Part I:
RAKKA
continued
The four made their way uneventfully to the Ni S'pri. Ylyssus still straggled behind them, but Miranda was none concerned by whether he would run off…He was committed to Casnar and by extension Tetonbaum, and if Braith was the end goal, they—meaning Miranda and Thane—were the best means to reunite with his former lover.
The Behedin with them, on the other hand, made Miranda rather nervous, though she was not one who typically expressed such a show of her inner feelings on her outer skin or gestures. The more she considered Dolatrafas and his size, his strength concealed by the lazy silks he wore over his big frame, the more she worried about what else was to be discovered in Rakhana…Ylyssus and Tetonbaum and Casnar…All the drells she had met so far that were Rakhïk-bred stock, aside from Thane who was an exception (no less lethal in his own abilities, and that had not been his original skillset when he had been selected for the Compact's many programs available to Drells and Drellahnas during that particular exodus) were proven to be of an exacerbatingly-mentally troubling category in her organization in her head.
What could the Behedin pull off, she wondered about, when he was confident enough to do so…Ylyssus's handling of introductions had thrown her judgement of Dolatrafas off-kilter…Everything would be skewed now from what had happened in Mohouni, she realized, and Dolatrafas was difficult to read to begin with. The Behedin was terrified of Ylyssus appearing with another alien or two, particularly Miranda since she had used her biotic power to catch and place him on the ground…Grunt he had never seen before, and a krogan was another stock of fighter or animal, either would suffice to Dolatrafas's opinion just from looking at the young pureblood from Tuchanka (a tube really, but still…)
What is more, Miranda was disturbed by the state of Mohouni…Was there not supposed to be some presence of military there, given Casnar had sacked it and claimed it occupied by his house-clan?…She looks at Ylyssues, pondering if he may know something he will not share…Yet again another wrinkle in the fabric she was trying to smooth out and pluck telltale fibers from in her head.
Was there not supposed to be some form of protection over the city?…And where were the other Behedins…Did they not travel in a group…Why was this the only one left behind in the city, on his own…Where was the father that Ylyssus had described to them…What was going on under these still waters over this country said to be run by barra or Morthwyl?
As they enter the clearing ahead of them, with the di'leans boarding the Ni S'pri in Garrus and Thane's anticipation of their return with their captive Behedin, Miranda starts to feel a little more at ease. She sees Garrus on the ramp, looking much a turian shepherd, tall and leaning on his rifle like a staff with its butt-end on the metal planking and grill. He has turned to see them coming from the woodline and starts to walk down as the burrells on the ship, hopefully unaware of the state their master is in back in the medical lab, submissively tend to their creatures.
"Looks as if everyone made it back without too much issue," Garrus says into his omni-tool, communicating through the receivers on the crew's arms as he shares with Thane and Kasumi the arrival of their missing counterparts, "…Spirits, sweet spirits," his blue eyes keen on the sight of the Behedin ahead of Grunt, "…These Drells just get bigger and bigger, don't they." He says it with an admiration for the variation in the species, and almost some anxiety, if what Thane has told him is to come into fruition and Rakhana does reach its predicted heights among the universe with the rest of them already waiting and recovering from a war against Reapers two decades later nearly. "You only found one in that city you visited?" he asks though he knows and is making small talk with Miranda and Grunt. Garrus starts to stride down the rampway with a leggy bounce as he closes to greet them and help with what he should, Miranda answering on communiqué.
"One," she says and comes to a pause, "…Maybe there are more but we've walked all this way and seen no sign of—" She notices the Behedin pulling himself up and straightening his shoulders as he looks high at the Ni S'pri—That, and the turian lanking over to them across the ground and grass…A small surprise not.
The di'leans also give him a shock and the burrells with them, ( "…What is this," ) he murmurs, ( "…Drell and mount inside a colossal machine such as this…I have seen such in Bangal'roux—" )
"What did he say," Grunt growls and looks to Ylyssus, who is passing his gaze from the ship to Dolatrafas.
( "You have seen this ship's kind before," ) Ylyssus says with some demand in his tone that the drell answer, and Dolatrafas turns his face to him.
