#MSVJackOfDiamonds – December 17, 2017

Jason has remained in the cargo hold, fully geared up and pacing, anxiously awaiting any news Lucy might have for them. As the ship begins its rocking and the sound of wind can be heard, he halts his pacing. "What's the status, Lucy? Feeling a little turbulence down here." he asks over comms. Winds can only mean one thing, obviously. They've breached the atmosphere of the gas giant.

Ilyna stands up from where she's sitting on the bed as the ship begins to rock and walks over to look out the viewport. She's still wearing her EVA suit, but the helmet is on the bed.

Ehanis has remained at her crate down in the cargo hold, looking down at her weapon which she has been turning around in her hand for the last few minutes. At the trembling, she looks up with a raised eyebrow. "The fuck is going on?" she asks, not looking at anyone in specific.

Nathan sits off to the side, silent, brooding, contemplating. His helmet sits on his lap as the ship begins to rock, snapping his focus back to the present. He stands and pulls the helmet on quickly, locking it into place.

Jason looks about the cargo hold, holding up a hand and circling it about for everyone to ready to regroup. "You heard her." he says before giving a tilt of his head, "...Sorta. We've breached the upper atmosphere of that gas giant the we were orbiting. Do whatever last minute prep work you need to, because my money is on that signal belonging to Mingxia's hijacked ship."

Leah has remained sat atop a crate away from Nathan, only occasionally mean mugging him from across the hold. Though as soon as Jason makes his announcement, she scoops her helmet back up and slides it into place, careful to fit her braid inside. "Good to go." she says as she climbs to her feet.

Senya descends the ladder into the cargo hold, starting to move down the stairs. Once she down she approaches Jason. "Your doctor has run her tests. She says the survivor shows no signs of infection."

Zaylus wanders back toward the activity at the announcement, having once again gone over the borrowed avenger. He holds it in both hands, familiarizing his fingers with the shape and weight.

Jattic has remained as stoic and silent as ever. As Senya speaks up, he lowers his now-helmeted gaze towards the floor, giving a few shallow nods.

Jason looks to the batarian as the doctor speaks before turning his focus on her. "If there is such a thing as an expert on this shit, Halisi might be the only person qualified to wear that label. If she says she's safe-...." he trails off, his gaze trailing over to Leah as he pushes back the worry plucking at the back of his mind, "...Then she's safe. I'd recommend keeping her quarantined for now just in case, but-... I'm no

Ilyna frowns as she sees the storms outside. She has never been this close to a gas giant before, and it worries her. The response from Lucy makes her spring to action, and she goes to get her helmet and make her way back to the hold. She moves quickly, dropping down with her biotics rather than descending ladders. Both of her weapons are attached to the suit at each hip.

Senya nods, adjusting the strap of her rifle over her shoulder. "I'm ready to come with your team. She's briefed me on the nature of this... infection. I wish details were not so sparse, but I am ready to assist. Halisi will be keeping the infirmary ready, should that be... necessary. She seemed convinced she would be more useful there."

Elena looks up as Ilyna makes a biotic landing on the walkway above. A quiet "Wow..." slips out as she crosses her arms.

Ehanis stands up, and starts moving towards a crate near the stairs. She'd rather be away from it when it opens in this weather, because 'figuring it out' would probably not be as easy as in space.

Jason places a hand on his hip as Senya delivers her information. It doesn't particularly sit well with him, but he nods nonetheless. "...Alright. Then let's get one thing clear..." he says, stepping closer and lowering his voice, "You've got a stake in this. I understand. I get the impression that the crew here is pretty close. But there's only two possibilities regarding your friend. Either James is infected, or he decided

Ilyna stops as she hears Lucy on the comms, and moves to stand by the railing on the highest walkway. "Where should we wait?" she asks on comms as she looks at the people below, in case they got Lucy's message clearer. "Airlock or hatch?"

Jessica takes a moment to lock her helmet into place as she climbs back to her feet, once again hiding the massive scarring the adorns the side of her face. Thankfully (And much to the satisfaction of Jattic), she has finally holstered the Cobra.

Senya stares at Jason with her good eye, remaining silent for several seconds. For a brief moment she looks away before returning her gaze to him. "I understand the situation." she says with a nod, her tone heavy but sincere, and her expression a strange, distant one. Simultaneously bitter and understanding.

Oxaris steps forwards, shouldering her rifle with the safety locked. She looks to the others, eyes lingering on Zaylus for a moment before turning her helmet to Jason.

Nathan remains oddly distant from the rest, arms folded and his face turned to the ground. Silent. Thunderous. Expression hidden by helmet and the visor darkened to only allow one way viewing of his eyes. The only sound from him is the clinking of armour as he rolls his shoulders.

Jason holds Senya's gaze for a moment longer before giving a short nod. "Sounds like we're docked." he announces over comms, glancing across the hold to Ilyna, realizing that might not mean much to people who haven't spent a large portion of their life boarding potentially hostile vessels, "...Airlock." he clarifies, "Good start. At least they're not fighting us." he adds as he starts towards the airlock. "Let's get moving,

Leah takes in one deep breath. She holds it, doing her best to clear her mind. Her worries. Her concerns. All of that can wait until the mission is over. Time to go to work now, Leah. She bounces up and down on the balls of her feet a couple of times to shake off some of the tension and starts to follow Jason.

Elena pushes off from her crate, starting to move after Jason and Leah, she rolls her head, mumbling something under her breath.

Senya too is quick to follow, glancing up at the ladder as she starts up the stairs.

Ilyna nods and returns to the ladder, climbing up towards the airlock. She moves out of the way when she's up there, and waits for the others. Despite her eagerness to reach Li, she's not equipped for taking point.

Nathan follows after, moving his way next to Jason and saying to him, "I should be up front. I probably have the heaviest armour and shielding amongst all of you." His voice is almost monotone, a wavering hint of anger and frustration there, but predominantly focus. He's stating a fact and, for added emphasis, pulls out his Argus. The shotgun of assault rifles.

Lucy exits the bridge as the others start to make their way up the ladder. She's wearing a combat vest over her checkered shirt and has a Carnifex pistol clipped to her right thigh. She climbs up to join Ilyna in the airlock. There are definite hints of nervousness in her face, but mostly determination.

Oxaris follows at the back, her weapon now firmly in both her hands. She tunnels on the task ahead, aware of what is to come and prepping for it as best as she can.

