Tim would only talk to her. Of course. He was getting bored enough, had recovered enough, to want to talk to her, do his version of negotiating, which was mostly bragging about how much he knew and how little she knew. She let him do it because she was allowed to leave the brig at will. She imagined that moment on its own managed to crush him at the end of each discussion, so she listened, nodded, kept her ego far away from this man, just in case racist asshole narcissist was contagious.
He had negotiated for some basic luxuries, slow to come, based on the actionable value of what he gave her. She'd been very skeptical that the arrest of one individual agent could be worth all that much, but after seeing how much the Alliance wanted Kai Leng and the list of crimes he was believed to have been involved in committing before disappearing entirely off the grid…with Cerberus's help…she was willing to deal more substantially.
Communication off the ship for him was out of the question. There was still a great deal she could give him. She wasn't considering letting him out of the brig, but she also wasn't considering shooting him in the forehead or giving him to the Alliance.
In fact she was so concerned about his informant base that she wondered how long Kai Leng was going to remain in custody, and she warned the Alliance of extensive corruption above and beyond indoctrination. Now they had the human element of greed and racism to combat from inside. She didn't go after Kai Leng herself, but the Alliance was able to bring him in after Tim gave up a great deal of information regarding safe houses, routing and financing that they never would have found otherwise.
So Tim now had a read only library and Ethernet media access on a new, limited Omni Tool. He could at least fend off some cage-pacing boredom. He could still barter for terminal access, a word processing tool and any number of conveniences.
On their last visit he had complained about the inability to record any of his thoughts, so on this visit she carefully put down a pad of paper and a pen. Insulting, she knew, intentionally. She could be obnoxious if he was going to be obnoxious. That's how Game Theory worked. Make parallel, matching moves. She didn't need to be kind or helpful if he was cagey and grasping.
He stared at the pad and then sighed "I suppose I deserve that."
She shrugged and sat "Better than if you start writing on the walls in blood. That's usually a bad sign for sanity. So what's on the menu for today?"
He sat on the edge of the utilitarian bunk formally and said "Menu would be apt. Your food is terrible."
She tilted her head "Is that what you want, better rations? I can work with that. What's up for negotiation?" He hadn't asked for cigarettes or alcohol. All the withdrawal medication he'd been on had likely ended those cravings for now, and in prison it would be far too easy to use against him. She likely wouldn't have done that, but he would have done that with no qualms to a prisoner. That was still some impressive intellectual discipline, considering the anxiety and boredom levels the man must be experiencing.
He looked at her appraisingly and said "Did you find your clone?"
She nodded "Yes. Are there more?"
He shook his head and she was massively relieved and further prone to give him what he wanted. It was possible he was lying, but she was his only path to a better existence, and pissing her off would not lead that way. He had signs of life, signs of wanting to live. They had likely passed the flame out in a ball of vengeance stage. She hadn't been looking forward to armies of Shepards. He replied "No more. There are, as you must have discovered, the templates of memory, but Miranda's brilliance should not be underrated. I had attempted to reproduce the process, but without her to supervise and execute, results could not be duplicated. I kept the body. Had you been injured, you would have had to come to me. A negligible cost for the possible…favor you might owe me."
Bullshit, as though I'd have gotten into your Med Bay and you would have let me out…but she'd have been incapacitated and any number of people would have been desperate enough…
Damn him.
He continued "I did learn a few things. The Alliance will find a chip in Kai Leng's head that Miranda recommended I implant in you."
She kept her face still. It wasn't as hard as it might have been coming from anybody else. He was like this before he was indoctrinated, she kept having to remind herself.
She had cost him his fortune and his freedom. Good.
He smiled tightly and said "You are a more generous person than I would be, and the concessions you make to my comfort and sanity are appreciated considering where I could be. Likely where I should be. Although I could hope for lessened security."
EDI said, smug dripping from her voice "Not going to happen."
Jane smiled.
He sighed and tilted his eyes up briefly, though the sound had come from all directions. Nice trick, EDI.
