Chapter 15

The past few months that had passed became practically routine. Threat of Reaper attack being basically nonexistent out in the Terminus, not to mention with all the added defenses Cerberus had installed to Omega. It made the station an actual safe place to be, and the steady stream of resources filtering through the relay made Omega more of a military reinforcement than what it had been the past. A den of drugs and mercenary activity, not that it had changed from that either. With the few changes, however, Brill found herself dealing with paperwork more than the reforming mercenary groups.

Due to the pile of paperwork, the flow of shipments to different planets, Nyreen's old quarters and desk became an obvious choice for Brill to sit at as she sorted through everything. A lot of the paperwork had to do with where to send next shipments, where supplies were needed most. The war against the Reapers not putting up the greatest of battles according to Bray and Aria's other men. While Brill oversaw the shipments and security of Omega, Bray and the others kept tabs on everything, sending reports to Aria and managing the finer points of Omega, specifically the drills and production. Of course Brill dealt with the managerial parts of things like paperwork, Aria probably hated those parts the most.

Brill finally relents, sighing loudly as she shoves the stack of datapads away, resting her head on the desk. At this point, she was starting to miss constant gunfire. Under the surface, it felt like her biotics were becoming restless from the lack of use, if that was even a thing.

A ping on Brill's omni-tool makes her lift her head, eyes glazing over her forearm to see the notification. A message. She quickly perks up, thumbing open the omni-tool.

[MSG] A: What are you wearing?

Brill's forehead smacks into the desk, her hand covering the smile that spreads across her face. Even though she was at Omega dealing with paperwork, Aria herself was trapped at the Citadel, and there was no doubt in Brill's mind that Aria hated every second of it.

[MSG] T: Are you really that bored?

Brill types in the message, keeping her head resting on the desk as she does so, a small smile still resting on her lips. The time apart was difficult, but it was a different feeling from before, especially with Aria's occasional checkups. The fact that Aria being stuck on the Citadel was borderline torture for her was actually pretty entertaining for Brill.

[MSG] A: This place is too fucking uptight. I hate it.

[MSG] T: You said the bar isn't too bad. Find something to distract yourself with.

[MSG] A: I said, what are you wearing?

Brill's grin spreads farther across her lips as she sits up, rolling her eyes.

[MSG] T: Combat Armor.

[MSG] A: Hot.

Brill chuckles, closing her omni-tool as the door opens, glancing up to see Amvius standing in the door way at attention. "I hope I'm not intruding." He starts, Brill shaking her head, the turian taking a step forward to let the door hiss close behind him.

"I'm trying to stave off paperwork." Brill admits, gesturing to the scattered pile of datapads on the desk. "Anything you need to report?" Her omni-tool chimes again, and she glances at it to see another message from Aria.

[MSG] A: I'll be back there soon. So I can have my way with you.

[MSG] T: Then hurry up and come have me.

Brill quickly closes it, turning her attention back to Amvius, but failing to hide the playful smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "I take it Aria will be heading back to Omega soon?" He asks, even if he's picking up on the signals, he doesn't insinuate anything from them. After the past few months it became apparent that Amvius knew, how could he not? They knew each other physically enough for him to know when Brill was elated for a specific reason.

"The usual check up." Brill stands, stretching her arms above her head and feeling her back make a satisfying pop. "Well?" She lowers her arms back to her sides, cocking her head at Amvius. "Anything to report?"

Amvius straightens up, shaking his head. "No, nothing of importance. The usual mostly." Brill steps around the desk, tucking her hands behind her as she walks. "We've been getting a lot of Reaper activity reports lately, but nothing around the area we should be concerned with." He hesitates.

Brill's brow furrow at his hesitation, standing in front of the turian with her arms crossed. "Are you concerned?" With what reports they had been getting with Cerberus gone from the station, it certainly wasn't good. Palavan, and even Thessia taken by the Reapers. It was hard to see it as a pressing matter with very little Reaper activity around them. Still.

"Yes." Amvius says, casting a serious look down at Brill. "None of it is good." He shakes his head. Even with what progress they've been making by sending resources, none of the results change. The Reapers were advancing, and moving quickly, despite constant opposition. He wasn't wrong.

