The crimson gas giant came into view as the HIA vessel slowed in its approach. Trickles of nebula permeated across the planet's orbit and beyond like a billowing cloud of luminous dust. Ardarius did his best to steer away from the gaseous masses scattered about the vacuum but still grazed the edges of the troublesome concentrations, the layered wing tips piercing through in all their symmetrical glory.

Thus, the two agents' long range and short range sensors were little more than fuzzy masses of static that on occasion emitted an image that could be discernable. This surprised neither of them considering their shared experience in interstellar space travel. The environmental jamming effects caused by nebulas almost went in tandem with hiding criminals, and the lawmen tasked with finding them.

"Just Like pea soup," Cole remarked as he caught another glance at the useless sensor display. "No wonder pirates love these places."

Ardarius nodded. "They're perfect for ambushes too, so keep a sharp eye out for anything unusual. A second is all they need to corner us."

They continued to float towards the gas giant at a controlled cruising speed, cautiously maneuvering with a precision only applicable to ships of their size. For several minutes, all they could hear was the low hum of the vessel's gentle propulsion forward. The dashboard keys were blinking silently as both agents scanned the viewscreen carefully.

"Hmmm," Ardarius muttered to himself as he glanced down at the ship's control display. "That's odd…"

Cole turned to him. "What's wrong?"

"According to our systems, our acceleration is increasing."

"Did you increase acceleration?"

"No, I didn't."

"Could it be some kind of malfunction on the hardware's part?"

"I doubt it. Tris gave this one a full once over just before we left Palaven. There's no way a glitch that glaring would get past him."

"What could it mean then?"

"I'm not sure, but I don't like it. Can you see anything around us? Maybe a nearby asteroid that might be impairing us magnetically?"

Cole searched in vain across the viewscreen, craning and tilting his head every which way to get a better perspective. "I don't see anything. At least, not under the gas giant's light I can." He looked back to Ardarius. "Maybe it's the planet then? Maybe all those weird crystals in its atmosphere are tampering with our systems?"

The turian shrugged. "Maybe. But the fact that something like that it took this long to occur at the speed we're going really-"

Whatever Ardarius was about to note was cut off abruptly as the HIA vessel suddenly shot forwards. Inertia smacked into both seated men as if hitting a wall, violently jostling the both of them and nearly throwing them to the floor. Ardarius's head nearly smashed straight onto the center console while Cole's neck snapped to one side like a loose crash dummy. If it hadn't been for their safety belts keeping them anchored in place, there was no telling how badly they'd have been injured.

"What the hell was that?!" Cole blurted more in exclamation over query. "Did we just hit something?"

"No," the turian replied with a look down at the ship's systems. "Our acceleration just jumped up fifty percent...by itself."

"Any reason why?"

"Yeah," the HIA agent nodded. "That."

Ardarius pointed dead ahead out the viewscreen, directly towards the gas giant's orbit. Because suspended above it, now in full view of both men, was the shadow of a massive warship hanging ominously in the distance.

It was a vessel of unbelievable size, bristling with armaments along all its sides, complimented by a thick layer of heavyset armor bonded to its outer hull. The ship's design in question was an incredibly jutted symmetry, each corner of the frame pointed sidewise like ramming spikes. For some reason, Cole couldn't help but be reminded of pictures of old Gothic cathedrals from Earth, stone testaments of humanity's might and a dreary monument of ornate terror.

What was most outstanding about it, however, was the overhanging device that lay at the ship's flat-topped bottom. It was a sloped cylinder hollowed out directly into its bow. The rest of exterior edifice around it angled downwards, the barrel of a mass driver poking out directly above the strange creviced hole.

"That's our ship," Ardarius stated with a chilling calmness. "That's the Arc Monitor."

Cole looked to the turian; lip pursed anxiously. "A-Are you sure?"

"We both saw the hologram from Uhlan, Cole. This is it."

"And it's...um, pulling us in I'm guessing?"

Ardarius nodded once again. "More than likely a tractor beam. Undetectable in an orbit this cluttered wuntil it's too late."

The human's brow furrowed. "So this was a trap? All this struggling, all this investigating, and we walked right into a trap?"

The turian seemed to snap out of his initial daze and looked at the other agent with a dutiful stare. "That doesn't mean it's over. We still have a chance to get out of this."

"How?"

Ardarius briskly stood up out of his chair and began towards the cockpit door. "Grab whatever things you need from your room and meet me by the maintenance airlock. We'll only get one chance at this."

Before Cole could even ask what the turian was planning, Ardarius was already out the door. Reluctantly, he followed after him.

"This isn't gonna work," Cole moaned as he Ardarius stood in front of him, making the last adjustments to his space suit.

"It will if you let me," Ardarius replied as he tightened the vacuum seals along the human's limbs. "There, how's that feel now?"

