Chapter 38 - New Development
Date : 11.18.2170
Location : Liseera
Niria
"998, 999, 1000." With that, she's finished counting the outermost ring of statues. "A thousand down and…" She scans the swarm of statues ranging around the construct, "Several thousand more to go." She takes a deep breath and resumes her walk. A few brief mental pulses see more stones repaired or polished to a pearlescent sheen. It's been like this for several months now. She uses the counting as a way to steady her mind while she works. "1001, 1002, 1003-"
"268, 111, 987, 2." And there is the reason she's lost count so often. Jane deeply enjoys bugging her while she counts, either by listing random numbers or bringing up some kind of embarrassing subject like whether or not she could move the crests on her head.
"You know that just slows me down right?" Jane's mental image coalesces right in front of her, wearing her typical attire and smiling ear to ear. "That means it'll take longer to finish." Her smile only grows. It's not true but she still says it in the hopes that Jane will stop playing around.
"Oh well, that just means I get to have you in my head that much longer and that doesn't really sound like a problem to me." Jane wraps an arm around Niria's shoulder, squeezing just a little bit too hard and actually lifting her off the 'ground' slightly. "I like having you in here with me. Makes me feel all warm n' fuzzy." She honestly can't tell if Jane is joking. The girl is usually a lot happier whenever she's around, and that effect seems to be even greater during a meld. Jane sets her back down before taking her in a tight embrace.
"I like being in here too. Though, I wish you would let me look deeper into your memories. The more I know about you, the easier it'll be to maintain a meld." Jane's smile falters for a moment.
"You don't want to see what's there. You think you do but..." Niria decides not to push anymore. While Jane would let her dig around pretty much to her heart's content in modern memories, she was adamant in her refusal to show the ones from before Mindoir, especially of where she grew up.
She tries to promise not to judge but a wave of exhaustion sweeps over her. If Jane wasn't holding her, she would would've fallen to her knees. As it is, she spends several minutes working on just staying awake. Jane keeps a tight grip on her, "That's probably all we're getting done today. Come on, let's go." Niria just nods before feeling a weightless sensation as Jane leads her to the edge of her mind. She feels colder as the meld breaks and carefully lays back on the floor. Jane brings her some food, a selection of high calorie fruits Mags had suggested. She gratefully accepts and devours the offering, while Jane sits next to her. The human girl watches her closely with the usual absence of blinking. At first, Niria had been a little unnerved by it, but now it's just another source of interest for her. Even when Jane's eyes were locked on someone, there were always tiny flecks of material shifting in her irises.
Once Niria finishes eating, Jane grabs her hand, "Come on. I wanna be there when he lands."
Aethyta
She's waiting at the pad as a simple utility shuttle sets down. Next to her is her sister Allytha, arms crossed, a slight frown fixed on her face. "You know, if I didn't know better, I would think you were a bit upset with him." Allytha glares at her for a moment.
"Whatever gave you that idea? It's not like he's been gone about two years longer than he said he would be. I mean, he definitely didn't miss the birth of his first great-grandchild by almost three months." The whole clan is standing right behind them as the gangplank extends from the shuttle's airlock. The flimsy plank sags dangerously under Fel's bulk as the krogan stomps down. He confidently walks towards them with a huge smile splitting his face.
"Hello beloved!" Fel keeps walking towards them, arms held at the ready to wrap her sister in a hug. Allytha herself smiles back, before slugging Fel with an energy shrouded fist. The small burst of biotic energy causes him to rock back on his heels. It takes a moment for his eyes to stop spinning in their sockets, giving Allytha plenty of time to yell at him.
"A quick hunting trip, huh!"
"Well I might of gotten a little distracted…" The distraction in question is currently standing next to Aethyta, hand-in-hand with Niria. The statement gets him another quick jab across the chin, this one hard enough to force him back a step.
"Just a couple months for the clean up?!" He gives a faux chuckle and holds up his hands in a placating gesture.
"Well, I kinda got distracted helping to set up a new government and-" yet another jab to the chin stops his explanation. Then Allytha grabs the front of his armor and pulls him in for a deep kiss. The big lizard doesn't resist, in fact, the violence just seems to have gotten him excited. As the two of them get reacquainted, a large gaggle of asari come trotting over, ranging from girls barely old enough to be maidens all the way to a full bodied matron. One of the young maidens nervously steps up next to the enthusiastic reunion carrying a tiny bundle. As Allytha finally releases Fel's lips, the burly krogan turns and his eyes go wide. "By my ancestors… who do you got there Heli?"
"Well Gavapadu, this," the young woman holds out her little violet bundle, "is Felica, my first daughter." Fel takes hold of the swaddled infant with a surprisingly gentle grip. A tiny blue face pokes out from the inside, along with the gurgling sounds infants tend to make. Fel gently rocks the little asari back and forth, quietly whispering to her.
