|31|
They arrived at a hotel, the 2121 on Brutmire Street, and left the vessel to pass through the throngs on the sidewalk and head inside the opening doors of the lobby entrance. Greeted by the lobby's transparent technology, a voice hailed down at their arrival and spoke directly to Casnar, Catherine, and Braith, "…You are here at the request of one Catherine Smythe—all weapons shall be removed prior to reaching this hotel's destination suite….Please see the service at the desk in rotunda B for checking in, and have a nice time…" The voice almost contained a smugness as it clipped out and Casnar went with Braith and Catherine to the indicated rotunda—one of three expanded into each other as Venn diagrammed models of gleaming architecture…At the first desk in Rotunda B, Casnar checked with the concierge, he assumed, and discarded the lint of his pockets to the salarian's gaze….
"That's fine," the salarian eyeballed Braith, "…You have any biotics?"
"If I did," she sharked, "…You think I'd take out my power and just put it here with his lint?"
"If we have someone present with biotics," the salarian held up a blue collar, "…This will need to be worn if you do not have the privilege of living in the tower and are honest….Granted, you could have lied instead of being so rude—the guests will take care of their own and security has a way of isolating people to cells."
"Well…What if someone just entered here with the intent to use their biotics in a hostile manner," Catherine asked anxiously, "…What would the collar do?"
"We turn it on and security sends someone to collect….By the way, do you happen to know if you have biotics and can stand to be collared?" Catherine backed away from the desk, and the salarian settled back onto his flats, "….I see….Why don't you take this with you," he handed Casnar the collar, "…And if any of you decide someone should need it, put it over their necks….There's a clasp on the back—but once it's on, it can't come off unless the collar—and the individual, are brought down here….Enjoy."
Braith snorted, "…That is the dumbest thing I've heard—and I've lived three times to say it….Maybe four," to which the salarian replied as Casnar took the collar and threatened Braith with it:
"Good for you, now please move….Your lift is two down on the right….Mister Alenko will be expecting both of you…." He glanced at Braith, "…And very happy to see you're alive."
She made a puzzled look and Casnar pushed her towards the lifts, "…Thanks," he muttered back at the concierge and pulled Catherine gaping in wonder at the doors opening up—at least twenty people poured out of the lift, which had three levels for waiting and spreading throughout while it shuttled them through the monstrous "hotel"….
"I wonder what the amenities are like," Braith grinned at Casnar, "…Probably bathroom standins a football field long—"
"Don't be preposterous," he chuckled and kissed the back of her middle finger before folding her arm around his, "…Two football fields, I'd wager." Holding onto her arm and preventing her from leaving, he leaned against her while Catherine wandered to the next level of the lift, following the circumventing stairs to the top as the couple below made lucky in the alcove underneath the second floor balcony, and the doors slid closed, leaving them the only ones to use the empty lift as it hummed and ascended.
Peering closely at the strips of mirrors decorating the walls all around each level, much like the tight ribbing of a barrel, she ignored the faint whispers downstairs and poked her finger between one of the mirror panels….Through the glass, she saw her reflection and faint lights dancing about from her touch…
"Why hello," she whispered as they gathered to her fingertip like tadpoles, then pervaded through the adjoining mirrors once she removed her finger…
Casnar heard his inner ear ringing while he was making up for lost time with Braith, and parting from the softness of her mouth, his hand on her back while he leaned against her with their outfits fine enough to feel everything through, he glanced towards the stairs and bent an eyeridge…
"Cat….Don't go wandering off," he called, pulled back by Braith's desperate mewl for attention, and he chuckled as she drew his lips back with nibbling on his chin, "….Stop, I need to make sure that Catherine is not wandering—"
"You found yourself a new ward, hmm?"
"It's not like that—"
"I know….You got attached to her quick enough…."
"She's funny…Innocent…Not some brutish woman who drowns herself in moonshine acid—"
"I hope I don't need to hear you lecture me….After what I've been through…"
"No," he pet her hair, reveling in the feel and sniffing the strands, "….No….But as soon as it's the moment, I'm going to fill you, Braith," and he nuzzled her chin with his nose, nipping at her jaw and up to her ear, "….Kala….You smell good…..Why can't this lift reach wherever—Cat?" Untwining himself from Braith, he took her arm and brought her towards the stairs, turning to look over the balconies above as best he could, "…Cat!"
