The Red Moon Collection - 4 - Fragments and Ire
Chapter 14
ISV Trueshot, New Estrana, Illium
Will, Ralliston and Kay stood around the meeting table at the center of the operations center watching patiently as Vayren and Fynnis sorted images on the holo-projector. Will felt anxious. Vayren was clearly an expert at gathering intel, and Fynnis had proven himself capable, but something felt undeniably wrong. Tul'Sorrin was supposed to be the one giving him the rundown of their next action. Will closed his eyes and took a deep breath, holding it until Fynnis cleared his throat to get the attention of the group.
"So, who thought this would be as easy as walking up to the front door?" The turian chuckled. "No one? Damn, you people are jaded."
"Experienced," Kay rebutted with a grin. "Give us the situation."
"We've done a fair amount of research," Vayren began. "'Club Euphoria' is an exceptionally exclusive nightclub. The only people who get in are members of a small group of incredibly wealthy or powerful players on Illium. And, of course, those they invite. Even I could not locate a roster of club members hosted on the extranet, which means manufacturing a fake ID and adding it to the roster will be impossible."
"I was able to find some information about the building it's in," Fynnis continued while bringing up a holographic image of the skyscraper. "The club's up here, spanning both the fifty-first and fifty-second floors. We didn't see any obvious ways in from this public holo image."
Vayren nodded and walked up closer to examine the image. "Which means we will need to infiltrate the building here," he pointed to a point near the base, "in order to gain access to the building's network and security. From there I imagine we'll be able to acquire a detailed version of the building's layout. And, with that, a way into the club."
"Why not just wait for them wherever the taxi drops them off?" Will asked.
"The entrance to the club is inside the building, so we can't just wait for them at the door. On top of that, the club is serviced by this private parking unit on the fiftieth floor, and the entrance is secured." Fynnis looked over to Will. "If we can find a way to force open that garage, that might be our ticket in."
"Don't you think the people in the club might get a little antsy when someone breaks into the security room?" Ralliston asked.
"It's a large building," Vayren answered him. "If we strike when we know Shansa and Eleena will be in the club there's a significant chance no one will even know they are being attacked."
"Speaking of which," Will interjected while leaning forward. "How are we supposed to know when Shansa and Eleena are there?"
Fynnis chuckled. "Patterns, pal. According to those flight records you obtained, they've been arriving within a fifteen minute window every night. We launch before then, make sure we handle everything we need to..." He snapped his fingers. "Easy as that."
"Oh, I'm sure it will be easy," Will said with a sarcastic roll of his eyes. "Everything up to now has been, after all."
"Infiltration happens to be a specialty of mine," Vayren reminded him. "If I head in alone I can get what we need without even alerting them to our presence."
Kay raised a brow. "And if you get caught?"
The salarian sighed. "I won't, but if I do, I can handle myself."
"I admire your optimism, but I don't want any chance for this to go wrong," Will said decisively. "And since you're worried as well, why don't you go with him, Kay?"
She and the salarian shared mistrustful looks.
"I guess I could," Kay said slowly and cautiously. "He hasn't arrested me yet."
Vayren rolled his eyes. "Refrain from committing any crimes that would disrupt galactic stability and it'll stay that way."
"So what are we doing while they take care of security?" Ralliston asked from his corner of the table.
Fynnis crossed his arms and stared at the image in contemplation. "We don't want to alert them of any potential problems before Kay and Vayren are into their network. Plus, we don't even know how we'll end up getting into the club." He looked over to Will. "I suggest we take the Kodiak and circle nearby until the security situation is taken care of."
Vayren nodded in agreement. "My thoughts as well."
Will let out a small, nervous sigh and glanced over to Vayren and Kay. "Are you sure you can handle this? The two of you?"
"I've never had a partner I wasn't able to work with," the salarian quipped.
Kay nodded confidently. "We can do it, Willie. Don't worry yourself."
"I'm trusting you," he replied. "Now when does this kick off?"
