Good news everyone, Crimson Depths is back! Figured I let this sit too long and now I'm back on track for writing this thing. Enjoy!
Chapter 27: A Long Time Coming
"Keep yourself straight, don't try to slouch too much," Elaine said as she wrapped Klenon's arm around her neck. Klenon gritted his teeth and leaned forward. Soren took his other arm to help him up. A sharp pain rippled over his chest and down to his stomach. Klenon cried out a low groan, accidentally squeezing Soren's neck a little tighter.
"Woah okay, alright, take it easy," Soren wheezed. Klenon said a quick apology and swung his feet over the bed. Elaine held her arms out for Klenon to grab. Once his feet touched the ground, Klenon stood up using Elaine's support. Despite his best efforts, Klenon couldn't keep a straight posture.
"All the painkillers in the world wouldn't be enough right now," Klenon complained. Soren circled around the bed and took Klenon's arm again.
"Quit your bitching, man. You got hit by a ship laser and walked off to save a whole city. A few broken bones should be a back rub," Soren said. Klenon glared at him, flipping him the bird while Elaine led him out of the room. Soren gave a hearty laugh and followed them out.
"Where's this ship heading?" Klenon asked, staring at the words 'SSV Sydney' written in stencil on the white wall across from him. Soren looked past him at Elaine and smirked.
"You're the one who worked it all out, you tell him," he said.
"After all we've been through, especially you; I consulted with the Alliance brass and got us some well-deserved shore leave," Elaine explained with a half-smile. Klenon limped down the long, curved hall with both of them holding up his arms. Ripples of violet light were magnified by the thick glass to their left, showing off an expansive nebula.
"Really…how'd you pull that off?" Klenon asked. He gazed out into the veil, admiring all the tiny dots of infant stars.
"The cruiser was already on a course for a retrofit. It was really just a matter of asking. Having some reputation doesn't hurt either," Elaine said with a proud smile.
"Of course, the good lieutenant's been rubbing shoulders with some of the more prestigious soldiers around. Knowing people really does take you farther in life," Soren said. Klenon only groaned in response. Fredrick soon came rounding around the corner, pushing a wheelchair along. Once he saw the three, he frowned.
"Yo, I told you guys to wait for me. Klenon doesn't need more broken ribs, ya know?" he said. Klenon planted his feet into the ground, forcing Elaine and Soren to a stop.
"Really? I could have gone through this without all the pain?" Klenon looked at each of them before muttering, "You guys suck."
Soren and Elaine pulled him along and plopped him down in the wheelchair. Soren took the handles and wheeled him around with a smirk on his face, "Love you too, buddy."
"So where are we docking?" Klenon asked as he adjusted himself. Soren could hardly keep the smile on his face from becoming wider as he wheeled his friend into a nearby elevator. The doors slid smoothly shut once Elaine and Fredrick joined them inside.
"Why only the most luxurious and hottest tourist spot this side of the Milky Way." Soren advertised. Klenon looked at him and shrugged.
"Earth?" he asked.
"While I do love Earth, no. This place is much more luxurious than that," Soren said. Klenon could feel the elevator rev up and hoist them upwards as he stared at the grate floor. He looked up again, pointing a finger at Soren.
"It's Thessia, isn't it?" he asked again. Soren made a hissing noise as if he had been deeply insulted by Klenon's apparent ignorance.
"Wrong again," Soren said. Once the elevator doors opened again, he turned to Fredrick, "Freddie, this badass just went through hell and a half and came out with a chip on his shoulder and shiny button on his chest. Tell him what he's won."
Without missing a beat, Fredrick stepped ahead of them as Soren wheeled Klenon out of the elevator, "Well Soren, thanks to Nine-Lives here, Elysium can breathe easy. To show its thanks, it's paying for an all-expense paid trip to…"
Fredrick dramatically pointed out the observation window as Klenon was pushed in front of it. The air caught in Klenon's lungs was suddenly stolen when the sight of a massive space station floating magnificently in a violet nebula appeared before him.
"Welcome to the fabulous Citadel. Seat of galactic power, heart of entertainment…" Fredrick gently nudged Klenon on the shoulder as he finished his pitch, "and current residence of a certain lady if I recall correctly."
