AN: My musical inspiration for this chapter: Shatter Me by Lindsey Sterling and Lzzy Hale; Wake Me Up by B.A.P.
Chapter 2: Alien
The vibration of the shuttle woke Katherine with a start, the panicked realization of not knowing where she was causing her to sit bolt upright with an audible gasp. Blue light glowed from her hands and her heart began to race as she glanced wildly around her.
A hand grasped her shoulder, a thrum of energy and warmth spreading over her from the point of contact. She turned to face the same big angaran who had carried her earlier, calming at the unfamiliar but comforting sensation of his touch.
"Be at ease, human," he murmured quietly. "There is no threat here."
She glanced around, taking in what she could in the dim light. The shuttle was packed full of angaran prisoners, as well as their rescuers, some sitting, others standing or lying down as she had been, asleep.
"My name is Katherine, not human," she huffed, rolling her head in a circle until her neck gave a satisfying crack. "Are you from the Resistance?" She turned and looked at him hopefully, wondering if she might soon be able to send a message to Kandros.
He crossed his arms and examined her silently for a moment before he answered, his sharp gaze sizing her up and making her suddenly feel very self-conscious and aware of her raggedy state, clad only in what was left of her fitted, black under-armor, one sleeve ripped entirely off. The kett had been very thorough after her capture, confiscating everything else. Kat swiped her hair behind her ear, a nervous habit she'd had since she was a girl.
"No, we are not from the Resistance." One side of his mouth quirked up in a mocking smirk. "I am Akksul, leader of the Roekaar."
Her eyes widened at his admission, fragments of reports she had read some time ago about Roekaar activity and aggression coming back in a rush. "Oh," she breathed, uncertain of what else to say. His people hated hers, didn't they? Katherine glanced around again, checking to see if anyone looked hostile, but no one even seemed to be paying her any attention at all.
"I see you've heard of us. I'm not going to kill you, if that's what's worrying you," Akksul stated casually, as though he were discussing the weather. "Unless you give me cause, of course."
What response was she even supposed to give to something like that?
"Uh…thanks, I guess?" She cleared her throat nervously, about to ask him what his plans were for her, but he interrupted her erratic thoughts.
"You are a fighter for your people? Is that how you were taken captive?"
Kat bit her lip and nodded. Surely there could be no harm in giving him some very basic information about her role, it might even show him that she was no threat to him or any of the angara. "I'm part of a small Apex reconnaissance team. We mainly gather intel on kett movement and activity, but screwing over the kett any way we can is our primary objective."
Akksul hummed in interest and leaned forward, resting his arms against his thighs. "You are a biotic? Is that the correct term?"
Turning slightly so she was facing him, Katherine nodded again, her mouth twisting ruefully. "Yes, that's correct. I do have some biotic ability. I'm not extremely powerful or able to sustain for a long time, but I can manage short bursts in combat when needed. Mainly, I tend to rely on my rifle."
She felt a pang of loss when she thought about her sniper rifle. Kat had modded the Viper under the guidance of her squad leader, Marcus, and it sang in her hands.
"I would like to see a demonstration of your abilities when you are recovered. I find this biotic power...interesting."
"I guess so, uh, sure…." she stammered uncertainly.
The rocking of the shuttle preparing to land threw Kat off balance and she grabbed onto Akksul's legs to steady herself, then snatched her hands back just as quickly when her skin started to tingle strangely.
He nodded to someone behind her and stood, pinning her with a threatening glare. "Stay put until I return. You are not to move from here."
Scowling at his back, she mentally flipped him off as all the angara began filing off the shuttle until she was the only one left. It wasn't as if she were going to attack anyone, especially not in her compromised condition. Lifting herself up, she stretched as much as her injuries allowed and settled onto the bench Akksul had vacated. It was cushioned and far more comfortable than the hard floor. It would probably even make a decent bed, in a pinch.
Kat was just about to lay down and test it out when Zareena came bounding in, with Akksul following behind at a more sedate pace.
"Katherine!" she shouted happily and hugged her enthusiastically. Kat was so happy to see her young angaran friend who she had suffered so much with that she held her tightly in her arms and felt tears of relief begin to well up. When she recovered some control over her emotions, she finally pulled back, grasped Zareena's face in her hands and peppered her with kisses all over her cheeks which had them both laughing.
