Confessions of a Ghost

Pengian took the pistol from Pherios and ejected its thermal clip before collapsing the firearm, and nodded to the others in his fireteam to do as the lieutenant directed. The soldiers accompanying reached for the human’s back where they would pin his arms and then lead him to the brig. They all did this without so much as a word, but all it took was a glance to the men around him for Pengian to know that they were all tense.

Of all of them, Fenriux seemed to be the least concerned. As he passed by the tactical officer, Pengian thought he almost saw what looked to be pride in the turian’s narrow gaze. It was firmly fixed on Pherios, broken only when Raivvin seemed to follow after the human at his very word.

“You follow the human’s word as obediently as you would your turian superior,” Fenriux murmured, and said nothing further. He turned his attention back to Pherios after the group of soldiers had led the human and Raivvin out of earshot and then added, “You handle yourself well, and create a good impression on your men. Consider me impressed, as well. One thing I will ask, however. How do you assess the human’s claim of an assassin on board? One that supposedly threatens the life of my brother?”

Change of Peace

@thelightanditsshadow @bordercrssing

The defense fleet was not known for the unconscionable amounts of engagements, what suited Arix in his quest to defeat his Admiral in some way. And so, the Staff Sergeant was not the most thankful NCO when an alarm sirens woke his team up.

Who am I trying to trick, he was happy as a lark.*

‘The Ascendant Justice’ arrived on site in time to blockade the raiding fleet. Ships were enormous, even for organised pirates Raivvin had dealt with, but surprisingly opened no fire towards first frigates. Of course the Adrmial’s strength could hardly be matched even by a sheer amount of units at his disposal, but firepower was not taken under consideration up against abducted people aboard; a clever move to channel the imminent combat to an uneven ground.

Knowing their scores in hostage situation training, Raivvin’s team started their prepares right after the leader got a word of a position. And so, the Sergeant himself awaited an officer, fiddling with his equipment in what scarce of a spare time he had.

*Bird pun not intended.

“We shall be the judge of that, not you,” Fenriux rumbled, unimpressed by the seeming confidence that the human continued to exude, making his foolhardy demands of himself and his crew. “You are horribly misinformed if you think me a general, or even the command of an army when you standing in the midst of a navy. You have neither reason nor worth to speak to the Admiral, or even to me. I allow this impudence only to satisfy my curiosity.”

Taking a step forwards, he stood just out of the path that the hapless human sailed through in slow motion, on an inevitable destination against the sturdy bulkheads of the dreadnought. He pointed his sharp gaze within inches of the human with a hard glare, and made the most of the raspy depths of his subvocals to send a clear message to the human. “What you have to tell the admiral you can tell us; we can relay the message to him personally, after all. Please, enlighten us on what dangers we currently face. The pirate fleet is in full retreat, and the ones without the sense to run are burning in their own graves.”

bordercrssing

Pherios eyes flared and narrowed at the humans explanation, he did not posess Fenruix’s legendary patience. He once again grabbed the human by the collar and disengaged his biotics causing him momentary whiplash. And threw him to the ground.

“Enough games you mistake for an intelligent race.” Pherios grumbled as he grabbed a sidearm from one of the Marines holsters and pointed it at the humans head.

“The Admiral is not your asset or your Turian. Insult my patience again and you are going out of the airlock behind you.”

Pherios was in a rage, first the insult to his species and then to his role model and hero. He was seeing red and wanted retribution. The normally composed officer showing a strength and savegry reserved for infantry like he tapped into some buried part of himself.

The businessman fell on the ground with a loud curse and equally loud thud. “Christ’s sake, wasn’t speaking of him, muscle!” He yelled, holding his back. “Go tell your Admiral that due to my miswording you have an unvilling assassin onboard,” the man turned towards Fenriux. “And colony we are orbiting may be endangered by the armour of mine piloted by one of those bastards your strike team managed to let go. I might have fucked up a thing or two what does not make me unwilling to fix where I was wrong.”

