The Red Moon Collection - 2 - Three Phantoms

Chapter 5

City of Rakarn, Tuchanka

Will kept his head lowered just slightly as his eyes shifted around the dim, dirty passenger compartment of the Tomkah. No one had said a word to him since Kallux had agreed to the krogan squad's request that they accompany them to see the kral. Not even Kallux. His friend sat directly across from him with a stoic expression and eyes seemingly lost in thought. Will could only hope that Kallux was running through every possible scenario in his head just in case their meeting with the kral did not turn out as they hoped. At the far end of the compartment sat three of the krogan that had met them when they landed, the fourth being their driver. The rumbling of the Tomkah's engine allowed them to mutter amongst themselves as their eyes wandered over Will and Kallux suspiciously. Will had to wonder if this was the first time some of them had even seen a human in person; they were clearly natives of Tuchanka, after all. His eyes lingered on the trio of krogan for a moment before dropping back to the floor in front of him and absentmindedly staring into the rusty, grime covered metal panels beneath his feet.

He was beginning to grow anxious. Worried, even. The most troubling thing to him was that he could not put his finger on to exactly why. He had been in far more dangerous situations in his life than this, and hell, most of them had been with Kallux at his side. Was it something trivial, such as the fact that he had neglected to bring his helmet? No, he'd had guns drawn on him in bars without a single piece of military hardware on his side, and this felt different. Perhaps it was something as simple as the intimidating stature of the krogan that continuously looked him over as if they were trying to decide which limb to remove first. At least that was what he assumed they were muttering about.

And suddenly, just like that, Will understood his fear. It wasn't a matter of knowing what kind of people they were facing, it was a matter of not knowing. There was so much he simply did not know as they rumbled onward toward the kral. Everything from the culture to the landscape and even the krogan around him were completely foreign to him. Will drew a deep, quiet breath. He knew how things operated in the Terminus Systems, but here he was sheep amongst a pack of wolves. A human in a pack of krogan. Will looked up to Kallux and watched as the krogan finally shifted his eyes to return the gaze with a nod. He let out a small sigh of relief as his nerves settled just the tiniest bit and the sound of the Tomkah's engine grumbled to a halt.

"Finally," the krogan squad leader muttered as he stood with his two underlings. "Gren." He motioned toward the hatch.

Will sat in silence as the krogan he assumed was Gren lumbered to the door and placed his massive hands on the manual latch. He pulled the lever up and gave a hefty push, sending the hatch up and allowing blinding light to spill into the compartment. The squad leader stepped up between the seats where Kallux and Will sat and glanced to them both briefly.

"We're here," he stated, despite how apparent it was. "Get up and follow Gren."

Kallux rose without a word and turned to follow Gren as he stepped down into the dirty street. Will quickly did the same and raised his hand to shield his eyes as they readjusted to the brightness of the sun above them. The Tomkah was parked amongst a few other vehicles in what Will assumed was a motor pool set up in the middle of a wide, long-abandoned road. In front of them was a superstructure that, despite its still impressive size, looked half crumbled away by either the ancient war, thousands of years without upkeep, or both. Will slowly turned in place, looking all around him to where other similar buildings rose from the dirt and sand, only to halt ten or twenty stories up, most without a roof. Will shifted his eyes to the street where huge pieces of stone and metal that had once towered above them lay piled to form roadblocks and walls. A gust of wind sent a spray of sand against his cheek, causing him to wince slightly to avoid dirtying his eyes.

"Captain."

Will looked up as he blinked to be sure his eyes were clear to see Kallux standing a few dozen feet away, his arms crossed.

"Sorry," Will replied as he trotted toward the krogan.

