Chapter 8: Of Guilt or Non

Location: Utopia System; Eden Prime; Yggdrasil.

Gauge was a dôji of much bulk, several heads taller than most dôji and more than three times the width. Whenever he moved in a crowd he could not help but absolutely tower over almost all present and stride through like a giant, parting the crowds like the sea itself. Gargantuan and in possession of physical strength greater than most of his fellow aspects except fellow giant Orgullo. In contrast to the brazen prideful other however, Gauge directed the enormity of his strength gently and with compassion.

Formally he was responsible for helping to design and shape the city, but frequently lent a hand in the construction personally. Like now as he far from the central pillar helped add a newly arrived module to a near finished tower. Like every other building this one would contribute to the overall design inspiration that Yggdrasil was pulled from, that of a gargantuan tree. Each building was gently curved, the shape continuing into the neighboring structures. From a distance no matter the height, the city spread from the trunk-like pillar like a myriad roots. Some might say it'd be a chore to make, but Tenjo simplified it all for them.

It had been nothing but a boon since they appropriated it. And when one needed something made, he just had to inform its internal complex what is needed and feed it the resources required. Then all one required was ferry the modules produced down and put them together. And with resource extraction and refinement only growing, the extent of production could only grow... even more as factories reached completion on the surface.

Yet for all of that speed, it could never had been made possible without the earnest efforts of the people to build up their new home. He supposed a part of it came from the war that everyone knew would come. Everything had to be made ready and functional, and that meant even the small details that won't directly affect the war effort.

"Easy there." Gauge called softly as he carried a module by himself into place and slotted it in with almost excessive care and watched as despite the manner of build the pieces came seamlessly together, especially as he finished putting it in and a dozen dôji flew and climbed in to properly mate it with the apartment complex it had become a part of. Only need some base necessities and it would be more than ready for several more families to live in. Soon as the coupling was done, one of those inside came out to give the thumb up. "Prepare the next part." he called as he descended to ground to pluck up the next module from the platform that ferried them here from the nearest drop side. "Be quick about it."

"Aspect Gauge!" his personally assigned com dôji, a little red-head by name of Te, surfaced from the crowd and milled toward him with urgency in his steps, "A meeting has been called. All Aspects must attend!"

Gauge frowned, "All of us... What has happened?"

"I cannot even begin to guess. It's an order from the Grand Aspects."

Must be something serious then... Gauge thought and waved for the workers, "Continue as you were. Duty is calling me elsewhere."

"As you will, lord." the foreman bowed and gestured for his men to take the next module themselves.

His attention turned to Te and they went to the nearest terminal to attend the meeting holographically. Once there... he could barely contain his shock upon what he saw in the middle of the meeting room, an image of utmost ruination, a planet gutted... as if a giant finger had reached out from space and pressed a hole through it. And like him, several could not attend in person... including the clearly distraught Grand Aspect Milieu that somehow disturbed him all the more.

Location: Utopia System; Tenjo.

Much as he kept a straight countenance to the contents of this meeting, he grieved on how broken Milieu looked, a sight made all the more magnified by the hologram that displayed him – as if he would fizzle out and vanish on them if his grief was made any worse. Almost a very real possibility with the image of the aftermath of what happened on Cabeiri hanging in the air before them all.

Last to arrive was Gauge, and he like the rest came to stare at the image for as long it took for the meeting to start. Vice took the lead in this, and with a beat on the floor with his sharply angular gauntlet, he started: "Now I call this here congregation to order. And what a doozy this is." and continued, "Milieu made a decision to take his ICON mode out for a spin – for science! – with a prisoner for help. Look how that turned out."

Milieu invisibly cringed but offered no protest. For Ultimo his increased discomfort was plain to see.

"How exactly..." Pardonner raised an inquisitive claw and carefully asked, "did this happen?"

"For that, only one here can tell us." Vice looked to his silvery neighbor, "How in the world did you manage to gut a planet?"

"To be honest, I am not really that surprised." Jealousy interjected and seemed to take this with a whole less incredulity than the others as he laid himself down on the side. "Milieu is stronger than any of us. And we can all of us agree his ICON would accordingly be hideously more powerful."

Ultimo silently nodded his agreement with that fact. If there ever existed an unwritten but provable point of agreement with the kurozu, it was the certain restraint showed by either side in one issue alone. Not many knew about it, but their mechanical archenemy possesses a type of Deus ex Machina far more powerful than the S-class. A type which construction is so sophisticated and materials so rare that only a few hundred exist at any one time. Their sole purpose: To counter Milieu. Every Aspect is practically a one-man army. Milieu is... more than that.

So the unspoken and unwritten agreement was made that greatly resembled the MAD policy of ancient human nations.. So long as the silvery Grand Aspect is not deployed, the kurozu would not send their T-class to the combat zone. Only broken when the domes were found and all the T-class was about to be deployed to aid in destroying Central Dome.

"As you say," Orgullo growled, "but it doesn't tell us what went wrong."

"... He," Milieu sighed deeply, "was overcome."

"Who?"

"A turian named Khasic Khalk." Regula sighed his lamentation, "Now a casualty I have to take into account and alter his crew's memories accordingly..."

"One whose absence we now must take into account." Vice hissed, knowing that meant all the more work. "Any idea how?"

"Well, how about his life and body," Service sat up in a showy manner, raised and held his arms wide, "were lost during a heroic action on his part? Like... detaching a boarding pod during an ambush set by the pirates they chased?"

"We'd have to do some damage to the entry hatch to give that story some credibility..." the more diminutive bald aspect murmured in consideration before he beseeched a confirmation from their leader, "Would such a story be satisfactory?"

Barely a second passed before Milieu put forward his quiet approval, "Yes please."