"She's on the third level maybe," Braith quickened her steps to match Casnar's as they twisted around the walls and headed up the stairs, crossing the second balcony and taking to the third, "…Cat?" Kneeling in front of the wall, her reflection and the surroundings bouncing off the mirrors in repeating effect, Catherine turned to look at them with startled eyes…
"Oh—sorry….I was fascinated by this thing playing with my—come here and see it, it's rather shy," and she waved them over with quick flips of her fingers…Casnar and Braith walked over, looking fine in their new clothes and cleaned appearances as the mirrors fed this information back to their own eyes, and kneeling on either side of Catherine, they looked with her into the mirrors…
"What is that…There's someone looking back and it's not our reflections," Casnar said, rubbing his eyes and blinking four eyelids to make sure he was not experiencing blurred vision or a mote, "….By mithras, there's more people in there…"
Braith leaned away, already with her fill of the extraordinary and not wanting to attach herself to any more symbiotes like the pio earlier, "…Let's go downstairs and get out of this lift….Cat, what floor are we going to?"
"The ninety-ninth…We're here, but the door hasn't opened, so I was just waiting for you two to finish while I entertained myself with this one," she stood up, Casnar looking confusedly between the wall and Cat….
"Did you say one?"
"Did I? I said one….I meant all of them…But in Lothiraxl, One means Many….Don't you get it, Casnar….Braith?"
"I don't get it, no," Braith said, staring at Catherine who was walking back to the stairs, "…How can One mean Many….That doesn't make sense unless you're…You're generalizing….But that—"
"One is Many….That's what the pio are, Braith…They all are considered one collective body….But parts can be cut off….Like limbs….And the body can still feel them even though they're missing—"
"But wasn't my pio created—"
"I thought that, Braith," Catherine stopped at the stairs and looked back at them, "…But the way the Reapers did it…I think they cut your pio off like a cheek cell or something….And it makes one wonder…Was the pio that attached to you from the Citadel…Was it a prisoner or was it truly…" She paused, "…Never mind…Let's go as you say we should and find out why the door isn't opening….Could be we just need to stand next to it." They went down and around the stairs together, Braith ahead of Casnar as they kept an eye on Catherine as to the mirrored walls and their pass of reflections, and Casnar and Braith could not dispel the fear that someone—many someones—were watching them….And Catherine's presence at the door did prompt the curved panel to slide open.
The door to the suite opened—Casnar and Kaidan immediately went into defensive positions, Casnar taking the man's throat with the blue collar as Kaidan charged him, and both were separated by the wall of power knocking through their grip on each other, "…Boys, boys," Miranda clucked her tongue, then stared at Casnar, Braith, and Catherine's new getups, "…My…Shopping was in the remote amount of time we had left, looking for Braith while we sat here and waited for you two—three to show…" She shook her head and looked at Kasumi, who stepped out of the way of Sieis, ready to swoop on Catherine and begin purring in reunion. Watching Sieis walk towards her, Casnar saw the break in momentum and Sieis froze still, his navy gold eyes wide as he looked at her and tried to decide what it was that he did need or need not investigate first, and Catherine held up her hair braid, "I know" she mouthed and knelt for him to inspect her, holding her hardpack out for him as well and opening the contents…The others freed themselves—Casnar and Kaidan, who could remove the collar since he was a hotel resident, and observed the strange little reunion of banton and Catherine….
"What is going on," Kaidan said, Braith pushing him away from Casnar.
"We went into an Exchanger," Casnar said, "…The contraption changed her hair…her appearance, and they just need some time to reacquaint," and they turned away as Sieis crouched and poked at the hardpack, then tentatively sniffed at Catherine who was talking quietly to refamiliarize with the banton in her new look…
"The Exchangers are a marvel, aren't they," Casnar turned, hearing the familiar voice of Counti Di Viusire, sitting in the kitchen of the suite with three armed guards, "…Lothiraxl provideth the weary traveler….So long as he and his pretty companions are approved by the city's lower guides."
"Counti," Casnar hesitated, but the immaculate man raised a stopping hand…
"No need to apologize, Mister Soterios," he looked to Braith with a smile, "…You were very determined to risk her life for your own selfish need," he fluttered his long lashes, "…You look much better, Miss Shepard….I hope his Vehemence was able to part the energy from you nicely…." Braith kept the look of distaste from her face, "…Where will you be headed now…Back to Cherry Lake…Or will you choose to stay here in Lothiraxl with us."
