Part I:

RAKKA

continued

The way of a path of bald boulders gleamed in the sunlight, farther up the Kir, and this path was by which Ylyssus returned to the opposite bank, not realizing these were the boulders presumably where Little Behe years earlier had traipsed across (by Dolatrafas's account) and fallen to her fate—drowned and pulled by the current to the river's selfish hold under the skies.

He lands and strides down the riverbank, towards Casnar…who has started forward to meet as he comes closer. As he strode towards his sered, Ylyssus bears a thoughtful countenance, thinking of the questions he would ask Dolatrafas about his adopted daughter's last day.

Casnar is unaware of the site's importance—as he does not break his step, and collides hard into the distracted drell.

In a sudden flurry of motion, their reunion draws all eyes.

Gripping both neck and collar of uniform as he swipes the drell's legs from under him with one impressive kick—

"I taught him that," Tetonbaum nudges Kasumi with his elbow as they witness the move from the safe enclosure of the ship's Navigation module with Thane and Miranda, too, observing.

Miranda says nothing, but Thane nods slightly as he listens and watches through the cameras.

Casnar carries Ylyssus—with a stunned expression—down to the grassy slope, "…What were you thinking!" His voice scares Ylyssus, what with how loudly he shouts, the hiriwa's emeralds wide and angry over his own as he stares up at him framed by blue sky, ( "…What were you thinking! Leaving the vessel? Leaving me inside—when you should have been aboard, tending responsibilities! Loyalty!…And how do you get it in your skull that you can run about without a care…" ) He shakes him soundly against the grass, others riveted.

Ylyssus's hands up and to the sides submissively, ( "…Master…" )

Casnar shouts, shaking him again.

Ylyssus waits until he is sure Casnar has nothing left he wishes to holler then meekly replies, ( "…In truth, Master," ) voice quiet and respectful, ( "…I want to see Braith…first…and how can you blame me," ) quickly he goes, Casnar baring teeth at the admission, ( "…Imagine Braith is sunlight, and I…a blade of grass…You," ) his hand folds all fingers but one that directs Casnar's attention—he does not look away from Ylyssus—toward trees over the opposite bank. ( "You are like those trees over there…Kala, you are the whole forest, Master, compared to me…A blade of grass is overshadowed by the trees…When you and I both try to see her…Forgive me, Master, for you have been good to me." )

Ylyssus chokes, and Casnar's grip lessens in pity of the drell.

( "…I am at fault for loving her, Master…I want to know…why I am still alive, existing day to day—if there is no hope for me and her…She would always think of you when she was with me—" )

( "She loved you, Ylyssus." )

Casnar drops him, straightens himself as his burrells come over, but halt as he raises his arm to show them to stay back.

( "She wore your ring on her neck when she came to the Craig…Instead of returning home to safety—to me…She chose you. She chose you and some adopted child…" )

Ylyssus's eyes blink a few times, whether for incredulity or memories.

( "She could have chosen me. She will choose me now, that much is known by S'syalahe, but we will work something out, Ylyssus. Do not ever run off again…I cannot protect you if you are out of sight, and reach…" )

He finally extends his hand to the drell.

( "Up, tell me what you have learned on the ground with the Behedins." )

Ylyssus is yanked up by Casnar, and the hiriwa slaps him on shoulder and back, letting him know, and others, that all is well between the two.

Inside the Ni S'pri, Thane hears Casnar and Ylyssus, talking in the circle at a table in Planning. Everyone there that needs be: Tetonbaum and Kasumi (practically inseparable, knowing their time together dwindles the closer they get to Bangal'roux and Braith), Miranda, Garrus, Grunt, and the head of Casnar's escort to the Craig before they were categorized as of those defecting from the rest of the pha'laksh under Cartira's control…He is Byloniue, and speaks little if anything at all.

The knowledge that Casnar is wanted by someone in connection to the Behedin, sounds no more alarming than what else has come their way…

Casnar is animated as he remarks about the news his brother has contracted with the Behedin for game meat and material from Rakka. "Casnar," Thane draws their attention, "…do you wish for myself or someone to cross the Kir with you to meet with this Behedin."

It is notsomuch a question, but a suggestion, and a wise one.

"Well duh," Kasumi quips and gazes at her husband, "…It's a trap."