Orgullo leaned forward in his seat and pressed, "And how was this Khasic overcome if I may ask?"

"You may..." hesitation bought the next moment before he got onto explaining that, "I failed to predict that Dunstan might have done something different with my ICON because of my greater strength. In other words, a weight of responsibility was applied to my pilot."

"Weight of..." Pardonner reclined in half-thought, "You mean the old adage about great power coming with great responsibility?"

"Yes... Khasic felt upon his shoulders the weight of power he had gained through me, too much of it, and just as I was was wildly unprepared for it. His mind quickly broke under the strain and came to suffer from delusion and megalomania." Milieu explained further with a heavy heart, "Maddened, he believed himself a God and extended his use of my enhanced functions too fast and too much at once. Unable to withstand it all... he lashed out at what he thought an imaginary foe with all the power that he could summon on short notice... and the rest is history..."

"Damn." Avaro remarked quietly.

"... And that," Milieu stuttered and shivered as grief overtook him at a mere glance at Cabeiri's current state, "could have happened to any worlds. Even on Eden Prime... had I been more negligent about security."

"You took every precaution possible." Ultimo placated and would have applied a clap on the shoulder if his visage had not been holographic, "Khasic's fate was tragic, but no one else were hurt."

Rage hissed, "Hate to put a damper on that, but data collated from the event put that blast to an extent of severity comparable to a supernova. It could pile in attention to this cluster for such an irregular event to happen."

"That is possible." Regula thought aloud, "Pardonner. How long until those tug ships for the relay are ready?"

The aspect of Patience looked onto his comrade for a spell, "Very soon..." but soon focused his attention onto their highest leader, "On the note of whatever else may be the consequence of the experiment after the fact, I say onto you not to burden yourself with it."

"Indeed." Gauge nodded reassuringly, "No one could predict that."

Service followed it up with a gleaming smile, "So please raise your head. You cannot let yourself be seen brougth so low."

Belatedly, Milieu looked from one to another, "You're right..." before he pushed himself up to a more dignified poise much to some of his onlookers' approval. Ultimo gave a nod of his own, but perceptively saw that the fellow Grand Aspect's remained in some pain, and overflowed with guilt.

"Now that we are all up to speed and neck-deep in platitudes." Vice beat the floor again to call attention to himself, "I call this meeting to a close. We got a lot of work, and perhaps less time than we hoped. Get yer asses to it."

Ultimo did not object, and as everyone began to leave he inched a little closer to Milieu's image and leaned in close. A decision had been made by him to help soothe his colleague of the burden that has been aggravated by the experiment's catastrophic failure. Something that should have been done back when he crafted the statue that stood in Yggdrasil to the admiration of every dôji. "A moment if you may?"

Milieu paused to raise a curious brow, his right gauntlet visibly longing for a fan with which to conceal his more or less strained expression, "Yes?" he patiently asked.

He leaned slightly closer, "Could you come by my chambers soon as you make it back? There is something we must go over."

Slightly perplexed, the silvery dôji was about to ask why whatever he had in mind could not be discussed right now. A question that he decided to. "Alright." he instead replied with, "If there is nothing else, I believe some sleep would do good."

"Understandable." Ultimo gracefully bowed, "May it be a good one" hiding a slightly mischievous grin as the holographic image dissipated and left him largely alone in the room aside from a couple of aspects. Désir had stopped Jealousy at the door and said to him something in a low voice. Jealousy quirked an eyebrow and nodded before they parted on the way out. I wonder... Ultimo idly thought as he powered up his Noh for departure. What was that about?

Quick to decide it had nothing to do with him, he stifled the curiosity and whisked himself away.

Next day, evening.

Location: Utopia System; Tenjo

Without the extra distance provided by side-trips and the relay further away, the Diomedes and its escort flotilla completed the return trip in good time. And Milieu waited with practiced poise for as long as it took for the ship to properly dock with the Tenjo before he disembarked and briefly acknowledged those he passed along the way, all quite unaware that the regal posture he kept was a facade with which to hide his metaphorical weariness that sleep in no way helped subdue, and kept up the formality for as long as the retinue he had along for the trip followed until they arrived at the highly secured Officer Quarters – a space adjacent to the Tenjo's bridge – that had largely been relegated for the Grand Aspects to use until the new Core is fully rendered ready for use – which could not happen fast enough.

Milieu slumped his shoulders in belated relief after he left the retinue behind, at first with his private cabin in mind until he belatedly remembered just a few feet off the door that the embodiment of Good had asked for his presence early in the day before. A request he had agreed with, so with a slightly ungentlemanly scratch against his chin he made a turn that made his long ponytail dance gracefully through the air and strolled in the direction of Ultimo's cabin where he applied his palm to its entrance, to which an answer was prompt:

"Come in." Ultimo could be heard, his soft voice almost music, before the entrance gave away and Milieu entered to look for his colleague.

At first there were no signs of the flame-haired Grand Aspect in the rather dimly lit chamber. Milieu narrowed his purple eyes, of all the things he did not expect a hide and seek. "Ultimo?" was inquired as he neared and came to stand where the room was most lit, right where the chamber's bed was.

For a reply, a whisper reached him as though it had been breathed upon his neck, "Glad you could make it, Milieu."

Immediately he had blinked and almost whirled to where the voice came from when from a corner of the most poorly lit place came the slender figure of his comrade, the shadows draped mysteriously across his features. Every step taken with deliberate graduality. Arms folded across his chest. While the eyes flared with interest of intensity that took the silvery dôji somewhat aback and flustered him. Milieu swallowed, unable to really avoid noting how beautiful the other was that very moment shaded like that. "So... what was it you wanted to talk about?" he asked, though by now he had his suspicions about the wording used in the request that brought him here.