"Leaving…Soon as we find out where the rest of her and his bantons are," Casnar said, then looked to Sieis and Catherine…
"They're good, Casnar," Catherine made eye contact, "…The krogan—the one named Wrex….He's quite taken with them….I think it's because—" Miranda cut her off with a shake of her head, "…Anyway, they're waiting to go home….Wherever."
Casnar turned back to Counti, "…As you can see, with Braith here and Catherine as well having made it unscathed to the surface with the City's blessing," he felt too formal, but Counti appeared to him to be of that ilk which enjoyed the show for posterity, "…We are free to choose whether we stay or go…At this time, we would like to leave…And not make known our intended direction—"
"I impress upon you to stay, or to at least leave a means to contact you, Mister Soterios, Miss Smythe and Miss Shepard," with a raised eyebrow towards Sieis, "…There will likely be a time when you will be called back to the city….No one just leaves Lothiraxl," and at this, the same acid smile, "…Too much has been revealed to you….The city collects when it so wills….And yes, the City itself will find you if it really wants you badly enough…But you have the Surr's blessing and of course portmother's….Mine….You have or not met Vehemence—it doesn't matter," he brushed away a dust particle on his white uniform, "…Take leave when you will….Though I recommend you enjoy the city for a night….The city provideth as we all know…And all you need is ask…" He stood from the chair in the kitchen, a relaxed attention with his three-man escort, bowed stiffly to them and with that crazy smile, walked with a glance to both Miranda and Kaidan.
"What was that about," Braith mumbled to her beau as she leaned into his shoulder…
"I don't know, but didn't they…" Casnar looked at Miranda, "…What's the story, you witch."
The door closed on the backs of the men in their white uniforms, leaving Kaidan as the remaining Alliance member in the room…And Braith.
"You're such an asshole," Miranda stood up from having sat to listen, then pulled Braith by the hand to her side of the room, "…Do you know who he is—"
"Hi, Miranda," Braith slowed her down, "…I want to get off this fucking city right now—I don't know what's happened to half of me half the time I've been here," she glared at Kaidan, "…And I want to find her bantons, Wrex, and fly as far the fuck away as I can—"
"Relax," Miranda squeezed her cheeks between her gloved fingers, "…We'll head out now, Shepard…Jesus, your hair looks nice….What do they call it—Exchangers?"
Casnar made a sound halfway between a grunt and a hiss as Miranda knocked him out of her way, Sieis, Catherine and Kasumi—who winked and blew a kiss at Kaidan as she left the two in the room—went out into the hallway….Braith turned back to Kaidan, "…You going to be looking for me again, Major?"
"I was only trying to help, Braith," he stepped close to lower his voice, "….Don't blow off what Counti told you….The city doesn't forget and no one leaves here….Not really…."
"So why did you come all the way to Earth, Kaidan," she pressed him back, pushing him into his chair, "…Why'd you really come looking for me in Cherry Lake, hmm?"
"I was….I was trying to find someone I thought could help….Lothiraxl is inside a Reaper, Braith….That can't be good—"
"Then get yourself out, Kaidan," she shook his hand, Kaidan staring at the wrist with a mute expression, "…Get out….Down there," she pointed downward, having let go, "…It's no fucking joke….There's shit down there no one understands, Kaidan, and I've seen it, been it. and this girl that's with us—"
"Catherine, Catherine Smythe—"
"I got it," she said through her teeth, "…She's been down there for years with those aliens of hers and she's a fucking plug into this place…And you were going to fry me through her," she slapped him, "…Help me—fuck you, Kaidan, I was going to be ripped apart by that joining….You and that Counti prick come after us, I'll make sure you screw yourselves so badly you won't know how the screwing up started one end and finished the other," she leaned away, having bent towards him while Casnar waited by the door, "….Don't go back to Cherry Lake, and if I find your Hughe buddy and his little nurse, I'll kick their asses down a mine shaft that's got no way out to light once I'm done burying them inside it." She turned and strode over to Casnar, looked at him, looked at Kaidan, and walked out…Casnar cleared his throat, stepped through the door which sealed with Kaidan finally alone in his suite….He stood up, rubbing his cheek where she'd slapped him, went to the kitchen and raised the refrigeration unit from the floor, "…Ice, please…." An intercom or electronic device beeped and he sighed, walked back into the room where all of his guests had been, turned on a dial plate in the center of his coffee table, and waited for Counti to appear.
"Did they say where they were leaving to," Counti's head and shoulders floated in the animation over the table piece, "…Are they returning to the crater."
"They…They may," Kaidan struggled to think, "…Counti, Sir, I don't know if she's going back to Earth—"
"Is the zonepad still with Miss Smythe?"
