2189
In Orbit near Maji, Terminus System

The Palentii came through the Mass Effect Relay silently at an enormous speed, bouncing small asteroids capable of leveling a city block away with its shields like pebbles.

The Palentii appeared to be a standard Asari cruiser, fast and elegant but still powerful. Appearances can be deceiving though, and in this case, they most certainly are. The Palentii is actually a heavily-armed Royal War Cruiser, re-fitted by human engineers to maximize the firepower from its limited hard points and increase it's shields. It was for the most part a success, as it was definitely more powerful. It could hold it's own against most ships, but if it was ambushed or outnumbered it stood little chance.

Aboard the bridge, the Asari crew was buzzing about, scanning the dinky, incoming freighter. It had hailed them from afar, stating that a Geth patrol nearby had attacked, disabling it's FTL. Mistress Peraiah, aboard the bridge contemplated it. Her security was excellent, so she knew she wouldn't be in any danger, but it was still a risk.

"Guide him to the hangar." she said, designating a security team to meet the ship there. "Bring him to the bridge. I will assess him myself."

Yarik sighed in relief. He knew if they had declined he would have to escape from his own followers, a difficult task in a small freighter. The on-screen docking directions guided him around the back of the ship and into the docking bay. As he got closer he realized how big the ship was- it had appeared much smaller from afar.

He set the ship down, gently deploying the landing gear and stepping into the hangar itself. It was small, he figured, so chances were there were more elsewhere.

"Don't move."

Yarik moved, turning to see who had told him not to. There, not a few feet off, a procession of Asari, beautiful and nearly identical to his eyes stood, armed to the teeth and staring daggers at him. One, standing a bit closer than the other two and whom Yarik guessed to be the leader gritted her teeth.

"Are you armed?" She growled as viciously as any Krogan Yarik had ever met.

"No." Yarik said, gesturing towards the empty holster at his side. The leader moved forward and put her rifle on her back before she began to pat him down. She leaned in for a moment as she did and whispered into his ear in a businesslike manner.

"Security Chief Quix'ala Quix'ote. Come find me later."

Yarik didn't know what to make of it, but had little time to contemplate it as she shoved him towards the door at the end of the room with little effort.

The arched hallways stretched on to forever and back it seemed, as if perhaps they never ended. He could not see the end of the hallway though, which was some feat in itself. This must be the ship's main artery Yarik thought to himself with the Asari guard's rifle in his back. He hated when they did things like that- it wouldn't make a difference if it was an inch from his back or actually in it. They just did it to enforce their dominance over you, as if to say "You do nothing unless I say.".

Yarik was yanked from his machinations as he bumped into Quix'ala, who had abruptly stopped in front of a door that he would have run into had Quix'ala not been between them. The door appeared to have come from nowhere- they hadn't walked that far, and he hadn't seen it earlier.

"It's an optical illusion." Quix'ala said, fiddling with a console next to the door. "It confuses anyone who doesn't know it's here. Very demoralizing. Also, the automated turrets in the walls would shred anyone who tried to attack. Tell your friends."

Yarik detected the sarcasm in her last comment and held back a sneer. He wanted to make the best first impression possible, considering he would most probably spend the rest of his life mingling with the Geth should they deny him. One could only last so long without a living, breathing person made of flesh and blood to talk to.

The doors slid open, and a wave of magnificence seemed to spill out the door and wash over the group, leaving Yarik in awe. If the arches and curves of the hallway had been beautiful, this single room was indescribable, not to mention the Asari in it. He was just beginning to figure out why the Asari were so often greatly desired.

"What you brings you aboard our ship, Turian?" Yarik heard. The voice sounded pretty but powerful, like a velvet glove with spiked knuckles.

"I'm a merchant." Yarik began, thinking on the fly. "The Geth attacked my ship and disabled my FTL drive. I just want to go home."

The Asari who seemed to be captain, sitting in a large chair in the middle of the room, her seat raised slightly to give her a better view out of the huge window now behind her, began thinking, her hand on her small chin.

"Your ship doesn't have an FTL drive." She said, getting up. "Were you actually attacked by Geth, or did you make that up as well?"

Yarik stuttered for a bit. It wouldn't have taken her long to have someone get the specs of the dinky little freighter to her. With a sigh, he tried another ploy. He began again, no longer trying to pretty-up his gravelly voice.

"I came out here for a job with some other Mercs aboard a Frigate. They turned on me, left me here with the Geth and split the money between themselves. The Geth got 'em first. I barely made it out. And that's where you come in."

Her face seemed to light up for a moment before returning to its previous state of seriousness, perhaps a deeper shade of it. She began to walk out the door gesturing for Yarik to follow. Quix'ala and the guards stayed behind, leaving the two of them alone walking down the hallway. Yarik couldn't help but admire her body as he followed behind her. It would be a shame if he had to kill her, if that were even possible. Perhaps she was the type that could kill him with her mind in an instant.

They came to a tall door that led to a dark lobby area.

"I am Peraiah Czin'T'Zay'Ok. I am the Captain of this ship, the Palentii." She said, flipping a switch that lit the room. It appeared mostly empty, save a couple chairs arranged near a fireplace and a door at the back.

"Yarik Streydus. Used to go by 'Stray Dog'. It's a pleasure." Yarik replied dryly. She seemed to ignore his sarcasm, sitting down in one of the elegant chairs near the fireplace. Yarik assumed he was invited and took the other one.

"Look, I just need a ride to the Citadel. Or something that can take me there. And don't take this the wrong way, but it's very possible for me to kill you right now." Yarik said, turning his head. He desperately hoped she didn't take it as a threat.

She didn't apparently- she laughed, but it was a genuine happy laugh. Not a fake, 'Never-in-a-million-years' laugh. Her demeanor was confusing him more and more.

"You're quite the comedian." she said, as if he had really been joking. "But in all seriousness, we both know you wouldn't be able to get away with it."

She had him there. Killing her would be suicide, so that wasn't an option. Of course selecting an appropriate plan of action would be easier if he knew what those options were.

"What do you want from me?" Yarik said, standing up. He was getting restless already, and now this Asari was stamping him under her thumb and watching him squirm.

"You are very strong-willed." She said, analyzing him, gazing through his physical being and into his psyche with little effort. "I find it attractive."

Yarik's eyebrows arched unconsiously at her comment. "I'm the comedian?" She issued another barely audible chuckle, this one sounding almost malevolent, as she stood up from her chair in a delicate manner.