|34|


The hauler's ramp slammed down with an unceremonious clang that sent water and silt into the air, and Wrex removed his hand from the lever as he looked over at the rest in the bay, "…She's old, I said…Needs some oil."

"She needs more than oil," Casnar sighed through his cupped golden fist, "….She needs a new hydraulic and suspensor coil," he glanced at Braith and she kissed him on his patak, "…Please don't do anything until I've given you the sign to come down…." His face turned to the tarmac below where a tram-skim hovered in a dark patch over the cement and the lights glowed through the slash of rain. He stepped down the ramp, stopped, turned and came back up to give her his suit coat, "…Keep it dry for me," he really rathered she wear it—she put it over her shoulder with one finger hooked into it, and he wished he could see her again in those sweats where she wore nothing underneath—the scent of his coat would be on her at least. Turning, he went back the way he had started, and upon passing out from under the form of the hauler, his light white shirt was saturated through to reveal his sleek gold back muscles in misty form underneath….Catherine glanced at Sieis, who looked from her eyes to the five forms coming from the tram-skim now Casnar was made to the tarmac.

"Kasumi, go down there and listen—I don't want either of you getting hurt," Braith said to the woman by the frame of the bay, and Kasumi stepped backward, her cape lifting around her, and in an instant disappeared as Casnar came within a few feet of those greeting him. "Wrex, you have any guns on you or are we all relying on fast biotics and hair-splitting decisions…."

"I got him," Wrex said, pulling from the doorbay's framing a long rifle and aiming it at the figure closest to Casnar…

"Or her….Make sure Kasumi's not a target—"

"I can see the rain on her, she's keeping a distance, but close enough if she needs to ward him."

"I should have thought of the rain," Braith said and swore silently, "…Hopefully she doesn't get too close to the others…"

"Kasumi's good," Miranda considered, "…She'll know how to handle this if she's just gone down there without a complaint…Watch."


[You come here unannounced on a stolen registration…This ship you have managed to land here is despicable for one such as you….Casnar, Son of Mu'kalien and Suanna Soterios-Sousan.]

[I come from the Grim Reaper….I don't know if I really had much of a choice in outbound ships, but I'm relieved to have made it this far on the junk we caught a ride on….I have guests…One krogan, three human women, and nineteen aliens from out of this kosme….They're called bantons and they are peaceful for the most part.]

[Your father will be displeased with bringing guests unannounced….He is not even aware that you are here in the flesh…We were sent by your nephew who caught the insignia in the air.]

[Insignia…] Casnar turned, having paused the silent communication between himself and the drells garbed in haguns before him, and looking up at the ship, he noticed the symbol of the krogan scratched into the undernose of the hauler, ragged and raked through with likely a knife… [Must have taken him some time to do that…] Casnar turned back to the five. [I take it I've been welcomed then…] He stepped back at the sound of someone's hand slipping off her hood, "…Kasumi!"

"I thought some transparency would help," she said, ignoring the rain over her hair and on her neck, "…We were a little too anxious back on ship, Casnar….You all seem to be standing around like someone's about to draw and shoot….Everything okay?"

"Zhienne," was all she heard before the first drell drew out a blade as long as his arm and tilted it to point at her over his head, and at the press of a sensor, the knife glowed, "…What is this, a new burrella you have hired, Sered," the voice spoke harshly in Rakhïken, moving threateningly towards Kasumi whose biotics flickered around her, "…What is she doing down here with you, hiding in the rain with her cloaking…"

"Easy," Casnar uttered back in Rakhïken, "…She means only to protect me….My personal request," he added, then switching into her language, "…Kasumi…Make scarce."

Kasumi saw an opportunity however to show off—and when she had it, she was more than willing to grab it—pulling out two batons that whipped bright flares of light, hissing in the rain these held before her, waiting for the other drell with the saber to move and join her if he was so daring, and Casnar saw she was trying to call his bluff, "…Kasumi!"

"Put them down, fierce little mouse," Kasumi took an involuntary breath at the voice in her ear and the arm around her waist, settling the cape round the powerful thigh lined with hers, and Kasumi disengaged the lazbatons to lower these at the voice's bidding—and the knife thin as a whisker at her throat. The knife tickled her chin towards the one holding her at his power of life choosing or death, and the sapphire eyes of endless dreamy skies gazed down into hers, "…That was wise."