Ultimo smiled with a sort of solemnity, his steps did not slow as he crossed more of the gap between them, "How long has it been since you took a real break from work? I at least haven't seen you properly relax since the period of time the kurozu had their peculiar silence."

It was tantalizing, the way his colleague moved. Normally he would be more than able to resist such advances, even those of Désir. Right now he was rather much an emotional wreck and was more susceptible to the change of tension. "Um, I..." Milieu started to reply, until the other came close enough to raise a finger to his lips and with that merest touch made Milieu stumble backward onto the bed that in its softness seemed as though it tried to swallow him.

"Not a question you need to answer." Ultimo chastised him with a playful and articulated his arms and gauntlets so as to untie the shirt of his at the neck in a manner most slow and delicious. It made the cloth that only covered his chest to expose to the sitting colleague a thin and marginally open vertical gap that ran its length alluring to the eye. "Right now, nothing else exists. Not the world. Not the politics. Not war. Not our present problems. Not your grief. Only you, and me~"

Milieu tried to excuse himself awkwardly in the face of what was about to happen, and managed too little and too late as Ultimo applied a palm and pushed him down till he was fully laid down. And unable to do anything but let the flame-haired dôji with those currently enchantingly narrowed eyes climb onto the bed to drape himself atop of him, full intimacy merely inches from one another as Ultimo's face came so close to his. "U-Ultimo?" he tried for the last time to dissuade the excited other who was now in total control.

"Hush." Ultimo breathed, and their lips met, causing all the worries that lay in the back of Milieu's mind to be immediately blown away in favor of what was to come. For the next few hours, Milieu knew nothing but bliss.

Late at night, three hours from daylight.

Location: Eden Prime; Oinari Village.

Since that time, Javik was allowed to be mostly to himself unlike the batarian who snored and dozed loud enough to wake the dead. He had been worked to the bone tilling the fields – which by itself was fairly harmless. None of the plants seemed to be poisonous, only the ale distilled from those bizarre gas bags that also existed fifty thousand years ago seemed dubious.

He was mildly resigned to the possibility that Lyta Lyle would sooner or later consider putting him to work also if for no other reasons that it was the dôji who largely cared for them with food, clothes and living space.

Until such time he would be prompted to join in he spent his while in simple meditation. Ever since that moment of reminiscing he had several times relived it and many more times dwelled on it to fully take in and appreciate the scope of what it had meant to him... of how it helped him with the seemingly simple but excrutiating effort of moving on. Even bleeding to death and full of agony, the Synril he thought to be a coward had with great fortitude treated him, traveled to the nearest body of water, fished, then returned to cook the caught fish and determinedly stayed alive for long enough to serve it and delve into conversation. All of these should have been impossible with those injuries... He carried them out anyway.

He sat cross-legged on the bed reserved for him with his back against the wall. And in his slightly closed mind contemplated the memory with renewed appreciation. It was about all the consoling he had from his era to help him carry on in this one... where he existed in the borderline livery of admittedly mild-mannered synthetics.

I will not weep. He decided. Platitudes be damned. Even if I am the only one left, I will no longer weep.

With that momentary decision made, it did not take long for something to bring him out of his self-imposed trance. Javik frowned toward the window as a sound came from the village. The sound of a being greatly distressed. To his credit, the batarian woke with a snort and looked around, "Huh what?" he absently glared in every direction.

"Don't ask me." Javik drawled, "It's your cycle."

Most prompt an arrival was Lyta Lyle's as he opened the door to them. He looked lightly disheveled for the hour but was wide awake. Javik largely shook his head at the dôji's apparent need for sleep. It looked genuine but he placed little weight on that. "Oh you're awake." he curtly observed, "On your feet, we're going to town."

Balak groaned in resignation and got himself ready, "Is it that sound or whatever?"

"Exactly right. Javik, you too."

It did not take long before they were out and hurried down the road to town, mostly at the insistence of the dôji that had pulled them out and led on. "What is the reason we are doing this?" Javik belatedly demanded, this action seemed wholly unnecessary.

"For one, I cannot simply leave you guys behind." Lyta Lyle replied in mild solemnity, "As for a second reason, it's called being a good neighbor. Third... because few things can make a dôji scream like that, and the kidnapping of one's child is one of them."

Balak who stumbled the most of the three grit his teeth, mostly from tiredness than distaste, "You mean like the 'Snatcher' business people talked about?"

"Yep. And while the culprit always returned the kids he stole away, it does not excuse the act." he looked side to side as they entered town, as though searching for someone. "The terror it visits on the bereaved family. One of the worst there is." Lyta Lyle's search did not go unrewarded as from a building on the side, a dôji waved them in and gestured for silence. "And there we are. Neighborhood watch has already assembled."

Javik grimaced at the ignominy of their entrance as the one who greeted them insisted on doing a little search on their persons before he allowed them in. A search that was very curt with himself and Balak, but was thorough and rather gentle with their caretaker. He snorted at how obvious the gesture was.

"Looking for any excuse to feel me up now are you?" Lyta Lyle wryly smirked as he with arms raised let the other pat searchingly along the slender chest and down to his legs. "Gonna have me remove my kimono removed next?"

"N-not really." blurted the searcher as he finished and turned his face away, "You're clear. Go."

"Much obliged." the synthetic in their lead nodded and led them into the crowded building. The prothean was very guarded at the sight of so many dôji filling the building, a few of whom looked toward them for a glance until the next whimper from the living room enraptured their attention again. More guarded still, and much to his additional chagrin, as Lyta Lyle weaved his way through the throng with them in tow and made their already obvious presence all the more telling. Towering over the synthetics they are simply sticking out like klixen in a spam farm. Might as well breathe fire like one for all the difference it made.

