galaxy On Fire Chapter 2

Vyus-

Omega. I love this place. Plenty of drugs for cheap, at least if you know the supplier, and I know many.

This place had cleaned up a bit in recent years. A couple of brutal gang wars and everything would be quiet for a while until new leaders made their way to the top and recruited a big enough group to start something again.

A recent plague and a big gang war with all three mercenary factions meant things would be quiet for a really long time. Especially, since Aria's faction wasn't the least bit scathed in that incident. Unfortunately, I heard that Archangel was killed.

I doubt it, but probably means he's not in Omega anymore. I admired him, or his work, and wanted to join his group.

Oh well, I came here with plenty of money. I could relax a bit. I'd probably head to the Citadel in a week or so for work now.

I wasn't far from the port since it was the best place to hear news, coming and going.

Hmmm..something unusual, a medic ship.

Really, they don't come here unless it is truly an emergency and they really want to save the poor chap, cause they might get jumped as soon as they dock for their drugs and supplies. I saw a few shifty characters eyeing the ship already.

I thought about what I might do, just watch or try and stop them, but a Krogan and Batarian stepping off the med-evac quelled any idea of robbing the ship. They seemed to be guarding the patient.

I could see inside the ship when it opened. The patient was a young human male laid out on a hovering stretcher inside the ship. The pilot was refueling and one of the medics, a Salarian, debarked and asked one of the thuggish aliens to accompany him. Apparently the medic needed to get some more meds. It was smart to ask one of those big guys to go with him.

This surprised me. Either of the big dudes was reluctant to leave the young man. Strange, since Batarians and Krogans weren't usually so concerned with others even within their own species. Although, there was that Krogan I saw reciting poetry, that he wrote!, for an Asari on Illium.

I turned off my omni-tool before anyone realized I was using it to eavesdrop on the conversation the Batarian was having with the medic had a dozen meters away. It seemed like the Batarian was going to escort the Salarian medic.

I followed the pair through the markets. All they did was stop by the local clinic where the medic knew he could procure some quality narcotics and more medi-gel. It wasn't cheap, but the Batarian didn't hesitate to pay.

Hmm. It really wasn't cheap. Again, I had plenty of spending money, but I was always interested in making more.

I stalked the pair without using my cloaking ability. Cloaking was necessary on the battlefield, but I practiced my ability to recon and track without using it sometimes in cities like Illium, the Citadel, or Omega. The only times I ever got spotted was in Omega, with how paranoid everyone was, and a few times I actually got shot at.

I tracked random people to practice my recon work. It was usually boring, except for the couple of drug deals I followed.

I was interested in why a Batarian, and probably that Krogan too, seemed so worried about a human. And in the money. I had a good sense for making easy money.

I followed the pair back to the ship which left in a hurry. I went back to my spot where I was listening to news all day and shooting up.

My curiosity, greed got the better of me, I made the decision to follow the ship. Being kind of buzzed probably had something to do with it as well. I had my own small transport with the ability to cloak- it was one of the best investments for mercenary work I ever made. I didn't cloak the ship.

I didn't need to. They were taking the relay to the Citadel.

A couple hours when we reached the Citadel and docked I took a little break for my nice buzz to wear off.

I lost track of the med transport...

But it was a med transport.

I took a taxi to the major hospital in the Citadel. Even when I was a little buzzed I noticed a lot of detail, such as the Alliance bearing of the med-evac, which narrowed possible hospital choices down to just one or two.

The Korgan and Batarian were there. A little eavesdropping and I learned that human was former-Alliance, currently a merc like me, so were the aliens. The hospital staff were, like me, surprised to see the two aliens so concerned for the human. They were told to wait while the human was receiving emergency medical treatment, but it seemed like it'd be okay. I mean, they had time to make a pit stop on Omega after all.

Seemed like the human, whose name still eluded me, would be out of commission for a while. A stab wound. The two aliens sat down in the waiting area, much to the dismay of the primarily human population waiting around, and I decided to saunter up to them.

I didn't only use my omni-tool for information gathering.

"Hey there," I said and hoped my nonchalant tone didn't bother the two seemingly distressed males.

As expected the brutish aliens were direct-

"What do you want?" The Krogan said, his anger almost palpable.

"Oh, I was only wondering why two...tough guys like you guys seemed upset over an wounded human?"

"Mind your own busi-"

"Korr," the Batarian said then he turned to me, "Why did you really come up to us?"

Oooh a sharp one. Krogans were more honest in nature, Batarians were clever.

"Yes, alright. I noticed you two paid the medical bills up front, I am curious why you two care so much about a human, but I'm more interested in your group."

"It's just us three," the Batarian said," we were in the middle of a job."

It seemed like they didn't finish.

"So, then...how's your friend?"

"Not doing so well obvioussly," Korr said almost stuttering, "What do you care?"