Kallux turned as Will approached him and fell into position at the krogan's side. Gren continued to march along, leading Will, Kallux and the other three krogan behind them toward an enormous set of stairs that ascended to the entrance of the building in front of them. They walked through a wide gate that looked like the entrance to the motor pool and Will realized for the first time that they had been surrounded by a wall of debris since they had exited the Tomkah. As they continued the few dozen meters to the edge of the road and base of the steps, Will could see dozens of krogan around carrying on with their daily business. Some hammered away in what appeared to be a machine shop while other looked over guns and explosives.

"That's the armory for patrols that leave from this sector," Kallux explained as he saw Will looking it over.

Will looked to Kallux as they reached the stairs and began climbing. "You didn't say a word on the ride over. Everything okay?"

"Fine, really. I was just thinking about everything that happened before I left." Kallux turned and looked up the steps as they ascended. "It's been a long time since I've thought about it in detail."

"Why?" Will grunted as he lifted his legs up the larger-than-average steps.

"It's a long story that I don't have the time to tell right now," Kallux replied.

Will took the response and looked back up the stairs as they approached the top in silence. Gren stood waiting for them by the huge doorway that, due to its lack of doors, allowed them to see into the entrance hall. The krogan squad leader hurried past them and through the doorway to where an armed guard stood just inside. The two krogan talked briefly before the guard waved them all through and Will found himself once again walking into the unknown. The entrance hall was large, but not grandiose by any means and seemed only to lead any visitors to a set of doors that opened into a large center chamber. Will and Kallux followed their escort into the chamber where light shone through in thick beams from holes in the dome ceiling. The room was filled with holo-terminals and maps with krogan gathered around and talking among each other. Will felt like he had entered the center of Raik's military organization, but then realized this was probably run of the mill for most krogan population centers. The group finally came to a stop close to the center of the room where a massive slab of rock lay on its side to function as a table with holo-pads, maps and guns scattered across its surface. On the opposite side of the table stood a heavily armored krogan with a jet-black crest and orange eyes, his face littered with scars.

The kral waved away the escort as Kallux slowly approached the table. "Vartin. You're..?"

"Kral of the Bastion," the krogan replied flatly. "Your respect is due."

Kallux bowed his head deeply, but did not hold the gesture for long. "How? When did this happen?"

Vartin narrowed his eyes. "First, explain to me why you have brought this alien to the Bastion. Have you forgotten what this place is to Raik?"

"I didn't forget," Kallux replied indignantly. "I just don't care."

Vartin shook his head. "Of course you don't." The krogan looked over Kallux's shoulder to where Will stood. "Step forward, human."

Will cleared his throat quietly and walked up to Kallux's side.

"Explain yourself, Kallux," Vartin demanded.

"Captain Hume and I operate together as mercenaries." Kallux gave Will a sideways glance. "I brought him with me because he's my ally. He has every right to be here as I do."

Vartin looked from Kallux to the Will. "Is that so? Do you think you're worthy of my respect, human?"

Will smirked slightly. "Yeah, I do. You think I'd walk in here armed to the teeth if I didn't?"

"You sound more like a krogan than Kallux." The kral's lips slowly curved into a grin as he shifted his gaze from Will. "Fine. He stays."

Will felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"I'm glad you're satisfied," Kallux spoke with a slight snarl. "Now why did you call us here, Vartin?"

The kral laughed. "Do you think I would just let you come marching into the Bastion without a second glance?" Vartin's face suddenly grew stern. "Not a chance, Kallux."

"Then it's a good thing my intention was to visit the kral. Shame it had to be you wearing the title and not Crun." Kallux replied coldly.

"Battlemaster Crun has been dead for two hundred years. I, his second-in-command, took his place just as he did the kral before him." Vartin was growing visibly irritated. Perhaps Kallux was in a better way than Vartin had hoped. "Now, if you are here to speak to the kral, speak. Otherwise, I will have you returned to your shuttle."

Kallux paused as he resigned to speaking the words he had clearly been avoiding since they had arrived. "I need your help, Vartin. Captain Hume and I require information from Raik in order to complete an assignment."

