"...completely remorseless…"

"...never seen a raid like this….nothing left…...got a lot to answer for…..."

"...there's always been….middle of nowhere…...you sure it's him?"

"...symbol's on every one of these houses…...not just a raid…..like he's mocking us…..."

The voices floated over to Marcella in the dark, a mishmash of sounds that her addled brain only recognized as words a beat after they were spoken. Her eyes snapped open and she twisted her head toward the noise from her cramped hiding place under her cot. It had been so long since all the commotion. There had been loud noises - screaming, scrambling, and hiding - then there was nothing. Just silence, darkness, and the smell, putrid, sour, it clogged all her senses and fueled her terror so she hadn't come out, even with the quiet that had signaled it was all over.

She had known nothing but the dark and stillness for so long, cowered under the bed, pressed uncomfortably against the floor, too afraid to move even as the nothing seemed to become endless. Her limbs were numb but none more so than her fingers which were clenched around the handle of a short knife. An adult had thrust it into her hand before shoving her under the bed only to depart from her life forever, leaving her to this. So there she lay. It could have been hours, it could have been days. Between the fear, the exhaustion, and the hunger, her mind was a tormented sack of meat, fried and useless. Sleep was impossible as echoes of the horrors she had heard still bounced through her skull and formless shadows seemed to reach out to grab her.

But these voices were no illusion. A light had appeared through the windows across the room and danced faintly along the walls. There was a shuddering sound of metal that made her heart stop. The light crept in, roving across the floor and illuminating horrors that she was too young to process but still struck her with crippling fear. She watched silently from the safety of her makeshift shelter.

"More in here."

"Spirits…"

The light crept closer, sneaking under the narrow slit of the bed and coloring the ground in front of her. The sudden brightness stung her eyes and her chest burned from not making a sound even to breathe. There was another noise, a little too close, and she flinched instinctively. A flash of pain shot up her legs, aching from not moving for hours.

"Did you hear that?"

"Yes, I did. Be ready." There was a scraping coming from the right, much closer now, and some light clicks. Before she could react, the bed above her was lifted and she was bathed in the harsh light, utterly exposed. She froze as though to somehow still not be seen, her breath held in her tiny lungs, ready to burst. All she saw was white, nothing existed outside of it except for the voice, now quiet and humming in shock.

"...Shit."

The other voice answered. "What is it?"

"...It's a little girl."

The shuffling on the left stopped abruptly. "Alive?"

"Yes." There was a jarring crackle that hit her ears and she twitched, pain again shooting through her stiff muscles. The sound continued; some kind of toggling and beeping and she started to shake, waiting for the inevitable. At any second they would attack and it would all be over.

"Got a survivor - prep the med bay now."

Something partially covered the light, forcing it to scatter across the wall and her tiny body. It stretched for her and she shook and twitched more violently. This was it. This was the end.

"Hey there...come here, it's okay..." The faceless voice was rumbling reassuringly but it was a ruse. It had to be.

She scrambled away as the shape came nearer, her legs hitting the wall and she flattened herself tightly to the ground. Her breath came faster and she managed a high-pitched growl of warning, numb fingers tightening over the knife's handle. She attempted to lift it, even as pain shot through her cramped muscles.

"I'm not gonna hurt you..." The dark shape grew closer, the light now illuminating the fingers of a large hand that inched nearer. There was nowhere to run.

Young as she was, her instincts had taken hold. She shook in terror and fury and finally lashed out, waving the short weapon uselessly with her thin, sore arm, teeth bared, tiny claws brandished, opening her mouth to scream at the faceless giant. "No! No no no!"

"Careful!" The farther voice called out.

"I got her." She felt the fingers curl around her small body, pinning her arms and rendering the knife immobile. She was plucked from the safety of the wall, pulled toward the terrifying unknown of the light and the open.

She continued to writhe and scream with her limited words. "No! No!"

"Shh, It's okay...!"

She squirmed, twisting to stab and scratch, biting at anything she could reach, small teeth useless against the stranger's thick gloves. Another hand covered her and she felt herself be pressed gently but firmly against the stranger's chest, where she continued to wiggle in rage and fear.

"Quick - take her—"

"I got it!"

