ETA to Ilos was roughly twenty-four hours. The Normandy was as ready as she was gong to be. Nihlus sat in the co-pilots' seat in the cockpit. Sonya was checking in with the crew, being social. She said it was good for moral. He was worried about his own moral.
What if Saren was right? What if what he was doing really was the only way to save anyone from the Reapers? Saren thought he was protecting the galaxy by doing this, exactly what a Spectre is supposed to do. Once again his methods were extreme, but he got the job done. Did it make him wrong? But Saren was succumbing to the indoctrination, as hard as he might try to fight it. How much of his judgment had already been affected when he had agreed to help it? That was the real question. And if Saren was wrong... and he did nothing? The galaxy would pay too high a price. This was the only option. Maybe if he had not hesitated on Virmire, if he had buried his knife in the flesh of his enemy, maybe he could have already stopped this madness.
"Hey, Spectre, you keep staring at the console like that you're going to burn a hole through it." Joker teased.
He realized the turian had a lot on his mind. He had to admit the helm was a great place to just sit and think. Hardly anyone ever came up there for more than a few seconds, if they came at all. Joker liked the quiet, but he liked company too. Either way was okay with him, especially if it was a cute girl. But then the ship might get jealous. It was best this way.
Nihlus ignored the comment. He understood the helmsman's point. Perhaps he should go eat something.
Kryik left the helm and headed toward the stairs. Maybe Shepard had the same idea and they could have lunch together. The few of the crew that knew didn't care that they were an inter-spices couple, which Nihlus found to be quite surprising from the ones that were human. But they still had to be careful. Not every crewman would be as open minded or willing to stay their tongues. Nihlus continued to refrain from biting her, as hard as it was at times. It was too great a risk. Her casual wear would not cover the marks.
The moment on the Citadel mildly concerned him. The crew on board had not seen. To those on the Citadel, they could have been anyone. Even if they knew who they were, they had no proof. It would be hear say. A rumor. In the end, it didn't effect his ability to do his job. There wasn't anything anyone could do about it. As he had said to Sonya, what better example to all that they didn't need to merely tolerate one another. He smiled to himself thinking about Terra Firma and their supporters, especially the more extremest ones. He'd almost pay to see the looks on their faces if they found out.
He rounded the corner and kept the grin when he saw Shepard at one end of the table with a data pad and a bowl of soup. He fetched his own meal from the MRE cabinet for dextro's and sat down across from her. She glanced up to offer a weak grin then returned her attention to the pad.
"I don't think you could stuff any more information in your head if you tried. It's going to leak out of your ears." He teased.
Joker had been trying to teach him humor. This was his first real attempt at getting a laugh.
Sonya looked up at her mate with a cocked brow and sarcastic smirk.
"Did Joker teach you that?" She asked.
"I thought I'd give it a try." He shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Maybe you should leave the jokes to those with the namesake." She teased.
"And maybe you should give the data pads a break." He said reaching across the table and snagging the pad away from her.
"Please give it back." She requested with an open palm. Her face was mildly amused.
"No. You need to take a break. A real one. Eat your soup." He nodded to the steaming bowl of yellowy liquid.
"Is that an order?" She asked with a smile.
"Does it need to be?" He teased back.
"I'm a Spectre now, ya know. At least before we stole the Normandy." She glanced down at the last.
"You may be, and if we still are, I out rank you by seniority." He said, raising his chin up in defiance.
"Fine." She giggled, and picked up the untouched spoon on the table.
Nihlus glanced at the pad before tossing it to the opposite end of the table.
"Liara's studies?" He raised a brow plate at her.
"It may be useful if I retain any of the information in them. I'm not asari, I doubt I remember anything we will need."
Her shoulders relaxed with the admission and spooned some stew into her mouth.
"You give yourself too little credit sometimes, my love."
Nihlus opened the silvery package that contained his breakfast. The hard, brick like nutrients inside was less than appetizing, but he would need the energy. He glanced over at Sonya's soup and wondered why they couldn't keep more delectable provisions for dexros on board.
Sonya saw him eyeing her bowl and offered him a spoonful.
"Want some?" She asked teasingly.
"Yeah, sure I'll have a bite. Warn the doctor. I'll be by her office in a few minutes with severe stomach pains."
He narrowed his eyes at her in playful annoyance. She giggled at him, which made him chuckle. He hadn't gotten a laugh out of her yet, but the girlish giggle was better. It was, in a way, more gratifying. She was rarely allowed much femininity. His ability to draw it out in her was more rewarding than he imagined making her laugh might be. His mandibles remained a little wider than usual in a grin as he munched on his dried food.
Kaiden shifted his weight a few meters away at his station. It still made him a little uncomfortable when he saw the two of them together. He couldn't imagine what drew her to the turian, physically. They weren't the most attractive species. Now if she had ended up with an asari, like Liara... he could understand that. He found the young (for an asari) doctor to be quite lovely and charming. He found himself often just looking into her silvery blue eyes whenever she spoke to him instead of listening. In the end he looked foolish and insensitive. The opposite of how he wanted her to see him. Maybe he would try to talk to her, take the initiative next time.