Vartin snorted in amusement. "You need my help? You come to Tuchanka and spit in my face, the face of the Bastion and clan Raik, and then have the quads to ask for my help?" The kral placed his hands on the table and leaned forward. "After the way you left five centuries ago... why would I ever help you?"

Kallux looked down to the dusty floor in silence. After a few seconds his eyes slowly rose back up to meet the kral's. He stepped forward and raised his chin as he found his words.

"I may not deserve the help or respect of clan Raik," Kallux began. "But you, Vartin? We've known one another since we were whelps. We grew up in this hell together. We shed blood together." The krogan shook his head lightly. "I... may not want to be a part of this clan, but we'll always be brothers, Vartin. Surely you can honor that."

The kral stared to Kallux intensely before pushing himself up from the table with a small smirk. "Mother was always disappointed in you." Vartin shook his head and snorted in amusement. "'He talks too much and fights too little,' she always told me."

"I suppose I should have been more like my father," Kallux mused bitterly. "Maybe if he had lived to see me born I would be a different krogan."

Will watched in silence as he tried to keep up with the reunion.

Vartin let out a sigh of resignation. "Alright, Kallux. If I can help you, I will. But the clan? You won't get any sympathy from them." The krogan nodded. "What do you need?"

"We're tracking a war criminal. A turian," Kallux stated. Will was certain Kallux mentioned such specifics to encourage the kral's cooperation. "And we have evidence that clan Raik was in business with him."

"A turian? You think we would-"

"Does the name Antarian sound familiar?" Kallux interrupted. "We know his ships landed here. There's no need to deny it."

Vartin quieted and looked around to be sure that no others were listening in on their conversation. "I may know... something."

Kallux nodded encouragingly. "I'll take anything."

"I made those deals a few years ago. I have all of the invoice logs," Vartin stated under his breath. "But... its sensitive information, Kallux. You're a fool if you think I'll just give it away to anyone who asks."

"We're not a couple of strangers," Will interjected quickly. Vartin and Kallux turned in surprise, almost having forgot that the human was present. "Well, I might be... but Kallux isn't."

Vartin looked back to Kallux. "It's been five centuries since we last spoke, brother. Even you can't be gone that long without my trust fading."

"This is important, damn it." Kallux let out an exasperated sigh.

"Alright, listen." Vartin paused briefly. "There's another reason I called you here when we intercepted your ID codes. If you can help me... I can help you in return."

Kallux gave Vartin a quizzical look. "You need my help?"

The kral nodded in affirmation. "It's Taxalur. He went missing weeks ago and you might be the only one who can find him."

Will raised a brow. "Taxalur?"

Kallux gave Will a sideways glance. "He's an old friend. He took me under his wing when I was younger." The krogan let a bittersweet smirk spread across his lips. "He was different. Like me."

"Why do you care about him?" Will looked to Vartin curiously.

"He doesn't," Kallux answered before Vartin could. "Taxalur is an asset to Vartin and the rest of Raik. Not a friend."

"Of course," Vartin stated bluntly. "Taxalur is the most brilliant weaponsmith on Tuchanka. His designs are the reason Raik has conquered so much over the past seven centuries."

"And I was his favorite apprentice." Kallux motioned over his shoulder to the cannon on his back. "This was his parting gift when I left the planet."

"Well, I can see why you need him," Will jested. "What happened to him? Where is he?"

Vartin turned and began to pace on his side of the table. "He ventured into the Maw three weeks ago without telling anyone. We started tracking him after we realized he was gone, but he deactivated his omni-tool. We haven't heard from him since."

"The Maw?" Will looked to either krogan as he waited for an explanation.

"The eastern half of the city. It suffered complete devastation during the ancient wars," Kallux explained. "The ruins are uninhabitable. Even the roads are impassable."

"So what's stopping you from sending soldiers to find him?" Will inquired to Vartin.

"I don't think you realize just how expansive and uncharted the Maw is," Vartin replied. "We've been searching since he dropped out of contact, but we've barely covered a fraction of the territory. It will take years to search every nook and cranny of the ruins."

