Sara laid on a cot in excruciating pain, Drack pinning her down by the shoulders and Dr. Harihn already fished out the three rounds that penetrated the armor with Lexi's help. Vetra and Cora forced Scott to stand back as Sara's life precariously depended on medicine and hopes. Liam and Jaal guarded the ship in the absence of its protective crew. A guilty Peebee waited out Scott's yelling lecture sure to come about responsibility and communicating.

The dispatched orders from Lexi already created a ripple effect. Commander Do Xeel warned Evfra that the human almost died. Evfra warned Paaran Shie, and Paaran Shie sent Director Tann a request to transfer responsibility of the human back to the Initiative. Director Tann, upon hearing about Sara's fragile state, demanded Scott return Sara to Nexus for rest and recuperation.

By the time Sara was even remotely aware of the world around her, the Tempest departed Voeld and left behind a world of snow, ice, and bitter cold. Vetra and Drack planned for Scott to be distracted, giving Cora the preference when they needed information. Peebee stayed in the escape pod or research area while Jaal and Scott attempted to provide Lexi relief from watching over Sara 24/7.

A heavily medicated Sara with a garishly bright yellow cast was carried off the Tempest by Scott and Jaal. A very, very, very irritated Jarun Tann waited for them with a wheelchair and security head Tiran Kandros. Sara's face lit up when she spotted the pair. In that moment Scott held no doubts about Tann's loyalties.

" Hello, handsome," Sara cooed up at Tann, whose expression softened only a little. " Long time, no see,"

Tann pat her head. " Likewise," Scott and Drack's curiously confused - appalled faces quickly changed to serious when Tann looked over the Pathfinder team. " Refuel, restock, rest, and then set back out first thing tomorrow. We need the Moshae and the Moshae needs you,"

Sara fake saluted her friends and companions. Tann started her up the ramp. Kandros stayed behind for a deeper debriefing. Her living quarters restored, Sara was helped into her bed by Tann before Tann sized up her current abilities from her present condition before reading Lexi's report.

" She's a Ryder" He remarked to Tann. " I'll have one of my help watch after her tonight. Tomorrow I'll conduct a physical and see if she will be able to be put on a duty roster,"

" She is clearly injured beyond physical usefulness at the moment," Tann protested. " I will not risk her future health for productivity,"

Dr. Carlisle bowed out of Tann's way. Tann brushed back Sara's hair affectionately. Awkwardly out of place, Kandros waited till Dr. Carlisle noticed him to involve himself. Letting himself out again, Dr. Carlisle nodded in passing to Kandros.

" The Pathfinder said that she responded to an emergency transmission. Ambushed by kett and then trapped in the frozen wilderness for hours," Kandros explained the cause of the current disabilities. " Two other team members made it back to the base. " Three unaccounted for,"

Tann didn't give a fuck about angaran casualties. Sara lay in a bed unable to defend herself!

Noting Tann's clearly angered state of being, Kandros put space between them. Clearly the director cared about Sara. " If anyone needs me, I will be here," Tann informed Kandros before tucking the chair to the side and sitting in the kitchenette to read the reports.

A half hour later, Dr. Carlisle's help showed up and checked vitals. Tann prepared a small meal for Sara as the medicine faded and reality took grip. She struggled to sit up relying on Tann to help.

" I assume you are aware they found survivors of the turian ark," Brina said as Sara tapped the cast. " On an alien planet of all places,"

Tann pressed a finger to his lips.

" Yes,, we did," Sara replied, tempted to go back to sleep. " And no we don't know who the ark is,"

" And that you discovered asari ark survivors on Eos?" Undeterred Brina moved closer to Sara.

Sara sighed. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move her leg. A headache pinged in relentless fury. If she acted weak in front of Tann he may not let her out of her quarters. " We have,"

" But no salarian ark,"

"No," Sara glanced at Tann. She vowed to find the ark on Tann and Kallo's behalf. " If you're really interested in what is occurring-"

" Is it true that your brother discovered an ancient angaran A.I?"