"Did I tell you, Zar? I knew we weren't going to die in that cursed place! We just had to hang tough."
Zareena's smile grew impossibly wider as she nodded. "I could never doubt you, I was so lucky to have you with me, offering me comfort and protecting me like a big sister. I can never thank you enough." She grinned at her brother, who was watching them with his eyes narrowed and massive arms crossed, before turning back to Kat. "Akksul says I must go to our mothers now, but that I can come back and visit you soon!"
"Oh." Katherine felt like someone had punched her in the gut, not prepared to be parted so suddenly from the only ray of sunshine she had had during their months of captivity on Voeld. Her smile faltered but she recovered quickly, glancing briefly at Akksul's inscrutable expression before focusing on Zareena again, reaching to caress the girl's cheek tenderly.
"Of course you need to go to your family, they must have been so worried for you, just…." She took a shaky breath before continuing. "Thank you for being my bright spot in that hellish place, Zar. I'll always love you for it, and if I don't see you again….don't forget me."
Zareena moved to rest her forehead against Kat's, pulling back after a moment and nodding. "We will see each other again, Katherine Johnson, sister of my heart. Akksul promised!" With a final bright smile, Zareena ran for the door and was gone.
Kat turned to face the wall of the shuttle, wrapping her arms around her middle, tears running silently down her face as the minutes passed. The months of cruelty, pain, fear and uncertainty were finally demanding a release.
She and Zareena had managed to keep each others spirits up, but now she just felt so very alone. So empty. She needed…something.
The warm, firm touch on her shoulder had her turning without conscious thought, the brief look of surprise on Akksul's face through the watery veil of her tears not deterrent enough to keep her from seeking the comfort from another being that she so desperately needed. Stepping close, she slid her arms around his middle and laid her cheek against the center of his chest, her head settling just under the ridge of his orange armor, tears continuing to flow from under her closed lids.
"Please," she whispered into his leather-covered chest, "just hold me for a minute?"
They may not be the same species, but she had seen flashes of sympathy in his eyes from the first time she looked at him. Surely there must be some understanding through the shared suffering of their species under the kett. Kat was so starved for any touch of kindness that she was even willing to risk his rejection.
He was perfectly still for several seconds before he slowly wrapped his big arms around her, his hands settling very low on her back and hips as he thoughtfully attempted to avoid her injuries.
It was a balm to her spirit when he didn't push her away and she sighed with gratitude and relief, sinking deeper into him and allowing him to take most of her weight, the fatigue and weakness still riding her heavily. Kat smiled, her tears easing when she felt him stroke her hair, first tentatively, then with less hesitance when her arms tightened around him in wordless encouragement.
"I did not know that humans felt so deeply," Akksul said, his rumbling voice a pleasant vibration against her. She wondered if she could actually fall asleep standing up, the warm hum of his bioelectrics lulling her into drowsy comfort.
"I don't speak for every human, but I feel deeply. I always have. Sometimes you just really need the comfort that a hug from another person brings, right?" She drew a breath, her arms tightening around him again briefly before she released him and stepped out of the warm circle of his arms, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Thank you for that," she said quietly.
He had a long lock of her hair between his fingers, staring at it curiously before he dropped it, his hands returning to his sides. "You care for my sister."
The shuttle had begun to move again and Kat sat down, even more drained after her emotional release. She rested her head back against the shuttle wall and locked eyes with him, admiring the beautiful colors, flecks of darker blue and even speckles of gold in a sea of lighter blue. Angaran eyes were so easy to get lost in, like the stars.
"I love her," she stated simply, "and I always will. Zareena is precious to me; like a sister I never had."
Akksul's brows rose in surprise. "I see." He looked like he wanted to say more, but after a silent moment where they stared at each other, each occupied with their own thoughts, Akksul nodded and moved to the front of the shuttle and began conversing quietly with the pilot.
Too tired to even sit up any longer, or to worry about where they were headed next, Katherine laid down on the bench, using her arm as a pillow, and fell into a deep sleep.
