This logfile is imported from aitelogs2 and may contain errors or wrong timestamps.
#FreedomFalls – August 11, 2018
It's not long after Mian's interrogation that the shuttle is back in the sky on its way back out to Mian's home. While Tank remains behind to make sure the asari doesn't try anything, Mendez and Emma return with Jasper.
Mendez is, as per usual, buckled up and harnessed in nice and tightly, one gauntleted hand gripping at his seat's harness. A deep, uncomfortable groan escapes him each time they experience even the slightest of turbulance.
The shuttle is contacted once Erantha comes into view. "Turn around and leave, Redrock Agency," he says. "You're not welcome here." There's some interference from the weather, but his words should convey clear enough. He is speaking English, but that's the only identifying information that can be discerned.
Emma 's attention briefly turns from her rifle to Mendez, and for just the briefest moment a tiny hint of a smirk threatens to break her normally serious expression, but soon enough she's back to staring out the window into the blackness outside.
Jasper gives a loud sigh as he flicks his gaze turns to the shuttle's control panel briefly. "Sounds like someone took notice of our shenanigans." he calls back to the passenger's compartment. "Doesn't seem like they're too happy 'bout us comin' on back." With a frown, he reaches out to return the hail with the press of a button, taking just a moment to clear his throat first. "This is Jasper Sullivan with Redrock Agency." he
introduces, their identity already clearly compromised anyway, "Afraid that ain't gonna be happenin', but I can assure ya we ain't here to cause no trouble." He slows their approach, eyes scanning the white landscape of the small homestead for any sign of activity.
Mendez draws a deep breath in through his nose as Jasper delivers the news. One hand remaining on the harness, his other instinctively moves to slide the folded up Katana on the seat next to him closer as he passes a glance Emma's way.
Emma lifts her rifle, which is leaned against her knee, into her lap, quadruple-checking to make sure everything is in order before looking Mendez way and giving a nod.
Jasper will be able to see that there are 3 people by the door of Mian's apartment, two tall and one short. It's too dark outside to identify either of them. "We wouldn't be out here right now if you meant no trouble," he replies over comms. "What business do you have here?"
Jasper leans to the side slightly to be better heard by Emma and Mendez. "Three folks outside Mian's apartment. Sounds like they think we might be lookin' fer a fight. Gon' try an' talk 'em down but-..." he sighs, shaking his head to himself, "...Jus' be ready in case they ain't the talkin' type." With that, he settles back into his seat and activates comms once more. "I hear that. Guessin' yer talkin' 'bout the altercation with
miss T'Veki. Prolly looked a whole lot worse than it was. I assure you ain't no harm come to yer friend. There's a person missin' in town an' we jus' came fer some information, that's all." he explains, "She's gon' be turned over to the Marhsals an' I'm sure she'll be back home in no time. Right now we jus' need to check the buildin', make sure everything is locked up nice an' tight, then we'll be outta ya'lls hair. You
Mendez follows suit, gaze straight ahead as he listens to the exchange, a simple, slight nod of his head the only indication he even heard Jasper.
There's a bit of delay in his answer as he speaks to one of the others. "I hope you tell the truth, Redrock Agency," he says wearily, the wind interference getting worse as he steps away from the building. "I haven't forgotten what you've done for my family, but my eyes didn't lie when I saw you pulling Mian out of that house."
Jasper lets out a deep breath he wasn't even aware he had been holding and reaches out so his hand can be visible through the doorway to the passenger's compartment as he gives a brief thumbs up. He quickly returns the message with one of his own. "I understand. And I ain't gon' tell ya yer eyes were lyin'. Just that they ain't seen the whole story is all. But I can appreciate ya tryin' to take care of yer own. S'all we're
tryin' ta do, too. We ain't tryin' ta take the law into our own hands, just get answers. Like I said before, miss T'Veki is gon' be turned over to the Marshals and everything'll be handled above board. Now I'm gon' set down. That ain't gon' be a problem, is it?" he asks, beginning to circle the area widely before presuming to land without issue.
Mendez passes a glance towards the cockpit, hand still clenching at his harness. The back-and-forth and Jasper's gesture causes him to give a small roll of his shoulders against his restraints, easing his tension a bit.
Emma didn't seemed calm enough to begin with - just ready, should she need to be. The exchange doesn't seem to affect her much, if at all. She returns to looking out the window as they start to touch down.
He seems to be exchanging words with the others before answering. The other person at the door (the taller one) steps aside. They're all wearing hooded winter coats, so identification is still not possible. There are no visible weapons on them. "Fine, land on the road," he says with a gesture towards their previous landing spot. "Does Mian know you're here?"
Jasper nods a couple of times to himself as he comes around for another pass with the shuttle, lining up with the road. "Pretty sure she does." he says, aware that part of the goal of their return is to secure the door. He, of course, doesn't mention anything about whether or not Mian is opposed to them going through her shit for information on Ehanis. "Door's lock got a bit damaged so we're gon' do somethin' 'bout that door.
Make sure it's secured nice an' tight 'til she can get home. Last thing she needs is a couple carashan gettin' in in the middle a' the night an' makin' a mess." he adds with a snicker, hoping to bring a little levity to the situation as the shuttle begins to touch down, doors already starting to slide open before the Kodiak has fully settled.
