This was born from me really liking Nihlus and really hating that we didnt see more than twenty minutes of him. Also, there's just not enough of him going around.

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The door opening interrupts my feeble attempt at meditation. I was hoping to distract myself from my hunger, but it seems the attempt is unnecessary. It wasn't going very well anyway.

Two guards shove into the room and toss down a limp body. I try not to panic; it's a human female. We're they trying to get me killed? No doubt she'll try to kill me as soon as she lays eyes on me. The Relay 314 incident is a year old already, and humans and turians are as bitter and vicious as when it had began.

My panicking pulse calms when I realize the woman is not getting up. I take a moment to glance her over. Had to be Alliance or she wouldn't be in here with me; a Spectre will bring these slaving batarians bastards a hefty ransom. I'm assuming they think she'll be worth the trouble as well. Her hands are cuffed in front of her like mine are.

The cause of her unconsciousness is evident in the swelling of her face. Her lip is split, but not bleeding. A dirty shift is all she's wearing, and it clearly shows the bruises on her arms and the blood on her legs. It doesn't take much to know what happened. Rage coils inside me but I keep myself in check until the guards leave.

Once I'm sure they aren't coming back, I roll up into a crouch - being careful of my spurs - and edge towards her. There is a slight wheeze when she breathes, but it's not a sucking sound that would warn of blood in her lungs.

Gently, trying not to startle her nor make my own nervousness apparent, I reach out and give her shoulder a shake. It takes two more before she groans and looks up at me with eyes a scant few shades darker than my own.

She eyes me bleerily, before they widen and she rolls away from me. I hum in agitation, hoping she's not going to try to attack me. But all she does is crawl as fast as she can to the corner of the room and heave.

While she empties the contents of her stomach, I return to my previous spot against the wall and sag against it. When she's finished, she curls up in the floor and I do my best to pretend I'm not hearing her sob. After several minutes, her breathing comes under control and I fervently hope she's fallen asleep. I want to delay a meeting as long as possible. I simply can't afford wasting what energy I have on trying to wrestle with her.

I should've known I couldn't get that lucky.

She rolls into a kneeling position and her head swivels around to get a look at me. She observes me silently for a few seconds before crawling to the opposite wall from me and leaning against it much in the same way I am.

She licks her lips and whispers, "Hi."

I look away and ignore her. She had to be crazy.

"M' name's Abby. What's yer name?"

"I'm not giving my name to the enemy in the war I'm fighting!" I snap, still not looking at her. She makes an odd gurgling wheeze, and I glance at her in somewhat hopeful alarm. Was she dying?

No, she was laughing.

She gestures to the room.

"Look 'round ye. Ain't no war in here."

I grind my teeth as I think. She's right of course. It's slim chances that either of us will make it back to the war. I decide to concede her point.

"Nihlus."