Akksul stood with arms loosely at his sides, watching dispassionately as Saabir, their medical expert, undressed the human female, having first sedated her so he could tend her injuries without causing her more suffering. He referred frequently to the information Akksul had sent to him on human biology and medical treatment.
When her back was fully bared, Saabir made a sound of sympathy and looked at Akksul. "This vesagara has suffered." Running a gentle hand down her bruised arm, Saabir grunted. "As soft as her kind is, you wonder at how it is not more severe."
Crisscrossed cuts and partially scabbed wounds covered her back, some oozing fluid, the raised and puckered skin an angry red in color. A motley of purple, blue and yellow bruises surrounded the open wounds. It had clearly all been done for no other reason than to bring pain.
Akksul's emotions were not at all calm as they appeared on the surface. He could never see the evidence of kett torture without reliving a portion of what he had gone through himself; not only the pain and uncertainty, but the slow death of hope. As each month passed and the Resistance never came, he arrived at the bitter realization that no one else would ever save him; he must save himself.
The longer Akksul stared, the more the old rage boiled inside of him, an impotent fury begging for some kind of release. "Do what you can for her," he said, unable to keep some of the growl from his voice, before he turned abruptly and left.
He stalked across the compound and headed straight for the gun range, very quickly emptying both pistols into the furthest target, imagining a kett head in place of the practice target he shot.
Thelon walked up and stood quietly, watching while Akksul emptied another clip into the target. "Your sister was well? Saabir found no injuries on her?"
Akksul turned and walked to a workbench where extra ammunition and supplies were kept and began to dismantle his guns for cleaning. He pursed his lips and nodded.
"Zareena was a little undernourished, but otherwise fine. No injuries at all, surprisingly."
The wind blew and the gust brought small droplets of rain with it. Thelon bent and pulled a weed from the ground, twirling it between his fingers. "What of the human? What do you plan to do with her?"
Akksul drew in a breath. "I want to study her. To learn more of the humans than I can from vids and data pads. They seem to be the leaders among the aliens and it is time I knew more." Akksul lifted his face, closing his eyes as the refreshing drops of rain from the Aya sky dotted his skin. He glanced at Thelon before returning his attention to his guns. "The kett tortured the human woman, but not any of our people. I want to know why."
Thelon shrugged his shoulders and let the weed fall from his fingers. "If the humans take the suffering that was once heaped on our people alone, perhaps they are of some use after all." He laughed loudly when Akksul gave him a long-suffering look. "I know you will figure it all out, you always do. Will you come for a drink? Some of the others have already broken out the tavum."
He gestured to his dismantled guns and shook his head. "Perhaps later. I still have some messages to answer, and I want to check in again with Saabir before I sleep." Thelon waved and wandered off, humming quietly to himself, while Akksul returned to his task.
Unbidden, Akksul's thoughts drifted back to the human woman. Katherine. He tested her name carefully in his mind, finding it different to any he had heard, but pleasing. He had been more touched watching her with his sister than he had shown, and again she surprised him when she sought comfort from him. She took it, he thought with amused approval.
The few humans he had any contact with seemed to have very little emotion, much like the kett. His lip curled in disgust at the thought.
The Pathfinder had shown him some anger, but even that seemed so pale and calm compared to what he was used to. She had not even reacted when he shot Jaal! He shook his head in disbelief. If she truly cared for Jaal at the time, he could not understand her passive acceptance. Should anyone ever offer harm to one he loved… He popped the clip back into his pistol with an angry snap.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and allowed his mind to return to calm. He looked across the compound, wondering what he would learn from this human. Akksul felt a rising excitement at the prospect.
"Can you bend forward a bit?"
Kat shrugged and leaned forward until her elbows rested on her knees, then lurched to the side and giggled at the slender fingers prodding her ribs.
"Watch it! My ribs have always been super ticklish."
An exasperated sigh followed by more gentle fingers testing her back, making her shiver and goosebumps rise on her arms, then Saabir came to stand in front of her with data pad in hand. "You are as healed as I know how to make you, for now, all cuts sealed and there seems to be no damage to your nerves, which is fortunate. I would advise no overly strenuous activity for at least a week, then I can check you again."
