A Month After Hyperion is Officially founded as the First City on Meridian

Meet me at Tartarus.

Galerius Sisenna checked his messages and cleared it out. From the moment he woke from cryo and learned of the status of Ark Natanus, he wanted answers. Director Tann provided the bare minimum, and Pathfinder Ryder offered illuminating footage about the Kett and the Remnant. The only comfort he derived from being awake in the hostile cluster was that Avitus Rix accepted the role of Pathfinder and now lead the monumental effort of tracking down every colonist that had been ejected during the Ark's long journey.

Everyone would be found and brought home. Avitus promised all of them the closure. It wasn't until Galerius learned that Ann Mulder traveled from the Milky Way to Heleus Cluster that he felt more at ease with the new surroundings. He heard of her success in the Milky Way because they were of the same profession at one time. Here, her efforts controlled the chaos more than it did to suppress piracy. When he heard of her union to Tiran Kandros, it amused him that she would choose someone intimately tasked with ensuring that the humans did not try to extinguish all other life.

He trekked his way through Kadara Port. The place smelled like Omega, except more sulphuric. The fresh air actually worsened the smell, spreading it further than the localized stench of Omega's areas. As a proud turian, he wanted to prove his people honorable and proud. He wanted to distinguish the Turian future from the futures of other races. Paullus Milonius wanted to kill all the races, Galerius just wanted to ensure the humans didn't overstep their boundaries. He teamed up with Milonius as a short term solution, with the intention of eventually making contact with Ann Mulder-Kandros to discuss the suppression of growing piracy in the Heleus Cluster.

He took the lift down the mountain side to the Kadara slums, armored up and able to kill if necessary. Tartarus seemed to be the center of life in the slums, where everyone lived in the same miserable existence as they did on Omega. It amazed him that slavery didn't exist on Kadara yet. He strolled through the entrance to the seedy bar, expecting to find familiar faces. No one he recognized from the Milky Way patronized the bar.

A smooth voice addressed him. " What does a Turian want with Ann Kandros?"

He turned toward the male human. This human had darker skin, not quite Caucasian and not quite Black. " Nothing more than to send a message,"

Vidal glanced over the Turian. " Which is?"

" Paullus Milonius,"

Reyes Vidal. Also known as a third rate smuggler that now controlled Kadara Port. His position as logistics management for the Heleus Military placed him in a more honorable position than the one he often boasted of. " That's a name," Sloane Kelly, leader of the Outlaws, shifted her base of operations from the Port to the Badlands by a choice that baffled nearly everyone, including her own followers.

" I know," Galerius nodded to the bartender through the bars that blocked the bar from being accessed. " Paullus Milonius is forming a force, to eliminate humans. Like the Roekaar, except more determined. He's not going to be stopped until he's dead. He's not the only one, either,"

Vidal motioned for him to follow him to his private room that he rented out. Within seconds of the door being closed, Galerius found himself combatting a desire to back away from this known smuggler. " Is he close to anything substantial?" He opened a bottle of the Kadara brewed wine and poured himself a glass.

" No, not yet. There's a scientists among them that is helping him bioengineer a disease that can infect and destroy human's immune systems." He didn't understand more than that as Felann Alu refused to explain it in layman terms. Flavius Burrus explained it as simply as he could without delving into the specifics. " They're testing it on humans they're kidnapping,"

Vidal's face scrunched up in anger. " How many people?"

Accessing his omni-tool, Galerius revealed the video of a human suffering intense pain after receiving an injection. " So far, four people. Two died. Another is held for more injections, the fourth, this person, responded the most strongly to the injection. That only means one thing,"

They both fell into silence as Galerius put together a list of names and transferred it to Vidal. " I didn't give this to you. We never met."

" How do you know Mulder?" Vidal inquired lightly. Galerius suspected that he often used that charm to convince people to perceive his as a less dangerous. Having seen thin wisps of humans who claimed to be humanitarians in public and private own slaves; knowing Batarians who did not know how to exist without slavery; combating pirates who attacked struggling colonies in the name of credits – he knew evil did not need to look evil. Its motivations took on many forms due to the societal influences that assailed everyone in ways that even they didn't realize.

This man likely could kill him if he chose. " Honor among comrades,"

" You are not one of her contacts," Vidal pointed out directly.

