Sara lounged with a datapad and edited a report she planned to send to Tann. Kandros was the last thing on her mind as she mulled over word choice. Lexi entered and joined her. " Your physical checks out. Your ribs healed from the near death experience on Habitat 7. Nothing new to worry about,"

" Good to know," She peered over the top of her datapad at Lexi. Legs propped up on the wraparound seating, she was the definition of comfortable.

" Scott wanted me to warn you about the risks of any planets we might encounter," Lexi watched sara's finger move along the screen. " I would warn you about engaging in sexual activities but we are adults,"

Sara shrugged like it was nothing while Lexi battled embarassment. " Heard loud and clear, Dr. T'Perro,"

The Tempest pitched forward to a grand and sudden halt. Sara and Lexi almost toppled over the back of the viewing area couch in a mess of arms and legs. The view stopped Sara's heart instantly for a split second as she peered along with Lexi into a scourge womb of darkness filled with ships of alien design similar to the race they encountered on Habitat 7.

Before she was even self conscious of her actions, Sara scrambled for the door on hands and feet, fully standing by the time she reached the door and vertigo wore off. At the last moment she turned around and faced a still disoriented Lexi. " I need you to - I just need you to make sure none of us die today, Doc. I have to find Scott and my armor," She ran out the door and hauled ass up the steps. She almost tripped over her own feet out of view into the armory. She clapped on her armor so fast her mind forgot to calculate the scale of trouble.

She grabbed hold of the locker as the ship shot forward again with a roar. Gil was going to kill someone! His poor baby, the darling Tempest!

Able to catch her breath once more as the adrenaline wore off, Sara carried a trusty shotgun with her. " What just happened?" Sara demanded from the closest, Liam and Cora. She still called Liam by his last name.

Blazing across new space facing a new world that appeared to be mostly volcano by the sensors, Sara lurched under the pat on her back. " Quick thinking, Kid,"

Her eyes looked up at Drack. " Thanks. Dad and my previous work taught me to scramble," She let out a deep breath. " Scott,"

" Not now, Sara," Scott held up his hand to her as he listened to Gil speak in severe anxiety.

" Scott, who the hell was that?" The face she only glimpsed triggered something deep down.

" If I had to guess, Kett hierarchy," Vetra answered her far too calmly.

Sara tried to breathe normally, her chest tightening. " Fuck. Tann is going to-" Sara started off the bridge with her shotgun and armor. She picked up the datapad from the floor and tried to calm her racing mind. How the hell was she going to break this to Tann? Almost captured by kett ! Should she - yes! Best see where they landed first. Make a decision then.

SAM beeped into consciousness again. " Are you well, Sara?"

" Yes...I…." The first tear touched her cheek, a LONG delayed reaction that was due for some time. " I wish dad were here,"

" Your father would advise to calm first and then assess," SAM coached needlessly. " I can play mus-"

" No," She wiped away the first tear. " I'm fine," She lied.

Falling, falling….FALLING! Hard landing. Rocks falling back to the surface.

Scott laying on his back gasping for air. Poisoned air rushing down his throat and choking him to death.

Dr. Carlisle rushing from the shuttle toward them as Dad removed his helmet.

" I said I'm fine!" She yelled at whoever grabbed her shoulder.

She expected Scott or Cora. It wasn't neither. Lexi hugged her as the tears fell and aching memories lurched forward out of nowhere. Sara weakly clung to the good doctor as hot tears tracked down her face. Sara sobbed into Lexi's shoulder as untold amount of mourning finally saw the light of day. Lexi rubbed circles into Sara's back almost like she would a child wanting its mother feeling very much out of place. After what felt like a century to Lexi Sara pulled away and wiped the snot from her nose. Lexi helped her remove the armor and put the shotgun out of reach before ordering Sara to the shower.

Vetra hung back by the shower door. " You want to talk about it?" She offered a towel to Sara as Sara stepped out of the brief relieving spray.

" Dad was on Habitat 7,"

Vetra still looked confused.

" After activating the vault core," Sara clarified as she redressed. " That thing mentioned - that thing treated Scott like Dad. But Dad is-"

Poor Vetra did not know what to say and Sara refused to say 'dead' out loud.

Punching the wall hard, Sara split a knuckle open. She punched it again out of pure anger. Vetra stopped her from splitting another knuckle. " You should talk to Scott," Vetra whispered.

The calm Sara gradually returned. " What's the situ?"

