Prelude
This story occurs in the time period of Irikah's life, having married Thane and permitted him to return to his usual skill work….She interacts with Kolyat in Thane's absence as well as within the context of this author's "Drellverse". Story is somewhat canon-"compliant", but surprises do exist.
All references, names, places draw from "Mass Effect" the trilogy, except where original characters and "divergences" come to exist—that's the author's fault….and gladly. Artwork is property of the author.
Rating M for mature.
Prologue
2175, Moorem Bay, Kahje
"Was there something you wanted to tell me?" He looked up from his hand on the door's handle. He didn't have time for this now, but he would not see her for several months….Standing in the kitchen of his cotti, settled into the blue forest grasses just inside the cul-de-sac made by Moorem Bay, he saw her looking back at him. He moved from the door at the side entrance to their cotti, lowering his heavy bags to the floor.
"I won't be back for a few months, and I know our anniversary falls into the duration of this trip, Siha."
She blinked her shaded eyes, tints of artificial black over green irises she had received upon moving to Kahje, and away from her family on Rakhana….In the kitchen light, the mix had a murky quality, but as he remembered when he'd first met her, the daylight on her eyes from the sun—through a part in the clouds ever raining down wetness on Kahje—her eyes had reminded him of sunsets….He had met her outside the holospheres protecting Drells from the ever-present rain, and so when the sun had reflected off her eyes in a scope he had aimed at her head—not intentionally at first—the memory was rather fond to him.
"I realized," Irikah wiped her hands on a towel she then added into the wrap-about of her man'naan, a native dress she had brought from Rakhana.
"Will you celebrate with me after I've returned?"
She grinned, white teeth showing just below the pleat of her golden upper lip, "….I don't think I'd let us not…." He smiled and went to her, moving her hands off the towel she was wringing, pushing these out of the way….Their kiss was slow and affectionate.
"Forgive me, Siha."
Her golden fingertips played between the red folds of his tebris at his throat, "…I'm sorry, too…." Her pupils behind the tints raised from his neck to his eyes, "….Come back to us."
"I will," he caressed her violet tebris, seeing the "forever-dust" of silverish-blue staining in the low valleys of the skin, "….This is what I do, and I do it well," he added a reassuring grin.
"You might send us a message….now and then?"
"You know I can't."
Her face turned down, towards the exposed clavicles and top curves of muscle revealed between the lapels of his black overcoat, beneath his mitan'roun she had given him from her dowry, slung heavily over the tops of green pecs, her eyes down to the "H-cut" of a grey vest zipped up its middle. "I know…." Her golden patak creased under her eyes, "…You just….you can't send something for us," inner eyelids slitted some, "….something to give us hope you're safe….other than prayers?"
It pained him to shake his head, to see her despair in her lovely, down-trodden expression….She pressed her lips together—tight, full, golden lips he missed.
"Thane…." She turned to the counter under a wide, spanning window making most of the wall facing the blue fields outside in the jungle, and he let her break from his grasp of her long waist with his hands….She turned briefly back to kiss him swift on the right of his patak.
"I will return," he really should have been leaving, but it would be long before he saw her again, and she was working herself up, "….Siha, perhaps you could take Kolyat to see my family here, or your brother can—"
"Yes, we'll do that," his teness could detect the scratch in her throat, indicative of her struggle to control her emotions—Soterios-Sousans were an "emotionally-rich" sort of family, and Irikah had not been able to adopt his way of passivity towards uncomfortable moments, "….Tiran's not happy at Primary, and Kolyat cheers him," she had removed her towel from the sash to briskly dry up wet areas round the basin for washing food and dish, a tactic she applied to distract herself from pending emotions wanting to show, "….If Casnar's not busy, I'll ask him to come by, stay with us and play with Kolyat when we can't be at your sister's, or your brother's."
She was trying very hard for him not to show her anxiety….She started unloading a hot automatic sanitizer, moving the lid off to the other counter-side, and reaching in with her towel to remove hot plateware and utensils, avoiding looking at him.
"It sounds to me as though you're ready, Siha…You've thought it out." As she put down a stack of plates, leaving steam against the cooler countertop, she stilled her energy, and gazed out the window in front of them.
To herself, "….I hope it will stop raining for a short time so we can go for a walk—Kolyat and I…." She turned her face with some reluctance to look at her husband, catching his singular nod at her spoken thought, "….Thane, I could go to my parents and ask them for…."
He shook his head, "….Siha, I would rather you not….I know how much you hate going to your parents and having to ask them for—No, we can do this….as long as you've given me your blessing."
