" You are in a good mood considering that Addison practically ripped you limb from limb for daring to step into her sanctuary," Kandros greeted Sara when she stepped down from the information wall. Every day she checked to see how many days until vacation and every day it hasn't changed. She hoped it was a glitch in the programming.

She twirled in front of him. " I am rejoining the team. As soon as Scott returns to the Nexus,"

" Careful what you wish for," Kandros warned her while reading from his datapad.

She crossed her arms and stood near him. " I am an explorer, Kandros, not a stay at home decoration," Sara sighed. " I will miss all this though. Kesh, you, Tann...Kesh is becoming like a sister to me. Never thought I'd say that about a krogan," Kandros almost chuckled at that slip of the tongue. " And the hours we spend griping about this place would probably fill volumes of history. Even Tann's got a certain personality that makes him unbearable and charming at the same time,"

The comical expression warned Sara that Kandros would never believe her.

" I know...I'm weird," She smiled and clutched her hands behind her back. " But not everyone sees him try to make everything work. It's a puzzle. Every piece relies on him to keep this place and organization from falling apart,"

" He could try to be less intolerant about small luxuries," Kandros pointed out. " His heavy handed one person decisions benefit no one,"

" Does it though? I mean...we can't all not work long hours. Our numbers don't support it. Rations are short. We have enemies on the doorstep. Settling new worlds isn't easy. How many horror stories have heard about from colonies in the Milky Way? The Attican Traverse -"

" I'm not arguing that we shouldn't expect to work for it. I'm saying that - I want to keep people alive, not dead," He sighed heavily. " We've become too far to regress,"

" I know. Who do you think listens to Tann everyday? Yesterday he worried if we would ever find a perfect place to grow suitable crops, and the day before how to replace you if you were to be killed. You're valuable. And your teams are one of the Nexus's greatest assets. Tann knows this,"

For once Kandros lacked a response.

She put her hand on his shoulder. " You know full well how much security you provide people. You know that people will support you no matter your choices. You're a good man, Kandros, and Tann knows it," He took her hand in his and held it briefly before letting go. " Now don't let him know that he values your work,"

" Boss, reports on the supply run are submitted. Still waiting to debrief Team Hotel and to assess the next assignment," Holland reported to Kandros after patiently waiting for Sara to leave. Waiting any longer no longer appealed to him. Sara glanced the impatient human male over head to toe. Probably one of Addison's spies. Or just an asshole who distrusted her because she trusted Tann. " Ryder,"

She nodded back before dismissing him from her notice. " I have to get back to this list of interviews. Apparently Tann prefers an extra hand with his work. Leadership. It either crushes you or changes you. Good talking to you Kandros," Jogging off to the tram she needed to talk with one of the botany experts. Tann wanted cross trained people to help him make better decisions.

Her list of interviews lead her all over the Nexus for two days before she delivered a raw, naive soldier with a background in pyschology and sociology. Tann put the young man to work instantly. She almost escaped unnoticed.

" Don't think that I will forget how useful you are," Tann called after her.

" Oh ho,!" She turned on her heel to face him half way down the steps giving him the high ground. " Just useful?" She put a hand over her heart. " But it would be a shame to be forgotten,"

His lip twitched. " I thank you for your help,"

" And I thank you for keeping me from killing Addison. And Spender,"

" For someone who is calm, you hold a chasm of hate," Tann shook a finger at her. " Your beauty fools even me at times,"

She quirked a brow. " Really? From the bureaucrat? Well, at least I make an excellent spy then,"

He went back to tapping at the console. " I know too well what you are capable of. Where you draw lines. Why you draw lines,"

She walked back over to him and leaned on the console casually. " Tann,"

He blinked in confusion.

" I hope we can be friends, not just colleagues," She watched his blank expression with growing internal frustration. " Working with you has been a privilege,"

He blinked again. " I-"

" Will we work together in the future?" She pushed before he thought too much about it. Her heart hammered in her chest as she pondered a future without him.

Finally he spoke. " I would never refuse the opportunity to work with you again,"

" I-I thank you," She stood up straight and sighed. " Take it easy on the kid,"

" His next assignment is convincing Addison to vote on increasing personnel at Eos," Tann replied seriously. " Because of your brother, more people are confident we can make our plants grow here and the environment won't roll over us,"

She smiled gently.

" We're already prepping to remove cryo blockers for willing colonists," Tann looked her over like she was interested. She motioned him to lean in. He did so after he noticed the smirk nipping at her mouth's corner. " After we settle the galaxy I will add your name to the list," She pat his head affectionately and made to leave.

His eyes followed her.

" Don't break the new help!" She called over her shoulder at him on her way out.

Tann, unfortunately, underestimated Addison and overestimated his new help. Kandros sent Addison to the med lab for care and the kid to a cell to think off the decision to engage in fisticuffs. Kandros pinged Sara to bail out the new kid. Sara arrived with the intent to murder someone. Kandros rivaled her. " I know that we all loathe Addison, but assaulting her?"

" I don't suppose asking you to let him go is doable?"

" NO."

She put her hand up. " I had two hours of sleep last night," She explained. " And now I'm working on less than three hours. What are my options with him?" Said human leaned against the wall and stared at him.

Kandros heaved in growing irritation. " If I let him go, it'll make Tann look back. If I keep him in a few days, we add to the stress of this station. What do yo suggest I do?" Sara chewed her lip in thought, shifting weight from one foot to another.

" Community service. Send him off the Nexus to Eos. Give his anger a purpose. Besides he knows how to handle a weapon and himself. How banged up is Addison?" Sara rubbed her eyes. She looked forward to sleep on the Tempest. Kandros's right hand showed her a picture over kandros's shoulder. Sara let out a whistle. Definite Eos material,"

Kandros huffed. " I vote you Director of Nexus,"

" Why? Because I actually put up with people and come up with creative solutions?" Her mind refused to be creative right now. Eyelids throbbed. They were lucky she even made it to the tram.

Kandros put his hand on her shoulder. " You look like shit. Go sleep it off. Hug your brother tomorrow. Seek your adventure," She covered a yawn. He walked her to the tram and then to her room. Before she said goodnight, Kandros pulled her into a kiss and carried her to the bed. Sara clung to him as he laid on top of her and trailed his talons along her sides.

" Kandros?" She cupped his cheeks.

He looked her in the eye. " Yes?"

" I don't know too much about Turians,"

" I don't know too much about humans either,"

She yanked him down into a kiss. Kandros didn't care if this pissed off Tann. He admired Sara's ambitions, professionalism, and character. Sara was tired of waiting for Tann to realize her interest in him, and she was tired of holding out on her own physical pleasures. She was never the homebody, monogamous type anyway. And Tann as a Salarian was asexual. This was her relief in the here and now and she wasn't ashamed to embrace it.