Mendez seems in no rush to undo his harness, waiting until the shuttle has come to a complete stop before working at the latch. Once released from his harness he scoops his Katana up and stands from his seat. The shotgun unfolds with a satisfying CLICK and he hoists it in both hands, opting to leave his helmet behind as he begins to depart from the shuttle.
Emma unbuckles from her harness as they start to touch down, resting her Saber in her lap, barrel pointed down, but in her hands nonetheless. Just in case. She scans the scene outside the shuttle with a sharp gaze, trying to assess whether the group by the door present a threat, as well as whether there's anyone else present in the area. She doesn't stand up until the shuttle has touched down, letting Mendez take the lead out
The man who gestured for them to land doesn't stand far from the shuttle when it opens. He takes a step towards it, his gloved hands not holding anything. Mendez may remember seeing him at the hospital a month ago when he stood guard outside Lema's room. He's an old man in his sixties. "We're not looking for a fight," he says, "so weapons won't be necessary." He casts a glance behind him. "We don't need your help with the
door, but we'd appreciate any parts you could spare." The other two are also watching the shuttle from beside the door. The taller one is a young human male, but the lighting doesn't provide much details beyond that. The short one is a blue face likely easily recognized by Mendez, especially given that one of her arms are inside the jacket. Emma is not able to see anyone else in the vicinity.
Thiago gaze scans over the small crowd and he swiftly folds his shotgun back up, stowing it away on his hardsuit. He doesn't acknowledge Lema right away, instead focusing on the older man speaking to him. "It's fine. We told Mian we'd take care of it." he says simply, his deep voice even and flat. His gaze turns to the young asari, greeting her with a nod. "You staying out of trouble?" he asks, allowing the briefest hint of a
Emma stays back a little, keeping her eyes on their surroundings, under the assumption that Mendez knows what he's doing talking with the, to her, unfamiliar people. Her DMR does not leave her hands, but she keeps it in a relaxed grip.
Lema looks up at Mendez with a worried look on her face. His question falls on deaf ears as she has more pressing concerns. "Please don't do anything bad," she says, lowering her voice. "Dad says I cannot visit Leah until he's sure you're not in the wrong here, and... it looks bad."
There are no signs of anyone watching, but there are enough dark or curtained windows to not get a full picture.
The man shakes his head. "I'm not in a position to allow you to do the repairs," he says. "Don't worry, the boy knows his trade." He stands aside to watch the shuttle and the apartment. The other human watches Mendez, but he stands completely still with his hands visible. There's a closed toolbox next to him.
Mendez doesn't respond to Lema, once more turning his gaze to the older man. "You're not, but Mian is." he says. Talking might not be his strong suit, but unfortunately he's the senior team member so it sort of falls on his shoulders to take charge of the situation. With a grunt, he shakes his head. "Look, it's been a long day and we all want to go home. Regardless of how this looked to you, we're not here for trouble. Never
were. Mian's roommate went missing. When one of our people came looking for answers, Mian attacked them." he explains, giving an exhausted sigh as he gives the group of people a rundown of the events, "We came to follow up. She decided she'd rather fight with us than talk with us so things went sideways. We took her in. Simple. We told her we'd make sure her house was secure. I'm not doubting you've got her best interest in
mind, but it's our responsibility. So if we walk away and leave this in your hands and then suddenly her crap ends up missing, that's a headache we don't need." Deciding it's best to just be straight with them rather than dance around things, he passes a brief glance Emma's way before continuing, "It'll give us a chance to see if there's any sign of what happened with her roommate. Her lock gets fixed. Everybody goes home
happy." He isn't the friendliest of people, that much is apparent. But there's no hostility in his voice, either. Just flat and matter-of-fact, sounding as if he'd very much like to put this whole ordeal behind them and get home.
Emma returns Mendez' glance without comment. She takes a moment to study each of the faces in the little group before returning her attention to their surroundings.
The man listens carefully to what he has to say without interruption. "Ehanis is missing?" he says before sighing as he quietly dismisses the question. "Mian's a tenant, so it's not up to her either." He walks over to Lema's side. "But there's no talking you out of it, is there?" he asks.
Mendez seems to take a breath as the man calls Ehanis by name. "She is. And-... no." he offers, giving just a small shake of his head. He falls silent for a moment, considering his options. Finally, with a sigh, he seems to relent a bit. "Alright. I think it's in everyone's best interest if we work together. I'm not sure what your history is with Ehanis, but I'm guessing if her and Mian are renting from you then you'd like to know
what happened with her just as much as we would. Let us take a pass through the house, see if anything jumps out at us that might tell us where Ehanis is and whether or not she's in any danger. We've got some equipment under one of the seats in the shuttle-..." he cocks a thumb over his shoulder, "...that you can use to fix the damage to the door in the meantime." Compromise, bitches!
Emma rolls her shoulders, looking back to Mendez and the others for a moment. She remains a silent sentry, an austere expression on her face - although the cold might have something to do with that. The turning of her head and the cloud of mist that forms with each of her breaths is the only real indication that she's alive.