He continued "There is something I had been working on but I cannot develop further from here. It may be of use in your fight against Reapers. With time and distance, I would very much like to see them fail. There are ruins, on Mars, and amid all the research that I did and the voices in my head, I did discover a few things that will be of use. I risk the reality that I have very little information other than a lead, about a device that may or may not work. I leave it to you to decide whether it is worth your time. Ms. T'Soni would be of high utility in translating and locating the data. Please inform her with my compliments that this…" He leaned forward and took the pen and paper, wrote a list of names for several minutes "Is a list of agents she believes work only for her, but also work for me. I cannot say if they are loyal to both or either or play us both, but Cerberus and through us other agencies are aware of her ship on Hagalaz."
He pushed the piece of paper toward her and said "If I had a terminal and the ability to file reports, you could perhaps spare yourself these personal visits."
She nodded and said "All right. Let me check this out. I'll get you a terminal. I'll get you better food, but I swear you eat what we eat. Seems I've come into some cash lately, though, so I can spare that."
He answered with an un-amused glare. Maybe no sense of humor was necessary in order to be a racist narcissist.
She felt another unbidden rush of pity for the man. No humor. No laughter in his life. Trapped by his own self importance in a room alone with smoke and vapor.
She continued "I have Geth working on Reaper technology that's intended for humans. If I get you access to read only Cerberus files, perhaps you can provide me with some more context."
He said tiredly "You could spare me these personal visits."
She smiled, took the list and imagined the fuming anger he must feel just watching her free to go.
Once up in her cabin she showed the list to Liara and asked for her to lock down security and then meet them on Mars.
Liara scanned the list and said "I had doubts about quite a few of them and I had been giving them false information, unable to verify much of what they'd told me. But there are a few that…thank you, Jane. Since I have become intimately aware with the fact that this entire ship can be infiltrated by three determined people, I have made quite a few upgrades. Beyond that list, if you can get him to follow up with more detailed methods…I would appreciate it."
Jane nodded and replied "I'll work on that. Hey, if the ship has become a massive expense and liability, maybe ditch it. I've got Eurydice station now and it's going to be underutilized. There are also quite a few Cerberus safe houses and stations, posts that you could use. Up for grabs, give it some thought."
Liara tilted her head forward and said "Thank you. A combination of all my options would help me decide. If you could spare Kasumi to go over my security specs and options for each location. For now, I'll head to Mars. I'll leave Feron and Vraen to make recommendations on the rest along with Kasumi."
Jane smiled and asked "How is she doing?"
Liara's voice softened and she said "Surprisingly well. Maybe not a surprise to you. It's nice. For the first time I don't have to jealous of Garrus…or Thane."
Jane grinned and said "I am so happy to hear it, sorry to cause you to part."
Liara smiled as she said "It will be fine. I've become fond of reunions."
oOoOoOoOoOo
Mars turned out to be…really boring. Leisurely. Not involving guns. Again. Liara spoke to researchers and a new dig was begun in a critical location. Now they waited. Mars had a huge amount of unanalyzed data and Liara was up to her tentacles in new discovery.
Jane had become so secure in her personnel she was no longer babysitting, and her unfathomable geniuses were working on their projects. She had so many things going on at once that she could not micro manage, and these were not people to micro manage in the first place. She spent less time scurrying around a ship speaking to a few individuals about their personal issues and much more time on reports and coordination with far flung authorities in different systems.
She liked this better. Before the Collector base she'd been often worried about returning to the ship and finding things on fire from Jack's temper or Zaeed's attempts at target practice without shielding. If anything, she was being babysat. These were the blessings of being in the company of stable, dedicated, gifted and loyal support.
EDI, David and Legion were working on all the data flowing in from the Consensus, formulating information on indoctrination. Since the Geth could not hear any voices from artifacts, they were limited in their ability to describe the process. There was a horrific amount of recorded behavior and experiments to review.
Garrus was busy coordinating with Palaven. There were power vacuums and corruption accusations from the fallout of the indoctrination and Cerberus impacts. He was doing his best to advise and stabilize the Hierarchy.
She felt that she and Garrus had both had some hollow spaces in themselves filled, no longer empty but buoyant. That, and other things, were in the spring in his step, and hers.