Lyta Lyle only slowed to a stop once they neared what caused the earlier commotion, a weeping father who sat crumpled on a chair while his bond-mate tried to console him. "Nice you could make it." a dôji of the same size but with a long cloak and large puffy brown mane, the apparent leader of this neighborhood watch.

Balak seemed perplexed at how the apparent leader and several others regarded Lyta Lyle and leaned close, "What's the big deal with that slave driver compared to all else here?"

Javik simply muttered a crisp, "Don't know." in response.

Instead the answer came from behind as a disbelieving Pi came out of the crowd, "You do not know? Truly?"

"Should we?"

Pi looked on wide-eyed, "He is Aspect Slow's oldest remaining son. Older than most of us by several scores."

"Yet you lust for him?" Balak said all too bluntly, which caused the dôji's face to turn a steep crimson.

Quick to compose himself if only halfway done with the storm of erratic blushing, the flustered dôji stared at him, "Age is no obstacle to matters of love and family. It is for his well of experience that his age matters." he said and at the same time swept what the batarian had said under the carpet with strict adherence to the topic.

"So what is known so far, Locksmith?" Lyta Lyle ignored or did not listen to the conversation that went behind his back, the attention fully on the watch leader after a quick look around. "Where is Hatter?"

The apparently named Locksmith grimly shook his head, "No clue as to Hatter's location, but we are about to start the questioning. As you lived the furthest away I assume everyone who are available to assemble are here now. As for preamble, our goal is to catch the Snatcher. Now without ado, Cab, can you tell us of when and how the kidnapping happened?"

Cab had thus far been completely ineffective at calming his deeply terrified bond-mate and turned to address, "It... it happened so quickly. We were on our way through the town square after a late visit to my beloved's father. Our attention was away from our child for but an instant before the Snatcher came out of nowhere and stole the kid right out of the pocket... then booked it before we could retaliate."

"For how long did your attention wander?" Locksmith wondered.

"A second or two."

Someone in the crowd spoke up, "So we may be dealing with a Son of Jealousy?"

"And the reason for that conclusion is?" Javik asked of Pi as he and the other four-eyed alien shared in their confusion about the conclusion.

Helpfully Pi provided his aid, "It's a reasonable one because of the ability that all Sons of Jealousy share." and at the prothean's uncomprehending look continued helpfully, "Um, our people are divided into sixteen distinct 'bloodlines'," he added air quotes that seemed excessive with those gauntlets of his, "each with a special ability that is either based on the Noh of their Aspect or shares some form of similarity."

Carefully, Javik listened and largely ignored what was being said elsewhere in favor of what information the clumsy Pi was willing to provide. Yet as he listened for answers only grew to have more questions... a cursory glance to the only other organic here revealed the same confusion. Noh? Special ability? "Such as?"

Pi thought on it for a moment before he replied, "... Take Locksmith for example. He is one of Aspect Sophia's 'bloodline'. Sophia's Noh is Sense Manipulation that allows him the to freely manipulate all senses of both self and others in an astounding variety of ways. His children on the other hand can only sharpen the acuteness of their own, though this gives them perception unrivaled among minor dôji."

"How about our... caretaker?" Javik dryly frowned. Only cause of alarm was the alarming knowledge he could not tell who belonged to which bloodline, all of these dôji looked different.

"Lyta Lyle? Slow with his Fate Manipulation is the weaver of probability." the long-maned dôji explained as casually as if reporting the weather forecast. "His children cannot alter fate, but sporadically can in heated moments gleam what might happen within the next three seconds to self or somebody else. Clairvoyance you could call it."

Now, Javik did not have to check with Balak to know their eyes were all flung wide open. Not only was it an obscenely long step up from the last one, but to an impossible extent. A look given to the busy Lyta Lyle made him shudder before he set his gaze back on Pi, "And... the criminal?" Javik asked, his mouth abruptly parched.

"If the assessment is correct." Pi did not hesitate this time and raised an informative finger and swung it side to side, "Aspect Jealousy's Noh is Heart Reading. It allows him to know the opponent's next move and strike first no matter the situation. The ability of his children is Body Reading. Doesn't hold a candle to Heart Reading but his children can read target movements well enough to perceive openings, opportunities, hence the conclusion."

The more he learned of these dôji the more absurd everything about the universe he presently lived in turned absurd. Far as he had observed, the galaxy today is less advanced than when the Prothean Empire ruled it... These dôji being the only observable exception so far. What kind of science was it that spawned them?

Balak as if he had not yet had his fill of oddity started to ask Pi about what his ability might be when the dôji named Locksmith clapped his gauntlets together to call all attention onto him. It brought the organics back into what situation presently developed to see the neighborhood watch leader address everyone, their interview with the bereaved father and bond mate finished and concluded. "So we know approximately what we now are up against. Except for any Sons of Avaro everyone will group into teams of four and head out."

Javik tilted his head at Pi who whispered his answer, "Um, Aspect Avaro's Noh is Pyramid Scheme. He can produce dozens of duplicates of himself. His children can produce five."

"Actually," Lyta Lyle started over the general noise of approval and consequently called attention haltingly to himself instead. Even Locksmith was more or less silenced. "I would like to make a different suggestion."

Silence was the answer until the leader spoke up, "And what precisely did you have in mind?"

"By coincidence," the elegant dôji spread his palms, "we got one person here with an ability that no dôji possess. One that might very well be uniquely viable for this situation."

A suitable lack of comprehension took the crowd. Javik felt a little knot in his gut from knowing who that synthetic most likely referred to. Namely himself. "In other words, you need my assistance." said with as much resignation as defiance.

