Ashley's Omega Operation

"You can't be serious?" Ashley asked plainly, expecting her commanding officer to burst out laughing, admitting to engaging in a bit of light leg pulling.

"I'm afraid not I'm not joking, Williams," Captain Allen replied, clearing her throat slightly as she tapped her omni-tool, transferring the data file over to Ashley's, "I'm being deadly serious. H'kell Hikas is as dangerous as they come."

"I'm more than aware of what that Batarian scum has been doing to human colonies these past few months. Hell, I've heard a number of privates expressing a desire to band together and hunt him down themselves," Ashley admitting, choosing not to mention her own desire to put a round through the forehead of the Batarian in question, "but I'm not sure how I factor into this."

Captain Allen smoothed down the tunic of her navy coloured uniform, brushing her hand across the array of medals lining her chest. She stood and and walked over to the ceiling to floor length window, one that provided her with an excellent view of the Liverpool shipyards, once used for the construction of legendary sea vessels during the twentieth century, now used to construct and refit starships capable of traversing the depths of the Milky Way galaxy. She folded her hands behind her back and tried to broach the awkward subject in a different way.

"This is a delicate matter, Williams, one I wouldn't have tasked just anyone with carrying out," Captain Allen stated, watching a light cruiser making its departure from the shipyard, disappearing into the thick clouds above, "the truth is that we need the Hikas situation dealt with, sooner rather than later. The Alliance has had its eye on him since his rampages first started. Our spies across the galaxy have kept their ears to the ground, piecing together what little information they could get their hands on to try and locate him."

"Yeah, I've heard that he's good at disappearing when the heat is on him," Ashley nodded, recalling a particularly grating occasion where a contingent of Alliance cruisers arrived at a colony world in the midst of one of Hikas's attacks, only to miss the Batarian himself when his own flagship made a jump through the local mass relay.

"Indeed. But now we have a solid lead, one that leads us directly to his current location," Captain Allen turned abruptly, with her chestnut hair whipping around as she stared back at Ashley with conviction, "we've never had a better chance at getting to him than this."

"So send in the special forces," Ashley reasoned, still unsure what role she was expected to play, "he may be sneaky, but a flash grenade and and single shot from a sniper will put him down easily enough."

"Believe me, Williams, that was the first thought that crossed my mind," Captain Allen agreed, "and had he holed himself up on some back water planet in the Terminus Systems, then that's precisely what we would have done. Unfortunately, he's carved out a place for himself on Omega."

"Why am I not surprised?" Ashley rolled her eyes, aware that any merc or slaver worth their salt would eventually make their way to the ancient mining station, setting up recruitment stations to bolster their forces. "I've seen brothels that aren't close to the level of seediness that can be found on that dump."

"And we can't afford to draw the ire of Aria T'loak," Captain Allen said, "Hikas is too well connected to just let himself be snuffed out on Omega without someone being able to identify the culprit, it would be open season if our involvement was ever uncovered. An assassination on the station itself is absolutely out of the question, the act will have to take place once he leaves."

"And I'd very much like to be the first to hear when that four eyed wretch gets what's coming to him," Ashley added, leaning forward when she made yet another attempt to discover why she had been called away from her duties on the Citadel, "but I would still like to know what you expect me to do. You're obviously avoiding the answer, ma'am, I've seen Salarians less jittery than you."

"You're right, Lieutenant. I'll cut to the chase," Captain Allen sighed, finally declassifying the data packet she had sent to Ashley, "Hikas has a number of vessels under his command, most of which have had their registries scrubbed and have had aftermarket radar jammers installed to mask them when they're moving through the mass relay network. We know where he is on Omega, where he prefers to drink, and who it is he remains in the company of during his time there. But once he leaves the station, his location is an absolute mystery, even to our best agents."

"So you need him to be marked with a tracker of sorts? Makes sense, but I don't know what I have to do with it, I'm just a grunt, ma'am. Espionage is something I'm definitely not trained in. I've always preferred to get my hands dirty."

