[Citadel, Tayseri] Leaving the Ducts Charity Dinner (Open to all)

C-Sec, along with the medical professionals, arrived very soon after. They were confronted with quite the sight - a wrecked office strewn with refuse, blood and cake, a man down with life-threatening injuries, and a tired biotic who by this point looked more than ready to kill someone. An unexpected advantage of the "hanar parade" was the presence of witnesses, who could immediately assist in answering some important questions - Precisely what had been happening? How had they known there was a break-in and why had they sought to deal with it themselves? What was it about lower Tayseri lately? Could the VI please put down those coloured balls, because it was very irritating?

To Laykalar's immense relief, it looked like Snow was going to be alright. It was awful that people should still be willing to use violence even three years after the Pulse, and Laykalar was sadly aware that Snow had seen too much of it. The human had seemed very much at peace, though, a state Laykalar had rarely seen him in. It was confusing, and Laykalar had the sad sense that Snow was glad to have the opportunity to give up. "But you mustn't give up" he said quietly, "because too many voices have dimmed already".

When he'd first arrived here he'd been overwhelmed by it all. So many opportunities to learn, so much to see and do and experience, so many interconnecting currents and wondrous discoveries! He knew that his elders were right when they argued that mere learning wasn't enough - true illumination required structuring, an ability to judge the value of that which you learned, to incorporate some of it and discard the remainder. Could you really know a lesson's true value so swiftly, though? Laykalar was beginning to doubt it. The Citadel was the heart of the galaxy, the Enkindlers' most sacred and storied relic, and none of his people's wisest philosophers had truly understood what the place had meant to the peoples of the galaxy. Assumptions couldn't be trusted. Just like the crudely-spoken and often ill-mannered behaviour of someone like Julian Snow was merely a face that deflected efforts to understand the soul. There was so much that could be missed, if you weren't willing to truly explore.

With the surge of adrenaline fading and the effects of the mindfish clearing, Laykalar felt nonetheless energized. If the hanar people were to truly improve their understanding of this new, storm-tossed universe, they would need to break down the barriers that kept them apart from their neighbours. He had long believed that. He would never assume his arguments superior to those of his learned elders, but he had to take into account outsiders' own perspectives. What would they know of the hanar? Distant and unapproachable observers or a people they could call their friends, not just their legal allies? He remembered what Rondor had told him, about the visit to another part of her world, about the various forms of insight to be gained through each approach. He hadn't taken the notice he should have, being too distracted. If everyone took the same approach, what was the point in striving to achieve greater understanding? No-one would contribute anything new! He pulsed happily. It was the process of discovery that mattered, every bit as much as the outcome. Particularly because you couldn't know the outcome. If mooring in place and simply observing was somehow enough, none of the duct rats here would have the opportunities now open to them.

He had followed through on his dream and immersed in this wonderful world of aliens, and he mustn't give up.

It was a strange feeling, and although he didn't think about it at the time, he would later identify it as a sense of rediscovered freedom. His work with Leaving the Ducts was unconventional, but it was teaching him so much, and helping him contribute to the very community he was studying. People like the turian felon, meanwhile, would work against those aims, unable to comprehend the virtues of Enkindlement and interested only in their own gain. That was the price of isolation.

If he had been content to give up, Snow would have died.

Uncle Garm Garm was finishing his cheerfully educational tale. "I think we can all see the relevance of what my good friend Captain Grumpy learned that fine day".

Back at the dinner, Michelle gave Alystae a sardonic smile.
"I actually like you a bit better now, when you're not pretending to be a nice person.
Now when you mean "protection" I do hope you're not thinking we're one of those business you can just shake. Look around you, we've taken on the LTE and we are winning. We've sent to jail a good number of them, we're swiping the duct rats from under their nose... We're doing fine", Michelle said while her office was combed by C-Sec agents and her chief of security was being covered in medigel. "So no, we are not under your protection. We'll be occasional allies against those thugs at best and even that level of intimacy with your organization upsets me.
Contact us if and only if you have some relevant things to say about them, and we'll do the same. Now I have to take this, enjoy the rest of the dinner, try not to overstay your welcome."