Zaylus follows closely after his turian teammate, almost mirroring her in stance and hold on his weapon. He betrays little save for a gentle sway of his weight and slow flaring of his mandibles.

Ehanis follows quietly, being one of the last to leave the hold. She can't fuck this one up, since Ilyna would use that against her for decades, if not centuries.

Jattic lags behind as the others start up the ladder, seemingly wanting to have a word with Jessica.

Jason glances to Nathan as his hand rests on a rung of the ladder. He looks over the weapon before giving a short nod. "I'll take point with you." he says. And for a moment it seems as if he's going to leave it at that as he reaches for another rung. But he stops abruptly, lowering right back down as he looks to Nathan once again. "And Ten? I need you to keep your shit together out there. I know you're not happy with any of

Nathan nods at first to Jason. However, as Jason speaks the latter, he stares at him hard from behind the face of his helmet. There is no way to see his expression, no way to read what he is thinking save for the silence that hangs for a few lingering seconds. "Understood... boss." His voice follows that same monotone, that same distant echo. "I know what I have to do." He flicks his head to the ladder, waiting

Ilyna frowns as she sees the captain, and the poor state she's in. "You should stay," she says flatly, seemingly unaware of her hypocricy. She's quiet for a second before she adds, "If something happens to you..., we may not make it back." She has barely been out of her quarters, so she doesn't know if anyone else can actually steer this ship.

Jason sucks in a deep, frustrated breath, staring at Nathan from behind his visor. "...Yeah." he finally says, giving a shake of his head as he starts up the ladder. As he reaches the top, he moves aside as to not block the ladder for the others.

Lucy shakes her head. "Ain't happenin'. Gotta bring my man home." she's quick to respond, shooting Jason a pointed glance as he reaches the top of the ladder and joins them in the airlock. The gravity here is shifted 90 degrees compared to the rest of the ship. No doubt potentially disorienting to those unused to life in space.

Leah waits for her turn behind Nathan. Watching him and Jason in silence. When Jason moves on, she steps forward slightly. "He's just worried about you, Nate..." she says with a sigh. Her tone is low. Soft. Laced with concern. "And so am I... You seem to think we're just-... just telling you to let a bunch of people die. That's not it. We're telling you-..." she scoffs, a little bit of that frustration settling back in,

Jason looks to the captain, brow furrowed. Her presence causes a bit of confusion to set in, but when she clears it up, he's quick to step forward. "Did you not listen to a single thing I said?" he snaps.

Nathan grabs the ladder as Jason climbs. He stops, however, when Leah speaks up to him and his head turns slightly towards her. He lingers for a moment before he releases the rung and moves to the side, motioning for the others to move up before him. He bows his head a little, almost as if he is trying to avoid meeting her gaze, even though she can't see his. He turns off his external comm and moves to contact her

Lucy keeps her stare focused on Jason for several seconds before looking away towards the airlock door, offering no response as she begins checking her pistol over, even though she's already done so more than once.

Oxaris moves past instead to climb the ladder, glancing at the pair for a moment. "You have your orders. In the end, it's Wolfe's call, his burden to shoulder. Understand that and this will be a much simpler task." She then starts to climb the ladder up, leaving no room for response or argument.

Elena and Senya both pass by Nathan and Leah, entering the airlock after Oxaris.

Leah furrows her brow behind her helmet in confusion for the moment. It's not until Nathan taps his helmet that she seems to understand. With a brief glance about to the others- particularly Oxaris as she speaks- she steps off to the side and quickly switches comms channels. "...She's not wrong, Nate. Maybe you don't know Jason like I do. But If you think Jason would ever-... This disease is unlike anything you've ever seen,

Jessica nudges into Jattic with her shoulder, pushing him away. It seems that whatever he had to say she wasn't hearing any of it. Muttering under her breath she stomps off, following Elena and the doctor up the ladder.

Jattic remains in place for a moment. His frustration is hidden behind his helmet, but his body language does enough of a job conveying it. He gives Jessica a wide berth, allowing her a good distance up the ladder before following.

Ehanis taps her pistol and Cobra once to double check they're still there before following the batarian up the ladder.

Ilyna sighs, but she defers to Jason to talk her down. She moves to stand by the door as the airlock gets more crowded.

Jason stares at Lucy as she looks away. "Lucy. Please..." he pleads. "You have no idea what you're doing. Please. The doctor is coming with us. If there's any chance that James can be helped, she's it." he says, mostly just trying to get her out of here for now. Whatever happens out there happens, but with her around it's only going to complicate things. "Let her do her job and let us do ours. Putting yourself in danger

Nathan stands there in silence for a longer period than he did with Jason. Eventually, his visor shimmers and becomes transparent, showing his eyes and the conflict within them. He looks up at her, pupils flicking back and forth as he speaks. "We're in a time where medicine can do wonders. Things that mankind could've only dreamt of and we're still progressing. And we can do nothing about this disease... not slow

Oxaris arrives at the airlock and she looks to the Captain. The turian moves to a position behind Lucy, shifting to stand out the way as she watches her intensely. A subtle glance at Jason as he flexes her hand.

Lucy looks back at Jason. "I can handle myself. I'll hang back. Ain't gonna get in your way." she responds, frustration in her voice. "Pivin's pilotin' the Jack." She pauses briefly, her expression wavering for just a moment, the desperation under her determination making itself known. "I'm comin'. Unless you're gonna stop me."

Elena seems exceedlingly uncomfortable with the exchange in the airlock, her gaze shifting from Jason to Lucy beneath her helmet visor.

Leah lowers her gaze to the ground as Nathan speaks. "Nate... I know you want to help these people." she says, finally allowing herself to look back to him. She affords him the same respect, increasing the transparency of her visor so they can speak face to face. That soldier exterior falls away for the moment as her big green eyes meet his. "You know me, Nate. You know me... Maybe you don't trust Jason but-... You. Know.

Jason clenches his jaw, his mind once again drawn back to his wife at home. About how he would react if it was him in Lucy's position. "I'm not gonna stop you." he says. "Maybe you need to see what we're dealing with. Maybe it's the only way you'll understand." He moves to the front of the group, stepping right past Lucy without looking at her, "Just stay out of my team's way. There's only so much we can do to protect you once

Lucy goes silent, frown remaining etched into her face as she stares at the airlock hatch, readying herself.

Jessica falls in line as she reaches the top of the ladder. Her gaze moves to Lucy, looking her up and down.

