Vik was just sending out the call for everyone else to gather when the door behind them flew open and an exhausted Pholi scurried into the room. The casual suit they wore hung off them, crumpled and stained, their artificial wings were absent, and they reeked of smoke and filth.

“Pholi!” Vik brightened up as soon as they saw the minister of language and translation, jumped from their workstation, and onto the table where Pholi was just taking a seat. “I hadn’t heard from you, and I know that if I hear nothing everything is good but with Gyrini there-”

Pholi held up a hand suddenly and let out a shuddering breath. “Please.” he said, “A drink before I talk about her, or any of this-”

“I’ll get you some tea.” GiDi said, getting up from their seat next to Pearla. 

“Balls, no.” He said as he slumped in his chair, “I’ll need something substantially stronger than that.”

Pearla frowned, “But, it’s still so early-”

“Well, I haven’t slept yet, so it’s very late for me!” he snapped. “What do we have?”

“Isn’t there more of that juice?” TO asked. GiDi nodded and wordlessly made their way to a box in the corner. A moment later they came back with a bottle of the juice that Tham had gotten so drunk off of the other night. They set it in front of Pholi.

“I don’t know what your resistance to this is.” GiDi said, “But Tham and Pearla-”

Pholi didn’t bother to listen to GiDi’s warning; they opened the bottle and took a long swig before setting the bottle down heavily on the table, causing Vik to Jump.

“That has a kick.” He muttered before realizing how he had startled Vik. “Sorry Vik, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

GiDi slid back into their seat, “Was it that bad?” they asked.

“Worse.” Pholi said, “She’s a nightmare. She’s thorough, conscientious, brutal, and incorruptible.” He took another drink, “One of Buteo’s errand boys tried to offer her a bribe to get some deliveries in from their orbit. That woman had the poor man arrested and questioned.” He frowned and shook his head, “No. Not questioned. Tortured.” 

“Tortured?” Pearla sat up in her chair, “I know offering a bribe is illegal but nobody ever got tortured for it before! I don’t think they’ve arrested anyone here for it until now!”

Vik gave a tired shrug and took another drink. “Well, now he got tortured.” Pholi said, “Technically, she had him ‘questioned’ to see if he had links to the insurgency but of course he was just doing it so Buteo could get his fix.” 

“Did he give up Buteo?” Pearla asked, “Is Buteo in holding now?”

“Oh, no.” Pholi said, “She wanted to see if there were links to the insurgency. I don’t know if he gave up Buteo or not, but it probably doesn’t matter if he did; it got the message across; she can’t be bought.” He gave a dry chuckle, “Besides, everyone knows Buteo is useless.”

“Wait… He is?” TO’s ears flicked out in confusion, “He seemed with it enough when we saw him-”

“Oh yes, he can clean up for a visit from King Decon’s Honored Dignitaries.” He rose the bottle in a mock toast to TO and DH, “But when he’s not putting on a show, he’s drugged up and enjoying all the food and sex he can get his talons on.” 

“Really?” DH frowned, “But, we thought had ties to you,to the insurgency!” They glanced at TO, “We thought.. Because his family is former royalty of Arkane-”

“Yes, and as former royalty, his ancestors received the position they currently hold.” Pholi said, “And his position is ornamental at best. He’d never work with us, he has it too good right now. Prestige and position, money from taxes, every loophole in the legal system at his feather tips, and nothing to do but enjoy himself.”

“Well, at least when he doesn’t have to sober up long enough to put on a show.” Vik said as they pushed the bottle out of Pholi’s reach. When Pholi grumbled and reached for it, Vik just pushed it away further, “GiDi wasn’t kidding; this stuff is potent.” He put his hands on his hips and glared at Pholi, “Why haven’t you slept!? If I hadn’t slept I’d be hearing about it.” 

“I haven’t slept because I spent the entire night wandering about the entertainment district, trying to lose the drones following me.” he sighed, “I lost them eventually, and made it to The Cottage and- ” 

“Cottage?” DH asked.

“The Cottage core Pub.” Pholi said. “We just call it The Cottage.”

TO glanced at DH, “That was the place that you went to, wasn’t it? That night we went to the theater?”

“Oh yeah; that wasn’t a coincidence.” Vik said, “I had your driver tapped, remember? We knew you were at the theater and when Melissa saw DH leaving, she nudged them to the bar.”

“Wait! She’s one of you!?”

“Of course!” Pholi said, making another futile swipe at the bottle. Vik pushed it further away, and scurried to GiDi, “Can you get Pholi that tea?”

