Flicking the mascara applicator over her lashes for what had to be the fifth time, Sara Ryder pushed her face so close to the mirror her nose almost touched it, scanning for any microscopic flaws that might embarrass her later. Fluttering her eyelids, she was pleased to spot no gunk or imbalances. Just perfectly balanced lashes. Pulling back a tad, she puckered her lips and tilted her head in every direction, looking over her work both to check and admire. Perfect soft foundation, glowing highlights, subtle blush, sparkling cherry lipstick, and dark chocolate eyeshadow touched off with the faintest hint of glitter. Beaming with pride, she sat back and gave her short hair a light fluff, admiring how her painstaking curls fell into perfect position when they fell. She may not have been much for makeup on a day to day basis, but when it was time to show off, she was an artist. Mom had seen to it that both of her children knew the power of a good touch-up. Scott preferred the more natural, old fashioned approach like his father, but even he took part from time to time. Eyebrows that perfectly shaped and a face that balanced didn't just happen, one needed skill with contouring and some very fine tweezers.
"Hey Ryder, you decent?"
Sara put down her tools and swiveled her chair away from her desk to face the door of her quarters, recognizing the voice as Vetra.
"More than just decent. Come on in." The doors hissed and pinged before opening to allow her friend entrance, and Sara found herself holding her breath in anticipation. She'd never seen a Turian get dressed up before, and rarely ever saw Vetra in casuals, so to say she was excited was an understatement.
Vetra entered with just the faintest hint of flair in the form of a slightly more hip swinging walk than usual, and when Sara saw her outfit, she understood why. It was based on the typical female Turian wear, with a top accentuated with flowing partial skirts over pants, but far more elaborate and with notably more skin showing on the arms and legs. Dark black fabric accentuated with red and just the tiniest hint of gold, and the flowing semi-skirt was long in the back to form a train that just touched the ground. Sara whistled softly in admiration.
"Whoa, that typical Turian formal wear?"
"Maybe not typical. But I like it." Vetra replied with a laugh, letting the soft fabric flutter behind her. Bringing an uncovered hand to her face, she pointed out some new purple markings that had been added. "Makeup is a bit more traditional. But I was never good with the face painting. Like to keep it simple." She tilted her head and smiled in the way Turians did with just their eyes and mandibles. "And what about that outfit? Typical human party outfit?"
Sara stood up, still dwarfed by her friend even with her heels. Giving a bit of a twirl in Vetras direction, she let the long, flowy edges of her scarlet dress flutter against the floor before standing in a mock sultry pose.
"Sort of a mermaid dress. Not really typical either, but my favorite look."
Vetra cocked a brow. "That didn't translate. Mermaid?"
Sara's pose faltered. "It's uh... long story, old earth myth. I'll explain after we've had some drinks. There's actually a bit of a story behind the whole outfit anyway." Her friend chuckled again, approaching her to better look over the elegant ensemble Sara had put together.
"I see it emphasizes the, ah..." Vetra paused, making a cupping gesture over her own flat chest. Sara giggled and pushed her chest out proudly, quite happy with the lift and cleavage her outfit gave the two impressive looking mounds on her chest. Shaking her head, Vetra folded her hands back behind her. "I have to admit I just don't get it. Some Turians go crazy for em though."
"Seriously?"
"Oh yeah. There's a whole subset of my species that goes crazy for all the *soft* parts on yours, with emphasis on the ladies." She paused and looked off into the distance with a blank expression. "Especially the hair. They really dig the hair. I don't get it."
Trying not to laugh at the image of a Turian getting all hot and bothered over a head of hair, she gave her curls a playful lift. "What can I say, we work hard on it. I do, anyway."
"And it looks good. I just don't get the fascination. You're kind obsesses over their hair like Turian men do with their crests."
Eyebrows arching beyond her ability to hide it, Sara couldn't help but ask. "What do they do?"
Vetra laughed and gestured for Sara to follow. "I'll explain on the way. If we keep chatting like boot camp girls, we'll be late. Everyone else is already headed to the lift so we can arrive together."
"Okay, just take it slow. I can't exactly jog at Turian speed in these heels." Sara said, following behind as the door opened up. Vetra looked down at her and shook her head playfully.