With that Michelle chugged down her strawberry milk and a speed that would have been more impressive if she hadn't been drinking a strawberry milk and walked away, activating her omni-tool. Laykalar was calling her. Her stomach knotted.

Behind her, Alystae adopted a sardonic smile of her own as she walked away.

"Yes Laykalar?"

"It doesn't wish to alarm the honoured other, but there has been a most regrettable incident!".

There were times when the hanar compulsion to speak formally and politely was quite the hindrance. Even the language itself was suited less to efficient bursts of relevant information and more to discursive philosophizing. As hyperactive as Laykalar was, it still wasn't the most effective bulletin.

With a game attempt at urgency, Laykalar filled her in on the important points - that there had indeed been an attempt to get past the security that Leaving the Ducts had installed, that the defences had not been compromised due to the heroic actions of Snow, but that Snow had been severely injured -- but he was receiving medical assistance now and it seemed he would recover, they must be thankful for that, and Sarah had been incredibly helpful and that she, Rondor, had been correct about India and he was most apologetic if he was not being clear. Did he need to clarify? He was answering questions for C-Sec but would of course return when he could and he certainly hoped the guests were still enjoying themselves. The other should not be alarmed because the situation was controlled and he was very thankful to be assisting and they must wait to hear about Snow. Did the other wish to speak with C-Sec now?

Perhaps surprisingly, he didn't sound too upset, rather composed actually.

"Oh please my dear, don't let me keep you from business. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again soon enough." He raised his glass to Alystae in a little salute, giving her a wink and a nod as she walked off with Ms. Rondor. He turned back towards the rest of the party, humming to himself happily. This evening was turning into a red-letter one for him when he needed one most. The spirits must have been looking kindly upon him once more.

On that note, he decided to see if the spirits of the hors d'oeuvre table were looking out for him as well.

Durix expected to get hit by shockwave and relaxed at the point of impact, but the pull field slamming him into the spirits damned cake was not. The worst part for him was the whiplash, to say nothing of his eyesight impaired even further. Slowly rising to prevent from going faint, but still wearing the grim smile on his dark face, the cake coating his clothes and head unable to detract from the menace. The sirens becoming louder he let out a frustrated snarl, his mission a near total failure as he somehow grabbed the befuddled drell as a hostage, his good hand pressing his knife against the waiter's throat. "Sorry to cut things short, but they're playing my song", the Beast of Armiger giving the ranting blonde a sly wink as he dragged the drell to the edge of an adjacent stairwell. Pushing the drell forward Durix let himself fall off the railing, falling fifteen feet to the bottom before getting back up, making his escape through an alley towards Lower Tayseri Elite territory.

After what seemed an eternity, but in reality was only mere minutes, the authorites arrived, the C-Sec agents securing the apt building and the surrounding area, the medical staff attending to Sarah Thompson and Julian Snow. Sprinting past Laykalar, the paramedics scanned the young man and began emergency measures. The primary nurse rolled the young man onto his side, applying a compress to his side as the other began the process of removing the glass, unable to apply medigel with the debris embedded in his back. "We're losing him, in addition to the wound to the side we have internal bleeding and shock." "Get him stable, I'm removing the glass now and prepping him for transport." A third nurse approaching Laykalar, the turian female in charge of the first ambulance, "You're the one who called this in? I need to ask you some questions at the hospital." The head paramedic looking at the young man in slight horror, "we're prepping him for medigel and transport, but he's lost a lot of blood in addition to his secondary injuries..." As the chief paramedic started to talk to Laykalar, the other team began to attend to the blonde woman, C-Sec in the background closing off the area and bringing out two gangers from the apt complex in holocuffs.

"If you only knew Miss Rondor", the sardonic smile affixed to Alystae's face as she walked towards the entrance, her coat flowing behind her while she threaded her way through the partygoers, downing the whiskey just as her omnitool began ringing, the encrypted channel entrusted to Randall Erskine. "Speak Randall," Alystae replying coldly, her attitude all business around the sadistic bastard she made chief enforcer. "You need to get back to the Perch boss, Leaving the Ducts was hit, by Durix Althinus no less." The tall maiden's eyes narrowing at the mention of the Beast of Armiger's involvement. "On my way, put the co-op on lockdown and get a sweeper team together." Alystae's voice curt as she walked briskly out, her face all business as she moved past the grumpy quarian's table towards the exit....