Brill nods, unfolding her arms. "I know what you mean." She places a hand on Amvius's arm. "I know… I can't speak from the same position. Earth was taken first, and I've never even been there before, but… I can imagine how you feel about Palavan, especially having heard the news after the fact." She begins, squeezing his arm reassuringly. "There's bigger people than us fighting for the galaxy and I think they have a better chance than we ever would if we tried, BUT." She hesitates, lowering her arm. "I'd understand if you'd want to leave and join the battle, I won't stop you."

There's awe in Amvius's expression, completely stunned by Brill's words. Although he had seen some change to her character the past month or so, it was still staggering to witness it. There's a satisfying flick of his mandibles at the realization. "I never thought I'd see the day." He muses, his gaze growing soft.

"What?" Brill asks, surprised by the sudden change, she touches her cheek, worried there's something on her face.

"She's good for you." Amvius suddenly stagger back, chuckling at Brill's shove and her avoiding eyes. He dusts his shoulder off, still chuckling at Brill's playful avoidance. Even though she shoved him, she didn't counter his words, not attempting to dismiss it. "I'm not going anywhere, Brill. Although I appreciate you letting me know. Who would be here to help distract you from paperwork when Aria's not?" Another shove.

"Shut up, would you? I get enough of it as it is." Brill steps past him as he chuckles, exiting the room. "I need to cause some havoc."

Travel from the Citadel to Omega, at best took a few days. With Reaper attacks becoming more frequent, most travelers had to rely on different Relay routes, rather than the typical straight forward route. Brill had only received the message from Aria just yesterday, letting her know the asari was on her way back to check on things. It usually became the most agonizing wait, trying to stave off the impatient feeling in Brill's gut to see the asari again. Her only saving grace was the possibility that Aria felt the same anxious feeling in the pit of her stomach. Despite the comfort, it still made it difficult for Brill to try and sleep, knowing Aria would be joining her in sleep in due time.

A loud ringing rips Brill from her attempt at sleep, making her jump up from her stomach. She had collapsed onto her stomach on the bed, the loud ringing from her omni-tool sitting right beside her ear from the position. She shakes herself, focusing in the dim light to the frantic lighting on her omni-tool. It was late, even for Omega, who could possibly be calling at this hour.

Call from Ahz.

Brill rubs the sleep from her eye with the edge of her palm, squinting at the notification as it continues to ring loudly. Aria's tech expert, he remained at the station to help oversee mining operations and to ensure steady contact. The salarian also excelled at hacking comms, a way to keep an eye on any other Cerberus activity and ensuring the safety of Omega, but why?

Brill opens her omni-tool as the ringing continues, the salarian obviously determined to get a hold of her. "Ahz?" Her voice bleary from lack of sleep, still rubbing at her eyes as she tries to focus. "What the hell is it?"

"Command Center. Now. It's important." There's panic in the salarian's voice, even more panic than is typical in their natural tones.

Brill quickly straightens up, jumping up from the bed. "I'm on my way." She grabs her boots from beneath the bed and slipping them on. Ahz ends the call on his end, Brill quickly using her still open omni-tool to call Amvius. He answers on the second ring, sounding just as tired as Brill had only a second ago.

"Brill? What is it?"

"I don't know." Brill tightens her boots, standing up quickly and grabbing her gun, clipping it to her thigh. "Ahz just called me, said it was important. Meet me at the Command Center, whatever it is, it doesn't sound good. He sounded panicked, more so than usual." There's a confirmation from Amvius before Brill hangs up, grabbing her vest and slipping it on before sprinting out of the room.

Omega's Command Center isn't far, having moved the base controls Cerberus had set up in Afterlife to somewhere more convenient. It allows Brill to get there quickly, running past the Talon guards posted at the entrance as they nod at her. They don't seem fazed by her hurry, whatever is fazing Ahz must be kept under wraps. Brill spots Amvius standing beside a large circle holographic dais, Ahz hunched over a panel on it, typing away frantically. She jogs up to them, Amvius nodding at her.

"Okay. What's the emergency?" Brill asks, glancing at Ahz, his head snapping up, so many expressions passing cross the salarian's face, she can feel her chest tighten at the clash. Something was causing a lot of strife in the salarian's emotions, but what?

"Received reports…" He speaks frantically, his voice dying out, the same frantic emotions making themselves visible as he fidgets with his hands.