There was a sliding of metal and bright orange light. Hot air rushed to her face and she opened her bleary eyes to see smoke hovering over a horizon of pure hell. The usual green that was a constant of the landscape was replaced with the blazing oranges and reds of fire and the smell, the awful smell. Blood, smoke, burning flesh, and oil all formed a horrible, acrid stench that smacked her nose and stung her nostrils. The fire burned, churning smoke and ash as it fed on the life of the flowers, the trees, the colonists, everything.

All gone to ashes. Consumed.

She writhed against the tight grip but it did not yield. Embers floated past as the large figure ran, jostling her tiny body in his hands and making her dizzy. The knife she was still holding onto for dear life pressed hard against her sternum. Before them was a large vehicle, its back-end wide open like a giant mouth ready to swallow her and this whole planet. She shook and screamed, the knife biting into her flesh as she contorted.

"Hey! Hey, I got you—"

"No!" They were entering the mouth and she felt the fire lick at her, ready to take her if the mouth didn't. She didn't know what was worse. She just wanted to go home.

"No no no!"


Marcella's head jerked up, eyes snapping open into the dark of the early morning.

The sound of her own heartbeat thudded loudly in her ears, as her eyes darted around, momentarily confused at her unfamiliar environment. The echoes of the dream tightened her chest and sent unpleasant ripples up the unplated flesh of her arms.

Relax. Just a dream.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she assessed her surroundings in an attempt to ground herself. A small room, plain, clean. Her fingers spread across tight sheets - a soft bed. Her arm brushed something solid and warm next to her.

Cas.

She blinked as the dim haze of sleep caught up with her and she let herself relax, easing back down into the pillows, her breath eeking out of the sides of her mouth in a long hiss.

Spirits, I hate it when that happens.

She lifted a hand to rub her eyes, flexing her fingers and toes as though to physically expel the thoughts out of her mind. The pleasant memories of the night before flooded back in but were tinged with the unpleasantness of the nightmare. Slowly, she settled her hand on her chest, focusing on steadying her breathing and hoping her sudden movements hadn't awoken her sleeping companion.

As if on cue, the man beside her also shifted, too deliberately to be mistaken for sleep. She shut her eyes and rumbled in faux drowsiness. Maybe she could play it off as a stretch. After a few moments, she chanced a peek and saw his dark eyes, wide-open and looking up at her.

"Hey..." She turned toward him and bumped his nose with hers, rumbling playfully. "Morning…"

He didn't return the greeting. His browplates were furrowed, eyes searching her face. "...Are you okay?"

Uh oh. "Of course!" She purred in a loud tone of reassurance, hoping it wasn't too obvious she was overcompensating. To further sell it, she wrapped her arms around his neck and settled up against his chest. That ought to distract him.

He paused, only briefly, before leaning in to rest his forehead on hers though the concern in his subvocals hadn't abated. He lifted a hand and brushed her upper arm lightly with his knuckle."...You're shaking."

Fuck. She squeezed her eyes shut and buried her head into the tender skin of his neck, taking small comfort in feeling him shiver. "Weird dream."

"Are you su—"

She turned her head and caught him in the mouth, sliding her hands back toward the sensitive skin of his throat, half to silence him, half because the memories of the night before had finally started to come back in force. He responded, a little slowly but readily at her touch, easing his hands down to the unplated skin of her waist. She trilled in excitement against his mouth. Gone was the nervous wreck of the days before, it seemed he had finally properly warmed up and it made her stomach twist pleasantly. She lifted a thigh to rest on his hip and enjoyed feeling him squirm. Perhaps a repeat of last night's performance was exactly what she needed.

But, sadly, he pulled away. "I...have to get up..."

"Mmrrm...'' She hummed a whine but rolled away, albeit reluctantly.

"Sorry, it's just," he sat up, carefully maneuvering around her and standing up on the tiled floor "I don't normally sleep in so late."

Late Marcella glanced at the clock. 0450. In what universe was that considered sleeping late?

Castis continued to mumble to himself, rubbing his eyes as he walked toward his equally small bathroom, No time to exercise, can't go over the reports, ugh I didn稚 even file reports..." he shook his head, mandibles flicking rapidly. "It's - it's okay - I just need to shower and then..."

