They met the carrier at one of its designated stops, who took them in and sped away to Aya without waiting for the others. It was clear that even if they survived, they would have to find their way to safety on their own.
Hours after his teammates were seen to, Scott went to the med-bay to for a check-up. He was also curious to meet the Moshae, the person they endured a lot of terrible things for, who was confined to the med bay for the duration of their travel. The doors of the med bay slid open and he saw Jaal already there beside the Moshae as she lay on one of the beds while Dr. Lexi tended to her.
"I'm sorry we fought," Jaal said tenderly, holding the Moshae's hand with both his hands as if it were a fragile bird. "What we saw will set our cause on fire."
"Yes, my broken heart can't even begin to process it," the Moshae answered him in a deep but pleasant voice. He bent down and hugged her.
Scott looked away, focusing on Dr. Lexi who was likewise intent on her scans. He waited after they separated and coughed. "Can you give us a minute, please?", he murmured to Dr. Lexi.
"Sure thing. But go gentle — she's in a fragile state," Lexi warned him. She tapped her omni-tool off and went out of the room. They watched her go out of the room, then when the doors closed behind her, the Moshae turned to Scott. "Did she just call me frail?" she huffed.
"I'm sure she meant no disrespect," Scott assured her. "I am impressed actually that you've managed to hold on for so long in that place."
Under their artificial lights, the color of the Moshae's skin was turning more vibrant unlike the dark and ashy shade she had back at the Kett base.
Moshae Sjefa chuckled, the lights from her opaque purple skin sputtering. "I see you're a flatterer." She laughed until her laughter died in gasps then she grew serious. "Jaal tells me you're a…"Pathfinder" from the Masaf Galaxy which in your tongue is called the Milky Way."
"Yes. Are you well enough to talk much?"
She sat up. "Did something pressing happen?"
He hesitated. Should he tell her about the fleet left behind so they could escape? "No. I just want to know how you're doing," he said eventually. Fortunately for them, her experiences at the Kett base did not break her spirit and allowed her to laugh still. That did not mean she was well enough to be told of something she could not control.
She sighed and relaxed against the bed. "Well enough. Your doctor did her best. I have no complaints about her care. There is nothing else I need than to be at home with my people. But if there are no pressing matters we should discuss, I ask for sleep."
"Of course."
She smiled at him. "Forgive me, even with my impressive endurance, I fear I must sleep," she said, then with a curious, pitying look at Jaal, she said to him, "Jaal, dear. Run along now. I shall talk with you again in the morning." She turned away from him and curled on her side to sleep, away from the two of them. Jaal murmured goodnight and stood up. He looked darkly at Scott and then passed him by without a word.
"Jaal," Scott called back softly, so as not to wake the Moshae. Jaal stopped and reluctantly turned to him.
"I'm sorry. I had to do it," he said softly, referring to his decision to abandon his people at the base.
Jaal just stared at him. "Forgive me. I feel too much anger in my heart right now to talk to you," he said stiffly, then, with a flutter of his rofjin, he was gone.
The carrier carried them past the Shroud and released them just above Aya.
The Tempest touched down on the landing pads outside the city surrounded by shuttles with their doors open, showing people inside cheering at the return of the Moshae. On the landing pad, he could see the governor and her retinue, with Evfra de Tarshaav beside her squinting at them.
They disembarked, the Moshae the first one off. Scott was about to assist her but she drew his hand away. She walked forward, her posture straight with dignity, to meet her people. Scott and Jaal followed closely behind her just in case the effects of her capture made themselves felt again. As she walked between her cheering people, she smiled. She saw the Governor and Evfra waiting for her at the end. She raised her arm above her head and waved it. "Stars and skies light our way!" she said.
Paaran Shie walked towards her and waved her arm to return the greeting. "Stars and skies light our way!"
"She knows how to play a crowd," Scott remarked lightly to his companion. He glanced at him to see whether he was still mad at him.
