#Aroste – May 6, 2026

Jason snickers at Wenera's comment, the day's events having taken a little bit more of a toll on him than he'd like to admit as well. Ehanis' addition causes him to merely cast a glance his way and offer a dip of his head. But when Uvena speaks up, the day's exhaustion that was sitting just beneath the surface slips out, culminating in a deep sigh and he offers a slow nod. "Alright, listen up-..." he begins, activating his comms,

Jasper has spent the past few minutes familiarizing himself with the interior of the APC. When Jason's orders come through he chimes in over comms. "I'll get on it." Soon enough, the APC's door opens up and he hops out.

Leah has remained near the shuttle, leaning up against it as she watches over Jelvan. Not that he'd be able to get far if he were to try and escape with his hands and legs ziptied. The orders cause her to glance over to their captive. "Sounds like it's time for us to have a talk." she says, straightening up as she glances towards Jason when he steps out of the Kodiak.

Victoria turns her head towards Va'ynna. "Yeah, I can keep an eye out for their shuttle. Let you know when it is approaching." She would tap away at the command console to bring up a screen projection. "Should be able to keep an eye on this, and it can tell us when their shuttle takes off and lands."

Zaylus has been dutifully monitoring the ongoing fire until the message comes through on comms. "This will be fun." He mutters as wanders toward the shuttle, giving Phil a light touch with his elbow as he passes by.

Celyna perks up as Jason's words, shooting Jelvan a grin before looking in the boss' direction. Her torso is still unarmored, the tears in the shredded undersuit patched up with medigel.

Philip has been half-sitting against one of the wheels of the APC for a while, but gets up as he hears Jason, Zaylus' passing addition drawing out a faint frown as he follows the turian.

Jelvan sighs and looks towards the shuttle Jason emerges from, but he says nothing.

Renala has been trying to separate the computer core from the mech to be able to work on it without any unplanned mechanical actions. She doesn't seem to stop what she's doing at receiving Jason's order.

Wenera stays put in the shuttle as Jason leaves it.

Uvena sighs and follows Jason out. "Understood," she says plainly and she disembarks after him. She keeps the Locust holstered, but she'd sooner reach for a stasis field anyway if the salarian tries to escape.

Ehanis looks towards the people leaving the shuttle, but stays where she is.

Va'ynna nods softly and looks at the readout wordlessly, trying to make sense of the readouts. "That's them?" she points towards the only thing that turns up.

Jason glances about, briefly watching the fire as he waits for Uvena to join him. Once she does, he starts to make his way towards the other shuttle and the people gathering outside of it. "Let's get this over with and get out of here." he sighs to Uvena, looking none too happy about any of this.

Jasper steps up beside Phil as he starts to follow Zaylus, reaching out to halt him by placing a hand on the shoulder. "You mind givin' me a hand with this...?" he asks, shooting a quick glance to the APC. He brings his hands to his hips, studying the vehicle briefly before looking back to Phil. His gaze inadvertantly moves beyond his coworker, to the group at the nearby shuttle. Specifically the salarian. Seems as if there's

Leah passes a glance Celyna's way as she waits for everyone to gather. "How are you holding up?" she asks, gaze flicking towards the medi-gel covered wounds decorating the asari.

Victoria looks at the blip and raises an eyebrow. "It could be, can't scan it to make sure." She activates her comms. "Hey Wolfe, just letting you know we got something coming in from the north about one and a half klicks out. Hopefully, it's our friends but just letting you know since I can't scan it."

Zaylus pretends not to notice Jasper's interruption, coming to a stop near the shuttle with his arms folded. The comms message doesn't go unnoticed, and he looks up to the increasingly darkening sky for all the good that does.

Philip looks a little surprised when he's stopped, glancing between the group starting to gather by the shuttle and Jasper, and then to the APC. "Uh, yeah, you got it," he agrees with a nod, a hint of relief on his face as his gaze meets Jasper's again.

Celyna scrunches her face up in a grimace. "Eh, hurts like a bitch, but I've had worse. Wouldn't mind getting out of here so I can medicate properly."

Urdnot is still on the channel, and answers, "Yup, that's me," he says. "I'll be down there in a minute." The shuttle flies too low to be seen over the treeline yet, and the wind is louder than it from this distance.

Renala pulls a rectangular device out from behind a panel after having unplugged it from the mech, and sets it onto a seat before exiting the shuttle.