Jattic pulls his Vindicator free as he reaches the airlock, a disappointed grunt his only response to Lucy's presence.

Oxaris relaxes, her hand unfurling as she understands that she won't have to forcibly remove the captain from the airlock. She instead waits for the boarding, pulling out her SMG.

Ilyna gives a frustrated sigh, but she accepts Jason's decision. She repositions to stand in front of the airlock door, and turns around. "Let me know before you open it," she says, a biotic shimmer forming around her hands. Her mind may not be as clear as it should be, but even she realizes the enemy might have taken up positions on the other side.

Zaylus files into the airlock, trying not to glance at the adamant captain. Or anyone else really, for that matter. So his eyes focus on his hands, which curl around the stock of his gun.

Lucy looks around at everyone gathered and once it seems that no one else is entering she looks to Jason for confirmation that they're ready.

Ehanis stumbles when the gravity shifts in the airlock, even if the people standing on the wall was amble warning. She manages to remain upright, however. Ehanis draws her Phalanx and moves out of the way of the ladder.

Nathan stares hard at Leah, before clenching his eyes tight at the answer. It wasn't a direct one, but it was enough. Anyone who's infected is doomed, their cure a merciful bullet in their temple. He's not sure he could do that... not without seeing it for himself. "...I trust him. I trust you." He leans forward to press the forehead of his helmet against hers for a moment if she would let him, a shuddering sigh

Jason pulls the Katana free from his back and unfolds it. He looks it over, ensuring the thermal clip is properly seated. Hearing Ilyna's question, he gives a brief glance over his shoulder to take a head count. "We'll breach as soon as Ten and Leah are up here. If anyone has any last minute questions? Any gear adjustments? Now is the time for it. Last call."

Elena runs a quick last-minute check of her Hurricane, and then takes the revolver she has on her hip, checking the cylinder and making sure all chambers are loaded. It's not quite clear where she's acquired the ammunition for such an archaic weapon, and it's unlikely to be of much use. It's a ritual, more than anything. One last look at a lucky charm, and a reminder of home. With a 'click', the cylinder is back in

Jessica glances about at the others. When nobody else has any questions, she gives a shrug of her shoulder. "....We are getting paid extra for this, yes?"

Leah clanks her helmet against Nathan's, her hands coming up to rest on the sides of his helmet. There's a soft clank of her gauntlets against his armor. "We do what we can for those that we still can save, Nate. Right now, we have to believe that's Li. Ilyna is upstairs worried out of her mind." With a deep sigh, she remains like this for a moment. But it's not long before that moment has passed. She pulls her head back

Jason allows Jessica's question to go unanswered for a number of moments. Though when nobody else speaks up, it only causes her question to continue to linger. "Shut up, Jess." he says with a deep sigh.

Jessica snickers to herself.

Nathan nods again. "Let's." He follows her up the ladder, looking up out of instinct... and then immediately snapping his gaze forward to the rungs. Once they've reached the top, he would squeeze his way to the front next to Jason, reaching up to give him a clap on the shoulder for but a moment, a small way to show that he's there and he intends to stick by him. His externals activate once more and he says, "Ready

Oxaris looks at Nathan warily, deciding to keep an eye on him for this mission. She glances at Zaylus and makes to nudge him lightly with her shoulder, nodding once to him and motioning that he is to stick as close to her as possible. She has her doubts about him and intends to make sure he gets through this.

Ilyna nods and waits for the hatch to open. She's quick enough to only need the sound of it opening, but right now that might lead to a mistake. When she hears the second person walk away from the ladder behind her, she raises a nearly perfectly rectangular barrier in front of the hatch.

Ehanis has no questions to ask. A biotic shimmer sorrounds her once everyone's gathered in the airlock. She may even put her warp fields to use this time, which she reserves for those that really deserves it.

Leah falls in line with the others, once more bouncing a few times on the balls of her feet before she unfolds the Mattock from her back.

Jason holds the Katana in one hand for now. His other hand reaches up to give Nathan's a pat. He looks towards the man at his side. A deep breath escapes him to accompany a brief nod before his attention settles back on the door in front of him. "Alright, people. Keep comms chatter to a minimum. Identify targets and try not to get in each other's way. Once we get a foothold we can fan out." In his experience, that first breach

Zaylus turns his head at the nudge, looking her motion up and down. He pauses for a few moments, either considering the implicit message or standing unsure of her intentions. Without giving a tell either way, he responds with a tight downward nod before his gaze drifts off her again.

Nathan draws his Argus, the weapon unfolding. He primes it and adopts a respectable stance ready for combat. The stock presses into his shoulder and he readies himself, the flashlight on his rifle cutting a swath through the dark. He grits his teeth and his HUD immediately searches for hostiles. Instead, it highlights the few crates and boxes, its lowlight function kicking in. He'll leave the night-vision. With all

Ilyna keeps her eyes locked on the room ahead, ready to strengthen the barrier if anything leaps at it. "Go slow, and one at a time," she says over comms, in case some haven't trained with a barrier specialist before. "I need to weaken parts of the barrier for you to pass."

Jason lowers into a shooters stance as gears shift and doors slide. His headlamp follows his gun, practically functioning as an indicator for his firing zone as he gives a quick, but thorough, sweep of the airlock. "Clear." he announces before stalking forward beside Nathan, shotgun in hand. Their current destination seems clear. With few options he continues up towards the door, wordlessly stacking up on it to the left, his

Oxaris moves in after the others, listening to Ilyna and sticking close. She chimes in quietly, "I have a cloaking system. If you need me to scout, just say the word." She then signs off, keeping her SMG at the ready.

Elena and Senya moves in amid some of the others, both displaying clear signs of military training in the way they move. Senya has opted to keep her somewhat unweildy rifle on her back for now.

Leah keeps her Mattock low as she steps through Ilyna's barrier, her light footfalls purposeful as she crosses the room. Despite the room being empty, she doesn't let her guard down. She bathes every inch of the room in the light from her headlamp. The ceiling. The floor. Each dark corner. She comes to a drop beside Jason, taking a position straight on from the door. She raises her Mattock, leveling it on the door as she

Jessica follows near the back, clutching her Katana tightly and seeming a bit unsure of what she should be doing. That lack of military training is on full display.

Jattic immediately steps aside once he enters the airlock, making sure not to clump up. His rifle stays low. The sharp edges of his spiked pauldrons and gauntlets glisten each time a light flashes over it.

