A Warrior's Mind, a Lover's Heart
Chapter 4: A foreign world, a familiar face.
The overhead fan whirled around and around stirring the stale air in the science department. It was loud enough to drown out the unusual hum of the dreadnaught. Diane looked up from her desk over at the wall clock, sighing at the recognition little time had passed since she last looked at the clock. Tapping her finger against her desk, the Asari stood up and slid her chair back. Looking at maps all day could only do so much to help Teyshan's situation. Diane knew the Alliance wanted help finding anymore possible Prothean survivors from the last cycle. Over hearing their new motto was "No lives left behind." Yet it had seemed they tried brushing off everyone's lives in the small colonies. Not even searching for survivors and assuming everyone was dead. This bothered Diane, though she supposed they were to better focus their attentions on the human home first. Which was Earth. Walking over to the elevator, Diane pressed her hand over the call button and waited for the doors to open. Moments later the doors slid open and she stepped inside. Leaning against the wall, Diane closed her eyes feeling the elevator move to the lower floors.
Diane walked out of the elevator and into the lunch room. She always thought Teyshan had it lucky. His bunk room was located just outside of the lunch room. He didn't have to walk very far to receive his food. Then again he was located in more of a noisy part of the ship. Diane's room was just located next door to the science center, which was always dead quiet. Avoiding eye contact with a lot of the soldiers sitting in the lunch room, Diane moved quickly over to Teyshan's door and nudged it open, seeing as it was cracked open. The Asari's eyes quickly darted down to the floor, seeing as the Prothean was sitting down, his legs tucked up under him. He was meditating.
"Oh sorry, Teyshan I'll go." Her voice barely carried acrossed the room,
"No, sit." Teyshan motioned for Diane to sit down at his desk chair.
"Ok" Diane quickly moved around his form and sunk down onto the chair, her gaze never leaving the Prothean. Yet despite his small interaction with her. He still sat in the middle of his room, all four golden eyes closed. His hands on his knees. Yet something seemed different about him. He didn't seem so large or bulky. That's when Diane immediately noted Teyshan wasn't wearing his armor. It was in a neat pile at the edge of his bed, polished and shining. For the past few weeks she noticed the Prothean not taking care of his armor like he used to when Melina was around. He took great pride in his armor set, but it was obvious the Prothean had larger concerns in mind, now that Melina was gone. So what prompted this sudden change in Teyshan? Why was he meditating or not wearing his armor. Why was his armor clean? What was going on in his head.
"Teyshan, is everything alright?" Diane pressed. "Your not accepting what Admiral Hackett told you, are you?"
"Yes" Teyshan hissed at Diane, his head then sunk down, two of his golden eyes opening a little. "No.." He sighed. "I can't accept that Melina is gone." He finally broke.
"It doesn't matter what we are told Teyshan. Not until we have firm evidence whether she is alive or dead we will not accept anything. Ok?" Diane shook her head, her blue hues searching Teyshan's golden eyes. From this moment Teyshan understood, if he gave up on trying to search for Melina now, she would be lost forever. This wouldn't be a fact he would ever accept. He made a promise to continue to fight for what they had. If he turned his back on this promise he made with Melina, he would breaking the very fabric of the relationship he built up with her. She was a woman who would never give up. An yet he had been sitting in his bunk shattered and falling apart, giving up.
"I should get going, we are about a half a days traveling time from reaching Earth. I suggest you rest up while you can get the chance." Diane suggested before leaving his bunk.
Teyshan stood up from the floor. Stepping over to his bed, he sunk down against the mattress. Looking up at the ceiling, the Prothean's eyes began to grow heavy from sheer exhaustion. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep.
"Teyshan!?" Melina called out from the bathroom. Her voice sounded full of distress. Hearing her from his room, he perked up. Teyshan was in the middle of polishing one of his large barrel pauldrons when he heard her cry out his name.
"Teyshan come quick, hurry… please!" Melina cried out once more.