Had they at least apprehended the man who had caused so much harm?

"This one regrets to note that he escaped the scene. It is sure that Citadel Security will make a comprehensive report. Several others have been taken into custody".

Still the report was surprisingly composed, considering who was making it.

It certainly wouldn't hurt, Xuumo thought, to hear this asari's perspective.

"Measured pride: I have recently been offered a position on the staff of one of our diplomats. I am enthusiastic about the potential advancement. Solemn: It will, however, mean a relocation to salarian territory, when I had hoped to return to Dekuuna.

Wistful: The lure of home is strong, and I am uncertain as to whether or not to take the offer".

The paramedics assisted Sarah into putting her nose back into place- A very painful but temporary procedure. Given an antibiotic cream and a bandage over the bridge, the woman slowly stood, muttering. "Fucker got away. I - I'm a bloody mess because of him, how am I going to explain a broken nose to people?"

The woman exhaled with a sigh, then stepped over to Laykalar. "How is Julian? He's still alive, right? I tried my best without killing the guy, buddy, I don't ever want to do that again." She rubbed the bridge of her nose and seethed with pain.

Laykalar shimmered in gratitude and sympathy. How unpleasant, that an evening out for a troubled friend should see yet another complication to her distressingly overburdened life! Yet he was very glad she had been here. She had undoubtedly prevented disaster.

"This one has been told that he will most likely make a recovery; that the injuries were cause for alarm and certainly life-threatening but -" He found himself a little unsteady, contemplating what might have happened - "but that since he is receiving professional attention we should assume the best".

He pulsated thankfully, his relief evident.

Arina pursed her lips, thinking.
"This is a great career offer, Mr. Xuumo. Let me answer it like this: Diplomatic service is a career that will require travelling abroad and most likely a variety of postings over time. Such is the nature of the service. One can't be much of a diplomat at home after all. That said, this is a choice that has to be made at the very beginning, where would you like to pursue your life career? On the homeworld or mostly everywhere else, representing that homeworld, carrying it inside you for others to learn about and to weigh in with the spirit of your people among others." She made a pause, taking a deeper breath.

"But I admit, the Union is kind of shaky territory at this point in time. Also, you have your boy to consider... But speaking from personal - granted, biased - experience, I greatly enjoyed success as a place to live. It is a beautiful world. Well... I don't know if your assignment would be Sur'Kesh but most salarian colonies are beautiful places." The challenges of the superfast salarian lifestyle in comparison to the elcor deliberation would be interesting, no question.

"Besides having to make an unexpected speech. I am fine, Taleeze", Kari said. "And quite. It would be terrible if some accident would befall you before we can have our re-match. Very terrible", she finished, the tone of her voice making it very hard to tell if she was joking or being serious.

Salarian colonies were beautiful, were they? In his mind's eye, Xuumo saw the numbing greyness of Farish Vey, and the maddening rain.

Still, the asari was a sympathetic ear. Her advice might yet prove useful, and the socializing instinct was strong in both of their species, if far more outwardly-focused in hers. She might be a useful contact in the long-run.

"Wistful: I had assumed that a resumption of my career would see me reintegrating back on the birthworld. Self-annoyance: I had not considered that the two goals might not stand paw-in-paw. A single-minded focus on my part".

After finding himself finally standing on solid ground again, he'd looked triumphantly to the wider picture only to realize that his island of stability was more a temporary raft, and he was rapidly being carried downstream. With attached flotsam.

"Politely: Of course, my people are cautious of the unexpected. The upheaval we've all experienced has been challenging to the elcor; I would hazard more so than the loss of infrastructure. So little took us by surprise, you understand, because every contingency had been discussed and ruminated on. Slightly caustic: Or so we thought.

With hints of bitterness: Our response to the crisis was not what it should have been, but perhaps there was nothing else we could have done.