"I also don't get the heels. What's the point of shoes you can't walk in?"
Sara shrugged and listened proudly to the clacking of her heels against the metal of the ships floor, loving the presence it gave her but deciding to omit that from her answer. "They make my legs look good. We can't all be digitigrade."
"So my legs naturally look good? I'll take it."
"Sure. Now. What's up with the crests? Do they... dye them or something?" Sara asked, keeping pace as they passed the galley and medical bay to enter the back of the ship. She was trying to imagine a Turian getting a dye job the same way humans did, with their head all wrapped up in aluminum... Okay, that was a hilarious image. She was definitely sharing that with Gil.
"Dye. Polish. Artificially lengthen. Reshape. They do everything to draw more attention to it." Vetra explained, sounding more than a little exasperated at the idea. Internally, Sara made realized that the idea of a male Turian wanting a long crest to show off could easily be related to something else, but she kept it to herself. At least for now, anyway. She'd probably share it once they were both buzzed... "It can be attractive sometimes though. Especially if they have a decent sense of style."
They reached the unloading ramp and Sara was careful to lift her dress and take each step with consideration. God only knew what a debacle it would be if the Pathfinder tripped and rolled down onto the docking platform in her best outfit... Sure, there was no one around and the lights were dimmed to simulate night, but she knew it would get out somehow. Vetra slowed up to ensure she didn't get too far ahead, and some part of Sara knew that she was also probably watching to add some extra security against tripping in heels. God bless that Turian...
"Oh, by the way, Sid will be there." Vetra said, filling in the silence as they both stepped safely onto the platform and made their way into the building. Lights guided them up the tunnel and into the newly built Pathfinder bay, a private docking area to ensure that they could come and go without interruption. There were no shops or Avinas or hydroponics to greet them, but the peace and quiet was well worth it. "She's probably going to corner you and unleash all the questions she's been saving up. Hasn't stopped talking about "a real chance to talk with the Pathfinder" since they announced this party."
"I'll take her over Tann or Addison any day. At least she thinks I'm doing my job right." Sara replied, thinking back to how the teen had been fast friends with her ever since they'd solved the Three Sabers debacle. Telling off Addison at the end had been a very sweet bonus...
"Looks like the cavalry is already here." Vetra mused, looking to the gathering of the full Tempest crew waiting for them. Sara felt her heart leap at the sight. All of her friends, dressed up to their very best, ready to party the night away and celebrate their success. She'd never been happier. Each turned to greet her as they arrived, with Gil standing out front in his brightly patterned rose suit.
"There you are! We've been waiting forever!" He mock berated, raising his hands in exasperation.
"Half an hour isn't forever, Gil." Kallo reminded, sitting comfortably by Suvi on one of the benches by the oxygen providing indoor gardens. The salarian was wearing the typical dress gear of his kind, which consisted of a full body suit made of fine materials highlighted with soft, water like patterns. Suvi, for her part, was wearing a short blue dress with her normal makeup and just a bit of a sweep to her hair. Gil crossed his arms and put on a pout that was probably only half faked.
"No, but it's long enough for Jill to beat me to the party. I had a round of drinks riding on that bet." Peebee stepped behind him to offer a comforting pat on the shoulder. Sara was a little surprised to see her in some kind of ornate suit instead of a typical Asari dress, but then realized that Peebee's desire to rebel from the norm probably applied to every facet of her life, including party wear.
"Who cares? It's an open bar!" The rogue academic joked, expression going blank before she spoke up again with less certainty. "It is an open bar, right?"
"Yes, which is why I'd like to remind everyone to stick to the drink limits I assigned all of you." Lexi spoke up from the corner in a simple Asari gown, gaze still locked on her omni-tool. "I will *not* be stuck treating hangovers on my shore leave."
"Bunch of light weights like these, you'll probably need to reconsider that, doc." Drack joked, leaning against one of the garden walls on the outer edge of the group.
"Really Drack, no tux?" Sara teased, not at all surprised to see the krogan elder in his typical armor but still wishing he'd tried, just so she could see what a Krogan would call "fancy. Drack only shrugged with a grin at the comment.