Hearing her cries, Teyshan dropped his pauldron gently to the floor and rose up to his feet. Quickly running over to her room and entering it. He noticed the woman was standing on top of the waste receptacle or what humans called a 'toilet'.
"What is wrong Melina?" Teyshan asked, his sub harmonics wavering in concern.
"Get it.." Melina seemed to cower on top of the toilet, her arms held tightly to her body. Immediately reaching out and pointing at the far corner of the bathroom, Her eyes widened.
"Teyshan get it its moving!" The woman cried even louder.
Stepping in to see what all the fuss was about. The Prothean noted there was a eight legged insect on the floor. It was small in size, and relatively harmless. Scoffing at the woman's obvious upset. Teyshan reached down and scooped the insect or what humans called a 'spider' into his hands.
"Go throw it outside, or something. Get rid of it!" Melina snapped, pulling her arms tight to her body once again. The site made Teyshan suddenly break into a fit of laughter. Taking the harmless creature outside, he placed the spider down into the grass and stood up. Turning around he noticed Melina standing by the door, her face twisted with disgust.
"A strong, independent, warrior like you Melina, and you are afraid of what you call a spider." Teyshan laughed.
"Oh shut it." Melina's eyes narrowed, the corners of her mouth quivering as the woman held back a smile. Teyshan laughed once more, the whole thing was ridiculous.
#
The Prothean grabbed his day bag. Packing some essential items into it, he clipped on his armor over his under suit and tossed the bag over his shoulder. Making his way out of the landed 'Jupiter' following what seemed like the endless hoards of human Alliance soldiers. 'Jupiter' had been in charge of picking up survivors off a multitude of colonies. Yet it was the very first ship Teyshan had been on since Melina took him to the Citadel half a year ago. Figured it would be the ship he was now serving on, under Javik. Life had a way of working itself out. Teyshan spent his life fighting under the Prothean Empire, he goes to hibernate believing he was to lead his small band of soldiers into the next cycle to only wake up to them all dead, and the cycle's young species taking over. Teyshan would have never figured he would of ended up falling in love with a 'Primitive' as Javik put it. He lived nearly a year of his life in freedom, only to have everything taken away and be swept up in a new mission to find his brethren, serving under Javik of all species.
Diane was standing outside of the port, drinking a cup of tea. Teyshan immediately noticed her waiting for him after he left the dreadnaught. She did speak of meeting up after they landed. The Prothean walked up to his side, his golden eyes narrowing from the bright sunlight peaking through the clouds. Earth certainly was much brighter then his little colony was, even on a mid summers day. Shielding his sensitive eyes, Teyshan gazed over to Diane who was brightly smiling.
"First things first Teyshan, we need to get assigned to our bunks, then I suppose we can look around. Wouldn't hurt stocking up on supplies you know." Diane suggested.
"Yes." Teyshan nodded slowly lowering his hand and squinting from the bright light. His eyes began adjusting to the change slowly.
Surprisingly Earth wasn't as hard hit as the colony was. At least not in the area they had landed in. Seemingly enough people got this area cleaned up to be livable in. Yet the dirt and soot was thick and the clouds covered the blue sky. This seemed to be an ongoing thing with all planets. Best to make of the situation though. They no longer had Reapers harvesting everything that moved. Teyshan followed Diane towards one of the local apartment buildings. The Human Alliance and teamed up with The Turian higharchy to turn this small port into a local hub for trade and to re-supply before turning around for another trip out. Krogan stood watch at the hub's corner, eyes gazing around to make sure nobody where to cause any trouble. Yet when the Krogan's eyes landed upon Teyshan, he did a double take, never seeing one of his kind before.
Following Diane inside one of the buildings. The Asari held out a piece of paper to the small human sitting at the front desk. Scanning her eyes down the paper, the woman looked up at Diane and over to Teyshan. Seemingly confused for a second, the woman then tipped her head and smiled a bit.
"Ok you miss are on floor 4, room 484. Sir you are on floor 5, room 515. You are welcome to stay as long as you need." The woman nodded before handing over their keys. It looked like such a primitive out dated system. But with technology down and the need to conserve power it worked.