“Gladly.” GiDi said, taking the bottle with them as they got up. “And yes, apparently she’s been working with us for a long time.”

“A solid decade at least.” Pholi said, “From back when she was a bartender in the entertainment district.”

“Anyway, The Cottage is owned by someone friendly to us, and there’s a little route underground from there. Have to go through the sewers, but-”

“Which is why you smell like shit.” Vik said.

“Yes, thank you for your very observant statement.” Pholi said.

“Tea, shower, and bed.” GiDi said as they brought a steaming cup of tea to the beleaguered minister. “Anything else can wait-”

“No, it can’t.” Pholi muttered as he took the tea, “Or I’d have waited.” He sighed, “We have a week before they get here.”

“A week?” TO felt their ears pin back, “But… that’s not much time at all-”

“Better than a day.” Pearla said, “We have a timeline now, so we can get into the -”

“Getting into anything might be difficult.” Pholi said, “She’s got something but I don’t know what; she’s being silent about it all. I’d call her paranoid, but she’s right; there are ears everywhere and eyes on her correspondence.” He glanced at TO, “Since that day you and DH reappeared, she’s been especially careful. She knows something, but I have no idea what.”

“I knew it!” TO said, standing up as they slammed a hand on the table, “I knew it! I had a feeling she knew something - I think she knows that we - the synths- are working with the insurgency.”

“I wouldn’t put it past her.” Pholi said with yet another sigh. “But I have no idea how. They also caught you on the footage from the special agent’s helmet out of armor so if you go out as yourself you’ll be arrested. If you go out in your armor, you’ll be under extreme scrutiny. Just like you were the other day.” He turned to Vik, “On that note; don’t use your tunnels anymore. At all. She shut down that tube and did a walkthrough.”

Vik’s ears dropped, their tail flicked back and forth atop the table, “Did she find my exit?” 

“No idea. If she did, she’s not said a word to me-”

“Which if she did, that means she might find her way into the tunnels.” Vik said. They jumped back to their little desk and dove back into their programming, “I need to set up more security. I need more drones-”

“I can help with that!” DH said, “You have drones for terrestrial work, just like you had for the ones at the port, right? Let me help!”

“Why do you need drones?” TO asked. They had felt a little better about things with DH since the sudden caresses and kisses in the hall, but DH was so eager to work with Vik despite the fact that TO just wanted to get their mate back to their room…

“I need smaller ones for surveillance in the further tunnels; It’s unwise to set up cameras and leave evidence, so drones are best; something I can remote control. I also need a bigger drone that I can use to trigger a cave in to block off our exit there-”

“Is that the best idea?” Pholi asked, “what if you need to get back there?”

“I won’t, and if we need to get something delivered, we have other options.” 

Pholi tapped his long claws against the table, “... We have a week,” He said, “If you wanted to go back-”

“I don’t.” Vik said, their ears flicking back, “I don’t. I won’t. I can’t anyway, even if I wanted to. Too risky.”

“I’m sure-”

“No.” Despite Vik’s size, the command in his voice and the finality in that single word was surprising, and allowed for no further arguments. “I have to deal with this now. Getting the drones sorted out.”

The door opened again, this time letting Tham come in carrying a box in his muscular arms.

“Breakfast.” He said, “I bumped into Lake on the way here. They asked me to grab this and bring it over.” They glanced at Pholi, “Hey, you’re back. Any good news?”

Pholi sighed and slumped forward, resting their head on the table. “Someone else can explain it to them.” He said, “I’m tired, and if you can spare me now, I crave sleep.”

“Shower first.” Vik said, “If you go to sleep with sewage filth on you and you’re going to get an infection in your scales.”

Vik sighed and slid off the chair, “You will note, Vik, then when you offer me very practical advice which I know in my heart is good advice, I follow it.” He gave a strained smile, “Try to do the same and get more than three hours of sleep at some point?”

“We’ll see.” Vik said, “Lots of work to do.”

Pholi gave a last exhausted sigh before he headed out, skirting past Tham. As he drifted by, Tham sniffed, then recoiled as his nose wrinkled up. He said nothing though until Pholi had left the room and the door had closed behind him. 

“I’m guessing I missed something.” He said as he set the box down on the table. “Someone fill me in?”

“Once the others get here.” GiDi said as they scooted closer to Pearla, their arm reaching out so they could hold Pearla’s hand under the table, “We’ll tell everyone then. For now…” They glanced at Pearla, their ears dipping with concern. “It’s going to be a very busy week.”