Around that time Sergeant Raivvin managed to make his way through the crowd. Seeing short human left shock and awe on his face, as businessman spot him sticking out of the crowd.

“Speaking of the devil,” he raised his voice through the clenched teeth, “Dante, my dear, could you please tell Mr. Kuril here to GET OFF OF ME, please?”

Young turian gulped visibly. He dared not to move. “Pherios, sir, forgive my boldness. Could you please calm down and stand away from Mr. Fostergrant, sir?” He asked, uncertain.

Fenriux, silent for a brief moment, broke out in amused, cold laughter. Almost everyone in the crew stopped to stare at him; a vast majority of them had never heard anything close to the sort from their tactical officer. Pengian was included among their number. The raspy, harsh barks spoke of an impetuous behavior that was hitherto unseen among a tactician whose reputation was of stoic analysis with little to show in regard to his emotions.

“Sergeant Raivvin, you know this human? And he thinks he can demand anything from the Hierarchy because of that fact? Truly, humans will amuse me to no end!”

When he had managed to stifle his laugh to a harsh chuckle, he waved off to Pherios. “You are the local command here. I leave this human’s fate to your discretion, Lieutenant; I trust your judgment to be capable of resolving this issue without my need to intervene. We can establish the veracity of his claims later, one way or another.”

Change of Peace

@thelightanditsshadow @bordercrssing

The defense fleet was not known for the unconscionable amounts of engagements, what suited Arix in his quest to defeat his Admiral in some way. And so, the Staff Sergeant was not the most thankful NCO when an alarm sirens woke his team up.

Who am I trying to trick, he was happy as a lark.*

'The Ascendant Justice' arrived on site in time to blockade the raiding fleet. Ships were enormous, even for organised pirates Raivvin had dealt with, but surprisingly opened no fire towards first frigates. Of course the Adrmial's strength could hardly be matched even by a sheer amount of units at his disposal, but firepower was not taken under consideration up against abducted people aboard; a clever move to channel the imminent combat to an uneven ground.

Knowing their scores in hostage situation training, Raivvin's team started their prepares right after the leader got a word of a position. And so, the Sergeant himself awaited an officer, fiddling with his equipment in what scarce of a spare time he had.

*Bird pun not intended.

Fenriux and Pengian walked onto the same scene from opposite ends, seeing Pherios go to work on the human captive. The rest of the men who disembarked from the shuttle stopped to watch the scene unfold.

Pengian was speechless. He was aware of who Pherios was, being one of the primary officers who answered to the Dreadnought’s second-in-command. He had never seen Pherios in action, but what he saw now reminded him of the stories he sometimes heard from veterans of the Relay 314 incident. Pherios was by no means a mere analyst, no turian worth his weight ever sacrificed their ability for self-defense just to excel at their assigned task; but this was the first time Pengian witnessed the larger turian in action. He was certainly no contender to take lightly.

Fenriux, for his part, decided to hold to his subordinate’s discretion for now. For Pherios it was a clear demonstration of their difference in might, and certainly an opportunity for him to show solidarity with his subordinates. He stayed at the back of the crowd, watching events unfold. He sharp gaze narrowed further when he saw the human’s abrupt change in behavior. He cared nothing for the entitled personality that he saw at first, but at the cold aggression of the second, he found himself stepping forward from the crowd.

“You presume much, even for a human,” he stated. “You are not in Citadel space, and you are subject entirely to the Hierarchy’s discretion regarding the treatment of peoples not protected by Council law. As it stands, the man that holds you is the one you answer to, not the other way around. If you have any hope for your survival at our mercy, you had better consider whom you’re talking to, and what he is capable of. I have no reason to restrain him.”

Change of Peace

@thelightanditsshadow @bordercrssing

The defense fleet was not known for the unconscionable amounts of engagements, what suited Arix in his quest to defeat his Admiral in some way. And so, the Staff Sergeant was not the most thankful NCO when an alarm sirens woke his team up.