Ehanis turns on her helmet's light and passes through the barrier after the batarian. She has her weapon raised as she also scans the room for threats, especially checking the celing. Ehanis may not have experience with these creatures, but it doesn't hurt to check for any angle where an ambush is possible from.

Ilyna holds her barrier up, waiting for everyone to move out before she leaves the Jack's airlock unprotected.

Zaylus moves in cautiously, clearly unsettled by the large group dynamics. He seems particularly interested in Ilyna's barrier.

Nathan stacks up next to the door on the right, lowering his rifle as his hand hovers over the green interface, yet not pressing it. He looks to the others, awaiting the signal to open it.

Jason signals Nathan with a single nod, his large frame pressed heavily against the wall beside the door. His index finger taps against the side of the Katana, just above the trigger guard.

Elena starts to unpack her assault drone, putting it on the floor with a clank and activating its interface. After a moment it comes to life, its struts extending as it starts to hover about a meter or so into the air, its gun decompacting and extending to its full length. She guides it into place in front of the airlock door and sets it for sentry mode. "Gonna leave this guy to watch our exit, yeah?" she calls out.

Nathan nods sharply and presses the interface, immediately moving back into cover and gripping his rifle tightly, ready to sweep it up and into the next room.

Elena realizes she's out-of-sync with the point duo, cursing quietly and dropping back into cover, readying her weapon. She never claimed to be a very good soldier.

Jason sweeps in, instantly leveling his shotgun on the corner to his left. When nothing tries to kill him, he moves to it, aiming further down the corridor as he moves forward until he's nearly at the Engineering door. "Clear." he announces once again, holding his position for the others to get into place.

Nathan moves in, sweeping right as he moves a small ways down the corridor with his flashlight searching high and low for any threats. If nothing tires to kill him, he would drop to one knee and focus the rifle down at the Cargo Hold door. "Clear," he announces in turn.

Ilyna lets her barrier drop when the next room is also clear, and she jogs across the other ship's airlock to join up with the front. They're here for Li, and she wants to be part of the team that finds her. She didn't seem to have noticed the turian's interest in her barrier.

Leah allows the other two to enter before surging forward into the room, Mattock sweeping across the corridor. She moves down the corridor to the right, taking a position along the wall opposite from Nathan, weapon leveled on the Cargo Hold door as well.

Jessica remains near the back as well. Shotgun held across her abdomen with both hands, unsure of where the dangerous end should be pointed when such tight military tactics are being used. Her experience mostly comes down to 'point the dangerous end at the thing you want dead then pull the trigger.'

Zaylus takes his gaze off the asari, falling back toward the members of the Jack in the filing order of their advance. He weighs the avenger in his hands, seemingly in consideration. Then, quickly and quietly, he mounts it in his back and pulls the Carnifex from his hip, keeping it low.

Ilyna glances to both ends of the corridor, and decides to go towards the Cargo Hold. She moves near a wall, readying her biotics The asari does recognize the common ship type, and guesses it's more likely they're in the front.

Oxaris moves up towards the Medbay door, keeping her SMG focused ahead of her. She remains quiet, focused.

Ehanis enters the corridor, posting up on the right of the door to medbay.

Jason holds his position for a moment longer to ensure nothing leaps out at them before addressing his team. "Nathan. Leah. Zaylus. Cargo hold. Ilyna? Oxaris? With me. We'll hit the medbay. The rest of you hold this hallway. If anyone has any bright ideas about getting the Engineering door open, now is the time to voice them. He starts down the hall, once more stacking up as he reaches the medbay door.

Jessica remains near the door they entered from. "I could-..."

Jason is quick to interrupt Jessica. "We're not blowing it up."

Jessica mutters something under her breath.

Elena speaks up from the airlock. "Might be able to cut it open." she offers.

Zaylus gives a quick snicker at Jessica's comment, venturing toward the direction of the cargo hold door. He gives short glances at the humans his name was listed with.

Nathan chimes over comms, "Copy that. We'll move up." He glances back to the other two, nodding once and motioning forward with his left hand. He stands and starts to move towards the Cargo Hold doors, taking point with his heavy armour and shielding. He reaches the door and stops in front of it, waiting for Zaylus and Leah to stack up either side of it.

Oxaris nods and moves forward to stack up on the left side of the Medbay door. She glances to her team members, waiting for them before palming the interface.

Zaylus follows behind the heavy armor man, watching him as he readies himself on the right side of the door. He gives his pistol a few gentle taps, as if reassuring it.

Ehanis scoffs and walks over to stand by the Engineering door.

Ilyna takes Ehanis' previous position by the door without a word. She draws her Predator and nods to Jason. "If you find her, don't... do anything until I get there," she says in the direction of Nathan's team.

Leah gives a nod to herself. "Copy." she states sharply as she starts towards the indicated door. As before, she stacks up beside Nathan, giving her a straight-on view of the door.

Jattic remains behind, weapon aimed downward as he glances about.

Jessica frowns as she holds her shotgun loosely in one hand, her other hand moving to caress the Cobra on her back.

Jason remains in place as the others join him by the medbay door. "Sounds like a plan, Elena. Get on it." he says. As soon as the medbay door opens, he sweeps inside, once again raising his Katana and scanning in a practiced manner. That Alliance training causes the dried blood to barely even register for now. It's not trying to kill him. It doesn't matter. He once again takes a hard left. Corner. Clear. Sweeps to his right.

Nathan nods and moves up to the door, palming the interface before stepping back and snapping his gun up once more.

Elena nods even though it can't be seen, moving into the corridor and heading for the locked door. She studies the interface in silence for a while, connecting her omni-tool to it as well.

Oxaris moves in after Jason, moving straight ahead rather than sweeping left or right. She doesn't register the blood for now, instead looking for hiding places, points of ambush or another way in or out of this room.

Ilyna enters the room after the all clear, looking around it. "Goddess," she mutters at the sight of the blood. Her mind immediately jumps to Li, and she grits her teeth in anger; if they've done anything to her.... She may have centuries of training, but that's gone out of the window for this operation. It's too personal.

Jessica follows Elena over to the door. As Elena preps her gear, Jessica examines the door. After a moment, she hums to herself. "Mmm. Would not even take much. Bam. Right off." she decides with a nod.

Jason lowers his Katana once the room has been cleared. It's only now that he really focuses on the blood, examining the gruesome scene. Ilyna's exclamation causes his gaze to shoot her way, bathing her in the light of his headlamp. "We will find her..." he assures, well aware of what she's thinking. Because he's thinking it too.

