Chapter 11
As they walked through the crowd of people Adra didn't let Kolyat know she knew he kept looking at her out of the corner of his eyes. She made him nervous, of course, and knew through experience that addressing or questioning this would make it worse. So she pretended not to notice. They continued walking towards the C-sec office, which made Kolyat very nervous, but he didn't dare disobey his scary guardian angel. Even when she was smiling at him...
When I called my dad a bastard, I thought she was going to crush my skull...and now I work for her. Great. When will my luck start?
As they got to the main C-sec building Adra stood patiently looking at one of the interrogation rooms, and Kolyat took to hint to stand next to her and wait. The doors opened and four people walked out. One was a lawyer being screamed at, and the second was Elias. He had a black eye and deep purple hand marks around his neck. He took one look at Adra and stopped talking. He grabbed his lawyer's arm and let the man lead him to safety. The next two people were Shepard and Thane. They stared in shock as they saw Adra and Kolyat stood together, and Thane suddenly sprinted forward. He skidded to a stop before them and looked in confusion from Adra to his son.
"But...how?!"
"It's a long story." Adra put her hand experimentally on Kolyat's shoulder and nodded to Thane. "Let's just say, I found Kolyat before he could do anything irreversible."
"That's putting it very vaguely." Kolyat looked down at the human nervously and flinched when she looked at him.
"Yes, he doesn't trust me yet, but he is now part of my crew aboard Janira's ship so he will get used to me." She released Kolyat and side stepped next to Thane. "I found your son." She whispered, so loud everyone could hear. "He looks like you, despite the different pigment, and his sonic fingerprint is very similar. He is also not easy to trust like you. I like him." Her hand acted as a shield for her mouth as she spoke to Thane, who just chuckled down at her. "I put my hand on his shoulder to calm it. I think it works. He doesn't flinch anymore."
"That's great." Thane turned his sad smile to his son, and a tension rose between them. "Kolyat...we have a lot to talk about."
"No offence, but I'm not sure I want to talk to you right now." Kolyat pointed to Adra. "I found out from her that you're dying. Is that true?"
"You believe that I would lie to you?" Adra enquired, but Shepard stood by her side and grabbed her shoulder to get her attention. Adra shrugged the commander off, not liking the contact, but got the message. She needed to stay out of this now. Good, she needed time to process her thoughts and was eager to return to the Normandy.
"I am." Thane reached for his son, but he backed off. it looked like he was ready to run, when he locked eyes with Adra.
There was no running from this woman. He' seem how Elias had looked at her when he left the interrogation room, and the marks on his skin. "Please, we need to talk Kolyat."
"Do I have to?"
"I can't force you to-"
"I'm not talking to you." Kolyat snapped at his father, who looked stunned and confused by this. It was then he followed his son's gaze to Adra and her intense blue stare. "Do I have to?"
"Yes." Her voice was heavy and even. "You do."
"How often?" Kolyat blanked his father and went straight to the boss lady.
"You will speak to him as often as is socially acceptable." Adra turned to look at Thane, but he seemed to have withdrawn within himself. "You will spend at least an hour every day with your father."
"Understood." The Blue Drell nodded and walked past his father to take her side. "If you're my commander now, I guess I need to swear my life to you or something?"
"No. I don't want your life." Adra blinked and leaned away when Shepard started whispering in her ear. She listened, not happy by the sudden intrusion by the commander, but understood. "I wish you to be good, to be loyal to me and my crew, and to respect my orders by following them out without hesitation or using loop holes. Is that clear enough?"
"Yes commander." He nodded to Adra, blanking his father and nodding his head at her. "I don't own anything but what I'm wearing, so I can leave as soon as you are ready."
"I think the party tonight should be postponed." Shepard added, looking between Thane and his son, who was still blanking him. "Tomorrow maybe?"
"That would make me more comfortable. I have been touched enough for one day." Adra shuddered and noticed that Kolyat stood right by her side. Thane took point at her other side, trying to catch his son's eyes, but he never succeeded. Shepard lead the group towards the docks and was very happy to get away from the awkward drama of the group and retreat to her cabin.
As they got the hanger bay, and after the commander had made her excuses and run off, Kolyat saw the docking tube to the second ship.
"Is your ship through there?"
"Yes." Kolyat tried to make a run for the second ship, but jerked to a stop as his coat was grabbed from behind. "However, you need to spend your hour with your father." She saw the blue Drell's shoulders sag with defeat and slowly he turned to face Thane.