Who am I trying to trick, he was happy as a lark.*

'The Ascendant Justice' arrived on site in time to blockade the raiding fleet. Ships were enormous, even for organised pirates Raivvin had dealt with, but surprisingly opened no fire towards first frigates. Of course the Adrmial's strength could hardly be matched even by a sheer amount of units at his disposal, but firepower was not taken under consideration up against abducted people aboard; a clever move to channel the imminent combat to an uneven ground.

Knowing their scores in hostage situation training, Raivvin's team started their prepares right after the leader got a word of a position. And so, the Sergeant himself awaited an officer, fiddling with his equipment in what scarce of a spare time he had.

*Bird pun not intended.

“Fenriux,” Providentius murmured to his twin. “See to your subordinate. We have things well in-hand here. We’ll mop up the rest of the pirate incursion and then I will come to assess the situation in the hangars.”

Nodding curtly, Fenriux obeyed his orders and fell in behind Pherios and the two fully armed and armored marines that he picked to follow him.

***

Pengian heard the commotion from the nearby shuttle shortly before Raivvin directed his attention to it. He gave a glance to his peer, followed by a curt nod and a brisk jog over to see what the commotion was. Being back in the relative safety of the dreadnought, he had since holstered his collapsed rifle, but kept his claws close to his sidearm in case it was needed.

He recognized the voice as a human one. No species were as shrill or as obnoxious when they were discontented.

Disaster Gallery

Hathor sighed into his cup of hot, energizing tea. His tongue smarted after his impatient first sip. The slight discomfort combined with a throbbing ache of his head from having too many drinks and too little sleep had made him sink into a fouler than usual morning mood. His gloved claws massaged and pinched the thick carapace over his eyes while he waited for Aeos, slouched down in his shuttle seat. “Local news.” he muttered to his omni-tool and waited for his ears to fill with the latest report of Digerian affairs. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the fiery latest speech from the Primarch concerning her draw-out negotiations with Armax’ regarding the colonial tariffs and what she labeled a worrisome influence of legislature from its Executor. His grin faded somewhat when he heard the dark, silken voice of Okelius fill his ears. “I find it Primarch Zenlius speaks with such certainty of my unwillingness to come to a mutually benefitial compromise. My invitation to her still stands and my chambers are always open to her.” “Smooth...”Hathor huffed and chanced another sip of his tea.

“No!” Aeos barked back to Hathor as he ran. “Keep our ride out of here secured! If they cut off our only means of retreat then we’re already done!”

Aeos threw up a barrier between them and the pursuing guards and then ran, hastily gesturing to Caldonis as he passed them. “Tell me something I don’t know! Right now we have to run, or we won’t be able to hold out against their numbers!”

Inwardly, he was begrudgingly thankful for Caldonis’ terrifying new strength. It allowed their efforts to break their way out easier; even if their adversary blocked the shortest path from the labs to the elevator outside, they had enough brute force to blow through each obstacle. All they had to do was get there, and as the overwhelming fumes of the place began to fade Aeos knew they neared closer to the exit. Rapidly tapping on his omni-tool as he ran, he loaded several hacking VIs to override the controls as soon as they managed to get inside.

Disaster Gallery

Hathor sighed into his cup of hot, energizing tea. His tongue smarted after his impatient first sip. The slight discomfort combined with a throbbing ache of his head from having too many drinks and too little sleep had made him sink into a fouler than usual morning mood. His gloved claws massaged and pinched the thick carapace over his eyes while he waited for Aeos, slouched down in his shuttle seat. “Local news.” he muttered to his omni-tool and waited for his ears to fill with the latest report of Digerian affairs. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the fiery latest speech from the Primarch concerning her draw-out negotiations with Armax’ regarding the colonial tariffs and what she labeled a worrisome influence of legislature from its Executor. His grin faded somewhat when he heard the dark, silken voice of Okelius fill his ears. “I find it Primarch Zenlius speaks with such certainty of my unwillingness to come to a mutually benefitial compromise. My invitation to her still stands and my chambers are always open to her.” “Smooth...”Hathor huffed and chanced another sip of his tea.

