Here's the first snip for Chap 5.
Chapter 5.0 (Snip 1)
10:37, Presidium Time
September 8th, 2183
Docking Bay D-24
I've never been shy about attention, though I've never sought it out. My very attitude and demeanor have always singled me out as a person who simply didn't care about taunts or other's perceptions. However, many claim this, only to be affected nonetheless.
But the attention focused on my group as we approach the customs station is more than I've ever experienced before, with the entire crowd is staring and gazing at Aria, and by extension, us. Grizz and the others are used to this, of course, and brush it off with ease, so I try my best to do the same.
My lips quirk into a practiced miniscule smirk and the rest of my face takes on a expression that I've been told looks slightly playful, though my intention was originally a blank poker face. I have to say, though, that the effect works, so it's become my default 'politics' face.
The poker face lets my eyes flit around from spot to spot, investigating and checking all that interest me. The crowd here parts before Aria out of fear for the Queen of Omega, just as the crowd did when we left Afterlife, but it is different here.
On Omega, the crowd parted out of respect for Aria's power, out of fear for her response, but here on the Citadel, it is much more exaggerated. The throng of people is mostly silent, quietly whispering to each instead of the usual chatter; even the complex machinery seems quiet today, as if even machines grew quiet around Aria.
For an example of the vast difference, the asari in the crowd don't look at Aria with grudging respect for all she's achieved, but terror at the thought that someone so blunt and twisted could exist. I even hear a few of them talking to each other in sickened voices.
"I heard she executed the envoy in cold-blood, no regard at all for civility or respect." one asari murmurs to another, her eyes following Aria with revolted eyes.
I can't help it. I throw my head back and laugh loudly, a sudden bark of noise the otherwise motionless docking bay.
Instantly, the eyes of the crowd shift from Aria to me, and I have a brief pause as I realize that all the attention is on me.
But what the hell, let's enjoy it. Though I don't laugh again, I chuckle a few more times as the mass of people stare at me, smirking just a bit wider than sane people do. Anto gives me a side-glance, but I shake my head.
"I'll tell you later," I dismiss lightly, my smirk widening a bit.
Civility? Really? That asari doesn't know anything, does she? For starters, the 'envoy' Aria killed was a representative from the Blood Pack who was sent to try to intimidate Aria, and was quite obviously killed for his arrogance.
Oh, the humanity! That poor, innocent krogan, clearly he didn't deserve such an ignoble end.
Seriously, how stupid can these damn idiots be?
I mean really, what do they think happens in the 'less civilized' corners of the galaxy?
Just as I ease back into my controlled smirk, the crowd once more silent, we finally reach the customs station, and the crowd is behind us and away, all queued up in the ever-present security lines.
I glance at the blonde customs agent, automatically noting the way she's standing, the slight tilt to her shoulders, the way she looks everyone quickly. She's scanning the crowd for trouble unobtrusively, but checking for anyone looking suspicious, just like a good cop should. But this is… different, somehow.
Aria speaks a few low, quiet words and the C-Sec officer nods and waves her through. Grizz follows, then Liselle, and after Anto is cleared, I take my turn. Stepping up to the scanner, I wave cheerily at the blue-uniformed woman, but the only reaction I get is her eyes narrowing a little.
"Alright, first time on the Citadel?" the human agent asks in a knowing tone, her eyes watching me with professionalism. She's probably seen enough slightly awed expressions to notice mine instantly.
"Yeah. Any hoops I need to jump through?"
"No," replies the agent with a serious tone, taking my words literally. "We had those scanners uninstalled years ago. Now, all you have to do stand on the pad, and it'll automatically detect your identification."
A thought occurs to me, and I grimace right before the scanner gives off a descending series of beeps. Damn, I should have known this was gonna happen.
"What the hell…" the customs officer mutters in confusion, her uninterested expression wiped from her face. "I've never seen this before…"
"Oh." I reply, trying to sound confused, but failing blatantly. The C-Sec officer's head glances back up at me, but she quickly returns to jabbing keys on the holographic interface.
Past the customs checkpoint, Aria looks back at me with a mixed look that contains both annoyance and curiosity at the same time. Considering that she's adopted that look as her default 'what did you do?' expression after every time I do something notable, it's pretty clear that I'm going to have to go through another interrogation session.
"Oh…" I repeat, sheepishly scratching my emerging beard as I give Aria a shrug.
"Pallin to Customs, we've got a scanner malfunctioning at D-24. Unable to tell if it's an error or an alert." the agent's severely restrained ponytail dips back and forth as she pulls up a holographic error report.
Aria gives me a Look, then starts walking again, signaling Anto to stick around with a quick hand-sign.
"What'd the punk do this time?" Anto asks quietly as he moves closer. "Nothing dangerous, I take it, or you'd have already gotten him in cuffs."
"Here," the agent (Pallin, was it?) points to a section of the screen. "It says it can't find his identification."
Yup… that's… what I thought would go wrong. Damn it. Stupid dimensional portal.