"Yeah…Yes, it's not here—Catherine keeps it with her—some type of obsession with the pack and the pad—"
"Relax, Kaidan," Counti smiled appeasingly, "…She'll keep it on her, and from what we know per the city, the drell has a fondness for the Assembly woman….He'll likely keep her with him and Miss Shepard….Friends….They often associate too long together….It will be the bond that keeps them under our focus…You will see….Do you need any more…Phedyl, Kaidan?"
Kaidan didn't answer at first, but soon nodded, "…Yes, Counti….That would be fine with me….Please."
"Look at you," Wrex turned from the eighteen bantons relaxing and drinking in his ship's bay, "…Alive still."
"You want to tell me what you've given them," Catherine raised her arm to the bantons lounging on Wrex's boxes, oblivious to her as they only recognized Sieis among them, shaking them out of their stupors, "…Bantons don't drink anything but water and oniedaman, Wrex." Placing her hard pack on the floor of his bay, she stood up to the krogan—Wrex, who typically took nothing from even thresher maws, backed up a little from the blue-eyed woman, "…Did you get my bantons drunk?"
Kasumi smirked under her hood as Wrex started to stumble over his response, "…We didn't….Expect you back—What do you want, human," he forced his spine back into place, "…You and the others were missing and I was directed into babysitting the babies by Lawson and Goto…" He gave them a blaming look over by Braith and Casnar, "…What am I supposed to do, sing them lullabies or entertain them—I passed the time, got them relaxed—they were anxious about being without you two—bad parenting if you ask me," Sieis came over and started motioning at his tribe members, "…Yeah, yeah….You too, I did my best—" Braith intervened, walking over to put her arms up in defense of the krogan.
"Are they safe, healthy? Are they all accounted for," she looked into Catherine and Sieis's faces, lowered her arms and went over to one of the bantons who rolled his neck and looked at her, "…They're all here…Let's get them some place safer than Lothiraxl and let them think nothing about the flight…Besides, Ryncol? The fact they're still alive after drinking Ryncol with this krogan," she looked at Casnar and Wrex, "…They're built for drinking this stuff….I wouldn't worry about it—Wrex, let's get the hell out of this system—You are done with what you needed to do here, right?"
Wrex worried his claws together….
"Wrex, tell me we can leave—"
"I can," he said, "…But I can't take you to Tuchanka—"
"Why? We don't want to go to Tuchanka," she hesitated to speak any louder, "…We're going to Rakhana to deliver these guys to Casnar's planet—"
"That's good with me," Wrex said, relieved, "…I was worried you'd—"
"Wrex," Braith shook her head, "….Since when did you ever worry?"
"Lot's changed for this old krogan, Shepard," Wrex said, backing up to sit down on a crate of opened bottles, "…I lost Clan Urdnot….Nearly died trying to fight for it….Bakara—"
"Don't say she's dead," Braith stepped, "…Wrex…What happened?"
"I was challenged some three years back," he snorted, blowing out a thin mist of moisture from his nostrils, "…Some young upstart who wants to expand….I started exploring possible new planets to help populate outwards from Tuchanka," he shook his thick head, "…I couldn't find one in time—we were ousted, me and my krantt, and then….Bakara called a Mout to determine who would lead…I had to fight…It wasn't pretty."
"What about Grunt…Tell me it wasn't Grunt…." She saw him shake his headplate.
"Grunt left….He couldn't…Couldn't stay after what he saw…." Wrex slumped his shoulders in his ambassadorial wear, "…He couldn't follow me—I'm a disgrace….This krogan, the one who challenged me….Humiliated me…Humiliated everyone….Grunt left….He dislikes the new patriarch and hates me for losing…I thought I'd save some face by coming here and seeing if it would be possible—"
"That's what explains krogans working on Earth," Casnar said….Braith turned from him back to Wrex—
"You were challenged, lost, and now you're what—an exile?" Wrex didn't reply nor have the will to acknowledge it—Braith found some relief in that….It meant he was still resistant.
Sieis put his hand up in front of Wrex, "….We are exiles…You will learn how to be a banton who can survive punishment through this way," and he looked to Catherine, "….We forgive you for giving bantons their drink….They will be healthy in the hour, but no more Ryncol," he saw the nod from the krogan.
