Rofjinn

The door to the Tempest's garage closed behind Pathfinder Sakura Ryder.

She had shoulder-length black hair, her skin tone was brown, and her blue eyes were focused on the datapad screen. Her clothes consisted of a blue and white Andromeda Initiative uniform.

They had just left Aya. After a mission to Voeld. On their previous visit to Aya, Sakura and Jaal had overheard, in the Tavetaan, a mother and her children. And part of their conversation mentioned their father and how they missed him. Sakura couldn't help but inquire. He had went missing three years ago, due to the Kett. This hit close to home for Jaal, his own father was missing as well.

They told her and Jaal their names, after the Pathfinder had asked if she could help in any way. The mother's name was Saahfe, her daughter Ahvere, and her two sons Affed and Xofri. And Saahfe sent a picture of Jannod Effael, her husband and father of her children. It was three years old, taken a few weeks before he disappeared.

The Pathfinder left for Voeld, to assist with some missions. And that was when a major slave camp was found. The Angara Resistance knew the Pathfinder, several Apex teams, as well as Bain Massani and his team, were present on the planet. And requested their assistance.

All gladly accepted. And with teamwork, attacked the camp.

Looking forward to giving the Kett a well deserved ass kicking? That was a check for Sakura. Prepared for the horrors she was about to see? Not so much.

Jaal Ama Darav, Peebee, and Cora Harper were on her squad. Liam had said en-route that they could call themselves the 'Biotic Thrashing Squad'.

Former Asari Justicar Matriarch Tesuna, member of Bain Massani's team, became furious during the mission and thrashed Kett left and right with her biotics. And what triggered her wrath? There was children in that camp. Sakura couldn't imagine the horror they experienced, torn from their parents and forced to work in the camps not knowing what became of their parents or families.

That was where they found Jannod Effael. He had collapsed, and a Kett was screaming at him to get up or he was going to 'get it again'. Sakura gave the Kett a not-too-pleasant surprise of an Asari sword right through the soft parts of his armor, followed by a biotic Pull, then Throw which hurled him down the hall. Not fatal, but the unlucky Kett landed right at Tesuna's feet. The Asari was still mad as hell and ended the Kett with a single mighty biotic punch.

Sakura had asked the Angara if his name was Jannod Effael, as she had recognized him from the picture. And indeed he was. She noticed scars that weren't there in the picture, she could only imagine what he had endured.

The rest of the mission was spent freeing the rest of the prisoners. Some were in a bad state, having spent many years there. Her heart ached for those who spent years there, their families surely thought them dead.

Several of the prisoners freed were from Havarl. And Jannod wanted to go to his family on Aya, while others needed transport to Aya for treatment due to being there for an extended amount of time. When she heard some were there for more than five years, and in one instance ten, she felt sick to her stomach.

They headed to Aya. The Tempest took the lead, flying faster than their cruise speed of thirteen light years per day, even reaching close to twenty for a short while. The Angara ships in the Tempest's FTL wake were able to keep up. The trip took seventeen hours, instead of the close to thirty hours it usually takes.

The mission was a hard one for Jaal. He had seen this before, but he would never get used to it. Sakura knew he likely, every time they freed one, hoped they'd find his father, or any of his other missing family members.

Sakura had talked to everyone on the Tempest. Thankfully, everyone seemed to be okay for the most part. Some were disturbed by the latest mission.

Seeing the reality of the horrors of a Kett slave labor camp and how the Kett treat their prisoners...it was no wonder some lost it during the mission and unleashed their fury on the Kett.

The Pathfinder walked to the door to the tech lab and it opened.

Jaal sat on his bed on the other side of the room. He was holding one of the rofjinn he had in his hands.

Angara were humanoid with several differences. A growth similar to a cobra's hood, folds of flesh on the sides of their heads which extended to their chests. Their hands had the bone structure for five fingers though the final three fingers were densely webbed into a single digit. Their lower legs are bowed backwards significantly compared to Humans or Asari.

Jaal wore black armor and a blue poncho-type garment over the armor called a rofjinn. He also had a scar on his left neck flap, and another on his right cheek from Akksul, who had shot him. He was a head taller than Sakura.

