The Red Moon Collection - 2 - Three Phantoms

by TSarr

Five months after the events that drew them together the crew of the MSV Hyperion has found their place in the lawless underbelly of the galaxy. However, they soon find themselves in deeper than they had anticipated after accepting a deal offered by two powerful strangers. /Volume 2 of the Red Moon Collection\

15. Chapter 15

The Red Moon Collection - 2 - Three Phantoms

Chapter 15

Tayseri Ward, the Citadel

"Look, that's all that happened," Will reiterated. "You've seen the vid. My technician captured the whole thing."

The asari C-Sec officer sat on the opposite side of the table with her arms crossed and eyes bearing down on him. Will stared back, a hint of impatience in his expression as he quickly grew tired of the cramped interview room.

"Don't worry." Her face relaxed. "It's just part of the procedure. Given the visual record of the incident, the inebriated state of the aggressors, your companion's military record and the fact that you all were granted security clearance by none other than two Spectres... I don't think this case is going to take much work to close. If these five turian soldiers don't enter a plea, they're fools."

"Thank god," Will groaned. "Because I've got a dinner reservation in twenty minutes. Can I get out of here?"

The C-Sec officer looked down and fingered through a set of notes. "In just a moment, yes. Though we will be in contact with you, Doctor Rentarius and Tul'Sorrin vas Hyperion as you will most likely be asked to give a statement in court. Even though it seems to have been entirely in self defense, shootings are not taken lightly by C-Sec."

"Can't promise we'll be able to make it back here for the court date," Will informed her.

She waved a hand dismissively. "A call on a secure communications channel will suffice." The officer powered off her holopad and stood. "Thank you for your cooperation, Captain Hume. If you'll follow me, I will escort you back to the lobby."

Will stood up and trailed behind the asari as she led him from the small room and down the hall. The C-Sec station was small, no more than the size of the cargo bay of the Hyperion. She stepped to the side as they reached the entrance room and gave him a courteous smile.

"Have a good day," she said. "And stay safe."

"Can do," Will answered as he walked past her.

Tyrixis and Tul'Sorrin were already waiting patiently by the door as Will approached and straightened his jacket.

"There goes four hours of our day off," he muttered irritably.

"Four hours and my pistol," Tyrixis added irritably. "Confiscated for evidence."

Tul shrugged. "At least they were quick about it."

Will sighed and continued onward through the door to the street. He looked up through the gaps in the tall buildings surrounding them and took a deep breath. He could still enjoy the rest of the evening.

"If there is nothing you need of me, I must depart," Tyrixis informed them. "Buying a new sidearm has been added to my list of errands to run before we leave."

"Go for it." Will shifted his gaze back down to her and smiled. "Tul and I should get to Meld."

The doctor nodded. "Thank you both for the company. Though I wish it could have involved fewer police reports."

"Heh, I could say that about a lot of things," Tul mused.

"I'll let you know if anything comes up," Will said with a nod.

"I appreciate that, Captain." Tyrixis bowed her head in goodbye and headed off toward the taxi terminal.

Tul'Sorrin turned his attention to Will and looked him up and down. "Are you really going to wear that?"

Will glanced down at his clothes to consider them. His boots were utilitarian, but clean. His dark slacks were most likely the nicest he owned and he had secretly chosen them when dressing because of this. The white dress shirt he wore was more than a little worn in, but serviceable, and his dark brown leather jacket could pass in almost any situation as far as he was concerned. Will looked back up to the quarian and shrugged.

"Yeah, why not?"

"I just wanted to be sure that we wouldn't have to return to the ship," Tul answered.

"We definitely don't have time for that," Will mentioned as he checked his omnitool clock. "Let's get moving."

The pair hurried down the block to the main entrance of Seraxis Tower and waded through the "evening" crowd that was migrating toward the entertainment and bars. After waiting for one of the packed elevators they crammed inside and proceeded slowly to the forty-first floor. Luckily, by the time they reached their destination the elevator was empty of nearly all of its passengers. Meld was an enormous, two-leveled attraction which took up an entire half of both the fortieth and forty-first floors. The forty-first floor seemed to house the restaurant while the fortieth catered to the casino. Descending staircases and balconies dotted the restaurant floor allowing guests to look down onto the casino floor from the dining tables and lounge. The décor was surprisingly dark and consisted mainly of black and dark reds, accented by white chairs and wall ornaments. Will and Tul'Sorrin composed themselves as they approached the hostess, an accommodating and friendly-looking asari woman.