Marcella perked up at the word, sitting up and letting the blanket slide off her bare shoulders. The idea of hot water made her excited...among other things. She flashed her eyes at him and rumbled in a tone she was pleased to notice made him stop in his tracks. Shower?

Cas looked back at her, mandibles fluttering nervously. "...Uh…."


Cas emerged from the bathroom, soaked and panting and anxiously gripping a towel. "Okay, I - I really do have to get going "

Marcella filed out behind him, chuckling and toweling off the water from her bare skin. She leaned down and grabbed her clothes that were thrown carelessly on the floor the night before. "Fair enough."

He picked his own uniform off the floor, taking care to also fold it neatly before going to his footlocker and retrieving something clean. "Sorry - I wish we could stay here...I really do."

"Hm, that would be nice - Oh! She picked up her jacket and waved it in front of him, its multiple straps dangling. That right. You owe me a new one of these. She clicked her mandibles in faux concern. First my helmet, now this?

...Oh." Castis's subvocals whined in shame and embarrassment as he seemed to recall a particular event from the night before after things got a little heated. He slapped a hand over his eyes and shook his head. "Again, I am so sorry about that

"It's okay, we both were a little excited

"No, no, unacceptable. he stood and put his hands on his hips, an air of disappointment surrounding him that reminded her of a chastising parent. 的'll get you a new one."

"Please, you've apologized enough last night." Marcella rolled the torn jacket and tossed it on the bed. More than enough. "Honestly, I appreciated your enthusiasm.

Cas quickly turned away from her as embarrassment continued to rumble out of him. "Still…"

"At this rate, I'm gonna run out of jackets." She had already zipped up her dark undersuit and finished clipping on the rest of her armor. "I'll just patch it later."

"No, here—" He went to a small closet next to the desk and pulled out the ridiculous civilian jacket that he wore at the bar. It was even uglier than she remembered.

"Aw, it's alright, you don't have to…" but even so she took it and slung it over her shoulders, taking comfort in the scent that hung around it. Having this small bit of him to take home was...nice. "Thanks."

He returned a stiff nod. "Of course, Khatirus."

Her mandibles tightened and she made a show of crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes in mock offense. "...Really, Cas?

He let out a frustrated sigh, his hand rubbing his crest. ..I know. It's just... it's so unprofessional."

She hummed in a playful tone. "...Pretty sure last night was 'unprofessional'."

"I - okay—"

"both times in fact—"

"Alright"

"Oh, and uh, just now?"

"OKAY!" He shouted before clearing his throat and proceeding in a calmer tone, "I get it. You're right. He shuffled his feet and fiddled with his fingers. I'll...work on it."

"Yeah, I'll hold you to that."

There was a long pause that bordered on awkward as they both stood, Marcella hovering by the door and Cas still fidgeting.

"...Well," She said finally, picking up her bag that was considerably heavier than when she arrived and pulling the strap over her shoulder. "I'm gonna get going. I'm glad we got this...settled." She started to back up toward the exit. "Any cameras I should avoid or...?"

"No, I'll...take care of it." A guilty look crossed his face. She really was rubbing off on him.

"Okay, well…" She flashed a brief smile and turned toward the door, head ducked and pace hurried. "See you around."

"Wait."

Something in his tone made her heart lift and beat against her chest and she paused, hand still on the frame of the door.

"Will I see you again?" There was a pause followed by an embarrassed and frustrated rumble."...I mean when...when will I see you again ..?"

She smirked, slowly turning to meet his gentle but earnest gaze. "Hey, you promised me a garden. You're gonna have a hell of a time getting rid of me."

Something flashed across his eyes, and his mandibles snapped to the sides of his face. "I meant every word."

Her heart continued to pound. You know just what to say, don't you?

She simply leaned forward, giving his forehead a quick bump with her own before taking a step back, letting the door slide closed between them.


Castis stared at the closed door, his heart thudding a symphony in his chest. He turned back toward his bed, hands squeezing and pulling his fingers, his mind going a mile a minute.

This was one of - no, the best night he had ever had and it was over too quickly. Time with her seemed to melt away, there was just never enough. The warm feeling she always gave him was coursing through his body non-stop, stronger than ever, truly the most exhilarating thing he had ever felt. He tore himself away from the door and his eyes caught the black vidset on the wall, a small dent in its right corner from where he had punched it.