Jaal snorted. "She's the Moshae," he said with pride in his voice. Scott smiled and let himself bask in the crowd's cheer. Things were cold between them and he was relieved that at least Jaal had not cut himself off from talking with him completely. It would not be smart to lose an informant so early, particularly when Jaal was the only one willing to associate with them.
The two female Angara reached each other then, stopping to press their forearms together, clenched fists touching the other's shoulder.
"Welcome home," Paaran Shie said, the light in her skin humming softly.
"I never thought I'd see it again," Moshae Sjefa replied and lowered her arm. She stepped back to show Scott and Jaal behind her. "Without the Resistance — and the aliens — I wouldn't be here."
"We made a good team," Scott said, with a tight smile at Jaal. Jaal did not look his way and stepped forward. "We freed more than just the Moshae," he said. "We have destroyed the facility where they do their foul deeds. Our brothers and sisters will never be tormented ever again." He paused, then added, "And the Pathfinder killed the Kett leader."
Scott's brow shot up in surprise when he saw the crowd turn to him. "Yep, I killed it," he piped. The execution was hardly noteworthy. Jaal made it sound as if he had engaged the Kett leader in a duel, instead of just shooting it like an afterthought. But whatever. He rather liked basking on their goodwill if that was what the glowing of the crowd around them meant.
Paaran Shie turned to Scott with the same look she gave to the Moshae. As she did, the crowd fell silent.
He realized it was a silence of deference. At that moment, elation welled up in him redering him speechless also.
"We have a lot to celebrate," Evfra said sourly, breaking the trance-like scene.
Paaran Shie said to Scott and said, "You have fulfilled your bargain, human. We have much to talk about."
"Take your time," Scott answered cheerfully, still giddy from the veneration earlier. "I'm sure you want to celebrate the return of the Moshae. I'm not going anywhere."
"Not without the help of our fleet," Evfra growled but a look from the governor cut it short.
"Enough Evfra," Paaran Shie scolded. "The important thing is the Moshae is restored to us. We will not let anything ruin this day." To Scott, she said, "Follow us to the headquarters and we'll talk about the alliance while your ship is being repaired."
"Uh, arranging the alliance is not really my job as a Pathfinder. Can I call our ambassadors to go over the alliance with you?" he asked. The Nexus would be ecstatic to know their success directly from Angara.
"Of course. I give permission for them to come here," she said with a look at Evfra. Evfra muttered darkly but he nodded. She flickered at the crowd and led the Moshae away inside the building. The crowd turned to them with lingering curiosity but they scattered when Efvra began barking instructions to set up a banquet.
Evfra turned away from the crowd and stepped in front of Scott, taking the place the governor had previously been standing on. "You're invited to the celebration. It'd start after dusk, but as for now, you are allowed to go over the common grounds," he said through gritted teeth. He turned to his companion and his tone was more pleasant. "Well done, Jaal. You're restored to us. Report for reassignment."
Scott kept still and watched Jaal's reaction at the corner of his eyes. He knew Jaal still harbored ill-feelings towards him so he would not be surprised if he left.
"I wish to stay with the Pathfinder," he heard him say. Scott looked at him, eyes wide. So did Evfra.
"What for?" he barked.
Jaal was silent, so Scott answered. "There are still some things I don't understand about your people. Jaal was very helpful to us on learning your customs and I wish to learn more," he said. Uncontrollable as Jaal may have been, they have no other Angara to keep them from blundering their way here or give an excuse for Evfra to sabotage their burgeoning alliance. Also, there was a pressing reason to have the Angara on their side now that they knew the Kett cannot travel through the Shroud which the Nexus needed to be immediately informed.
Evfra looked from one to the other, his pupils turning to slits. "I see the benefit," he said finally. "Request granted." He then walked away.
There was a heavy silence after Evfra's absence that neither was willing to banish quickly.
"I…owe you a debt," Jaal said quietly to him, turning to him with his speckles flaring against a murky backdrop. "I forgot you have made it possible for me to regain my honor."
He nodded. "Just..when you're in my team, I expect you to trust me and follow what I say. Try not to run off ahead," he said drily.