" I know," Galerius moved for the door. No doubt Vidal would pass along this information to Ann Kandros. Galerius wanted that. He wanted the noble crusader to reach beyond her current priorities to inject her noble rage into a more important task – stopping the destruction of her own race. He almost made it out of Tartarus when his omni-tool pinged.

Meet me at the vendor. We need to go to Badlands to talk to Sloane Kelly. Caron Selis

On my way. Having a drink at Sisenna

Skip the drink. Caron Selis

Is it really that important that I can't take twenty minutes to enjoy a simple drink? Galerius Sisenna

Yes. Caron Selis

I'm working Vidal for information. Galerius Sisenna

Work him later. Caron Selis

Galerius shook his head as he approached the bartender. He slipped a credit chit across the bar top. " Credit that toward Vidal, tell him that he owes a turian a favor," He turned on his heel and left the bar. He realized how close he was to the check point between Kadara Port/slums and the Badlands.

Meet me in the slums. I'm closer to the Badlands. Galerius Sisenna

He stared down the building and partial wall that separated the most hospitable area of Kadara from the rest of Kadara. Sloane Kelly freed Kadara Port of the Kett, but she didn't improve its security beyond the necessary requirements. As the lift descended down the rock face, Galerius spotted the former STG operative accompanied by another of their group, a Salarian with a hatred for Krogans so intense that it even gave their fearless leader pause.

Composing himself, the turian checked his armor one last time and then his weaponry. Sloane Kelly was a bomb. She could go off given the right incentive, and when she did go off, it would do more damage than good to the great cause of survival. While her marks may have been honorable in the Alliance, the reports of her issue with authority figures made her someone that he did not want associate with. First she turns on the Nexus, freed Kadara, and then accepted a trade alliance with the Nexus. Then she just ups and hands the port over to her sworn enemy to retreat to the Badlands. Why? What did she gain by giving up control of one of the best locations on Kadara?

Caron Selis lead the way, clearly upset with Galerius for not cooperating with his plans. Galerius didn't care what the demented salarian's plans were. From the moment he joined the group, Caron refused to acknowledge his past expertise with any respect. Pirate hunting, as the operative put it, barely counted as a civil service. Most of the people that served with Galerius disagreed, as many put their lives into the work and often every credit they earned.

The Turian government didn't see it as a worthwhile service given that the Batarians mostly targeted humans, and the humans didn't actually target the turians except to spite them. The Asari contributed to the cause due to their difficult relations with the Batarians, and it turned into a leisurely hobby for the young ones or a proper exit for the less than healthy.

" Are you ready to enter the Badlands?" Caron demanded, his voice taking a painful whine to a whole meaning. " Or do you need to polish your armor even more?"

The bony shell that kept his facial expressions barely discernible kept his irritation hidden even more. " I like my armor well kept. Is that a problem?" He raised his voice enough to make it clear he didn't appreciate the slight.

" It's a problem when I need to know if you're equipped to enter a hostile area filled with hostile forces,"

" That's why you wanted me at the vendor?" He shook his head as the salarian pressed onward. " I'm not someone you have to babysit-"

" Who said anything about babysitting? If you can't keep up, you're going to be left behind,"

" Try it and we'll see who ends up left behind," Galerius readied his shotgun as they moved through the building and entered the Badlands. With the port and slums behind them, they progressed toward the nearest Daar. While most Angara considered Kadara lawless, those that did not established themselves in daars dotting the mountainous planet. Ditaen supported a growing outpost that allowed the Initiative access to lawlessness and weary Angara. The outlaws and collective still patrolled the Badlands, harassing travelers and stirring up trouble at the orders of their leaders, Kelly and Vidal. The majority of humans settled on Eos and Kadara while the Krogan cast out of New Tuchanka on Elaaden decided to relocate to Voeld. Salarians and Turians favored Eos and Elaaden.

A large transport truck waited for them. Outlaw markings on the truck matched the black tattoo on his face. He settled in the back with Caron Selis and Caewan Raelorn. Caewan carried his sniper rifle with more reverence than Galerius treated his armor. The racist bastard known as Caron Selis maintained eye contact with Galerius the entire ride through the steep hills toward the Outlaws base of operations a series of buildings in Spirit's Ledge. When the vehicle pulled to a stop in the center, Caron Selis nodded to Galerius. Galerius nodded back.

Whatever happened, they'd have to walk away from this with something more than gleaned information.