Kasumi was simultaneously running her crime ring and sifting through all the Cerberus data. She had Jack entirely under control, no fires, and lots of funding. Jane didn't look too closely, with the assurance that only "bad guys" provided said funding. Having met Donovan Hock…Jane didn't require that much trust to think that was true. She'd never say it to Kasumi's face…but she was a good person. If Kasumi and Jack…and Priya whoever…preyed on Batarian slaving operations, she'd kick in some of her own, now formidable, personal fortune. Instead, it grew. They were independently funded entirely and she was grateful not having to make pit stops to mine.
She'd heard from Thane every day, only text and only assurance that he was alive. Today he sent an urgent Omni Tool alert and stated he was on his way to the Normandy, but had special circumstances to request approval before docking with her.
She was overjoyed he was on his way, but his formal tone gave her pause. Business. Mind on business Jane.
He said briefly "My raid on the compound was a success, but there is a complication. The young woman I rescued does not believe me to be a rescuer." He turned the camera of his Omni Tool back to show a young Drell woman sleeping. Bound…and sleeping. Her markings were red and violet.
Jane was thrilled that the sight of a young Drell woman who happened to be an assassin did not send her into any level of internal panic. Yahlis was a wound that had closed. A potentially fatal wound, but scarred over and no longer a threat. She'd survived Corbin. She'd survived Akuze. She'd survived death. She had practice. The constant howling addiction to her had faded. Her memory had blended into the echo of a stoic memory of pain and a vague 'that's what you get when you fuck with me…' There was a deeply driven canyon in her mind that such things fell into and only faint echoes were heard. Thane had become just himself. A young Drell assassin was just herself.
Thane drew a deep breath and said "She witnessed my slaughter of her keepers and attempted to defend them. She has attempted to kill me numerous times. She is…very effective. I cannot give her to Feron or to Kolyat. She would kill them. It is possible…that she cannot be saved. I take the risk upon myself. I ask you take the risk with me, that we give her time among people accustomed to being the target of death. People that will allow no harm to come to her or to themselves."
Jane looked at the sleeping girl until the camera moved back to Thane's face, tense and in pain. She asked "She attempted to kill you. Are you injured?"
Thane nodded briefly "Yes. She has made the raid and her retrieval…a challenge."
Jane's lips curved "So you like her."
Thane said softly "I do not believe I have the right to like her, but I also believe perhaps I am the only one who could help her, and I believe my family to be equipped to aid in that."
Jane felt a warm spurt of joy at the word 'family' tilted her head and said "I thought I was the only one allowed to adopt dangerous strays." It was clear from her teasing tone that she agreed they would board.
He smiled through his pain and exhaustion and said with a tilt of his head and a rueful voice "It seemed as though it were time for me to do something imprudent."
She nodded sagely and said "Bold move, Bes Tiron. Bring her home."
He drew a deep breath and the exhaustion was more plain, his skin waxen as he leaned forward and light shifted. "Please, Jane. Talk to me. I miss your voice and I cannot risk sleep. Watch over me."
She said gently "Of course. Tell me what you need. I'll keep this channel open. I'll let Dr. Chakwas know you're on your way. Does she need to be in the brig…?"
He tilted his head forward "I would prefer to have her in regular quarters, but I cannot risk it as yet. She is not injured. She has powerful biotics. I do not believe her to be indoctrinated, but she should be examined and then placed in the brig until I am conscious. She is under a great deal of sedation. I cannot risk her waking again. Although I am the last person she would wish to speak to at the moment, I am likely the only person that will be able to ease her path without an ultimate body count, possibly hers included. Provide her with fruit and water." His cataloguing voice ended and he said with tight lips and closed eyes "She is fifteen years old, Siha."
She'd passed her first trial. Institutional rape. She'd been in sexual training since that time, but she had not yet been forced to rape another with pride. She had likely killed several times, if Thane's training was any guide, for the last three years.
She said softly "If it doesn't work, we can always put her in stasis."
Thane nodded wearily but said "Yes. I should have done so. I considered it…but I cannot. Her family is dead, both parents from a colony taken by fever." He said in the detached tone she knew reflected control over his emotions when he was in deep pain "Records…for my family…were located. Feron had asked me previously if I wished to know…I declined. When I realized this girl had no one to return to, I asked Feron to tell me. Perhaps she could…" His voice broke off, hoarse, but he continued with a deep controlled breath "My parents, my sister, they are dead as well. My parents from Kepral's…my sister…they had no other children…killed herself after their death. And this girl, her name is Phetas…she looks so much like my sister. I should set her aside…but I cannot, Jane. Whatever the cost, I cannot. If you were to turn me away, I still could not. Her life is in my hands, though I have no right to her. I promised you, Jane…our burdens would be shared. I open my fist and held within is a murderous child."
