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3.1

It had taken a little over a month, but Samara had finally attained the intel she needed. 

Intel about Montes. About Lady Benezia. 

Not very long for an asari, but in that short time Montes had taken advantage of Benezia’s sworn oath of servitude every chance he could. Over a month of Benezia being forced to pleasure that barbarian. Over a month of Samara failing as her loyal guard.

But that would soon change. Samara had what she needed to nail that human bastard to the wall. The true nature of Montes’ relationship with the T’Soni matriarch was a well-guarded secret - and thus, a very expensive secret. 

And today, it’s going to pay off. Today, Lady Benezia will be freed.

It had only taken Samara a week to find out the secret was in the Shadow Broker’s possession - because of course it was. But it would take her even longer to raise the funds to procure it. Buying the intel off of the Shadow Broker had burned through most of Samara’s savings - she wasn’t too bothered by that, since she received free room and board from House T’Soni anyway - but the knowledge provided proved to be a revelation.

Spectre Agent Gabriel Montes had blackmailed Lady Benezia into swearing an oath of servitude towards him. Holding the woman’s reputation and family name against her. All because the matriarch had taken a simple bribe so that he daughter would receive a position befitting her station. And so Benezia was punished, forced to fulfill each and every one of the human’s twisted, carnal desires.

It made Samara sick.

So she had no qualms at all with breaking into Agent Montes’ home. For a Council Spectre, it was shocking how little security his apartment had. A sign of his human arrogance, perhaps? But Samara did not come to learn about the quirks of Montes’ species. She’d seen enough human barbarism inflicted on Lady Benezia to last a lifetime.

With great purpose and great fury, Samara strode forth into the living room of the human Spectre who so tormented the House of T’Soni. She spotted the man sitting on one of his luxury sofas, leaned back and relaxed - though he did tear his eyes from the bioti-ball game on his holo-screen.

Their eyes met - and Samara let her body flare with biotic power. It was only a taste of her righteous fury.

But, maddeningly, Gabriel Montes didn’t seem the least bit afraid… or even surprised. As Samara continued to stride forward to confront him, the human slowly stood from the sofa, brushing smooth his dark pants as he did. He remained relaxed, even casual, acting as if she hadn’t just walked into home uninvited.

He threw Samara a small grin, crossing his thick arms over his broad chest. At this the asari felt… unsettled. She slowed to a stop as she entered the living room den, keeping her distance from the man. A small coffee table separated the Huntress and the Spectre.

“It’s Samara, isn’t it?” Montes greeted her in a cool voice. He lifted his chin some, narrowing his eyes at her. “I didn’t tell Benezia we’d be meeting today.”

The mention of her mistress’ name sent a flare of anger rising up Samara’s back. She clenched her fists, her body pulsing with another biotic field, stronger this time. There was a low hum as the particles in the air collided and burst. Not enough to cause damage to anyone or anything… but enough to be heard.

“I’m not here for that.” Samara snarled. “I’m here for you.”

Montes snorted, his grin spreading and turning nastier.

“Is that right?”

“I know you’ve been blackmailing Benezia. I know how you’ve been forcing her to serve you sexually.” Disgust laced her words. They tasted bitter on Samara’s lips, mingling with the shame she felt at herself for allowing the mistreatment of her mistress to last for so long. Her blue eyes hardened. “Today it’s going to stop. Whatever you think you have with Lady Benezia? It’s done. Finished.”

Montes gave a short nod, beginning to pace slowly back and forth. He stroked his jaw, running his thick fingers over the dark stubble - the grimy bristles that humans called “hair”.

“That’s a shame.” He said after a short silence. His eyes met hers again, no longer cold. Now, they were wicked, devious… hungry. Silently, they laughed at Samara. “Just when she was starting to like me, too…”

Another flare of anger. It erupted from Samara in the form of a biotic warp. The huntress sent it shooting forth… at the holo-screen. The device shattered in a burst of sparks and bits of material.

That should have been Montes…

“Like you?” It was a concentrated effort for Samara to keep from shrieking. “Why would Lady Benezia ever like a vile beast like yourself?”

Montes wasn’t deterred by either Samara’s rage or the damage done to his property. The human kept the same obnoxious, arrogant smile upon his face, his posture that of supreme surety. He wasn’t afraid of Samara or of what she’d do to him. And that only fed into the asari’s building anger. But nothing infuriated the huntress more than the man’s next words.

“Maybe because I’m the only man on this station with the balls to give her what she really wants. To treat her the way she wants to be treated.”

“Like a whore?” Samara spat.

“Like a woman.” Montes smirked.

The rage still burned bright in Samara’s heart. But deep in her gut, she felt the coiling snake of revulsion. It twisted in her belly, turning her stomach again and again. Slowly, the biotic flare died down, dissipating from Samara’s body. The huntress bodysuit suddenly felt all too constricting, clinging undesirably to her lithe, toned body. Like it was suffocating her.

Animal. Nothing but an animal.

“You’re insane.” Samara blurted out. She took a step back, horrified that the man standing before her was granted the title of Spectre. “You’re sick.”

Montes chuckled darkly and deeply. He took a step forward.

“Don’t knock it ‘till you’ve tried it. Nezzia enjoyed herself well enough. Why not you?”

The human began to drag his gaze over her body, starting down at her legs and working his way up. Samara felt the coiling in her gut intensify. The way the man was looking at her… the desire in his eyes… the way her suit clung to her body… she may as well have been naked.

