"In other news, a sect from Omega's vorcha mafia, attempted a sneak attack on Menae. The plot, uncovered by Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko, involved aerial bombings of the turian stronghold. Alenko radioed Palaven Command who swiftly responded. There were no reported vorcha survivors, a certain reminder of Palaven's military might. Councilor Sparatus had the following to say: While I can't fathom anyone foolish enough to threaten the security of turian space, let this be a reminder to our enemies. We will never accept terrorists or brigands among us. Cross our borders at your own peril. Despite lingering suspicions, The Blood Pack denies any affiliation with the vorcha mafia."
Jane bolted upright, laughter reverberating from her chest in fitful bouts. It took every fiber of her being to swallow the lunch Nalah and her were munching on and not sputter bits of rice everywhere.
Over the past weeks, it became clear that Krul was struggling with hospitalization. So, in an effort to alleviate his loneliness, she'd opted to accompany Nalah during her shifts and serenade the ward. Her music turned out to be a hit – especially with Mordin. The salarian frequently hummed along and tapped his foot to the rhythm.
"Okanna's fuckin' knickers, they fell for it." Even Krul was bellowing with laughter. "Oh, we gotta call Castor and company."
Jane pulled up her Omni-tool and rang Garrus. "Holy crap have you seen the news?"
"Can it wait for a bit? We've barely started drills, we're running late because SOMEONE drank too much mezcal last night. And is about to feel my boot stomping his ass."
"You're famous or infamous or whatever. Tune into channel 5, you won't regret it."
She could hear the guys grunting from exertion in the background. A few seconds passed before Garrus was guffawing and the men had gathered to see what the fuss was about.
"I can't believe it worked. What morons."
"'Sup boss?" Ripper joined the conversation.
"Remember that ghost site? The one I used to recruit you two?"
There was a murmur of ascent, emanating from somewhere out of view. She could hear the clip start playing and within moments, the roaring laughter of the entire team filled the room.
Jane grinned. "Told you it'd be worth it."
"Oh man." Mierin's voice had grown surprisingly high pitched. "Those idiots."
"Can't say I regret that pick me up. Thank you. Anyhow, we have to get back to it. What time are you off again?"
"Five thirty." Nalah answered.
"See you girls then."
They only managed a few more mouthfuls when Nalah's omni-tool began vibrating. She snapped the tupperware lid closed and handed it to Jane. "Could you put this in the fridge for me hon?"
"Sure thing."
Once her and Krul were alone, Jane turned her attention to the batarian. He was progressing well enough physically. But lying in a bed with nothing more to do than relive the past wasn't conducive to recovery. The man was particularly pensive today. And despite the momentary levity, it seemed that he was sinking back into a dark pit.
"When I'm finished with lunch, I need to start practicing for my gig."
Krul grunted.
"Since when aren't you excited to hear me play?"
"It's not that."
"Then what is it?"
Krul considered her for a few minutes before answering. "Do you know any human songs?"
"Not really."
"That isn't a 'no.'"
"I… don't know any on violin. At least, not that I know of. I think some of the hip-hop covers I'm learning are human though. Why?'
"Not that club stuff … I mean… something in the same realm as what you usually play but human."
She snickered. "Emotional you mean. The only one I know, well, I don't know it on violin and I'm not even certain of the notes or if I've bastardized it over the years."
"See? You know something."
"You never listen. I don't know it on violin."
"Bet you can sing though."
That was the thing about Krul. Unlike the rest of the team, he had an intimate understanding of The Hegemony. And he knew that there was no way she'd have survived in one piece without multiple, well honed talents. While she hadn't shared her childhood on the military base with him, he knew enough regarding the fate of attractive female slaves. If one didn't have talent, a hook, something to make them stand out from the pack, they usually didn't last long. Brothels could be brutal, horrific places if one's only commodity was sex. Yet, she had played the violin as though her life depended on it – because her life depended on it. And once again, she was more fortunate than the other slaves. Although, unlike biotics, that wasn't due to an accident of birth. She earned her place as one of the top entertainers, always keeping one step ahead. Making certain her worth as a musician outweighed what was between her legs.
She also knew that the sneaky bastard had scanned her tattoo. Biotic projects run by The Hegemony were considered top secret, it wouldn't have shown. But her fate afterwards must've registered. He had good intentions, yet it was annoying at times, not being able to hide behind her well-practiced visage. At the very least, she wasn't embarrassed around him. Krul came from the same brutal world as she. There was no look of pity in his eyes, only understanding and compassion; even if he was a cranky old man.