Jelvan remains quiet as the group gathers around him. The only thing that can be read on his face is discomfort and annoyance.

Uvena follows beside Jason, looking towards the salarian.

Ehanis steps onbaord the Redrock shuttle and looks towards Wenera. "Syld is one minute out," she says. "Our shuttle's pretty cold, though."

Va'ynna is not on the comms, so she watches the blip come closer until she hears Ehanis speak. "That's them... then," she murmurs before standing and turning to open the cockpit door.

Jason responds to Victoria's warning with a quick: "Copy". He briefly scans the northern treeline but, considering they're expecting Syld's approach, sees no cause for concern yet. And when the krogan confirms it, his focus turns to the others by the shuttle as he joins them. His focus turns to the salarian, giving him a once over. Propping up a lopsided smirk, he addresses the salarian for the first time today: "Can't help but get the

Jasper gives a dip of his head. "Alright. 'Preciate it." he says. He claps his hands, rubbing them together with a sigh before looking back towards the Redrock Kodiak. "Got a couple a' big ol' tarps folded up in the rear hatch. Should do the trick. Figure it might make things look a lil bit more-... official if we cover 'er up, ya know? Keep folks from pokin' 'round 'fore we can get people out to pick it up." he explains. Busy work.

Leah snorts. "Uh huh. And by 'medicate properly' I'm sure you mean doctor-approved painkillers and plenty of bed rest." she comments sarcastically. As Jason and Uvena arrive, she shifts her focus their way.

Victoria watches Va'ynna as she stands up. "Let me know, if you need me okay? I'm just gonna get the shuttle prepared and ready to take off." She keeps an eye on Va'ynna for a moment, before turning her attention back to the panel in front of her.

Zaylus turns his gaze back down when Jason approaches, standing near but out of the way. He quirks his head a little at the salarian, equally interested to hear what he has to say as he is eager to bring this day to an end.

Celyna offers the most innocent of smiles. "Of course."

Philip listens and nods in agreement as he looks over the APC. "Makes sense. Think we'll need more than one?"

Renala is just outside the shuttle doorway, folding her arms.

Jelvan snorts. "I assume the feeling is mutual, Wolfe," he says. "If I tell you everything I know, then suspect you will have no reason to leave me alive. Correct?"

Wenera stands up as Ehanis enters the shuttle, looking a bit uncomfortable. The shuttle is decent shelter from the wind, but she is still feeling the cold air.

Va'ynna nods as she steps through, and immediately seeks Wenera out, but she is at loss for what to say.

Wenera pushes back her discomfort, and hugs Va'ynna. The other asari is almost a head taller than her, however. "You take care, okay?" she says with a low whisper.

Va'ynna nods faintly, and closes her eyes. Her eyes are black when she opens them again, but she is facing away from both Ehanis and Victoria.

Ehanis turns away from the others, looking out through the shuttle exit. She's anxious to get going.

Jason's smile slips away. Bringing a hand to Jelvan's shoulder, he nudges him forward. "Get walking to the treeline." he instructs, seeming to have little concern over the difficulty that might entail given the set of zip ties on Jelvan that are keeping him from making any big strides. "I'm not gonna lie to you. Your chances of making it to tomorrow? Well, we humans have a saying that feels pretty damn fitting right now. 'Snowball's

Jasper brings a hand to the brim of his cap, adjusting it idly as he studies the APC for a moment before offering a nod. "Might as well grab 'em both." he decides. "Can use the cables to tie 'em down."

Leah merely rolls her eyes, offering a small, amused shake of her head at Celyna's response. When Jelvan and Jason begin to speak, however, her smile slips away and she steps over to the side of the salarian, following just behind him.

Victoria is not looking in Va'ynna's direction and is currently getting the shuttle ready for take off, she is keeping an ear out to listen to Va'ynna and Wenera.

Zaylus stifles a snort at the pessimistic expression, perhaps acknowledging its not the time for laughter. As the party moves to a more discrete location he trails behind Leah.

Philip nods again and starts towards the rear of the shuttle with an "I'm on it!"

Celyna gets back on her feet with a grunt and follows the others, apparently not in the mood to wait around in the shuttle while this goes down.

Jelvan begins to walk towards the treeline, but quite slowly due to the restraints. "Yes," he says. "Have worked with humans before." He glances towards Jason. "So, why would I tell you anything?"

Uvena is not far behind Jason. "For that small chance we won't kill you," she says.

Renala trails behind the others as they walk the salarian to his doom.