"Welcome to Meld," she greeted serenely. "Do you have a reservation or are you here to visit the casino?"

Will gave her a friendly smile. "Reservation. Name's Hume, party of four."

She looked down to a screen on the hostess station and swiped through a few pages of names, her eyes darting from side to side.

"Ah, here it is." She looked up. "Would you like to be seated now, or wait for the rest of your party?"

"We can sit," Will replied with a nod.

"Of course." The asari smiled and stepped out to guide them into the restaurant. "Follow me, please."

The hostess led them through a short set of stanchions and onto the dining floor where most of the tables were filled with patrons. Will scanned the room for a table with four seats and grinned to himself as he finally caught sight of the one they were being led to. The table was right on the edge of a balcony that overlooked a large portion of the dazzling casino floor. More importantly, however, was the enormous two-story window that stretched the length of the wall of the casino to give them a breathtaking view of the Citadel wards converging on the ring of the Presidium. The hostess stepped to the side as they reached the circular table and nodded.

"Your server will be with you momentarily," she informed them in a soft tone. "If you would like to view the menus, simply activate them like so."

The asari reached toward a small, white circle near the edge of the dining table and gave it a gentle tap with her index and middle fingers. A two-sided, holographic panel appeared at the center of the circular table that the asari touched in a way to demonstrate its ability to rotate about the center of the table. She tapped the circle once again and the menu blinked away in an instant.

"Thanks," Will said, unable to think of much else.

The hostess smiled. "Enjoy your meal. And please feel free to explore the casino after you have finished dining."

Tul'Sorrin and Will seated themselves on opposite sides of the table and sat back, taking in the comfort of their seats.

"Aheh, you know, I was a little worried that they might try to turn me away," Tul admitted shamefully.

Will raised a brow. "What? Why?"

"Since our exile, quarians have fallen further and further out of favor with the galactic community." He sighed. "They see us as fools for our mistakes with the geth. Worse, they think we are nothing more than troublesome beggars who take whatever is not bolted to the ground." Tul crossed his arms and scoffed. "The sad part is, the Fleet hasn't done much to prove the galaxy wrong."

"So what are they gonna do, refuse you service?" Will shook his head. "This place is called Meld and serves fusion dishes, remember? Doesn't sound like a place that would kick you out for wearing a suit or having a quad."

The quarian chuckled. "Very true. Though it wouldn't be the first time, sadly."

Will smirked and sat back as a pair of figures moving toward them caught his eye. He and Tul'Sorrin turned their heads and stared as Shansa approached, her face beaming with a smile so wide it would have been impossible to contain. Surprisingly, the first thing that Will noticed was the fact that she had let her dazzling copper hair down from its normal ponytail to hang just above her shoulders, allowing it to bounce from side to side with the same enthusiasm as her steps. She wore a simple but elegant black dress that, although rather conservatively cut, hugged her form and stopped just below her knees. Will looked back up to her face to see it in a soft hue of pink as she blushed, possibly from the simple excitement of wearing her new outfit. Will and Tul'Sorrin stood as she approached.

"Damn, Shan," Will said slowly.

"Like it?" She asked, seemingly short of breath.

"It's gorgeous," Tul'Sorrin informed her.

Shansa smiled bashfully. "Thanks... it was hard to find something that covered up the..." She motioned to the area a few inches above her right breast. "Ya know, scars."

Will stepped forward and took one of her hands in his. "You look wonderful, Shansa. Really."

As she responded with a simple smile and turned to Tul, Will's eyes wandered over her shoulder to see the final member of their party approaching. Eleena's face was hard to read at first, but as they locked eyes, it slowly grew into a sly grin. Will looked her up and down, trying not to stare. She wore a loose white shirt that, despite the relatively low cut at the bust, fluttered gently around her waist. Over it, however, was a tight, jet-black jacket clearly designed to be left open at the front. The jacket was slightly elongated, reaching down to just about the top of the back of her thighs, but remained surprisingly stiff as she walked. Her pants were as dark as the jacket and held tight against her legs. Will grinned slightly as he saw her everyday black work-boots still strapped to her feet.