Tann pointed at the door. " I will instruct when we need you," Brina pouted before scampering back to the Hyperion. Tann made himself comfortable again at Sara's side. " What really happened?" He demanded as she cut up the food clumsily.

Sara let loose an avalanche of details of Peebee's grand misadventure on Voeld that coincidentally included a kett ambush and mission coordinates for the Resistance. Tann insisted she not return to the planet and swore that she only need to ask for her choice in assignments. That exact moment she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

" I'm happy where I'm at. With you," She meant every word.

Tann touched his cheek in embarrassment.

" It's quite alright to not know how to respond. I mean it's not like I can change that you're aromantic. I take comfort in your company, and that is all I need,"

Lately Tann started to doubt if he were truly aromantic. His obsession with gaining Sara's trust and good opinion entered the romantic territory. " You are always welcome in my life, Sara,"

" And you in mine," Sara stubbed the piece of potato and shoved it in her mouth. Tann leaned back in his chair and mulled over his recent confusion. " I do have one question for you though," She misaimed at the round mass several times. " If you don't mind, I am a sexual being,"

HIs face dead panned. " Are you asking permission?"

Sara giggled. " Maybe. I want my cake and eat it too,"

He leaned forward. " I am asexual and aromantic. I find calm in your presence, and I prefer your company. I want you to be - to be certain you are certain that I am what you want," No her certainly did not want her to be unhappy, nor did he feel any sort of possessiveness toward her. " And if I am, then...yes. You can 'have and eat the cake too'," Her shoulders sagged in relief and she resumed eating her meal in true piece.

Tann decided that he wasn't going to interfere with her sexual interest in Kandros. She deserved to have her needs met, just as he did. She satisfied him and had yet to embarrass him. Only after she fell asleep, he called back Brina to watch over Sara. He caught Kandros clocking off the shift and heading toward the living quarters.

He held out his hand to Kandros. " Take good care of her,"

The turian nodded. " I will," He shook Tann's hand, actually pitying the male salarian. Kandros regret to inform Sara the following day that he involved himself with another female turian. He called off their sexual hijinks, leaving Sara secured with Tann's loyalty and lacking sexual satisfaction. In a mild bout of depression and anxiety, Sara hobbled about the Nexus determined to not be a total liability.

Word spread fast enough for people to treat Sara differently. Those who figured that Sara influenced Tann, tried to woo her into their point of view. Those who wanted to bring Tann to his knees made her life difficult. Those who didn't care one way or another became Sara's favorite kind of person. She spent every other night at the Vortex with Kandros drinking and talking about the angara, Voeld, Havarl, and the Resistance. On the rare occasion she spent a night alone, she emailed Scott for updates.

Tann's second night in Sara's living quarters welcomed him to the spoils of cuddling and pillow talk. By the sixth night he decided that while he is asexual and aromantic, he liked knowing Sara trusted him. Seeing her naked stirred nothing but her mind - her mind transported him to the closest 'home' he could claim in Andromeda. By the second week of her presence on the Nexus, Tann already plotted how to keep her near him as often as possible. He learned to love the confusion Sara inspired in him and he never once complained about the Ryders again.

Dr. Carlisle kept an eye on the fledgling love affair, going as far as to advise Sara on how to conduct herself sexually if it ever went that far. Her thorough embarrassment proved that despite being a fully capable woman, she still emotionally needed the confirmation of a lover for validity. He shared stories of her father with her during her well visits in an effort to engender a connection that she could trust him. Sara trusted few people and Harry Carlisle little by little started to earn it.

Life started to settle down for Sara as it heated up for Scott. He now strategized with the angara to breach the facility where the Moshae was behind held. The impregnable shield currently taunted him and the team Evfra sent to accompany them. Scott hoped that Sara got along better than him at the moment. He had a gut feeling that he'd end up worse off than Sara taking the three rounds and being slammed forcefully.

He had no idea how wrong his prediction was.