Klenon slapped a hand on his visor. He was almost sure they could see the blush underneath it. They never wasted an opportunity to tease him relentlessly about his relationship with Kasumi and he couldn't help but be embarrassed every time. He had no reason to, of course. It was all in jest and he knew that they all considered him like a brother. Although that didn't stop them from teasing him like one.
"Alright, we got an awesome little shindig planned for the whole squad tonight. Freddie booked us the room and I have a nice little idea that'll bring a little diversity to the whole soiree," Soren boasted. He turned to Elaine with a brow raised.
"Lieutenant, you and Matteo are welcome to join us as well. But I must warn you, we will be up past bedtime," he snickered.
"Just don't set the room on fire, okay men? I can appreciate a little bit of time to unwind, but let's not get crazy, yes?" Elaine said with her own knowing smile. Soren waved her off.
"But getting crazy is part of the whole thing! It's no fun if we're sipping appletinis and having civil discussions," Soren argued with a hearty laugh. Elaine glared at him, trying her best to look intimidating even as she held a smile of her own, "Ah okay, we won't break too much stuff. But damn it, we're getting rowdy tonight."
With his eyes still on Elaine, Soren bent down and whispered into Klenon's audio receptor, "Don't worry, dude. I know you're itching to see Kasumi, so we'll leave you guys alone for a while. But when the call comes, you better cut some time for us."
Klenon couldn't help but laugh and nodded, "We'll see, Soren. We'll see."
…
"Elysium was an outright failure. We wasted precious time and resources on a fool's errand. That idiot Kahan is satisfied, but I'm not," Minerva growled. Her mistress stared out into the dark void. Her fingers grazed the cold glass as she spoke in a slow tone.
"It was not all a failure. True the data is still missing and the chance for a security leak is as high as ever, but I'm sure that it will fall right back into our lap in due time. All we need…is a little patience," Untia said. She turned to her companion and jabbed a finger into her chest, "Minerva, if I ever require your opinion on the subject, I will ask you. Until then, refrain from speaking further of it."
A holo-screen ascended from the floor. Untia turned to face it, not bothering to watch Minerva leave the room. A salarian fizzled in, with an asari right behind him, "The quarian lived. He knows."
"Only the surface, Sodom-Bel. Many people only know the surface of something and never go beyond that. If he doesn't have the OSD, then his companion does. I've already taken the necessary precautions. Any of our agents catch wind of the OSD, they'll report it. If they somehow crack it, the beacon will be set off and we can move in to retrieve it." Untia said. Sodom-Bel narrowed his eyes.
"You're playing a dangerous game, mistress. The security on that OSD is the best kind of security the galaxy has ever seen. It'll take years to crack it. Most likely a decade. But she's managed to elude us thus far. What happens if you're wrong?" he questioned. Several more screens dispersed from the main one. Various graphs and status reports sprang to life on each one.
"Thanks to Kahan, we have more test subjects. By the time they crack it, the project will be complete. No amount of investigating and hero work can stop it at that point," Untia said. Dayla motioned for Sodom-Bel to step aside before speaking.
"And the quarian? Mistress, if I may, I believe our mole is in a suitable position to eliminate him," Dayla interjected.
"Yes, but the repercussions are what are staying my hand. Our mole is too valuable to risk discovery by orchestrating the disappearance of a biotic quarian. According to our intel, he's already made waves among the Alliance ranks. They would notice." Untia said. At this Sodom-Bel shook his head.
"I don't like this," he muttered. Untia glared at him.
"It's not your place to hate anything. You carry out the orders I give you. In return, you get far more than what you put in. If you don't like it, then I'm perfectly fine with making sure YOU disappear," Untia said in a grave tone. Sodom-Bel merely stayed silent.
"We'll wait and see what happens. It's their turn to move. Once they do, we'll take them down in one move," At the wave of her hand, all the screens disappeared. The whole room fell into darkness. Pressing her hands against the glass, Untia sighed with a small grin spreading across her face.
In truth, whether the quarian was a threat or not was irrelevant. For the time being, Untia was willing to let him live. Time was firmly on her side. It always had been. There was a doomsday clock sitting at the top of the galaxy and she yearned for the day it struck zero. Only then would she feel that the galaxy was worth saving.
…
Klenon stared at the environment around him like an awestruck child. There was always something going on around him. It was nothing like Cuervo. Everything felt so alive, like the massive station was an entity of its own. He had heard stories about the Citadel. He even saw vids of it in those sappy TV dramas his dad always watched. But to see the glitz and glamour of the real thing was unlike anything he had ever seen. There was only one thing stopping him from fully enjoying the moment.
