Try as she might, Morrigan could not scrub the shame and disgust from herself as she showered. What should have been a rejuvenating experience left her skin raw as she tried everything short of flaying her own skin to rid herself of the frustration and ever growing stress she felt within, resigning to just swallowing her shame.

  So, that was interesting, Apollyon mused as she dried herself.

  “Shut up. I will come in there and pull the tongue from your metaphorical skull,” Morrigan bit out angrily, unwilling to tolerate Apollyon’s incessant need to annoy her.

  Fine, fine. As they say, never poke a dog while it’s on its back… bahahahahahaha

  Apollyon’s hysterical laughter grated against her nerves as she ground her teeth. Crimson energy crackling strong enough to shred the towel that she had been using as she growled, “I said, shut it!”

  With focused effort, she could feel her oppressive anger push Apollyon further into the recesses of her mind, letting the deity’s laughter fade as she forced it into time out, something she had never attempted before.

  However, despite what should have been a shocking revelation, pushing the deity deeper in her mind didn’t ease the seething anger and stress she felt. Quickly getting dressed, Morrigan stormed to the bridge to find the bridge crew busy surveying the new sector they soared through. Everyone turned with worry upon seeing her seething glare as she eyed the streaking stars passing them by.

  “I’m glad to see you’re back,” Shepard said as she stepped around her console, both thankful yet expecting her return as she gently waving the rest of the crew to get back to work.

  Morrigan turned to Shepard, “Please tell me there is a ship near, I…”

  Shepard raised her hand knowing full well what Morrigan was about to say, instead, interrupting her for a sharp reminder, “Perhaps, you should visit Nora instead. She has been worried about your absence.” Shepard learned a lot about Morrigan in the recent few hours and knew she was in no real condition to return to her duties just yet, even if she was on the hunt for something to break.

  Morrigan’s eyes widened as intense worry and guilt struck her, both for the most recent events as well as being so self absorbed in her own hatred that she neglected her injured lover. She needed to vent, to release all of her frustrations before something happened that would cause her to snap but she also needed to remember there was much more than just herself to worry about.

  “I… yeah, I mean yes, I will once someone tells me which med bay she is in,” Morrigan stated shamefully as she wondered how she would keep herself together.

  Shepard gave her a knowing nod, “Room 62 on deck 12 and do not worry, we will have a target for you when you get back but we both know seeing each other will do both of you some good.”

  Morrigan furrowed her brow at the level of insight Shepard shared all of a sudden, but there was a large element of truth. She knew Nora would be ecstatic to see her and she would be too however, with what happened, Morrigan was uncertain on whether or not Nora could ease her tumultuous emotions.

  Morrigan sucked it up and nodded before stepping back into the elevator before more questions began to surface in her mind such as; Where was Xol, or Skoll for that matter.

  Morrigan lit a cigar and tried to smoke away the rising anxiety as she focused on the emotions of Skoll. Amongst a ship full of feelings, she could pick out a more powerful sense of playful joy along with mischievous hostility that told Morrigan that somewhere aboard the ship Skoll was playing with someone like he did with Sigurd. Knowing her wonderful pup was enjoying himself eased the stress she felt though it did raise the question of who the alien canine could possibly be playing with.

  Between the icy menthol of her cigar and the joyful emotions of Skoll, Morrigan began to feel a lot better as she passed by her crew making her presence known, casually waving to anyone who acknowledged her as they continued their work.

  Seeing her crew working hard also made her realize she was far behind on the upkeep of the ship, making a mental note to get with Emily to discuss the inventory of the ship and to speak to Shepard about the crew’s morale. Being away from the role of Inquisitor for even just a few days must have had an impact across the ship even if there were others that kept it running smoothly.

  The more and more she realized how much of her duty she neglected, the more she realized just how far behind she actually was, especially with being able to find the remainder of the Inquisitors that were not trapped by an armada around the Void Star.

  “I see you’re not covered in blood. I take it you didn’t kill him then?” came the calm voice of Nora that reached her ears as Morrigan focused on her surroundings to find herself within room 62. Nora sat in bed with a bright smile on her face as she looked at Morrigan.