Will shook his head. "And how do you know Kallux can find him?"

"I don't," Vartin admitted irritably. "But he knew Taxalur better than anyone."

Kallux looked to the side as he thought. "I might have some ideas." The krogan nodded and looked back to Vartin. "We'll do it. But then I want that information, Vartin."

The kral grunted and walked around the table to where Kallux and Will stood. "Fine." He held out a hand and the brothers shook once.

Vartin eyed Will for a moment before offering a hand to him as well. He gladly accepted it.

"I hope you can fight as well as Kallux claims," Vartin informed Will. "Because the Maw is not a place for the weak. It's not even a place for the strong."

"Thanks for the heads up." Will retracted his hand and smirked. "But I think we can handle ourselves."

"The Maw?" Corsin laughed. "That sounds terribly inviting. You krogan are just masters of language, you know that?"

"You'll understand the name when we get there," Kallux replied.

Will looked around the passenger compartment of the Kodiak where the crew stood. He and Kallux had just given their summary of their visit to see the kral and so far the reaction of the others seemed mixed. The Hyperion crew was more than ready to head into the abyss with Will and Kallux, but the Spectres needed a little convincing.

"What makes you so sure you can find this friend of yours?" Vayren asked suspiciously.

"There's a place Taxalur and I ventured to in the Maw many times. A great library. As far as I know, I'm the only other person who knows of it. It was the only place we ever visited." Kallux crossed his arms. "By the sounds of it, Taxalur left the Bastion not wanting to be found. It's a shot in the dark, but there's a chance he might be there in search of something."

"You think he'd have found it by now," Tul'Sorrin noted.

Kallux nodded in agreement. "Taxalur is an old krogan, but he could handle himself against almost anything. And that's what has me worried."

"You think something happened to him?" Shansa frowned worriedly.

"I sincerely hope not," Kallux replied. "But the journey to the library never took us more than five days. He should have returned by now."

Corsin let out a disapproving groan. "This is all assuming he even went there to begin with. Our time is short and we need this intel."

"We'll get it," Will assured him. He looked to the others and smiled confidently. "I trust Kallux on this one."

"Same," Eleena agreed.

The rest of the Hyperion crew nodded in agreement and looked to the Spectres. Vayren and Corsin glanced to one another briefly before turning back to the others.

"Well it's not like we have any other options," Vayren grumbled. "Where is this library?"

"Deep in the ruins," Kallux answered. "Shansa should be able to fly us in and save us most of the journey, but the last portion must be made on foot. The library is under the remains of collapsed superstructures." The krogan looked around the circle of comrades before him. "It's a dangerous place and we'll need to exercise caution. The wildlife and unstable ruins will fight us the entire way."

Will looked to Tul'Sorrin and motioned toward the cockpit. "Tul, I want you to stay in the Kodiak for this one to monitor our progression."

Tul'Sorrin nodded in agreement. "I should be able to get decent enough readings to advise you of any potential instability in the ruins. I'll keep an eye on seismic activity as well."

"Good thinking," Vayren acknowledged.

"So we'll move as a team of five then?" Corsin's eyes darted to his potential squadmates.

"Yes. You two," Will nodded to the Spectres, "Kallux, Eleena and I will form the squad. That should be more than enough firepower to deal with any beasties we run into."

Kallux smirked. "Let's hope so. Tuchanka's a harsh world, my friend."

Will cleared his throat and glanced to Shansa and Tul. "Let's get in the air."

They nodded and darted into the cockpit.

Kallux turned to follow them. "I'll help navigate to a decent landing zone."

"Good." Will looked back to Eleena, Corsin and Vayren. "Everyone ready to move?"

Eleena lifted her helmet from the bench beside her. "Always, Captain."

Will grinned and slid his own helmet onto his head and locked it into place. "Let's go find out what makes the krogan call this place dangerous."