Chapter 6: In Which a Trap is Sprung pt 1
Garrus looked over his shoulder as he heard a small band of dregs rip apart the ruins of what used to be a small assault vehicle. He could hear their tools rip into the metal. He dipped his head back beneath the window and laid his back against the rusted car he and Williams had hidden behind. He scanned the hiding spots the others in their group had hidden before he looked over at Williams. He couldn't tell what she was thinking behind that helmet of hers but she seemed to be staring forward with her head cocked slightly. Garrus, for his part closed his eyes and listened. They talked as they went about their work but he couldn't understand their language.
It seemed like an eternity before he heard the loud screech of tearing metal. He peeked through the windows again and saw the dregs drag a large amount of equipment and scrap away on a cart. He looked over at Williams and when the noise of the passing salvagers faded into nothing she raised her hand and made a fist. Garrus bolted upwards and, along with the others, ran silently through the Cosmodrome.
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It was in a small cave in a rocky outcropping that Shepard confirmed their greatest fears. "Bastards are herding us towards the Cosmodrome."
It had been five days since they'd been forced to abandon their campsite by the Aral Sea. It had begun with reports of movement a few miles from camp but it had escalated quickly. A few of the remaining security officers reported back with fear in their eyes as they reported wire rifle rounds skirting just past their heads before they ran back to camp. Those reports were quickly corroborated when they hit the camp. Nobody had been injured but when Shepard, Alenko, and Williams went out to find them they could find nothing, even when they set out with their sparrows.
It was decided that they had to evacuate the area and head south. They evacuated but they didn't head south. They'd marched south for two hours before another of those sniping sprees occurred. Much like last time, there were no casualties and the Guardians went to catch the snipers. They returned with nothing to show for it. They tried to head west. The same happened.
No matter where they went they would fall under attack by snipers. Until they began to backtrack. Then when they tried to go past the Aral it happened again. It was when they went east through the stretch of land between the seas that they began to realize what was happening.
"So, what do we do?" T'Bayla asked, surrounded by the senior members of the crew"
"Could we figure out how they found us?" Sokir said.
"Could have just been luck," a turian by the name of Atia said, "I mean, we're close to a major base of theirs. They could have just tripped over us."
"No," Shepard said, "if they'd just found us they would have immediately attacked us for salvage. Typical Fallen tactics. But this is more organized then anything I've ever seen out of the average raiding band."
Ashley nodded, "They knew where we were and where we were coming and where exactly to hit us to get us where we need to go." She glared at those crowded around them.
Shepard noticed and punched her in the shoulder, "Don't even think it, Ash. They could have been tracking us somehow." It made sense. No matter how careful they were, no one in the galaxy could completely hide the passing of a sixty-three person large caravan. She relayed this to the gathering.
"What about more advanced methods?" Sokir asked and it was Dr. Solus who answered.
"Checked everyone. No tracking devices."
T'Bayla shook her head, "We're getting nowhere with this. We need to figure out how to slip the net. Shepard, any ideas?"
Shepard looked at the ground for a few moments before looking up towards the ceiling, something she did often when she was deep in thought. After a moment she sighed, "We're going to need to split up."
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The plan was not simple. It was actually rather complex. As the group approached the Cosmodrome small parties of anywhere from five to ten would sneak away. Each departure would occur when passing hills, gullies, or when night fell to keep the Fallen from moving in. Various tricks would also be used to make the Fallen believe that the caravan was still united. The ghosts and those with advanced omnitool expertise would simulate the sound of marching over their speakers while emitting holograms of missing pilgrims. It wasn't foolproof by any means but the Fallen seemed intent on keeping their distance so it would be enough to keep them fooled.
T'Bayla and the medical staff broke off first. Garrus could tell it ate at her to leave her crew but her still recovering health demanded that she be pulled out of fire as soon as possible. The engineers went next. He remembered Tali wrapping her arms around him tightly.
"Be careful, no stupid heroics. We're making it through this alive." She was trying her best to sound sarcastic but you'd have to be deaf to not hear the strains of worry in her words.
Garrus could feel the tension around the camp as he saw them disappear into the distance. Would they be caught? Would someone talk if they did? Would they be able to break the net? Were they all as good as dead? These questions haunted Garrus when Liara left with her team. That departure had gone much the same way Tali's had. A hug for him and Wrex and a promise to be careful. Garrus could see the worry in Wrex's eyes as she walked away.
"They'll be fine." Wrex muttered, "They're both tough." Garrus knew the words were not meant for him. Wrex left when they reached the Cosmodrome wall. It had been agreed that the Guardians should lead the final three groups due to the likelihood of trouble so close to an enemy stronghold. Kaidan was the first to leave and he took as many of the remaining civilian crewmembers with him as he possibly could, leaving fifteen within their current group. It was before the walls of the Cosmodrome that Ashley and Shepard split up what was left between them. Garrus and Wrex were the last two security officers which meant they had to be split up between the two. At the end, Wrex shook his hand.