"I will not have my company forced on him." Thane put his hand on Adra's shoulder, and she turned to look up at him with bright blue eyes. "If he wishes to rest, let him do so."
"No. You have waited years to speak to him. You are sorry for what you did to him, and I'm sure he has missed you. How could he not." She turned to look at the brooding younger man with sadness dancing in her blue eyes. "I'd give anything to talk to my parents again. And although I have a photographic memory, I can't relive my memories of them like Drell can. I can't...remember my mother's smell. Feel the happiness I felt when my auntie taught me how to shoot a rifle. Not like Drell can." Adra grabbed the coat on Thane's arm first, then Kolyat's. She cocked her head to one side and then brought their arms together. "I'd give anything to speak to my parents again. Don't insult me by refusing to speak to yours." She caught his gaze and he closed his eyes with shame. She was right, of course. When his hand was put into his father's, he didn't pull it back. Thane sighed and gripped his son's hand, remembering for a moment how small it was the last time he held it. "Thane?"
"Yes Siha." He whispered, and didn't see how Kolyat suddenly stared at them both.
"I'm going to find somewhere else to be for the next hour. You two can be alone in your room then. I'll...be going now." Adra wiped tears from her cheeks and she ran off to the elevator and closed the doors before the pair could catch up with her. She ran out and bumped into a hard body so hard it caused her to fall back on her ass. When she looked up, cheeks blotchy and eyes wide, her mind screaming that she was in danger, when she realised she'd run into Legion. His head panels had flared around his head in alarm and were now curving down curiously at her.
"Adra commander." He leaned down with his metallic hand. "Allow this platform to render you assistance."
"Thank you Legion." She took the hand and got to her feet. She then dried her face with her hands and held her biceps. "I was avoiding an emotional outburst and ran into you. I apologise for the inconvenience."
"We understand." He nodded, his panels flattening to his head again to form a hood shape. "Are you then on route to seek solitude in Thane Krios' room?"
"No, I can't go there. He needs to be alone with his son. I need to find somewhere...quiet."
"Perhaps this platform can render further assistance." She looked straight at his optics and blinked at him. "We reside in the AI core at the end of the medical bay. When the AI known as EDI is not active in that section of the ship, it is very quiet."
"You wouldn't mind my presence?" She sniffled.
"No. We don't experience the need for privacy nor experience discomfort when around others."
"I wish I was like that..." she sighed and nodded to him. "Thank you Legion." The Geth led her to the refuge of EDI's AI core and allowed her to sit on his work bench. He then sat next to her and stared ahead silently. His optics turned off and he was perfectly inactive. Adra envied the silence he must experience when he powered down like that, and worked hard to still her mind as much as she could, before shuffling onto her side behind the Geth and trying to sleep it off.
"No. We are having this party." Janira stomped her foot on the floor and for once, Jack agreed with someone.
"I am getting drunk and laid tonight, end of. You can't stop me." The convict, back to her perky self, pointed at the commander in the face. Shepard sighed and shook her head.
"Listen, Thane and Adra and Kolyat have-"
"I've what?" Shepard held her face and wished she had better timing. Kolyat had just left Thane's room and had discretely wiped a tear from his face when he came across the arguing females in the mess hall. He cleared his throat and looked them over.
"You are Kolyat huh?" he turned his dark eyes onto the Asari woman who looked dressed to party. Her pale blue skin was a gentle contrast to the lavender dress she wore. It was made of transparent netting from her mid-thigh downward, thick purple with a feather pattern covering up to her low navel. The middle section was also transparent and didn't become thicker again until her bust. It had no straps or sleeves, but did have a transparent and fingerless arm gloves to match and the whole outfit made the purple freckles around her eyes stand out around her lilac eyes. Her lips were also a soft purple to complete the look with her heels. "You moved your things into your room yet?"
"I assume you're Janira then." He nodded. "I have no things. So I'll just go to sleep there later. Are you...going out?"
"Yes." Janira and Jack chorused.
"No." Shepard sighed. The Drell looked from the exhausted spectre to the tattoo covered human that started snarling in her face. This bald woman had a pair of biker boots on, dark blue jeans with little wholes here and there, chains hanging from her skull belt, a black bra underneath a fish net vest and all under a leather jacket.
"Listen Shepard, no one cock blocks me, so-"
"Listen, a party cheers people up." Janira elegantly shuffled over to the amused blue Drell and hooked his arm. Now he wasn't as amused anymore. He sensed he was about to be involved. Not good. "And I think that Kolyat could do with a nice welcome to our crew. Our and your crew, that is. Together-you know what we mean." She nodded to Kolyat until he nodded too. "And Adra could use the practise with people. She promised me girlie time in exchange for having this one on board my ship, her ship, so she's in. So just let Thane stay here."