Grinning, Kat pulled the loose top she had been given to wear over her head, and hopped off the table. "Thanks, Doc, you're a real sweetheart."
Saabir huffed indignantly, pretending to be affronted, but softened and gave her a small smile and a pat on the head, then shooed her toward the door. "Go away now, little human, I have work to attend."
Kat opened the door and stopped short, the female angara lounging outside with an assault rifle clearly waiting for her. "Human, you come with me. Walk in front."
"My name is Katherine, not human" she sighed, for what felt like the millionth time. She might as well have it tattooed across her forehead in Shelesh for all the good it did her to say it.
She walked with her guard back across the compound to the room where they were keeping her, not surprised when the door closed behind her and the lock was engaged. It was certainly much nicer than the kett prison, with a real bed with linen and blankets, a small toilet, sink and shower, but it was still confinement and she resented it.
Sighing, she turned in a circle and noticed a pack in the corner that hadn't been there earlier. Her pack! How was it even possible?
Hot damn!
Kat scooped it up and hugged it, grinning, then dumped the contents out onto the bed. Snatching up her omnitool with a racing heart, she attempted to check her messages but got an "unable to connect" popup. She swore under her breath, then turned to the other items. Fresh clothes and a few grooming bits and pieces, a week's worth of rations, and some other odds and ends she carried with her out in the field. Notably absent was her backup Carnifex and extra rounds for it.
Kat shrugged. She blew a kiss directly at the surveillance camera and immediately stripped out of what she had been wearing, slipping into her own bra, panties and comfy civvies with a contented sigh. She bent down to pull her soft boots on and appreciated feeling somewhat normal for the first time since her capture.
Grabbing her hair brush, she began to remove all the tangles that she hadn't been able to get out with her fingers. Sighing happily, Kat deftly wove the long strands into a braid and used an elastic band that she kept on the handle of the brush to secure the end. She fished through one of the inner pockets of her pack and pulled out her extra bobby pins, quickly wrapping her braid into a bun and securing it to her head.
Flipping up the small mirror on the back of her brush, she looked at herself, surprised that she looked mostly the same as she had before she went to kett hell. How could there be no outward signs of what she had gone through? She angled her head from one side to the other, but nope, her eyes were the same...an outer ring of blue, with green in the middle and a ring of gold around the pupil. She had her mother's eyes.
She closed the mirror with a snap and turned her 'tool back on, pulling up her favorite playlist. Kat laid down, curling up on her side as music box sounds and sultry violins filled the room, followed by passionate vocals and booming bass.
Humming along, Kat found herself wondering where Zareena's brother had gone. She hadn't seen him since she fell asleep on the shuttle. He had stated that he was the leader of the Roekaar, so perhaps he had gone to wherever their base of operations was located. Akksul. A strong sounding name; it suited him. It was amazing to her that some angara had skin the same stunning color as their eyes. Of course, blue had always been her favorite color...
Before she allowed herself to start meditating any further on the curiosities of her rescuer come captor, she pushed off the bed and changed the music to something better suited to a quick stretching session. After months of being confined, her fitness level was utter crap and she worried she had lost some of her former limberness. She rolled her head in a circle and cracked her knuckles. Time to get busy.
Akksul sighed wearily as he entered the compound from the landing area. He had not planned on having to make a trip home so soon, but his mothers had been insistent that he be there for Zareena. After speaking to his sister extensively about her experience, he wasn't sure how he should feel about the human woman, Katherine.
Clearly, his entire family were indebted to her for her protection of Zareena, but to be beholden to an alien? He especially felt the sting of it. Even if she had been astonishingly open with her affections and feelings toward his sister, which still surprised him greatly.
After checking in with Thelen that all was well in his absence, and Saabir as to the medical condition of the woman, he headed to see her for himself. He had a strange feeling in his stomach. Perhaps some of the fruit he had eaten?
Akksul disengaged the lock on the door and frowned at the loud noise coming from inside. His brows rose in surprise when the door slid open, to see the human bent double on the floor, her legs splayed out to either side of her torso in a most unnatural position. Did she require medical intervention?