"Him?" Locksmith glanced at him with narrowed eyes, "Are you sure he will help at all? Does he not have much misgiving against us?"

"Yes, and I still do." Javik grew an unsettling sort of smile – thoroughly enjoying the uncomfortable shifts it caused to the crowd – and confirmed. Although he disliked this on so many profound levels it could form a metaphoric high rise, his mind raced to find a way to exploit the situation. "Despite that, I might consider the providence of aid in exchange for a small accolade."

"An award you mean?"

"Yes."

Locksmith eyed the thinly smiling Lyta Lyle as if this was somehow a premediated plan before he asked the inevitable question: "Is there any reason he's that vital to our investigation?"

"His ability is a form of psychometry." Lyta Lyle deftly informed, "Any clue he might pick up could lead us directly to the Snatcher's current hideout of choice. I reckon it's better than scattering in the vague hope we might stumble on it."

The brown-maned dôji considered it and succinctly addressed the prothean, "What do you want in exchange?"

Being given a weapon would be all too farfetched. So considering he is stuck here with these synthetics for the time being decided on the lone real pleasure that this place had provided him with so far. Javik performed a dramatic arm-fold, "Free servings of whichever fish dishes I request for as long as you are willing to provide."

Of all the things he could have asked, this seemed to be the most underwhelming. Balak simply rolled his eyes in quiet disbelief while Lyta Lyle put up a little wider smile, "I certainly don't see anything wrong with that. Do you?" the latter asked of Keysmith.

Keysmith grimaced, "Well, I-"

"Done." Cab consequently interjected and quickly bowed. "We are the owners of the local cafe. Bring back our son to us and we'll provide you with that for the next month if you so wish!"

Javik looked over his shoulder to Pi, "A month?"

"As long as it takes for the sun to rise and fall thirty times each."

If he was that kind of person he would have considered whistling. A better offer than he had hoped for. With a triumphant smirk he regarded all present, "Consider it done."

"Alright. New plan." Locksmith coughed and centered the collective attention around himself, "Lyta Lyle, take your organics to the fifth row where the crime took place and begin investigation. All of us else will remain on standby and come to your aid once called. But as we do not have any Sons of Regula among us... is there anyone here able to provide an appropriate signal?"

"Me!" Pi with a furtive glance to Lyta Lyle shot a hand up instantly, just a couple of inches short from puncturing the ceiling with the foremost tips of his claws, "I'll do it!"

Wryly at this immediate response, Locksmith applied a hand to hip and regarded the elder Son of Slow with a pointed claw in the long-maned dôji's direction, "Good enough?"

Lyta Lyle rolled his eyes, "Fine."

"We begin now then. All hands to position."

As the crowd started to move, a severely annoyed Balak at the prospect of a further time from bed leaned close, "And what do I get from this shit?"

Javik tilted his head at the other alien, "Exercise?" and grinned darkly as the batarian let go an exasperated groan.

It did not take long before they set out along the darkened streets of Oinari under a sky equally dark. The Son of Milieu, Pi, had grown to love the vista of stars and disliked when they were obscured from sight. It reminded him all too much of the blasted and tortured world from which they all came. Left in a sullen mood at the lack of a carpet of observable stars he followed the three others to Fifth row, his attention drifting to the very next best object of attention.

He as a person was deceptively many things. People mistook him for a youngster when he was very nearly two centuries old. People saw him as excitable and clumsy when he was actually just so passionate that he oft stumbled over his own two feet and anything else in-between. Being like that he liked many things and hated little.

And nowadays, aside from the beauty of heavenly spectacle he favored Lyta Lyle the most. That the Son of Slow had lately wordlessly announced with the slight loosening of his kimono that he is open for another relationship was not lost on Pi. But rendered a stuttering mess before the stunning person he now tried to edge closer by being helpful to the sheltered organics whenever he could.

"Are you really sure a bloody stick's gonna help if we get in trouble?" the one named Balak scoffed sceptically at the pole he had been supplied, one of two – the latter given to the prothean. They passed his shop along the way, so scrounging up the makeshift 'weapons' for use was easy.

"You feel more confident with your fists?" Pi smiled wryly and replied evenly.

"No way." he winced at the thought of it, "I'd be eaten alive."

"Well then, you'll feel much safer with a stick. Every millisecond you buy trying to hold the criminal at bay is another millisecond we get to intervene."

"And if I can't?"

Lyta Lyle looked past his shoulder, "We will mourn at your funeral. Right Javik?"

The prothean shrugged, "I can only promise to try."

"I get it." Balak hissed and prodded Pi's shoulder, "You damned well better not let it come to that, you hear?! Be all over me."

"There is only one here I would like to be all over..." Pi rolled his eyes.

"Hoh." the alien raised three brows indifferently and raised a hand, "Taskmaster! Pi wants to be all over you!"

Instantly regretful of his prior comment, Pi did a double take at the blunt announcement and turned red enough in his face from embarrassment to glow in the dark. His wistful gaze drifted to the object of his attention who had missed a step. T-this isn't how I wanted the cat to come outta the bag... Pi thought in trepidation, his luminescent blush turning even more violently so as Lyta Lyle's attention landed squarely on him, boring into his eyes. "U-u-um.. I can explain."

"... Oh really?" the other dôji said quietly, folding one gauntlet over the other thoughtfully, "Do pray tell. Where does your interest lie with me?"

Pi expected a little more of an outburst than that, "I... I didn't intend to have it come out like this... but... I'd... very much like to be with you!"

Silence. Lyta Lyle slowed further in his steps – allowing the organics that cared less for the exchange to build up a lead – as he gave the other a slow once-over before he broke it. "Okay." he spread his gauntlets and clapped them together with a metallic clang, "I'll bite. Come by my house later and we'll talk."