...It was also so incredibly embarrassing. Never in his life had he been so open with anyone else. There was just something about her, conversation came so easily when usually it was one of his biggest struggles. His heart sank as he thought of all the weirdly personal things he had told her but it rose again when he remembered her laugh, her little hand squeezes, the way she touched him, the way she...

He began to pace as the memories continued to play. It only drove the intense, light feeling deeper into his being, the one he had had for days, like a sickness. It was so much, he almost felt the need to run, jump, shake some of it out, like it was too big of a feeling to contain. It wasn't just a light tingle anymore or a pulse that beat whenever she was around, it was constant now, like a state of being. Try as he might to analyze it, dissect it, it slipped through his fingers, intangible like smoke. It's just... it was just incredible light, happy and...

...confusing, intense, slightly terrifying...

He stopped, a hand rubbed his jaw while the other rested on his hip. His thoughts clashed together in a confusing mess and the little voice of reason was louder than ever.

What's the matter with you? Control yourself!

And it was right. This was ridiculous and he was being incredibly stupid. How could someone he's only known for such a short time make him feel this way? Maybe he's just in a weird mood. Maybe the isolation was finally starting to get to him. Maybe she was right and he was just being young and dumb and overly excited—

No.

The thought came with such conviction it almost scared him, the voice of reason immediately silenced. He swallowed and there was a loud buzzing in his ears. Denial was pointless. He knew what this was.

A shudder ripped up his spine. It was truly frightening to feel so strongly, to be so vulnerable. More than anything he had ever felt. And he needed it. A lick of fear settled in his stomach and he steeled himself.

Nothing could be allowed to ruin this. No one could know.

He finally walked through his door and turned down the hall. Cameras, the dull thought rippled in the back of his mind, Have to deal with the camera footage. The General had been out for a few days making the rounds at the other forts, technically leaving him in charge of the base and as the main tech expert, in charge of the equipment.

So more lying, then.

A mix of conflicting emotions rushed through him and he felt his fingers curl and his chest tighten. It...was necessary. To keep it a secret. Besides, Marcella wasn't a criminal and in normal circumstances, having a visitor would be allowed, right? He wasn't doing anything wrong...right?

The voice was quiet but persistent. What in the world has gotten into you?

He blinked and found himself in the kitchenette down the hall from his room. More vague thoughts pulsed. Breakfast...breakfast. Mechanically, he opened the cupboard and got his usual morning protein mix, his mind a thousand miles away. He couldn't stop replaying the events of the previous night in his mind like a vid over and over, each time still eliciting a zap that raced up his spine. Did she feel the same? She liked him, sure, but did she feel the same? The same certainty, the same passion. She had called him intense before and...it was true. Once he made up his mind on something

"OOOH AHHH-! YOUR LOVE - YOUR LOVE - TAKES ME HIGH-E-E-E-R-!"

Castis jerked at the sudden music echoing from down the hall, as it did every damn morning for the past 18 days. He clenched his fists and jaw and irritation rumbled in his throat. No matter how many times it played, Fedorian's alarm still managed to catch him off guard and it tended to put him in a bad mood every time. And yet...

He delved back into his thoughts, the events of the night before now combining with the beat and obnoxious lyrics about love and fantasy and other exuberant feelings. The song reminded him of her. Everything reminded him of her.

Strangely, he found himself swaying a little to the obnoxious beat. He had danced more these past few days than he had ever done in his life. She was definitely starting to rub off on him. It wasn't so bad once you focused on the steady rhythm, the way it seemed to make your chest vibrate, the way it sang about...how great it was to love. And that part reached in and grabbed him in a way it never had before.

Why...yes. Her love did take him higher.

He swayed a little more now bobbing his head. It really was infectious. He sighed wistfully. She would probably like this song.

"YOUR BODY TAKES ME - TO A PLACE - LIKE NO OTHE-E-E-R!"

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, allowing himself to practically drown in his thoughts. Him and her and last night, over and over and over and over. Such a euphoric and terrifying feeling, but he fed on it, allowing it to pass through him like some kind of drug. His swaying turned to a full-out dance and he swung his arms loosely, gyrating across the floor. Is this what all those songs are about? Those vids? It was so silly, so indulgent, and yet...it all made sense now. He waved his arms, he spun, he punched the air. He felt, for perhaps the first time, utterly and truly free—

"Um..."

