Hauntings From The Past, Eden Prime

[Asyla]

Eden Prime, the first human colony in Outer Space. Known to be a paradise for all species. And the location of Saren's betrayal.

Asyla Fioro sat in her own room of the cargo ship, her guns stored away in a crate. She did wear her white-blue suit though. Tambor Wan was sleeping, and so was the rest of the crew except for the pilots. As far as the asari knew, she was the only one trained person on the ship.

Looking out the window, she admired the shining surface of Eden Prime. It was regretful that it bore such a tragic past.

With a low voice, the salarian captain announced their arrival in about thirty minutes.

Asyla hoped this Meta-Squad was there as well, doing this job alone was probably suicide. Or it was a complete waste of time.
Maybe it was just a big misunderstanding.

No, it wasn't. That was just her mother's voice wishing for a peaceful job. The asari rolled her eyes in annoyance, before thinking back to the last events on the Citadel. She had met a bunch of new people, including a rather interesting turian 'trader'. When Asyla returned, she would make sure to find out more about him.


When the asari woke up from her daydreams, she noticed that the ship had landed, and the traders were getting up. Fioro stood, and stretched. With one last look outside, she scanned for anything unusual, or even her partners, the Meta-Squad.

Of course, she didn't even know what their ship looked like. Asyla thought herself to be careless, not even knowing much about the fellow mercenaries. But that was soon to change, or so she hoped.

With a sigh, she geared up, and finally walked outside, scanning the environment. She noticed how guards would look at her; sometimes interested in her good looks, sometimes admiring the gunpower she carried.
None of them looked hostile, that was good. Her cover as a guard for the traders worked, for now.
Then she remembered how Meta-Squad would come with their own ship, which kinda ruined that cover. When did guards fly with another ship than their own.
Again Asyla mentally slapped herself for her careless behaviour.

Then again, her cover would be blown sooner or later anyway. Once the traders left in a couple of hours, she would no longer be considered a guard, and then the hostile looks would begin.

Asyla sighed, and watched the traders unload the cargo shipment.

[Tempest]