Aeos huffed and realized that his human-English phrase probably didn’t translate well into the turian language. “They’re alive but in a very bad spot that I can’t get them out of, but Caldonis is with me and right now our biggest priority is getting him off-planet!”

He heard the shout of the local guards and the tell-tale thundering of gunfire, only to notice afterwards that the Senator’s biotics once again saved them from an untimely end. The rounds stopping mid-air indicated to him that they weren’t intent on using lethal force; at those velocities they were probably concussive rounds intended more to injure or incapacitate. That fact alone was not enough to keep him still, however, especially when the next door presented another pair of guards with their guns levelled at them.

Right now he had to run, not think.

With an unceremonious tug, Aeos yanked on Caldonis’ arm before letting go, summoning his own biotics to launch himself at tremendous speeds at the guard on their right, intending to disable and disarm him in the blink of an eye, and with the next take an incapacitating shot at the other guard.

Change of Peace

#Aeos IC #actualfuturesoldat #bordercrssing

The rest of the battle was something of a blur for Pengian. What he remembered in retrospect came in brief flashes, accompanied by the sounds of gunfire, and brusque, curt actions. Some resulted in putting holes into pirate skulls, and others an unceremonious yank of the hostages into his arms before shoving them off to his team to take them back as quickly as possible. Before he knew it he was staring at the walls of a much fuller shuttle, and by some miracle the full compliment of his men, some wounded but otherwise alive. The shuttle sped back to the Hierarchy fleet, shuddering from stray rounds and the occasional debris, but he still felt safer here than in the enemy ship.

“Not bad, all things considered,” Pengian murmured to himself. “Good work guys. As soon as we’re aboard we’re getting the wounded and the hostages to the medical bay for full evaluation.”

***

Fenriux stood at a distance, having quickly realized that Pherios had returned to his element once again. Despite his injuries and at-times imprudent desire to push his limits to unsustainable degrees, the tactical officer could not help but notice the lieutenant’s ability to seemingly bounce back from any setback, not just in intention but also in his ability to realize them. It would be better for him to observe Pherios’ performance for now, and let him grow as the challenges they faced tested him.

Upon their return to the bridge, Providentius turned to Pherios with a look of concern. “Are you well enough to serve, Pherios? You haven’t spent all that much time in the med bay. Do not push yourself if it will carry repercussions for you later. I won’t allow it.”

“Trust your subordinates to know themselves and the needs we face well enough to make that judgment,” Fenriux growled. “Let him do his job, as you do yours. We’ll keep him safe.”

Disaster Gallery

Aeos ran through the labs and the maze of pipes and industrial pumps as quickly as he could. When his memory failed him, he could relay on the sonar mapping provided by his omni-tool for the way out. He would have to fight the guards at the exits, but there was little choice; it was a far more appealing alternative than to take on Okelius as he now stood.

“Mostly,” Aeos managed between breaths. “But the exit will be guarded. Might have a brief scuffle on our hands, but I’d rather not involve the primarch if we can help it. I’ve still got some resources left to me, though.”

Tapping rapidly on the glowing apparatus on his left forearm, the human opened a channel to Hathor. “It’s Aeos. Things went south, quick. I’ve got Caldonis with me but the Admiral and Jakten are a no-go. Get the air car ready and meet us by the elevator, quick. We’ve got a real short window before all of Armax will be gunning for us.”

***

Providentius heard Okelius’ words and could do little else besides stare at the hulking mass of plate and muscle that towered over them. Jakten collapsed next to him in a heap after being unceremoniously tossed, and he himself was turned onto his back at a simple gesture on the Chronol’s part, a trifling matter. Despair began to eat away within the recesses of his chest, and his blurry vision began to fade.

Part of him hoped for Fenriux to come to his rescue, alongside everyone else his twin could muster, but the fears he had for all of them, should they attempt it, far and away eclipsed these hopes. Should they fail, there would be very little left that anyone could do to prevent Okelius’ ascension. But if they did nothing, then everything he needed to accomplish his goals were now in his possession. Even as his thoughts faded, Providentius was keenly aware of what Okelius had planned for him, now that he was weakened enough to be used.