"You're a lovely little one aren't you. So what are you gonna be when you grow up. Priestess? Pilot? Doctor?" The infant manages to wiggle one tiny arm out of her bundle and uses it to to slap Fel repeatedly in the face. She even manages to hook a couple fingers inside his left nostril. Fel gives a deep chuckle, "Oh ho, I see. Nothing so peaceful for you little one. No, you're going to be a warrior!" Little Felica laughs at him as he passes her back to her mother after prying her fingers out of his nose. "Congratulations Heli. She's a little fighter that one." The young asari beams a wide smile at him as the rest of the crowd moves in to say hello. After about ten minutes of trading greetings with his horde, Fel gets through the crowd to Aethyta. "Good to see you again Thyta. How is she?"
"Doing better. Still got some work to do, but better. " Jane steps up to him and shakes his hand.
"Nice to see you again Fel. How are things on Mindoir?"
"Pretty good. Most of the damage is repaired and they've got a surge of new colonists coming in. Population's already completely recovered, well numerically at least." Jane breaths a sigh of relief.
"What was that you said about a new government? Has the developement board finally been replaced?"
"Yep. Deposed by an almost unanimous vote, supported I might add by that old goat Titus West. I wish I'd gotten a picture of the board when they heard the results of the vote. West led the charge to end the board. He even put forward the idea for the new system. The colonists held an election and picked a planetary governor."
"Who the hell would want that job?"
"You know that big human, the one with the hammer?"
"Frank?! He's going into politics?!"
"Yeah. I didn't see it coming either. Enough talking on the pad, let's go eat." Fel stomps off the pad, one grandchild on each shoulder, leading the whole gaggle to the mess hall. Mags' typical sore mood is mitigated when she sees Fel. The grouchy matriarch always liked people who'd eat whatever she put in front of them, and that meant she was borderline in love with Fel. He and Jane immediately launch into their customary eating contest, this time accompanied by a dozen of his asari children or grandchildren. Once half the family staggers out completely stuffed, Fel starting telling Jane about the rebuilding process. New streets, new houses, a new more heavily defended sensor station, even a massive new training camp which was providing instruction and basic armaments for newly minted militia commanders all across the Traverse.
Aethyta is glad to hear that last part, "Sounds like people are tired of pissin around. It's good they're getting ready on their own." The few people still sitting with them all nod along, even though only a couple of them actually know what they're talking about.
"Yep. They might not be marching off to war anytime soon, but at least they'll be able to give a good kick in the quad to anyone that tries to screw with them." Most of the rest of his family says their goodbyes and head back to their homes. Once it's just Fel, Allytha, Aethyta, Jane, and Niria, he jabs a finger at the young asari. "Does she know what's what?"
Jane answers him, "She knows. In fact she might know more about me as I am right now than anyone else. After all she has been digging around in my head for half a year." Fel gives her a confused look. "She's been helping me get the flares under control. They've been getting easier to deal with since we started."
"Damn glad to hear it. Have you been to visit Hannah yet? I stayed a week and-" Aethyta levels a glare at him that actually causes him to snap his trap shut, but the damage is already done. Her and Niria have been working hard to keep Jane occupied so she doesn't have time to think about being forced to leave Hannah on Sur'Kesh.
Jane's shoulders slump down, "No… I can't risk it. The flares aren't nearly as bad they were but I still get them every now and then. When it happens, even Aethyta has to leave the room. I just can't go until they're completely done with. I won't put Hannah in danger… not again." Aethyta watches as Niria puts an arm around Jane's shoulder. "Is she… has there been any change?"
"Sorry Jane. The regular injuries are all healed up, but she's still out." The girl nods silently while Niria pulls her closer.
"Don't worry. I'm sure she'll get better. Have faith." The two of them get up together and walk out. Allythta kicks him in the shin, hard. It probably hurt her foot more than his shin but she still looks less angry for having done it. Fel looks at Aethyta and gestures between Jane and Niria.
"So are they…"
"Not quite. Niria's really trying but I don't think Jane gets it yet."
Fel chuckles, "Ha, tell her to ask how to use a sword. That'll get the girl's attention. Not to mention it'll make it easier if they ever do become something."
Date : 1.5.2171
Location : Liseera
Jane
After a few days of minor upheaval following Fel's arrival, things pretty much returned to normal. Jane and Niria kept up their sessions, making a little more progress everyday. She doesn't feel so much pressure anymore. In fact, she can actually sleep most nights uninterrupted, despite the resurgence of old nightmares. Niria had even come to her and asked if she would teach her how to use a sword, much to Jane's delight. Though she'd never been in a real fight, Niria was adamant about learning. "After all, I want to become a huntress someday, just like my great grandmother in the rachni wars. I can't really do that if I don't know how to fight."