And like that, he fell slightly behind. Stunned at his seeming good fortune. "O-okay..."

"Good. Now back to our current business." Lyta Lyle continued as they entered the Fifth row. "We're here. Your turn, Javik."

No question was needed as to where he needed to start his search exactly. One would think the nearby violated patch of ground and adjacent wall would be sufficient an indication. With a near imperceptive nod the prothean strolled slowly to the place and started along the ground as he next crouched down and placed a palm searchingly against it. No more than an instant was spent in wait as Pi and the others fanned out before Javik's eyes widened in clarity. "An intensive struggle took place. One part protective and desperate beyond belief, while the other sought only to steal and run."

"Like we did not know that already." Balak muttered, "Waste of time."

"Hush you." Lyta Lyle reprimanded, "Continue please. Any hint at all to where he might have gone?"

Javik placed his hand on a track that led south but cut off quickly. Every dôji can fly, so the direction told nothing immediate aside from the route of disengagement. "Aside from an obvious intent to hide." he gleamed, "He felt confidence about the chosen place. No one would surely find him there, not even by accident."

Balak rolled his eyes incredulously, "How very strange. We could not possibly had guessed that by ourselves."

The Son of Slow looked onto the stacked-eyed alien sourly, "You're not helping."

As if he had not been interrupted, Javik smirked and continued. "That at least was his belief. Impatience haunted his step, so he would not venture far. The hiding place must be within the village... yet out of the way, close by, easy to access, and generally unattended at the hour."

Unable to keep his wisecracking in check, Balak growled "Like we got any shortage of such places." and got a solid reprimanding prod on his forehead, enough to topple him, by an annoyed Lyta Lyle who then corrected him:

"Actually that does shorten the list."

Pi nodded excitably, "Aye, and I know one such place that don't get much attention at most times: The town stables. It was built as an afterthought in anticipation for future animal trades, but hasn't seen much use yet."

"Impatient or not it is a decent place to hide. Searching parties would normally fan out to search more distant locations." Lyta Lyle whispered to them as much as himself, "Right underneath our nose. No longer... muster and let's go!" and once Javik had stood up they all traversed from the street and to the near adjacent town stables. It was made of a large fenced area attached to a trio of buildings; a large barn for animals and two smaller neighboring structures for personnel and equipment. Question was to check these one by one or split up.

Balak grumbled from the back of their group he had elected to stay in, "Where first?"

"Might as well..." Pi started and stopped as a singular fluke occurred either by accident or design, most likely the former. It was very faint and vague, but the wind carried with it a subdued peep delivered with fright and discomfort, the cry of a frightened dôji child that both he and the other could barely keep from racing to the aid of, "the barn!" he hissed.

"I know." Lyta Lyle narrowed his eyes dangerously, "Javik, Balak, with me. Pi... you go there and wait for us to distract the Snatcher."

Understanding what the older dôji had in mind, Pi flexed his claws as he hurried to obey, "Got it." and split away to make for the side of the barn while the others trod on their way to the main entrance, the organics' following whispers quick to fade:

The batarian wondered, "Should he not set off the signal already?"

"Easier to corral the prey if you can dictate the direction it goes." Javik shrugged, "Basics of the basics. You call yourself a soldier?"

From that, Balak grunted his annoyance.

Once in position before the barn's entrance, Lyta Lyle momentarily broke with his flair of gentle patience in favor of a moment of brilliant fury. He had not showed it very much, but the fearful child's cry unsettled him most severely in a way that could only be a holdover from the all too recent time he had to part with his youngest child. And with every figment of strength he tore into the wooden door, and split it apart with enough force to thoroughly pulp it – something that earned a whimper from Balak from the unbidden memory where the synthetic had held him in one of his gauntlets. Javik was more or less unfazed, except to give his batarian counterpart a reprimanding glare as they held back with sticks arrayed like spears.

Unflinching in his walk, the dôji at their head stomped into the barn and found the criminal standing halfway across it... staring at the sudden intruder. The fellow was every inch recognizable as a Son of Jealousy, his blue visors split into six angular pieces much like those of his line's Aspect. In his left gauntlet a tiny figure was held, the child that afraid from all this development had curled up, the safety promised by the imagined presence in his parent's pocket as reassuring as the hull of a battleship.

"Tch." the Snatcher grumpily huffed at being found out, "So that cry carried that far out huh?"

"Let the child go and surrender." Lyta Lyle hissed, incensed, "Or I will break you." with every intent to make real of that threat.

The slender other crooked a laugh, "How about... no?" and raised the claws that clutched the child away as the Son of Slow instantly widened his stance, "Ah, ah, ah. You don't want me to break this little one, do you?"

"I don't have to worry for that at least."

Before a certain level of confusion could be put in, a section of the wall behind the Snatcher pulsed with light as a glowing mass in the shape of a dôji came through seamlessly, the affected wall left intact in its wake this presence launched itself across the distance that needed to be covered until it was at the Snatcher and swiped a large clawed gauntlet through the one that held the infant. Lyta Lyle watched and smirked as the glow for an instant grew to include the child and it likewise passed through and free.

As fitting for one who was by the whole population viewed as very nearly a divinity, Milieu can with his Noh perform dimensional manipulation on a staggering level. In turn, his children has the ability to have themselves sync out of reality for as long as their fuel allows, and further can extend the ensuing effect of intangibility to as many as one got limbs, which is four.

The Snatcher looked over his shoulder instantly as the child's presence was removed from his grasp and figured quickly out what had happened, "You had a Son of Milieu with you!?" he hissed and side-stepped away from Pi's visage with a scowl on his face, "Clever bi-!"