Disaster Gallery

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Aeos murmured in retort, minding Okelius’ fury more than he did Jakten’s. Of the two’s anger, the former’s was much more destructive. “We all knew that going against Armax was something of a suicide mission.”

Providence, meanwhile, could do little to help. As much as he tried to force himself to move, the best he could accomplish resulted in sluggish, imprecise gestures with his limbs. He stumbled to his feet, and just as quickly stumbled over himself, his visage locked into a permanent snarl as he cursed his helpless state. He could not assist Jakten, nor help Caldonis escape. Right now Caldonis’ best chance lay in the hands of a human black operative.

“Aeos, go,” he commanded weakly. “This is all for naught if Okelius gets Caldonis back-”

Before he could finish his sentence, the Admiral cried out in pain as he was engulfed in Okelius’ ravenous clutches, his limbs a writhing mess as he felt his strength relinquish within the elder Chronol’s clutches.

Aeos perceived it all in slow motion, his body aglow with his own biotics and his feet swift, moving at twice the normal speed possible of a human being. As he ran through his artificial time dilation, he faced the coming choice to cut their losses and accomplish their objective, or try to completely deny Okelius any further concessions.

He felt the curl of his fingers grasp Caldonis’ arms and tug him towards the exit. “Come with me,” he said quickly. “I’ll get you to the Modalius fleet. We must speak with Fenriux, the acting commander, and tell him what has happened here. We can’t win this battle alone.”

Disaster Gallery

Instinctively, Aeos crossed his forearms over his upper body in a brace to withstand the blast that Caldonis unleashed. It was orders of magnitude more powerful than when he first unleashed his biotics fresh out of treatment. Even if he had shielded himself from shattering most of the bones that faced towards the Senator, he was still driven back several feet before he slid to a stop.

If wielded correctly, he had just acquired a new trump card; they could now contend against Okelius, even the likes of him as he now stood before them.

They were still outnumbered, however, so Aeos quickly looked towards the exits to see if any of the Armax would pour in. He was yet well enough to contend with a few of them if they came to assist their employer. None yet came, and he returned his attention to Okelius, and then to the Admiral. Despite his relative size, Providentius had, for once, seemed to dissolve into the background, his gaze still blank and his posture slumped in what Aeos could only call defeat.

Clearing his throat silent, Aeos clarified matters for Caldonis again. He could not remember the last time he spoke the truth so openly, so lacking in prudence. It was more of a compulsion. It was something he thought was right, even as he caught Okelius’ murderous gaze.

“Nivious submitted himself to prototypes of the treatment you ultimately received,” Aeos spoke, his voice sounding soft to his ears. “It was a voluntary sacrifice on his part, one that Okelius exploited. He can vouch for my account himself, if you need any convincing. And as for my own goal,” he said as he glanced to Okelius, “I am not here for you; I have no stake in the matter. I am here because the Admiral wanted me to be.”

At those words, an inner fire seemed to flicker in the Admiral’s gaze, who, with great effort, managed to straighten his posture and rise to his full height, such as it was. “Aeos speaks the truth,” he began, his wavering voice gathering strength as he looked to Caldonis. “I had him called in as a favor. When Nivious told me of your predicament, I sent Aeos to retrieve you, and he asked for my presence personally in when it was clear that your retrieval would be a difficult matter. We vouch for each other, and surely you must remember me from my youth. I am confident that my reputation speaks for itself. I have nothing to hide, no reason to deceive you. If you cannot believe the human, you may at least believe in my trust in him, such as it may be.”

Disaster Gallery

Aeos ground his teeth, growing less and less patient with Jakten’s fears and his increasingly apparent inability to lie. At this rate he might as well tell Caldonis the whole truth; at least then he could win over the senator’s trust and wield him against Okelius. Right now, they were little more than dead weight if they were going to attempt a rescue of the Admiral.