Ehanis remains by the door, looking out towards the hallway she's supposed to be guarding. "Give a warning before it opens, okay?" she asks. "I don't want whatever is hiding in there getting the jump on us."

Ilyna gives a faint nod, but she doesn't give any more of an answer to his reassurance than that. "We should follow the others," she says instead. "If they're not here, they must be in the front of the ship."

Nathan moves in, sweeping his flashlight around as he scans the room. He dials up the potency of his HUD, but it does little to assist in this situation. He darts to the left, the oppressive atmosphere briefly clenching at his chest. He pushes it away and instead waves the others in, remaining silent. He'll check this place from bottom to top to make sure there isn't any nasty traps waiting in store for the team.

Elena activates her comms, static garbling her words slightly. "Don't think we should open Engineering. I'm reading atmo venting on the other side."

Zaylus weaves inside on the right side of the door, drifting in that direction once inside. His light shines along the furtherest edge of the floor, as far the light will travel in the oppressive darkness. His practiced steps are as quiet as one could hope to be in that situation, and he's taking great care to listen in light of the low visual environment.

Leah steps in after Nathan, sweeping her headlamp- and her Mattock- to the right. "We've got another door our way." she announces.

Jason gives a nod to Ilyna before responding to the others. "Copy. If you're not running into any resistance, keep moving. We'll catch up." He gives another brief glance around for any indication of what went down in the medbay. Any sign of who- or what- was bleeding. Elena's comment once again causes a surge of panic to seep in that he's quick to force down. What if Li was in that portion of the ship? No. She wasn't. "Fair

Oxaris moves back to the doorway and stacks up against it, but keeps her SMG lowered. She nods to her team, waiting for them to vacate before leaving herself.

Nathan nods to himself. "Copy, moving on." He looks to the ot- his gaze snaps up and he shines his flashlight to the ceiling, trying to search for the origin of the noise. His heart hopes for random debris on the outside of the ship. His mind drifts to the worst case scenario.

Zaylus hisses softly, keeping his light low as Nathan draws his attention up. He keeps the human in the corner of his eye and keeps moving slowly across the cargo hold, ultimately toward the second door.

Leah's headlamp snaps upwards, her Mattock following the cone of light. Given that Nathan's light snapped up as well... "...I'm gonna guess I'm not the only one who heard that." she says, her light attempting to follow the clanks as she backs up towards the other door. It's only a few steps before her training kicks in once again, however, and she snaps her attention to the direction she's walking. No sense in focusing on an

Ilyna leaves the medbay and looks down the hallway towards the cargo bay. She has seen enough. The sound makes her look up towards the ceiling, raising her weapon towards it.

Zaylus grunts softly. "Sounded like an animal." He mutters, gaze touching on either human and the door in repeating glances.

Nathan shakes his head. "No, you're not. We got unknown noises coming from... the ceiling, heading towards the rear of the cargo hold. We're going to investigate." He lowers his gun and nods to the other two. "Zaylus, bring up the rear. Leah and I will take point." He then starts to move slowly towards the other door, turning his rifle upwards every so often, doing a three-sixty turn as he does so to scan above.

Jessica looks upwards, her good eye scanning across her HUD as she attempts to pinpoint the sound. "Uhhh.... I am hearing something, too." she announces over the comms. "Is like-... Is like DUND. DUND. DUND. Like that." she explains, doing her best to make repeat the sound with her tongue. After a moment, when another sound rings out, she speaks up again. "DUND."

Jattic looks up as well. "It is probably debris..." he says, studying the ceiling. His tone implies more that he's hopeful that's the case rather than he believes it to be the case. Still, he holds his position in the hallway.

Zaylus holds to let Nathan and Leah move forward, aiming his pistol up near the sound again. His hisses louder this time, holding his fire as the little animal drops and skitters away. "Just a fuckin rat." He mutters, using the term obviously loosely. "Figured."

Elena turns around at the noise, listening to the comms chatter as she remains ready.

Senya is listening from the airlock, not yet having joined the others in the corridor.

Leah snaps her attention back behind her as the vent cover clatters to the ground. Her gaze follows the sights of her Mattock, snapping to the Pyjak. "Conta-..." she begins, cutting herself short with a nervous sight. "God dammit." she mutters to herself.

Jason gives another glance to the gory scene before starting back into the corridor. There's an extra pep in his step as the sound rings out, but once it becomes clear that it's nothing dangerous, he slows down once again, hoisting his shotgun in both hands as he navigates towards the hold. "What's going on?" he asks for clarification. "Rat?" he repeats Zaylus' explanation.

Leah takes the same position at this door as at the previous, shaking her head to herself. "Pyjak in the ventilation. It's fine. We're proceeding forward." With a nod to Nathan, she levels her Mattock on the door.

Ilyna runs up to the door as the cover falls, looking around the cargo hold. Even after Zaylus and Leah confirms it's an animal, her breathing remains rapid.

Nathan immediately twists towards the source of the noise and he... breathes a sigh of relief, relaxing for a moment. "...Yeah, just a pyjak. Christ." He nods back at Leah and proceeds towards the door less something else leaps out. He would stop in front of it and motion for his team mates to stack up either side of the door. He does one quick sweep with his flashlight around the cargo-hold once more.

Zaylus turns from the anticlimactic scene, hurrying to follow the others to form up on the door.

Jason stops just inside the cargo hold, cocking an eyebrow as he watches the adorable little vent rat hop away. "Keep your shit together, people. Don't worry, the big bad pyjak can't hurt you." he teases. "They just... get into everything. Worse than fucking oxes." With a glance back at his team, he makes the short jog to rejoin Nathan and the others, stacking up on the opposite side of the door.

Senya enters the cargo hold, and Lucy is not far behind her. The captain is visibly anxious, and the sight of the blood in the medbay did little to help.

Ilyna enters the cargo hold, crossing the room quickly, and stacks up behind Jason. She makes no response to Jason's teasing.

Oxaris follows after the rest of the team, taking rearguard for the moment.

Nathan moves forward to the door, ignoring Jason's teasing for once and palming the interface. As soon as the door opens, the merc would move in first, sweeping his gun around to search for targets and to assess the next location.

Ilyna perks up at the sound of singing, recognizing the voice from the night of kidnapping. "It's her," she says into comms, almost whispering. "Mingxia."

Elena tightens her grip of her SMG, but she remains as part of the rearguard.