In the same instant, Lyta Lyle had charged at the offending dôji and cut the curse short almost literally as his right arm passed through a reconfiguration, extending a great black blade from where his claws had been. "Karakuri henge; Obsidian blade."

Alas it would not be that easy as the criminal looked back at him, evaluated every step and every sway of his body as he approached and deemed correctly where the blow would land. At the very last moment, the Snatcher ground himself and jumped, with just an inch clearance as the black blade sliced through the air where he was that instant before. "Don't get too cocky!" he declared, "Karakuri henge..."

Read me perfectly, huh... Lyta Lyle thought, his eyes widening as his own ability was triggered and he viewed the possible future where the enemy transformed a Spider Slayer and tried to cut his arm off. How to avoid that damage was obvious, and he arranged an emergency blast from his thrusters that threw him out of the way.

Just in time, "... Spider Slayer!" the Snatcher had formed a curved blade of his own and brought it about into a vertical cut, missing the Son of Slow by fractions. "Ah!"

While still in the air, Lyta Lyle reoriented himself and with a blast onward tried to run the opponent through, an attempt neatly avoided as Snatcher managed to withdraw his blade and tilted it just enough that the Obsidian blade slid off-target. Both span, and exchanged blows at a near-blinding speed that caused the nearest stalls to be chopped to neatly cut pieces, a violent exchange that momentarily ended as Lyta Lyle span and with full force managed to bring it against his opponent, who though he managed to block the blow was sent flying so he crashed through the opposing wall and rolled into the pen outside.

"Bloody hell..." the Snatcher coughed as he dug his claws into the ground and halted his momentum, and too late noticed that the sky which should have been completely dark had been lit by a flare. Not too far away stood Pi with a little telling smirk and the child held against his chest, "Argh, give me a break!"

"No, that is absolutely not our intention." Locksmith's voice carried from the rooftops behind him, the air filled with dozens of newly arrived dôji that had immediately responded to that launched flare. The Son of Sophia folded his arms, "We are taking you in."

Snatcher looked up at them all and in a show of nonchalance grinned, "How about no?" and looked down just in time to notice the next one to attack him. By the looks of it, a Son of Rage. While the Sons of Ultimo can manipulate their own time to move at extreme speed, Rage's children simply has insane acceleration over short distances that mimics their Aspect's capacity for lightning speed and uses the momentum it brings to smash their enemies wide open.

This Son of Rage came from the side, and Snatcher had to twist himself out of the way to avoid heavy damage and watched with bare composure as the opponent blurred past at supersonic speed with a curled fist extended. Unfortunately, it was an ability more meant to be a nutcracker against hardened targets like heavy units and fortifications than something small and nimble.

An opening was perceived by the missed attack, and Snatcher accordingly tried to lash his Spider Slayer out at him... only to see the attack pass harmlessly through and snarled at Pi who just used the opening he had offered in turn to grab him from behind. The effect of intangibility fading the instant his ineffectual attack had run its course, followed by a hammer blow to his midsection as Lyta Lyle joined them and struck out, sending the crook tumbling across the pens, clutching his abdomen in a pitiful manner.

"You might be useful for a bond-mate after all." Lyta Lyle remarked to his partner in this venture, liking the deftness in decision and implementation. "You okay?" he asked of the Son of Rage who just recovered.

Pi responded by blushing. The other dôji simply grunted at the concern, "I'm fine."

Nodding, he turned as dust and dirt was scattered in thin clouds by Locksmith and everyone else landed to surround the criminal, "So how about it, Snatcher? About time to give up, hm?"

"Not in your life." Snatcher hissed as he stacked himself back up, the damage across his lower body lessening as self-repair kicked in, undaunted by the odds against him. Probably still thought escape could be carried out.

Locksmith was not impressed and marched with a set of claws raised to grab, and found no purchase as Snatcher leaned then hopped away, sought an opening in the crowd, and beelined for it. Those who had given the opportunity stiffened and instantly bolted into place to block. Snatcher fired his thrusters and leaped over them in turn, his attempt brought short as the only dôji who absolutely towered over the rest, a bulky Son of Orgullo, came at the crook from behind and used his own mass to smash him face-first into the ground.

For an instant Snatcher was stunned and pinned into the dirt yet able to quickly recover as he next violently reacted and flailed till he managed to backhand across the face of the one who held him and had the hold loosen for long enough that he could bob and weave from those who had rushed to the side to try and pin him down more thoroughly.

Lyta Lyle watched the development with a cool mind, unsurprised that it proved rather difficult to capture the target. This type of objective by its very nature require innately far more manpower than simply killing. Him being a Son of Jealousy who could read body language almost like an open book made it even harder. And that was why he had earlier tried to cut the Snatcher in half at the waist. With two limbs short the capture would have been much easier.

Not about to let the Snatcher go as he got clear, he was swarmed as the rat-like Sons of Avaro at this location duplicated into a small horde and buried him in a pile of them, biting and slashing at the lone opponent in attempt to rip his limbs off. No doubt that would have done it... that is, if the Snatcher had restrained himself like they did.

Alas he struck back with lethal force and the duplicates soon shrieked and dissipated while one of the dôji themselves jumped back with visible injuries as the Snatcher wrestled himself free from the pile, jumped clear... then haltingly fell against a wall, obviously limping as ugly gashes ran around his shoulders and a leg was barely attached. And the little swarm made by the remaining Sons of Avaro, almost frothing as they were caught up in the action, seemed more than ready to pile in again to finish the job.

"Looks like it's in the bag." Lyta Lyle observed. All the violence was regrettable, but the Snatcher had forced their hand. All the others ganged up both to finally apprehend the criminal... and pry the rat-like attackers off of him to avoid a kill.