Not that he or the admiral himself would’ve wanted it. But Aeos knew that if he left Providentius behind, he would face hell on part of the Modalius, and lose any chance of getting justice for Xern. Even if he was essentially coerced into becoming an accessory to Providentius’ hare-brained scheme, the prejudice and the doubts they would inevitably harbor would put him under hopeless scrutiny. An alien operative to a foreign power? The optics were untenable.

At least, that’s what he thought before he had breached the inner sanctum of the Armax underground labs. He stared at monstrous turian that, save for the same pale markings and piercing gold gaze, resembled nothing of the Okelius he knew. What was once sinewy limb seemed to be an explosion of muscle and veins that almost burst at the seams with physical brawn. The only thing he could recognize was the executive’s almost effortless biotic takedown of his only dependable asset. Now Jakten lay sprawled across the ground, but then Caldonis threw himself headlong into the situation, placing himself between Jakten and his would-be captor. The biotics that Aeos witnessed from the Senator blunted Okelius’ raw force, almost on par of that of an Asari commando. There was yet hope in this struggle. But even so, their odds were slim.

Providentius saw Caldonis, seemingly fully cured and revitalized than ever, and realized that his hopes had paid off. He now faced a critical decision, whether to take his chances and finally muster the last of his strength in a desperate bid to escape, or to cut his losses and at least secure Nivious’ father at the expense of his own self. Given his state of mind and prior decisions made, he quickly reached a conclusion.

“Go, Caldonis,” he managed weakly. “Your son is waiting for you back at the fleet. Aeos can take you there.”

Aeos looked at Providentius for a long time with an expression that the Admiral could not read. With a silent inhale, Aeos turned to the senator.

“Surely Okelius’ thin lie is apparent. It is clear to everyone present what is at stake here. But Providentius speaks honestly. He intends to give his own life for yours...and for your son. Okelius will have what he wants, and your son will finally be absolved of all the consequences that he suffered in his sacrifice for your sake. You were brought here in an effort to be cured, at great personal cost. You now face a choice to honor their sacrifice...or to take back all that has been lost, and keep your new life.”

Disaster Gallery

“And yet you expect the ones who see us the same way to do the same...” Providentius lamented. “Just as you expect me to serve in the shadows of your own ambitions. But I suppose we are kin, and the same rules do not apply.” One last effort was thrown to try and resist Okelius, but by now it was far too late. He stumbled along at the massive turian’s nudging, and again the elder Chronol’s honeyed words struck just enough truth for him to doubt himself. Their ambitions stemmed from the same source, that much was true. It made him wonder if his prior insistence on seeing all the differences were his futile attempt to admitting to how similar they were at heart.

The labs loomed ahead of him, and in the back of his consciousness wondered where Aeos and Jakten were right about now.

***

Aeos’ smile towards Caldonis was a pained one. It expressed more than the lie that he tried constructing to hold the truth at bay. “You’re on Digeris, in the heart of Armax’s headquarters, the personal guest of the executive himself.”

He knew he went directly against what Jakten desperately intended, but right now he had no means of being able to reinforce the lie convincingly enough remove any doubt from Caldonis’ mind. It was clear enough that his mental faculties were sharp enough to perceive when he was being lied to...but in the gambit of some of the truth, Aeos supposed that he might be able to leave the remainder unsaid.

“You were brought here because you were sick with Corpalis syndrome,” he admitted. “in the hopes that you would be given a cure. By all indications, it appears to have worked. The greater implications of your treatment, such as it is, are rather obvious. It is part of a far more dangerous goal on part of your benefactor, I am afraid.”

Change of Peace

#Aeos IC #actualfuturesoldat #bordercrssing

When his perception of time returned to normal, Fenriux stared at Pherios and his apparent ability with a look of unrestrained wonder and respect, a rare admission from a normally hard and inscrutable visage that the tactical officer always wore.

“Your latent ability does you justice,” Fenriux growled. “Keep yourself in good condition, Pherios. There is yet greater potential in you that is not yet discovered. We will speak of this later.”