Lucy 's frown deepens. She's moved closer to the team that's leading the way now, standing near the door herself.

Nathan hesitates for a moment before sighing. "Creepy singing in a dark cargo hold full of containers. Cliche much?" He mutters to himself, turning his flashlight to the cargo containers and, most importantly, aiming it just above them. It wouldn't be the first time he's been ambushed amongst them.

Jason follows just behind Nathan, shotgun at the ready. He gives his teammate a wide berth. The sound of a voice is both reassuring- as it means others are alive- and terrifying- as it means others are alive. Ilyna's comment causes him to swallow hard, nodding to himself. "Copy. Bad sightlines. Fan out." he says, veering off to the right and taking small steps as his headlamp searches the dark recesses of the hold as he

Leah steps inside behind the others, giving a brief nod to herself upon hearing Jason's words. She chooses to follow the wall to her right rather than cutting through boxes, weapon following her sightline as she navigates the edge of the room.

Lucy enters with Senya by her side, the doctor seeming to aim to keep her safe, gripping a Predator pistol in place of her rifle in the tight space.

Elena moves uneasily through the vast space of the empty cargo hold, sweeping her SMG around, and stopping once she reaches the door, to check the feed from her drone.

Zaylus weaves through the doorway after others have established themselves in the room. He fans out to the left, giving the cargo a wide berth and keeping the others.

Jattic follows the others into the first cargo hold, but remains at the rear to protect their flank.

Jessica lags behind, her attention pulled away by the mess in the medbay when she glances in. She presses one hand against the door frame, brow furrowed as she examines the mess all over the floor and wall. A really good barb regarding the mess Nathan made in the bathroom enters her mind, but she keeps it to herself rather than risk being yelled at about unneeded comms chatter.

Ilyna sorrounds herself with a biotic field as she enters the room and lifts herself up, hoping to get a better overview of the room. She'd drop down immediately if someone were to open fire on her.

Ehanis walks down the corridor. "Don't forget about us if you need reinforcements," she says over comms as she reaches the end of it. She does not enter the cargo bay..

Oxaris steps in and, seeing the situation, decides to use this to her advantage. "Ghosting," she announces as she holsters her SMG and cloaks, vanishing in a crackle of tech. She immediately moves towards the nearest crate, hopping up to catch the edge of it and pull herself up onto it. She proceeds to clamber her way up and across the room, perching on a container overlooking the door. She draws her SMG and shoulders

Nathan moves with the forward team alongside Jason, acting as a big old shield with his bulky armour and powerful shielding. As he sights the human, he stops and snaps his weapon towards him.

Ilyna sighs and drops back down, navigating the hold at a brisk pace to catch up with the others. She does not report the results, as she assumes they have gotten a better view of it than her.

Zaylus swings wide to the left as they make their way forward, raising his pistol as one of many guns pointed on the stranger.

Jason hunkers down as the man comes into view, quickly deactivating his headlamp. "Contact. Human." he whispers into comms, immediately assuming it's James but purposely avoiding saying it over comms as it may rile up Lucy. He gives a glance Nathan's way as he slowly folds his Katana up, returning it to his back, and unsheathes the blade across his chest. He holds it in a reverse grip as he waits for the others to get into

Leah eventually makes her way around the crate maze and she, too, snaps her headlamp off as Jason mentions the man. Her HUD gives her a general idea of where her teammates are, even if the darkness doesn't. "Copy." she says, keeping her weapon at the ready.

Nathan snaps his flashlight off in response to Jason's deactivation.

Lucy is quick to hurry her pace after she hears of contact, and when she spots James between crates she holsters her pistol as she rushes past the Redrock mercenaries, pushing past if she has to to reach James. "J-... James...? Honey...?" she says quietly, her voice breaking as she reaches out towards him.

Senya lets out a heavy sigh as Lucy runs off, hurrying after and quickly taking in the situation, taking up position with Redrock's people.

Jason cusses under his breath as Lucy speaks up. "Mother fucker!" he mutters as he surges forward, forced to action by Lucy's stupidity, hoping to get an arm around the man's neck in a choke hold and take him down silently before he can spin around. The knife is just backup. He's banking on being able to outmuscle the man with his cybernetic limb.

Leah shouts over comms. "Get back, Lucy!" she urges, snapping her Mattock to the man as she turns her headlamp back on. Lucy already broke their cover anyway.

James spins around when Lucy speaks up, and an unnaturally strong fist slams into Jason's chest before he can get a grip on him, with surprisingly quick motions his other hand grasps Lucy's neck, lifting her into the air with an unsettling growl. Up-close his skin has taken on an unhealthy steel-gray color, and his eyes have a faint blue glow to them. Lucy 's relief and urgency has turned to panic and confusion as

Nathan is about to squeeze the trigger until he sees James in Leah's torchlight. He balks at the sight and his eyes widen, a sharp intake of breath accompanying. "Wha-... that...".

Ilyna catches up to the others, just in time to see James grab Lucy. At least she wouldn't have been the one to blow their cover, as she had her headlamp on and didn't even try to walk quiety. She raises her pistol towards him, but she's not confident enough in her aim to fire while he holds Lucy.

Senya curses and lifts the scope of her rifle to her eye, searching for a good shot. She knows what has to be done even if it pains her. But her position isn't right.

Oxaris is not as affected as Nathan is, however, and sights on James' arm holding Lucy. She aims for the elbow, firing a burst of fire to punch through flesh and bone to sever the nerves and render the man's arm useless.

Zaylus tenses his arms as Lucy is plucked from the ground. His position to the far left of the room gives him a relatively good shot at the man and not the captain, and he takes two calculated shots in the panic.

Jason slams backwards. Hard. Completely caught off guard by the unnatural speed and power showcased by James. A loud cough fills the comms as he clutches at his chest with his free hand, partially to make sure his chestplate is still in one piece.

Leah is well aware of what that blue glow means. It sends ice through her veins. Not that she hadn't expected it, but there was always a slim chance that it wasn't the case. Now? That hope has been squashed. "Watch your fire!" she orders, lowering her Mattock as to not accidentally clip Lucy. A blue glow envelopes her as she lifts one hand, desperately attempting to wrench James' grip from around Lucy's neck.

Jessica gives a deep sigh as shots ring out, gripping her shotgun with both hands as she looks to Ehanis. "Sounds like they may need us. Mmm?" She passes a glance down at the Katana, racking it once before stomping off towards the cargo hold.