Selena stood beside her crewmates as they sailed down towards the planet's surface, its beauty was haunting as it passed across the windows. As Zylar carefully navigated the Valkyrie to land softly across from the trading vessel, Selena bit her lip as she noticed the number of guards around and tapped Gunner on the shoulder
"Remember what I said. You just behave yourself..." he grunted in response and she added "We don't need any hostilities when we first touch down, we'll leave that to when anything kicks off." Zylar cut the ignition and brushed his hands, standing up as Selena left to knock on Caleb's door and then addressed her crew as he poked his head out "Alright, we may have Miss Fioro as the leader of this mission but we all know who the leader of Meta-Squad is." she tried not to sound too arrogant or self-centered as she spoke "So, I want everyone to stay alert and listen to my orders when we step off this ship. I trust you all enough to not disobey me but I do respect your opinions: if you have something to say then you say it. But if you have a problem with the way I do things then you'd better have a damn good excuse to justify it." she smiled as she said the last sentence, making the others unsure on whether she was acutally joking or not. She looked to Caleb "Get your gear together, Rook. This is your first mission with us so I expect you to give one-hundred percent." he nodded
"Sure thing, Selena." she had a final look around to her squadmates "Alright, everyone remember the plan?" they nodded and she clapped her hands "Okay then. Suit up Meta!"

~~~~~~~

They stepped out onto the surface but at a first glance, no-one would think them as mercenaries. Selena, for one, had dropped her Mercenary armour and wore a more lightweight version which was black and had the addition of a long coat: perfect for her to conceal her pistol and compact sniper rifle on the belt behind her back, if something did happen then she could easily access the pack and assemble the rifle in record time...it was what she spent her spare time in the evenings doing, after all. Caleb had also slipped into a biker-esque attire, with an inside pocket for his pistol, he really had no need for his shotgun as his biotics could easily stop an enemy in their tracks. The only ones who really passed with their weapons were Zylar and Gunner, who Selena passed off as their own "mercenaries-for-hire" to dissolve any suspicions of four mercenaries all accompanying a single trading vessel.

[Mehrin]

The scientist Kharmel was setting up a small lab in an auxiliary wing of the Eden Prime colony. He arrived an hour or so prior to Meta Squad and Asyla Fioro. Knowing their destination gave the Salarian a clear advantage. This way it would dissuade suspicions that he was following them.

He had the cargo from the Wordsworth unloaded as soon as he landed, and now had a data terminal and some isolation pods with intriguing looking specimens set up. The Salarian Scientist's research specialised in the integration of foreign lifeforms into a new habitat. In short, he researched the sociological and ecological impact of the immigration of flora and fauna from one system to another. This was the reason for him on Eden Prime. In conjunction with several interest groups, with one of the major backers being the Human Genetics company Binary Helix, he was researching the effects of introducing Bovine into human colony's such as Eden Prime. Earth culture had benefited greatly from domesticated cattle throughout its history. Kharmel was here to see if BH's genetically modified species could help boost agricultural efforts on the frontier colony.

Of course, this was all a cover for the Salarian Agent Mehrin. The Salarian Special Tasks Group had been operating similar research experiments across the galaxy, with several different agents, for some time. Colonists readily accepted Scientists who worked hard to bring benefits to their colony.

After setting up his lab, Agent Mehrin smoothed down his long, buttoned up, white lab coat. As always, his weapon was in easy reach. He walked to the window of his new lab, checking his scanner. The tracking device indicated that the Valkyrie was in close proximity. And sure enough, as Mehrin looked out of his window, he noted the slightly damaged vessel with a poor paint job setting down on the surface.

And so we begin.

[Asyla]

Asyla watched as a slightly damaged ship set down at a near-by dock. Tambor Wan suddenly nudged her thigh (seeing as he could only reach that), and handed her a data chip.

"That's the Valkyrie, ship of the Meta-Squad. -chhk- I informed myself. -chhk-", the volus added after Asyla gave him a questioning look.

"Ah, figured as much.", she rose the chip into the air, nodding. "Thanks, I think you are done here. I will contact you once this mission is complete."

Wan bowed his head slightly, and Asyla did the same to honour his culture.

Once the little alien had left to mind his own business, Asyla approached the Valkyrie and pushed the data chip into her omni-tool. After memorising its content, Fioro closed the omni-tool and stowed the chip away in one of her belt pouches.

Placing one hand against her thigh, she put on the look of a bored security guard, while awaiting the Valkyrie's ramp to lower.

Finally, it did, and the team of four descended the ship's ramp. They had put on a clever disguise, raising Asyla's hopes of having good partners to work with. Inconspicuously, the asari beckoned them to get closer.

[Tempest]

Selena walked over to Asyla with the others in tow, she brushed the shoulder of her coat from a speck of dust, she hadn't used her disguse in a while and the golden trim was beginning to fade around the chest and side-shoulders. She faced the asari huntress
"Hey, Ms. Fioro. We're here, so what's the next step?" she asked in a hushed tone out of earshot of any of the other security guards. Even though Selena was a little "rough-around-the-edges" when she spoke, she still had enough common courtesy to address her employer in a formal manner.