Jaal looked thoughtfully at him. After a while, he nodded and silently, they returned to the Tempest to tell the crew the good news.
Later that evening, the Moshae pressed Scott and his crew to attend the celebration, saying that it was propitious for their formal introduction to the Angara. She advised them that if they desired to pursue good relations with the Families, then the event would greatly facilitate that by cementing the association between her rescue to them in the minds of the honor-focused Angara. She knew better than they on how her own people worked, so they did as she suggested.
The celebration was held in one of their competition halls in one of their towers, which was built similar to their own amphitheaters. On the sides were tables and tables of food and drink laid out. Banners made of cloth, paper or projections were paraded by the people milling in the stands, written with messages welcoming home the Moshae and a blurb on the bottom on which Family had commissioned it. Each banner was designed with increasing extravagance, as if asking to get the attention. While the Moshae had the lion's share of the greetings, some welcomed the "aliens". It was simpler in design than the Moshae's but at least they had some.
The Tempest crew joined the Moshae on the stage together with all the important people in Aya, safe from the crowd packed tightly on the stands. Scott was worried the tower might collapse due to the sheer volume of people who came to see the Moshae, jostling and snarling at each other to get a better view of her even with the extremely wide projections all around them. Or by the sheer volume of the noise they made, with the buzzing of drones above them recording everything for broadcast to the homeworlds. Even beyond the windows, he could see a lot of shuttles staying aloft around the tower and blocking the view of the horizon. Their doors were open, showing Angara who was watching them through binoculars.
Scott looked down at the Initiative's formal wear, a white suit with light blue accents and thought they were extremely underdressed compared to the Angara around them. Their clothes changed color and pattern at whim, like their wearers. Some were subtle or gradual when the colors transitioned but a few changed like flickering lights. Individually, they were impressive but collectively, they were a mind-screw. His brain hurt taking in all the riot of color around him. It was like being inside a kaleidoscope.
As the leader of the Tempest, he had to stand on the stage and endure lights flashing in his face, a smile pasted on his face as the Moshae delivered a long speech rallying the Angara against the war. Then another segment with the Moashae answering questions from the crowd. Sometimes, someone would ask him, tentatively of course, to recount their story on what happened at the Kett base and how they had rescued the Moshae. It was a reprieve. His clothes were sticking and he seemed to have lost feeling in his legs by the long hours standing up.
Then the governor came by to introduce him to the First Daughters of the Families, who looked as old as the Moshae. Fortunately for him, they were clothed in their ceremonial garbs, which had subdued colors and none of the epileptic-inducing effects. They were wearing headgear with something protruding from the top of the head, which was usually sharp. Then either a plume or a tail extends from the top of their head to their back. There were some with capes to match and some with hoods, but their body clothes were the same in its tight fit, even those made of leather-like material. When they held out their arms across their chest to exchange the Angaran version of a handshake, they were wearing arm braces with little blades slipped in the slits running from elbow to wrist. He heard clacking as they came forward to meet him and when they turned around, he saw it was made by the spurs in the back of the heel of their boots. They were rather aloof and haughty as they thanked him for returning their 'servant' to them. Scott did not know what to make of that and only thanked them politely when they offered to pay back favor of equal value if he asks.
While Scott was busy on the formal side of the celebration receiving the representatives of the Angaran homeworlds, his team was enjoying themselves immensely. The less important people were more exciting and they surrounded his team, plying them with food and drink and curious questions about themselves. Scott shot a look at his crew who, upon catching the look, grinned and raised their glasses to him. He thought irritably that he should ask them later if they had gathered useful intel from their comfortable socializing.
Finally, the ceremony ended and he was free to mingle with the crowd. He stepped off the stage and immediately, Arbiter Renav, a young Angara from the judicial branch of Aya came forward and spoke urgently about legal matters between the Angara and the Initiative. She gave him a datapad with about a thousand pages regarding Angaran law. He looked at the datapad with a frown and told her that, in the absence of the designated ambassador by the Nexus, he was the interim representative of the Milky Way races.