A sudden voice made him practically jump out of his plates, a stray hand smacking the corner of the table as he thrust his arms quickly to his sides. He whirled around to see Fedorian, half-dressed and wide-eyed, his mandibles dropped in an expression of pure shock.

Castis squeezed his sore hand, hissing in pain, embarrassment, and fury. "W-what!?"

Fedorian blinked, his mouth still agape. He lifted a finger slowly. "You…"

"What do you want?!"

"You mean...all this time !" His eyes lit up in excitement, his mandibles flexing in an expression of pure joy. "...I had no idea! Why didn't you just tell me you liked Hyperwave?!"

I - don't - y-you didn't - Castis sputtered, his skin burning so hot it threatened to cook him alive. "L - Leave me alone!"

He turned and ran shamefully down the hall and out of sight.


Marcella stood outside the shipping container laying in the shade of the fort's backside, hands on her hips and in a sour mood. Her bag was in front of her, wide open, and stuffed to the brim with guns barely concealed under tubes of protein paste. She sneered at the lock on the door.

MasirTech. Garbage. Just asking to be broken into. A few taps with her omni-tool and the door slid open easily. She let out a long, defeated sigh.

A smart person would just take their haul and never come back. A smart person would have no problem stealing from someone naive enough to trust them. A smart person would realize survival is more important than breaking that certain someone's trust. She looked at the bag and her stomach churned.

'I absolutely do.'

She cursed, kicking at the dust that swirled around her feet and huffed, less in anger, more in resignation.

This cache would have given her credits for months, using the rifle to collect some bounties while selling the remaining stock. She would have been set for a long time.

But even as she tossed gun after gun haphazardly back into the container (not even bothering to do it gently since returning them was agony enough as it is) she had to laugh. She had initially tried to justify it. It wasn't stealing from him technically, it was that awful General! No one would have found out! They weren't even being used! But it didn't matter. What mattered was that Cas would be disappointed in her, and the fact that that seemed to matter to her above all else was...funny. It really was. And so here she was, returning all the weapons she had stolen throughout the night.

Almost all of them. She fingered the last gun she had taken out of her bag. A small pistol. Nothing fancy, not one to be missed.

Well...girl's gotta eat.

She clipped the gun to her back and with her bag suitably emptied, she shut the door with a heavy thud.

The thrumming of her hovercycle vibrated through her chest as she rode across the flat landscape. The refueling station was just a few clicks south of Nadir and the various shops and just beyond that was what was simply known as The Compound; a makeshift shelter for anyone unlucky enough to try to live here. Including her.

She was starting to regret these little rides to and from the fort, too much time to dwell on her thoughts. It seemed that even after blowing off steam, Cas had no intention of slowing down and she couldn't pretend she wasn't happy about it. Maybe he really was serious about all those things he had said the other night. He could take her away from all this and there would be a house and a garden and the stable life she had always wanted and they'd live out the rest of their days together. A romance for the ages.

She scoffed. Now that would be the day. But...

Her jaw tightened and she swallowed, blinking against the dust and wind. Spirits, how she wanted all the things he wanted to give her

Don't.

Wishful thinking never got anyone anywhere. Cas was a sweet guy who said a lot of sweet things but that wasn't how this was gonna pan out and every time that realization reared its head, she shoved it down. Just focus on the now. Enjoy it while you can. Whatever happens, will happen. She lived her life by those adages and she wasn't about to believe in the impossible. It wasn't exactly a mystery as to how this would all end up.

She just hoped it didn't end too badly.

Before long, the building that housed the shelter came into sight. The compound itself was a flat square ruin, half-buried in the dirt, flanked by two pillars cut clean and precisely like it was shorn in half by some giant knife. Picked clean over millennia, its caved-in halls were now bare save for a few squatters down on their luck. Over the years large holes were dug into the sand on the bottom floor, forming new rooms as an escape from the heat.