Speculative: Perhaps my present uncertainty is symptomatic, something to which my people need to become better accustomed. Moderate discomfort: I am no longer the exact being I was".

As if to underscore the point, Alonso sidled over, munching on something. Xuumo shifted his body mass in a way that would convey to the boy (and anyone else in the know) an expectant inquiry; Alonso gave a tiny nod; yes, he had listened in on Vallario and the others. Xuumo made another slight movement and released an appreciative scent, the equivalent of a grateful pat on the head. Alonso fixed him with a challenging gaze; don't patronise me.

Xuumo fought the urge to roll his eyes. He was still learning how to judge the more intimate exchanges. Limiting his cues to those which could be detected by a human was hard enough, but hitting the right note involved constant trial and error. Not only was the boy on the cusp of adolescence, but having lived rough on the streets he'd cultivated a suspicious, yeah-I'm-tough attitude that stood uneasily alongside his obvious vulnerabilities. To Xuumo's considerable distaste (for several unrelated reasons), he sometimes became overly sensitive. It was just that the human child was so small.

"Warmly: This is Alonso, of course".

Alonso nodded in greeting.

"Sorry, the assailant slipped away, and sad to say it ma'am, our priority is tending to Mr. Snow and securing the area." The nurse replying to the blonde woman while adding the finishing touches to the nose bandage. "The injuries he suffered are severe, looks like they finished removing the glass from his back and are applying medigel, though we'll have to sedate him and treat for shock." Finishing, the female paramedic went to tend to the drell waiter, visibly shaken but unhurt. The other nurses placing Snow onto a hover stretcher, his face covered by an oxygen mask, Laykalar hovering nearby as the charity worker, his concern visible as the ambulance was loaded up, taking him to the nearest hospital.

The last thought going through Snow's head before going under, "If you only knew Laykalar, I dimmed a few voices myself, it's what I deserve", admitting his guilt about Benning as the painkillers rendered him unconscious.

“’Expect not to be prepared for the unexpected’ is a saying with my people too, Mr. Xuumo.” In hindsight, things could have been decided differently but for the cost of other things. Even the beacon… a brief memory flickered in her mind. It had been calculated that the revelation of that data earlier would have triggered the intervention of the Reapers at a much earlier stage. The VI’s had even a majority opinion that it would have happened before the dawn of humanity and that this fact would have reduced the chances or completing the Crucible to next to zero without the data from Mars. In hindsight, keeping the beacon hidden maybe ensured that all the data was accessible to the galactic community when the Reapers finally made their move. She sipped her wine and smile. What someone like Mr. Alexanders would say to this?

“Hello Alonso! Nice to meet you, I am Arina.” She smiled at the young boy and offered him a hand. Her implant interpreted Xuumo’s great affection for him beyond the spoken words.

“I can’t tell you what road to take, I am afraid. You have to listen to your heart and be responsible.” She said, directed at Xuumo.

“Oh, you think you can beat me, Kari?” Taleeze replied with a wink. “I am not sure if there’s dancing involved at this party but of course I would hit the dancefloor with you again anytime.”

Thinking for amoment she decided to switch to another topic.
“How’s Plika doing? You haven’t posted anything about her in some time.” looking at Daia, she added: “Do I remember correctly that you once lived with someone who also owned a Choriick?”

Kari chuckled. "Plika is fine, Taleeze. When I left she was chewing on one of her toys and probably doesn't even know that I am gone right now", she said, really hoping that was true because coming home to a destroyed couch because of a distressed choriick would be another addition to a terrible day. "And I just don't post much about her on Cerberus Daily News, there are plenty of pictures, threads and compliments of her on the Choriick Discussion Network. Which is infinitely more tolerable than the geth sympathizing idiots on that... other site."

Sarah threw her arms into the air in frustration and stormed off without saying a thing to Laykalar or the others. She activated her omnitool and spoke with an agitated tone in a phone call to her date- The man she left behind in the ballroom at the charity dinner.
The two reunited in front of the dinner- And after a hasty explanation about the busted nose, the two left.