"You're anything but a mere grunt, Williams, and this isn't a simple case of dropping a device into his drink in a club and getting out," the Captain corrected herself, "he has too many bodyguards around him. Even if he's not looking at who's tampering with his drink, one of them will be. Not only do we need an agent to infiltrate his gathering on Omega, they'll also need to sequester him, getting him on his own so that the tracker can be successfully planted."

"And how would that be achieved?" concern brewed when yet another evasive look crossed the Captain's face.

"He'll be suspicious of any newcomers attempting to associate with him. But if there's one thing we do know about him, it's that he has a reputation when it comes to women, particularly human women," Captain Allen grimaced, inviting Ashley to open up the dossier on her omni-tool.

Ashley did so and began flicking through the various documents that had been compiled. They showed a number of images that had been captured of Hikas from afar, most of them showing him with his guests and guards in mid-celebration. As she delved deeper into the dossier she began to find the scenes that the Captain had described, with Hikas in the embrace of a variety of women that could be seen frequenting Omega, from the Asari dancing girls to the women who came to experience the club life the old mining station had to offer.

It was when she came to the section dedicated to human women that her eyebrows began to rise in dawning horror. Hikas had them clinging to his body as if he was the most important being in the system, groping them with abandon as his entourage looked on in delight. But with each image that appeared on her omni-tool, it became easier for Ashley to spot the correlation between most of the human women in the company of the Batarian -- they all looked like her.

Though there were a few anomalies amongst the bunch, it wasn't difficult for Ashley to discern the similarities that existed amongst the ones that caught her eye. Most possessed a pale complexion, with long, flowing raven hair that made them stand out from the rest of the assembled crowd. Ashley looked up to the Captain, who had a grim expression plastered on her face.

"I can tell that you've come to the conclusion, and possibly the reason for why you've been brought here," Captain Allen observed, with her lips set in a thin line that made it clear that what she was about to request came at no personal pleasure whatsoever, "Hikas has a very noticeable type when it comes to human females. As you can tell, you fit the bill perfectly."

"You can't possibly be suggesting what I think you are?" Ashley swallowed, shutting off her omni-tool.

"It's impossible to get any of our agents to earn a level of trust with the target in such a short period of time. But if we can get someone in there who appeals to his -- for the lack of a more appropriate term -- fetish for particular human women, then the success of the mission becomes far more likely," Captain Allen reasoned.

"But I'm just a trooper, I'm not equipped for covert operations. And I'm sure as hell not going to be some simpering whore for a Batarian!" Ashley replied firmly.

"Look, Williams. This was the last resort for us, we tested every other option and they all ended in failure. And we couldn't risk the life of a civilian for this operation, we're not C-Sec," the Captain explained, approaching the topic as delicately as she could. "We needed someone who not only matched the description, but had the ability to exfiltrate herself if the situation turned tense. And your escapades with Commander Shepard have more than proven you of being capable of fighting your way out of situations where the odds were against you."

"Even if I could do something like this," Ashley started, not one to let a civilian put their life on the life because she opted not to, "just how far would I be expected to go? Would I just have to sneak my way into his apartment and slip the tracker onto him."

"It won't be that simple. He won't just drag any woman back to his apartment on a whim. He would need you to do... certain things for him, to prove that you're not just someone with an axe to grind. Without trying to sound terribly crude, he will expect you to make him trust you in some way or another. Whether that's in private or public depends on his mood."

"Do I have a choice in the matter?" Ashley sighed, already feeling that regardless of the Captain's response, the end result was already set in motion.

"We won't force you, Williams, this is hardly what you signed up for when you enlisted. But Hikas is a threat we really can't afford right now. You're the best candidate for this mission. Are you willing to accept?"

~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Nebula was one of the many nightclubs that could be found around Omega, opened a few centuries after the Patriarch's defeat at the hands of the station's current queen bee. It was located a few decks below Afterlife, Aria's own domain. Though it never quite matched the sheer daily number of attendees that Afterlife could, Nebula still achieved a decent client list, mainly consisting of mercenary organisations that existed outside of the galaxy's big three. Any being with aspirations of achieving notoriety and exorbitant wealth using illegal means would frequent the club, with the hopes of making enough of a name for themselves to pop up on Aria's radar.

