The Red Moon Collection - 2 - Three Phantoms

Chapter 13

Abandoned Weapons Manufactory, Neidus

"Narenthus Antarian?" Corsin repeated.

The rogue Spectre nodded affirmatively. "That's right. I was hoping we could talk for a moment."

Vayren stepped up beside Will. "I'm sorry, but that will have to wait. I am placing you under arrest by the authority of the Citadel Council."

Antarian chuckled lightly. "By the Spirits, it does feel good to say that, doesn't it?" He held up a finger. "But do you know what feels even better? Telling the Spectres and Council no."

"I hope you don't think we shy away from using deadly force," Will advised with a cocky smirk.

"Of course not," Antarian replied earnestly. "I know that a Spectre will do anything to finish his mission, believe me. And you..." He looked Will up and down quickly. "Well, I know you aren't a Spectre, but you certainly appear to be a man of action. That said, however, it would be in your best interest to cooperate and converse with me through civil means." The rogue Spectre motioned over his shoulder to the ship behind him. "Unless, of course, you would like a firsthand demonstration of my corporation's latest line of point-defense ship weaponry."

The Hyperion squad watched as a set of four enormous mass accelerator cannons positioned strategically around the hull of the corvette turned and pointed their barrels toward them. Will tensed slightly, but turned his attention back to the turian as the cannons held their fire.

"So... how'd you know we were here?" Will asked.

"Well, if you must know..." Antarian turned and began to pace from side to side. "My contacts within the CDEM alerted my organization when two Spectres began accessing data relevant to my operations. When you departed the Aralakh System in your ship, the Hyperion I believe, I deployed probes to monitor ship traffic around relays leading to systems where my once publicly-listed facilities were located. When they detected you were en route to Neidus, I followed." He stopped and turned back to them. "Has your curiosity be sated?"

"Well enough." Corsin looked as though he was barely holding back from jumping at their foe. "You wanted to talk. Now talk."

Antarian nodded once. "Yes, of course. You're all busy individuals, after all. I have a proposition for you."

Will raised a brow suspiciously. "That being?"

"Well, as I'm sure you have gathered, I have no interest in being arrested." The turian pointed over his shoulder to the armed ship. "Hence the firepower. But I also have no interest in killing you at the moment. In fact, doing so would indeed increase by chances of being captured."

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Vayren inquired.

"Thank you for asking, Agent Vayren." Antarian nodded to the Spectres. "I can only assume that the Council has deemed my capture a high-priority mission, given the involvement of two Spectres. I know the Council well enough, unfortunately, to know that they would only double their efforts to find me if you went missing or turned up dead. So, I would like to offer an alternative that benefits both of us."

"Get on with it," Corsin muttered through gritted teeth.

The rogue Spectre took a step forward. "What I propose is that you all return to the Council and inform them that you were able to locate me and, through a series of unfortunate events, were forced to kill me in a way that prevented my body from being recovered of identified." He shrugged to himself. "Say I fell into a star or something creative like that." Antarian stepped back. "The Council would be none the wiser to my continued operations out here in the Terminus Systems and, best of all, you don't have to die under the guns of the Pride of Kalabsha. I won't force you to make the decision this very moment, but I will tell you now that if you continue to pursue me I will have no choice but to defend myself."

Will glanced to either side. Corsin and Vayren both stared at Antarian grimly as the rogue Spectre stood silently waiting for a response.

"We'll consider it," Corsin finally answered after a few tense seconds.

"That's all I ask for," Antarian added as he and his bodyguards began to backpedal toward his ship. "Your consideration. And to make the decision even easier for you, allow me to remove some of the temptation to continue your search."

A loading ramp had extended from the belly of the corvette. Antarian reached into his pocket as he and his bodyguards stepped into the ship and produced from it a small cylindrical object with a red button adorning the top. He clicked the button firmly and dropped the trigger to the ground as the ramp rose up and shut. The engines on the ship roared and sent it leaping into the air, sending dust and debris swirling across the landing pad. Will watched the trigger as it rolled to its side on the ground, a small light on the end blinking at an ever-quickening pace.

"Move!" He shouted as he realized the implication.