“Bridge to engineering,” Providentius’ voice suddenly broke through the intercom. “Damage report.”

“We are fine,” Fenriux replied, glancing to his subordinate and the others in the crew who took the place of the injured, who themselves were carried to the medical bay. “I’m sure we have damage to our hull, but most of our internal systems are still functioning. Targeting functions are still online but our shields will take some time to recharge. Keep us out of the main fray until then, and we’ll deliver the killing blow.”

***

“Incendiaries, we can manage.” Pengian snarled. “I may not have a cabal team, but we’ve got the tools to improvise.

With a flash of his omni-tool, the turian quickly set to work modifying his grenades and his firearms to arm them with incendiary munitions and ordered the others to do the same. When the shudder of the cruiser rocked the bulkheads of the ship, he immediately pressed a talon to his earpiece.

“Talon Actual to Justice, cease fire! We haven’t extracted the hostages yet!”

“This is the Justice, that isn’t from us,” one of the dreadnought’s comm officers replied. “They’re firing on their own ships to cover their escape. Strongly advise you complete mission or bug out!”

His teeth gritted together, he motioned to the others. “Pick up the pace, people! We’re on a limited time frame before we bug out or we get blasted out from the fleet.

Disaster Gallery

Though heavily altered, Providentius still recognized the looming form that was Valencis, seemingly having taken to the very same enhancements that his captor now boasted. Very little distinguished the differences between father and daughter, both enveloped in a collossal strength that Providentius was used to seeing among family, not kin. A modicum of grim respect began to form for the Chronol family; they didn’t shy away from risking themselves in their own experimentation. But then, given the skill of their assistance in the form of the Politos and the prior work that Nivious volunteered for, it was clear to him that they had advanced leaps and bounds beyond the initial risks that came before.

“I suppose I will suffer the same fate as Nivious himself,” he supposed. “And perhaps finally, you’ll get what you always dreamed we would accomplish when we fought together at Relay 314...After you’re finished with me, it would not surprise me to hear you put the human and his ilk in your sights next.”

***

“The admiral has a twin,” Aeos explained. “Of the two, Providentius was the more agreeable one. And for the record, your ‘expertise’ has counted for very little considering this fantastic plan of yours for getting us all out of your former employer’s clutches,” he added with a glare.

When they came to a stop, Aeos caught his breath and straightened his suit’s jacket and tie, assuming a professional posture and relaxed his shoulders and face. As soon as he heard Caldonis call for him he emerged from behind Jakten and extended an arm with a brief bow. “I imagine you meet many different people in your line of work; it’s only natural that some faces and names blend together over the course of that time. Call me Aeos, but that isn’t really important. I imagine now that you’re doing better, you’re anxious to see your family again. Are you feeling well enough to make your return home?”

Disaster Gallery

Providentius stumbled along the oppressive halls under Okelius’ guidance, his head bowed and any semblance of his former pride gone. His sluggish and tired movements struck a stark contrast to his otherwise powerful frame. All stiff resistance had left him, and he could easily be led by the hand at the whim of the even larger turian that grasped him. Dwarfed by his enemy and the very facility that would become his prison, Providentius felt small in one of the few instances of his life.

But at the mention of his twin brother, a dim ember flickered in his golden eyes again. Even if he had lost his hope, he knew no such thing would be true of his brother.

“Fenriux, yes,” he mumbled half to himself. “His ambitions have always surpassed mine. It is only natural that he would have a plan of action already in place for such an event.”

He would not even have to attempt to subvert Okelius; when Fenriux would hear the news, Providentius knew that not even Okelius in his present state would be able escape from the fury he would face.

***

“I’m holding up better than I was a few minutes ago,” Aeos growled, managing a brisk sprint to catch up with Jakten past the vats of liquid they passed. A brief wave of fumes accompanied a return of Aeos’ mental fog that soon passed, and with a shake of his head he continued running. “Well, I can’t fault you for your crash course medicine. Considering where we are, I wouldn’t have expected treatment like that from anybody, so I’m grateful if nothing else. If it gets bad I’ll let you know.”

