Chapter 13: Condemnation and Catharsis

"Thane mumbles something under his breath—another one of his 'prayers for the wicked,' probably—then releases Shorek's body, which slides over the edge to land with a sick splat on the crates in the warehouse below. He just stands there for a moment, staring after it. His jaw is clenched hard, his teeth bared, and he's breathing heavily and raggedly, like… like he's tryin' to keep something wild and dangerous under control and just barely succeeding.

"But there isn't time to waste. 'C'mon, kid, we gotta move,' I say urgently. The fact that I'm the one remindin' him how short we are on time has me worried. Then again, what he did to those batarians had me worried, too. He was losin' it, no question about it. I could only hope, for his sake, that he could hold it together long enough to finish his mission.

"He kind of shivers a little, then turns to face me. 'Yes, of course,' he says. 'Let's go.'

"Fastest way back to the docks is by shuttle, and Thane is understandably fidgety. He sits with his elbows on his knees, and that coin of his is back and he toys with it anxiously. I'd let him be, but there's a question I need answered. 'So who's this Stiv Kay?' I ask. 'Sounds like you two got a history.'

"Thane's fist closes tightly around the coin and he nods. 'Kay and I worked a job together, some thirteen years ago,' he says quietly. 'It was before I left the Compact; in fact, rather early in my career. The Illuminated Primacy had made a backroom deal with a human shadow organization called Cerberus, to eliminate an asari demagogue whose views, though gaining in popularity, were seen by both as… problematic.

"'I was very young, only sixteen years old, but already beginning to make a name for myself, and the job was regarded as fairly routine. So when Cerberus and the Primacy decided that each would send one assassin and the two would work as a team, my handler gave me the assignment. Cerberus sent Kay.'

"He shakes his head. 'Kay was older and far more experienced than I, and used to working alone. I think he resented having to share the assignment, especially with an "upstart child," to use his words. But he was as loyal to Cerberus as I was to the hanar, and made an effort to swallow his pride long enough to get the job done.'

"'So what happened?' I ask. 'You seemed surprised he's not dead.'

"'The mission went… poorly,' he admits, and his eyes go wide and unfocused as his perfect memory takes over. 'The matriarch's neck snaps, and she slumps dead at my feet. Footsteps outside the door. She must have triggered a silent alarm. I leap for the air vent, but too late. The door slides open and three asari commandos charge in. They see me and start shooting. "I told you we should've just shot her from the balcony, Krios," Kay hisses as he pulls me up. The commandos' bullets follow us as we flee, punching through the ceiling and the duct's thin walls. One hits me in the leg, and I falter and cry out. Kay stops and looks back, and the next one takes his eye.' He coughs once as he brings himself back to the present, and looks down at his hands, fiddling with the coin again. 'It shames me to confess that I panicked. I thought Kay was dead. I left him, and barely escaped with my own life.' Looking up at me again, he says, 'I was indeed surprised to learn that he lives, and more so that he'd be working for the batarians. But he evidently harbors sufficient ill will toward me to put aside his… biases for a time.' That last comes out with a sneer.

"He's givin' me chills at this point, guys. You shoulda seen the look on his face. I thought I'd gotten to know him pretty well by now, but… I barely recognized the kid. I searched his eyes for the Thane I knew, but all I could see was a cold-blooded killer.

"He was gonna end Stiv Kay, all right. Thing is, I was afraid it'd be the end of him, too.

"I knew better than to say anything, though. It wouldn't have made a difference. He wasn't gonna be stopped, not now. Not for anything. So all I could do was help where I could. 'So, what's this guy look like?' I ask. 'We'll have a better chance at catchin' him with two pairs of eyes in the game.'

"'He's human,' says Thane. 'Around fifty years old. Pale. Bald. He may be missing an eye, or have a cybernetic one. He may be wearing a hooded cloak and carrying a long knife or short sword.' The shuttle pulls to a stop. 'But the first thing we'll need to do is determine which ships are going to Kahje. That will narrow the search.'

"We get off the shuttle, and now we're racing the clock. Lockdown's been lifted, and it won't be long before passengers can board their ships. 'I'll see if I can hack into the passenger manifests,' I say. 'You might wanna get yourself a good vantage point. I'll keep in radio contact and let you know what I find.'

"He nods. 'A sound plan.'

"As I turn to the nearest computer terminal and start digging, I hear Thane murmur something under his breath. 'Amonkira, Lord of Hunters,' he says, 'grant that my hands be steady, my aim be true, and my feet swift. And should… should the worst come to pass…'

"He trails off, and when I turn to look back at him, he's gone."

"Grant me forgiveness," Suvi whispered.

Drack blinked as all eyes turned to her. "What's that?"

Suvi swallowed hard, tears welling up in her eyes. "The Hunter's Invocation," she explained in a shaky voice. "That's how it ends. And should the worst come to pass, grant me forgiveness."

"But he couldn't do it, could he? Ask for forgiveness," Lexi asked sadly. "Oh, Drack… what did he do?"

Drack grimaced into his tankard. "Trust me, I'm gettin' there."

"Anyway, it's not long before I find the intel I'm lookin' for. I radio Thane. 'Hey, kid, I got it. The only ship headed for Kahje is the Morning Star. Docking Bay 2.'

"A terse 'Acknowledged,' is all the answer I get.