Will and the rest of the squad sprinted forward and away from the airlock of the factory. A few seconds later, a chain of shock waves shook from deep inside the mountain and sent Will stumbling to the ground as the force of the explosion sent the door of the personnel airlock flying from its frame. The door crashed to the surface of the landing pad behind them as the rest of the squad dove to the ground to make themselves smaller targets for flying debris. Small pieces of rock and dirt rained around them as Will rolled over and sat up on his elbows to see the smoke billowing from the ruined doors of the facility.

"God damn it!" Will climbed to his feet and took a step toward the factory as the sound of roaring flames grew.

The others stood around him and stared in silence.

"Well, what is our plan now?" Tyrixis gave Will and the Spectres a sideways glance.

Will raised his omnitool to open a channel with Shansa. "We need a pickup, Shan."

"Is everything okay?"

"No," he answered honestly. "It's not."

Shansa blinked in disbelief. "He wants us to give up?"

"Essentially," Vayren replied.

Corsin leaned against the briefing table at the center of the bunkroom. "But that's not going to happen."

"Unless you've got another abandoned factory to poke around, we might have trouble finding a lead," Will said from across the room.

He sat in a chair beside the bunks with his leg raised. Tyrixis was kneeling at his side, concentrating as she removed small bits of shattered bullet and armoring from his ankle. Despite the recently applied local anesthetic and orally ingested painkillers, he continued to wince in pain as she poked through his flesh with needle-like forceps.

"Did we really get nothing out of that?" Eleena asked from the doorway where she and Kallux stood.

Tul'Sorrin cleared his throat to grab their attention. "Actually, I still have some data to analyze. Agent Vayren and I were able to pull some old encrypted files when we found those blueprints of the factory." He shook his head. "It's a long shot, but..."

"Do it," Corsin ordered. "Anything will help."

"So, I assume were not giving up, right? Do we have destination?" Shansa raised a brow and looked around the room.

Will shook his head. "Just keep us in orbit until- aggh!" He jerked his leg back as Tyrixis pulled a sizable chunk of shrapnel from his flesh.

The doctor glanced up to him and nodded. "Until..?"

He let out a pained sigh. "Until further notice..."

"I could use a hand finishing the repairs on the shuttle," Eleena suggested as she looked to the pilot.

Shansa glanced over to the asari and nodded happily. "Whatever ya need!"

The engineer looked to Will and raised a brow. "So... is the debriefing over?"

He glanced to Vayren and Corsin. "That's all I've got. What about you two?"

Corsin shook his head quietly.

"I have nothing else." Vayren glanced to Tul'Sorrin. "Shall we get to work on that data?"

The quarian nodded affirmatively and the pair headed through the door to the crew's quarters and Tul's workstation.

"Well, I guess Shansa and I will get to work on the shuttle," Eleena said. "Kallux, you wanna lend a hand?"

The krogan nodded and followed the asari as she turned and led them into the hall. After watching them leave, Will looked down to his ankle to see Tyrixis had finished her work and was applying another small layer of medi-gel. She glanced up to him and reached for a medical wrap.

"You should be fine in a day or two," she informed him. "We'll change the wrap and give you a fresh dose of medi-gel in about eight hours."

Will nodded affirmatively. "Thanks, doctor."

Tyrixis finished dressing the wound and nodded in satisfaction. "There. Try to keep your weight off of it."

He nodded and set the leg back down on the floor. "I'll try."

As Tyrixis packed up her medical kit, Will looked over to the table where Corsin stood silently. He did his best to keep the weight off of his ankle and stood with a small grunt.

"Hey, Corsin, you alright?" Will walked up to the turian's side and leaned against the table beside him.

The Spectre shook his head. "He was that close, Hume. I could have spit on his feet."

"So he could mow us down with his guns designed for destroying ships? No thanks." Will nodded reassuringly. "We'll find him, Corsin."

The turian glanced to his side and shook his head. "You don't need to convince me. It's just a little hard to feel optimistic at the moment."

"Yeah, I get that."

Will looked to the corner of the room where Tyrixis was packing her equipment back into the medical locker. Corsin continued to stare at the wall in silence.

"Well, I'm gonna try to get some rest," Will said as he stepped away from the table.

Tyrixis shut the door of her locker and turned to face them. "That would be for the best."

"I'll let you know if there are any significant developments," Corsin informed him.

Will nodded and crossed the room to the door. "Thanks. And by the way, good work down there."