When they stopped by Jakten’s office, he glanced to the larger turian just in time to see him brush through the branches of a vaguely familiar plant before running off. It did not register of any importance in his mind; right now, he was focused on finding Caldonis. “Even if I did try to use my status as leverage, the Alliance would just deny it,” he admitted with a grimace. “If I tried sounding the alarm here, then I’d be as good as caught, and they wouldn’t do anything then. Beyond the help of the Modalius, I’d say we’re on our own...”

Blinking, Aeos slowed his pace, and huffed. “Shit. I should’ve convinced Fenriux to come, too.”

Disaster Gallery

Providentius let out a grunt as he was slammed against the wall, now trapped between that and the equally imposing Okelius who held him there. Soon he realized his attention was growing unfocused, the first of many warning signs that he could do naught but protest against as he slowly lost his grip on himself. The remaining parts of his mental faculties thought only of Nivious and his well-being. Decades of selfless principles ingrained into his being guided his mind down familiar behaviors and decision-making. His prior cautions collapsed under the weight of a failing plan and entertained more wild hopes that offered a numbing solace in comparison to his present troubles. The last parts of his sanity warned him of what he was about to say before they slipped into silence.

“I will take his place.”

His breath came out as hot as Okelius’ did against his skin, finally relinquishing his struggles as he leaned his weight against the wall. A blank stare at his own realization of what he agreed to accompanied the loss of strength in his legs, and he soon found himself sitting on his knees. He wasn’t sure if what he said was out of hope or despair, but in either circumstance he had no fight left to consider any alternative.

***

Aeos jerked his head back in the direction of the admiral and the Armax executive when he heard the loud slam. He hoped that was Providentius’ doing, and that his fears of the opposite would prove unfounded. But right now he had little time to do anything about either possibility; right now the priority was Caldonis.

“Easy for you to say,” Aeos murmured, doing his best to keep pace with Jakten as they walked briskly behind Jakten, looking around every few seconds to make sure the coast was clear. “Maybe Okelius was after the Admiral all along, but I doubt that it’ll be enough reason for him to let us all go. He’s got no reason to compromise.”

Disaster Gallery

Providentius relied on Aeos’ playbook when faced in a similar situation with the same, near-impossible odds. It was not a true surprise to him, as he felt himself engulfed in pitch black muscle and deformed carapace, that he would lose in like-manner. The cases where Aeos had not been wrestled into submission by his own strength were few and far between. Finding himself in the human’s place was, to him, something that he had to be prepared for as it was the most likely outcome. It was unreasonable to let his optimism leave him unprepared in the case of failure. He could not outwrestle a fundamentally stronger opponent, one who held all the advantages of reach, strength, and stamina.

He wrestled against a prison of muscle. His back pressed against the deep cavernous centerline of Okelius’ pectorals and abdominals, and his arms were bound to his torso by the Chronol’s chokehold. The side of the admiral’s head was pressed firmly flat against the surface of his opponent’s body, preventing the use of his fringe as a stabbing implement. His legs, however, seemed to dangle freely, and he did his best to try and wrap them just above the joint above calf, hoping to hook the titan’s leg spurs and unsteady his footing.

He had begun to feel his efforts pay off when his body seized up in shock. With a shuddering snarl, Providentius felt Okelius’ biotics latch onto his own and he struggled to escape his hard grip. Now he understood what he meant when Jakten had been calmed down. The last of his defenses now withstood an assault that he slowly but surely crumbled under.

Though his voice wavered with the waves of Okelius’ biotics coursing thorugh his nerves, Providentius managed to speak. “Surely you feel the same desperation as I do...the willingness to throw away everything for the sake of one...We are not so different, you and I.”

***

“At least you’ve used to it to help Caldonis,” Aeos murmured, nudging his head towards the hallway. “Come on. Even if we can’t help Providentius, we can still help get Caldonis out. At the very least, Providentius will be a good distraction while we make our move, and then we can see about returning the favor, eh?”