It was noon on Kadara, and Galerius started to sweat from tracking down the damn lead that would guide them toward the cell that had been causing havoc for the outlaws. Just because Reyes Vidal was allowed to take over Kadara Port peacefully didn't mean that he allowed her to exist peacefully in the badlands. The grudge match still waged on a minor scale that still kept Kadara on edge. Some stability came to the port and the badlands, providing a false blanket of security for those settlers that tried to call Kadara home. Unfortunately not even Ditaeon could sway more settlers to the planet without more commitment from the Initiative.
Everything hinged on a breaking point. The quantum entanglement communicators combined with the mass relays would make their lives infinitely easier. The Jardaan's willingness to help them find the resources for this sped up the process, making the wait that more unbearable. Everyone aware of the details often used that to justify the lack of funds being poured into other projects that would immediately help the people. Those ignorant of where the funds and energy were being poured into demanded accountability for the time, personnel, and credits.
Director Tann handled the majority of the complaints well. Moshae Sjefa and Nakmor Kesh kept the peace on the Nexus tolerably well. A quiet undercurrent cut the peace like a bullet sliced through air, creating a path for the hatred and misunderstandings that invariably occurred regardless of how skillful one's political manipulation could be. Ann Kandros invariably used her contacts, contacts that were harder to sniff and snuff out than Paullus Milonius expected, to keep tabs on everything before reporting key areas to Tiran Kandros and Evfra De Tershaav. Galerius had to admit that they were a very effective team, able to pull the strings enough without triggering war-mounting actions.
" Caron, I've been following this lead for the last two hours. I haven't even found a hint of….Khara k'jal," The name sounded angara. Why would an Angara join the collective? Scratch that. Why would they join the outlaws? Or willing turn over their Moshae to the Kett? Vehn Terev's trial made the headlines for months, and after his eventual execution by Evfra De Tershaav, everything seemed like the first few months in the cluster without all the threat of extinction. The Angara's wounds opened more and then healed up in due time, faster for those that already come to terms with their beloved Moshae's past.
" Khara K'jal is close to the Charlatan, and he knows a lot about the Heleus Military," Caron Selis's voice burst over the omni-tool speaker. " We should take him alive-"
" Sloane wants him dead, and we need Sloane," Galerius argued. " Otherwise why the fuck are we here? Do I have to skkutting remind you that Sloane wants all their heads?" He shouldered his assault rifle. He found the M-96 Mattock on one of the unfortunate outlaws in the badlands who decided anyone was fair game. It served his purpose well for the moment until he needed to deconstruct it to make other weapons more fitted toward his interests.
Silence passed as the turian huffed his way through the hilly terrain, ending up breathless as he reached the top of a small hill that overlooked a pretty little valley with a small pond. The sharp chirp of Caron's voice caused the irritation to flick across his face in a manner befitting a primarch at being told how to govern by someone beneath him. " Keep moving North. We have South and East,"
" What about West?" He countered, starting to think this was just to divide them all up to make them easier to kill. He hoped it wasn't.
" We already have the other three of the cell. K'jal wasn't with them." Caewan interrupted over the group channel. " If you're that inept to search your area-"
He suppressed the urge to omni-tool grenade them on sight the next time he saw them. " I am one man in a mountainous planet searching for one man who is probably spooked off by now and run back to Vidal. Do you honestly think we'll be finding him tonight or even tomorrow? By ourselves, without resources? We are the Pathfinder,"
" Pathfinder Raeka would know what to do," Caewan shot back quickly.
" You're even more worthless than I originally believed," Caron added on the insults. " When we get back-"
Galerius took a deep breath, reminding himself why he was employing his time with these people. These things. They didn't even deserve to be called people with what they had planned. " When we get back you can tell Milonius how we wasted months trying to find one man instead of enacting his master plan, like he wanted, without the guarantee that Sloane would even help us when we need it," He snapped back at the omni-tool.
It wasn't the omni-tool's fault that his associates were idiots. He didn't have the credits to buy or make another omni-tool.