"A male?" she exclaimed in surprise. "I see. So that explains why you aliens are so….disordered", she remarked, her lights flashing merrily. Before he could ask her impolitely about her comment, the Moshae crashed way to them with a drink in hand as Paaran Shie sighing loudly behind her.
"Moshae, stop. You're not young anymore for this sort of revelry," Paaran said and tried to snatch the drink from the Moshae's hand. The Moshae drew it out of her reach and hissed at her. "Be quiet, Paaran. If you were also trapped in that dreadful Kett base, you'd also wish to drink like a fish." They stopped when they saw Scott and Arbiter Renav staring at them. "Ah, Pathfinder. It's lovely to see you again," the Moshae greeted Scott with a sweep of her arms that made her drink slosh against its glass.
"Nice to see you too," Scott said. Arbiter Renav gave a look of acknowledgment to the governor and quietly slipped away.
"You're also at the kett base," the scholar asked, wearing a modest and clean suit of violet with only a gold circlet on her brow as her accessory in contrast to the governor who was wearing her full regalia like a First Daughter. She wore a plumed headgear without the sharp spike and a bodysuit with jewels strung on it like dew drops, refracting color with every change of the cloth underneath it. "You do agree with me and not the governor, right?"
Scott looked from one to the other, the Moshae's lights sputtering uncontrollably while the governor looked on, stony faced. He couldn't tell their feelings or moods because unlike Jaal's luminous and very lively skin, the skin of the two women were dull with freckles that did not twinkle very much. Without any cues, he thought it wise not to get between these women. "Er, I don't think it's right for me to tell someone far older what she does with her life."
The Moshae beamed then turned to the governor. "See, Paaran? He gets it."
"Yes, he does," the governor said with a sigh. The Moshe turned to him, still smiling then suddenly hugged him.
The Angara were rather bony in the chest and he felt her collar digging on his sternum. He wasn't one for hugs but he didn't mind it. He rather expected this sort of display based on his visit to the med bay when the Moshae was then coalescing and Jaal being very attentive to her. It was nice actually, when he allowed himself to feel it. He was about to return it until he suddenly found himself seizing. Apparently, the Moshae wanted to electrocute him too.
" .Fuck," he yelled between gasps after the Moshae released him immediately, finding that he didn't take it well. She stood there wringing her hands and looking at him with a stricken expression as the crowd gathered around them, drawn with his outburst. The governor snapped at them and they reluctantly dispersed. One of those was a big Angara, who snickered as he turned away.
"I…I wanted to give you a warm hug," the Moshae said.
"Clearly, it does not agree with his physiology," Paaran said, with a detachment of a scientist on an experiment. "I think I should issue a directive on social interactions with the aliens."
"That would be best," the Moshae agreed. "I am sorry, Pathfinder. I did not know that would happen. Here," she said, taking a gun from her waistband, which expanded into a sniper rifle, a pale beauty of pure death and offered it to him. "I'm old and I can't use it any longer. We call it Isharay. It's our word for "goodbye". With this, one shot is all it takes to say goodbye to your enemy. Provided that you know how to aim of course," she said and cackled.
Scott held it up to examine it. It was very light and more elegant than the geth-created Widow, which with its weight and hard recoil, strained the shoulder even if it was downgraded from the original. He saw how the Isharay worked in the field and he was impressed. Looking down at it lying serenely on his hands, he felt a pang of regret. It was too beautiful to be disassembled just so its mechanism can be studied, which surely the Nexus would insist on as to have an advantage against their enemies. "This is beautiful. Thank you, Moshae."
"Can you forgive me?"
This looked pretty much like being bribed with a toy after being wronged by an elder. But, it's a very good toy. "Of course."
She beamed and hiccuped. "Use it well. Kill a lot of Kett for me."
Paaran Shie frowned. "You give such a fine weapon to him?" she mocked the elder scholar. "You might as well give him a club for surely, he will use it like one."
"He is not like our males, Paaran," the Moshae scolded her. "I've seen him fight and I have no doubt he will use it well."
