<span style="color: Red"><span style="font-size: 18px">Chapter 2</span></span><br/><b>Shadow Games</b><br/><br/><br/><br/>Ashana stared out the window at the radiant blue and red streams that flowed past the ship's hull like water reflecting the light of colored stars. Space warped around the ship, Acheron, as it hurtled through space at speeds exceeding that of light. It was beautiful, but it was supposed to be different.<br/><br/>The Asari sat, her clothing and weapon discarded on the floor in a corner far from her. She sat naked, staring out the window, watching the light dance and bathe her in its radiance. It was supposed to be different. She had dreamed for decades about leaving Omega, about leaving that place of metal and fire to escape into those stars that forever twinkled beyond the asteroid belt that had become a cage for her. But leaving was supposed to be different. She was supposed to be free.<br/><br/>As the ship lifted off from Illium, Ashana retreated from the chaos and confusion back to the one room she had. The only one. The former crew did not protest her taking of the room, so it was hers and hers alone. The Asari took solace in the space, in its emptiness. It was a void without any schemes or plots or violence or mind games... it was simply her. As the atmosphere of Illium passed by outside and the world beyond the ship became blackness pin pricked by light again, she tried to settle herself to concentrate, to meditate the way Aria had told her to - always practice, always maintain biotic focus. It was like a chant. But Ashana couldn't focus. As she sat, trying to concentrate, the flow the biotic fields around her seamlessly, her mind strayed. It was supposed to be different. Everything around her seemed to collapse, the flimsy supports that kept her focused and sane snapped and suddenly she could feel it on her, digging its claws deeper and deeper into her skin - the shadow game she was now trapped it. Her gun was heavy and covered in blood, her clothes tight, choking her, they were all parts of the game that was consuming her, dragging her down into its twisting blackness, drowning her. She pulled them off in a panic as the barrier between her and the world around her finally fractured. She threw them as far from her as she could.<br/><br/>Now it was just her and the light, dancing across her bare blue skin while the cool air around her nipped at her skin. She reveled in the calmness of it, the simplicity. She didn't have to think here, didn't have to put on a show. It was peace. She existed there moment to moment, savoring it, because it would not last.<br/><br/>Bekenstein was nearly a full days travel away - through space and across mass relay after relay. The ship had fallen quiet as the time had gone on. Cantenelli had disappeared into his captain's quarters on the CIC. Sorv was sedated in the med lab with the Salarian doctor, Beruut typing away at his console, monitoring the Quarian's vitals while updating databases and reconciling supply needs. On the bridge, Falkris, the Turian first officer sat at the ship's helm. Mickey, the Human pilot had retreated to the crew quarters to sleep, deciding that,<span style="color: DeepSkyBlue">This days been long enough.</span>In the ship's bowels, repairs had been suspended.<br/><br/>It was the quiet before a coming storm. Ashana had been sitting there staring out the window for hour after hour. She had wanted to lose track of time and let her mind, reeling with information, fade into that light. But the storm was coming.<br/><br/><span style="color: Blue">Attention,</span>a voice, the Human's voice, said over the ship's comms. Ashana's eyes broke from the window, and for the first time, she felt the weight of time upon her. She had been sitting there for so long that when she tried to move her limbs responded only with stiff aches.<span style="color: Blue">We will be arriving at Bekenstein in one hour.</span>The comms fell silent again. Ashana quietly thanked the announcement for its brevity.<br/><br/>She took a long deep breath and let the world come falling back into place around her - the ship, the floor which had grown warm from where her blue skin had rested on it for so long, the low hum of the engine. She made no noise as she stood, her muscles responding poorly after such inactivity. She felt like she hadn't moved in months, but the time for peace had passed. It was time to play the shadow games again.<br/><br/>Ashana went through her stretches, naked as she always performed them. She spread her legs fully, and bent over backwards, and gripped the ends of her feet, loosening the muscles, calling her body back into service. She stood up, straight and proud, looking out the window for the last time at those blue and red ribbons of light. She felt the light dancing across her every inch. She felt the weight of her breasts, the curve of her hips, the parting between her legs. She let the feeling remind her of her greatest weapon, poised, tight and supple.<br/><br/>Ashana crossed the room, feeling the sudden shift in the floors temperature beneath her toes. She gathered her attire, pulling it back on, feeling the tightness of the black material against her and adjusting its fit. She put the half belt on at the crest of her ass and turned its minor kinetic barrier back on. Then came the maglock on her thigh and the pistol on it.<br/><br/>Ashana kneeled and pulled on her boots, then paused there and closed her eyes. She took a long deep breath and let it out slowly. Focus was needed now more than ever. No matter the fear, no matter the unknown, she had to stay focused.<br/><br/>She crossed the room and unlocked the door then stepped out, confident. Her legs found their strut quickly enough, as did her demeanor. As she approached the elevator to call it, Mickey emerged from the crew quarters. The Human yawned, his short brown hair a mess. He blinked at Ashana groggily before being pushed into the corridor by the ship's Asari engineer. She wore only a tight under shirt and shorts with half on pants that she was pulling up and a shirt in her hand. She looked as though she had just woken up too. Ashana ignored the realization that she hadn't slept since that morning on Omega when she left for Kalga's warehouse. At the moment, it didn't matter.<br/><br/><span style="color: MediumTurquoise">Move.</span>The Asari ordered the Human. Who, with a dismissing wave of his hand did as was commanded and proceeded toward the elevator. Shortly the doors parted and Ashana stepped inside, followed by the two and any others on their way up. Ashana stood quietly at the back. The Asari mechanic was busy tugging her shirt on while mickey bounced lightly on his toes, trying to wake himself up.<br/><br/>The elevator doors opened and its contents exited into the CIC. Ahead of them, at the other end of the large holographic generator at the CIC's center was Falkris and Cantenelli, speaking to one another in whispers. As Ashana moved out of the elevator, she watched the two. She couldn't discern any words from the Turian, as their vocal paters were largely formed within their mouth rather than at their lips. Cantenelli though... she caught the words "we'll leave them if this..." before the Human raised a casually to scratch the side of his face, obscuring his mouth from her view. The move was deliberate. The two ended their conversation and Cantenelli looked across the gathering crew. Ashana noted that Sorv and the doctor were not among them. She wondered if he was still sedated in the med lab.<br/><br/>Cantenelli regarded them.<span style="color: Blue">We're approaching Bekenstein now.</span>He began.<span style="color: Blue">I don't like this anymore than I imagine any of you do. But the job's set and I'm not about to turn around on the Shadow Broker. For those that don't know...</span>He looked at Ashana and who she presumed to be Firas, she didn't look.<span style="color: Blue">Vega Antoli is an arms manufacturer. He has private contracts with most prominent military groups - human or no. I'm not sure why he would have anything to do with this, but I don't know the man. Mickey, get in the chair and send a hail to Mr. Antoli. I want to know what we're doing before we even hit orbit.</span><br/><br/>Mickey gave a short nod and jogged up the gangway toward the cockpit. Cantenelli watched him for a moment then returned his eyes to the crew gathered before him, watching them expectantly.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>