Vetra inspected the bleeding knuckles. " Go find Scott. I think he said we were about to land,"

Sara scrambled once more to dress and then sprinted for the docking bay. Scott turned toward her with half a smile. Everyone gathered around, either to offer condolences or support. " We're making first contact," Scott walked toward her. " If anything happens, Pathfinder authority goes to Cora, then you,"

" You are not dying out there, Scott Ryder. I am not going to be-" Her chest constricted again." - an orphan. I swear to all the gods and goddesses and non-entities that I will dig your dumbass back up and kill you again. Do you hear me?" Drack held Sara back as Scott backed off the ship and onto Aya. When he let go of her, Sara trudged up to the meeting area with her datapad while Peebee and Vetra 's eyes followed her in increased concern while Lexi and Suvi created a soothing cocktail of tea and medicine for her.

The medicine dampened her anger and overwhelming concern for Scott's safety. Lexi kept watch over her from the science center and Gil oversaw what he could repair with the help of Kallo. Suvi walked the ship reviewing old research in hopes it could explain the scourge. Drack acted as companion to Vetra and Peebee slunk back to the escape pod to do who knew what.

In that time, Sara managed to write up a coherent clinically sterile report on the encounter and their current whereabouts. Having the report to focus on spared her the headache she almost encountered earlier. The report sped up the clock and reminded her she needed to eat. Somehow her mind wandered back to Tann and what he must be enduring on the Nexus alone. Yearning to be at his side spared her real frustration of waiting for Scott.

But half hours turned into two full hours and the silence on the ship haunted her mind. Just when she thought all was lost and they were doomed to POW status of another new race, Kallo informed them that the ship was fully repaired. " I do not understand their language but she purrs again. Just listen to her!" Kallo thrilled as Gil bought everything to life again.

Sara turned an ear to it all and genuinely smiled. " Yes, she does. All ships are a she, aren't they?"

" The carriers of a race," Kallo echoed.

" True," She smiled at him, still nervous and praying that somehow she could survive this encounter. " Kallo, I have a question,"

A second passed.

" Why are Salarians asexual? Is it just because the females- um, eggs? Is it because the sexual aspect is not needed?" Sara went on assuming Kallo consented.

The humming stopped and he turned his head to think about her serious question. " We are honored to be chosen to 'father' the eggs, but to be sexual beings, is unnecessary," He looked her in the eye. " Unsuccessful with Director Tann?"

Her cheeks turned red and she pulled at the collar of her short sleeved shirt. " He did call me beautiful,"

" We're not blind," Kallo shot back quietly. " You know how we're sneaky when we need to be and bold when necessary,"

Sara felt herself relax. " So you're saying Tann is interested?"

" In your mind? Likely yes. You are intelligent. You measure your actions. You may not think like us, but you could have been one of us,"

" I take that as a compliment," Sara kept her chin up.

" As you well should," Kallo edged closer. " You can tell when a salarian wants you. When they want to spend their short years with you. They won't necessarily be forward with you but when they are, there will be no doubt,"

Kallo lingered a moment longer.

Sara faced him. " Is there something you wanted to add?"

" Why Tann?"

" He reminds me of people I admire most," Sara answered honestly with a faraway look on her face. " Dad. some of my former superiors, my mother. Career oriented. Serious. Strong. He's an ass, sure, but who wouldn't be if they were thrown into a proverbial hot seat with no escape?"

Kallo dwelled on her last words. " I wish you luck on your mission, Sara Ryder,"

" And I wish you much happiness, Kallo," Sara waved goodbye and watched the docking bay ramp in vain impatience. She picked at her fingernails torn between desiring to rush out and find Scott and vid call Tann. Between the two men she wanted to rip out her hair.

" How is Suvi?" Kallo asked when he tracked her down to the kitchen.

Suvi sighed. " Better than Sara. When the silent ones crack, they explode,"

" Earlier?"

Suvi nodded. " Mourning,"

" She's smiling now,"

" How long?"

" Hmm, Suvi, are all humans sexual beings?" Kallo queried as he readied a snack.

She faced him. " Why do you ask?"

" Sara asked if all salarians were asexual. If the races are that incompatible, I wonder what attracted her to them. You aren't attracted to us, are you?"

Stirring her tea, Suvi shook her head. " I prefer the ladies,"

" Oh,"

" You didn't know?"

Kallo shook his head. " I never noticed a preference," How did he not notice a preference when he sat across from her every day? Foolish foolish salarian.

" Is there no lady salarian for you?"

" We aren't discussing-"

" Yes, we are," Suvi followed him to the docking bay and up the ramp that lead through engineering and to the research area. " Surely an equal-"

Kallo tuned her out and determinedly marched on forward to the bridge.