"I'd suggest we drop Vayren and Kay off in about six hours," Fynnis answered. "That's about an hour before Shansa and Eleena typically arrive."
Will looked around the table with a small smile. "Then I'll see everyone in the Kodiak in five and half."
The next few hours were excruciating. Will spent most of them wandering the halls of the Trueshot with no particular destination, all while shrugging off the occasional question of whether or not he was alright as asked by passing comrades. After a while he found himself in the operations center, standing quietly in the corner of the large room and staring at the holographic image of the skyscraper. Will looked blankly toward the image for far too long before tearing his eyes away and shaking his head, trying his best to urge himself toward something else that might occupy his mind until it was time to go. Unfortunately he never found that something.
"You ready to gear up?"
Will blinked and looked to his left to see Kay stepping out of her quarters.
"Uh, yeah, I guess," he answered quietly.
She frowned. "You sure you're okay?"
Will turned and made his way toward her and the stairs down to the lower level of the ship. "Not really. But it's just nerves, though. It'll pass."
"It'll pass once you have them back, yeah?" Kay asked.
"I hope so," he answered.
The two hurried down to the crew deck and into the cargo bay where Ralliston, Fynnis and Vayren were already strapping on their armor. No one spoke a word as they all methodically equipped each piece of their gear. As he equipped his borrowed hardsuit, Will made a mental note to start shopping around on the extranet for a set of his own. After they had finished checking their systems, the group jumped into the Kodiak and, with Fynnis at the helm, disembarked from the Trueshot.
"You remember the plan?" Vayren asked Kay.
"Yeah, of course," she answered. "You sneak around doing all the hard work while I make sure no one catches us off-guard."
The salarian sat back against his seat. "I suppose that's a fair enough summary."
"I'm bringing us down around the corner from the building's public entrance," Fynnis called from the cockpit. "We might attract a little attention if I just drop you off at the front door."
"Good thinking," Vayren commended.
Kay and the Spectre pulled themselves to their feet and stepped up to the still-closed hatch. The sound of whining thrusters grew louder as Fynnis kicked in enough downward thrust to bring them to a hover just above the ground. The turian tapped a few commands into the controls and unlocked the hatch, allowing Vayren to send it sliding open. The Kodiak was hovering in what looked like an alleyway, far enough from the main thoroughfares that, hopefully, no one would notice the insertion of two heavily armored individuals. Vayren departed first and quickly began scanning their surroundings as backblast from the shuttle's thrusters kicked up dirt and loose debris all around him. Kay glanced over her shoulder to Will and gave him a playful wink just before leaping to the ground with surprising poise. Ralliston, who was standing near the back of the shuttle, reached forward and closed the hatch after them.
"They're out," he called up to Fynnis.
"Taking us back up," the pilot said.
A few seconds later, Vayren's voice crackled over the comm.
"We're heading into what looks like a maintenance door here in the alley," he informed them. "Excellent drop point, Fynnis."
The turian snorted. "Oh, yeah, thanks," he said jokingly. "All my planning paid off. I scouted it out for days to make sure we had the right spot."
Will smirked softly and shook his head.
"Intentional or not, we're in a good position," Vayren replied, ignoring the sarcasm.
"The Spectre's giving you a compliment, Fyn," Kay added. "Now say thanks before he assassinates you for disrespecting him."
Fynnis let out an unrestrained laugh as he pushed the thrusters for full capacity and sent them up into the lanes of traffic around the building. Feeling a tad restless, Will stood from the bench he had been sitting on and stepped up to the cockpit door. Fynnis locked the Kodiak into its flight pattern and glanced over his shoulder to where Will stood, eying him curiously.
"Need something?" He asked.
Will looked past him to one of the small viewports. The sun had just set, leaving a dazzling array of fading colors to dance across the clouds.
"Just wanted to distract myself for a bit," he answered after a few seconds. "Damn the views are nice here."
