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The tarmac became a blur as the tram-skim shot through the fog, little light but a faint guide either side to halo the way, and those in the vessel fell quiet as they looked up into the shroud at the base of the Mimi Cim Horn—six fleet ships could be detected shooting passed and arcing suddenly upward, disappearing into a glowing mist of rain and fog. "My father," Kolyat said beside Braith and Miranda, "…May have never told you about Nualavera because my mother did not want to come back here….But when she died, this became only a bleak option…I went to the Citadel after leaving Kahje—you found me," he chuckled, egging her to recall the unfortunate circumstance surrounding their meeting, "…And my jaw still hurts from that encounter….But you both opened my eyes….That my dad came back to the one thing he tried to avoid," Braith nudged him back…

"He thought it would keep you safe—we were wrong," and Kolyat agreed with a shallow nod, "…So you came here—"

"My uncle brought me here….I reached out to him, and he came and found me, brought me to Nualavera, left…." Braith puzzled over this…

"Really…Because that's a little different from what he told me," she glanced around to find Tetonbaum hovering near Kasumi, but he was listening and looked over…

"Casnar is a coward deep down," he said, but he did not make it seem as scathing as the words should have been to hear uttered, "…Casnar does not want the responsibility of Nualavera…High stress….Kolyat was better suited for it…He has patience…Casnar has whim and pull away from such attributes….It's remarkable you have earned his attention….I wonder how."

"He followed me…Every day for fifteen years from a bar to my home where we lived…Never said a word to me," Braith shared, minding a tendril of damp hair off her temple, "…He took care of me without ever laying a hand to me….There were plenty of times he could have….I was sick and he didn't know it, but then one day he went looking for me because someone came by and he found out….That was only weeks ago," she looked at Kolyat, "….We kind of bonded like your father and I did after that…"

"I see," Kolyat had the creep of disappointment in his expression, "…Casnar is not supposed to be with anyone unless his father approves….It could be a problem when he finds out what he intends with you." Turning to Miranda, "…I will take it that you have not disclosed anything about my grandfather to Braith?"

"Goto and I thought it would be more entertaining for Braith to find out what's in store," Miranda said with a conceitful tip of her head, locks dark and heavy on her crown and over her shoulder, "…But the gist of it is that he's an asshole, which I've disclosed with some bias."

"We're going to meet him tonight?" Braith asked, and Kolyat merely shrugged…

"Possibly…I've learned the better ways of introducing news to Uncle Casnar's papua, but it might be we run into my grandfather before we can get you into a room," Kolyat turned, "…You'll all want to stay quiet for a while…The coniulde should be emptying out and I doubt my grandfather will be there with my grandmother this late."

"Casnar…" Braith mumbled, "…I wonder what's going through that head right now…He didn't have to bring us all here…But I'm glad to have seen you," she said to Kolyat.

"You look good, Commander—"

"Don't call me that," she smiled, "…I think by this point, plus the fact you've never served under my command, we can just call each other by name….First name, Kolyat," and they held a soft embrace before looking up to Tetonbaum who was batting his eyes at them…

"I love family reunions….Even though you're not married to his father anymore." With the devil coming out of his eyes, "…So…Do you intend to tell Mu'kalien or shall I—with your permission, of course."

The tarmac opened into the city through a burst of thinning fog, and Nualavera lay before them, soft nighttime lights keeping the place warm and welcoming to those come in from the storm…..And as Braith and the others admired, she noticed that inside the city, the rain fell a little softer, a little quieter, and was in part due to a barrier over the whole of it as Kolyat soon explained.

"It's much to do with the generator beneath the city," his eyes washed over with reflections of the available light, "…Durril helps it to work, and the rachni have lent much of their craftsmanship to our own…Casnar was part of the building of it…He has the sight of his ancestor and the rachni love him…But he just couldn't take it…" Kolyat's voice tapered, "…He broke down one day and left…"

"Your mother's murder didn't have much to do with it," Tetonbaum added with some sarcasm, "…He lost it when he heard what your father did, leaving you alone on Kahje—granted, you had his family members to stay with," and with a glance at Braith, "…You didn't know much about them, did you."

"He mentioned he had family," Braith hesitated, "…But yeah, it came out kind of through the squeeze….I think I'd only heard of a brother and an aunt or two…" Tetonbaum smiled grimly…

"Most who have sins to face keep silent on their points," he said, then turned his gaze to Miranda, to Kasumi, Wrex, and a few of the bantons that had managed into the tram-skim, "…Everyone has secrets they're sore about, but what is life but an opportunity endless to make amends—if one lives long enough, there comes a time when he and she comes full circle to see what could still be salvaged," and his sapphire eyes lay on Braith, "…You have brought him home."

