We don't need Paullus. – Quintus Paenula
What do you mean we don't need him? He created this task force. – Flavius Burrus
He didn't create it. It existed before he traveled to Andromeda. – Quintus Paenula
Then he brought all the pieces together. We need him like we need Galerius. – Flavius Burrus
Galerius is a sympathizer. We should remove him before he changes allegiances. – Quintus Paenula
When that time comes, we'll take care of it. – Flavius Burrus
" Have you heard from Caron yet?" Flavius asked of his partner, Quintus. Both turians were in charge of the base while everyone else was in the field. Paullus Milonius took Felann with him to pursue a Roekaar connection that would prove advantageous for the employment of their secret weapon. While the Roekaar hated all aliens, the Roekaar also were able to be reasoned with – as long as they were given something valuable in exchange.
Paullus offered up the best peace offering he could find – Ann Kandros. The woman blocked the Roekaar more often than she did the Kett, and as Kandros's wife, Tiran Kandros's defection of the mission assigned to him by the hierarchy made her the perfect target. They pursued Sloane Kelly for the unaccounted for resources she could provide, knowing full well the instability of her actions and character. They only intended to use Sloane Kelly as long as they needed her to launch a large scale attack against Eos.
No human would willingly help kill off their entire race, and those that were useful were deceived of the motives of their employer. Without the key components of their plan assembled, a fully functioning disease that targeted the immune system lacked a delivery system.
" No. Caewan is with him in case Galerius turns traitor," Quintus called from the back. " They're dealing with Sloane. Anything's possible."
" If we're so concerned about Galerius's intentions, why is he still among us?" Flavius never understood why Paullus recruited the former pirate hunter. Paullus said they needed the skillset and then neglected to share what that skillset was. When the former pirate hunter joined them, he bought nothing new to the group that wasn't already available to them. As far as Quintus was concerned, Galerius was just muscle. Felann called him an inquisitive idiot who couldn't remember what day of the week it was without the omni-tool reminding him. While Flavius didn't trust the pirate hunter, he didn't think the man slow-witted or lacking of intelligence. His interest in the weaponized disease raised red flags not even he could pass off as idle curiosity.
Quintus emerged with crates that held their medi-gel supply. He started taking inventory of everything on a datapad. Part of Quintus's job was to run positive PR for their task force while ensuring that the task force had all the supplies it needed to accomplish its mission. His role went hand in hand with Burrus's role – bringing science to the fight. Burrus and Felann worked hand in hand to provide specialized weapons for the task force. Paullus spearheaded them after the other survivors of Ark Natanus refused to take up the mission assigned to them. They recruited a few salarians that feared the humans would take advantage of their unhindered arrival and try to have the lead role on the interracial council. Ark Hyperion being crashed onto Meridian was a calculated move, in their eyes, regardless of the Archon's role in it.
Helping the gray faced turian, Flavius noted his red tattoo in the shape of a spear head. " Aephus colony?"
" Born and raised. Gellix?" Quintus countered.
" Raised. I was born on Edessan, and when my father was promoted in C-Sec, my mother moved us to Gellix for a better future,"
" Isn't there a female on the Nexus that also calls Aephus home?" Flavius remembered the teenaged female to be no older than 20 years of age. Her sense of duty and responsibility impressed him, and her spirit and determination to make the Heleus Cluster a better home for everyone drew his admiration.
Quintus lifted his head quickly. " Sidera Nyx,"
" Isn't her sister, the one that chose to call Bostra her real home, on the Pathfinder's team?" Now that he recalled it, Vetra Nyx romantically involved herself with Scott Ryder. " How do you know her name?"
Quintus said nothing and went back to his datapad.
Suspecting that Quintus fancied the female, Flavius said nothing. They continued their inventory in silence. After inventory, the pair checked their emails at the email terminals and then retreated to their personal areas. Both vid-called their respective allies in a bid for more information on their enemies – that included the Nexus.
At noon, Quintus checked on their prisoner – one of Ann Kandros's people. They found Pipona Tortik on the run from the Kett and offered her sanctuary. Paullus gave her drugged food and imprisoned her ever since. The female salarian refused to cooperate, and until she did, she remained their prisoner. Paullus Milonius would occasionally interrogate her, leaving her injured with time to heal before interrogating her again. Talk of her future had yet to surface among the group, a talk that everyone but Paullus and Felann wanted avoid.