"but-"
"Get your ass in your red bitch dress commander!" Jack punched her shoulder with a grin. "We have some men and drinks to commandeer!"
"And I'll go tell the others." Janira giggled and started sending messages through her omni-tool. "I wonder if Grunt can hold his liquor?"
Soon omni-tools around the ship were all going off, and everyone was abuz about the party that was back on.
"Welcome to the Normandy Kolyat!" Shepard hissed as she stormed over to the poor bystander. "Where no one does what I ask!"
"Erm-"
"Oh, but you get to go and tell Adra she's going to have to be in a bustling nightclub full of people and out of her precious silence. Without Thane. Good luck kid! I've got legs to shave..." the commander stormed off and left Kolyat preferring to have been arrested by C-sec at this point.
"This is going to be great!" Kelly and Miranda were in the ladies room and applying their make-up. The Normandy was still docked, and their taxi was due to arrive to pick them up in 30 minutes. Miranda stuck to her white theme and wore red heels and a short white dress that had a long left sleeve and the bust went under her right one. Her right wrist had a silver chain around it and the whole dress clung to her every curve. That would keep Jacob's attention. Her eyes were smoky and her lips red. She was currently fussing over her long raven hair, trying to get the sexy dishevelled look.
"I never get to be, you know, a girl like this." The Cerberus agent smiled sadly into the mirror. "I'm glad the commander didn't call the party off after all."
"Me too." Kelly giggled. "I'm glad I finally have a reason for packing this sexy black dress into my suitcase too." Her dress was a knee long fitted black corset dress, with ruffles over her backside and long lace sleeves attached to the upper section. Her short ginger hair was curved around her face perfectly and her lips were pink, like her shoes. She was curling her lashes in the mirror when the door opened.
"Help! Adra isn't ready yet!" Tali was wearing her normal purple bio-suit, which she had no choice in, but she'd changed the material of the suit to a soft silver colour with what could have been human Celtic knots as the pattern all over her hood. Her mask also had a silver hue, and it made her look more angelic than sexy, but that is what Quarian men went for. Purity and health. "She's locked in with that damn Geth and won't come out! I just caught Thane's son begging her through the door to come out. come on, let's-"
"Yes, let's get her ass into a dress and make her be social." Kelly huffed, and lead Miranda out of the bathroom.
"Please."
"No. Thane isn't going. I can't be trusted to behave." Adra spoke calmly through the door of the AI core and refused to open the door.
"I'm sure you can be trusted to sit at a table and talk to people."
"No. I can't. Talking usually leads to bad things."
"Well you were more than happy to talk to me and drag my ass here this morning." Kolyat grumbled to himself, then pressed his shoulder against the door. "Look...I never thanked you." he thought now was as good a time as any. "I never really...wanted to become an assassin. I just thought it was my only option. And I kinda hoped I'd cross paths with my father again. I had no idea what I'd do to the guy when I saw him again, but the need was there."
"...how did you conversation go? Did you reach a conclusion as to how to repair your relationship?" Kolyat exhaled deeply and shook his head. He then realised she couldn't see that through the door and turned to face it.
"You can't fix years of absence and abandonment with an hour of talking." He cleared his throat and felt his chest welling up again. "But, after you put my hand into my father's...he cried." The door whipped open and she stood in the doorway, looking at him with alarm.
"I have harmed him? Did I do something wrong? I know you have fused fingers, so did I-"
"He relived a memory of me." He folded his arms over his chest and looked off to one side. "Hands, so small they couldn't grasp more than two fingers, pulling, holding on so slightly. Don't leave me daddy, he begs me with eyes as deep as wells. He cries as I pull my hand away from his. I'll be home soon, I promise him. I lied." Kolyat pinched his nose and pursed his lips together. Adra pulled his wrist from his face and watched tears fall down his face. "That was the last time we were together. At my mother's funeral. He recalled the memory of leaving me and cried. I couldn't help it. how do I hate a man as sorry as that?"
"You can't. He's your father. We are designed and raised altruistically to care deeply for those who we share blood and memories with."
"Yeah." He took his hand back and wiped his face. "I never cry. Not since I was a kid. One day with him and I'm pathetic."
"It's not pathetic to cry. I struggle to cry." He looked at her with worried dark eyes. "I only cried when my parents passed. And when I fear losing who I have left."
"Like my father." He seemed uncomfortable for some reason. "He calls you Siha."