"Tetonbaum," his name spoken by Casnar did not pull the eyes off of Kasumi's stare, but in a mix of rare bloods, Kasumi had seen the glimmer of something ancient and believed lost in the one's eyes holding hers both with warning, and light…

"Casnar," the drell finally looked away from his challenger to the other, "…You are welcomed home by your brother—"

"Half-brother," Casnar said, eased now he knew who was in control of the situation, and to Kasumi he nodded happily with a wink, "…I told you, you can't mess around here….This is Tetonbaum, the one who snuck up on you in the rain," and Kasumi was released from that strong grip, her pulse a little higher at not only have been caught by someone more skilled than she was, but despite the colorful face of reds and green lip, a handsome one chiseled to its effect of a smile as friendly as she had ever seen, "…Tetonbaum, my colleague, Kasumi Goto…."

"Blessed," Tetonbaum said, putting away his knife and holding her batons for her….

"Blessed…what…"

"Blessed I am," his smile broadened, teeth straight and clean in that blazing smile, "…You keep fair company, Sered Soterios," the sapphire eyes danced to Casnar, "…Let's meet what else you have on this derelict vessel you call your chariot of mithras," he laughed and it was louder, happier, and richer than a thunder clap from the clouds.

Tetonbaum accompanied Casnar and Kasumi up the ramp with two of the drells from the entourage, the rest on the tarmac still waiting in the rain…Kasumi kept her appall off her face at having been literally "owned" by Tetonbaum….How did he find me without my seeing him….And How did that happen….Were among the questions stunning her, and Tetonbaum smiled at the placid expression she was using to hold on her face while listening to Casnar explain the situation…

"This the woman I chased to Grim Reaper," Casnar pulled her to him, his arm around her waist, and kissed her index as he brought up her hand. "Braith Shepard," he observed Tetonbaum lean down to lower his nose to Braith's level, the woman leaning back some, "…Try not to fall in love with her."

"It's usually the other way around," Tetonbaum purred and straightened, eyeing her with the piercing gaze—that, before Braith could blush any redder from the impression he was making, cut to Miranda's face and then Catherine's, "….These two are trouble," he growled, but in a pleasing purl, "…This one is the sneaky one," he pointed to Miranda who turned her nose away, "…I remember you, and fondly…" She winked at him, surprising Braith and Kasumi, "…And this one," pointing to Catherine, "…You have a strange smell—likely you are familiar with animals—"

"Tetonbaum," Casnar pushed his hand down, and the other drell, slightly an inch taller, pushed his hand down and leaned towards him to whisper out a twist of his mouth…

"Zhienne orta maist brauthisila, Casnar…." Casnar's tebris flattened and he pushed Tetonbaum away from him—the red faced drell laughed. He turned again to Catherine who was watching with a half bemused expression and was about to say—or ask her something when Casnar caught his arm and stiffened the limb, "…Brother…It was only a joke—"

"Please don't," Casnar warned with a growl, and glanced at Catherine between Sieis and another banton, "…I know you."

"What does he want to do?"

"She's asking—" Tetonbaum stepped back with Casnar's forcing him away from Catherine and into Miranda. "Hey, now—"

"How come he can speak our language and they can't?" The pair tussling together stopped to look at Catherine, and Casnar gave Tetonbaum one more shove as he stepped in between them, "…He seems awfully fluent…." Catherine's blue eyes looked to the others behind them, "…They don't speak?"

"Not everyone is fluent in the common languages of the galaxy," Casnar said, moving her over to Sieis and making sure Wrex was no longer aiming at anyone openly with the gun he'd stashed behind his bulk, "…But Tetonbaum is unique—he enjoys learning about other cultures…And he's surprisingly clever at picking up languages," he tossed Tetonbaum a tidbit of compliment, even though he was now flexing in front of Braith and Miranda….Kasumi was stewing by herself, quite upset with having been upped and overed by the drell with the wet cape and hood, which he pushed back to have a better look at her when her back was turned.

"He's terribly flirtatious," Miranda quipped, Tetonbaum taking her hand and smelling it before placing a teasing kiss on her knuckle, "…And quite possibly the only drell I've ever come close to considering for something more than just information."