" Three out of four is a strong showing of our capabilities," He argued over the group channel.
" Three out of four is not four," Caewan argued back. " If you're incapable of completing the task-"
" Of for fuck's sake, I don't even know why you were recruited. You're a glorified sniper," His head snapped up as an enoch ambled into the clearing. He dropped to his knees, then his chest very slowly, happy that he chose to camouflage his armor against the general Kadara environment. The mattock didn't seem like such a useful weapon at this point. One finger silenced the omni-tool altogether.
It's mouth dipped into the water to drink, and then it sniffed around the pond. He thanked his luck that he was down wind from the beast. Five minutes passed as it laid down and started to make itself comfortable. Ten minutes passed before Galerius inched back down the hill, half way down rising to his full height and dashing off into the distance before he deemed his omni-tool safe to use again. He could kill the beast, but what would that prove? Why would it be necessary? Didn't want to waste bullets to harm it.
He started off an alternate path North and used his omni-tool to scan the area for hints. He must've scanned at least forty didn't rock formations and walking paths before his omni-tool went off again. He turned the volume back on. " …got a lot of balls coming out here to hunt me down knowing I'm the ally of the Heleus Military,"
The look on his face turned comical as he sensed the sight of the scope on him. Sniper. He laughed. " You have a lot of balls leveling a sniper rifle on me and not pulling the trigger first," Which crest of rocky outcroppings was this angara hiding in? " Since we're on weapon terms with each other, you should know the rest of your cell has been captured and likely killed by now. Sloane's orders,"
He had nowhere to really hide, especially if the sniper was up high and he was down low. The area he currently walked was free of anything to hide behind, smoothed by travelers that moved around the difficult planet. There was more to Kadara than the port and the badlands, but most of the settlers had yet to establish themselves beyond those chosen boundaries with the exception of the Angara who long called the planet home. He currently was on the out most border north. It made sense to find the man this far out.
He threw up his hands, encouraging the sniper.
" What does Sloane want?"
" What doesn't Sloane want?" He countered back, wind whistling through kicking up dust. " If you're going to shoot me, then do it already,"
" Tell Sloane that if she wants to take on the Collective, she's taking on the Heleus Military," The connection went silent but more than a full twenty people stood among the rocky outcroppings armed and ready to gun him down where he stood.
Galerius raised his arms, bowed, and then turned on his heel. He opened comms to Caron and Caewan. " I'm coming back to the base. Khera K'jal is not able to be captured at this point in time,"
" 3 out of 4 does not gain us Sloane's support," Caron cut across the comms.
If he didn't value living, he would have shot himself where he stood and ended the argument for them all. " I'm facing 20 plus men, all armed. All I have is an omni-tool, an assault rifle, and a handgun. What do you expect me to do?" He almost yelled into the omni-tool.
The hike back took him toward the base. He was fairly certain he'd been followed and that was fine with him. A shuttle abruptly landed no more than 30 feet from him. Caron Selis waited for him as the shuttle hovered. He ran toward the shuttle, grabbing hold of the salarian's hand. The surprisingly strong salarian pulled him in the door swooshed shut. He removed his helmet and felt the sweat drip down the side of his face and onto his armor.
Caewan Raelorn scowled at him from his seat. He held his sniper rifle in an upright position, leaning back in the seat, his large eyes resting on the turian. Even though the salarians were the second race on the council, and the humans the fourth, the salarian blinking upward was just creepy. He found their approach to war to be ingenious at times, but they were nothing against the angara who were accustomed to guerrilla tactics for their entire lives. " I should shoot you where you stand,"
" Go ahead,"
Caron put himself between the pair. " We're not leaving Kadara yet. Sloane will have her decision for us soon, and then we'll report to Paullus what we have,"
" Paullus won't like what Sloane's doing," Caewan warned in a low voice. Glorified sniper, he muttered under his breath in contempt. " We're better off-"
" I'm in charge here, not you," Caron snapped at his favored ally. Galerius dropped down into a seat and put his hands on his head. He breathed deeply and hoped that the spirits were looking after him. He'd need it.