Galerius Sisenna stated that Pipona was not a threat to them, and furthermore, she was Salarian. Quintus and Flavius agreed with their doubtful ally on this, while Caron and Caewan both refused to let another salarian die. Her connection to Ann Kandros simply burdened their choice to let her live. Paullus considered anyone that worked alongside humans peacefully as the enemy, and the enemy needed eliminated. No Hastatim for them. Paullus Milonius, even by Turian standards, was an extreme terrorist. His ideals were the only thing that kept him from turning on the other races like he targeted the humans.
Banging on the bars that separated the cell from the rest of the base, Quintus slid a tray of rehydrated food – a salarian favorite he could not pronounce though he tried – through the slot that allowed for passage of items of certain size and shape. The blue skinned female glowered at him from her position on the floor. She currently sat on the cot provided for her, otherwise the only object in the room was a toilet and shower squeezed in the corner. Before this was a cell, it was a quick showering area before entering the rest of the rooms. Paullus fitted the open area with a door and installed the bars to make it a cell long before they started taking prisoners.
He started to walk away when her voice pulled him back. " You walk a dangerous line, Turian. He will betray you, and when he does, you will not see it,"
" We'll be ready if he ever does," Quintus answered her, staying out of sight.
Silence stretched between them and he started to walk away again.
" You best hope that when that day comes he doesn't turn on the Salarians like he did the humans. We will wipe your race out,"
Considering what the salarians created to stunt the birth rates of the krogans, Quintus didn't doubt her warning for a moment. He rejoined Flavius in the armory area partially secluded by a wall of crates. " Still bitter as ever,"
" She should be," Flavius stopped polishing the scope eye piece. " She shouldn't even be in that cell. Torturing her for more information won't help. She'll more likely provide false information than accurate information,"
" Paullus would double check the information first," Quintus grabbed his pistols and started to take them apart and laid them out on a long table. He started with the stocks first and then progressed to the barrels. " I still don't trust her word anymore than Sisennna's. We're kicking a nest, knowing full well whatever comes out will sting us,"
" At least there's no arachni,"
" True,"
" The Kett are just as bad,"
" She's a female salarian. If we find a male that will sexually reproduce with her, we could hold the clutch hostage," Quintus heard the hiss before the sharp edge of the asari blade cut across Flavius's palm. " You think that's a bad idea,"
Covering his hand before blue blood dripped onto the weapon tray, he bunched the cloth up in his hand and let the blood soak into the folds. " You're practically encouraging the Salarians to consider us a terrorist organization," If Paullus got a hold of that idea, then not only would they be dealing with humans but also salarians. Salarians were ghosts, ruthless when they attacked, and they used cutting edge technology. The humans frontline soldiers would be the shield and distraction that could easily keep their fledgling numbers in check while the salarian agents whittled down their offensive weapons.
Confident that most of the bleeding stopped, he dropped the rag onto the tray and accessed his omni-tool. The small dose of medi-gel reached his palm, sealing the skin quickly. The slow burn hinting that actual healing of the flesh took place distracted the alarmed scientist. " We are not a terrorist organization," He stared Quintus down. " We are not going to be labeled as a terrorist organization. You ever mention that to Paullus I will personally drop you dead where you stand regardless of the consequences,"
Returning to cleaning his disassembled weapons, Flavius didn't speak any further to Quintus. He refused to think that the eradication of the humans naturally lead to holding a clutch of eggs hostage. It didn't. That was non-linear thinking worthy of a salarian. Quintus remained at the armory cleaning weapons while Flavius checked the email terminals again.
His spirits lifted when he read the first email.
Concerning Your Shipment
To: Flavius
From: Kaetus
Received the shipment of recovered armor and weapons. This support is invaluable to the outlaws. Without it, Sloane will bleed us dry by throwing us at all the Collective's effort to stabilize Kadara. An unstable Kadara is a threat to us all, but without Sloane, we wouldn't even have Kadara Port. I would say that if we have the resources for your next visit to the Badlands, stop in for a drink at our base.
I don't trust Sloane to not turn you over to the Initiative. We need to be careful. We need to ensure that your mission to impose level ground for all the races is not hindered.
Kaetus
He quickly replied back.
Concerning Your Shipment
To: Kaetus
From: Flavius
Considering that Sloane turned on the Nexus and took a key role in the uprising, why are you surprised that she would hold any loyalty? You are better off to treat her like a loaded rifle. I suggest that you consider leaving her service and taking the turians with you. We need to think about the future and start forming an education plan separate of the Initiative's. The hierarchy ranks should be reinstated.
The infighting must stop. People like Paullus Milonius are only the beginning. We need forward thinkers more focused on the longevity of our race and less on the longevity of other races. Think on it.
Flavius