Fynnis looked back to the controls and nodded. "That they are."
"Alright, I'm in their network," Vayren's voice suddenly reported. "Security appears to be on the third floor. Kay, do you see anything down to the left?"
"Just another hallway," she answered.
"Hm. There should be a flight of stairs through one of the doors near the end, follow me."
Will took a long, deep breath and turned back from the cockpit. Ralliston still stood leaning against the back wall, his arms crossed and eyes pointed toward the floor. Will watched him for a minute or so until the turian looked up, catching his eye.
"What?" Ralliston asked.
Will shook his head once. "Nothing." He hesitated for a moment. "I just feel like I should tell you... I'm grateful you're helping."
The turian shook his head. "It's the least I could do. Seriously. If I could do more..."
"You can do more when I trust you to do more," Will interrupted.
Ralliston sighed. "Fair enough."
"We've found the security room," Vayren announced. "Stealth field generator engaged, Kay-"
"I know, watch your back," she answered, with a surprisingly professional tone.
"I'm going to get in and plant a few routing devices in their hardware," he narrated to the group. "Once they're in place we can move to another area nearby and work from there."
"I saw some empty rooms before we hit the stairs," Kay suggested.
"Excellent. Moving in now."
Will tapped his foot anxiously as he listened to the mission's progress. He had been worried about missions before, and on more than one occasion he had been downright scared, but he had never been this anxious. To be so close...
"Everything is in place," Vayren reported a few minutes later. "Heading toward the exit now."
"I'm moving toward the stairs," Kay told him. "Meet you there."
"I've got the building's blueprints," Vayren said. "Hume, I'm uploading them to you know. I've only take a cursory glance, but it seems like the freight elevator on the roof is your best bet."
"What about the garage?" Will asked with a frown.
"It has a large security detail. Getting inside and staking out the front door is out of the realm of possibility. Nevermind the fact that you're in an Eclipse shuttle and have no clearance to show them if they come to ask question."
Will opened up his omnitool and retrieved the data. Ralliston finally moved from his spot near the back of the shuttle to look over his shoulder as Will opened the blueprints Vayren had sent. He found the elevator shaft that Vayren had referred to and followed it down to a stop on the fifty-second floor.
"Okay, it looks like that elevator would put us above the club," he responded. "I see a bunch of metal beams that cross over it. We might be able to assume positions up there. It'd give us a perfect view of most of the club floor."
"Good. Kay and I are setting up in a room nearby. Fynnis, I would suggest getting ready to deposit Will and Ralliston on the roof of the building," Vayren suggested. "I'm in the process of hacking into the elevator's control system."
"You got it," Fynnis answered. "Breaking from the holding pattern."
The Kodiak lifted and soared upward as Fynnis put them on a direct course to the top of the skyscraper.
"Fynnis, keep the Kodiak nearby in case either group needs a quick exfil," Will ordered.
"Read my mind," he replied as the door unlatched and slid open.
Will turned to look out the open hatch where thousands of lights dazzled in the night's skyline. He took a step closer and placed his hand on the bulkhead to stabilize himself while the shuttle descended toward a landing pad on top of the building. The Kodiak roared as it came to a slightly less-than-graceful hover just above the landing zone, allowing Will and Ralliston to jump to the floor and run toward cover. He glanced back over his shoulder to watch as the shuttle kicked back into gear and disappear into another lane of traffic a few hundred meters above them.
"We're on the roof," Will reported.
"Good. I've got control of the elevators and I'm sending a car up there now. All security measures on the elevator itself have been lifted."
"Understood," Will answered.
He quickly scanned the roof and spotted a large pair of doors at the end of the landing area with an obvious elevator symbol painted on both. Will glanced to Ralliston and was met with a single nod, giving them both the signal to stand and run toward the doors.
"Uh, you're taking care of the cameras up here, right?" Will asked as he looked around worriedly.
"Hume, please, I'm a professional," Vayren replied smoothly.