Jane tilted her head, blinked back a few tears and said "Thane, this is a good place for murderous children…and adults. Bring her home. In fact I insist. This is my dower gift. Stay awake with me. Once you get here, I need you to rest and sleep, and we will do whatever you say needs to be done. Would you prefer that she stay asleep until you were ready?"
Thane nodded and said "Yes. Please. It would be…impossible to wake to find she had injured someone…injured herself." He said in exasperation and undeniable admiration "She woke once, attempted to disrupt the controls of the shuttle directly through the walls. I had to make repairs…" His eyes drifted back to look at his sleeping charge. Not daughter. Not sister. He'd seen this calling three times in his life. Once for Irikah. Once for Jane. Once for Phetas. A call from Gods he could not ignore, a knowing. A…Rightness. Watching over her for him would be a Rightness. That's the way he'd see it.
She saw a man whose protective urges were struggling with his murderous instincts…and the protective was winning, and she would do everything to help.
Considering that Irikah had granted him release from Hanar bondage and a son, and Jane had given him his life back to him, she wondered what gift Phetas held for him. Hopefully a chance to see that imprudence under these circumstances should be indulged, and if it resulted in a saved life, demanded. That a life lived without accepting unfair liability in service to others…was a lonely place.
Jane said quietly "Okay. We won't let that happen. We'll only light and provision the path you need to walk. We will be there for you. The brig is biotically shielded. EDI will watch her to make sure she doesn't harm herself. Whatever you need."
He asked with vague curiosity "Why…are you on Mars?"
She replied "Tim thinks there's some super weapon buried here. Or the plans to it. Or just a big hole we dig. Not sure yet. Waiting."
He raised a brow and said "And…your clone?"
She took a deep breath and said "She insisted on having plastic surgery, she's now all purple. Well, not all. Hair and eyes and some tattoos. Facial and genetic alteration. She decided to help Liara."
Thane's brow raised higher as he said "It is unfortunate I did not get a chance to meet her."
Her mouth quirked "I think she wanted to start over. I got about seven minutes with her. Her first and main concern was security risk."
He said as a tired attempt at a joke "So…it appears you are free."
She nodded solemnly and said "I'm all yours."
oOoOoOoOoOo
Thane was in bad shape. There was a lot of green blood on the floor of the shuttle. Garrus had joined her and they'd spoken to him, kept him awake for hours, his voice hoarse. Garrus had stormed into the shuttle and carried him to the Med Bay, to no protest.
Bad shape.
Shepard had gingerly picked up Phetas and carried her a bit more slowly, leaving green treads of blood.
Dr. Chakwas had assured them that he would be fine, it would take a few hours to replenish fluids and let him get some sleep. She muttered that fortunately she had a great deal of practice with this particular Drell's tendency to be in this state. She said they'd been able to draw so much blood from him over time she could replenish his system with autologous donations, she'd anticipated the need. She'd just draw more to replenish the stock after he recovered.
Scans of Phetas and Thane had revealed no indoctrination, so Phetas was transferred to the brig under Jane's supervision. She stayed there, Garrus stayed in the Med Bay, and they both watched over unconscious charges. Once the bonds had been released and she'd been behind a screen, she'd felt better. She had water and raw fruit, implements to test and prepare. A blunt knife included. Jane watched through the force shield.
Associations with Yahlis may not yank her directly out of awareness of the present time but that didn't mean she was going to get too close. If Thane was bleeding, and he'd placed her in the brig, there were very good reasons.
Maybe she had learned something about not making obscure masochistic Shepard points.