'Niria's hiding something but damned if I know what.' Despite her confusion, Jane was more than happy to help. Niria wasn't nearly as strong or fast as she was, but the young asari was persistent and stubborn, two traits Fel had once said were the cornerstone of success for a warrior in the making. So the two of them had spent a few hours everyday inside the now finished training room, practicing the basic forms and skills Fel had taught her.
When Fel had found out, he'd spent almost an hour cackling like a madman, much to Jane's confusion. Once the man was able to get himself under control, he'd given them a pair of his special sparring tools to practice with. Then a week ago, he and Allytha had decided to leave for a vacation. "Gonna hit up a few places. Illium so we explore some of the available… entertainment. Then Tuchanka to watch my blood-son complete his Right." Fel had told her that his clan didn't believe in mothers and fathers raising children together. Even if they did, most of the children were born from non-romantically inspired unions in the first place so there was no real connection between him and his blood-son, merely a sense of honorable respect. Since he'd actually wanted a life with someone, he'd gone searching the galaxy, eventually winding up in a loving, if mildly aggressive, marriage with Allytha. "After that, who knows. Been awhile since just the two of us got away." He gave Allytha a quick kiss, "Beloved, can you go make sure Mags packed that special package?" Once Allytha was gone he'd turned to Jane, "Was good seeing you again. Keep up that meld stuff and kick those flares right in the hump. Oh, and uh," Fel leaned down very close and whispered, "Remember, asari get real excited watching or feeling big displays of power. They're almost as attracted to displays of dominance as krogan are."
She'd been at a loss on how she was supposed to respond, "Uhhh, okay…"
Fel gently patted her shoulder, "Just something to keep in mind. See you whenever the hell we feel like it." Jane had kept trying to figure out what he meant the whole time she'd watched the shuttle ascend into the sky.
Now, Jane and Niria are in the training room, leading several asari through basic bladework. Most of them are only there because Aethyta had ordered it, part of giving everyone some basic self-defense training. Most of them would go through the motions with only the absolute minimum effort needed, but there are a few that were enthusiastic about learning. They follow each movement as closely as they can, miming each swing and thrust as Jane demonstrates. Even Nomila shows up every now and then. The first time she'd been extremely nervous, afraid even. Eventually she'd worked up the courage to ask Jane to teach her. Though she isn't always there, every time she does show up, she's right in front of Jane and insists on maintaining eye contact almost the whole time. Once they've finished running through the basic forms, everyone breaks off into pairs to practice with an opponent, including Jane and Niria.
The two of them have been sparring together since Fel left, providing a good example for the others to follow. Since Niria can't match her strength, the bulk of her strategies revolve around the redirection of force. Jane launches an overhead slash and for a moment it looks like Niria is gonna try to stop it head on. She's relieved when the asari pivots to the side, quickly batting away her strike. Taking Jane's instructions to heart, Niria turns with the follow through and swings at her neck. Jane's blade stops her stike cold, before she shoves the blade to the side. Jane has to pull her punches quite a bit to avoid hurting Niria, but not nearly as much now as she had to in the beginning. Aethyta's young cousin had learned early on to augment her movements with her biotics, which made her just that much more fun to spar with. Gold and violet energy flow from them as they lash out at each other again and again. Eventually they hit the end of the hour long group time and most of the girls file out, each breathing heavily after their recent exertions, gabbing about this and that as they go. The only two that stay behind with her are Niria and Nomila.
The young huntress nervously steps up to her left. Ever since Jane had put her in the floor before carrying her to the med-bay, Nomila has been as polite and friendly as could be. She had even helped Jane shore up her singularities. Instead of spiraling out of control, now they just tend to linger too long. "Um, Jane, would you mind going through a few of the forms with me again?" Nomila's face has a slight purple flush to it. 'Why is she blushing?'
"Okay, I-" Jane stops as Niria steps up to her right with her own cheeks tinted purple.
"Sorry, but we were going to go walk by the channel. You did say that you wanted to go see some of the flowers that grew nearby, right Jane?" Niria is looking at her but she gets the feeling that her friend is talking to Nomila.
"Well yeah. But it'll only take a couple minutes to-" Nomila cuts Jane off and steps closer.
"Exactly, just a few minutes, and I wouldn't mind walking her to the channel. In fact, I know about a small alcove not too far from the crossing that's absolutely filled with flowers." Now Niria is just glaring at Nomila. Spits trots over and moves his head back and forth between the arguing asari, just as confused as Jane.
"We could all go to-" Niria steps even closer and grabs hold of Jane's arm.
