Chapter 29
Open Sesame
When Finn awoke, he found his hands bound behind his back … again. For once, however, he held back the sarcastic comment and left his eyes closed. Slowly, he let his lids rise just enough for him to get a dim view of the room. It wasn't easy; the only light came from the corridor.
As Finn's eyes adjusted to the dim light, he took in his surroundings. It was a small circular chamber with a small platform in the center. A large relief lined the walls, though it was too dark to make out much. A krogan statue, surprisingly life-like, stood directly opposite of the corridor that presumably led outside. It looked like it was guarding the chamber, though Finn suspected it was just his imagination.
He was sitting on the ground beside Mannon and Darsan. Jake was there as well, an angry look on his face. Councilor Raine stood by herself while her associates held positions on either side of the doorway, as though waiting for someone else to arrive Finn counted five of them; five asari commandos.
Sherle shifted, her eyes on him. She must've noticed he was awake. He shook his head ever so slightly, indicating that she shouldn't acknowledge him just yet.
After a few moments, she asked, "Why are you doing this?"
Councilor Raine didn't look at her as she said, "Be quiet."
"You're part of the Council!" Mannon persisted. "I can't believe you cleared this with the other Councilors."
"This isn't about the Council." Raine said, still not looking at Mannon. "This is about justice."
"Sarcastic; Funny. You don't look like a Justicar."
Raine fixed Darsan with a venomous glare. "I said be quiet. Don't make me stun you like I stunned your friend."
Silence filled the room for a few moments. Finn had an idea, but he couldn't bring himself to try it just yet; better not to involve the Saints unless he just had to. A slight glance down showed what he feared to be true; his radio was gone, as was his pistol.
Finn was just considering giving up his ruse in the hopes of getting more information when he saw shadows in the corridor heading their way. He considered shouting a warning.
As though reading his mind, Councilor Raine hissed, "Make a sound and I will kill you here and now."
Mannon's eyes darted to Finn, who shook his head slightly again.
Jake noticed their exchange and took a tentative step toward Finn, only to scamper back at a glare from Raine. He held his distance, but it was clear he was waiting for her to lower her guard.
As the shadows grew nearer, Finn recognized the voices … or rather, the voice. The thick Australian accent would be hard to forget.
"How much further?" The Boss asked, sounding more than a little annoyed.
"Not far, Boss." Finn recognized this voice as that of Johnnie Gat. It didn't surprise him; the Boss and Johnnie always seemed to go hand in hand.
"Good. Christ, I hate spiders. This treasure had better be-"
He stepped into the chamber. The asari to the right of the door swung some kind of stun baton at the Boss's head, only for the Boss to grab her wrist.
"Not today, love." The Boss growled. Johnnie was the next to enter the room; he didn't even flinch as the prod hit him in the chest. After a momentary jolt, he grabbed the prod from the asari and snapped it like a twig. As the Saints fought the asari commandos, Finn expected Councilor Raine to try to assist. She simply stood there, looking down her nose at the ensuing fight for a few moments before pulling out a small pad and tapping it.
Lights flared around the room; Finn clenched his eyes shut just in time to avoid being blinded. Something metal pressed against his hands; moments later, the tension on his bindings went slack. Finn caught the cut ends and held them fast; no reason to let anyone know he was free yet.
"Thanks, Jake." Finn whispered, receiving a quiet "ruff" in reply as the metal sensation left him.
When he opened his eyes, Johnnie Gat was on one side of the room beside the body of one of the assassins, his pistol pointed straight at Councilor Raine, who held an ornate knife to the Boss's throat.
"Johnnie." The Boss said, his eyes on the knife. "Drop this bitch!"
Johnnie took aim, prompting Raine to prick the Boss's neck. Finn watched as Johnnie's eyes followed the drop of blood down the Boss's throat.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, Johnnie threw his pistol to the floor. "Just so you know, I'm gonna shove that toothpick up your ass."
"I highly doubt that." Councilor Raine said, her voice dry. "Tie him up and put him next to the others."
The remaining asari bound Johnnie and shoved him toward Finn.
"All right, all right!" He complained, "I'm going."
As he knelt beside Finn, Johnnie said, "Hi, Finn."
"Hey, Johnnie." Finn replied in the same deadpan voice. "Things never really change, do they?"
"Nope." He nodded at Raine. "Dibs on killing the Councilor."
"Be quiet!" Councilor Raine snapped at them. "By the goddess, you humans like to talk."
"Well, I'm a sucker for good conversation." The Boss said, still held by the Councilor. "So what now?'
"Now you're going to tell me how a bunch of low-life thugs found this place."
"Here now!" The Boss said, "That's not a nice thing to say about Finn."
Finn let out a snort of laughter, inadvertently giving away his conscious state.