When Phetas had woken, Jane said clearly "You're on a ship. The Normandy. I am Commander Shepard. The man who brought you here is a crew mate. His name is Thane Krios. You are under surveillance, and a ship AI will flood this chamber with gas that will knock you out if necessary to make certain you do yourself no harm. If the gas is not swift enough, electrocution, although painful, is the escalation option. We wish you no harm, we are hoping for no escalation. There is water and fruit, both not poisoned, but you have the tools to check. Thane believes that it is possible that you choose to forge a new life for yourself. He has dedicated himself to removing Drell from the Compact. He served as an assassin for many years. You are under no criminal charges and he has forgiven you for personal assault. We do not hold you responsible for the opinions and practices you hold, we hope that you find a time and place in your life where your opinions and practices become your own, of your own choice. As the Commander I welcome you and I regret that meeting must be through a screen. If you ever wish to speak to me, say my name. The ship AI will relay your request."
Phetas gave no sign that she'd heard. Not unexpected. So they wouldn't be braiding each other's hair today, metaphorically, or ever literally.
EDI likely caught her about to fall asleep. Jack came to spell her on Drell watch.
Jack nudged her shoulder and said "Hey. Jane, go get some sleep. I hear it's been rough."
Jane looked up at her gratefully "Yeah. Thanks."
Jack looked at Phetas "Has she said anything?"
Jane shook her head and said "Nope. Hasn't moved. She's awake though."
Jane looked into the cell and said "Yeah, I know that impulse. I spent so many days not moving, just not wanting to give anybody anything."
Jane closed her eyes and sighed "Yeah, I know that impulse too."
Jack gave Jane her hand, she took it and stood. Jack said "Go get some sleep. Sometimes it takes scary bitches a while to realize they're safe."
Jane smiled and said "Or as safe as they want to be. I'll spare you the hug."
Jack snorted "Yeah you will. Don't want to look like a pussy in front of the big bad scary Drell."
She checked in on the Med Bay. Thane was sleeping, vitals stable. Garrus was holding his hand. Garrus's schedule being what it was, he had recently gotten more sleep, so she pressed her forehead to his crest and headed to her quarters, to sleep it off.
oOoOoOoOoOo
She managed to sleep a straight 12 hours, nothing important enough to wake her, which was always a luxury.
Heading to the Med Bay, Thane was awake. Garrus gone. Dr. Chakwas fussing.
She smiled at him and he smiled at her in welcome. She sat beside him and said "I'd like to officially ask for permission to kiss you hello."
He raised a brow ridge and said a succinct and satisfied "No."
Both her brows shot up. "Really? No? Just like that?"
He inclined his head. "Just like that. I would like to officially ask that you travel with me to a Drell enclave on Earth. There I shall see your North Star and there we will discuss your request."
She started to laugh and said "Well…okay. Ambush?"
He nodded gravely "Ambush." His smile was warmer and wider than she was accustomed to seeing on his face. Smug and happy. She liked it. He said "At least we are close."
She inclined her head and said "Yes, we are. I know you have a person in the brig you need to speak to. I await your convenience, Sere Krios."
He continued to smile.
She said conspiratorially "Am I allowed to talk to you in the meantime?"
He nodded solemnly and said "That is permitted."
She knew better than to ask him how he felt, but she did say she was glad to see him with all the blood inside. He split his time between the Med Bay and establishing a routine with Phetas, making sure she ate and drank, though she still did not speak. This wasn't a surprise to Thane. All that mattered is that she was healthy and no threat to herself or others for now. Jack sat with her quietly often, would keep it up when Thane was off the ship.
Garrus didn't ask a single question about Thane's absence from their shared bed, so she thought based on Garrus's smile that he knew more than she did about the upcoming ambush.
In three days Thane had determined that his convenience, which she had awaited with curiosity and patience, had arrived. They would travel to Earth.
He hadn't touched her since he'd gotten back, and she respected that distance, focusing on his smile and the warmth in his voice whenever she sought him out.
oOoOoOoOoOo
Thane remained gloved in the shuttle and it was a brief ride. Their destination was the Mojave desert. Thane explained that Feron and Kolyat had managed with Liara's help to resettle Drell across many worlds, looking for new environments, settling Drell away from Kahje, no longer bound to the Hanar. Earth may be a target of the Reapers, but she was also still defended and populated, and anybody preying on Drell, who were popular as slave targets, would not be able to get to them on Earth. Unfortunately in the past, individual settlements on otherwise deserted locations had not been able to defend themselves against slavers once the locations were discovered.