Kay chuckled. "Don't worry, Will, I reminded him."
Will let out a small sigh of relief as he and Ralliston slowed to a stop in front of the two doors. Almost like clockwork, the door on the right blinked and slid apart to reveal a large, empty elevator car with floors and walls long-scuffed and worn from frequent use. The two of them stepped inside, weapons still stowed on their backs, and looked for the control panel. Will spotted it near the back and tapped in their destination: floor fifty-two.
"We're headed down," Will informed them.
"I don't see anyone by the elevator doors on floor fifty-two," Vayren said, sounding unconvinced by his own words. "I imagine it is normally only allowed to stop on this floor for scheduled deliveries."
Will and Ralliston shared a quick look.
"Be ready, just in case," Will said quietly.
The turian nodded in understanding. As the elevator ground to a halt, Will placed his hand on his hip, ready to grab his pistol if necessary. The door slid open to empty darkness. The sound of muffled club music thumped idly, originating from somewhere off in the distance where a room full of the wealthy and powerful awaited. Will took a single step out of the elevator and looked to either side. In both directions were long, empty hallways with dim, blue lights shining from the ceiling. Will slid out of the elevator, turned right, and subconsciously pressed himself close to one of the walls as he walked forward. He heard Ralliston exit behind him before the elevator doors slid shut.
"We're off the elevator," Will said quietly.
"Everything okay so far?" Kay asked.
Will smirked. "Surprisingly."
"The club floor should be in the same direction that the doors opened to," Vayren informed them.
"So, left?" Ralliston asked.
"Yes," Will answered.
"I see the rafter beams you were referring to in the blueprints," Vayren added. "I'm guessing they're at least five feet wide."
"I see them," Will said.
He and Ralliston had reached a point in the hall where one side of the wall had opened up to reveal the club below. Music that was almost deafeningly loud was now echoing all around them. Every few meters in their perch one of the metal rafters extended out over the floor, hidden by the darkness of the club ceiling. Will peered over to see the floor littered with people drinking, dancing or simply talking. They were at least fifteen meters above them, which combined with the darkness would hopefully keep them safe from any wandering eyes. Will stepped up near one of the beams and jumped up onto the hallway's railing, allowing him to easily climb out above the club floor. Ralliston quickly joined him and the two slowly shimmied their way toward the center of the beam to give them the largest viewing angle possible.
"We're in position," Will said as he slowly came to a stop and peered over the edge.
He quickly began scanning the crowd for familiar faces as Ralliston did the same over the opposite side of the metal beam.
"Excellent. I got myself into the network of security cameras in the garage. I'll watch for them in case they have not arrived."
"You're a life saver, Vayren," Will said with a small smile. "When do they usually show up?"
"We're about ten minutes ahead of their average arrival time," Fynnis answered.
"Not seeing anything yet," Ralliston mentioned.
Will was busy combing his eyes across the people below, but still responded a few seconds later. "Me neither."
Even a quick glance at the crowd was enough to see the difference between Club Euphoria and the average Illium nightclub. All the patrons were well dressed in high-end fashion, both men and women alike. There were dozens of people scattered around that appeared to be the "guests of honor," so to speak, as they were surrounded by small groups of onlookers all vying for their attention. A young-looking turian at the bar had two or three asari and human women practically throwing themselves onto him, while an older, sharply dressed asari sat in a booth with over half a dozen others hanging on her every word. Those two or any other of the dozen centers of attention scattered about could be the most powerful person in New Estrana, Will reminded himself. He looked over his shoulder to make sure he was concealed well on the beam.
"Yeah, I don't see them," Ralliston sighed. "Must not be here yet."
"Alright, I'll keep an eye on the entry, you watch some of the other doors scattered around." Will turned his attention to the door. "They could always be in a back room somewhere."
"Understood," the turian acknowledged.
Will smirked lightly. "How many of these people do you think deserve to be in prison?"
Ralliston chuckled. "Depends, we talking Illium laws, or Citadel Council laws?"