  “Everything okay precious?” Nora asked as Morrigan’s brain fumbled out of the long list of inquiries she had to make.

  “Uh, yeah. Everything’s fine, I’m just realizing how much catching up I have to do on things…” Morrigan said tentatively as she stepped closer to the bed, seeing Nora’s wrist bound to the railing along the side and her smile seeming… off.

  Morrigan tilted her head as worry began to settle back in, “Are you okay? I was told you had a mild concussion… but this seems… where is the doctor?” she asked angrily as the sight of Nora bound to the bed infuriated her.

  Nora smiled even wider with the lack of unintelligible excitement she normally had, “Yeah, yeah. The doc gave me some behavior stuff that, you know, makes me behave,” she said with a dull giggle as she rattled the handcuff, “This is just extra measure because, well you know me!”

  Morrigan let out a deep breath before moving towards the bed and sitting next to her dazed girlfriend.

  “But yeah, I apparently cracked my shoulder blade or… well someone did but yeah, that’s a thing, so here I am,” Nora continued awkwardly only making Morrigan feel more frustrated by everything as the newest development had been made known to her.

  “I’m… sorry,” Morrigan forced out after a long moment as so many feelings wrestled within her, “I should’ve been here for you… I should have done a lot of things…”

  Morrigan wanted to confess her more recent blunder, if it could be called that and yet she found it increasingly difficult as the memory of her shock in the moment made it harder to find the words. Part of her knew Nora wouldn’t care, but at the same time, she would, and more so, Morrigan felt horrible.

  A gentle hand rubbed across her back as she looked to see a soft smile on Nora’s face, “Its okay, love. I know how much Sigurd meant to you and I don’t blame you… even I’m pretty sad about it,” Nora said with an aloof sigh.

  Morrigan’s shoulders sank at her words, feeling the crushing weight of guilt as she couldn’t help but nod.

  “I’m just glad you’re here,” Nora added before reaching her free arm around Morrigan’s neck and pulling her towards her, Morrigan giving in and slumping down next to her.

  Snuggling up next to her lover, Morrigan closed her eyes and took in the comfort Nora offered despite her being the one in the med bay, her emotions stabilizing enough for her body to relax. It wasn’t what Morrigan hoped for as Nora’s dulled personality made her feel like an entirely different person but at the same time, Morrigan was kind of glad Nora wasn’t her usual self.

  “Glad to see my plan worked though,” Nora said softly as she ran her fingers through Morrigan’s hair. The comment made Morrigan look up in confusion before Nora explained with an awkward smile.

  “Shepard was freaking out that you were being depressed and all and since I couldn’t come to you, I had her send Taylor, which worked and got you to come out. There is also the bonus of you not killing my sister’s boyfriend so I call it a good plan,” Nora explained as she leaned down and kissed Morrigan’s forehead.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “Yeah, instead of killing him I fucked him instead…” Morrigan thought as her gaze saw past Nora, subtly nodding before resting her head on her chest.

  After two days of nothingness, Morrigan wanted nothing more than to feel again but now that she felt everything and more, she wanted to feel nothing again. She didn’t know what she wanted, nor what she needed except an outlet for wayward feelings that refused to completely subside. Her best friend was gone and her girlfriend was drugged to the point of being a whole different person. Morrigan was at a complete loss with everything in her life, the only thing being certain was the next thing that came across her path was going to rue its existence.

  ◇◇◇

  “Oh, how the mighty have fallen. It is strange to see you without your usual get up,” Dora said as he leaned over the bar counter with his chin resting against his palm, ignoring the rowdy crowd of Federation marines that filled Pandora’s Box.

  Solomon chuckled with a nod as he looked down to the clean yet plain civilian clothes he wore, “Yeah. Demotion is always hard on a man that built his entire life around something so easily taken away.”

  Dora puffed out his lower lip in exaggerated pouting as he topped off Solomon’s glass of gin, “Oh Sugar, we’re still alive, doesn’t that count for something?”

  The playful tone made Solomon smile as he took another sip from the glass, “Of course it does, it counts for a lot actually. How is business going anyway?”