"Polished the bones a little. Krogan don't do formal wear. Ever."
"And as nice as we all look regardless, it's all going to waste unless we get to the party." Liam said, stepping into the middle to draw attention to himself. Sara had to admit, he cut quite the figure in a lovely blue suit. Waving his arm to the tram station, he started walking to beckon everyone to follow. "So let's hop on that tram and get going."
"I heard that." Cora said in agreement, standing up and fixing any potential wrinkles in her elegant Asari gown. Finding herself a little shocked at the sight of Cora in a dress, and cutting a very nice figure in it, Sara only followed the group without taking her instinctive lead. Brushing back her distinctive hair style, the former huntress smiled at her compatriots. "Can't wait to see what you all look like on the dance floor."
"Will we all fit?" Sara asked in genuine concern, having never had more than two or three people on board at any given time. As the bay doors opened and the shuttle welcomed them with a ping, she heard Jaal speak up from behind her.
"So long as we're unafraid to be a little cramped." He assured, pausing as the front of the group filed on as comfortably as a mass tangle of multiple species dressed to their best could manage. Sara set her lips to avoid laughing at the sight, and turned back to Jaal with the barely hidden amusement. The Angaran wore a concerned smile, along with an outfit she had never seen before. It reminded her of what the Moshae wore, though with more blues and fewer colored gemstones. As the last of them packed in, she heard him mutter. "Though I do hope it's a rather short ride..."
"Alright, one two year Arrival Anniversary shendig, coming right up." Liam announced, hitting in the destination and setting them on their way. The crowd settled into a comfortable murmur of chatter as they zipped along to the line to the Nexus Convention Center. Sara felt her heart rate jump in excitement. This was going to be a wonderful night, no doubt about it, and she would get to share it with all of her dearest friends. Everyone who could be there was going to be at this party, meaning that the guest list would be in the hundreds and the celebration would be beyond compare. There would be food, drinks, dancing... Everything they'd been missing out on for so long, and they'd all finally get a chance to enjoy it. They'd made it...
"Oh, Ryder, sit here!"
Looking down to her side, she saw Suvi tapping the seat beside her, and she happily obliged with a smile. The red head looked even perkier than usual, and it was hard not to feel her own excitement build with someone to bounce it off of.
"Isn't this just so exciting? I haven't had a real party since the take off..." She whispered in her typical brogue, holding a small purse close in her kneading hands. "You look fantastic by the way, love your hair. Can never get mine to cooperate. Even my own synthesized hair spray couldn't tame it..."
Sara laughed and waved a hand to dismiss the thought. "It still looks great. Love the dress too. Where'd you get it?"
"The basics, I got off one of those extranet catalogs. But this lil beauty has a few of my own improvements..." She answered devilishly, making Sara give the apparently innocent gown a once over. It looked like any other dress, just with a bit of a sheen to the fabric. What was she getting at? Sensing the confusion, Suvi only giggled and promised. "I'll show you when we're on the dance floor."
That gave Sara an idea as to what she meant, and she returned the smile with a whisper. "Mine's got a few surprises too. But I won't be dancing to show them off-"
"No dancing?"
"I don't dance. Ever. For good reason." Sara said plainly.
"But it's a party! What else is there to do?" Suvi asked, looking genuinely shocked.
"Drink. Eat. Hang out with the couple hundred people on the guest list." Sara explained, hoping she wouldn't be pressed for more. It was bad enough Scott was always teasing her about being the twin with two left feet... Thankfully, Suvi appeared far more understanding.
"That's alright. I can just show you once we get into the swing of things. You're gonna be pretty busy already with the whole Pathfinder speech, right?"
Sara felt her gut drop at the reminder. She hadn't forgotten, but she had managed to push that out of her mind until now. Speeches, right. Because Tann couldn't just throw a normal party with no boring speedbumps to drag things down...
"What have you got planned anyway? If you don't mind me asking."
"Nothing big. Just a quick congrats and a thank you to everyone involved. I refuse to drag on and make these poor people wait for the party they've earned. That we've earned."
"My kind of speech. Then getting lost in the crowd should be easy. The place is huge. Have you seen it yet?"