"He thinks I am brave and a tenacious protector." Adra looked over her shoulder at Legion, who was alert and watching this exchange curiously. "Thank you Legion, I appreciated the silence."
"Yes Adra commander." Adra nodded to the Geth and stepped out of the AI core and into the medical bay. She tucked her long raven hair behind her ears and looked at Kolyat's chest, rather than his face.
"You don't need to thank me. I haven't done anything other than given you the opportunity to reconnect. If you want to repay me, don't waste the opportunity."
"I won't." He then walked her out of the medical room and towards Thane's room. "You know, they are still going out for that party. And I'm sure you could convince my father to go with you. Since you're his Siha..." Adra turned to query what he meant by 'his Siha', when she was ambushed. Adra started panicking and lashing out as she was lifted up into the air by Miranda's biotics and walked through the door into Thane's room.
"PUT ME DOWN!" Thane jumped up from his seat and walked into the middle of the room as Miranda, Kelly and Tali escorted his floating charge into his room. She was then dropped on her bed in her corner and Miranda held her down with biotics.
"Damn she's strong. It's taking a hell of a lot of my concentration to keep her down. Quick, get the boys out of here and lets get her out of that suit and into a dress."
"GET OFF ME!" Adra screamed and thrashed out as much as she could against the biotic woman. She hadn't seen the attack coming, and hadn't managed to prepare for the assault. Her mind was screaming, and her voice followed suit.
"What are you doing? Release her this instant." Thane fluidly side stepped Tali and Kelly to get right behind Miranda.
"Wait! We just want to get her into a dress and to the party in time!" the Quarian squeaked, foreseeing their bloody bodies on the floor with Thane stood over them. He was a master assassin after all. "She bought some dresses today so-"
"I will not ask you again." Thane whispered into Miranda's ear, shocking the woman to drop her barrier on the younger woman and slowly turn to look down at her side. There was a hand holding her side. This could have been an intimate gesture. Or he could use his dense Drell muscles to clench her side so hard he bruised her ribs in a single movement. Lord knows what he was doing with his other hand...
"We're just trying to help!" Tali insisted as she realised that Kolyat had also stormed into the room after them, and he had Kelly's arm in his grasp. Kelly squeaked as she was tossed out of the room and Kolyat headed towards the Quarian with purpose. "Ok! I'm going! I didn't mean to upset anyone. Keelah!" Tali stormed out and waited outside for Miranda. Slowly the perfect woman side stepped out of Thane's grasp and scowled out of the room.
"We're not waiting for her." she grumbled before the door closed. Kolyat sighed and reached for her, but Thane stopped him with a hand.
"No. Don't touch her. She doesn't like it." Father and son looked down at the woman who was holding herself in the foetal position on her bed and this woman looked so different to the intense assassin from earlier that day. "Kolyat...could you...?"
"I'll be outside. Keeping the harpies off."
"Thank you son." Kolyat hesitated by the door and turned slowly to watch them over his shoulder.
"No problem...dad." he then stormed out of the room and put his best 'piss off' face on as he guarded them.
Thane knelt on the floor opposite her and waited. He put his hands on his knees and watched her slowly climb out of her protective shell. First her form relaxed on the bed and uncoiled from her chest. Then her hands came away from her face and her green orbs peered up at him over her forearms.
"...they're gone?"
"Yes Siha. We are alone. It seems Kolyat respects you deeply. He is standing guard by the door." Thane watched as the woman slowly pushed herself up to sit against the wall and look down at her hands on her lap sadly.
"He doesn't respect me. He fears me. But he's grateful too."
"And he respects you." Thane chuckled at the confused look on her face. "When we talked...some of the time we spoke of you."
"Why?" Thane sighed through his smile, resisting the urge to relive the memory. "Why would you talk about me? You have lots to talk about."
"Yes that is true. But sometimes finding something else to talk about, makes it easier to build up to the most painful issues that needed to be discussed." Adra watched as he smiled at her. why was he smiling? She'd just freaked out again, and caused him more grief, but he was happy? Why? I don't understand you... "I was also curious how your encounter with my son went. After all, you kind of...appeared before me with him out of nowhere. He told me...everything." Adra gulped, ready for a verbal battering. "You took a sin onto your soul for my child. It is not what I wanted...but I owe you for this. I prayed with Kolyat for forgiveness for your soul. I can only hope your good deeds will atone for your sins. I know they will Siha."
"You're...not mad then?" She crossed her legs and shuffled on her rump to sit on the edge of the bed. Her knees were almost touching his. "I predicted a negative response from you."