"Good point," Will admitted. "From what I hear, Illium can get pretty rough for anyone who isn't backed by a corporation."
"Or a gang," Ralliston noted. "All of which are probably backed by a corporation at some point."
The next half-hour was spent in quiet contemplation as Will's eyes remained steadfast on the door. Dozens of patrons had come and gone, but not one had been the human or asari he was waiting for. He was growing anxious again. The infiltration had taken his mind off of the possibility of failure for the time being, but the distraction was proving to be only a temporary cure of his ailment.
"I hope they didn't decide to skip tonight," Will said quietly.
"I'm sure they'll show up," Ralliston answered. "They're only a few minutes behind average."
A few minutes was still enough to cause concern.
"Hume! I have something." The comm jumped to life with Vayren's voice.
Will continued to watch the door intently. "Something?" He demanded.
"It's a taxi from the same company that... yes!" He interrupted himself. "It's them, I see them stepping out of the skycar."
An uncontrollable smile spread across Will's face. "You're sure it's them?"
"It's them," Kay quickly chimed in. "I'm looking at Shansa now... oh my god..."
Kay's voice had a tone of vulnerability Will had rarely, if ever, heard from her. "Okay, what are they doing?"
"They're headed to the door," Vayren answered. "They have checked in with security and-"
Will had stopped listening. The door had slid apart and down below him, at the far end of the club, Shansa and Eleena had stepped into the room. Will could hear his heartbeat racing in his ears and tried his best to control his breath.
"I see them," he said quietly. "I see them."
A year and a half of heartache and despair was suddenly and unceremoniously cast aside to be replaced by pure joy. Shansa was wearing a long, elegant dark-blue dress that flowed like a waterfall around her legs as she walked toward one of the corners of the room immediately after entering. Eleena was right behind her, and for the first time that Will had ever seen, was wearing a dress as well. It was much shorter than Shansa's, more formfitting and a deep shade of red. Will watch with wide eyes as they came to a stop and turned to one another. They leaned in close. Will's elation froze. The pair were too far away for him to see anything but Eleena's arms wrapping around Shansa and pulling her into a tight embrace.
"Oh no," Will muttered under his breath.
Just like that, the two of them parted and Shansa began meandering toward the bar. Eleena followed nonchalantly a few feet behind her before stopping about half-way down the bar and turning to catch the bartender's attention. Kay's voice gave him a slight jump and tore him from his trance.
"Will! What's happening?"
"They're at the bar," he said. "I need to find a way down there."
"In full combat gear?" Fynnis asked.
"I can't let them slip away," Will replied. "Ralliston, do you see a way down?"
The turian shook his head. "No, but I can head back to the catwalk and look for some stairs."
"Do it," Will ordered.
Eleena was still sitting at the bar, now sipping a drink. Shansa, however, had made her way to the very end where she was met by the happy faces of the turian Will had spotted earlier and the handful of women that surrounded him. The turian beckoned her over before waving for the bartender. Somewhere behind him, Ralliston was inching his way back toward the balcony they had climbed up to the rafters from. Will was getting ready to turn back when he saw Eleena suddenly check her omnitool and stand up from her seat as she turned toward Shansa. As the asari darted past bar patrons, Shansa assertively slid up close to the turian and around to his back. She leaned close enough to whisper over his shoulder while lifting a leg and planting it on a bar stool. Her right hand grabbed the bottom of her dress and pulled it up just over the knee where she revealed and grabbed a pistol that quickly found its way to the back of the turian's neck. The gaggle of woman yelped and jumped away just as Eleena pushed herself up to stand in front of the turian, mouthing something commanding to him that was lost in the loud music and ambient chatter of the club.
"Fuck," Will muttered.
Screams and looks of confusion began to spill across the crowd like tidal waves.
"What's wrong?" Kay quickly asked.
Will turned and began scrambling toward the end of the beam. "This just got a lot more complicated."