"Ah, Mister Cresste." Councilor Raine said, eyes narrowing. "So you've been listening. I must confess, I'm very curious as to why the man who gave up his freedom to warn us about a supposed threat from the Reapers is travelling with a group of quarian thieves. So much for noble sacrifice."
"Lady, would you believe anything I told you? You already think I'm a scoundrel, and I can't say you'd be wrong. The real question is why a respected asari matriarch, the chosen representative of her race on the Council, is chasing the treasure of the League of One."
"This isn't about treasure!" She said, her cheeks purple. "It's about justice."
"Against the League of One?" Finn asked incredulously, "They've been dead for centuries!"
"Time isn't relevant!" She said. "They must pay for their crimes."
"Careful, Finn." The Boss said, twirling a finger around his ear. "Got a nutter here."
"Shut up!" She said. "I've waited for this day since before you monkeys even managed to stumble upon space travel!"
To one of the remaining asari, she barked, "We're not waiting anymore. Use the medallion!"
Nodding, the asari stepped onto the platform. She seemed nervous as she held out a small medal Finn recognized as bearing the symbol of the League of One.
After a few moments, the krogan statue came to life and spoke in a deep gravelly voice.
"To those whose will once guided fate
A moment I do bid thee wait.
Long your path from stars has been
But sanctuary waits within.
Stand your ground and without fear
Speak the word and enter here."
The asari commandos seemed nervous, especially the one standing on the platform. She glanced at Councilor Raine, her face almost panicked.
Raine looked at her prisoners. "You see my problem. Perhaps one of you has some idea?"
Finn shrugged. "Open Sesame?" prompting sniggers from The Boss and Johnnie.
Raine nodded at the asari, who gulped and said in a quavering voice, "Open Sesame."
For a few moments, nothing seemed to happen. Just as the asari started to relax, however, a burst of energy shot from the eyes of the krogan statue, enveloping the asari. She had time to let out one agonizing scream before she was reduced to dust. The remaining commandos bowed their head in silence for their fallen comrade.
"Bloody hell!" The Boss said, eyes wide. "League didn't screw around, did they?"
"They weren't fools, which is more than I can say for you and your band of rogues." Turning to the Boss, she said, "Still, I'm sure you'll do much better."
"You're joking! I'm not settin' foot near that thing!" The Boss said.
Councilor Raine kicked the Boss onto the platform. She let out a muffled cry as she fell fast-first onto the dusty stone. As she spat out what remained of the asari, Raine lifted her rifle and aimed it at The Boss.
"Pick up the medallion and hold it up." She commanded.
"Like hell I will!"
The shot hit the Boss in the arm, making her let out a pained shout.
"You're gonna pay for that, b-" The Boss said, only to find herself staring cross-eyed at the barrel of Councilor Raine's rifle.
"Pick up the medallion and hold it up." She said in a quiet voice. "Or the next one will go through your head."
Grumbling, the Boss picked up the medallion and slowly held it up. The krogan statue came to life, once again repeating:
"To those whose will once guided fate
A moment I do bid thee wait.
Long your path from stars has been
But sanctuary waits within.
Stand your ground and without fear
Speak the word and enter here."
After a moment of silence, Councilor Raine looked again to Finn. "Well?"
Feeling a little panicked himself now, Finn said, "Me? Why me?"
"I've went through dozens of my own people trying every password on record the League ever used." She said, her eyes not leaving his. "You, on the other hand, seem to have the luck of the Goddess."
"How am I supposed to-" Finn began, only for Raine to interrupt him.
"They were good people." She said, anger in her tone. "Each one of my commandoes knew the risk, and believed as I did that justice must be dealt. Every one of them volunteered to try, even Jihanna, who watched three of her sisters reduced to ash before her. It tore me up to see them die, so imagine how little I care about any of you! Guess, and pray that your luck holds out, or you will see every one of your friends meet the same fate, yes, even those above and in your ship, before you are the last! Now tell me, Cresste, what is the password?"
Finn stared back at her stunned; his hands were free, yet he had never felt more trapped. The Boss stared at him as well, her eyes pleading. It reminded Finn of those early days on Earth with the Saints. He never hated them; part of him hated to leave. Sure, they were criminals, but they were like a family to him when his mother was rapidly becoming less and less responsive. He realized how much fun those days had been, and while he had no desire to return to that life, he couldn't be responsible for his old friend's death.
"All right." Finn said, swallowing. "Give me some time to think about this."
"You have a minute."
"A minute?!"
"Yes, a minute!" She snapped, "After that, I'll just have to go with my gut and guess the password's something like, oh, 'Finn Cresste murdered me'. Yes, that sounds like it might just work."