Perhaps approaching these two right now wasn't the best idea, but I didn't think they'd be so upset over a human.

"Did your friend get hurt because you didn't have enough manpower? And pardon me if I'm presuming, but a mercenary group with only three soldiers is more than a little sparse. I have or had a career in the Turian army."

"Wha- how do you know that?" Korr said. Again, the Batarian was quick.

"You're an infiltrator," the Batarian said, "You've been tailing us for a little while now haven't you?"

"Yup, mister?"

"Flarn," A name, good, it meant I had a chance.

"Since it seems you're the more cool headed one...sorry," I said looking at the Krogan, "Could we talk about what I need to do to join your team?"

Flarn, the Batarian, smiled and it caught me off guard a bit.

"It's not my team," he said and the Krogan backed him up, "It's Cade's."

"Cade...the human?" This was really interesting.

"Yes," Flarn continued, "and when Cade wakes up we can talk."

I didn't give up at just that, I was able to get their interest.

The Batarian, Flarn, seemed interested in what I had to say. Additionally, I was lucky the small mercenary outfit was profitable and looking for more firepower.

Flarn claimed he recognized skill and ability when he saw it, that's why he was interested in my wanting to join their group, and I pressed him for more details. Of course, after I offered to take them both out to drink while they had nothing else to do, but wait for their human friend. First I asked about their atypical concern for the human.

Apparently their pseudo-commander, Cade, a very young man who had an impressive, albeit short history in the Alliance.

"So, not that it's wrong to care so much about another species, but you two are unexpectedly worried about your friend, and boss, Cade?" I prompted this question after I brought over all our drinks, each made specifically for our respective species' dietary restrictions.

"He has actually earned our respect, unlike most of the human Alliance we run into," Flarn said.

"Former-Alliance," I reminded him, "Is that when you all met?"

Flarn paused briefly then said, "We met, me and Cade, when he was still Alliance. But we didn't start our work until about a year after."

That sounded like a juicy story to bit into, but for now...

"What about you?" I asked to the Krogan who was seemingly enjoying his drink. I guess he felt a bit better after it was confirmed Cade would be fine and he scored free booze.

"Mmmph. I got called by Flarn when he and Cade were just starting up. He and I were already in the merc-ing business and had connections with lots of people. Cade brought some of his own," Korr said.

I wanted to ask about why Cade wasn't in the Alliance anymore, but it was probably better reserved for Cade himself. So instead,

"So, if you don't mind sharing, what happened? I gathered," Flarn scowled at me, since I was admitting my earlier spying, "that you three were supplementing security somewhere important? Important enough to get attacked and probably by Cereberus," I took a sip of my blue drink.

"How'd you know that?" The Krogan asked.

"He's been eavesdropping on us and following us since Omega," Flarn said. His drink was almost finished,

"Now," Flarn continued, "tell us about you. Before we continue I want to know if you're wasting our time."

I kept my summary short. I elaborated on a few things, like my personal training history, but the gist is I was part of the Turian military and even became a lieutenant and commander of my own platoon. I left the military after my mandatory years were finished.

"What? That's it?" Flarn asked.

"Getting your own platoon hmm," Korr started, "Why'd you leave after gaining so much?"

"I needed to get away from a lot of things, and people," I offered no more explanation. Neither seem satisfied with my answer, but like me, they both had parts of their past they didn't want to have to explain. They didn't ask me more.

Flarn was finished with his drink. I was further along than Korr, who contrary to a typical Krogan was savoring his cocktail and sipping it.

"So, instead of what happened for now...mind if I know why you two seem to almost...care for this person, Cade?"

Back to why I followed these guys in the first place. Stumbling onto a small profitable start-up mercenary group was a bonus for me. Curiosity was what got me hooked to these guys in the first place. Curiosity drove me, almost as much as money.

What happened after I asked surprised me. Flarn learned in and so did I. He said in a hushed voice, breath tinged with booze,

"He's our friend. And he's got a tight sweet ass we both love."

I didn't respond right away, except to sit back upright as Flarn did. Korr smiled, almost embarrassed and both of them kept looking at me. Korr said,

"Flarn likes to brag, when he drinks a little..." The Krogan chortled and sipped his drink again.

"So, you both had sex with Cade, then?" I asked.

"Yea, yup," Flarn and Korr said respectively.

I had plenty more questions, but they seemed impossible to remember then. All I could think about was what the aliens were telling me.

Hmmmm. Being a good fuck wasn't the only reason Cade held the respect of these two, I'm sure. Probably Cade was the one making his group more legitimate, as legit as mercenary work can be anyway. Contract work with Alliance military was sweet.

I wondered if it was the fact I spent most of today getting high and had a little drink that the next question to come out of my mouth was,

"Ya know if he's into Turians?"