Va'ynna lets go of the meld after about half a minute, then the hug. "You're cold," she mutters and takes off her coat, and wraps it over the other asari's shoulders. "Thank you."

Wenera is quick to zip up the coat, and she steps towards the door as she watches the krogan approach.

Va'ynna shifts closer to the cockpit door as she is not wearing enough to be outside of it for long.

Ehanis hops out of the Redrock shuttle, and looks up at their shuttle.

Jason merely nudges Jelvan to keep walking when the salarian looks his way. Uvena's addition garners a nod. "I get no satisfaction out of shooting an unarmed man, Mr. Darennon. Goes against pretty much everything I stand for." he admits, his expression reflecting this fact, well aware that regardless of his own personal feelings on the situation, it's the most likely outcome here. "But we played this game once before. We had an

Jasper remains behind, merely passing a concerned glance to the others as they set off towards the treeline.

Leah follows in silence, gaze briefly lifting as the shuttle flies in overhead.

Victoria continues to work away at the shuttle's panel, satisfied with her work and knowing that she can take off at a moments notices. She gives herself a nod and turns her attention back to Va'ynnna, wanting to keep an eye on her.

Zaylus lifts his gaze as well, a temporary distraction from the situation at hand. He bites back some smart quip, mostly because he doesn't know if Jason is bluffing or not and he doesn't want to inadvertently cause the salarian to clam up.

Philip opens the storage compartment, digging around for the tarps.

Celyna spares the shuttle on a quick glance before her gaze sweeps the treeline, trailing at the back of the group. Jason's words draw a quiet snort from her.

Jelvan keeps walking towards the treeline, slower than he could be. "Do not trust you will honor this agreement," he says. "So, will hold something back to bargain with. Assignments that will fall onto someone else if I am confirmed or presumed KIA. If only presumed, would send you times, targets and places, before nobody hears from me again."

Uvena raises an eyebrow, glaring at the salarian, but she does not say anything.

Renala follows the group. "Or we take it from his omni-tool," she says.

Jelvan sniffs. "Omni-tool is likely unusable," he says. "Unauthorized removal from hardsuit triggered security mechanism."

Ehanis looks up at the cockpit doorway before giving a small wave. "Take care, and tell Ilyna and Li I said hi," she says to Va'ynna before waving Wenera to get going.

Wenera wastes no time going to the krogan's other shuttle when she's outside. The warm coat helps, but not against the strong wind hitting her face.

Va'ynna nods to Ehanis. "You... should write to her too," she says.

Ehanis gives a reluctant nod before turning to follow Wenera into the other shuttle. "Let's go," she says once inside.

Va'ynna shivers as she closes the cockpit door and sighs wearily.

Jason snorts humorlessly. "Honor this agreement? I don't recall making an agreement. Look-..." he continues, once more bringing a hand to the salarian's shoulder to nudge him forward, each step bringing them closer to the treeline, "...we're far past bargaining, Jelvan. I gave my terms. Sounds to me like you've made your choice. Keep walking." he says, the lack of follow-up questions or requests quite telling.

Jasper moves to collect the cables they previously used, setting one of the cases by the front wheel of the APC.

Leah draws in a breath, annoyance settling in as the salarian seems to pre-emptively decide he's not going to cooperate. But she remains silent.

Victoria turns her chair to face Va'ynna, looking at her with some concern showing on her face. "You doing okay, sweetheart?"

Zaylus shakes his head unsympathetically, growing all but convinced this will be a fruitless conversation. He shoots the others a glance, trying to gauge if they feel the same.

Philip takes out one of the tarps, quickly deciding against bringing both at once after feeling the weight. Instead, he brings the one back towards the APC. He passes a brief glance in the direction of the departing group as he goes.

Celyna looks a little bit astonished by the salarian's attitude, a disbelieving grin on her face, but she doesn't comment.

Jelvan shakes his head. "And I gave mine," he says, sounding resigned more than anything. "The distrust is mutual, so don't see value in wasting last breath without guarantees." The treeline draws closer despite the slow pace.

Uvena looks just as frustrated about the salarian's lack of cooperation.

Renala frowns at the mention of the omni-tool being destroyed. Hopefully he's bluffing.

Va'ynna returns to the copilot's seat. "Yeah, just...," she begins. "I just want to... go home." Her medi-gel'd wounds are more visible now without the coat on, but the gel is doing a good job at keeping the pain suppressed.