"Human," he called loudly. When she turned to him and smiled, then stood and punched something on her omnitool, causing the noise to cease, he allowed himself to relax slightly.
They stood staring at each other in silence while he took in her altered appearance. Dark pants and uniform top with the human logo, some sort of boots on her small, odd feet, and all her hair put away and no longer hanging free. He found he preferred it the other way, she looked very strange without the pale mass hanging down her back and shoulders.
She crossed her arms and smirked at him and he drew a breath and pointed to her head. "You look quite..." Strange? Less attractive? Not that he would find her attractive, of course! He could never be attracted to someone other than his own kind. Certainly.
"Yes?" she prodded.
He clasped his hands behind his back and allowed his expression to go blank. "Different," he finally offered. "Are you comfortable in here, or is there anything you need?"
Kat snorted a laugh. "Since when is consideration given to a prisoner's level of comfort? Even the nicest cage is still a cage. Speaking of which, why exactly are you keeping me prisoner?"
Akksul made a sound of annoyance in his throat and gestured to her with one hand. "You are not a prisoner, exactly. Perhaps more of a guest I am….cautious of."
"Wait, what?" Laughing in earnest, she continued in an incredulous tone of voice. "Do you honestly think I'm a threat to you? I mean, look at you," she waved at all his muscle and bulk for emphasis, "and look at me." She swept a hand toward her own comparatively diminutive form. "I'm no boogeyman in disguise here!"
"Boogeyman," he pronounced carefully. "That did not translate, can you explain?"
She rolled her eyes and made a mental note to try and remember not to use as many references unique to her culture when conversing with angara. "Well, it's...a mythical being with supernatural powers and evil intent. My grandmother used to tell me the boogeyman would come and take me away if I did anything naughty." Kat frowned thoughtfully. "I suppose human parents made up the boogeyman to scare their children into being good, although I've never really given it any consideration before now."
"Ah, I understand, we have similar tales told to young angara to encourage virtuous behavior. As to whether you could be a threat to me..." His gaze swept her form slowly before meeting her eyes with his own. "It would be foolhardy to underestimate you; I have seen you throw a kett across a room with only your power, and kill him with his own weapon."
Unable to bear the intensity of his eyes boring into her, she focused on the orange design running down his cheeks; they made her think of tears. "The circumstances were unique, as I'm sure you're aware. That certainly isn't something I've ever done before; more an act of passion when he threatened someone I cared for." She cleared her throat softly, mildly uncomfortable with his assessment of her.
"So," Kat smiled brightly, eager to change the subject. "I'm your guest?"
Akksul nodded gravely. "You are."
Stepping forward, Kat extended her hand. "Why don't we introduce ourselves properly, then? Uh, put your hand out like mine."
Tilting his head curiously, he copied her pose, hand extended, and she stepped forward and clasped her hand to his and looked up at him. "This is how humans from my culture greet one another when they meet for the first time. Others cultures bow, or kiss...but anyway." She took a deep breath and smiled. "Hello, I'm Katherine Elizabeth Johnson of Earth, and it's a pleasure to meet you."
A frisson of awareness tingled up his arm from their joined hands, neither of them wearing gloves, and Akksul smiled slowly. "Greetings Katherine Elizabeth Johnson of Earth," his pronunciation of her name slow and precise. "I am Akksul du Renaav of Aya..." His deep voice dipped even lower as he gave her fingers a light squeeze, "...and the pleasure is mine."
Notes:
So, I gave Akksul a last name! The fact that he studied with the Moshae (as Jaal did) and was expected to take over her work, being a brilliant student etc., it seemed that he was likely from an important family, the same as Jaal. I hope the name I chose (after much indecision and googling lol) reflects the feeling of importance and status.
I have also seen no mention of a Roekaar HQ in the game, so for the purpose of this story, it's going to be on Aya in a remote location. After Akksul's disgrace from shooting Jaal, it seems the Roekaar shrunk significantly, so all that is left of Akksul's followers are at the Aya compound.
Based on Akksul's accent in the game, I also have him hail from Aya as opposed to Voeld (with mostly Australian accents), or Havaarl (mostly African accents, like Jaal).
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below, and thanks for reading. :)