Garrus opens his hands, looking to Thane and to Casnar, his blues thinning, "…She's right…" He raises his voice, feigning a made-up one—it does not come out very different from his usual voice, "…Why don't we sit down and talk—I promise I won't have my lethally-trained hunters grab and bag you…" He chuckles, voice switching back to his original one—a highly subtle difference, if any, "…Really?" He folds his arms over his chest.

Ylyssus hesitates, but Casnar's lingering glance prompts.

"I believe Bromthas will honor his promise. He has always been fair…"

He looks down to their reflections in the black table surface.

"…Braith trusts him."

"How well do you know the Behedin," Thane's eyes marking him, "…You seem well-acquainted to know how to find at least one in Mohouni…But it was Braith who hunted with them?"

"The Behedin owe their lives to Braith. She kept Morthwyls…tame…around them…I know these Drells outside," he raises his chin to the darkening night, through the ship's display screens in the Navigation niche, "…are for the most part free to choose as they will…

"They were Aspah Bentara's favored," Tetonbaum chides him, "…Their loyalty only so deep as a purse can pay."

"They sound like mercenaries," Grunt rumbles, dragging his nail against the glass-top, and lifting a mug of ryncol, "…Who has them in their pockets now?…Would be like everyone here's thinking, but not everyone's saying," thumbing a claw at Ylyssus. "Why don't you just tie your hands, Soterios, and go over there for them, make it easy…Ask 'em who they want to give you to…Sometimes it's best to meet your enemy face-to-face, but have a knife ready to slit his throat."

"Wrex did something like that," Garrus reminisces back to '83 on the Normandy SR-1.

Casnar stands from his chair. "It's getting to be too long talking and wondering without any decisiveness…And this Bromthas is waiting…I have been, too, in a way…I would like to meet him, regardless of whether he intends to capture me or hold up this offer not to."

"There is one other thing," Ylyssus speaks so delicately, and yet it brings all eyes to him.

"What is it," Thane asks.

Ylyssus sighs and rubs his crests, lowering his hands back down to his lap, "…There is bad blood between myself and Dolatrafas."

"No kidding," Miranda says, "…We could tell when you broke down his door and threw him out the second-floor window."

Casnar is staring at him, "…I must have been under when this happened…What would possess you?"

"Dolatrafas has…made egregious mistakes…These have crossed my limits of what is acceptable. I have the opportunityto question him about something—It is important to me," he gazes up at Casnar. "Violence might come from it…Bromthas will kill anyone if weapons are raised in threat…but not fists."

"What did he do," Casnar presses.

"She couldn't fight him, Sered," Ylyssus says, his eyes down, avoiding Casnar's now, who at first thinks he is rambling, "…Aspah charged her with protecting each and every Behedin…" His hands tighten into fists and he rubs his knuckles into the meat of his thigh, as if this helps him to massage away the welling guilt, "…If she attacked anyone, or turned on them because of the morthwyl, Aspah threatened to harm me," his voice lowers to a whisper, "…Because she cared…about me…she suffered," his hands stop their kneading his thighs. "Dolatrafas raped her."

"Where, when was this," Casnar orders.

"Somewhere along the Kir, perhaps this very bank," Ylyssus blinks his eyelids, "…It is why she owned property…Dolatrafas's home was given to her as reparation for the offense…Dolatrafas submitted to her…as her slave." Hands cover his face, long hands with tender fingers, the wood ring on one of these, "…I believe…I believe…he drowned our daughter, Little Behe, in retaliation for the humility he and his father endured..."

"Do Drells kill offspring of females on Rakhana," Grunt asks—a callous question but relevant to him. "You two were yelling in Mohouni…Tuchanka, rival Krogan slaughtered the offspring of females a long time ago, before the Genophage…They would mate to produce their own offspring with them, so that those of the driven-off or killed mates wouldn't grow to avenge their humiliated or slain fathers."

"Is it true," Miranda interjects, "…Not about the rape, but what you say about the child?…The child being drowned by Dolatrafas is true?"

Ylyssus removes his face from his hands, "…No…no, it is not proven…I fear I will discover this, when I confront him specifically about the event."

"Hold off," Casnar says, "…Let's meet with Bromthas first, I may be able to learn something without putting you into direct confrontation with Dolatrafas."

Tetonbaum raises his sapphires from Ylyssus to Casnar.

Ylyssus agrees, "…I will obey your wish, Sered..."

He feels Casnar pat his shoulder. Casnar looks to Thane. "You're coming too."

Thane nods once, deliberate and slow.