It was the place for aspiring pirates, mercenary leaders and black market dealers to show off their inventory and display their ill gotten gains to their growing list of followers and sycophants. Nebula happened to be far more lax about its approach to the sex trade compared to Afterlife, with the club owners even going as far as to purchase rundown apartments nearby and renting them out to customers looking to spend some time with the available girl of their choice. The club's dancers made Afterlife's seem almost tame by comparison, dressed in erotic uniforms designed to leave patrons hoping that their provocative movements would lead to an 'unintended' wardrobe malfunction.

It catered heavily to a male clientele, making it an unusual sight for any woman not affiliated with the club's ownership to be seen hanging around the Nebula. And a certain raven haired beauty certainly stood out like a sore thumb.

Ashley leaned against the bar, having brushed off yet another attempt from one of the denizens to convince her to go off with them for a 'quickie', avoiding the urge to deliver a knock-out blow to a Vorcha that dared to run his gnarled hand across her silky thigh. She took a sip from her glass and cast her eyes towards the sealed door across from her, the entrance to one of the private rooms that could be rented out for a nominal fee. A pair of Krogans stood on either side of the door, shooting dirty glares at anyone who veered too close to their proximity, hovering their hands over the Claymores magnetically locked to their thigh armour. Just above the frame of the door was a small camera, pivoting from side to side to monitor the area just beyond the room.

It had been just over a week since Ashley had landed on the station, having immediately made her way from Omega's transport depot to the apartment her Alliance handlers had rented for her during the duration of her stay. The apartment itself was far more dingy than she would have hoped, with her preference for a spotless, crisply organised accommodation being severely let down by the grimy old hovel she was expected to occupy for her stay.

Ashley spent the majority of her time aboard Omega running reconnaissance, studying Hikas from afar, making her own assessment of his movements and habits. During the build-up to the to the night the mission would take place, Ashley made sure to also make a note of the Batarian's closest associates, ensuring that she wouldn't run into any trouble before she even had the opportunity to directly encounter the target. Most importantly, Ashley focused on creating an exit for herself, just in case the mission didn't go quite as well as she would have expected.

She did her best to avoid catching any unwanted attention, sticking to the damp corridors and old mine shafts when she was out following Hikas and his crew. The spent the rest of her free time holed up in her much loathed apartment, studying both what she had gathered by herself along with information being fed to her by Alliance intel. It took a while before she could generate the courage it would take to get her across the finish line, including the need to push her pride aside when it came to the act of debasing herself that would allow her to complete her mission.

The Alliance Covert Ops had supplied her with an outfit for the night itself, which Ashley was appalled to find had been fabricated to suit the taste of H'kell Hikas. A club dress was the main feature, made using synthetic leather to ensure that the fit of the garment was as snug as possible, blue in colour to make it even more eye catching. The skirt was short enough for it to only just barely cover the tops of her thighs, with a pair of long sleeves that would cling to her body like a second skin. A deep plunge put her cleavage on full view, not giving Ashley even the slightest bit of modesty, advertising the body of a woman who had lived much of her life as somewhat of a tomboy.

Along with the pair of shiny blue platform heels she was expected to wear, -- the part of the outfit that grated upon Ashley the most given her preference for rugged, practical military footwear -- Ashley had also received a reasonably fashionable clutch purse, specially designed to conceal a number of items that would be vital to her task. Though Ashley wasn't sure whether to be grateful or angered by the inclusion of a prophylactic, yet another reminder of just what it was that she was expected to do.

Ashley drummed her blue painted fingernails against the countertop, waiting for her moment to strike. Fortunately for the mission, but unfortunately for the still reluctant Ashley, a drunken Turian had decided to try his luck in a fight with one of the Krogan bouncers, only to find himself being lifted by his collar and dragged out to the front exit, still taking feeble swings at the scaled head of the Krogan.

