Caius picked up a plump green bug and grimaced. Spirits he didn't want to eat the squirmy insect but they were known to be filled with protein and it was a quick way to cure his hunger. He gulped before popping the insect in his mouth and quickly chewed, gagging at the taste but forced himself to swallow. Caius shivered in disgust before he picked up another one of those green bugs and kept going through the process of chewing, trying not to vomit, and ultimately swallowing it until he was relatively "full." With a sigh he kneeled down in front of the pond he decided to camp in front of and cupped his hands to drink the refreshing clear water before washing his face. It had already been a day since the explosion, well a day on this planet. He couldn't think of what time it was on the Normandy, actually, he could hardly think at all with a pounding headache and pain in his nose every time he sneezed. He wasn't able to get much sleep since Lana wasn't here and that...thing that kept roaring all night which would always bolt him awake if he somehow managed to fall asleep. Plus it didn't help that this place made him uneasy, sure it was gorgeous, but from movies he's watched to personal experience out in the field, it was usually the peaceful and beautiful places that were the most dangerous. Every creature he came across made him paranoid, he spent hours yesterday watching the bugs he ate to see if they were safe to eat. Luckily he hadn't run into any large carnivores or whatever that thing was in the distance...yet. He shouldn't count himself lucky just yet, when he was finally on the Normandy, safe in a warm bed, then he could mark it down. With those thoughts left in his head, he checked his omni tool again to see if the communications were up.
"Of course not" Caius sighed when there was just static and moved towards a tree to sit back against it. "I have one hell of a story to tell Kania huh Kanus?" he was met with a pebble being flicked at him and Caius stuck his tongue out before closing his eyes. Spirits he was tired...maybe he could be able to sleep now that he was this exhausted...
Caius jolted awake and looked around to see it was night though he didn't feel rested at all, plus there was an urgent invisible push against his shoulder.
"What is it Kanus?" Caius yawned and a pebble was thrown towards the bushes to his left. Using his incredible hearing gifted from being a turian he listened for anything abnormal, he could hear footsteps. Large heavy ones slowly heading towards him, Caius quickly got up and climbed up the thick tree that thankfully had thick branches to hold his weight. Luckily it had enough leaves to conceal him and sat there quietly, not wanting the owner of those footsteps to see him at all.
A minute later there was a rustle in the bushes before a huge shadow loomed out, turians were able to see in the dark so it didn't take long for him to make out the creature and boy was he glad Kanus woke him up in time.
The closest comparison to its size would have to be a sky car, it had six legs, three on each side. With a tail that was half of its length, narrow yellow eyes and teeth made to shred. The huge tan creature sniffed the air and Caius's held his breath, fearing that it could smell him. After a few moments, he relaxed when the animal went to the pond to lap up the cool water with its long green tongue. Caius inwardly groaned when it decided that the best sleeping spot had to be right there next to the pond. Well, it was a good thing he already some "rest" because it was definitely going to be a long night.
Caius stayed in the tree until te sun showed itself through the trees and even when the monster of a creature got up to leave for a couple of hours to make sure it was far away from him. Spirits he did not want to feel its claws and teeth rip into him. No thank you. His muscles ached from being in the same position for so long and embraced the relief when he climbed down rather sloppily since his leg had fallen asleep.
"Well let's try for bugs and fruit for breakfast Kanus" Caius grumbled before a purple fruit was thrown at him and hit the side of his face. Rubbing his mandible with a glare in the direction the fruit came from he took a bite of it. Waiting for a...sweet taste? Caius took another bite and hummed in delight. It was plump with juices and damn was it good.
"Where did you find it Kanus?" there was a scratching sound to his left and he went over to the sound to find a whole bush of these fruits.
"Thank you again Kanus" he chirped as he began to happily eat the fruits until his omni tool blinked, opening it up he saw an incoming call and quickly patched it through. Anxiously waiting as he continued to see static until it began to clear up and revealed his parents along with the gang.
"Caius! I knew you were still alive!" Jane said happily and Caius smiled seeing his mother.
"What gave that away?"
"A mother's instinct of course even though some of the crew thought I was crazy. We're already starting to land the Normandy near your location." At that Caius looked up to see the Normandy land in the distance.
"Hmm, it will probably take me about thirty minutes to-" He stopped when he felt something wet and slimy plop onto his head along with a low growl. Caius gulped.
"Wrex do you have your rocket launcher?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Because...you're going to need it!" He trilled as bolted towards the direction of the Normandy as the behemoth behind him let out a huge roar as it charged after him. Caius had to keep moving in different directions to throw it off or else it would have easily caught up to him. At one point he tripped before tumbling down a hill yet again, why is it the hills!
Caius caught glimpses of the animal sliding at a cautious rate behind him before his rolling came to a stop in a clearing. Thankfully the Normandy and the crew were in front of him with their weapons drawn. He quickly got up and immediately felt pain in his left ankle but adrenaline caused him to ignore it as he limped over to Wrex.
"Give me one of your shotguns" Wrex frowned.
"Little pyjak you look awful. Just get into the ship and-"
"Look this thing has gotten on my last nerve, he kept me up the first night with his roaring, then I had to stay up in a tree for hours because he was right below me snoring away without a care in the world. Then he spit on top of my head and made me run all the way here and tumble down another hill now please give me a gun!" Wrex immediately handed him a shotgun with a grunt.