"Relax." Brill waves her hand at him, trying to fan down his panic. "Just show me." Ahz seems to relax a fraction, but still hesitates, his hands hovering over the control panel, as if showing her makes it even worse. His finger finally taps the control, a large holographic display appearing before them.

Reapers.

Hundreds of them.

Hundreds of Reapers gathered together, surrounded protectively around one thing.

…

…

The Citadel.

A talon grasps Brill's arm and she quickly realize she's shaking, her hands quivering as her heart thuds loudly in her chest. She could feel herself falling, even with the firm grip on her arm keeping her upright.

Ahz is fidgeting just as much beside the console, his fingers pressing together as he tries to speak. "I just picked up… these transmissions. They're saying… the Reapers took the Citadel. These images are being transmitted from Earth, they're holding the Citadel just within the atmosphere." Every other words comes out rushed while others come out slow, nervous with each bit of information.

"Word from the Citadel?" Amvius keeps his grip on Brill's arm, his voice rising up behind her.

Ahz shakes his head. "Nothing."

No.

Brill steps away Amvius, pulling her eyes away from the hologram, walking to another console. There's a viewport of the outside of the station, some of the guns Cerberus had installed visible from the window. From where she stands, she can see the Relay in the distance, her eyes locked on it.

Amvius watches Brill for a moment, her hand resting on her arm where he had held her. He turns his attention back to Ahz, the salarian still fidgeting frantically. "What do we know?" He asks.

"Alliance amassing a force to combat the Reapers." Ahz begins, closing the hologram, his fidgeting starting to cease now that the image was gone. "I received some reports before regarding Commander Shepard. They had schematics for a weapon to destroy the Reapers."

"And?" Amvius presses.

Ahz motions to the nonexistent display. "The Citadel is a component to the weapon. It was the last report I saw before I received… the transmission about the Reaper advance."

Amvius's mandibles flinch, he pitches forward, grabbing the dais with his talons, a growl escaping him. "That's why the Reapers took it. They must have realized Shepard needed it for the weapon." He casts his gaze to Brill, her back still to him as she gazes out the viewport. It looked like her shaking had ceased. "Brill."

"She's coming back." Her voice is distant, soft but firm, like an affirmation to herself rather than the others around her.

Amvius's brow lowers with concern. "We don't know that for certain."

Brill turns slightly, glancing over her shoulder at him, a smile on her lips, making his eyes widen. "She made it." Brill repeats, sounding so sure, the smile still present. "She made it out." Brill turns back to stare out into the stars, her eyes on the Relay, as if waiting for a ship to jump through its energy, any moment now. "I know she did."

Brill finally turns away from the viewport, her eyes falling to Ahz, tucking her hands behind her back as she straightens. "Thank you for letting us know, Ahz." She nods, the salarian instantly relaxing. "We'll handle things as normal. There's no reason for the station to panic when we don't know the whole picture yet. If the Alliance is amassing a counterattack, we must wait to see whether it succeeds. The only things we can do now is keep order and be ready for anything that could happen." The salarian nods.

Brill steps towards Amvius, his brow still furrowed in concern. "The thing we have to focus on right now is the defense of this station. There's nothing we can do for something happening across the galaxy. Omega and its people are the priority, and it always has been." She nods at Amvius, turning her attention back to Ahz. "Keep an eye on any other reports coming in. If something else happens, we can't be left in the dark. We must be ready to act if the Alliance attack fails. Its only a matter of time before the Reapers turn their attention somewhere else." The orders seem to relax the salarian, bringing him back to the present as he nods.

"Unless we know for certain, we'll keep this from the rest of the station. I don't want this information leaving this room. Try not to raise any suspicion. If we hear more, than we'll decide from there, we don't have the luxury of panicking." Brill concludes, waiting for both to confirm the orders before she grins. "Good. Keep me posted, Ahz." With that, she turns and leaves the Command Center, Amvius quickly stumbling to catch up with her.

"Brill!" He grabs her arm, halting her walk, casting a glance behind him at the guards just at the door. He tugs her away from them, finding a more secluded spot before speaking up again. "Are you?"

"I'm fine." Brill replies quickly, placing a hand on Amvius, loosening his grip on her arm. "You don't have to worry, Amvius. I'm alright, I don't need a moment."