Many merc bands tried to claim it for their own but none as much as a group that entered the scene a few months ago. They called themselves Scorchers but were colloquially referred to by the locals as 'scratchers' based on the turian idiom of extending one's hand, presumably for help only to snag you with their claws. It was less of a gang, more a bunch of thugs that realized they had nicer equipment than most of the locals and decided to throw their weight around in the name of "protection". Which was just a funny way of saying you had to pay them or they'd let you get robbed blind.

After hiding the cycle by a small nest of rocks away from prying eyes (and its true owner) Marcella made the short walk to the wide mouth of the entrance, where one of the scratchers stood under a pillar of shade. Behind him was a pile of weaponry he had confiscated from the 'tenets'. As she walked up, the dark-plated turian stared her down. She unclipped her small pistol with a defiant smirk and placed it on the little table in front of him. As she turned toward the entrance, the butt of a rifle moved quickly to block her way.

"Weapons check."

"Come on, Markus, it's just a little-"

He adjusted the grip on his rifle pointedly. "Weapons. Check."

Charming as ever. Reluctantly, she pulled the small knife from the sheath at her hip and tossed it at him defiantly. "If you lose it

Markus locked eyes with her as he snatched it from the table and tossed it carelessly behind his shoulder. It tinged as it landed among other various weapons piled in disarray behind him.

"...Great, thanks." She grumbled and turned, entering the foyer.

"Rent's due, by the way." He called at her retreating back. I'd pay it if you still want to be under the protection of the Scorchers."

She rolled her eyes. Oh, thank you, sweet purveyors of justice, what ever would we do without you?

As much as it irritated her, she supposed not having weapons in the compound was for the best. A small price to pay for not getting murdered in your bed over a petty grudge. Still, not even a tiny sentimental knife seemed a little extreme. Without it, she felt practically naked.

The compound was quiet, most people still asleep in their holes - well, rooms - and she pattered past the few who were either getting up or still up from the night before. It was hard to tell. There was a couple engaged in shady conversation, a junkie mumbling on the floor in the corner and several in matching armor she didn't recognize. Thank the spirits, she was in a bad way with a lot of people around here and the last thing she needed was -

"Weeeell, look who's hereeee~!"

Marcella jerked to a stop, nose wrinkling and muscles seizing into a full-body cringe. Just her luck, coming in right on time to be accosted by a green female turian who loved being a huge bitch.

Coming around here after all the trouble you caused? she continued. Brave.

Marcella lowered her head and buzzed in a tone that indicated she was in no mood for her stupid games. "Oh, Pyra, how about you go be insufferable somewhere else?"

Pyra chuckled, her green eyes clashing with the garish green of her face markings. "That's rich coming from you. I heard Sulla..." Her smirk faltered as her gaze traveled down to Marcella's chest. "...what are you wearing?"

Marcella froze, her hand clutching the hem of Cas's jacket. She cleared her throat and tried her best to look nonchalant. "What, this? I always wear this—"

In a few steps, Pyra was right on her, grabbing a fistful of loose fabric at her shoulder. "This hideous jacket, I swear I've...where have I seen this "

Marcella attempted to rip away but it was too late, she could see her beginning to put 2 and 2 together. Pyra wasn't exactly clever but she was observant. Her eyes went wide in sudden understanding.

"Oooooh! So I guess it wasn't just for show! Unless...oh no..." Pyra put a hand to the side of her face, subvocals dripping in pity. "You must've needed that rifle really badly ow much did he pay you?"

Marcella barred her own set of teeth. "Fuck you."

Pyra clicked her lone mandible. "Shameful. And a cop? My, how they'll talk..."

Marcella shoved her away. She didn't have to guess who she meant by 'they'. "Yeah, well, you always did like the sound of your own voice."

"I have to admit, he is kind of cute. " Pyra smirked and picked at her exposed teeth. "I mean, he's not very tall and he's a total idiot, but still...When you're done with him, mind if I have a go?"

A sudden burst of rage burned in Marcella's chest. She turned around and stuck her face into the green turians. "Listen Pyra, I know you're notoriously bad at keeping your mouth shut," She eyed the side of her mouth where a mandible once was, "but how about you make an exception...just this once?"

Marcella nodded her head pointedly toward the entrance, where they both knew Markus was guarding. Pyra's eyes flashed with malice but she walked past, making sure to bump into her shoulder roughly as she walked by.