"Like I'm being constricted by a wearable anaconda."

"That's better than what you compared it to earlier."

"As iron maiden legwear or leather compression shorts?"

"Sounds about right." Ardarius reached over to a nearby utility locker and pulled out the appropriate helmet for the human's size. "Now try to stay still when I put this on you. Any minor movement might mess with the magnetic locks on it, and then you might have a suit breach without either of us knowing."

Cole only nodded as the fringed blue space helmet was gingerly placed atop his head. He was as stiff as a crowbar while the clunky headgear clicked in place along his torso set's neckline, a hiss of conditioned air zipping inside, an indication that he was now entirely encapsulated within the protective suit.

The human looked down at himself for a moment and then back to Ardarius. Despite his wearing of a mask, the turian could easily tell Cole was frowning. "I look ridiculous."

In the absence of any human-sized space suits on the HIA vessel, Cole had conceded to slipping into a turian set that was just about in his body frame's range. That 'range' accounted for his arms, legs, and waist being squeezed tighter than an extra small girdle better suited for a pyjak. His feet and upper torso, however, were uncomfortably loose, feet nearly slipping over the excess room he had in the footed sections while his torso repeatedly banged against the suit's interior.

What was most agonizing though was his unfortunate hands crushed into a tri-fingered turian grip, giving him next to no dexterity past slapping things with his wrists. The helmet wasn't as bad as he'd been anticipating when first laying eyes on it, only slightly larger than his head with an admittedly cool-looking fringe that curved downwards.

"I'd say it's an improvement," Ardarius noted humorously. "Maybe you'll pick up a lucky lady when we fly back to Palaven."

Cole snorted. "As much as I like my hips being collapsed in on themselves and my fingers reshaped into flippers, I think I'll pass."

The turian shrugged. "Suit yourself. Are you ready, though? The ship should be about on top of us by now."

"Yeah," he replied nervously. "I think I'm ready."

"Just hold onto my leg the entire time and we'll both be fine. Alright?"

Cole nodded. "Alright."

"Great," the turian said as he slipped on his own helmet. "Because we're only gonna get one chance at this."

Without further preamble or further consideration, Ardarius reached forward to the nearby utility panel and pinged the holographic switch with a light tap. On command, the maintenance airlock, no larger than a standard trash shoot, sprung open, thrusting both agents out into the cold vacuum of space.

It was like a nightmare at first, both men scrambling and spinning, flopping helplessly between each other in the soundless expanse, sudden weightless coming to them in a panicked daze. Eventually, Ardarius was able to steady the both of them with a few choice bursts to his in-suit repulsors, evening the two into a lying position that floated stomach-first just yards from their ship.

As Ardarius had predicted, the gargantuan dreadnought Arc Monitor, was closer than they'd last seen it, now less than a mile from their ensnared ship. It floated calmly in the distance, almost inviting (or daring) them forwards with its imposing, angular exterior. Whoever had designed its layout was either someone with a passion for the macabre or a maniac for symmetry. Both seemed like likely options.

The crimson gas giant still spanned with breathtaking size below them, appearing even larger from where they hovered.

The turian craned his neck around to Cole and waved his hand slightly to get his attention.

"I'm about to boost us the rest of the way," he clarified over their linked comms. "You still holding on?"

Cole nodded. "For dear life."

"Then you're doing just fine."

The human could see Ardarius begin to fiddle with his omni-tool for a brief moment, only putting it away once the two began to accelerate forwards. They started at an even pace, increasing with each passing moment, bits of space dust zipping by them faster and faster. Cole felt his grip tighten instinctively on the turian's leg; eyes glazed open as they came closer to the ship.

It was a wondrous yet terrifying experience. Flying through space almost entirely exposed to the elements. No safety net for either of them and no chance of rescue. Even a slight miss-projection by Ardarius or a sudden movement by Cole could send the both of them hurtling into oblivion, maundering hopelessly until eventually succumbing.

Yet both men felt excitement rush through them as they flew through the empty void, speeding steadily towards the dreadful ship they'd been hunting for what seemed like an eternity. They were close to the end; both could feel it. How they'd get there was anyone's guess, but they would get there.

What awaited them inside, what challenges it might bring were still a mystery. That was the only aggravating factor present in their minds. After so much searching and investigation, they still knew so little about what they were looking for. A horrifying possibility of them not even finding it was something they would avoid at all costs but questioned if it would occur either way.

If there was anything there extended journey across the galaxy had taught them, was that no matter how hard they tried, control wasn't always in their hands. Someone else was always pulling the strings, manipulating, commanding. Grant's presence was proof to that, as was the purposeful obscurity of the ship they were almost upon.

Once inside, maybe they'd finally uncover the insufferable velvet curtain that had been thrust over their entire investigation. There were answers inside the dreadnought formerly known as the Arc Monitor; the two agents would have to find them.