This chapter has no definite place in the timeline.
Tygan hadn't expected getting a new assistant when the Skirmishers sent their second recruit.
But there Samhien was, across from him as they did their latest autopsy into a Viper. Technically, they had already completed it–but once Tygan had shared what he had gathered from his first go-round, Samhien was adamant to show him what he had missed.
Tygan, honestly, felt humbled. He knew the cards were stacked in Samhien's favor regarding knowledge of how the Elders' soldiers worked, but even still, he found himself professionally impressed as Samhien delicately lifted one of the venom sacs on the dead Viper and pointed to a tiny organ under it. "Seen here is an auxiliary organ to the venom sacs itself–from what I gathered of the description of your first autopsy, it sounds as if you cut through it while doing your first dissection and never noticed you had. A reasonable situation–there are only so many cuts you can perform to extract the sacs without damaging this or any of the tissues around either organ. I do not blame you in the slightest for having missed it the first time."
Tygan nodded, tapping away on the datapad in his hands. Samhien was doing all of the "dirty work," as it were, so it left him free to take notes. "Even so, I would imagine some of my initial research would have gone more smoothly had I known of such an organ. It's simply a mistake that rests upon my own shoulders." Silently, Tygan chastised himself for missing it, regardless. Perhaps there was no blame to be had from Samhien, but he blamed himself well enough. Tygan always found something to be wanting in his work. Ever since he learned that his forceful extraction of the Commander's chip gave her, as far as he had seen, PTSD…
He hadn't noticed Samhien had stopped his presentation until well into the tenth second of silence. Tygan looked up from his pad to notice Samhien was staring at him, concern evident. "Dr. Tygan. Does something trouble you? Really, there was no way you could have known of it."
Tygan shook his head, looking over the dead Viper for want of looking at Samhien. "It's nothing, Samhien. As you were saying?"
But tellingly, Samhien did not resume his teaching. The Skirmisher straightened. "Dr. Tygan, you are lying–to me and yourself. There is something bothering you and that will bring you anxiety, which will affect the transmission of signals in your brain, which will reflect in your work and cause you more anxiety and worry! Please, there is something more troubling you. I sense it."
The light caught Tygan's glasses and he lidded his eyes. To speak, or not to speak. It was true that there was more bothering him. A lot of it concerning the Commander, for one. But as far as he was concerned, they were thoughts to be deliberated over later, when war didn't hang over their heads. If "later" ever came. Quite frankly, Tygan could take "later" never arriving, in the sense that he would continuously put dealing with such thoughts on the backburner as long as possible.
But, Samhien was right. Tygan knew he could stand to keep to himself, but for how long? Every time he considered bringing the Commander into the lab to examine another breakthrough, all he could think of was the look of terror that crossed her when she spotted the extracted chip and the Stasis Suit, and how fast she turned on her heel. The sight of it hurt–and not just professionally…
He could feel Samhien's gaze boring into him. To speak, or not to speak…