"Way to make me feel like a jackass for not dressing up," Will jested as the asari came to a stop at Shansa's side.

"I couldn't let Shansa be the only one looking good tonight," Eleena countered coolly.

Shansa laughed softly. "Yeah, you say that now." She crossed her arms in objection. "It took a lot of convincing."

"Hey, I gave in pretty quickly after we left the dress section," the asari countered.

"Well as much as I'd love to continue this debate, we do have a table waiting to be used." Will stepped to the side and held a hand out toward the table.

Eleena and Shansa gave each other one last joking glare before smiling and taking their seats on opposite sides of the table. Will and Tul'Sorrin took up the empty chairs, also opposite from one another. Shansa wiggled from side to side as she attempted to find a comfortable position with her new dress, while Eleena sat back comfortably.

"So, can we officially count the shopping trip as a success?" Tul inquired as he set his hands on the table and laced his fingers.

"Definitely," Shansa replied as she finally found a comfortable position. "And it only took like an hour!"

Will furrowed his brow. "What did you do the rest of the time?"

"Heh heh," Eleena tilted her head up and gazed toward the ceiling as she recalled the event. "We found a used ship dealership and talked them into letting us 'test fly' one of those Kowloon-class haulers."

Tul'Sorrin remained virtually motionless until the light at the front of his mask illuminated. "You... you're kidding, right?"

Shansa gave him a look. "'Course not. And let me tell you... those things are boring! There's nothing exciting about the way they perform at all."

Will laughed and straightened himself up in his chair. "It's a cargo ship! It's not like they're built for dancing."

"Cargo ship or not, she's right," Eleena argued. "It just looked and handled like some kinda assembly-line production."

"Because it was," Shansa added. "Made me really appreciate the Hyperion. I wouldn't trade her for any of those new, fancy models."

The asari smirked. "Says the one who flies. I'm the one who has to deal with an archaic FTL core, an absurd engineering layout, and thrusters designed for a completely different ship."

Will grinned and sat forward. "Oh come on, you love it. You'd be bored to death if there wasn't always something to do back there."

Eleena shifted her gaze to Will and returned the grin. "True... we can't all nap in the loft for hours on end."

Shansa and Tul chuckled to themselves as Will shook his head with a smile.

"So, what did you guys do?" Shansa looked to Tul'Sorrin and Will curiously.

"Oh, nothing exciting," Tul replied. "We just saved a girl who was being attacked by five drunken, belligerent soldiers before spending four hours with C-Sec while they gathered evidence and statements."

Eleena and Shansa stared at one another, then to Will and Tul.

"Is it even possible for you to leave the ship without fighting someone?" The asari tilted her head toward Will curiously.

"If it is, it hasn't happened yet," he replied while looking around the table. "So who wants to look at the menu?"

Shansa nodded excitedly as Will reached over and tapped the white circle at his side. The holographic panel appeared at the center of the table in a blink and Will reached up to turn it just enough to give himself and Eleena a view of one side while Tul and Shansa could see the other. After spending a minute or two looking over their options, a human woman approached the table with a warm smile and greeted the guests.

"Hello, my name is Anne." She looked around the table to each of the four patrons. "I'll be helping you this evening. Have you all had enough time to look over the menu?"

Will nodded once. "A few minutes, yeah."

"Oh, yes..." The waitress paused as she looked to Tul'Sorrin. "Forgive me, sir, but we don't see many of your kind. Did you have a chance to look over the dextro-menu we offer for our turian patrons?"

The quarian chuckled softly. "That's alright, I'm here for the company, not the food. Anything on the menu probably hasn't been properly disinfected, anyway." He raised a finger. "I am interested in some of your turian liquors, though."

She nodded once. "Certainly, sir. Are you all ready to place a drink order?"

The group looked to each other and nodded in agreement.

Will cleared his throat after seeing no one was stepping up to order first. "I'll start with a glass of human wine... something red. Cabernet Sauvignon if you've got it."

"Of course," Anne replied as she tapped at the holopad in her hand. "We carry almost a dozen, would you like to chose?"

"Give me the... fourth cheapest."

"Certainly," she replied with an amused smile.

Shansa raised a brow and crossed her arms. "When did you become a wine drinker?"