"So I make my way to Bay 2 as quick as I can without attracting too much attention. It's crowded, everyone pushin' and shovin' and impatient after being kept waiting. I keep an eye out for anyone who fits the description Thane gave me. It ain't easy—even though it'd been less than twenty years since first contact, humans were already everywhere. Dressed all kinds o' ways, too: cloaks, armor, uniforms, civvies, whatever. And I swear you guys come in more colors than just about any other species in the galaxy. At least the hairless ones were few and far between, so far as I could tell, but any kind of headgear made even that guesswork at best.

"Finally, though, I spot a suspect. 'You got eyes on me, kid?' I ask.

"'Yes.'

"'On my three o'clock, about four meters out,' I tell him. 'Dark red hood.'

"There's a pause as he finds the guy, then a sharp hiss of indrawn breath. 'It's him.' Thane's voice is flat and tightly controlled, but the absolute hatred in it makes my skin crawl. Still does, just thinkin' about it.

"To be fair, Kay ain't the most wholesome-lookin' character, either. Thane was right about the cybernetic eye—it glows red from under his hood. He's so pale, almost gray, he looks sickly. And he's grinnin' like he's damn pleased with himself, probably thinkin' he's gonna escape to Kahje unscathed.

"As I watch, the red dot of Thane's targeting laser appears on Kay's forehead, and my radio crackles. 'Pretend to help him,' Thane hisses.

"That wasn't part of the plan, of course. 'What?' I demand.

"'I'm sending you coordinates. Tell him it's a med clinic and bring him there. I'll be waiting.' His tone of voice brooks absolutely no argument.

"Before I can ask what he's doing, my omni-tool chirps, coordinates received. A second later, the laser dot jerks downward and a shot rings out. Someone screams, the crowd parts, and Kay goes down with a bullet in his gut.

"I just stand there in shock for a second. It hadn't occurred to me that Thane would get the drop on Kay and actually let him live. But then I realized what he probably meant to do, and my stomach turned.

"But I didn't dare question him. No, I do as I'm told. I run up to Kay like a concerned bystander and reach down to him. 'Shit, that looks bad,' I say. 'Lemme get you some help.'

"He sneers at me, all condescending even as he writhes on the floor. 'I don't need your help, krogan,' he spits, making the word sound like a curse, but his voice is hoarse with pain.

"I shrug. 'Okay. Bleed out here, then, no skin off my hump. But this is Omega, buddy. Ain't no one else gonna help you.'

"Kay glares up at me, then grabs my hand and hauls himself to his feet. He stumbles, can't stand on his own, and I catch him. There's blood trickling through his fingers where he's pressing his hand to the wound. 'Yeah, I thought so,' I say. 'There's a clinic nearby. I'll take you. No need to thank me.' The words taste sour on my tongue.

"Now, don't get me wrong, Stiv Kay was an evil bastard, no doubt about it. I'm not sayin' he didn't deserve everything that was comin' his way. But to be the one to drag him off to face it… well, I guess I had my own penance to serve, didn't I?

"Anyway, I get him to Thane's coordinates—an empty storage room down a deserted corridor—and he finally realizes he's been had when the door slides open and Thane is there, dagger in hand and something worse than murder in his eyes. 'I should've known,' Kay hisses at me as I shove him inside. He stumbles against a wall and slides to the floor, looks up at Thane, and, guys, I swear he laughs. 'So, you got me, Krios,' he rasps. 'But I have to tell you, doin' your little woman—I'm not usually into aliens, but oh, she was sweet. Her taste… was worth whatever you're going to do to me, and more!'

"Thane doesn't move, but the hand holding the knife tightens 'til his knuckles turn white. 'Drack,' he says, so soft I can barely hear him, 'guard the door.'

"He doesn't have to tell me twice. I don't wanna see this.

"The door slides shut, and I can't make out any more words. But this room isn't sound-dampened like Skell's lab. I can hear all too clearly as Kay's bitter, defiant laughter mutates into a sickening shriek.

"The sounds go on for what seems like forever. And it's even worse knowing that every scream, every whimper, every howl of agony from Kay has its echo in Thane. No, is the echo of Thane's, and a dim one. I realize that what I'm hearing is one voice screaming out two men's pain. This is the revenge Thane's been after, and it'll never, ever be enough.

"And then… just when I think it can't go on any longer… there's another sound. Another voice, a voice I almost don't recognize, raised in a howl that makes my blood run cold, a cry so full of despair and agony it made all that had come before it pale in comparison. I felt it like a knife to the gut, and I turned and burst through the door before I really knew what I was doing.

"I was just in time to see Thane plunge his dagger into Kay's throat.

"I won't describe what was left of Kay as the last of the life gurgled out of him. But Thane… something in him died at that moment, too, I think. I could see it in his eyes. That vengeful fire, that murderous drive was just… gone. Burned out. There was nothing there but… but cold ashes.

"Sorry. I get flowery when I'm drunk.

"Anyway, Thane just watches with this icy, dispassionate stare as Kay finally falls still and silent. Then he yanks his blade free, wipes it clean on Kay's cloak, and strides from the room without meeting my eyes.

"I hurry after him. 'What, no "prayers for the wicked" this time?' I ask before I can stop myself.

"He stops suddenly, but doesn't turn to me. 'The simply wicked may yet be saved,' he says quietly, tonelessly. 'The same cannot be said for the utterly damned.'

"I didn't ask who he was talking about this time. I think I was afraid to hear his answer."