"Why do I still have to be in the wheelchair?" Klenon demanded. Soren gave a small push before letting go and shrugging.
"No reason. It got us through customs though, didn't it?" he explained with a smirk as he watched Klenon feebly roll down the hall on his own.
Klenon mumbled to himself and moved the wheelchair on his own. The rest of his squad caught up to him. As usual, Elaine and Matteo were absent. And if Klenon knew his team, his squad should never be left unsupervised.
Although to be honest, it always did seem more fun with them around.
"Yes, I do think aggravating your already broken ribs wouldn't be the smartest thing to do. But look on the bright side Nine-Lives, the more time you spend healing, the sooner you can get out of that chair," Will said. Klenon slouched lower. Everyone had been calling him Nine-Lives since he left the infirmary. It didn't bother him much. He already knew nicknames were a sort of norm for humans, but he still wondered what exactly the name meant.
"Okay, so what's the plan?" Kathleen asked as she cracked her knuckles. Soren pulled up his omni-tool, keeping a hand on Klenon's wheelchair all the while.
"Fred got us the apartment in Tayseri Ward. Nothing grand, but big enough for us to let off some steam. We'll just go our separate ways and get something for the celebration," Soren lightly patted Klenon the shoulder, "You're with me bud. We're hitting up the biggest department store we can find."
"Great…wait, what are we getting?" Klenon asked.
"Anything we want. Maybe some brandy. Or wine, if we want to a fancy vibe," Soren said. Kathleen crossed her arms.
"Can't we just hit the club like everyone else does? There's always a chance we can get booze free," she said.
"That's only you, Kathleen. Your feminine wiles are too hard to ignore," Soren said with flirtatious tone.
Klenon didn't bother listening in on Kathleen's sudden outburst. He only caught something along the lines of Soren being a pervert and a biotic warp or two straightening him out. He was too absorbed in soaking in all the sights the Citadel had to offer. After descending down one floor, Klenon caught the soft sound of metal clinking.
His attention was drawn back to the medal that was pinned to his suit. A soft blue glow reflected off the shining material. At first, Klenon just wanted to keep it in its box, but Soren and Elaine insisted that he wore it openly while they were on shore live. Elaine seemed especially staunch about it, no doubt proud that one of her own managed to receive a commendation from Alliance Command so soon.
"So how long is this shore leave supposed to last? I don't want to go back to active duty while my head feels like it has a hot nail in it," Will said. Soren stroked his chin absently then snapped his finger.
"Two days. But I'll be damned if they aren't the best two days of our lives," Soren exclaimed. Klenon snickered. If there was ever going to be a time when things seemed hopeless, he could always count on them to make things a little brighter.
Klenon then felt an uneasy feeling creep up in the back of his mind. He looked up from his medal and scanned the crowd. For some reason, he felt like he was being watched. It wasn't exactly uncommon; he had more than his fair share of stares while being in the Alliance, but this time felt different.
"Guys, I want to get a chance to stretch my legs a bit," Klenon said. He braced himself and got up to his feet despite the sudden objections from his team. The searing agony raced up and down his abdomen without delay, but Klenon fought through it. The feeling of being watched grew more intense, as if whoever it was, was getting closer.
"Dude, I know you were basically a one-man army back on Elysium, but you aren't invincible. Take it easy will ya?" Soren said with some amount of concern in his tone. Klenon ignored him and took a few steps forward, limping heavily towards a guardrail.
"Just…just give me a minute. If I need you, I'll ring you guys up," Klenon insisted. Soren came to a stop in front of him. His eyes bored into Klenon's before he looked up and around. A small smirk flashed on his face before dropping abruptly.
"Alright, tough guy. I understand, privacy and all that," Soren said. Klenon raised a brow. Soren giving up that easily was unexpected. Any additional protests from his team were silenced as Soren quietly whispered to them. A small pit in his stomach formed when, without a word, his entire team walked off in random directions.
"Uh…okay…I didn't mean…" Klenon hesitated. Before long, he was left completely alone amidst a sea of unfamiliar faces. He sighed and turned back to face the expansive window in front of him, taking in every inch of the Citadel that it displayed. The insistent feeling that something was off kept nagging at the back of his mind. Klenon instinctively reached for his hip, hoping to feel the comforting metal of his pistol. Instead he felt something warm and smooth clutch his hand in return.