Wrex bowed his head, the curved and scored plate of his brow lowering, "…That krogan…His name is Itilna Rn'ur, I call him Trock, he managed to get a knife in my headplate lining, left me a scar," Braith could see the egregious knot of scar along the lining of the bone, "….He made me plead to keep it on….Shepard….I only did it to survive so I could kill him and return with a new home for those on Tuchanka….The planet is lost and recovers slowly, but the Genophage cured….Krogans are breeding."
Braith had never seen a krogan cry—She took Wrex by the neck and led him away from the bay.
"I didn't put you into power to fail, Wrex," Braith growled into the earhole of the old saurian, "…You lick your wounds with me….Were you trying to get some type of welcome from Lothiraxl?"
"The city accepted me, Shepard," Wrex walked heavily, though with his old dignity recovered under her sharpness with him, "…They accepted only me….That's not enough for me, however," he turned his red eyes, "….I want to go back to my homeworld, tear the plate off of Trock's skull, and give my planet hope they can move if they wish to other worlds….I don't know how to control the breeding, Shepard….It is as the dalatrass feared…." She shook her head as they walked and stopped at the exit of the bay, to the ship's internal rooms, "…You feared the same."
"You were the hope, you and Bakara—"
"I failed, Shepard….I was too weak," he looked away. His fisted claw suddenly felt the bulkhead of his ship, "…I lost strength…Face…Hope…Time."
"Look here," she commanded him with the grit of her words, "…You failed to hold your position as some grounded patriarch, but you've earned some freedom," for a human, she had the eyes of a krogan right then, "…You krogans present a long-term problem if you're not killed with plutonium and stopped from regenerating your scaled hides back into the battle…..You're still alive, Wrex….You just need your confidence back…And when it comes, like Reapers are a sure fact, you'll be dragging that Trock into hell." Wrex laughed a low rumble at this, then his thick hide sighed.
"I'm an old krogan, Shepard…" He shook away from her, "….I've got nothing left but to try and die a good death….I don't have anything to bring to Tuchanka." He stepped ahead of her in the ship's connector, "…I'll get her off the city dock and up into the system…Let me know where you want to fly….It's good to have found you again, Shepard….Kind of inspiring…For a krogan." She looked after the uniform of the krogan, more for ritual with shamans than for true ambassadorial duties….Braith took in a breath and turned back for the bay….She found Sieis and Catherine getting the drunk bantons into a corner, where they were lying down to sleep, and took a wave over in Casnar and Kasumi, Miranda's direction…
"Wrex was eliminated from Urdnot clan…I don't think it's even called that anymore," she filled them in and gazed at Miranda and Kasumi, "….He's with me until I can get him to go back with what he needs to challenge the little shit who kicked him out of control….What's the story with you two—" To Miranda and Goto, "…You came here for Casnar or me…Or something else?"
"I have what I came to find," Miranda said, then nodded to Kasumi. "You tell her…"
"Tell me what?" Braith turned her attention to the thief, who smiled in her perfect lines of lipstick….
"I'm looking for a new job," Kasumi said, "…And now that I've inadvertently learned you're alive…What better to do than gain new experience to add to my boringly impressive resumé," Braith chuckled at the thief's self-deprecation….
"I'm not hiring, Kasumi, but if you really are bored—"
"I want to see what Rakhana has to offer," her hood tilted slightly towards the gold drell waiting with an expression of disapproval, "….For research purposes only…."
"Yes…Right," he muttered and looked at Braith, "….If she steals anything from my family, she'll be in deep trouble…And not with me—I don't have time for thieves….But my half-brother does."
Braith smiled, "…Miranda, where do we let you off…"
"Who said I intend to leave…I need to keep an eye on my perfect project," she winked at Braith.
"Okay….Casnar….Earth or…"
"We need to get Catherine and Sieis somewhere safe," he replied, considering the large family not far from them, "…And with Catherine's background, I think she will like what I have in mind for her….The environment will be different, but if they can survive all these years in the pits of Lothiraxl, then Nualavera and the Mier will be easy for them….And they will not be hunted with my word of protection."
"Right," she tilted a glance at the bay's ramp as it started to raise, "….If you say so…Casnar. You need to tell me a story—about how you two know each other," in a drell gesture, she aimed her middle and index fingers together at Miranda and Casnar, "…And when that story's heard, Kasumi and I are going to plot out what's ahead with regard to her interest in Rakhana….Casnar…Miranda?"
"I would love to be the one to inform you what's ahead on Rakhana—"
"Wait your turn," Kasumi warned Miranda, then smiled over at Casnar, "…I'll fill in the Commander."