#
Teyshan got settled right into his small apartment. The Jupiter was set to stay on Earth for several months getting service done before the next tour. The Prothean thought he should make the best of this time and get comfortable. It would give him the time he needed to find answers about Melina and even help Javik a bit in his mission. Granted Teyshan didn't honestly agree with Javik's idea of bringing back the Empire, going out to find more Prothean's gave Teyshan an old sense of purpose once more. Granted Melina had gave him a reason to live, Teyshan missed the days where he was able to feel like he got a good honest amount of work done. Everyone went a bit stir crazy every now and then. Working the dig site filled that gap, teaching Diane and Melina what these gadgets were, what his days were like in the Empire. That only did so good until after the assassination attempt and Melina fell into a emotional down fall. He then ended up having to take over the whole dig site himself and watch over the woman. But that was his life, and he missed it. The change up felt a bit refreshing though.
Teyshan was sitting on the floor, meditating when he felt an odd buzzing on his left arm. Holding it up, his omnitool activated, the bright orange glow filling the dark space Teyshan left himself in. He was getting a call from Diane.
"Yes?" He answered.
A fuzzy screen of Diane popped up on his Omnitool when he answered the call. The Asari looked likes all the color drained from her face. It was rather alarming to see.
"Teyshan, get down to the hospital, immediately. No time.. to explain just meet me here." Diane rushed over her words, nearly stuttering.
"Where is it?" He shook his head.
"A block south and it's on the left." Diane immediately cut the call.
Lowering his arm down to his side, Teyshan shook his head a bit in confusion. Normally Diane was either bubbly or calm and collected. More so the later now that Melina was gone. This began to concern him. He had hoped his friend was feeling alright. Did she fall ill? He didn't know but he knew to not waste any time getting down to the hospital.
Making his way down the stairs, and out into the street, The Prothean looked around until he got his bearings. Jogging down the sidewalk and darting around people, Teyshan grew even more concerned when he finally caught glimpse of Diane standing outside the hospital doors looking nervous. Quickly walking up to the Asari's side. Teyshan walked up to the Asari and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Are you alright Diane?" he asked sternly. Diane only brushed his hands off of her shoulders shaking her head.
"No time to explain, just follow me." Diane rose her eyebrows. Turning herself she walked straight in, followed closely by Teyshan.
The Prothean was now more confused then ever. Diane had never blown off his questions. She never looked so concerned and urgent before. Had she found a friend in the hospital and wanted him there for support? This he did not know. As they walked down the hall and made a left. Teyshan ignored the stray gazes a lot of the attendants gave him. Obviously the Prothean was not phased by any of the attention he received.
Diane planted her feet outside one of the hospital rooms, she motioned for Teyshan to step inside the room. Growing even more confused. The Prothean narrowed his eyes and shook his head no. Not without knowing what was going on.
"Just.. Go.. don't ask questions." Diane softly snapped, nudging the Prothean into the room.
Teyshan slowly stepped into the room, his heart racing in his chest. The Prothean didn't know what to expect and he took a quick mental note over the fact Diane did not follow him inside the room. This made him a bit nervous. Pulling his top lip back, he walked closer to the middle of the room and gently pulled back the curtain that hid the patients bed in privacy. His golden eyes gently gazed upon a woman who laid in the hospital bed. Her left arm was wrapped up completely in gauze. The left side of her face a bit burned and her face was also wrapped by gauze, covering her eyes. What stuck out to Teyshan was the woman's dark brown hair, granted it was matted it held soft curls that framed the face. It suddenly hit him in a flood of emotions. Sinking down to his knees, the Prothean reached out and touched the woman's hand. His whole body quivering.
"Melina?" he asked.
"Who is this?" the woman responded. Her voice hoarse and dry.
Authors Note:
Thank you for reading this far! Specially of those of you who have been reading this whole story come together. You are all the best. I hope to continue to pump out as many chapters as possible. I noticed I am putting more content into these chapters then I did my previous story. So huzahh! I hope you continue to follow me on this new journey and in the mean time, Happy Reading!