  Dora snorted, flourishing to the room around them, “Good, if you count not getting paid. Luckily, they were kind enough to allow trade ships to deliver, guess a bar running out of booze is far more detrimental than anyone would’ve thought, so business is… booming,” Dora mused knowing some of the marines in the room were listening.

  “Oh! But I did happen to snag myself a little slice of cake,” Dora perked up, happy to divulge the nitty gritty details.

  Solomon quirked an eyebrow before taking another sip, “Is that so? At least someone is enjoying themselves,” he retorted sardonically.

  “Well I was. Sadly the tight little ass had to go back so, its been a little boring lately unless you count drunken fist fights,” Dora said wistfully before taking a drink from a beer of his own as he watched the marines around the bar socialize in a cacophony of chatter. “Any word from our little firecracker?”

  Solomon shook his head as he leaned back, nonchalantly stretching with a long sigh, “No, but I did receive word from the rest of the Inquisitors that they will return.” Solomon’s words held the very simple meaning that the missing Inquisitors acknowledged his hidden message.

  Dora nodded along with that as Solomon eyed the crowd around them before letting out an exhausted breath, “It’ll be nice to have everyone home, not that it’s for a good reason…”

  “Yeah, well, just wait till our little girl comes home. Then it’ll be a party,” Dora snickered before moving along to fill new orders that were called out to him, leaving Solomon to watch the crowd alone with his calculated thoughts.

  Federation marines scoured the once bustling hive world of the Void Star. Nearly 1.5 million men, women and children called the Void Star home yet all it took was two hundred thousand Federation marines to deploy on its surface to turn the vibrant space station world into a ghost town. Despite the overwhelming disappointment to see his life’s work in such a state, it was all part of very convoluted plan.

  Solomon made a deal with the ranking commander of the Federation armada that surrounded their home that the entirety of the Inquisition would offer up their arms in surrender if no harm came to his people. Even with the overwhelming firepower the Federation had, the man left in charge was not keen on taking on an entire world nor destroying a space station that would unleash a black hole within the system. Luckily for him, the Lord Commander as well as the lording commander believed his honesty when it came to the energy supply of the Void Star, especially personally showing both men the truth. Granted, that led to teams of researchers sent down to study the Eskarii-made reactor not that they would ever be able to figure it out; it was a one-of-a-kind reactor specifically designed for the hive world.

  Now, everyone kept their heads down as the Federation marines on shore leave sacked each district leaving barely enough for the Inquisition to survive. However, thanks to a particular ex-raider warlord turned bar owner, the people of the Void Star were not completely defenseless.

  During the time the Federation had occupied the Void Star, Dora was smuggling and running weapons throughout the entirety of the hive world through secret causeways or stashing them in secret locations known only to Inquisition military officers, allowing the Inquisition to slowly rebuild their defensive capabilities. Solomon also kept each Inquisition ship on standby despite their engines and weapons being offline, as well as keeping the orbital cannon crews at the ready within spitting distance of each of the five cannons. Now, it was only a matter of waiting for the perfect time to retaliate, to wait for Morrigan to make the move Solomon expected to come. Once she made her move like Solomon knew she would, he would take back the Void Star and support her revolution.

  “It’s up to you now, Morrigan,” was his only lingering thought.

  ◇◇◇

  Dr. Tamina and Jackson both came for Nora hours after both women managed to doze off within each other’s arms. However, it came time for Nora’s surgery to repair the damage done to her shoulder, which was something Morrigan had strong words about for Xol when she happened to see him next.

  It took everything Morrigan had to not tear the head-doctor apart for putting Nora in the state she was in despite knowing just how difficult she could be however, the only saving grace for both Jackson and Dr. Tamina was that Morrigan knew Nora would be alright and back to her chipper self soon enough.

  It was one small reassurance amongst the long list of uncertainties she had now, and one she took great care in appreciating given the recent events. Her family’s whereabouts were still unknown, Sigurd was gone and the fight against the Federation was slipping out of control from Morrigan’s grasp which only left her feeling angry.