( "Machines like it," ) Dolatrafas replies, ( "…There are scores of them in Rakka, but they line the ground as carcasses." )
( "Just like this one," ) Ylyssus points to the Ni S'pri, ( "…or somewhat different?" )
( "They are metal," ) Dolatrafas regards the ship again, identifying and contrasting its similarities and differences from his memories, ( "…Behe knows more about them." )
( "Behe," ) Ylyssus whispers and Miranda touches his shoulder, for she remembers the name for Braith.
"Ylyssus, do I need to turn on my translator," she asks, "…or are you going to tell us what he's saying."
He looks at her, "…He has seen ships like the one you fly here," he tilts his head, "…but in Bangal'roux…Braith and the Behedins, from the sound of it, have had more contact…That could be good, can't it?…It means—"
"It can mean anything," but Miranda experiences a spark of a thrill that Braith is reconnecting with her past life, whatever she is now…Collaboration, possibly? she wonders, …Between herself and these Drells? She turns her gaze to Dolatrafas, and finds him still staring at the ship and the turian. "Braith is working on something," she hears from Ylyssus, "…but what…Why would she be allowing the Behedin if they are Drell…" Miranda hears a thump in the forest behind them and turns to the unexpected noise.
"Grunt!" She suddenly cries out as the krogan falls short of the treeline, a cord of some sort around his neck, and through the trees emerge things of a nightmare…Aboard the flooring of the Ni S'pri, the di'leans have started to stand and raise their plumes, calling in shrieks of alarm and warning for their masters.
"Asthurs," Ylyssus shoves Dolatrafas towards Garrus, "…Take him inside! Quick!"
"What are they," Garrus grabs onto the Behedin as Dolatrafas stumbles from Ylyssus's push and starts to struggle against the turian's grip…Miranda assists by picking him off his feet, slippered and stained soles kicking in the air as she sends him ahead with Garrus into the ship, "…Spirits, what else does this planet have!" He runs ahead with Dolatrafas as Ylyssus turns to the beast coming forward of the wood, its sinuous viper-shaped head rising as the slats of thickened tebral tissues on its chest rattle with its breaths, and atop it, riding like a black driver of death, is a Behedin the size of Dolatrafas if not bigger. He stops the asthur behind Grunt on the ground, who is cutting the cord off his neck with a serrated knife from his belt.
The Behedin atop the asthur turns on its back and pulls a long sword off his back of fur, ( "…Tell this animal not to move," ) Bromthas's voice is clearly heard by Ylyssus, ( "…or I will decapitate it and mount the skull on my wall." )
Dolatrafas cries out for his father as he is carried, more or less floated into the hold of the Ni S'pri, and the burrells clear away fearfully from Miranda's powerful aura glowing about the Behedin, led by Garrus's claw on his floating foot.
( "Dolatrafas, be still and silent," ) another voice from one of the other asthurs standing as a deadly wraith on the cusp of the wood says, and Ylyssus recognizes Cuerikhl's calming thrum.
( "Cuerikhl, Bromthas," ) Ylyssus steps towards them and the other asthurs and riders in the trees, ( "…They will not harm him—" ) Grunt starts to get up, "…Grunt, don't…move…"
The krogan stays on his knee, but looks up with his head at the drell higher up, the sword pointing at his eyes. Grunt's glare connects with the gaze of the leader of the Behedin.
Bromthas raises his gaze back to Ylyssus from the krogan he is ready to kill, ( "…Either you leave Dolatrafas with us, or we take this one, dead or alive." )
Miranda looks ready to drop Dolatrafas and lift and pull Grunt away, but how soon she would be able to do that might not compare to the speed of the sword hovering over Grunt's head…She also does not know what these Drells are capable of, and they look ready to make decisions at the drop of a hair. "Ylyssus," she demands, "…Talk to them!"