Marcella sighed. She had to ease up on that bluff, it would only work for so long.

She crossed the open lobby and turned down one of the few non caved-in tunnels, twisting and turning and passing various dens until she came upon her own glorified hovel. She pulled back a thin piece of fabric that functioned as a door and crawled inside. It was completely bare aside from a few dusty pillows and blankets, a stockpile of protein paste, and a few spare clothes. She only returned here when she had to, it was too miserable, hot, and cramped and crowded. Nothing like the open sky and soft patch of grass she usually spent her nights on.

At least it's not a ship.

But she had no choice, there was work to be done here. She moved some of the blankets, uncovering an old personal extranet terminal, her only link to the outside galaxy. She powered it up and an orange interface flickered on.

She settled in and opened her inbox. Most of the messages were old and disorganized, burned acquaintance after burned acquaintance. She scrolled through them. There was Hatch, Nirva, Divicus - dead now, Bulta - also dead, and...

Her jaw clenched as she settled on another name.

Cheri Novo.

Her eyes flicked to the subject line.

'In case you're still alive'

She'd already opened the message but barely glanced over it. A wave of guilt rose in her throat every time she saw it, but she couldn't bring herself to delete it. Still, that wasn't a message she was gonna reply to any time soon, if at all. They hadn't exactly parted on good terms.

Still, she had sent an automated confirmation to show that the message was received. It was the least she could do.

She scrolled down further and saw what she was looking for.

Agent Tol is available on the following channel.

Taking one last peek through her curtain to make sure no one was around, she opened the message and tapped 'connect'. She drummed her fingers nervously as she watched a small cartoon elcor struggle to roll a planet from one side of the window to the other as the program established a secure link. Her contact connected almost immediately.

"...Hello?" She ventured.

"Greetings" Its voice was slightly distorted, the picture only static.

Marcella squinted into the fuzzy screen. "Are you my information broker?"

"Yeeeees - hhhhsk!" They made a rough noise that sounded a lot like air being sucked through a ventilator. "I am your link...to the darkest of secrets - hhhsk."

She closed her eyes and her shoulders slumped. ..Great. and you're sure this can't be traced?"

"I am unknowable - hhhsk. You don't know my face -hhhsk - I could be any species - hhhsk -

Yeah, sure, so what do I call you?

"My name...my name...is - hhhsk..." There was the sound of something shuffling and the voice paused, seemingly for dramatic effect.

Marcella was getting impatient. "...is?"

"...You can call me - hhhsk GenoBlaze."

She didn't bother trying to hide her annoyance. "'GenoBlaze'?"

"Uh - I mean - it's - hhhhsk - it's Blaze -'' There was more shuffling. "It's just - hhhhsk - it's just Blaze."

An irritated growl rumbled in her throat. "Okay, 'Blaze', what do you have?"

"This man. Turian - hhhsk. Age unknown. Estimated age, 65 - 85. Current alias - hhhsk the voice paused again"...Eidor Alfantus."

"Yes, I know."

"Hhhhsk - Formerly Blackwatch. Dishonorably discharged. The current leader of a gang known for - hhhsk - targeting outer fringe colonies. A gang called... There was another unnecessarily long pause. 鍍he Wraiths."

Marcella's irritation grew. "I know that too. Anything else?"

"Last seen…" Pause. "...in the Trelor Sector-"

She banged a fist on the side of the terminal making it rattle. "I already know that! Can you please give me a more recent update? Where is he now? What is he doing? Someone has to know!

...Oh - hhhsk. Well, uh,- hhhsk - maybe for a few more credits I can-

"You...!" She dug her nails into the thin metal base that held the holoscreen, resisting the urge to snap it in half. "Listen, you bloated gas bag - I gave you every single credit I have and you're telling me you don't have any information I don't already know?!"

"I - uh - "

"I already told you what I know and if you don't tell me something new I'll, I'll..!"

There was a jostling sound as if they were banging and scattering things around. "Oh no, the connection - hhhsk - it痴 breaking up - I - I might have been compromised - I must go - hhhsk -

Marcella disconnected before the volus could even properly end his little charade.

She'd been living on protein paste, scrounging for clothes, weapons, mods. Every credit she had went to this, and for what? This meant more scrounging, more pandering, more work. And this time she didn't even have her rifle.