She said nothing, though internally she was struggling not to say anything at all….She had assented to his request to return to….his type of work.
"Thane, you should go before Kolyat returns from Primary."
They stood still for a moment, witnesses to each other in those final minutes together.
"I see….I'll return as soon as I'm through, Siha…." He turned and picked up his bags, shifting their straps over his crests and onto his shoulders, then walked back to the door, his hand reaching for the handle….As the door moved outwards with his control of it, he closed his eyelids—all four—and waited for her voice again, Thane taking a breath inward to inhale the damp aroma of soil, rock, and flora outside among the rain.
"May Avera watch over you, Thane…." He was normally strict about the gods they worshipped, especially in front of their son, but Kolyat was not there at the moment….Out of respect to Kahje's native sponsors for their people—Drellkind—Thane and Irikah had adopted the hanars' beliefs and religions to fit in as others who had been welcomed by the Compact.
He allowed her to use the name of her Rakhïk deity now to say Goodbye….and, "….Arashu watch over you—and Kolyat, Siha."
Irikah allowed herself a small victory smile….She knew it was spiteful of her to pray over his safety using one of her own gods, not his—or the hanars'—It also comforted her to pray to someone she believed in.
Thane looked over his shoulder at her, rain seen pouring outside beyond his stoic profile,"….Fare well now."
"Ar'avaya, Mitan'cela."
He passed through the arch of the doorway with his bags….The door locked behind him….Irikah stood alone in their kitchen.
She finally turned from the door after a minute of waiting to see if it would open again, and picking up her towel, continued to wipe the countertop with tears finally dribbling from the folds of her eyes.
The rain splattered from his black crests and slid between the grooves of his green scales, down his neck and into the collar of his overcoat as he walked the pave-stones and grains of rock towards the outer ring of blue field with his bags securely held on his shoulders….He "footed" double-time through the field and into the surrounding jungle, his waterproof bags slicking-off wetness trying to cling to both himself and the bags' materials, making his way to Moorem Bay's spaceport….The jungle itself was dense and fortunately he would have an easier time running along the cut-path over the hill to the higher destination….He had no difficulty carrying the weight of his bags with him. His legs were strong, his back even stronger.
He could have taken the skyrunner parked beneath the cotti in the under-baylet at home, but preferred not to….He preferred exercise, not so much rain, but he had been trained by water and waves, so rain was little concern to him, or his comforts.
He passed under the waving blue fronds of Weaver Trees….His boots squelched in the water and mud along the trail….The trek was short for him—no more than five kilometers….He would make it to the highway leading to the spaceport in twelve minutes at his pace….He had been running, the effort non-laborious to one of his fitness level and conditioning.
At the highway walk, he slowed to a brisk stride, noticing Drells and Drellahnas walking together along the pedestrian-way designed next to the vehicular passage route leading to the isolated spaceport in the grey distance, and some citizens of Kahje were accompanied by the tall, ominous figures of Hanari—sponsors traveling with their Drell aides….His eyes were tinted as his wife's were, and he could see the slower, parsed bioluminescent flashes of the hanari to their Drell counterparts….and be able to "read" what the hanari were saying to their aides….He looked away as one hanar admonished its aide about flight pick-up times at the spaceport.
Making his way from the pedestrian walk to a tunnel covering everyone from the rain, he neared the entrance to the spaceport itself….Here it was more crowded as people were trying to make their flights and pick-ups, and clustering away from the rain outside the overhang….Eventually he entered the doors of the spaceport.
He waited by a gate manned by both Hanars and Drells for security….He opened his coat to take out his pass for scanning, and had to hand it to a drell decked in the spaceport's dark blue security uniform, "….Where you heading, Sere Krios?"
"Sahrabarik, Quoyle."
The security drell named Quoyle checked a special cuff on his arm, reading the data from Thane's pass on a discreet screen's display….He looked at Thane's face, which turned a cough into an elbow.
"Looks well enough, head through—and mind that cough."
Thane bowed his head and walked through the gate with his wet bags….Quoyle handed him his pass on the other side of the gate, and Thane transferred to him his bags—all but one for carry-on—for delivery to his flight….Thane retained the smallest of the bags with him….He looked for the signs leading him to his designated flight out of Moorem Bay, and proceeded through the spaceport, on his way….He checked his own cuff for the time, and this time he compared to that of the spaceport's clock over a high and wide "Departures" menu between terminals….Both times were in synch.
Locating his waiting area, he chose a seat, somewhat apart from the rest of the passengers and waited to board.
"Kalahan Taross'n," Thane stood with his bag in hand, "….please step into line for boarding."
