July 30th 2184 CE 18:23
A person who trusts no one now, once trusted someone too much – John von Neumann II
With a month of team building exercises under their belt, Garrus announced that the casino raid was taking place in two days. Mierin and Weaver were comfortably situated at Hotel Denure. The new additions to the team were proving to be invaluable. With the boost in manpower, they had successfully decimated a particularly bothersome gang of vorcha, who were suspiciously organized. They even managed to push The Bloodpack out of the Kenzo District entirely. It was an amazing feeling watching ordinary citizens gradually begin venturing outside, knowing his team played a crucial role in their ability to do so.
However, Krul received some intel regarding the joint Thralog was holed up in. And Garrus was fairly certain that if he were to die tomorrow, Grundan would dig him up just to accentuate how he was going to slaughter every living being in that casino. It was a drastic shift in mood from the past few weeks. And it was making Garrus increasingly uncomfortable.
"They all die. Every. Last. One." The batarian punctuated as if each individual syllable was a bullet.
"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. What if some are non-combatants?"
"We're doing this at 3 a.m – after hours. Every bastard in that joint is with Thralog. They aren't non-combatants but a few are gimps."
"Krul…."
"No! Garrus. No! You said this is my show. You owe me one and I'm cashing in my chips."
Garrus let loose an irritated sigh. "Just tell me this isn't about some turf war."
"You know me better than that."
"Hey, I know we're all killers. Given what you did for Jane, I've been extremely understanding about your lack of forthrightness." Garrus pointed at the batarian for emphasis. "But if you want me to do this, I need more from you than 'they're bad' to order my men to kill a bunch of guys I know nothing about."
Krul glared at him with a look of utter disgust. Minutes passed. But Garrus refused to give an inch. "Thralog will die. You have my promise on that. The man is yours to do with as you please. But the rest….I need you to give me something for spirit's sake!"
"Thralog Mirki'it and his ilk are traitors to my kind." Grundan's voice was low, harsh. "And I won't rest until I've plowed my blade through their hearts and pissed on their corpses." The last few words were roared, howled.
"Krul…."
"Listen Garrus, you either trust me or you don't. And if you don't, then go fuck yourself. I'll do this on my own."
"Don't be ridiculous. A lone man would be slaughtered against this stronghold."
"This is a cause worth dying for. Take that for what you will."
The pair stood in tense silence for what felt like hours, neither man willing to bend. It was Garrus who finally broke the faux calm. "You're right. I owe you a lot. And if it were just me, I'd have your back in this. No questions asked. But I have a responsibility to my men, a promise. I need to think about it."
"Fine. Guess that's the best I can hope for." Grundan stormed off, leaving Garrus alone to mull over this drastic turn of events.
Several hours later….
Unable to sleep, Garrus wandered the living area. He tried everything from booting up Galaxy of Fantasy to writing unsent drivel to the former Normandy team. Yet, nothing could put enough distance between himself and this dilemma. He needed to step back, gain some perspective. If he didn't follow through with Krul's demands, it was clear that he'd lose the batarian – a man he'd begun to regard as a close friend. But what he was asking went against everything they stood for. Was he truly considering murdering people who didn't stand a chance against them?
"Garrus?" A soft voice reached out in the darkness. The utter shock of disrupted silence caused him to jump in surprise.
"Spirits! How do you manage that? Never knew anyone who could sneak up on a turian." Since her cast was removed, Jane's leg was in a soft but sturdy cloth brace. Without the crutches clacking against her every step, it was difficult to pinpoint where she was in the base.
"Practice makes perfect." She was leaning on a rubber-tipped cane, merely a couple feet from his position on the living room floor.
"Right. Jane, I'd love to chat but I … it's not a good time."
"Is this about Krul? What he asked you to do?"
"I take it you heard our disagreement."
"Pretty sure everyone did. He's not exactly soft spoken."
"You don't say." Garrus snorted. "I can't believe he doesn't trust me enough to give the whole story."
Jane paused. He could feel those large, emerald eyes searching his face. "I think it's a batarian thing. The Hegemony's rule isn't exactly easy to live under. You get used to lying your way through life just to survive. Comes as naturally as breathing."
Thanks in no small part to Krul, Jane had made some amazing strides in the past month. They had struck up a sweet, timid friendship. On several occasions, Garrus spotted them passing notes under her door. The batarian tried educating him once about what they were discussing, his mind lingered less than two minutes before drifting off. It had something to do with 'music theory,' a subject that couldn't be further from his interests. Yet, he couldn't argue with results. Jane was gradually emerging from her shell, leaving her room and speaking more frequently.
"What he's asking, taking the lives of helpless people…."
She didn't respond for awhile and the silence stretched on. With an almost imperceptible sigh, Jane settled on the floor beside him. "But I know him. He's a good man."
While he understood that the pair got on well, their friendship was new. Sometimes Jane almost seemed like a child, so young. Naive.
"Thanks I'm still thinking about it. But I appreciate you weighing in." It wasn't rude, just a nudge in the direction of I need some time alone.
She stood, and for a fraction of a second, she hesitated. A gesture he was certain wasn't meant to be perceived. "He'd be missed. And not just by me."
Jane wandered back to bed. And Garrus was left alone once more, his thoughts swirling like a dark tornado.
Notes: So, I finally posted the codex for this fic. I sort of forgot about it for a bit there. (Thank you for the nudge Seikkah.) It's still heavily redacted but will be fleshed out as the story progresses. :P
It's posted on AO3. I'm not sure if I'll publish it to FF.
/works/27765397