"Nope. Have you?"
Suvi brought up her omni-tool and generated some blueprints. Even without too much experience with space superstructure architecture, Sara immediately gathered she was looking at the layout of a very large space meant to hold a lot of people.
"It was built with every kind of gathering in mind, and a guest list of a couple thousand. It can shift the back wall to shrink or expand as needed, and then there's the adjacent dining halls and lounges, the stage, plus the necessary facilities, and a kitchen to prepare meals... Multiple stories too." She explained, sounding more than impressed herself by the layout. "The Citadel was always a little lacking on large meeting places, guess this was made to rectify that. We'll be arriving at the VIP shuttle station backstage to ensure there's no hassle."
"And then, according to the schedule, each Initiative leader and Pathfinder will give a speech, then open up the floor for mingling and whatever the hell "light refreshments" are. Hopefully beer. I'll need to get my drink started after facing a crowd that big." Sara sighed, suddenly getting a good bit of nervousness mixed in with her excitement. Why did the shortness of the shuttle ride and the rapidly approaching destination now seem like less of a good thing? Reading her nervousness, Suvi put a gentle hand over hers.
"You'll do great, Sara. How hard can a speech be after taking down the Archon?"
"You'd be surprised..."
The shuttle pinged in announcement of it's arrival, and the murmur in the car rose to an excited pitch as everyone pushed to be near the exit.
"Owch, Gil, that's my foot!"
"Is that what that is? Couldn't tell..."
"You absolutely could! If you don't-"
"Can the two of you stop fighting long enough to- Ow, Drack, you're squishing me!"
"Peebee, if I wanted to squish you, you'd be squished."
"I swear, can anyone here act like an adult for five minutes?"
Despite the immaturity of it all, Sara giggled at the antics. That was, until someone pushed her to the head of the group. Recognizing Cora's hands on her shoulders, she had just enough time to hear her before the doors whooshed open.
"Pathfinder first. Lead the way, Sara."
Going with the order like she'd gone with everything that had been happening for months, she led the group out the door and into the shuttle loading area for the VIP section of the Convention Center. Sara found herself in a small receiving room flanked by benches for anyone in need of a wait for a shuttle, as well as a door at the end that likely took one to the main VIP area. The door was flanked by two miltia soldiers in full armor, one a Turian and the other an Asari, and standing between them, looking like he was waiting for their arrival-
"Kandros!"
The Turians name was past her lips in a burst of excitement she couldn't contain, and she hurried forward to offer a hand in their customary handshake. Kandros took it with a smile, and she noticed that he wasn't in his usual armor. Instead, he was wearing the typical jacket and pants she'd come to know as the go to outfit for Turian males. Which was amazing, because she didn't think she'd ever seen him outside of that armor... And she thought he looked rather nice...
"Pathfinder, good to see you." He welcomed, oblivious to her internal analysis. "Tann has been whining about your "tardiness", but knowing him that means you've arrived right on time. They're just about to get things started.
"Anything I should know?"
"Just the schedule as it was posted. The Initiative leaders, the Pathfinders and their teams, and the Colony heads will all be on stage. A few selected people will give a few speeches, and you'll finish that up. Then we'll be free to do what we actually came here for."
"Party?"
"Exactly. Most of the guests have arrived and are already set to start, but Tann is holding the refreshments hostage until he gets the big moment." Kandros explained, opening the door behind him.
Sara understood immediately. "Then let's get this started before we have a second rebellion on our hands."
She and her team followed him through the hall, a quiet undertone of chatting following them as the group behind her started their own conversations once more. Virtually alone with Kandros, she found herself quick to restart conversation with her friend, having missed him dearly while away on their latest voyage. Sure they'd been emailing, but it wasn't the same thing.
"I almost thought you wouldn't be here tonight, with all the security measures the new colonies would require." She said, keeping pace beside him.
"I almost wasn't. But things always turn out differently on the Nexus. I'm here officially and unnoficially."
Sara went blank faced.
"That... doesn't make much sense."
He sighed with an amused tone and shook his head. "No it doesn't. I'll explain once we've got the whole standing on stage thing finished."
"Where will you be?"