"Good luck, Garrus," was all he said before letting go. Those would have been the last words between them if Garrus hadn't decided to salute him then and there. Wrex laughed a bit and shook his head, "Smartass."
Before he knew it Garrus was alone. Her felt a gauntleted hand on his shoulder.
"Let's go", Williams said. Garrus took a deep breath before readying his assault rifle in his hands and checking to make sure that his sniper rifle was properly secured on his back. He needed to be ready. They were heading deeper into the Cosmodrome.
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"What?" Vrothrir said with a snarl in his voice, "What do you mean they've split up?" He felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Be calm, my child" Riksis, Devil-Archon said in a warm voice, "The reaction to failure should not be rage. It will cloud your mind. Leave you vulnerable."
Vrothrir glared at the vandal before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He could feel the ether filling him and in its sustenance he could feel his anger fade. He opened his eyes to see Novas nod and Ysatres silently observing the proceedings. He turned his head to look at the priest. "Thank you, Riksis-Archon. Your wisdom is a blessing upon us all." He looked at him through the corner of his eyes. He was not wearing his armor and famous cape. Instead he wore a set of dull red robes over the environment suit that all eliksni wore. Vrothrir had not expected the Archon to welcome them into his personal presence when they'd come here but they had been frequent guests in his sanctum. It was a surprisingly small room with concrete floors filled with natural sunlight from the three windows on the left side looking into the rocketyard. All around the room were wires and low whir of computers and other important equipment ran nonstop through the background.
Riksis sagely before turning to face the vandal. "You were the leader of this band?" The Vandal nodded nervously and the Archon lay his hand on his shoulder, "The reaction to failure should not be rage. But failure is not acceptable. There must be a price paid." The vandal began to shake more. "But this failure is shared among all of your squad."
It was then that Novas spoke, "I am sorry, Archon. But I cannot afford to lose a squad."
Riksis waved her off, "I am no fool, Devil-Baroness." He took a seat on the small bench that served as his throne. Archons often made use of torn seat or worn benches as their thrones as a sign of humility in their holy station. He pointed at the vandal, "You and your squad will draw lots. There will be three losing lots." That the three losers would be docked did not need to be said. "Will that number impact your operations, Novas?"
She shook her head, "No, Archon. You show great wisdom as always."
Riksis chuckled as his own eliskni led the vandal out, "You have no need to flatter me, Novas. I am merely blessed by the Great Machine and our Lord Sepiks with a great amount of experience." He leaned backwards and stapled two sets of fingers over his breather. His lower two hands lay atop each other in his lap. "But enough of that for now. We need to figure out how to catch these aliens before they escape out into the wider Steppes." He pointed at the Baroness, "Novas, tell me more of this tracking of Arc Energy that you've mentioned." Novas explained her methods to him and he began to nod when another eliksni entered the room.
It was a splicer, Vrothrir noted, and he felt a coil of fear wrap around his spine. Oh, he respected the splicers as any faithful eliksni did. They were after all the blessed souls who helped the house as a whole find a way into enlightenment. But they still made him nervous. The way they looked at you. Like you were a slab of parts and nothing more.
"This," Riksis said, "is Aksis, Splicer-Priest. We've been working on something together. Something that could help us turn the tables on these newcomers." He beckoned the cyborg-priest, "Show them the device." The splicer placed a small crate on the floor and opened it to reveal a large machine not dissimilar to various scanning equipment lying around the Cosmodrome.
"It is an energy scanner," the splicer explained as he set it up, "Been developing it as a way to better find ships in orbit. Much more precise than anything else we have. If what you said is true than this will make a fine first test." The machine began to whir.
"We'll use this to find the source of the signal." Riksis said, "Once we find the one bearing it…" he trailed off. It would talk, Vrothrir knew. The eliksni knew how to make an alien talk. They heard a small beep and the splicer began to jump around.
"It's the signal. I found it. It's…" The splicer trailed off and all could see the smile beneath the mask. "It's in the Cosmodrome."
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Finally, this is out. To be honest, I don't like the first part of it very much but I'm really liking writing Vrothrir's subplot. Thankfully the next part of the chapter's going to be much easier to write due to that being one of the parts I've been waiting to get to for a while. See you guys next week.
). One Hunter's Cloak. One Titan Mark. One is the "Mark of Contention" which states, "The mighty Thalor was invincible in the Crucible - until Dredgen Yor, and his Thorn." The other is "The Cloak of Dredgen Yor" which says, "Before he took Pahanin's Light, Dredgen Yor ruled the Crucible, the notorious Thorn at his side." The most common interpretation is that Dredgen Yor at some point took heavy part in the Crucible. This could be for a lot of reasons: his increasing obsession of violence, a way to strengthen Thorn by using it to snuff Guardians in the Crucible, A way to bleed off the aggression Thorn was causing in his mind until he was ready to make that final break, etc. etc.