Ylyssus has not taken his eyes off the line of Behedins in front of him, ( "…We need to find Behe," ) he goes straight to the reason they have sought any Behedin out to begin with, ( "…We know you can locate her, Bromthas…Please," ) he waveringly gestures with his arm to Grunt, ( "…That krogan and the woman, other aliens on board are friends of hers—" ) The asthur under Bromthas makes a terrific sound that quails everyone but Grunt, the Behedins, and Ylyssus, ( "…Please…It is a matter of utmost importance you help us to speak to her." )
( "Behe will see only you, Ylyssus," ) Bromthas says, ( "…I do not know about these aliens you bring, but the will of the Mistress Supreme is only for those she remembers—" )
( "She will remember them," ) Ylyssus hopes he is right, though he is not sure he can claim that, ( "…I will go to her…but please," ) his only debt to Grunt, Miranda, Garrus and Thane are the two drells in stasis on board, and the continued safety of the burrells and di'leans who have no place to go, ( "…let them come…Don't kill that one…It…It would displease her Mistress," ) a gamble, but Bromthas appears amenable to this choice of warning.
Miranda sees the hesitation for a moment in the wield of the blade, and then it is lifted away from Grunt's face, ( "…Very well," ) Bromthas says to Ylyssus, ( "…Behe will decide who lives and who dies that dares to travel the freed lands into Bangal'roux." ) He puts the sword behind him, ( "…Now set free Cuerikhl's son…You have the word of the Behedin." )
Ylyssus sighs with relief as Grunt comes to his motion of hands, hurrying him with the gesture of curling fingers, "…Grunt," the krogan looks between the Behedin and the beast upon which he rides, and Ylyssus, "…tell the others to free Dolatrafas…We have their word they will bring us into Rakka to find Braith."
Ylyssus listens as Grunt speaks into his omni-tool, and a moment later Dolatrafas is running through the clearing to join the line of asthurs and Behedins.
Miranda comes over to stand with Garrus, Grunt, and Ylyssus as the Behedins turn their mounts and move off into the woods, "…What now," she asks him, and the former th'ane turns his eyes from the monstrous creature, their stunted tails hung behind their haunches as they slip quietly into the trees again.
"We follow them," Ylyssus says, "…Better by the air than among them…Those are asthurs," he goes on to answer Garrus's former exclamation, "…They are devil creatures from the reaches of Rakka's inner lands and extremely demanding of caution about them…They were made by Ysuphet himself, the legends claim, and their venom can kill animals twice their size."
"How do they gain command over something so…Beautiful," Grunt growls softly, mesmerized by the black serpentlike monsters being ridden by the mysterious hunters.
"I haven't the foggiest idea," Ylyssus admits, "…But a Behedin knows obviously…They are spectacular creatures to feast one's eyes upon..."
"They're a nuisance," Miranda says at last, turning and hauling Garrus and Grunt with a tug on their arms with her, "…Let's get on the ship…We need to check in."
"Miranda," Garrus catches up to her, "…You should check on Casnar and Tetonbaum first…Kasumi's worried about both of them…We didn't want to distract you while you were getting everyone in and out of Mohouni, but Casnar and Tetonbaum have been waking and falling back into sleep."
"What?" She starts to move faster, "…How is that possible," she asks herself.
"It shouldn't happen with the stasis mode, should it?"
She shakes her head, "…But Tetonbaum's biotics…That might," her eyebrows bend downward in the middle, "…Maybe, but that wouldn't explain Casnar…" She runs up the ramp with them and enters the bay of the ship, Ylyssus slow to enter afterwards and looking behind his shoulder to the woods.
Miranda cuts through the bay and enters the connector ahead of Garrus, making for the medical lab, hearing Thane's voice, "…Welcome back, Miranda, please head to the patients—"
"I'm going there now," she says into her omni-tool, "…Garrus recently informed me…I wish you'd said something about it earlier."
"We did not wish to distract you," comes the calm reply.
As she turns at the junction for Medical, she sees Kasumi come out to intercept her, "…Miranda!" Her eyes are wide and she is evidently distressed, "…They're awake!" Miranda pushes passed her, but Kasumi grabs her arm.
"What is it, Goto—I need to—" Kasumi shakes her head rapidly, discouraging her from going in as she explains.
"Casnar's homicidal right now," she looks to the iris to the medical lab, "…Tetonbaum's calming him down, but Miranda," Kasumi's eyes fix on her, "…He wants to kill Thane."
"That's not going to happen," Miranda says and, "…He'll be put under sedative if he—"
At that moment, the iris opens again and Casnar's grim golden patak and swelled, ireful tebris appears as he stands in his ba'tran, "…If what, Miranda!" he snarls, lunging through the doorway for her and grabbing hold of her neck, "…If what…"