Chapter Two: Thoughts of Souls

It had been nearly three years since the arrival of the half breeds and twenty three years since Nero had been here. Yet in taking the drug he bartered for he soon learned something his Romulan brothers had forgotten. Telepathy, he only used it to speak to Ayel but Raesil had gone missing as had Ayel. Now he used it to search the minds of those of the prisons and found Ayel asleep from interrogation but reaching for Raesil he could not find her at first but then he felt that mental tug snag his focus. –I'm here Nero- Raesil answered his mental call. Nero felt a shiver chase down his spine but he held it back from his focus. – I can't find you; Ayel was taken to Interrogation, what of you? - Raesil looked around her darkened cell and the chains in which bound her. She had long ago blocked out the pain.

Yet what held her full attention was Nero, this was the first time she heard him speak, mentally or not. Raesil knew this form of communication she and her twin had been telepathic before his death. She envisioned every detail and sent the image down that chain to Nero that in his mind's eye he saw the dark cell, the twilight lights, felt the dark despair it offered. Could feel the shackles around his wrists that weren't there, the dull ache of a body healing from being nearly broken physically, his heart quickened. Taking in this with his senses, she had already been interrogated. –Are you…alright? - He ventured he felt a bit of a smirk grace him that was not his. –As well as anyone tormented for three days straight. They wanted more information on me and you, but like you I have taken a vow of silence. - Nero felt admiration and yet a feeling he couldn't describe. –Why? Why do you care to protect me and my men? – He could imagine her mile as he felt that ghost of a smirk and felt a secondary shared emotion of companionship through experience. – We are Romulan Nero, rather I am a half breed or not. I may not understand your purpose or your time frame but I understand that what you do is for all Romulans. For Romulus of the Romulan Star Empire. For that I would be in your corner till I draw my last breath.-

Nero did shiver and kept his eyes closed reaching harder and further down that connection to the young half breed he could smell her, hear her breathing, and feel her skin. The tip of his ear turned pink swallowing a little but he couldn't help it. Imagining touching her delicate cheek and tribal's. Could see those violet blue eyes looking up into his dark ones as they smoldered with the words of her conviction, Nero was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Raesil shivered keeping her eyes closed, not daring to open them, to keep that connection. Nero was a powerful man and could sway anyone to his ideas with his passion behind it. She wanted to believe in something and someone like that, it saved her from this hell now called her life.

Yes she was young and Naïve, Nero traced her face and skin she felt the ghost of the touch and for some reason her body hurt less. –Look for me when you're released out into the yard Raesil- He said softly and regretfully broke their connection.

A week found Nero searching the yards with his eyes on his break and he found her. Raesil, she was still healing and this time it was her leg in a splint she had fashioned, a surge rose in his being at this. The cruelty she had endured in her loyalty was not unnoticed or forgotten by him. Nero crossed the yard and pulled her with him into the darkness of the bend of rock. Arms locking as she tensed she couldn't fight back without serious harm. Touching her softly she shivered to look cautiously and found Nero looking down on her. She froze under the intensity of his gaze feeling his touch trace as he had in their telepathic contact. She fought it but the tips of her ears were already burning and she was caught under his gaze and iron hold. Nero hid a shiver, her skin was very soft, supple yet unyielding as if to deny the cuts and bruises that dared mark her. She was strength and loyalty. He was curious to find out the other aspects of her personality though. He moved in that moment she froze finding her back to the stone and her gaze locked with his as he stared down at her. Towering and tall he was strength and fury. She knew that. Yet Raesil felt her voice leave her and lips go dry and none of that naïve strength as she felt the power of his body.

It seemed like forever trapped that way before she felt him lean closer, alone, for the first time in years Nero spoke. "Don't be afraid of me Raesil." She nearly stopped breathing at the voice that flooded her ears, "I won't hurt you. Please, trust me." Nero kept his eyes on hers and she couldn't look away and felt her body strangely still but relaxed. Feeling him lean and firm lips capture hers in what was unknowingly her first kiss to Nero. She felt weird, like nothing was real and yet everything was. Her eyes burned that she had to close them and she felt hot wetness caress down her cheeks that confused her. Pressing back.

Nero felt her press back and could smell salt looking he found tears, the expression on her face, Raesil had been hurting and this first act of compassion had broken her steel revere. Caressing away those tears with his thumbs as the traced down, strong hands holding her delicate strong face he welcomed the press making it linger that when her lips parted a bit for breath he deepened it slowly. Felt her shiver and her hands at his sides grip his shirt. Yet he couldn't lose himself in the kiss like this breaking it softly. He swallowed a little resting his forehead against hers. His heart beat against his ribcage and side like some trapped sparrow wanting to take flight. He let her go first into the yard before following but during meals she was never far away. Even in their cells she was never far away from the reaches of his mind.

He had not forgotten Mandala and the child he had lost but Raesil made the pain ease a little, the attraction was there. Thinking of her he couldn't help but think of the kind soul that she really must have had because that kiss was not lustful at all. Ayel had met a human named Clavell that had been a Stellar Cartographer before becoming a resident of the pit. Ayel believed he could help them in their cause with the calculation. He agreed to allow the human in on their plan and he mentally kept Raesil and Ayel close to him. He would be taking her and her half breed cousins with him. If they wanted to go back to Romulus he wouldn't stop them but in the back of his mind where the instinct of an alpha resided he wanted Rae to stay aboard the Narada.

He would make it so.

Next: Chapter Three Loss and Decision…