She collapsed back onto the pile of rags she used as a bed, the puffs of dust exhaling out of the fabric and swirling the air. It didn't matter anyway. What was the point of even spending all this money and acquiring all this information? So she finds out where he is, then what? What's she gonna do - summon a ship to go wherever he is, walk right up and shoot him in the face?

The lack of sleep from the night before was finally getting to her. Her head pounded through her half-closed eyelids and she stretched her arms above her head before limply resting them against the rags. Maybe she'd feel better after a nap.

She was just starting to drift off when she noticed her tool blink and chime. She took a deep breath and turned to her side, deciding to ignore it. But it was followed by another blink. Then another. And another. She blinked sleepily and lifted her arm to tap on the tool, pulling up the screen.

C: Hey. I hope I'm not bothering you.

C: I wanted to see you again.

C: Only if that's convenient for you of course. You're probably busy.

C: But if you aren't busy, then maybe you can come by again. If you want to.

C: I understand if you can't.

C: But if you can, I would like that very much.

Her mandibles twitched into a small smile and her stomach fluttered.

Aw, Cas...

She rolled onto her back, grabbing one of her raggedy pillows and clutching it to her chest. Thoughts of him flooded her mind and she let out a small excited trill. She missed him, his scent, his voice, his sweet words. They lifted her spirits and eased her away from that worthless call. This place was horrible but at least she had him.

...you're the only thing worthwhile anymore.

She wanted to see him again too. No, she needed to. But another night with him meant lots of walking and very little sleep. Oh well, she was perfectly fine with that. Any time with him was time well spent.

It was the happiest she felt in years and that's what was so terrifying.


Castis stood in the exact place he had the evening before, in front of the fort watching the sun set behind the flat horizon and ushering in a darkening sky. But this time was different. When he heard the whir of a cycle he didn't immediately feel nervous or panicked. He felt nothing but joy as he raced toward the sound, heart-pounding, feet flying.

"Hey…!" Marcella wasted no time, hopping off the cycle even before it had fully stopped. A few steps and her arms were wrapped around his neck, leaning in to rest her head on his shoulder. She drummed out a thunderous hum of affection that vibrated down his shoulder and into his chest. "I missed you."

Castis felt as if his whole body would melt into a puddle. He leaned his head against her mandible and rumbled back softly. "...I missed you, too."

"Guard duty, again?" She turned her head so their foreheads brushed. "This gonna be a nightly thing?"

"The General is away but it was, uh, implied that this would be a thing for the foreseeable future."

"So, more laps tonight, then?"

"I'm afraid so."

"But if the General's gone... she teased, sliding her hands down and pulling at his waist. "...Any chance we skip it and I could just waltz right in?

He almost shuddered at the thought. "No! It's my responsibility to protect the fort-"

"Pfft."

"- and, I mean...it's not usually against the rules but he's very particular and...it's just best to stay off his bad side."

"Aw, no girlfriends allowed?"

Castis's chest practically seized.

GIRLFRIEND.

"I...I...uh—"

"Oop - sorry", She released her grip. "I didn't mean-"

"No - nonono! He grabbed her retreating hands and held fast. "I'm...I like that."

She raised her eyebrow plates, her mandibles flicking playfully. "Well, I didn't want to presume anything but...I don't often make it to a third date so...yeah, I guess you can say this is..." She gave him a sly look. "...serious."

Castis swallowed hard. That's right, she had referred to them hanging out in her grass patch as their first date. Was that really only a few days ago? "This is all going very fast, isn't it?"

Marcella gave a light shrug. "I'm okay with it if you are."

His chest tightened. I'm very okay with it. "...Yeah."

"Alright, well…" She held out a hand. "Shall we?"

His hand slid into hers and as the sky purpled, stars flickering into existence, they began their first short walk of the night. Just like the night before, time flew by so fast it was over before they both knew it and they retreated to his room. The next morning she left and that night, she returned and they began again, as they did the next night and the night after that. In the following weeks, as Castis mindlessly completed his work throughout the day only thinking of the night, he realized that he never thought he could feel such happiness.

It was a rare night that he didn't spend it with her and he hoped it never ended.