Paaran's speckles flickered. "If you say so, Moshae," she conceded. The Moshae started swaying so she caught her elbow. "Excuse me, Pathfinder. The Moshae is in danger of collapsing," she said and with a nod at Scott, she led the Moshae away.
Scott moved through the crowd, searching for his team who he suspected were drawn away for more exciting activities. He was going to the balconies, away from the stifling heat inside the theater, when he saw Evfra and Jaal talking together. He ducked his head and about to turn out of sight, but Efvra saw the movement, saw him and gestured for him to come over. He stopped, hesitated, wondering if he can afford to snub him yet. Then he realized he was being ridiculous. He's a soldier, not a child. He hadn't done anything wrong. So he obeyed, marching over with steel in his spine and force in his boots.
Maybe a little bit much. He can't help it; there's something about the big Angara that makes him stiff and wary. Evfra had not been kind to them even after they rescued the Moshae. Why, he looked even more …disapproving.
The look on the Angara him happy immediately as it made him feel a small sense of petty satisfaction at showing him up. But still, he needed to be polite with Evfra despite his behavior. He did not understand yet how the politics of Aya worked, and it wouldn't be prudent to tread on the wrong foot due to ignorance.
"I suppose, with our people growing closer, we shall not be calling you alien now," Evfra said sourly when he came near.
Scott tried not to make his smile too wide. "Yes. My name's Scott. Scott Ryder."
Evfra stared at him. He kept staring at him, which made him feel self-conscious as if he had done something wrong and he didn't know what it was. Then he became angry; he hadn't done anything wrong. Maybe this was one of Evfra's games and he was trying to wrong-foot him to force him to commit an offense and end the alliance. He was about to express his anger when Evfra spoke again. "Your name is Skut?" he asked.
"It's Scott," he corrected, pronouncing it as skaht.
"Ah. Scoot," Evfra repeated, smiling. Scott thought Evfra got over his disapproval but the smile was just too…toothy. His lips were parted so wide, he could see all his little, sharp teeth like those of a shark.
Something about it seemed suspicious, especially with Jaal standing too still beside him, watching Efvra like a mongoose on a cobra, so he said, "But I'm known more as Ryder."
"Ah," Evfra leaned back and crossed his arms. "But I prefer to call you Skoot."
Scott gave up trying to correct his pronunciation. He was here to forge goodwill between their people not starting a fight over something so small as this. But he couldn't help but feel a lingering bit of uneasiness at the expression on Angara's face. "Jaal says you have some of our people in your custody," he said, changing the subject to his most urgent concern.
Evfra stared at him again with a look he couldn't identify. "Yes," he said carefully.
"I'd like to take them back. It'd be wonderful if they're off your hands, right?"
Evfra smiled slowly. "Of course! But they're gone."
Scott stared at him. "What do you mean gone? Gone where?"
"To our stomachs of course. They taste best roasted and dipped in sauce while you share paariko with your family. I have a recipe if you're interested."
He looked one second onto Scott's expression of shock mixed with dismay then he cracked. "I'm joking. They're in jail until we decide what to do with them," he said. He howled in laughter as Scott's expression turned furious while Jaal murmured in dismay beside him. "Do you really think we're stupid enough to eat something we don't know?" he asked, when his laughter trickled into chuckles.
"Excuse me then. I'm going ahead to fetch them," Scott said, walking quickly and resolutely away from the Resistance leader as Evfra started laughing again.
"Ryder…Ryder," Jaal called as he tripped behind him. "On behalf of all Angara, please accept our deepest apologies for the existence of Evfra," he said. "He was always a veshaanan."
Scott stopped mid-stride and turned to him. "A vesha-what?"
"A veshaanan. It means 'someone pleased with his own shit'."
He did not answer right away. The furrow stayed between his brows and so his eyes remained in shadow. But when he did answer, it was with a smile, small, but bright enough to part those heavy clouds. "In our language, we call that an asshole."
Jaal smiled also. "Asshole. That is an apt description." He added wryly, "It's interesting how there is a similar term for a type of person in both our galaxies."
AN: I'm back as promised. As always, reviews and comments are welcome.