James takes several shots to both arm and chest just as Lucy is yanked away from him, stumbling back as blood rapidly starts to soak his clothing. His right arm has been mangled by the shots that struck it, and yet his face shows no sign of pain. Or anything else for that matter. Just an empty stare. Lucy drops to the floor, wheezing and gasping and momentarily unaware of anything else.

Elena is quick to move toward the second hold as she hears the gunshots ring out across the ship.

Nathan stares at the man, frozen in place for the moment even as a barrage of shots erupts around him. "...How... he...".

Oxaris remembers the words. Once infected, they're as good as dead. So, she wastes not even a moment. As soon as Lucy is out the way, she sights on James' head and double-taps with her Locust, two disciplined shots aimed right for the dome.

Ilyna opens fire with her pistol once Lucy is no longer obstructing her sightline, aiming at his center of mass. A biotic shimmer forms around her hands.

James ' head erupts into a short-lived fountain of blood and brain matter which stains the open doorway behind him. Several more shots strike his chest as he drops to his knees, falling face first against the deck with a thump.

Zaylus holds his position as the friendly bullets pour in. He doesn't add his own and just watches, and keeps watching as James crumbles onto the ground.

Leah doesn't relent. The moment Lucy falls free, her rifle snaps up and she places a tight grouping of shots right into his center mass as his body falls. She knows by now that dead isn't always dead.

Jason scampers backwards away from the man until his back is against a crate. A few more coughs escape him, but he pushes the pain back as he jams his blade back into its sheathe and reaches for his shotgun.

Jattic's attention shoots towards the second hold. "What is going on?!" he demands as Jessica struts past him. "I'm hearing shots."

Jason steadies himself on one knee as he unfolds the Katana. "We've got infected!" he reports.

Lucy manages a brief glance at James' body amid her coughing, a look of terror and bewilderment on her face as she sees several more shots strike. She closes her eyes, practically curling into a ball as she turns her face towards the deck, still gasping and wheezing, barely able to take in what's going on.

Ehanis sighs, very much inclined to follow. But an order is an order and she'd rather not cause another screwup. "Don't you think they would have given the order if they-" she asks. "Let's stay here. We don't want anything getting into our way home."

Nathan doesn't add to the barrage, staring, staring. "...He's dead," he mutters. He then refocuses, blinking rapidly as he looks around and barks over comms, "He's dead! Cease fire! Cease fire!" No point barraging a headless corpse by this point, now that they've alerted anything else on this ship. "We've been compromised. This is likely a race against time now. They'll have time to secure positions and prepare, we

Oxaris lowers her weapon once the man drops, quickly searching for other targets.

Senya 's focus seems surprisingly unwavering in the face of the violent death of a long-time friend. She hurries to Lucy's side, kneeling down next to her and quickly starting to look her over. Making sure she's physically okay is the top priority right now. The rest will come later.

Ilyna lowers her weapon and reloads it, and she looks towards Senya. "Could you escort her back to the rear guard?" she asks, gesturing to Lucy. She doesn't wait for an answer before moving towards the corridor, taking position by the doorframe.

Jessica furrows her brow. "They are shooting! Is not enough of an order?" she calls back.

Jattic shakes his head, his gaze still locked on the door across the hold. "No. She is right." he growls in agreement with Ehanis. "We must ensure the way back remains clear and nothing enters the airlock."

Jessica scowls from behind her helmet. A displeased: "...Fine." her only acknowledgement as she remains in the middle of the first cargo hold, gaze looking out towards the second.

Jason slaps his free hand against the crate behind him, using it to pull himself to his feet. His initial reaction is to level his shotgun to James. But given the man's slightly-headless nature, he relents, Nathan's words ringing true. "He's right. We lost whatever element of surprise we may have had." he adds, working through the pain in his chest. His gaze moves to Lucy, crumpled up on the floor. The adreneline surging

Leah takes in a deep breath, her gaze traveling from Lucy to James. She looks across the scene towards Nathan, but her attention doesn't linger. She's quick to step over James and into the corridor on Jason's tail.

Mingxia 's voice sounds from somewhere down the corridor. A closer look would reveal that one of the side doors, the furthest on the right, is actually open. "Shhh... shhhh... everything's-... everything's going to be okay. I know-... I-I-I know. Y-You're scared. B-B-But it's going to be okay...."

Senya helps, or rather, practically lifts Lucy to her feet, quickly starting to move her away from the grisly scene. Sobs are already mixing with the breathless coughing fits as they get moving.

Nathan moves after the others, shaking his head as he stops for a moment to linger on James' corpse. "What the fuck," he mutters before following after. Hearing a voice from ahead, he stops and looks to the others. "That's a trap. That has to be a trap," he says over comms, turning off externals.

Oxaris hops down, landing with practiced ease before following the others, taking the rearguard. She nods, adding with Nathan, "Probably. But we need to clear everything. We'll end up in there regardless."

Zaylus steps toward the next corridor, but finds it rather busy at the moment and hangs back, looking closely at the body of James.

Elena stops heading through the cargo hold when she meets Senya and Lucy. It takes her a moment to put together what Lucy's state means. A quiet curse under her breath, and a few more steps amid the crates to see for herself while the other two make their way back. She stands in silence, staring at James' body in disbelief.

Ilyna doesn't care if it's a trap, it could be Li and she has to know. So, she's moving towards the open doorway, pushing past Nathan and Jason if necessary.

Jason seems to be on the same page as Ilyna. Mingxia's voice may as well be a beacon, because he beelines it right up to the open door, stacking up beside it. "Trap or no trap we're going in. Ten! Smoke the room!" he orders, quickly cycling his HUD to thermal imaging. If Li is inside, then this needs to be precise. He folds up his shotgun, replacing it with his Phalanx. "Everyone else clear this corridor ASAP!"

Leah gives another firm: "Copy!" in response to Jason, quickly moving to stack up on the closest right hand door.

Nathan nods sharply. A little girl's life is at stake. They're right, trap or no trap, they need to go in. He cycles to thermal imaging, switching to his M-3 and pulling out a smoke grenade. Seeing Ilyna run into the room, he curses and says over internal comms only, "Smoke out!" He cycles the grenade to instant deployment upon contact after being thrown and slings it to land right behind Ilyna. "Move in!" He would

Oxaris takes position in the corridor, providing overwatch on the other doors.

Ilyna crouches down in the doorway. "Li?" she asks. "Come here." She raises her brows as the smoke fills the room, breaking the sightline to Li, and she panics. "What are you-... no! Li, can you hear me!"