But through the heavy feeling of disgust, rage bloomed once again. A blossom of fury bursting through to the surface. Samara had come here for a reason. To save Lady Benezia from this… this brute! She’d trained in the art of the huntress for centuries. One male human wasn’t going to stop her.

Samara clenched her fists tight. Biotics flared around them both. The asari adopted a threatening stance, her eyes glowing bright with power.

“The oath of servitude you forced Lady Benezia to swear to you. You’re going to free her from it. Now.”

“No.” Montes smiled.

“Cretin!” Samara shrieked, sending another warp out. This time it struck a holo-lamp to Montes’ side, detonating with a low THOOM. The human didn’t so much as flinch. “I will paint the walls with your blood and not lose a bit of sleep over it!”

“Will you lose sleep over your beloved Lady Benezia having her good name ruined?” Montes asked her calmly. The huntress blinked, feeling a chill dampen her burning rage. The human continued with a frightening casualness. “Because if I don’t check in with my contact soon, evidence of Benezia’s bribe will be sent to every news outlet on the Citadel. And just as many out in asari space.”

Samara shook her head.

“You wouldn’t.” She sneered.

Montes stepped closer, his eyes darkening. The asari didn’t shrink in the face of his advance. She was too proud for that. But she did finally notice just how large the human was. Weeks and weeks spent watching her mistress get swept up into his brawny, brutish arms yet Samara had scarcely taken note of the man’s size.

“I would. And I’m the only one who can call it off.” He stood before her then, his broad bulk looming tall over her slender form. “Sure, you could turn my body into red paste. But should you?”

Samara had forgotten - human females were similar enough to asari, but the males? The men could get pretty big. Almost krogan-sized. The huntress looked up into Montes’ hard face, her own gaze unwavering. But on the inside, her emotions were a storm.

She wanted to flatten him against the floor - or the ceiling. Every atom in her body was crying out for violence, for her to enact righteous justice against this beast who defiled the woman she was sworn to protect. But she couldn’t. If Montes spoke the truth, then Lady Benezia’s reputation and her livelihood were both in danger. If Samara killed this man or even maimed him… she would fail in her duty to protect House T’Soni.

Samara had waited for so long, spent so much money… for nothing.

It was a mistake coming here.

“This… this isn’t over.” Samara hissed at him through grit teeth. A flare of biotic power pulsed from her body, a threatening show. Then she turned and started back towards his apartment door. But Montes called out to her.

“You’re right. It isn’t. I didn’t say you could leave.”

Samara slowed to a stop, her heart skipping a beat. She silently prayed that she had misheard him… but she couldn’t afford to displease him further. Not when Lady Benezia was being threatened.

Slowly, the huntress turned to face the man. She found him grinning in satisfaction. A most hateful sight to her eyes. He raised a hand and beckoned her to come back. As dread coiled in her belly, Samara obeyed.

Samara kept her face serene, still like a statue. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of her fear. But that didn’t seem to matter. The sight of her following his commands pleased him all the same.

“I don’t want to deal with an intrusion like this again.” Montes told the asari huntress as she came to a stop in front of him. “I need a guarantee from you. So you’re going to swear an oath to me. The same oath as your Lady Benezia. Osa’Omasi.”

Samara’s defiance in denying Montes her emotion quickly collapsed. Shock and anger flared up again, twisting her beautiful, elegant features into a shocked scowl.

“What? You’re insane! My loyalty is to House T’Soni. Nothing can supersede it!” Samara would have laughed in the man’s face were the situation not quite so sickening.

“And this is another way you can serve House T’Soni, Samara.” Montes said in a surprisingly warm voice. “If you refuse, the dirt I have on Benezia’s shady dealings gets released to the press. The info is already out in the wild. All it takes is a quick data burst. It only gets stopped on my word. All I have to do is wait. But you? You’re running out of time.”

The icy chill of fear spread through Samara’s body. Her bodysuit seemed to shrink around her body, tightening around her throat. 

No. No! How… how did he…?

“This is madness.” Samara said quietly. She breathed in, stepping back. Suddenly she found herself not at all on sure feet. “You’re a Spectre! You’re supposed to uphold the law!”

“Spectre’s are above the law.”

“The Council…”

“The Council is well aware of my recreational activities. Tevos loves the footage I send her.”

Samara shook her head, feeling the weight of complete and total failure beginning to bear down on her shoulders.

Councilor… Tevos… she knows? Wh… Why?

Emotions in Samara’s mind became a storm. A hurricane swirling violently within. Fury. Shame. Despair. And beyond it all, there was dreadful acceptance.

Samara had gambled big… and lost.

The huntress sucked in a shuddering breath. Then she leveled a cold, withering glare up at the human who towered over her. Still the man was smiling.

“You’re a sick man.” She told him, her words laced with venom. “Vile.”

Montes snorted, looking most pleased at ensnaring another asari plaything.

“I’ve heard it all before. Now say the words I really want to hear.”

With no way out and no way to fight back, Samara bowed her head. As she knelt down onto one knee, the huntress reminded herself that she was doing this to protect Lady Benezia and her family. Just as Samara had sworn to do centuries ago.

She would do anything to protect House T’Soni, even sacrifice herself. But Samara had once thought she might give her body on the battlefield. Not in someone’s bed.

A huntress lives to fulfill her duty. This is no different.

In a soft, serene voice, Samara spoke the words that would bind her to Gabriel Montes until her dying day. 

Osa’Omasi. The unbreakable oath of sexual servitude.

“By… by the spirit of love and passion… under the eyes of the Goddess Athame… your body is my altar… your desires are my code… Give your passion unto me, my conqueror. I will serve.”