Will gave her a sideways glance and shrugged. "I dunno. I when did having one glass of wine make me a 'wine drinker?'"

She shook her head and looked to Eleena. "I want some kind of asari drink!"

The asari grinned. "I saw an asari springwine made from seela fruit."

Shansa's eyes widened. "Oo! Yes, I'll have a glass of that," she declared.

The waitress nodded and made note. "A glass of Armalina."

"Make it two," Eleena added.

Anne nodded and turned to Tul'Sorrin. "And you, sir?"

Tul had been carefully inspecting the menu while the others ordered. He nodded confidently and looked up to the waitress.

"Just a glass of the Shurantia whiskey."

The waitress smiled and nodded. "I'll be back with your drinks in just a moment."

As she left, Will noticed Shansa had turned to look out the two story window that lined the wall of the casino below.

"This place never stops, huh?" The pilot stared serenely.

"The Presidium does," Eleena informed her. "Well, they have a simulated night-cycle. But out here on the wards? Nope. It never stops."

The group continued to chat as a group about the details of their day until their drinks arrived and they placed their dinner orders. Their conversation remained long and lively throughout the meal, from the time their plates arrived until the last bite was cleared nearly an hour later. After making their way through a few refills on their drinks, the group eventually decided to set a new destination. Will and Eleena had suggested taking up a seat in the nearby lounge, which overlooked the casino floor much like their table, but in a much more relaxed environment. Tul and Shansa, however, both insisted on heading down to gamble. After reaching an impasse, the group once again decided to split, leaving Shansa and Tul'Sorrin to wander down to the casino while Will and Eleena made their way to the lounge.

"How did Shansa pick a place this fucking fancy?" Eleena asked as she and Will walked past the lounge bar.

"She probably did it just to make you uncomfortable," Will jested.

They reached the railing of a balcony overlooking the casino below. Will and Eleena both placed their arms on the railing and leaned over slightly while looking to one another.

"Thanks for picking up the bill," the asari mentioned. "I'd have insisted against it, but this jacket was pretty damn expensive."

Will laughed softly. "Don't mention it. The captain's gotta treat his crew well."

"You do, Will," she assured him.

Eleena shifted herself closer to him and gently touched his hand with her's. Her fingers wandered over the back of his hand for a moment before turning and sliding under his palm to lace their fingers together. Will had a small smile on his lips as he kept their eyes locked. He gave her hand a soft squeeze and looked back out the window beyond the edge of the casino floor below.

"You really like the view, huh?" Eleena asked.

"Its beautiful. Probably the second best in the room," he replied as he looked back to her.

The asari narrowed her eyes as a small smirk spread across her lips. "Never gonna stop with the smooth-talking, are you?"

Will grinned and shook his head in response. They slowly turned and gazed back out the window in silence, their hands still gently entwined.

After a minute of nothing but the ambient noise of Meld between them, Will let out a small, happy sigh. "I'm glad everyone got a little time off the ship to clear their heads."

"Except the Spectres," Eleena reminded him. "Assuming, of course, that they're still at work on that lead."

"Goddamn am I ready to catch this guy and take a few weeks off," Will said with a small chuckle.

"Six months of merc work and you're already planning a break?" Eleena teased.

Will let out a sigh pulled his hand from her's. He turned to his side to face her and leaned on one arm.

"We've just always got somewhere to be. Even during downtime it's hard for me to truly relax without thinking about what's to come." He watched as she turned to face him and mirror his stance. "I just want a little time without the weight on my shoulders." Will shrugged lightly and smiled. "Maybe we actually get a little of that time... we could spend some of it together."

"I'd like that, Will." Eleena smiled sincerely. "But we can't sit around for too long... there's still so much we can do."

"You don't need to tell me." He nodded reassuringly, still smiling. "I don't plan on setting my rifle down for a long time."

The asari merely nodded and leaned forward to plant a quick peck of a kiss on his cheek. "So, wanna head down to the casino?"

Will nodded and offered an arm to escort her by. She paused, and after a long bout of deliberation, accepted the gesture by locking her arm around his in a far less than "ladylike" manner.

"First sign of Tul or Shansa, I'm letting go," she warned him.

He chuckled as they set off. "No objections here. I'm nowhere near ready for them to start rumors."