"No need Jane. It'll be more fun with fewer people." Nomila step closer too, eyes burning with anger towards Niria. 'What the hell is going on?'
"What are you trying to say Niria?" The young huntress' voice is almost a growl.
"I'm saying that you should go away, Nomila."
"Um, guys, what the f-" The two asari are almost playing tug of war with her now.
"Oh really. Why should I go away? What do you intend to do if I leave?" Niria is blushing more heavily than ever.
"You really want to know?!"
"Yes I do!"
"This!" At that point Niria turns towards Jane, puts a hand behind her neck and kisses her.
Niria
She hadn't meant to start a fight. Niria had been hoping that Nomila would buzz off, but the slightly older asari had been trying to woo Jane ever since she'd been floored. Niria wasn't going to let that happen and had done everything she could think of since that day, to spend time with Jane alone. When they'd started arguing, Niria had hoped that being confident would be enough to get her to back off, but it wasn't to be. Now here she is, kissing Jane right in front of Nomila, only now starting to realize that the girl's eyes are damn near bulging out of her head. She's not resisting but that might just be from shock. Niria breaks off the kiss and pulls back a little. Nomila is shooting a murderous glare at her but Niria barely looks at her fellow asari. "Jane, I…"
The girl's face is flushed bright red, and she looks completely bewildered as she finds her voice, "Uh, I uh… I gotta, um. I…" That's all she manages to say before she very nearly bolts from the room, turning back to look at them a couple times before disappearing around the corner. Spits trots through the door, light chuffing after.
Nomila chooses that moment to slug Niria in the shoulder, "Good going you little Shisa! You scared her away!" The vile insult doesn't even register in her mind as the huntress heads to the locker room to store her training gear. Niria absentmindedly rubs her bruising shoulder for several minutes, trying to collect herself.
Eventually she works up the courage to make a call. She braces herself for the merciless teasing that will likely result from this as the receiver opens the channel. "Hey kiddo. Why're you blushing so hard?"
"Uh, Saffa. I think I really screwed up."
Jane
Jane doesn't head to the tower or her room, the two places she usually went to be alone or think. Instead she heads for the nearest landing pad and calls for Gavin to come pick her up. Once she hops up and straps into the copilot's seat, Jane asks him to fly her over the coast for a while, so she can think and 'cool off' as it were. The young man doesn't question it, long used to Jane's peculiar moods and requests. He tries to make small talk, but it's pretty awkward, "So why are you so red in the face?"
"Nothing! No reason!" She spots her reflection in Blue's windscreen, noticing the very, very obvious blush on her face.
"Okay… Is there something you wanna see up here?"
"No, no, no… Just… I just wanna cool off for a bit." He turns a quizzical eye to her.
"Why go flying with me then? You could go down to the beach and sit in the water for that. That asari friend of your's would probably go with you. What's her name? Niria, right?"
"That's okay! I just wanna go flying for a bit!" She starts nervously tapping on the panel next to her. "So what have you been doing?"
Gavin looks a little suspicious at this point but luckily doesn't try to dig, "Well, Aethyta's been paying me to fly cargo runs from here to the little hamlets all over…" He launches into a lengthy, and very one-sided conversation about the work he's been doing. Jane barely hears any of it, being entirely too distracted by what just happened. She'd been completely clueless about why Nomila and Niria had been arguing for months on end. Discovering that it had apparently been over her had not really cleared her confusion at all. Then Niria had kissed her and her mind had gone completely blank on what to do after that. Running away had seemed like the only thing to do at the time so that's what she had done.
After almost twenty minutes of essential talking at her instead of to her, Gavin looks over, "Hey Jane," She snaps her gaze to him a little too fast, with a little too much panic on her face. He starts a little but still speaks evenly, "Could you stop tapping on that panel so hard? You're starting to make a dent." She looks down and sees that there is indeed a new dent under her middle finger. She moves her hand into thigh, leading her to tap on her leg instead. Gavin banks the gunship a little to the left, keeping it lined up with the coast. "So uh, what's going on? And don't give me that nothing business. You're never this worked up over nothing."
She looks at him for a long while, not sure what to say. "Something… something weird happened… I don't really know how to handle it."
"What kind of weird? Biotic weird?" She shakes her head, "Aethyta weird?" She shakes her head a little slower this time. "What was it then?" He looks over a few gauges before turning back, "Something with Niria?" When her face flushes yet again, he starts smiling for some reason and whispers to himself, "Bout damn time."
Before she can respond, the comm lights up. Gavin answers and before long he has Blue flying back the way they came. "Why'd you turn around?"
"Orders. Aethyta wants us back on the ground. Apparently she needs to talk to you about somethin."