(Yeah, very short post this one. I can't think of anything else until we move on XD)

[Asyla]

"Nice.", Asyla stated with an amused smile on her face, nodding at her and the other's disguise. Beckoning them to come closer, she made sure noone was around to listen, before continueing.

"Our employer wants to, uh, brief us, probably. He is expecting us out of town. Now, I do not know exactly who he is, or what he is going to say."

The asari pulled her rifle over her shoulder and loosely held it in her hands.
"This way."

She turned to lead the way. Half-way out of the landing area, she turned her head to the side and spoke.
"Oh, by the way, I do not even know YOUR names. Mind sharing that information with me?"

[Tempest]

Selena nodded as Asyla briefed them, as they began to walk she was more than prepared for the next question

"Oh, by the way, I do not even know YOUR names. Mind sharing that information with me?"

She nodded again
"I guess that's only fair, seeing as we're working together on this..." and motioned to herself "I'm Lorna. Lorna Richardson." and then to each team-mate "This gentleman here is my partner, Bryce and the two Mercs behind us are Larz and Roknak."

As she finished, she gently patted her trouser pocket inconspicuously: all of her members had their equipment registered to their aliases so, as far as anyone knew, her word was watertight and if that didn't work, she had taken the opportunity to forge fake ID cards for each of them as well. She wasn't comfortable operating under her alias whilst with Asyla however as she felt like someone she could trust but she just hoped that, when the information came out (and it would be likely that it would at some point), that she would understand why and not feel betrayed about being lied to.

(hehe, guess the alias I did for Zy:
Zylar Vindaed
Larz Dayvindae
*feels clever* =3)

[Asyla]

Asyla nodded and continued on their way. Having turned her head away from the squad, and not being experienced with human emotions altogether, she didn't bother thinking about her giving fake names.

"Alright, Richardson." She left the Miss away because it didn't feel right to do with a mercenary. "We're there."

They stood before a remote warehouse, standing somewhat desolated from the rest of the colony. The asari gestured her followers to go inside.

Inside of the building, there was a old, bearded human leaning against a cargo container. With a suspicious and somewhat scared look in his eyes, he glanced at the arrivals. For the trained eye, it was clear that he was a civilian.

"Do not worry, I am Asyla Fioro, the one the volus Wan sent.", the asari spoke in her elaborate asari-fashion. "I hired these people, called Meta-Squad, to assure maximum efficiency.", she added, after pointing at the Meta-Squad.

The old man nodded and rose his hand to stroke his grey beard.

"I trust y'know my name then?"

Asyla went somewhat pale, at least her blue skin turned lighter.

"N-no, I only know you are a quartermaster."

The quartermaster seemingly calmed down and smiled.

"Good, good. Was just another test."

Asyla grinned, and approached him, beckoning Meta-Squad to stand back.
"Do not think of my followers as simple thugs, I assure you they are clever and efficient; I am just the one who has been briefed the most." Asyla explained when she noticed how the old man frowned at her behaviour.

"Alrighty, then. I won't tell you my name, because of various reasons. But ye will be paid, I guaranteed Tambor that.", he said, before standing up straight.
"For a couple of months now, the cargo and resources of our colony disappeared. Weeks after the second disappearing, people started vanishing as well. Seeing as how the resources disappear over night, my guess'd be animals or thieves. I noticed a pattern as well. These stealing events seem to happen every second day of every month. "

Asyla begun getting her omni-tool out to check the date, but the old man finished before she could.
"Your guess is right, tomorrow's one such day. Last month, I already told the colony leader Chuck Walting to put up guards, but he just won't listen. He claims it's probably just me miscalculating. So I just want you to look into this tomorrow night. As ye might've thought by now, this warehouse is one of the places where these things happen."

The asari nodded, and turned to look at Meta-Squad.
"Any ideas? Larz? Roknak? Bryce? Richardson?"
Of course she had her own plans, but she wanted some input from the hired squad, whose potential was still quite unknown to Asyla.

[Mehrin]

He was going slow. He was still a far way away from the group when they stopped at the isolated warehouse. He assembled the portable lab kit he was carrying, and got to work, pretending to take soil readings, and calculate solar radiation at this time of year.

At one point, checking that he himself was not being surveyed, he used small binoculars to check on the group. He noted that they went inside the warehouse.
Drat.
He silently cursed himself for not setting up listening devices around the colony. In truth, for one person such a large task could take days, even weeks, to put even a minimal amount of bugs around the colony to create an efficient net. And he had not had alot of time before the others arrived. In truth, the Warehouse was dark, desolate, and out of the way. The perfect choice to meet for a shady business deal.

As such, The Salarian Operative had no idea who was hiring the Asari and Meta Squad, nor to what end.

[Tempest]

Selena allowed the Squad to step back to give Asyla and the bearded gentleman room to speak, she overheard the conversation and her interest piqued as Gunner leant forward to whisper
"I thought you said that 'rescuing civilians wasn't your thing'?" noticing her posture change slightly, she turned her head to reply
"Normally it's not...but this guy mentioned a pattern developing with the disappearances, meaning that these aren't random: whatever's doing this must have some form of organization. Making this mission more dangerous than I'd first thought..." Caleb cut in