He stood and took her hand, tucked it under his elbow and on his forearm and they traveled to a building in a small settlement, possibly 30 buildings total. It was early evening local time, fortunately for her it was late fall locally, warm but not the intense heat the area was famous for. This was close to Death Valley. Hopefully not prophetic for the Drell…
Thane escorted her to a larger gathering building in the center of the community. It was fairly high tech in terms of prefabricated buildings, but it looked like this building was an attempt at Drell heritage. A tent pattern, layered bright, rich fabrics, modern lighting inside but with some of the relics of Drell design she had seen in Urem's private collection. She noticed the yellow of Rakhana skies beside the blues of earth skies, the deeper yellow of the sand on the home world against the paler shades of Mojave sand, darker bands of fabric that may represent sedimentary rock or shadowed stone.
Thane escorted her to a Drell woman, who bowed, one hand over her heart and said "Commander Shepard. Welcome to the home and heart of the Tseni clan on Earth."
Jane swallowed hard and was lost for a disoriented moment. She could not possibly bow like that. She had no idea what was expected of her. Fortunately some of her training in not looking panicked gave Thane the opportunity to thank the woman, who he introduced as Maril Tseni. Jane gave a soft smile but kept her damned mouth shut.
Thane does not screw around with his surprises.
Maril gave them a brief tour, let her know that the Tseni creatures did well in the Mojave, that the land here was renamed for the Tseni and granted to the clan by Earth local governments, and they were doing brisk trade in the more mundane cloths they had preserved the methods to make.
Maril guided them through the compound and to a smaller, nondescript outbuilding. Once inside, it was found to be living quarters. Maril showed them around, and then guided them back to a side room, possibly used for storage, now housing one dress form…with a dress of Tseni fabric in black and Nanus blue. Three spaced straps spanning each shoulder, drawn back down to a woven bodice, crossing at the waist and flaring over the hips, more woven bands down into a diamond-shaped skirt, joined over the hips with the back with the same theme of three curved straps.
Jane was stuck between trembling and protest, and Maril said with amusement in her eyes and a conspiratorial look with Thane "The Tseni clan thanks you, Commander Shepard, for your intervention on our behalf. You are always welcome here. It would please us greatly if you would wear this with our blessing."
She stuck with the speechless theme as she stepped closer to the form to run her fingers over the bands of fabric. Earth symbols of stone and water and air, birds and fish and animals in midnight and moon.
She turned to Maril and said "It is absolutely beautiful. I am thrilled to see the Tseni tribe thriving."
Maril nodded once in acknowledgement and then turned and left.
She turned back to look at the dress, turning the form once, the back was the three straps down the back to another diamond shaped strap skirt. When she turned back to him, he was smiling. She said "I can't take this."
He raised a brow ridge and said "You will, and you must. The Tseni have deemed you worthy. These are your colors. Would you deny Drell the right to create new traditions? Do you reject their gift?"
She opened her mouth but had no answer to that. He held out a hand to her and said "Walk with me, Siha. We shall see the stars as they emerge in the sky, midnight and silver."
She was numb and speechless, and as he often had, he ignored her participation in favor of his direction, tucking her nerveless hand back on his forearm, carrying a basket on his other arm.
How long had he been planning...?
He walked out of the settlement, no possibility of getting lost. Flat in all directions, stretching out to the shadowing mountains. It was dusk, darkness just beginning to fall. Air became rapidly cooler in the desert after the sun set, and she walked, quietly contemplating.
Where in hell would she wear Tseni? Even Thane had not worn his more than twice, once when gifted and once…
She was still overwhelmed with implications. Okay, try not to get carried away here, Shepard. He's showing you a resettled Drell community that you helped make possible, though he did all of the work.
A small voice in her head said – well, you were tortured for seven weeks, that counts for something.
So Yahlis should be wearing the Tseni…in the colors of a bird of paradise.
She tripped on a rock and was steadied by his arm. She'd be damned if she was going to be the first one to talk.