"We'll make sure his brains get blown out little pyjak."
"Thank you."
The behemoth finally made it down the hill and burst into the clearing with its alien roar, everyone began to fire at it along with Jane and Wrex's using their biotics. Even with so many distractions, it had its heart set out on Caius as it charged at him, following his movements with determination. However, he could only dodge it for so long in his condition before it was finally able to pin him down. Caius made sure his grip was firm on the shotgun and waited until its jaws fully opened. Aiming the gun towards its mouth before pulling the trigger, dark green splattering everywhere. It's eyes no longer having any signs of life in it before rolling to its side with a loud thud. Caius let out an exhausted sigh as he laid on the ground and closed his eyes. He could hear someone running over to him and by scent, he could tell it was his mother.
"Caius are you okay?!"
"Other than broken nose I'm just mostly exhausted, and I think I pulled a muscle or something with my leg when I tripped." Caius yawned as he sat up and his mother kneeled down next to him before she immediately hugged his head to her armored chest tightly. His father was close behind, also kneeling down to hug his son with a purr. Caius hugged them back until Jane began to give kisses to his head.
"Mom!" He trilled as he tried to move his head out of her hold but she had a strong grip.
"I almost lost you twice so let me have this moment!" she huffed before giving one last kiss to his cheek. Caius grumbled as he rubbed his cheek as Garrus touched foreheads with his son.
"I've never seen her so pale when she was watching the screen." Jane snorted.
"I'm surprised you caught a glimpse with your pacing, you practically indented the floor."
"And punched a terminal" Wrex smirked and when Caius stood up the scarred krogan pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm glad you're alive little pyjak, I knew a simple turian and explosion couldn't take you down."
"Wrex I can't breathe" Caius gasped out and Wrex grunted an apology before releasing him. Caius saw Lana over his shoulder shuffling her feet. He held his arms out to her and with a turian smile, she went over to him to give him a hug.
"It's good to be back, this place gives me the creeps" Caius hummed and Lana chuckled.
"I can see why, come on let's get fixed up because you look like hell."
"Spirits I feel like it" He sighed as he limped his way back on the Normandy.
"Caius we can do this later, you should be resting, you sprained your ankle after all" Lana sighed as Caius limped to the war room with her.
"No I learned some very important information, and I heard you were able to figure out the pattern so I want to hear it," Lana grumbled about him being stubborn which he chose to ignore as he found a seat in the war room. Wrex and his parents were also there so he went straight to the point of telling them everything Tibetus had slipped out.
"Good thing he doesn't know that much but if he found out the Nilien in the first place he'll eventually find out that it can actually advance the turians" Garrus commented before Caius hummed.
"Not if we find the base by interrogating one of them, Lana I've heard you've found the pattern so what is it." Lana brought her datapad and began to scroll through before speaking.
"Well, none of the information matched until I got to family background. It seems like wherever they go they try to take out as many asari "halfbreeds" they've been going at a zigzag effect across the galaxy according to the mass relays they've passed."
"Can you predict where they'll hit next?" Jane asked and Lana nodded before looking back down at her datapad.
"If I'm right on this then they'll be heading to the Citadel next." Caius's heart dropped. It would mean that Kania and Rila were also in danger.
"And you mentioned that they will try to get anyone that is a half-breed?" He asked quietly and Lana nodded.
"Yes though they still try to get the important asari too." Caius rubbed his face as Jane glanced up at the ceiling.
"Joker set a course for the Citadel."
"Alright Commander." Caius stood up and limped out of the war room towards his room. Lana followed after a few minutes and found him sitting on the edge of the bed loading a pistol with a thermal clip.
"You should be resting" she commented and Caius snorted without looking at her.
"You and I both know that's not possible unless you're here."
"Yeah, I wasn't able to sleep well the past several nights." Caius frowned.
"I was gone that long?" Lana sighed.
"Yeah, everyone was worried and when we saw that galactic interruption…" she trailed off and cleared her throat before gesturing to his ankle. "Did you put some omni gel on that?" Caius blinked and finally looked at her.
"Um no I haven't yet." Lana rolled her eyes before getting some omni gel from her drawer and heading over to him. Since he was in more comfortable clothes it didn't take long to apply it to his ankle.
"How's your nose?" Caius sighed.
"Still hurts when I sneeze but I don't feel any constant pain." Lana hummed and placed a pillow under his ankle before sliding into bed next to him with a datapad so she can work while he slept.
"Nurse Lana can you kiss my boo boo" Caius purred as he pointed at his nose, without looking up from her datapad she shook her head.
"Go to sleep." Caius huffed.
"Aren't you supposed to do this after we've mated?" Lana frowned.
"Do what?"
"Deprive me of affection. I've seen my mom do it to my dad, never seen him so disappointed."
"Will you go to bed if I do?"
"Yes;" She turned to kiss his nose before going back to typing away at her datapad while Caius smirked.
"Thank you nurse Lana" he hummed before getting comfortable on the bed to sleep. Lana rolled her eyes again with a soft chuckle. Caius took comfort in hearing her laugh but his mind was still clouded with worry over Kania. Hoping he would make it in time.
