Both Ways (20181228)

CH85

\\\\CH85\\\\

Nasaug and Tavi darted out of the room, frantically searching for the direction which Brigrig fled. They found the telltale evidence of the escape route: the ajar exterior door of the building.

The two emerged from the building into the cold midnight of Shuar, their eyes shooting back and forth for their target from the vantage point of a short staircase. The tall overhead stadium lights shone down on them from above, covering vast swaths of buildings, road, and alleyways in light. Before them, however, was a river of Canim refugees fleeing the dangerously close Vord onslaught. Spotting Brigrig was not going to be easy.

Tavi wasted no time, flying down the steps and into the crowd of Canim, searching the beastly faces high above him for any hint of resemblance to the ritualist. As uncomfortable as being encapsulated by a horde of Canim who individually possessed twice his strength and a complete disregard for Aleran lives made him, he couldn't think of any better options. Thankfully, most couldn't be bothered by his existence anyway, and those that were restrained themselves to threatening glances and the occasional growl.

"He could be anywhere, Captain!" Nasaug dejected as he tried to make his way through the crowd close behind. "There is no way we can catch him through this crowd!"

"If we can't move quickly, he can't either!" Tavi replied. "He must be close!"

"Captain, Warmaster, you have left your assigned post." JSRTI observed over the radio. "Explain yourselves."

"Brigrig has betrayed us!" Tavi stated. "He has sabotaged the book by taking a critical page and fled!"

"...Acknowledged; target spotted. Security tasked to detain." JSRTI stated. "The target is 100m East of your location. It appears he is attempting to disguise himself as a refugee to leave the camp."

"Hurry, Nasaug, or we shall be too late!" Tavi said to the trailing Warmaster. Not far ahead of them rose the shouts of several AAF soldiers as they queried found their target.

"Be advised, the target has left the refugees, headed North." JSRTI relayed. Tavi groaned as he turned about, trying to leave the crowd. His efforts encountered serious difficulty; it was like trying to swim across a strong river, getting jostled around by its current. Tavi realized too late that the Canim had grown tired of accomodating his inconvenience, refusing to give way. Tavi was trapped in the middle of the crowd.

"Move!" Tavi commanded in Canish as he struggled to free himself. "This is a critical matter, Move!" His orders fell on deaf ears, however. He was stranded in a sea of fur and muscle. It was impossible for Tavi to force his way out; the Canim were just too massive for a small Aleran such as he to have a hope of parting.

Suddenly, one of the Canim grabbed his forearm with crushing force, as snarls and growls rose from behind. Then, the Cane started to pull him, dragging him with the brute force Tavi had felt too many times before.

"Let go!" Tavi ordered before delivering a solid punch right onto one of his captor's fingers. However, this only strengthened the Cane's resolve, resulting in a tighter grip as he pulled through another group of Canim. After taking an errant elbow to the face, Tavi drew his dagger with his free hand while he retracted his captive arm, pulling himself closer to his subduer. As soon as he was close enough, he turned his body to face the direction he was being pulled and forced himself forward, closing the distance. He managed to catch a glimpse of his attacker and, with his target in sight, lept forward, driving his dagger toward the Cane's neck. "I said, let go!" He repeated as the tip of his blade stopped at the Cane's throat.

"I thought we were past this, no?" Nasaug asked as he let go of Tavi's arm, now that he was free of the crowd.

"You could at least have said something." Tavi reprimanded as he sheathed his blade.

"Or maybe, ask for help you so clearly need it," Nasaug suggested. "Are you ready to proceed now?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Tavi grumbled as he moved away from the crowd. They took only a few stops before a barrage of shouted erupted not far in front of them. The two sprinted forward to find the traitor BRigrig surrounded in an open field by dozens of AAF soldiers, all commanding him to surrender. All had their weapons drawn, in position to fire at a moment's notice. Brigrig studied his attackers, weighing his options for escape. It was then he spotted Nasaug and Tavi.

"This ends now, Brigrig!" Tavi shouted. "You have certainly earned your death. We would be justified to kill you where you stand!"

"And lost this?" Brigrig asked, producing a neatly folded page from his cloak. He levitated it over his hand, fire beginning to rise from his palm slowly. The flame burned hot, the fire spilling over his hand as if it were water.

"It would be wise of you not to destroy it." Nasaug suggested. "Lest you lose your hostage."

"I wouldn't be so concerned about that, Narashan," Brigrig replied. "This is what will happen: You will let me leave from here. Disappear. And in return, I will be sure that the Vord will spare a few of you to help build our new world."

"You really think the Vord are just going to leave you once they are done with us?" Tavi asked.

"Perhaps I overestimated you, Aleran." Brigrig thought. "don't you see? Us Ritualists aren't subservient to the Vord. We are the master, and they the slave. They exist to do our bidding."

"How so?" Tavi demanded.

Brigrig gazed at the paper. "Simply put, we know their flaws, their weakness. And with this knowledge in our power, they wouldn't dare oppose us, or we would paralyze their race."

"You betray your species for the servitude of a bunch of monsters?" Tavi concluded. "How many Canim have died just for you to seize power of a razed land?"

"As many as it takes," Brigrig replied defiantly. "Enough of this. As you are cleary without options, am I free to leave?"

"Just one more word, Brigrig." The voice of JSRTI echoed from the loudspeakers all across the camp. "To clarify, all ritualists, as well as yourself, know this Vord weakness? It would be logical; it would prevent the Vord from compartmentalizing the information."

"Of course." Brigrig asserted.

"Why, then, would you destroy the only item that would keep me from torturing the information out of you? As long as I have the paper, I don't need you." JSRTI explained, and Brigrig fell silent. "Do you wish to test my interrogation skills? Burn the paper, go ahead." He ordered. "I'll get when I need one way or another," JSRTI warned. "Your move."

"There now way you'd break me in time to save yourselves." Brigrig regained his composure. Suddenly, from the darkness surrounding the camp, the huge building-sized shape of a mechanoid loomed into view.

"Try me." JSRTI's voice emanated from LANTIRN's head. Nasaug turned away and shuddered as LANTIRN gazed down on its new prey.