  She had still not seen hide nor hair of Skoll or Xol though she could now feel Skoll’s relaxed contentment radiating powerfully through the ocean of emotions within the Archangel. Luckily, the ambient feelings everyone aboard the ship were soft enough to ignore, though it left her with her own tumultuous emotions to deal with.

  Stepping back onto the bridge, Morrigan was greeted by the same streaking lights of FTL travel. Admiral Shepard took notice of Morrigan’s entrance and looked up with a sly, knowing smile on her face though Morrigan couldn’t imagine anything the old woman would know.

  “Feeling better?” Shepard asked.

  Morrigan shook her head before stepping up to her own console and sorting through an immense number of messages and files that had been sent to her. “No, I can’t say that I am…”

  Morrigan sighed as she felt the tension in her neck build, “Listen, I’m sorry for being such a mess lately…” she said loud enough for everyone on the bridge to turn and look at her. “I just… they've taken so much from me and I… maybe even more than I know. Sigurd, he was…”

  “We know,” Luisa spoke up cutting her off. Morrigan looked up to see an array of faces that comprehended what she tried to say.

  “Yeah, I mean that's why we're here,” Avery pointed out as she looked up ahead at her pilot, “Just about anyone who joins the Inquisition has had something taken from them.”

  The crew nodded with what Avery said before Sarilla chimed in, “We don't expect you to be perfect. Actually, and I think I speak for the entire ship when I say this, we appreciate the fact you have the capacity to feel this strongly and can act so… human, instead of some emotionless military career woman.”

  The smile Sarilla gave told Morrigan her words were sincere. Chewing on her lip and looking down at how her fingers curled into her hands, she recalled everything that had happened over the past few days with perfect clarity. Feeling guilty, ashamed and embarrassed as her cheeks began to burn.

  “Thank you everyone… I need to focus on catching up…” she said as she ran her fingers over the screen to organize a set of files.

  Silently smiling, her bridge crew returned to work. “Actually,” Shepard interjected. “Avery, if you would?”

  Morrigan looked up in time to watch as the Archangel dropped out of FTL, causing her to nervously look out each viewing window in curiosity before Shepard continued.

  “It may have taken a year for me to figure you out, Mori. I know you won’t feel better until you work out your frustration and it just so happens that we picked up a signal from a patrolling Frigate,” Shepard stated, her knowing expression making a lot more sense.

  Morrigan bared her fangs in a sadistic grin as she focused on the blackness of space to see the outline of a Federation ship with small blinking lights that flashed to give the silhouette dimensional depth. The sweet promise of relief in eyesight.

  “Perfect,” Morrigan hissed before she turned and stepped back into the elevator.

  Hey, what’s going on? You got some good shit brewing in here, Apollyon asked before mimicking the sound of sniffing, Smells like murderous joy?

  “Oh yes, we’re going hunting,” Morrigan thought back as she pushed the desired deck button as Shepard called out to her.

  “Wait Mori! We need a plan of attack and to assemble the crew! Mori!”

  Fuck yes! Out of the corner and into the bloodbath, let’s do this! Apollyon cheered in her mind nearly drowning Shepard out. However, Morrigan did manage to hear her.

  “Just take care of the engines,” Morrigan stated just before the elevator door closed.

  Everyone turned to see Shepard in shock and disbelief, questioning if Morrigan truly meant to board an entire enemy ship by herself as Shepard stepped into the middle of the bridge staring at the elevator in her own disbelief.

  “Sister, keep her from leaving this ship and raise the alarm! Battle stations people!” she shouted as she stepped back to her console grabbing the comm bead she had set aside.

  “You can’t seriously be considering this; this is a suicide mission if you try to go alone!” Shepard exclaimed.

  There was a moment of pause before Morrigan seemed to bother responding, “I’m not… but I will not wait.”

  “Mori, stop and think. You’ll be going up against tens of thousands on that ship. I know you’re powerful but this is insanity, just wait for us to prepare!” Shepard responded, the pleading tone of her voice causing the bridge crew to realize Morrigan truly was determined to be first in the assault.

  “You can’t stop me.”