After a quick trip to the armory to remove the rest of his hardsuit, Will returned to the bunkroom and ascended into the loft. He exhaled deeply as he dropped down to the couch and swung his legs up onto the cushions beside him. Will leaned his head back as his eyes drifted shut; Tyrixis had warned him of the possible drowsiness that accompanied the pain medication he had ingested. Within a few minutes he had fallen into a deep sleep that lasted until two deep thuds woke him three hours later.

He stirred and forced his eyes to open. "C'mon up."

Eleena pushed the hatch open and pulled herself halfway through. "Sleeping while everyone else does the hard work, I see."

Will smirked and pulled himself into a sitting position. "Hey, I'm the captain."

"Well, Captain, I've got some good news." Eleena jumped up into the loft and locked the hatch behind her.

"Good news and you're the one to deliver it?" He raised his arms over the back of the couch coolly. "What else could I ask for?"

"Yeah, yeah, silver-tongue." She crossed her arms and stepped up in front of him. "Shuttle's good and ready to go."

Will smiled up to her and blinked a few times to force the drowsiness away. "Music to my ears."

The asari stepped to the side and dropped to the seat beside him. She glanced down to his ankle and nodded.

"How's it feel?"

"Fine. I've had worse. Hell, you've had worse." Will looked over, his smile still lingering.

She pretended to wipe her brow. "Thank the goddess. For a second there I thought you might have actually considered that scratch a real wound."

"Heh, a month ago I probably would have just slapped some medi-gel on it and been done." He shrugged lightly. "If we've got a doctor, why not take advantage?"

She gave him a half-smile. "I'm glad you're okay."

Will nodded gently. "Thanks."

They both averted their eyes briefly. Will was about to say something when Eleena took a deep breath and beat him to the punch.

"So, you feel like finishing that conversation we were having?" The asari shifted her gaze back to him.

"Thought you'd never ask," Will replied with a sigh of relief.

Eleena nodded. "Good. Because there are some things I... need to say." She shook her head and let out an irritated sigh. "If I can form a fucking coherent thought."

He chuckled lightly. "No rush."

"Alright." She drew another deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I feel like I should explain a few things to you." Eleena paused as she found her words. "My last relationship... it ended badly."

"Gee, really?"

She gave him an icy glare.

"I mean... sorry." He shook his head and slunk back in the seat.

Eleena rolled her eyes slightly. "It ended about five years ago. I don't need to bore you with the details, but let's just say I thought I could trust her and it turns out..."

"You couldn't?" Will raised a brow.

"Well, I was looking for something a bit more descriptive, but yes." Eleena closed her eyes and shook her head. "We served on a ship together for three years. We were... close for about two. Then, just like that..." She opened her eyes. "Sold me and most of the crew out and left us for dead. I had to tear through about ten Eclipse initiates just to survive. And I barely did. I didn't serve on another ship until... well, until you and Shansa came along."

Will tilted his head curiously. "I thought you said you hadn't been on a crew for a few years when we met."

She nodded. "That's right."

"But you joined up after only knowing us for a day?" Will shook his head. "Why?"

"I'd been wanting to get back into space for a while." She frowned shamefully and lowered her voice. "I figured I would be safe enough with only you and Shansa to keep my eyes on."

"Eleena, I don't know who this woman is that hurt you, but look at me." He held out his arms. "You really think I would or could do the same thing to you?"

She shook her head gently and looked away. "Now? Of course not. And I think... I think I do trust you, Will. It really hit me earlier. While we were staring Antarian down, I realized that I couldn't remember the last time I doubted your loyalty and dedication to us. To me." Eleena looked back to him. "And I feel the same way, but not just as a member of your crew. I care about you."

Will smiled softly. "I care about you too, Eleena."

"I know you do, Will." She smiled gently. "I've known for a while. I just needed to know that you trust me as much as I trust you."

Eleena's eyes wandered from his dark brown hair down to his chin and then back up to meet his gaze. He moved his hand down from the back of the couch and gently cupped her cheek in his palm.

Will jumped slightly as his omnitool beeped twice to inform him of an incoming transmission. Eleena smirked slightly and pulled away from his hand. She stood and crossed her arms, waiting for him to answer the call.

He let out a sigh and raised his wrist. "This is Will."