"Well that's why people are so unpredictable. Who really can predict what another will feel?" He bowed his head to her. "Thank you Siha. I will pray for you."
"I'd like to pray." He lifted his gaze up to hers. "I'm curious about your religion. There are parts of it that make me feel. There is no logic about it, but I feel things when I think of my family across the sea. And I felt something when I prayed to Amonkira. I...like feeling."
"You speak as if you don't usually feel." His brow raised curiously at her, but his soft smile never faltered.
"I do feel. But these..." she held her chest and looked down with thought. "...sensations are things I can't explain. They are new, and I like them. They make me feel good. Happy. They cool my chest."
"You mean warm?"
"No. I mean cool." She looked up and gave him a smile of her own. "Fear, anger, confusion, rage, blood lust. These things I feel are hot. Your religion helps to cool my chest."
"Your soul." Thane reached forward and placed a hand on her knee. "You are describing your soul becoming calm and sill, like cool waters."
"Is that good?"
"Yes Siha." He chuckled and his eyes half closed. "That is very good." He took his hand back and cupped them together before him. Adra mimicked him and closed her eyes. Thane always closed his eyes, so it must be necessary for the prayer to work. "Goddess Arashu, protector and mother of life, bless your daughter and help to cleanse her sins. Calm the raging tides of her soul and allow them to cool and ripple with peace in her chest." Adra, to his surprise, joined in.
"Goddess Arashu, protector and mother of life, please help Thane and Kolyat forgive each other soon, so they can be happy. They deserve it. Thane is always praying and trying to do the right thing. He always prays for anyone he has to kill, and for everyone on the Normandy because he wants their souls to be light enough to cross the ocean when their times come. He's kind enough to overlook my failings, and is helping me be a good person too. So if you could, could you bless Thane and Kolyat's souls, so they can love each other. Thank you." she looked up and smiled at Thane. "That felt great. I feel cool here." She pressed her hands to her chest and didn't register how Thane was looking at her. It was an intense look, with heavy emotions swirling in his fathomless eyes. His stunned face released a smile and he gulped 'something' down. "Did I do it right?"
"Yes Siha. You certainly did."
"Do you feel cool?"
"I...do Siha." He turned to look at the bags of shopping by her bed and smiled. "I think I would like to join this party tonight. I feel a celebration is in order. I never thought I'd get to see my son again. Now he is within arm's reach. I feel like I'm...finally awake from my battle sleep again." Adra was about to ask him what a battle sleep was, when he picked up one of her shopping bags. "Would you like to come to the nightclub with me? We could spot all the weak points in their security?"
"You...would enjoy this?"
"I would. Would you-"
"Yes." Adra grabbed her shopping bag and started rooting through it. "I will change immediately." Adra got to her feet and pulled her zip down her back. Thane didn't have time to move, so he closed his eyes instead. She might not care about nudity, but he did. He heard the sound of leather dropping to the floor and the shuffling of her plastic shopping bag. "Thane, I'm going to wear a green dress."
"Very well Siha." Thane got to his feet and walked back over to the table without opening his eyes. He then turned and leaned against the edge of it, facing her with his eyes closed. His hands braced themselves against the table edge by his sides, and he waited.
"Ok, I'm dressed." He opened his eyes and felt his neck drills darken. She wore a fringe dress that had thin straps over her shoulders, a diamante filled V low down her cleavage and shimmering green tassels hanging from her breasts to V down to her belly button. Back was bare, as were her arms, and her skirt hugged her hips very low down. It had the same V design of green tassels, and the front of the skirt was separate to the back of it. they were connected by three diamante straps over her upper thighs and hips. Her legs were highlighted by soft black fishnet tights and his eyes fell down to her high green dancing shoes. She finished buckling her heels into place and noticed how his neck frills had changed colour. "Thane, are you well?"
"Green." He knew he would be haunted by this memory. Forever. "It's a lovely dress.
"Will you change?"
"I won't no." He chuckled and walked over to the door. "Shall we?"
"Alright. But only if you promise no one else will put their hands on me without my permission."
"Well...we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
Thane met his son outside who looked down at Adra for a second, then snapped his head up to look over her head.
"You're going to the party then?"
"Yes. I'm going to assess the security weak points with your father." Adra then held up a green clutch purse. "I also have weapons in here to ensure that if we are targeted tonight, I can protect our intoxicated colleagues."
"I need a drink just thinking about what you might have in there." Kolyat walked on ahead of them and left Adra to look at his father with confusion. "Many drinks."