Amvius lets the silence linger, searching Brill's face for some sort of explanation, some reason for her incredible calm demeanor. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive." Brill confirms, offering him a small smile. "The safety of Omega is the most important thing right now. We have to focus on that if we want to make it through this. Whatever happens with the Reapers, we don't have any control of it right now. We just stick to what we always do. We survive, just like when Cerberus took the station. We survive." She repeats the words. "Until Aria comes back."

Amvius leans back, her composure startling him a little, wondering exactly what was going through her mind. "How do you know for sure she's coming back?" He asks. "How do you know she made it out?"

"Because." Brill's voice tightens, betraying her composure only briefly before she swallows it down, looking up at Amvius with confidence. "She asked me to wait for her." The words make Amvius's own body twist in pain, seeing the struggle deep within Brill's eyes. He can hear it in her voice now, the restrained pain and hesitance behind the constant reassurance. She was still terrified, shaking inside from the news, struggling to keep herself upright, but remaining there because of a silent promise.

"Brill." He begins, his voice soft.

"So I'm going to wait." There's a silent struggle in her voice as she speaks. There's still a smile on her face, the only thing keeping her together is forcing it on her face. "Because what else can I do?" Amvius lowers his head, unsure of how to answer her, if she was even wanting an answer.

His gaze slowly raises, a question on his mind as he looks at her, her body visibly clenching. "What if she never comes back?" He asks.

Brill steps back from him, holding her arms close to herself, still trying her best to offer him a smile, however small. "Aria trusted me with the security of Omega. She trusts me to wait." She stands up straighter, her hands unclenching their tight grip on her arms. "So I trust her to come back. She will, I know she will. I just…" Her body shudders as she takes a deep breath, fingers briefly clenching their grip on her arms.

Amvius nods, straightening and snapping a salute to Brill, the formality drawing Brill back out from within herself. "Keeping Omega and its people safe is our first and only priority. The Talons will see to it. You will see to it." He says sternly, the gesture making Brill take a more calming breath. "I'll make sure we have everyone ready when we receive the next report." He steps back, lowering his talon to finish his salute. "Keep the station together for when the Queen returns."

Brill's calm returns to her at those words, and although she doesn't say anything, Amvius can feel the appreciation radiating from her look alone. "See to it then." She nods behind her, dismissing Amvius to see to it, and he does. Leaving Brill alone gives him only a brief pause, but he steels himself to depart, leaving the human alone in the small secluded area.

Feeling alone at last, Brill closes her eyes, letting her arms fall back to her sides as the tension and tightness around her whole body slowly relaxes. Whatever the future held; whatever fate becomes decided in the upcoming battle they had no control over. The future of the galaxy rested in different hands, something Brill and not even Aria could control. There was just one thing that was for certain, one grace that Brill clutched on to with bloodied hands. The one thing she had come to reach for in the past, but now she held on to it like no other.

The cold steel of the wall chills Brill's skin as she leans against the wall, letting the chill wash over her, resting her cheek against the wall, wishing for a familiar warmth there instead. Her eyes flutter close as she imagines the warmth beside her instead of the chilling cold of the station. She slowly licks her lips, bringing to life her dry hesitance.

The silence waits until she finally answers.

"I'll be waiting."

Fin.

Riot's Note: I. I would personally like to thank everyone who have stuck around since the beginning of this story. I've never been good at finishing them. I started this story back in September of 2014 and it has taken me this long to get to the end. I always knew how it would end, but never the journey brill would take to get there. The years that have passed since I began this trip with Brill have been eventful to say the least. The long time that passed between chapters, there was a lot of discovery regarding Brill. Secrets about her I never knew, and I enjoyed discovering them, although I wish I had known them in the beginning. Granted, I never would have known the way this story was going to go, I never anticipated the journey would be like this. So, thank you, to everyone who's stuck around since then and went on this journey with me, to those readers who joined in along the way to discover Brill as much as I have. Her strength got me out of tight spots in my own personal journey, her character always fascinating me. She was just created on a whim, a simple idea that someone suggested, and I created her to fit that idea. I never thought the small thought that was Brill would grow up to this.

Is this the end of Brill's story? I can't say for certain, but know this; she'll always be around, and if one day her story is destined to continue, I will write it. Until such a day comes, thank you for reading The Thief and Queen.