"You're not too small a tease yourself, Miss Lawson," he winked and settled his attentions on Braith, backing her up a few steps as he pushed the cape over his shoulders, "….You must be hungry…"

"That's good," Casnar sidestepped between them as Tetonbaum moved away to avoid Casnar's grasp on his cloak, "…I have others you should tend to, Tetonbaum," and turning towards Sieis, Tetonbaum ignored the banton and walked over to look at Wrex.

"How are you two related again," Braith whispered as Casnar pulled the suitcoat tight around her, "…He barely looks like you—"

"Half-brother, you'll see….My father's error, my blessing as I have no other brother I love as much, and he's a bit of a fool but don't let that get you off guard—he's a th'ane—"

"Thane?"

"It's a special title given to elite….Elite workers of ours on the corner of Umay and Nualavera…They come out of a place called Merce'des—there's training and everything…I thought you were going to keep an eye on Kasumi—"

"She looks like her feelings are hurt," Braith glanced at the woman standing by Miranda with her cape over her head, "…I think I'd never seen Kasumi's ego hurt…"

"She'll get over it, I told you to keep her with you," he glanced at Tetonbaum and Wrex talking, and vaguely was Tetonbaum making a gesture or two for Casnar to come over, "…I need to handle them, will you keep this on you," she pulled up the suitcoat to her neck….

"Like this?" The collar went higher until only her nose and eyes appeared, "…Would you like to hide me in it so your half-brother doesn't flirt with me—"

"I'm not being insecure," he deadpanned, Braith lowering the coat….

"I didn't say you were being insecure, but you keep trying to burrito me in this coat—" He pulled it back over her head and left her chuckling at his back, her eyes and then the rest of her face peeping out from the window between the lapels.

"What are we to do with him, Casnar," Tetonbaum's rugged looks turned his way, the sapphires laying on Kasumi who was still not looking at him but finally talking to the Lawson woman, "…Our father will hate having a krogan sit down for dinner tonight…But he's a guest…We could indulge in a good sound krogan-baiting contest—"

"I'll kill anyone who tries me," Wrex said, "…I've had enough of this bullshit—"

"He's with us, and I wouldn't be here without his help," Casnar intervened with a nod to the krogan, "…Besides, he's friends with Braith who's personally involved with me—"

"I thought I detected something on you," Tetonbaum chuckled, "….Mu'kalien will be livid if you intend to claim her and not some drellahna to keep the blood and durril here in Nualavera." Casnar worked his mouth and nothing came out…Tetonbaum turned slowly to him from Wrex, "…You know that's going to make dinner very interesting, Casnar." He gave him a nudge with his elbow, "…I won't be the one to inform his high sered, course…" The sapphires flicked to Kasumi and back to Casnar, "…What about your little mouse over there…Not your taste?"

"Kasumi…No…She's just along because of Miranda and they all happen to have worked with Braith, Wrex included…I don't think there's anyone I've met who doesn't have some type of connection with Braith….Except Catherine and Sieis…."

"The bantons," Tetonbaum approached Sieis, who wore a guardedness now that he sensed Tetonbaum was a bit of a jokester, "…These would be interesting to have around….One has biotic capabilities," he saved the most important fact for last, "…This is the one who leads them? I would like to test against you in a competition if you ever have the urge to challenge me," Tetonbaum watched the banton look questioningly to Casnar…

"Sieis, he only means to learn about your tactical abilities…He makes it his personal mission to understand every possible challenge to him out there—and there are many," Tetonbaum drove a thumb into Casnar's thigh that made the gold drell wince and step way, "…Briustila."

"Sieis would be willing to trade," the banton spoke, surprising Tetonbaum and only in the best way…

"Good," he said, striking out his red and blue-veined hand towards Sieis, "…Then we will trade in matters of skill later, and in return, I will make clear to all your bantons are to be left unmolested…Though if you find yourself at the hunger of one of our burrellas—they're all fine, beautiful women here in Nualavera—don't hesitate to try them with the caveat they do have a strong venom," and Tetonbaum's sapphires went to Catherine looking down thoughtfully as she listened. He lifted her chin, despite Sieis's warning growl, "…I have eyes for you, Miss Catherine."