"So, we're not dealing with a regular thief band then?" she shrugged
"I can't answer that, it's definately something smarter than a common thief though."

They finished listening as Asyla turned to face them

"Any ideas? Larz? Roknak? Bryce? Richardson?"

Selena folded her arms and voiced her whispered opinion from before
"From what I can piece together, it sounds organised. Whatever's stealing is at least sentient enough to hit this warehouse: one of the main hubs of supplies to the colony. Of course the two main culprits could be animals or theives but with people missing as well on specific dates, I'd say it's more probably thieves." she smiled weakly "Although, I could be going completely off course with this. It's just my theory." Zylar stepped forward
"Do we have a plan for tomorrow night?" he asked
"We could set up a perimeter watch around the warehouse, the colony leader may refuse to acknowledge that anything is wrong and set up his guards. But at least we can set up for ourselves." she replied and looked to Asyla "Unless you have another plan, Fioro?" she added, also dropping the formality, the asari was a fellow mercenary after all.

[Asyla]

Asyla nodded, smiling.

"No, exactly that is the plan. We are going to hide in here tomorrow night and see if anything goes down. Till then we should have a look around the colony and check for anything suspicious."

She nodded to the quartermaster, who then spoke again.

"Ask the locals for my office, everyone should know where it's at, if you got anything to report. Oh, and before I forget, don't mention to anyone that I'm involved, yet. I don't want colonists asking me silly questions. And there will be some colonists fetching supplies from here tomorrow morning, so don't get too comfortable here.
Miss Fioro, Miss Richardson."

He nodded his head at the two mercenaries, and at the rest of the team before putting an improvised hood over his head and slip out of the back of the building.

After the door closed, the asari placed her hand on the black fabric located near her abdomen, stretching.

"Any questions?"

[Tempest]

Selena watched the quartermaster slip out of the back door of the warehouse

"Any questions?"

She placed her hands on her hips
"None from me." she looked to the others "Guys?" they shook their heads and she nodded, looking to Asyla "Alright then, let's check this colony for information..."

(Blegh, short post...I have such a bad case of writer's block >_<)

[Asyla]

Not objecting to the lack of questions, Asyla had a last look around the warehouse, before leaving it through the door they came in.

As the asari stepped outside, she again noticed the strange tension in the air. The others might not have felt it, but Asyla did. The asari mercenary looked around, in the distance she spotted arid lowlands. It looked like a giant ship had landed back there.
Shaking it off, she led her team back towards the colony.

Half-way back there, Asyla again tilted her head to speak to Meta-Squad.

"I do not know if you will like it, but I would rather see us seperate. I have not heard your companions speak a single word ever since we got here, and that is a problem for me."

She stopped, and fully turned around to face the team.

"If all five of us march into the colony, with one or two asking questions... well, I do not know what would look more obvious. I suggest we split up. And I want to hear everyone's input, not just Richardson's. No offense to you, Richardson."

The asari winked at Selena, crossed her arms, and eyed Meta-Squad.

[Tempest]

The group followed Asyla outside of the warehouse and halfway towards the Eden Prime colony, Selena felt Caleb whisper to her
"Something doesn't feel right here..." she nodded
"We all feel the same way, I just wish I knew what it was..." she replied as they ground to a stop, Asyla fully facing them all as she spoke

"...I suggest we split up. And I want to hear everyone's input, not just Richardson's. No offense to you, Richardson.""

Selena smiled as she saw Asyla wink and replied
"None taken." before pointing behind her to Gunner and Zylar "But these guys are always quiet, especially Roknak. You know how krogans are." she joked, but then turned serious, back to the situation at hand "Anyway, I have no problems operating alone, as you say, it will be less suspicious than all of us asking questions around here." she side-turned to face her group "Everyone else?" Caleb coughed to clear his throat, he felt slightly out-of-place seeing as he was new and really had no idea on how things would go down on this mission with his new squadmates
"That sounds good to me." he looked to Asyla "Just watch yourself around here, Asyla." Zylar loaded his pistol
"We're set and ready for any unpleasant confrontations, I have no problems about splitting up." Gunner grunted with a shrug
"Fine by me." she nodded and faced Asyla again
"Okay, guess we're sorted then. Just give us the area you want searching and we'll hit it, you are our employer here." she added, remembering how she mistook the small volus at first back on the Wards.

(Yeah, I did kind of leave the others out back in my other posts...Selena really sorts the main stuff out, but this split will get them talking more I swear! XD)

[Asyla]

Uncrossing her arms, Asyla nodded and pointed towards the colony docks.

"I will be checking the docks. You will be informing yourselves in the colony itself. As you have two humans, and this is a human colony, they might be more open to you."

She pulled out a data chip, and handed it to Richardson.

"If one of you got an omni-tool, use this chip to open a secure communication channel to me.", quickly, she added.
"Oh, and please try not to lose it. That channel is salarian-secured. Meaning it was REALLY expensive."

((That was the plan
By the way, check the Editing Pictures thread, I dropped my attempt at photoshopping there))