Jason barely even reacts to the salarian's response. "Uh huh..." he offers dismissively, seeming perfectly fine with continuing to the treeline in silence if that's what the salarian desires.

Jasper moves to collect the second cable case and set it near the back of the APC, passing a brief glance Phil's way to see if he needs any help.

Leah furrows her brows as Jelvan speaks, but continues in silence, only briefly meeting Zaylus' gaze. Her expression is one of frustration and disbelief that someone facing down the barrel of a gun- soon to be literally- would be so hard headed.

Victoria continues looking at Va'ynna with some concern. "I know, once Jason finishes up and everyone is aboard we can go." She looks over Va'ynna, and looks at the wounds she can see. "They don't hurt do that?"

Zaylus shrugs helplessly when he meets Leah's eyeline, exhaling a sigh. It's disappointing to be left with only an omni-tool, but he can't think of anything to convince the salarian he could survive this.

Philip starts unfurling the tarp, quickly speaking up with a "Uhh... can you... lift the other end? Over there?" as he indicates said 'end'.

Celyna remains more grimly amused than anything, half her motivation for accompanying the group morbid curiosity over the obstinate salarian.

Uvena keeps walking next to Jason, focused on the salarian.

Jelvan sighs. "Do what you must," he says, "I don't believe you would have let me go even if I gave you everything I had, so why even try?"

Renala starts trailing a bit further behind as they get close to the treeline.

Va'ynna glances down at the cut in her arm. "I do... feel it, but not too bad," she says softly as she turns to watch the other shuttle leave on the sensors. "The medi-gel is working."

Jason draws his Phalanx once they near the treeline and continues to usher Jelvan forward. Gaze turning upwards, he ensures that they're protected by the canopy of the trees before letting out a heavy breath. With the occasional shuttle moving around overhead, the last thing he wants is some unwitting onlooker to see them executing some unarmed, restrained salarian. Or Derrai authorities, for that matter. That wouldn't be a good look for

Jasper has been working alongside Phil to spread the first tarp over the APC. "You-... uhh-... holdin' up alright after everything?" he asks as he gets to work on tying down one end with some cables. "Sounded like ya'll saw a lot of action in there."

Leah keeps pace with the others but, when Jason comes to a stop, she does as well, merely holding a position near their prisoner. The command issued by Jason causes her to glance around the patch of forest.

Victoria nods. "That's good the medi-gel is doing it's thing." She swings her chair to face the control panel again, still keeping an eye on her asari partner. "Let us know if it starts hurting again and we can get someone to apply some more."

Zaylus walks a few steps further into the trees with one more shake of the head, clicking his tongue in a dismissive farewell. He's got his back to the action, not to avert his gaze but to similarly keep watch for prying eyes.

Philip nods. "I'm just glad Miss Va'ynna and Miss Wenera are safe," he says, although his gaze turns towards the treeline again.

Celyna stops next to Leah, rolling her eyes at the salarian.

Jelvan does as told, carefully to not stumble due to the restraints. "You still have a choice," he says.

Uvena steps back and joins the others in keeping watch.

Renala steps closer, looking at the salarian. "I don't believe for a second he'll keep his end up," she says. "He's caused us enough trouble."

Va'ynna sighs softly. "Of course," she says, not taking her eyes off the blip. "Or... I'll apply it myself, while you... focus on flying."

Jason steps in front of the salarian, facing him. "And so do you." he responds. "So do the right thing. Tell me what in the hell is going on here, Jelvan." he pleads. "I mean-... None of this had to go this way!" he continues with an exasperated sigh. It's not a taunt. Just sincere frustration that any of this transpired in the first place. "But you need to open your eyes and read the situation. Your people took a shot at my friend. We

Jasper nods in turn. "Yeah... You an' me both." he agrees as he continues to work.

Leah draws in a sharp breath, focused frown on her face as her green eyes study the pair in front of her.

Victoria turns her attention to the blip. "Seems they like they are getting out of here fast." She watches as the blip grows weaker as the shuttle continues it flight.

Zaylus turns his head as spirited dialogue takes the place of the gunshot he expected to hear. He's clearly not taking pleasure in this but the act of prolonging it causes him to shift in discomfort. "What do you have to lose?" He mutters after Jason has finished, his tone like a verbal shrug.

Philip moves around to fasten a different part, a bit of discomfort lingering as he works in silence.

Celyna says nothing, her gaze shifting outward for a while as Jason talks to Jelvan.