"I'm seated right next to you."
Oh shit. Her heart skipped for reasons she didn't quite grasp. She really liked being with Kandros. He was a very close friend, even moreso than some of her crew, which was particularly strange considering how little time she spent with him comparatively. Even though they regularly hung out when she had shore leave, including getting drinks and accompanying him for patrols around the compound and venting... Being right next to him in such a casual setting had her oddly on edge.
"We'll be right next to each other?" She squeeked, unable to stop herself. The ugly implications of the question hit her after, and she wished desperately she could take it back as he replied with what sounded like concern.
"Yes. Is that a problem?"
"Of course not." She barked, thankful none of the others seemed to be listening in. Scrambling to explain herself, she found a realistic and honest explanation. "Unless you have a problem with commentary... It's the only thing that makes it possible for me to handle these things."
He visibly relaxed and let out a chuckle that made the butterflies in her stomach dance. "If you and I can rip the bosses right under their noses, this thing might just become bearable."
"Pathfinder!"
A familiar snap all but forced her face into a wince of dread. Looking ahead, she saw the dreaded Salarian of the hour standing in what looked to be the preparation area behind the stage, with a great deal of hustle going on around him as the various workers moved to get everything ready. Arms crossed and face set tight, the Director of the Initiative was somehow managing to look even more obnoxious than usual. Steeling herself, Sara forced her jaw into a neutral expression that bordered on pleasant as she approached in the lead. Before she could even get out a greeting, he cut her off as usual.
"Expected as it was, being late as you always are is particularly offensive for this special occasion."
"At least it wasn't fourteen months this time." She quipped, drawing a collection of barely restrained chuckles from her present company. Tann only narrowed his dark eyes.
"Perhaps if you'd put as much effort into your responsibilities as cracking jokes, you'd have arrived with more time for us to exchange pleasantries. Right now, we must hurry and prepare. Everyone else is already in position. If you'll follow me..."
Striding as confidently as always, he led them up through the stage hand area and onto the still covered stage, where everyone was seated and facing the curtains. Beyond which, one could already hear the dull roar of hundreds of waiting guests. She saw the separate Pathfinders and their crews, and none of them looked particularly happy to be seated. Just about everyone was chatting or fiddling with an Omni-tool for distraction. No doubt they were like her, desperate for this stupid ceremony to be over and to join everyone in the actual party... But before that, they had to talk. She had to talk. To a room of hundreds. In a dress no less. Oh boy, was it getting hot and dizzy in here or was it just her? A ping in her omni-tool tool told her which specific seat was hers. One of the few in the front, right beside her fellow Pathfinders and all the other leaders. Hoping she didn't look as sick as she felt, she and her team took their assigned seats with some quiet murmuring. Her heart was hammering so hard she barely heard the one whisper directed to her.
"You've got this."
Eyes flicking backwards, she made contact with Vetra, who offered a warm smile as she took the seat right behind her. Smiling back as best she could, Sara took her seat next to Kandros, taking some comfort in the fact that two large Turians were at her side if she fainted.
"Now that everyone is here, we can finally begin." Tann announced to the gathered leadership, quieting the murmur so that only the crowd could be heard beyond the curtains. "Thankfully, we're right to the minute we planned to start. Hopefully you're all aware of your chosen speech times and have composed something uplifting for the evening. We only get to celebrate our second anniversary of arrival once. After this has concluded, you may all go your separate ways and mingle amongst the guests. Good luck." The Salarian leader concluded, taking his place at the very front and center of the stage behind a microphone laden podium bearing the Initiative logo.
"Motivating." Sara whispered to herself as he waved a gesture to one of the assistants, likely to lift the curtains.
"It's actually one of the more cheery speeches he's delivered." Kandros whispered to her, suddenly making her realize they were just close enough to have a one on one conversation without anyone hearing. Or seeing, so long as they paid close attention to keeping their mouth movements subtle. Sara's fake grin suddenly became far more genuine and mischievous. Perhaps this ceremony wouldn't be so awful after all. So long as she could keep her cool through her speech at the end, this would still turn out to be one hell of a night to remember. Or so she told herself, as the curtains slid open to reveal the crowd.