"You don't waste any time, do you?"
Klenon's heart skipped a beat. He slowly turned back around, half-expecting it to be his ears playing tricks on him. But he knew that voice anywhere.
Kasumi was standing behind him wearing dark clothes and wearing the same purple lipstick. She held onto his hand with a grin on her face. Klenon turned to fully face her, a wide smile growing behind his blue visor. Without even thinking, he moved a little closer replying in a soft voice, "After what I've been through, I can't afford to."
Kasumi's smile faltered for just a moment before it brightened. She looked down at the ground for a brief second, "I can tell."
Klenon's own smile disappeared. She was happy to see him, that much was certain, but she wasn't showing it. In fact, she looked very meek.
"I heard what was happening at Elysium. Just the day after I left, they attacked. I didn't hear a thing about what was going on for days, nobody did. So when I caught wind of an Alliance ship docking here after making a run through Elysium, well my interest was more than piqued," Kasumi said. Klenon took a step closer to the point that they were inches apart. A small, fragile smile was all he could see.
"An entire armada of pirates ransacking one of the most populated colonies in the galaxy. I…was already worried when you were deployed. After the news broke, I couldn't really do anything besides…wait, I guess," Kasumi said. Klenon took her hand again, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Yeah, it was a little rough. But it wasn't as bad as it was made out to be. My life was never really in danger. I was in a bunker for most of it. The real heroes were the ones on the front lines. They sacrificed everything for people they would never meet in their lives. It takes a special kind of person to do that," Klenon said, turning away from her. He was lying straight through his teeth. He knew it, but he didn't care. He wouldn't allow himself to tell her the truth. She was worried enough about him even being in the Alliance.
Kasumi said nothing at first. She looked up to see him. A small spark glinted in her eye before she drew her hand away and placed it on her hip, "Tiger, you know I care about you, but you're a terrible liar."
At that, Klenon lifted his chin up slightly. Kasumi's eyes met his, but they didn't hold any anger towards him. If anything, they looked empty and it forced a lump in Klenon's throat, "One-man army? Nine-Lives? I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like sitting in a bunker to me."
"So…you heard," Klenon gave a defeated sigh. Kasumi just shrugged. She held up a small, shining object. Klenon stared at it with wide eyes then looked down at his chest, perplexed, "How…did you do that?"
"Just a little something I picked up," Kasumi said, "They don't give these out for nothing, you know?"
"I just…I don't want you to worry, Kasumi. To hear you get so worked up about me, it honestly kills me. I have to do this. I chose my path, but the last thing I want is for you to suffer for it," Klenon choked. Kasumi pried his hand away, depositing the medal in his palm before shutting his fingers closed.
"Don't blame yourself. In truth, I'm beyond glad that you're here. I just needed to let that out. Really, neither of us should be worrying. We can watch each other's back pretty well. Like that night in Elysium, remember?" Kasumi said in a more lighthearted tone. Klenon's eyes widened. Memories of his confrontation with the asari and salarian came rushing in. They knew about them and about the OSD. They were looking for her, hoping to find something she didn't have.
Klenon scanned the crowd before he pulled Kasumi to a secluded corner, his ribs aching all the while, "Kasumi listen. On Elysium I ran into this…merc group, I guess. They looked like the same kind of people from the alley. Thing is, they're looking for you. They think you have something that belongs to them. That OSD the batarian had remember?"
A dawn of realization overcame Kasumi. Suddenly it made a lot more sense why the OSD she had in her possession had an odd amount of security for a law firm. They were looking to take back what was theirs. They wanted back their property. Well, Kasumi was never good at giving things back.
"Yeah? Well do they know where it is?" Kasumi asked. Klenon thought for a moment. He had snatched the OSD out of their hands and left it with the Alliance. As far he knew they never did find it inside the base.
"They thought you had it, but I remember I picked it up and left it with Elysium Command. They never found it. You just need to hide until things die down, okay. Keep a low profile," Klenon said. Kasumi gave him an innocent nod.