"Finn." The Boss said, her voice quiet to avoid tripping the trap, "I just want you to know I won't blame you for being wrong as long as you promise not to actually be wrong."
"I'll keep that in mind." Finn closed his eyes; the others were already talking, suggesting possible passwords, most of which were from famous stories and were just as likely to work as the last password he suggested.
The League of One set a password for returning members, so it made sense that it was something they'd all know. The poem suggested something possibly literary, but Finn didn't know anything about salarian literature.
'Speak the word' the krogan said. To put a poem on a deadly password protection hinted at an air of dark sophistication on the part of the person who put it there, and making a simple mistake like not making 'word' plural seemed unlikely, so the password was probably just a single word.
He thought back to the recording in the first medallion, which felt like it was ages ago after everything that had of the salarians had been part of a band; perhaps the band name? What was it? The Eternians?
Even as it was on his lips, he realized it wasn't it. One member of the League was a member of the band, not all of them. It would be a pass word they all knew. Something they decided on together.
"Tick-tock, Mister Cresste." Councilor Raine said, "Thirty seconds."
"I'm thinking!" Finn rubbed his forehead, trying to remain calm.
The medallion was found in the Silean nebula. Maybe Silean? No, that's too simple. For all Finn knew, the medallion was carried there by someone else; the League may not have even know. Was it something else in the poem, perhaps? The leader's name was something Mkrobi. Geralt? Geraldio? Finn's mind grasped the memory, eventually feeling more or less sure it was Geral. But wouldn't Raine have tried that? It was too simple, and she would've already tried the simple answers.
"Fifteen seconds." Raine said, taking aim. "If Finn doesn't come up with an answer, feel free to say anything before I shoot, Saint."
"So much for meeting up with Shaundi and Zimos at the Broken Shillelagh." The Boss muttered.
Finn's eyes widened. Meeting … meeting up, rejoining after a long absence. Geral had mentioned something, a word in an ancient salarian dialect. It was what they called their reunions. The meaning escaped him, something about coming home from work, but the word came to his mind a few moments later.
Miiraka!" Finn said aloud, his voice making everyone turn. "The word is Miiraka!"
"Are you sure, Finn?" The Boss said, her voice still low.
"Absolutely." Finn said, knowing with all his heart that he was right as its meaning came to him; the feeling when walking home from a long day's work.
The Boss closed her eyes, raised the medallion a little higher, and said in a firm voice, "Miiraka!"
Everything in the chamber was absolutely still for the next few moments, until the beams shot from the krogan's eyes. The Boss flinched, but the beams didn't seem to harm her. They ran over her body before focusing on the medallion. After a few moments, the statue nodded.
"Password confirmed. Medallion verified as authentic. Welcome home, my brothers."
As the krogan was once again inert, the back walls of the chamber slid open, forming a massive opening. The passage ahead was dark, but a dim light could be seen in the distance
The Boss let out a huge sigh of relief. "Finn, I could kiss you."
"Please don't." Finn said, feeling no small relief himself. "Today's been strange enough as it is."
Her face split into a wide grin. She opened her mouth to respond when at a nod from Raine, the commandos raised their rifles to fire.
"Wait!" Finn said, rising to his feet. "You can't kill her! You can't kill anyone!"
"Why not?" Councilor Raine asked, a grim smile on her face. "You are all criminals. If I were still a justicar, I'd have killed you all already."
"And if there are other traps? Do you really want to risk any more of your own people?" It was a gamble, but one he felt fairly confident would pay off.
Raine gave him a calculating look. "A fair point. All right, you and your friends will live a little longer … but only three of you are coming with me."
Turning her gaze at her commandos, she said, "Asiris, Shalle, come with me. Meandra, you stay here with the other prisoners. If you lose contact with me for over an hour, kill them."
Glancing at Finn, she added, "Just in case you get any funny ideas."
"Wouldn't dream of it." Finn told her.
She looked at her prisoners for a long moment. "The elcor will just slow us down, your dog will probably run off the moment he gets the chance, and I don't trust scraps."
"Then I guess you aren't as dumb as you look." Johnnie said, eyes narrowing behind his sunglasses.
Councilor Raine glared at him for a moment before continuing, "All right; Mister Cresste, you take the lead. You can take your lucky Saint friend and the other Alliance deserter with you."
"Fine." Finn said, eager to at least put off the appearance of compliance.
One of the asari shoved the Boss toward Finn and Mannon, prompting a rather long and creative curse. The asari's face darkened, but she just kept shoving the foul-mouthed human until she finally walked over to Finn and company.
"Well," The Boss said, shooting a dirty look at the commando. "I guess we're off to see the wizard."
"Let's just hope he has something for us in his bag." Mannon muttered as they were prodded forward.