He found a clear patch on the ground and laid out a rich, thin layer of Earth sky blue fabric that looked far too delicate to sit on, but he did exactly that, gestured for her to sit with him. When she looked at him as though she deserved some mercy he smiled and pulled her to sit between the brace of his thighs, her back against his chest, warmth radiating from him. He kept one gloved hand clasped in hers, and emptied the basket of a few other things. A small glowing light source, warm yellow spilling light from a half sphere of glass, a nectar he pressed into her empty hand, and a bowl of fruit. Not Drell fruit, something she recognized by smell, though there was…
He took a piece between fingertips and fed it to her, and she smiled. She said "Peaches…in…honey and rosemary."
He nodded against her shoulder, pressed a kiss there and said "And the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand."
The nectar was guava.
Between bites and sips and soaking in the desert air and stark beauty with soft warm light, the skies drew darker. At first they could make out Venus, and there were a few false starts that turned out to be ships and even a few satellites, but the skies slowly revealed themselves. She turned her head to look at him, and he looked…he looked genuinely happy, relaxed and soaking in this bizarre mix of circumstance, Earth and desert and gloves and Tseni fabric, trying to catch a glimpse of his namesake.
She recalled he had said to her "We shall go to Earth…"
Not 'we should' but 'we shall.'
That's how long he had been planning this. Choosing the name of Bes Tiron for him must have pleased him in more ways than she had counted at the time, that the Tseni had settled in the northern hemisphere another signpost on a path.
She breathed in deep of night air and far flung plans, the confidence in him that she would find herself here. Kepral's would not need to be cured here, because it would never develop. Tseni fabric would be bartered for peaches. A lot…of peaches…and cash. They could thrive here, free from Hanar and Kepral's and if she had anything to say about it, Reapers.
When she looked back to the sky the North Star was out and she pointed at the emerging bright point. The constellations emerged around it and she explained ursa major, ursa minor, big dippers and little dippers…and he listened, rapt, his eyes following her pointing finger, his breath on her neck.
They watched, letting the shades of night fall a little farther until the stars were fully midnight and silver and the dark night closed around them, chill falling in on them, heat rising off the ground in dissipating waves.
Thane kissed her hair and settled her back until his chin was resting on the top of her head. He said "My name is Senar Tuelon. I give you my name, in this place of honey and hope, to guard in your heart. Here the Drell begin again, they bring old ideas and new hopes. I give you my past, as you have given me yours. Here is proof that Drell and humans can prosper together. I give you my future, as you have given me yours. I am the last of the Tuelon name. My son bears the name Krios. I will have you bear no name but your own. I shall bear the name Thane Krios for my life with you. Know me for who I am, for who I wish to be, and wear your Tseni tomorrow as I wear mine, bind your wrist to mine before the clan that wove our garb. There is no vow you need make, no promise owed. You have made me Whole, Jane. My promise to you, whether or not you choose to bind your wrist to mine, is that battle sleep shall never claim me. I will ever wake to this night sky, to my true name. For as long as I have life, the memory of you will guide my path and I shall never again walk lost in darkness. I wish you happiness, freedom, and the knowledge that the hope that has burned in you has been passed on to me and I will guard that flame for a lifetime."
She found his hands with hers and slid her fingers between his, crossing their arms over her stomach and squeezed. She said "Senar Tuelon, I will speak your name once and only once, and hold that name in my heart. I belong with you. You bring me happiness, freedom and hope, and I wish to give that back with both hands, and one bound wrist."
His arms tightened around her, his hands squeezing hers, and he breathed a few ragged inhales and exhales against her hair. His breath eased and her tears stopped falling over time. He said "Stay with me, here, Siha, and let us watch the stars turn around one unchanging point of inspiration." Inspiration could be the North Star, could be her, could be him, could be this remote valley, could be all four.
His hand left hers briefly to pack away food and light. He used a roll of cloth for a pillow, laid back and held her against him, hands clasped over her stomach, the miracle of his breath rising and falling as he whispered Drell poetry to her in the dark, watching the wheel of the stars turn as foretold.
She said softly, before she was about to drift to sleep "Nice ambush."
He kissed the top of her head and said "Timing determines outcome, Siha."
She laughed and said "I think it will take a lifetime to get used to the shape of your lips when you smile."
He said thoughtfully "I believe it will take a lifetime to get used to the way it feels. I look forward to practice."