"It's now or never," Ashley sighed, tipping the last of her drink down her throat for courage, picking up her purse as she sauntered directly towards the VIP space. She did her best to let her hips sway enticingly, having spent a number of hours at a time practicing walking in the heels provided to her.

"Wait right there!" the bouncer held his massive hand up, his maw curled into a broad grin as he got an eyeful of Ashley's scantily clad body. "This is a private gathering, can't just let anyone inside."

"Are you sure? Because I've heard that Mr Hikas is always open to meeting new people," Ashley asked in faux concern, placing her hand against her exposed upper chest. It burned her to do so, but Ashley spoke with a voice far detached from her own, replacing her no nonsense tone with one that wouldn't have been out of place amongst the ditzy club girls that frequented the like of Chora's Den and Purgatory on the Citadel, "I've heard so much about him over the last few months. I just wanted to get a glimpse of him in person."

"I'd like to help, but rules are ru- "

"Knox," a voice chimed from the Krogan's omni-tool, "forget the rules. Send her in."

"She ain't vetted," Knox replied, but quickly realised that convincing his boss to change his mind was a non-starter. "Are you sure about this?"

"When a human female as striking as the one out there begs for an audience, you can bet the Pillars that I'm not going to turn her away. Send her in," the voice answered, with a short static burst proceeding the line being cut.

"Well, the boss definitely has a way of luring the ladies to him," Knox shrugged, tapping a code onto the panel beside him, causing the heavy door to slide back into its housing, "you can go inside, human. Don't keep him waiting."

Ashley nodded and stepped inside, finding herself in a reasonably large circular room, one built to accommodate a dozen or so party members, just enough to allow Hikas to entertain some of his most loyal followers. A red padded bench seat wound its way along the outer edge of the room, providing ample space for the occupants to sit down and kick back as they kept themselves entertained. A small, round platform sat at the center of the room, with a white ring light illuminating the edge, occupied by an Asari performing a highly erotic dance, winking at Ashley as she passed by.

Taking a few more cautious steps inside, Ashley came face to face with the Batarian she had spent a large chunk of the last few weeks researching, bristling as his four eyes raked across her profile, reclining back in his seat with a smug expression that Ashley dearly wished that she could have wiped from his face. He was still clad in the clothing he wore when he went out on raids, though he lacked the armour and the portable kinetic shield emitter. The slight yellow tinge to his skin would have appeared almost sickly on a human, with a trio of scars running from his cheek to his jaw.

Hikas was flanked by a number of aliens, each of which wore clothing that matched the colour scheme of his, with variations that made it clear that each one was likely a captain of each of the ships that Hikas had accumulated over the years. The majority were Batarians, each of whom stared at Ashley with either scorn or lecherous desire. But it wasn't surprising when Ashley spotted a few Vorcha amongst the small audience, with the species rarely ever engaging in employment that didn't have an element of criminality to it. She spotted a few Asari dancers, lightly stroking the chests and groins of the men who had purchased some time with them, with one having taken no notice of Ashley's arrival as she bobbed her head in the lap of one of the occupants.

"My, my, aren't you just a feast for the eyes?" Hikas grinned, sinking back even further as he stared at Ashley, letting his eyes move along her long legs and up to her long black hair. "So, what's a pretty thing such as yourself doing down here? Lot's of bad characters hang around this part of Omega, dangerous for a human as desirable as yourself."

"Like I said to your bodyguard, I just wanted to meet the man that's been causing such a stir on the Extranet," Ashley forced herself to gush, subtly posing herself by cocking her hip to the side, "and I'm not in any danger here. Not when I'm in the company of such a fearsome pirate."

"I guess you're right," Hikas nodded, giving a curt dismissal to the Asari sat next to him, clearing a space for Ashley, "take a seat. I want to get to know you a little more... intimately, always happy to entertain a fan."

Ashley plastered a grateful smile on her face and strode over to Hikas, nestling into the space beside him. Barely having enough time to get comfortable, Hikas immediately dropped his hand down to her thigh, kneading her before he even got the chance to ask for her name.