---

Will stood among a handful of well dressed and dignified looking strangers as the elevator car ascended from the Presidium taxi terminal he had landed at to the address Vayren and Corsin had beckoned him to. The Spectres' displeasing request to leave the others at the casino had sobered him up and put him in a slightly foul mood. After a few stops, he reached his level and stepped out of the elevator with a salarian who quickly hurried off to his destination somewhere to the right. Will headed straight and climbed a wide set of stairs before coming to a stop and looking out over a balcony to see the calm lakes and ponds that ran along the center of the Presidium. It was surprisingly green, and it appeared as though it was midday on the Citadel from the simulated daylight that illuminated the ring. He could easily see why Kallux had chosen the area for some time alone.

"Ah, you're here."

Corsin's voice called from behind him. Will glanced over his shoulder to see the two Spectres standing to the side of the stairs. He turned to face the Spectres and gave them both a look through tired eyes.

"I was just starting to have a good time in the casino," he told them regrettably.

"Sorry to have interrupted the festivities," Vayren said insincerely. "But this is urgent."

Will nodded. "I figured that out when you told me to meet you alone." His gaze shifted between the two Spectres. "So what's the situation?"

"We've got the name of the account holders," Corsin informed him. The turian turned and waved the others to follow. "And we're going to have a chat with them."

Will nodded for him to continue. "And the name?"

The Spectres looked around quickly to ensure there were no uninvited ears listening in.

"The Vol Protectorate," Vayren said quietly. "More specifically, the Protectorate's liaison to the Elkoss Combine Corporation."

"You're gonna have to explain some of that," Will remarked with a smirk.

Corsin let out a sigh and replied quietly. "The Vol Protectorate is the volus government. Elkoss Combine is a volus manufacturing company."

"Oh..." Will looked to the turian nervously. "I see."

"A volus named Finlo Til holds the accounts," Vayren explained. "His office is here on the Presidium, so we're going to pay him a visit."

Will eyed his surroundings as the Spectres led the way through the elegant Presidium. The décor around him resembled their high-class docking chamber far more than the Tayseri Ward. It was a short walk to the office complex that housed Finlo Til's office where Corsin took the lead and approached the receptionist.

"Welcome," the turian receptionist greeted from behind her desk. "What can I do for you?"

Corsin stopped before her with Will and Vayren at his side. "We're here to see Finlo Til."

The turian woman looked down to her screen and shook her head. "I'm sorry, but he doesn't have an appointment scheduled for the next two hours."

"We don't have one," Corsin informed her. "I want you to make sure no one interrupts us."

The receptionist sat up. "Excuse me, but you can't just-"

"We're here on Spectre business," Vayren interrupted her. "So yes, we can."

The woman remained silent for a moment before nodding. "I... I understand. His office is down the hall, final door on the left."

Without another word, Corsin turned and walked silently to the hallway with Vayren and Will walking at his side. As they reached the door, Vayren turned to the others and raised a finger.

"Let's be civil about this."

Corsin and Will nodded in agreement.

The turian shrugged and reached to open the door. "Well, reasonably civil."

The door hissed and slid apart to reveal a decent sized office adorned with more than a few pieces of what Will assumed was volus art. The far wall of the room was open and provided a view of the slope that sunk down into the center of the Presidium's ring. At the center was an almost comically large desk with two chairs angled out on the closer side, and a visibly surprised volus on the other. His suit was brown and accented with maroon and white lining around his face and gloves. The small, horizontal slit over his mouth blinked yellow as the uninvited guests entered.

"What... is the meaning... of this?" Finlo Til slowly gasped.

Will stood in silence just inside the doorway as Corsin shut and locked the door behind him.

"Finlo Til... we need to have a chat," Corsin informed the volus.

Til shook his head sternly. "You... will not... get my cooperation... by barging in unannounced!" He reached for a panel on the holo-screen in front of him. "Security-"

"Don't, or you and those guards will regret it dearly." Corsin spoke harshly as he crossed the room, staring the volus down.

"On whose... authority-"

"We're Spectres," the turian interrupted. "Well, two of us are. So I suggest you settle down and get ready to answer some questions."

All the while Vayren had been circling the room with his omnitool raised. The salarian was disabling the various security devices located throughout the office, including the fairly obvious camera located by the door.