Zaylus takes a position next to Oxaris but not in any way of her lines of sight. He too intends to keep his eye on the other doors but stands ready to move in and assist if necessary.

Li immediately lifts her head when she hears Ilyna's voice, looking her way. "Mommy!" she calls out, prompting Mingxia's face to fill with hurt and anger before she pushes it down. Li tries to wriggle out of her grasp and run for Ilyna, but Mingxia keeps a tight grip of her, standing up as the smoke fills the room. "I-I-It doesn't have to be like this... don't you see? The harvest has already begun." she says, looking

Ilyna stands up, and walks towards the voice. She will bring Li home, or die trying. Tears are rolling down her cheeks, which is very visible through her big bolbous visor — once the smoke clears, of course. "No!" she shouts. "If there is anything left in you that cares about your daughter's future, let her go!"

Leah allows a blue glow to envelope her before she taps the panel to the next room over to begin clearing as Jason requested.

Jason crosses through the door towards the side of the room opposite of where he stacked up, gripping the knife on his chest by the handle and jerking it free once again. He uses his knife hand to steady his pistol hand as he rushes inside. Once it seems as though Mingxia and Li are the only two inside, he levels his Phalanx on the former. "She's got a gun, Ilyna!" he announces, sighting in on the woman through the thermal

Nathan sweeps in after Jason, a similar idea in his mind as his gauntlet deploys the knife and he holds it in a reverse grip, using his arm to steady his pistol, moving towards the other corner. He uses the thermals to his advantage and circles a little, sighting his weapon on Mingxia but hesitates for a moment. He has to wait. Wait for the opportunity. As soon as she sees that brief window, he'll put a round

Leah swings her Mattock to-and-fro. Once she's sure nothing is hiding in the toilet, she pulls back with a loud: "Clear!" that's lost amongst Jason and Ilyna's chatter and moves on to the next door across the hall, the one closest to the hold. Her biotic glow still surrounding her, she repeats the process, pressing a hand to the door's interface and readying her weapon.

Ilyna stops at Jason's order, a biotic shimmer forming around her. Once the smoke clears enough that she can get a visual on them, she sends off a bitoic lift field towards them. She knows it might hurt Li, but she has to do something to get her away from Mingxia.

Oxaris looks to Zaylus and nods at him, motioning for him to wait here as she moves with Leah to support her in the clearing process.

Mingxia continues to spin around erratically, clearly having no idea where the others are. She lets out an unamused laugh, which turns into a cough due to the smoke. "S-S-So shortsighted for such a long lived species! THEY OFFER ETERNITY! SALVATION!" she yells, firing off a trio of random shots that hit nowhere near any of the three in the room. "I have glimpsed an existence you cannot even COMPRE-..." She's interrupted as

Ilyna hurries over to Li's side, moving to grab her out of the air before the field lets go of her. For the first time in days, she feels hopeful.

Li immediately grasps onto Ilyna, hugging her tightly and burying her face against her chest as frightened noises escape her.

Jason inches along the opposite side of the room from Nathan, a slight flinch of his head as a round from Mingxia's gun pings off a wall. More of the same ramblings that the asari on Di Yu was spouting. "Yeah, right. Salvation. Insignificant bodies. Truth and despair. Eternity. More insignificance. Blah blah blah." he says as he catches sight of Ilyna's heat signature clutching to Li. Confident that Li is safe, his finger

Leah meanwhile, gives a quick sweep of the kitchen before another announcement of: "Clear!" fills the comms. She gives a nod to the turian as she joins her and motions for them to move on to the next room.

Nathan decides that now... he'll add his own gunfire symphony to his team-mates. He double-taps, aiming to add to the likely trio of holes that fill the woman's chest, his face contorted into a deep-set look of determination. He feels no remorse at this. Whoever this woman was, whatever she did to James and for stealing Li away from her mother... she deserves this.

Mingxia 's unfocused gaze darts around the smoke-filled room, a smile crossing her face. "They're here..." she whispers just before bullets from both Jason and Nathan riddle her torso, and she drops to the ground with a thud, her body motionless and bloody.

Zaylus straightens up, looking up and around as the sound rumbles through the ship. He takes a wandering step backwards into the cargo hold, concerned.

Ilyna holds her tightly as well, not going anywhere for now. For a moment, she forgot all about Mingxia, her cult and the danger they're in. The gunfire is enough to snap her out of it, and a small barrier dome forms around them. "It's... it's going be okay," she tries to reassure her, a likely vain attempt with all that's going on around. "You're... I... I was so worried."

Elena is on edge after gunfire rings out from further down the corridor, but she decides to remain with James' body for now, keeping watch. The rumble causes her to aim up at the ceiling, her flashlight wandering with her barrel. But everything seems fine with the ship.

Li flinches at the sound of gunfire, pressing tighter against Ilyna as muffled sobs start to sound.

Senya leads Lucy throw the first, empty hangar, paying little mind to Jessica and Jattic, or the gunfire for that matter, as she moves into the corridor.

Oxaris follows tightly behind Leah, covering the biotic with her SMG.

Jessica's gaze remains fixed on the door to the second hold, her shoulders tensing each time a shot rings out. As the ship begins groaning, her attention shifts around the cargo hold, trying to get a grasp on what's going on.

Jattic remains silent and stone faced as the shots fill the air and chatter fills the comms. It's not until the ship begins rumbling that he finally speaks up. "What was that?" he asks.

Leah leads on with Oxaris to the next door, her hand hovering just over the panel when she's jostled slightly from the rumbling. Jattic steals her question away and she, instead, looks to Oxaris as she awaits an answer.

Ehanis looks around as the sounds change. "What's happening?" she asks over comms.

Nathan slowly lowers his pistol as he stares at the motionless corpse of Mingxia. He slowly exhales, turning his head to Jason as she chimes over comms. "We... took down the kidnapper. We have Li. Target secured. We should prep for evac and get the hell back to Aite." He looks at Jason, speaking locally to him, "Did... did you happen to catch what she said?"

Jason furrows his brow, eyes glued to Mingxia as her lifeless form slumps to the ground. Her cryptic words in conjunction with the timely rumbling is enough to throw him off his game. But it's not long before his training kicks back in and he hurries towards her to confirm her kill and kick the pistol aside. Phalanx aimed down at her, he glances to his side from Ilyna to Nathan. "They're here." he answers, mulling the words