"Don't worry about me. I know a thing or two about staying out of sight," she affirmed. The sigh of relief from Klenon was hard to miss. He didn't have a clue that she held the source of their problems. As much as she'd like to leave it alone, she was now more intrigued than ever. She held something from a very dangerous mercenary group. The mere thought gave her a rush of excitement. Klenon couldn't know. Just like how she kept her thieving away from him, she wouldn't get anything from letting him know. If they really were hunting the both of them, Kasumi knew the best course of action was to crack the encryption and use it to protect themselves. If Klenon found out, he'd insist that she'd leave it to the Alliance. Unfortunately, Kasumi wanted to handle this personally.
"Okay, alright. I think it's best for now. It's better if we keep our heads down," Klenon said. He didn't believe a single word that left his mouth. If anything, he wanted to chase after those responsible for the attack on Elysium. But he didn't want Kasumi to be a part of it. He couldn't stand the thought of placing her in danger. It was best if she continued living a normal life. He had to deal with this alone. If the worst came to past, only he would face the consequences.
"So interesting war stories aside, how've you been?" Kasumi asked him. Klenon rubbed the back of his neck.
"Could be a lot worse. But thankfully we managed to get some shore leave. So I'll be here for a couple of days," Klenon said. Kasumi arced a brow with a mischievous grin.
"Only a couple of days? Then we better make 'em count. Come on, I'll give you the tour," she said. Klenon looked around for his squad. Like before, they were nowhere to be found. He couldn't help but wonder if they somehow had a hand in this.
Soren was grinning ear to ear when he caught sight of Kasumi hauling Klenon up a flight of stairs and out of sight. The second he lost them, he pumped his fist in the air and high-fived Fredrick, "So what do you think? Five? Ten beers as a reward?"
"I don't think that was the smartest thing to do, Soren. He left something," Will said, pointing at the now vacant wheelchair sitting in the middle of large crowd of people. Soren waved him off.
"I just helped my pal reunite with his prospective girl. I'm sure his rib pains are at the back of his mind," Soren said. He casted a knowing glance at Fredrick before nudging him in the shoulder, "Besides, if he's lucky, he'll be relaxing on something a little bit more comfortable than a wheelchair. Bonus if she joins him."
"Smooth, Soren. Real smooth," Kathleen interjected. Fredrick crossed his arms with an inquisitive look on his face.
"So how'd you know she was there?" he asked. Soren shrugged.
"Saw her moving around on the rafters. She kept making that 'shoo' thing and, well, far be it from me to deny Klenon some alone time with her," Soren said sincerely, "Dude just went through hell. He deserves some time with her."
"You can be a real nice guy sometimes, you know?" Kathleen said. Soren chuckled and stretched his arms.
"Yup, I'm just you're average Good Samaritan. So…let's get this party ready, huh?" he said as he led the team. He was sure that he wasn't go see Klenon for a while, so Klenon wouldn't miss his team if they decided to start it without him.
…
"I don't much care for politics, but if it sharpens my men then I have no objections," Matteo said. The turian in front of him paced around the room, keeping his hands clasped behind his back before settling himself in his chair.
"Yes, I can't help but feel the same way, Captain. Rest assured, we won't pull any punches when it comes to their training. Consider it a general's promise," the turian said. Matteo leaned forward, glancing at Elaine next to him before speaking.
"Then I will do the same for your men. I'll speak to Alliance Command as soon as possible. I'll let my squad know once their shore leave is over," Matteo said. The turian's mandibles flickered. His finger tapped idly against a glass of Palaven whiskey.
"They were there during the Skyllian Blitz, were they not? According to reports, the Alliance suffered heavy casualties," the turian said. Matteo glared at him, eyes narrowing. As if he expected the reaction, the turian leaned back in his chair.
"A surprise attack always results in devastating results. You just have to hope you're not on the receiving end of it. I'm sure when the time comes, the Alliance will be eager to pay back that favor with interest. If they allow it, I can arrange for some turian support as well," he said.
"Right, are we done here?" Matteo asked coldly. The turian checked his omni-tool before rising from his chair.
"I believe so, Captain Simoni. It was a pleasure to meet you," the turian said. Matteo rose from his seat as well before giving the turian an obligatory handshake.
"Sure thing, General Oraka," he droned before leaving the room with Elaine in tow. Once he was alone, Septimus held up his wrist
"Adela, prep the shuttle. Sha'ira is expecting me," he said. He wrapped his talons around his glass of whiskey before leaving the room himself, a proud smirk on his face.
Once their shore leave was over, those Alliance soldiers were in for a hell of a ride.