"Vayren and Tul'Sorrin have got something." It was Corsin. "We need you down here."

The turian was very clearly excited about the development. Will lowered his arm and pulled himself to his feet. He glanced to Eleena and shook his head.

"Couldn't have been timed better." He smiled to her as he crossed the room and opened the hatch.

The asari stepped up behind him as he lowered a foot to the top wrung of the ladder.

"You sure the Spectres didn't bug this place?" Eleena watched as he took a few steps down.

He laughed for a brief moment, then froze in place. "Uhh..."

She smirked and shooed him down. "Just go."

Will grinned to himself as he slid down to the floor and stepped to the side as Eleena followed behind him. He hurried through the doorway and across the forward hall to the crew's quarters where Tul sat at the seat in front of his computer terminals. The Spectres stood at either side of the quarian, reading through lines of data that were pulled up on the center monitor. Vayren glanced over his shoulder as Will and Eleena entered and turned to greet them.

"Welcome, Captain Hume." The salarian stepped toward them. "We need to set a course for the Citadel, immediately."

Will raised a hand. "Woah, slow down. The Citadel?"

"You're not considering Antarian's 'proposition,' are you?" Eleena narrowed her eyes.

"Of course not." Corsin did not break eye contact with Tul's screen as he answered.

Vayren headed back toward Corsin and Tul'Sorrin and motioned for the others to follow.

Will stepped up behind the quarian's seat and leaned forward. "What's the situation, Tul?"

Tul'Sorrin tapped away at his keyboard happily. "I'm glad you asked, Captain." He reached up and pointed to the list they were examining. "This may be our lead."

"Very helpful," Eleena remarked sarcastically. "Care to explain what this is?"

"Transaction records," the quarian explained. "Along with a few items from someone's personal itinerary. I was able to salvage them from the memory core of a broken holopad we found on the floor of the facility."

Will nodded understandingly. "So what does it tell us?"

"It tells us that whoever this tablet belonged to arrived at the facility on Neidus for some sort of inspection, and while they were there, checked their accounts." Tul looked back over his shoulder. "We've got the account numbers that the payments came from."

"And the account numbers..." Will began.

"Are registered on the Citadel," Vayren concluded. "Which is why I requested that we set our course right away."

"Brilliant find," Corsin admitted as he straightened up and stepped away.

Tul shook his head. "It really wasn't anything special. But next time you need to get rid of all the data on your holopad, just keep in mind that wiping the local storage and smashing it won't always get of the last of it." He crossed his arms cockily. "If there's a cache... clear it."

"So is that all we got?" Eleena looked down to Tul hopefully.

He raised his hands. "Is that not enough for you? I pulled this off of a destroyed piece of hardware!"

Will laughed and gave the quarian a firm slap on the shoulder. "Good work, Tul."

Eleena glanced to the Spectres. "So we know the accounts are on the Citadel... what do we do once we get there?"

"It should be simple enough to track down some information on the accounts once we get there." Corsin had certainly pulled himself out of the funk he was in a few hours earlier. "We find the owner of the accounts, they give us all the information we can squeeze out of them, and then some, and we'll have leads as far as the eye can see."

"That's certainly optimistic," Will noted.

Vayren nodded. "And to make the situation even better, any eyes Antarian might have on us would report our destination. He might assume we just took his deal and returned to the Council to inform them of his 'death.'"

"Well, you don't have to convince me," Will said as he activated his comms. "Shansa, you there?"

"Yep! Just chattin' with Tyrixis in the cargo hold. What's up?"

"We've got a destination," he answered, trying to hold back his excitement. "I need you to plot a course for the Citadel."

There was a brief pause.

"The Citadel?"

"That's right."

"...I'll set the course right now!"

The sound of footsteps clattered from the cargo bay and into the hall. They caught a brief glimpse of the pilot as she darted past the doorway toward the cockpit.

Will lowered the mic and glanced to the Spectres. "Wait, what about our warrants?"

Corsin chuckled. "Oh, I wiped those a few minutes after you agreed to assist us on Omega."

Eleena raised a brow. "I thought that was supposed to be a payment for completing the mission."

"As did I." Vayren stared the turian down.

Corsin let out a satisfied laugh and strolled out of the room.

Tul'Sorrin watched him go and glanced over to Will. "I'm starting to like him."