Sakura noticed the sad look on his face. She frowned, concern on her face, and walked to Jaal. "Are you okay? You need anything?"

Jaal sighed. "Yes. I'd like to talk." He scooted over a bit to make room for Sakura to sit on the bed.

She sat down on the bed beside the Angara. "What do you want to talk about?"

Jaal looked at Sakura. "All those months ago, when I told Liam he couldn't wear the rofjinn for personal and cultural reasons, it was personal."

Sakura thought back to that moment. And the time Jaal asked about what gits to give to other members of the Tempest crew and Pathfinder team. For Liam, Jaal made a rofjinn, and ever since then he wore it on the ship. But not on the field, the reason being he didn't want it to be damaged or get dirty.

He laid the rofjinn he was holding on his lap and looked it over. "The two I have...my father made them for me for when I came of age." He swallowed. "The one I wear on the field...he made it first. And the second..."

Sakura knew he was fighting back tears, she could see it in his eyes.

"My father made it while he was away, in the mines...it was the last one he made. Both were meant to be a coming of age gift when I was older. He disappeared. It, along with a datapad, were the only things the Resistance found." The tears flowed. "I want to preserve it, keep it intact."

Sakura gently rubbed Jaal's back. No wonder they're special…

"I still remember that horrible day. And still dream about it occasionally." He paused, trying to keep his voice steady. "It was a normal day, aside from him not having called in a few days. We assumed a technical malfunction. Or a severe storm, the planet he was on was prone to powerful storms capable of preventing communications off-world, and could last for days." He swallowed, readying himself. "It wasn't until Resistance captain Saal Taraf arrived and told Sahuna did we..." His voice was cracking. "...discovered he wasn't coming back."

Oh no… Sakura felt water in her own eyes. She wiped away the tears with her other hand.

"My mother, Sahuna, was nearly overcome with grief. I would hear her crying in her bedroom. Despite my tears, I still hung onto faint hope that he escaped, maybe someone will find him. That he would come through the door one night." Tears were freely flowing. "As weeks became months, then years, that hope faded." He sniffled. "Sahuna gave me the rofjinn when I came of age."

A question came to Sakura's mind. "How long has it been?"

Jaal wiped the tears flowing down his cheeks. "Nineteen years." He folded the rofjinn carefully, looked it over, and stood up.

Sakura stood up on her feet.

The Angara placed the rofjinn on the table, next to a datapad.

The Pathfinder took a look at it, it was in Shelesh, the Angaran language. She heard SAM. "Translation: Making this rofjinn for my wonderful son Jaal Ama Darav. Don't touch."

Sakura closed her eyes. "SAM. How likely is it that someone could survive nineteen years in a Kett slave labor camp?"

SAM was heard in her head. "Surviving almost two decades would be nothing short of a miracle. Extremely unlikely, but possible. Condition would be severe. Would require speedy transport to either the Savi Tovaan Medical Center on Jaadeen, Havarl. Or the Naffa Shie Medical Center on Aya.

"Thanks, SAM." Sakura opened her eyes. He was right, someone who was there that long would require extensive medical attention, chances of a full recovery would be slim, they'd be a long term medical patient, possibly permanent.

She placed a hand on Jaal's shoulder. "Jaal, come here."

Jaal turned to face her, tears still in his eyes.

Sakura hugged Jaal tightly. "I am so sorry, Jaal." Hearing all the tragedy the Angara have suffered due to the Kett is one thing. But hearing it directly from Jaal just made it feel that much more real. "If we ever find your father, I promise we'll get him home."

Jaal hugged back. "Thank you, my darling."

Sakura looked up to Jaal, and raised a hand to wipe his tears away. "Tonight, you are more than welcome to sleep with me, if you want to."

A slight smile was on Jaal's face. "I would like that."

A/N-

Poor Jaal...makes me wonder what else he has suffered. And on that note, I still wonder why there wasn't a 'hug Jaal' button in the Exaltation facility. He was crying his eyes out for goodness's sake, and appeared like he was going to break completely…

The story was also inspired by this post/159424998641/rofjinn-are-special-to-jaal-and-evfra

Next up will be finishing the Mother's Day story, will be editing the first chapter a bit though, I feel it could do with some... improvements.