She also suspected that they had more in common than he realized. During bandage changes, the scars on his back and chest hadn't escaped her. Only a cat-o-nine tail made those marks, the favored mode of discipline in military strongholds. While he may not be biotic, it was entirely possible that he spent his childhood in The Hegemony's clutches, being trained in the art of death much like her.
"It's a lullaby I think. My mom used to sing it. And… well …. then so did I when it just me Sciffy."
"Sing it for me."
"Ugh. I don't even remember all the words. It'll be terrible."
"C'mon. I bet humans have beautiful music."
"You're such a pain in the ass. But if it'll make you happy or whatever…."
She hummed, a quiet, gentle melody. The mellow tune grew louder, thicker as she found her place within it.
May you stay forever young,
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
She looked away as the song came to a close, a surprising amount of emotion bubbled to the surface. Memories of those sticky-hot Kar'Shani nights, the singing bird-creatures that lulled her to sleep. Her and Sciffy on the roof, chanting into the night. Of giggles under the stars. Of small hands with big dreams. If she were being honest, she missed Kar'Shan, the vibrant jungle, and the freedom it bore. They had leaves as large as boats with thick, interweaving vines and trees who formed such a tight knight canopy that most plants evolved to need significantly less sunlight. Was she crazy to miss the world that enslaved her? Probably. She was many things, but normal was never one of them.
"I hadn't thought much of human 'art' before you, child. But you… you have a gift."
"Oh come on." Jane snorted. It was an ugly sound, a sharp contrast to the robust tune that had filled the room only moments before. "You can go on the extranet and listen to almost anything. Everything I've ever played and more."
"Don't give me that bullshit. I've heard you play. You know how few people bother learning a string instrument these days? Nah. They just buy those synthetic contraptions that play notes with the press of a finger. You put your soul into it. Ah, gods, I haven't heard music like that since…. since I was a boy." Krul shuddered. "I'm sorry for what my kind did to you."
"They're not your kind." Jane bit out with an alarming amount of anger.
"Mm." He seemed lost in thought for awhile, staring absently into the ceiling. And Jane took the opportunity to begin tuning her violin. She plucked at its strings, miming the notes to various face-paced dance songs.
"Are you going to be okay?"
That caught her by surprise. "I'm fine. You're the one lying in a hospital bed."
"I hear you continue spending exorbitant amounts of time alone in your room."
"Been gossiping with Nalah I see."
"She's concerned."
"Oh piss on that. I'm doing just fine. Besides, your illustrious commander doesn't seem worried. Why are you?"
"Who Castor?"
"Who else would I be referring to?"
"He's a damn kid, practically the same age as you. Takes a parent to..."
"Wait, he's my age?" Her head popped up, violin tuning ventures completely forgotten.
"Yeah." Krul's eyes slid to the corner, peering at her.
"Huh. I thought he was old, like you."
"Gee. Thanks."
"I'll be fine old man. After all, I didn't dive into a vat of poisonous powder."
"A momentary lapse in judgment."
"Well, promise you won't do it again and I'll try to spend more time in the common areas."
"Sure. Whatever. You're making me regret asking."
"Uh huh."
Jane picked up her violin, bringing to rest just beneath her chin. When she placed the bow, atop the strings and gently moved it to and fro, Krul waved a hand in tandem. It wasn't until he fell asleep that she chose to move on from batarian classical to a newly discovered genre. The violin brought an interesting flavor to the hip-hop music Ripper frequently blasted. The man was half-deaf thanks to constantly blowing out his eardrums with it. Yet, the tunes were catchy, upbeat, and exactly what a lively night club expected.
Mordin entered a short time after to check on the slumbering Krul. Yet, shockingly, he didn't leave right away. Instead, the salarian opted to stay for a few more minutes, snapping his fingers to the beat. Then he gave a thumbs up, an incredibly warm smile, and raced to the next patient.
She really liked Mordin. The man had a way of putting an entire room at ease.
Citations: Sons of Anarchy – Forever Young
Notes: Loads of corrections to be had here. First, I changed Sciffy/Alice's slave ID from 6721 to 6021. The relevance of this will become clear later.
Also, I had the wrong dates starting after the casino raid. We're much further along in 2184 than previously stated.
I also changed the date of Jane's gig. And I'm considering getting rid of this time and date stuff. It was a nice idea but I feel like it's limiting, which a terrible way to approach creative writing. We'll see.
Anyway, I'm trying to show the side of Krul few get to know. Jane, fluent in his native language, doesn't accidentally insult him every two seconds. Batarian language (at least in this fic) is very intricate, using a lot of subtle body language along with speech. Slow chapter but it can't always be craziness and explosions, even if I enjoy the latter.