"Hardly…I brought him to Lothiraxl—and he only followed me there without the invitation…." She smiled back, "….He couldn't let go." At that instant, a second tram-skim shot by them and disappeared into the fog, "…I hope that's for Casnar and Catherine…."

"Who is Catherine," Tetonbaum asked, "…She is different…Volatile….And has an interesting smell…"

"I wouldn't call her volatile," Braith said in thought, "…She seems rather sweet and innocent…"

"She is not what you think she is," Tetonbaum said, and for that he fell quiet. Kolyat cleared his throat…

"I sent for another while we were talking," he shared, "…And it will pick up the rest of those aliens you brought along we couldn't fit in here….I think Casnar and…Catherine should be able to handle them along with the burrells we left to help if anything needs a few more pairs of heads."

"Burrells…"

"They're part of the barra—Nualavera has a standing army serving the head sponsor," Miranda chimed in, "…And then there are the th'anes…" She smiled at Tetonbaum who purred back at her.

"And th'anes take care of the finer aspects," he whispered, blowing on her hair as she turned her face away….

"Please, Tetonbaum, once will never be my motto…Even for you." Tetonbaum feigned a hurt look and leaned on Kolyat, who for a burly tall sort of drell had some trouble with the th'ane's weight, "…Don't give me that game," she chuckled, turning a wry smile back at him.

"One day, my love for you will be requited," he laughed dryly and turned his gaze to Kasumi, who, too, looked quickly away and stuck up her chin.


Casnar climbed into the tram-skim once the last of the bantons were boarded. Catherine stood under the wet shadow of Sieis, laughing with newfound freedom and enjoying the ride from the outer tarmac into the city with the other bantons holding onto the poles supporting the tram-skims cover. Wiping the rain from her eyes, she turned to Casnar, well-hidden behind his burrells and not making eye contact with her or Sieis…Not knowing how the banton would react to her blatantly trying to tempt him, he wasn't in the hope of finding out stuck in long but narrow quarters.

"Casnar, come over here—"

"No….I'm busy…Thinking…." He was trying hard not to think at the reality of the moment, and desperately needed to fuck. All he could see in his permanent memory was her nipples in the tight wet blouse and her blue eyes and bright smile coming up to him—pushing it away, he turned to one of the burrells whom he'd spoken to on the original meetup, "…Keep her from me," he ordered in Rakhïken, "…And move this tram-skim faster!"

He felt hot…Something was making him burn under his clothes, and he caught himself with his hand, driving the erection down in his pants while he faced away from everyone—Catherine's tits and her legs around him secreted into his mind—he wanted to claw off his clothes, claw out his eyes, get rid of the burning, "…Fuck….What's happening to me…." Grabbing his nearest burrell, "…Get us into the city as quickly as possible…I need the hospital," the burrell took off his cloak and wrapped it around him…Casnar was shivering.

[Sered?]

[I'm….sick….I feel feverish…] His eyes widened as Catherine came through them, dragging her hard pack over and snapping the clasps apart, "…Tell them to let me help you…I gave you an aphrodisiac—"

"You what?"

"I was hoping you would want to sleep with me—I'm sorry, I'm not very good at starting relationships—"

"You drugged me?"

"It would have been pleasurable I thought," she uncapped a vial with a black powder inside, and a row went up as Sieis and a few of the bantons overpowered the burrells and held them back from Casnar, "…It's okay isn't it?" Casnar crawled backwards from her applying the powder to her finger, he using the burrell's cloak to cover his crotch, "…I thought you were interested in me—I'm sorry, Casnar, I'll fix it," and with one swipe of the powder onto Casnar's arm, she grabbed him and pulled him under her, "…Stay still, it'll take a minute to work," she began to push the powder deeper into his skin, working fervently to make sure the grain was smeared through his scales….

"Catherine—" His eyes rolled as he suddenly turned and vomited onto the floor of the tram-skim, "….Aaaugh…"

"It's a purgative," she said apologetically, "…But it will remove the chemical to your stomach and then…Well, you can see," Casnar retched again, his body contorting….

"Did you…Did you think you'd….Just fuck me here on the tram—aaaugh," he waved her away from him.

"I think we would have made it somewhere private," she bit her lip, "…I'm so sorry, Casnar….Mixed signals…You were so upset when you saw that other drell touch Braith—"

"He's my nephew!"

"Oh…Were you going to share her with him?"

"Wha…What…" He struggled to push her off him, she was heavier than he had imagined, "…You put on some pounds, Cat…" Wiping his mouth and looked up at her.