"What are you doing... to my security?" The volus asked, his attitude now leaning toward fright.

"Disabling it. All of it." Corsin crossed his arms. "It's for your own safety."

Will approached the desk and stepped up beside Corsin as Vayren finished his sweep. The salarian joined his companions, presenting the volus with a third set of eyes staring him down.

Til lowered his head in defeat. "What... what do you want?"

"We need information," Vayren stated immediately.

"I... can offer... anything I know," the volus answered.

Corsin, his arms still crossed, eyed the volus closely. "What does the name Narenthus Antarian mean to you?"

Til shook his head slowly. "I've... never heard it."

The turian, human and salarian exchanged silent glances.

"You're lying," Corsin declared as he turned back to Til. "Now talk."

"I... I don't know... anyone by that name!" The volus raised his hands helplessly. "I... I swear it!"

Corsin slammed his fist down on the table, causing a picture frame and topple down to the floor. Til jumped in his seat and cowered back from the imposing turian that leaned toward him.

"Bullshit!" Corsin raised his hand and pointed a finger accusingly. "We're not leaving until we have answers, Til."

Will finally found the urge to speak and put a hand on Corsin's shoulder. "Woah, Corsin... what happened to doing this civilly? He could be telling the truth."

Corsin took a deep breath and stepped back as Vayren stepped closer and raised his omnitool. He transmitted a file to Til's computer and nodded.

"Please access the data I have sent you," the salarian requested.

Finlo Til hesitantly reached forward and opened the files. "Oh, yes. These accounts... are used by my department..."

"Yes, they are," Vayren said plainly. "We traced the activity of these accounts from data we acquired at one of the facilities belonging to Narenthus Antarian, a dangerous fugitive we're tracking."

The volus looked to the salarian hopelessly. "I told you... I have never... heard of him."

Vayren sent another file from his omnitool. "Did you authorize any payments on these dates?"

Til opened the file and sorted through the dates and times. He opened another window to bring up a spreadsheet of dates, names and expenditures and began sifting.

"Yes," he said after a minute or two of searching. "I authorized several payments... but none of them were to... anyone named Antarian."

Corsin muttered to himself and shook his head. Will, however, nodded encouragingly.

"Then who were you paying?"

Til remained quiet for a short moment. "An asari woman... named Fayneer T'lees. She operates... as a weapons dealer... in the Terminus Systems."

"Why were you dealing with a Terminus arms dealer?" Will raised a brow.

"Her organization... produces many different... items of interest." The volus waved his hands as he talked to accentuate his points. "The Protectorate... and Elkoss Combine... have a longstanding directive... to acquire any promising equipment we can find... and attempt to replicate them."

"So you steal their designs," Corsin reworded.

"That's not..." Til paused before giving a small nod. "Yes."

"I've never heard of Fayneer T'lees," Vayren pondered out loud. "But her records were in Antarian's facility. Perhaps she is a lieutenant of his?"

"It's possible," Corsin reasoned as he looked to Til. "What else do you know about her or these shipments?"

The volus shook his head. "I don't know much. The shipments... never arrived. But, I do know... that they were due to be shipped... out of a colony... on the planet Altakiril."

Corsin nodded slowly and glanced to Will and Vayren. "An independent turian colony in the Terminus Systems."

Vayren placed a hand on the desk and leaned forward. "Is there anything else you can tell us? It is incredibly important that we complete this mission."

Til nodded once. "Yes, the port... it was in a city... by the name of Pugnax. But that... is all I know."

Will could see that Corsin was ready to press for more, but Vayren nodded in affirmation and stepped back. "That will do." The salarian opened his omnitool to be sure he had recorded the entire conversation. "Unless my associates have any questions, I believe you have helped us a great deal, Finlo Til."

Will shook his head. "I've got nothin'."

Corsin reluctantly stepped back. "Same."

Vayren nodded and closed his omnitool. "Sorry about the entrance," he said to the volus. "Thank you for your cooperation."

"But if this ends up being a dead end, we'll be back," Corsin warned.

The trio turned and headed for the door as the volus sat in relief. As they exited the office and made their way back down the hall, Vayren looked to Will.

"Call your crew, Captain. We need to set a course for Altakiril."

Will let out a small sigh. "I bet they were just starting to enjoy themselves, too."

He raised his omnitool and made the call.