The rocks around and above the large spherical kitchen sliding door obfuscated the sun as it rose. The glow creating an ethereal light as Sai'ira looked out over the morning ocean. Hitting the rocks below the water looked a lot less inviting from this angle than at her grandmothers villa. She hadn't heard from her in a day, her messages were still empty so for now she propped herself up against the doorframe and quietly sipped her warm mug of coffee. Ashoro had given her pajamas to wear they were similar size although Sai'ira is a little taller the shorts fit fine though her biceps bulged against the sleeves of the small shirt which made her look a bit bigger than she actually is, in truth she kind of liked it catching a reflection of her arm in the window. She was thinking of her school in Toronto sitting in a outlet below a large skyscraper a little bigger than a hole in the wall the junior classes would get cramped. She figured she would have to pay her senior students extra if she ended up staying longer than she planned. 'I'll be gone for two weeks.' Then get involved in the politics of occupation and possible break out of war messeging George that she might be gone another week and left it at that.

Shuffling into the kitchen Ashoro poured herself a mug before retrieving a piece of pizza, eating it cold as she made her way to the counter seats.

"Sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you." Sai'ira felt a creeping silence only to be broken by Ashoro.

"Before she wakes up, Mind if I ask you something?"

"Shoot." Sai'ira replied still watching the waves rise and fall out the window.

"The hell are you doing here?"

"Told you the other day, I -"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah I know you made some rookie mistake at the gala but why not cut ties and run? Do you have any idea what's in Kriek?"

"No I don't the last thing I want is to get mixed up in a war but." Sai'ira stirred perhaps her reasoning isn't as good as she thought, perhaps it was silly, maybe she should just turn around.

"I'd be lying if I told you that It was because I wanted to learn more about my mother I do, don't get me wrong. But in truth I'm sure it sounds egotistical but I...I couldn't make it as a justicar. What that life asks is more than most can bare my old teacher told me as much and she's right, no matter how many days I trained a week, no matter how many hours I studied in the end I could never give myself to the code, renounce myself."

Ashoro nodded her head, she finished her food and leaned on the counter as Sai'ira swirled the last of her coffee in the mug she set it down on the counter feeling that pit in her stomach whenever she talked about Lareniea she was never cruel, never struck her outside of sparing, nor gave an unusual punishment or pushed Sai'ira to do things she'd find unsavory later in life. She let her decide, let her make her own choices and let her fail.

"I get it, you have to prove her wrong, that you can achieve without her."

"It's sounds stupid when you say it like that, I just need to prove to myself that I can. I quit the path when things got hard. I'm not doing that again."

"Well either way what's waiting for us in Kriek will most likely require that kind of skill, any good with guns?"

Sai'ira shrugged, "Yeah I'm alright, my biotics are good enough to rely on so I normally do."

"Good enough, you know if this kind of stuff didn't pay out it would never be worth it." Rising to her feet the drell stretched with her hands clasped towards the ceiling cracking her neck she beckoned Sai'ira to follow her down the hall past the guest room to Ashoros room. Nothing fancy really, fairly spartan a few clothes on the floor red underwear that caught Sai'iras eye.

"And here I thought we were you're only guests."

"Hm?" She turned her head as she walked through another door that Sai'ira thought was a bathroom only when both slid open did her jaw feel like dropping.

"By the goddess..."

She stepped through the door and up the stair case back to the surface where a small hanger sat a few yards behind Ashoros shop. There Sai'ira laid eyes on a heavily modified kodiak a different model than the more commercial UT-52 "The Fox" holding two large engines atop the aft of the ship with the normal agility thrusters resting below. Sleeker, more aerodynamic, and bigger than what Sai'ira thought it would be as Ashoro opened the side hatch Sai'ira looked around to see a fairly organized workshop with tools neatly stowed away into drawers or mounted on the rounded walls, It fit her loner personality well and made Sai'ira nervous to touch anything as she walked around the ship, no visible guns though she wouldn't be surprised if Ash had a trick or two up her sleeve.

"She's as fast as she's beautiful." Ashoro called out from the cockpit as Sai'ira heard the bay doors unlock and open remotely. As they gently slid apart the morning light spilled into the hanger the scent of early foliage rushed in with a cool breeze.

"Where did you get the money for this?" She wondered out loud as the second hatch opened Ashoro, leaning against the hull, arms crossed.

"Guess."

"All this from smuggling?"

"I've taken some risky cargo. Even if I'm not quite as good of a pilot as Maxine-"

"Don't forget it." A wide smile across her face as she ran her hand along the aft engines Max bore a longing gaze as she brushed the small image of a fox head next to the door.

"She'll get us there in a few hours. Sorry Sai, but it's a bit of a boring trip to the city-speaking of."

"Now what?" Ashoro narrowed her eyes as Max entered the ship.

"We'll need new clothes, winter coats too."

"Armor regulators not good enough?"

"You have some that will fit?"

"Sure." She uneasily glanced in Sai'iras direction her shirt scrunched against her. Even if she had her bag with her, she definitely did not plan for cold weather conditions while suit regulators normally worked pretty well-if a bit conspicuous-but something was telling her that she wouldn't have to worry too much about that.

"Well enough at least, besides with all those batarians trust me no one will look at us funny for wearing armor we'll pass as mercs or bounty hunters no one asks a lot of questions, best part of living in the Federation."

Max yawned stepping off the ship she looked outside, the sun blanketing her dark face as she watched the sun rise. Sai'ira still didn't forget that all of this is probably more risk for her than anyone else, she already had a friend betray her who knows what Ashoro would do. Though Sai'ira had a good feeling about her as she found a place to sit the three of them remained quiet except for Ashoros rummaging, the waves were the only thing to be heard echoing off the cliffs.

"Any word from E'nea?" Shepard asked.

"Yeah." Her eyes trailed off as she sat next to her on the Fox's entry bay her hand reaching for the back of her neck.

"She's been tied up with the council negotiations and didn't have time for Dh'elia or her antics."

"She calls trying to kill us antics?" A sharp breath came from Sai'ira as she shook her head.

"Dh'elia wants compensation, and answers about Fel and his relationship to the broker. we're uh, going to have to meet her at Korlada."

"What's that?"

"Classy night club." Ashoro said, wiping greese from her hands onto her pants. "Went there on a date once."

"Sounds better than some old restaurant. Not as easy to get jumped." Eyeing Max as she smirked in response.

"Sai'ira, it doesn't matter where or when, if they want to jump you they will." She sounded proud, of course she is, she's one of them. At least Ashoro understood who she was dealing with Sai'ira felt like she was thrown in the trunk on a long bumpy ride.

"I guess..." Ashoro sat down between them, "we'll need some nicer clothes. Unless you want to roll up in armor, I'm game." She hid a smile catching Maxines glare.