Pi agreed, cooing softly as he quietly reassured the tiny pup that lay curled against his chest, "Yeah."

"How many times would we have died if we tried to get involved." Balak growled as he and his reluctant companion watched the fight to apprehend that loner from inside the barn. It was the first glimpse of dôji in combat and was like an all too real movie had played out for all the battle choreography that just happened.

"Twenty point five times." Javik deadpanned for an answer, not deep in the care for the stacked-eyed alien's cowardice and more busy studying the capability of what he might fight one day, "Give or take two point one."

For all the damage, Snatcher seemed more than willing to try and continue his flight when suddenly the whole building Snatcher had leaned on split in half and took his right arm and the healthy leg with it. And Javik widened his eyes to pay the utmost attention as the figure of that massive 'Hatter' synthetic arrived at the scene.

Lyta Lyle had frozen solid and knew the same happened to every other soul who saw it happen as the Snatcher lost two of his limbs in that sudden vertical slash that likewise parted the structure behind like so much air. For a tiny moment, the Snatcher looked to the stumps of his in shock long enough for his remaining and much injured leg to give away. Without a sound he fell on the side and stared up at the looming lights cast by Hatter as he perched atop the structure, a long pike slung against its shoulder.

At first they suspected it was the Taison who just did that. "Hatter, where have you been?!" Locksmith cried out as he had a few others run and finally capture the criminal... all of which froze again as another figure strolled through the dust that had been thrown up by that massive slash.

Shrugging, Hatter raised a two signs, saying; 'Howdy Locksmith.' and 'Official business'.

"What kind of official..." Locksmith was about to ask, and fell silent as a slender and all too recognizable figure emerged from the gap made in the structure, the sight of which made those sent to apprehend instantly stop in their tracks.

'Meeting him.' Hatter brought up a new sign flippantly.

Snatcher's accusing eyes turned much wider, fearful, and he shrank back as an Aspect strode fully into view. Not just any Aspect, but an oddly appropriate one. An ultramarine-themed dôji with pink eyes with long jet black hair styled into several long tendrils that contrasted the pale complexion of his skin, eyes surrounded by six small transparent visors that together with the eyes themselves gives a spidery resemblance. It was Jealousy, the Aspect of Envy, and despite his not so considerable size loomed darkly over the assembled crowd.

All as one, including Locksmith, Pi and Lyta Lyle himself, they instantly prostrated themselves when the surprise had run its course.

"L-lord!" the watch leader stuttered, "We w-weren't aware..."

"Of course you didn't. I only just arrived." Jealousy said as he regally looked across the assembly till he set his eyes on the criminal who did his absolute best to curl up and seem tiny and insignificant under the Aspect's gaze. "I was recently informed that one of my children has been... naughty, and followed a predictable trail to dispense some... due punishment."

Locksmith bowed a little lower, his words less halting now, "Please, lord. You do not need to sully your hands on this one."

Jealousy looked at the minor dôji evenly, "On the contrary." and tapped a claw against the wall. Hatter instantly leaped down and extended an arm to grab the almost defenseless criminal and hoist him onto the shoulder. "At this juncture... I..."

For a moment the Aspect simply stared ahead of himself as if surprised. Lyta Lyle gasped in a low voice as he realized that Jealousy now glared at the barn, right where that hole earlier was made... in which Javik and Balak stood and watched... stiff now in their posture as Jealousy's strong gaze transfixed them. For a few seconds the moment lasted before a pair of words finally left the astonished Jealousy's lips:

"Oh my."

Meanwhile...

Location: Utopia System; Orbit around Mass Relay; Mind's Eye Station.

Regula watched through the panorama of the observation deck idly as the massive tug ships lowered themselves against the massive relay, causing strong friction as the ships' sizable clamps brushed against its immense quantum shields in preparation to take it into Nirvana's orbit. An arduous trek to be sure, but a necessary one to maximize their defenses for the war that might spark at any time.

Very slowly, the ships slowed its current orbit and hauled it off. Everything seemed to be going fine, until the relay's rings' continuous orbit around its massive element zero core sped up like they always did when a ship is expecting. Regula with that realization powered up his Noh for when it finally sped into sight in a brilliant streak of neon light, reached out, only to find... nothing.

Puzzled, the Aspect of Discipline stared at the object that now naked without the blue glow seemed much smaller than the ship captured earlier and realized belatedly it was a drone. And for an instant it lurched automatically for a direction vaguely pointed at the Hephaestus System and Regula realized it was sent to investigate the 'supernova'.

That is, before it stopped, used its powerful scanners to run a sweep on the foreign objects that surrounded the relay besides itself when there should have been nothing, then sent out a screaming burst of data before it self-destructed to avoid capture.

Regula watched the ball of fire expand then diminish into nothing grimly. "They... know we're here now."

Author notes: Another chapter done. Now that Jealousy knows about the organics of Oinari village the rest won't be far behind. Likewise, the Council now knows where their 'enemy' is. Now for comments. Thank you for the comments, Alfonse08. As for your questions:

1. There are no Leviathans here. As for the story, it grew to be longer than I anticipated. But it's close to the climax and the sequel.

2. All I can say is that compared to what Aspects can do, the abilities of minor dôji are limited and inflexible if still pretty useful. Com dôji for example is only able to use Engrave, while Regula can do so much more.

3. To go further into the enemy Javik fought at the moment would be kind of a spoiler. So no comment for now.

4. Everyone makes mistakes.

5. I've entertained the concept of minor dôji having ICON mode in the past, but decided it would be rather impractical considering future mass interactions with organics would result in the occasional prankster trying to initiate it by reaching at the backs of random dôji. They'd be able to decide whether or not to initiate ICON, but it could disrupt work in dangerous ways.