CHAPTER #5

Her reaction to space travel was very different from her reaction to space stations.

Maybe it was because one was done by nature and the other created by us meaningless humans. Maybe it was the fact that, once, long ago when someone explained to her the concept of the universe, it was constantly hammered in the fact it was vast and limitless. Maybe it was the amount of time space was shown on movies or marketing, being something in the border between reached and conquered. Maybe it was the fact that she never really had much contact with expensive, professionally done things. Maybe it was the fact that its magnitude was much more palpable than the universe's.

All she knew was, when she stopped silently mocking her body-guards for having their heads buried in their tools because the IV announced an ETA of 5 minutes to their destination, and turned towards the window to observe said destination, her mouth fell open. They were so close to it, or maybe it was so big and long, that she couldn't see its sides. It seemed they were coming up from below it and she expected a shadow to fall over them that never came. And she frowned in frustration when the window began turning opposite from the structure because the ship's airlock was on the other side. A hand on her shoulder took her out of her trance, and she looked up to find Varric Haymitch smiling at her fondly.

"Are you done glaring at the stars, kid?" He asked.

She retorted by playfully glaring at him. He only chuckled. She looked back to see the other guys standing in their usual square formation, missing her at the center and Haymitch on the left back. She looked back at the old man, considered admitting that she'd miss him, but she just smiled instead.

Entering the station, they encountered immediately a man with stern disposition and an assault rifle. "Is she it?" He asked without preamble.

"This is the one from the incident." Confirmed Tom. The incident? Prinle raised an eyebrow.

Stern-y nodded. "Then you are dismissed." And just like that, the four men turned and left without a word. She was momentarily caught off-guard at how sudden that was, and supposed she would have to consider that little interaction with the old-man as her goodbye. Stern-y motioned for her to follow, and took her to a great room with multiple desks, all of which were empty. Still, he stopped beside one. She sat down as there seemed there was nothing else she was meant to do. A door opened from the right far side of the room, and a coat man with way too much data-pads in hand sat down across from her. He fumbled with them for a bit, before finding the one he was looking for, and settling.

"Confirm please." He said in a nosy voice as he scrolled down a page. "Name: Prinly Shepard."

She sucked in an annoyed breath, she had forgotten how people confused her name. Time in the gang had spoiled her in that, at least. "My name is pronounced as if it was Prinl-'a'."

"So, what, Prinlay? Prinla?"

"No- Prin-leh."

"Your mother is registered as a red sand addict and you were reported disappeared by a neighbor seven years ago. Did you escape?"

"Yeah, sorta."

"Because of your mother's addiction?"

"What do you think?"

Dorky looked up from his data-pad. "I think so, but I can't just- not without-"

"Yes."

"You were rescued by an orphanage two-month after in a dehydrated and impaired state. Correct?"

"I was taken by an orphanage." She corrected, knowing full well she was fine at the time, if a little hungry. It was not like she hadn't passed hunger before going to the streets.

"And you abandoned it two years later?"

"I rescued myself." She smiled sweetly, the man furrowed his brow but said nothing.

"And several weeks back from this date you are captured after performing an attempt at robbery from an unidentified gang at the moment. Would it be correct to assume you- uhm- joined up shortly after you- uh, rescued yourself or escaped?"

"It's never correct to assume, mister."

He blinked. "But the hypothesis is correct?"

"Sure."

"Who taught you how to use your biotics."

"Self-trained." But healed, always healed. She really couldn't hate Kein remembering things like that.

"That is impossible miss."

"It is the truth, do whatever the fuck you want with it." The man seemed taken aback by her cursing, he ducked behind his data-pad as he pressed something in it as though he was defending himself. Almost funny, really.

"AndI understand you are unwilling to cooperate with the police in this matter? Offering information?" His tone made her understand it had nothing to do with the last question.

"How do you know?"

"Just confirming, miss." He mumbled nervously, Prinle distantly remembered Perfect-thrid-jerk-soldier asking her a few questions she refused to answer. The man's typing stopped before he continued. "Age 16?"

"Yes."

"Birthday is-"

"Four months from now, I believe."

The man checked, nodded and stood up. "That is all. Umm, good day." He began picking up his data-pads, and he hadn't finished when Stern-y began moving again and she was forced to follow.

As soon as she passed the first door after that, she realized this place as not made for comfort. The thin, too bright, and straight highway they came into with too much doors was not welcoming. They walked at a steady pace by various doors, all locked, all a bit taller than most she was used to were, before reaching the very last one at the end of the hallway. He waved his omni-tool and stepped aside for her to step in. It was the first time in her life she ever saw a turian, and she suddenly understood why the doors were bigger.

Author's Note: WE ARE FINALLY HERE! Brain Camp! Please tell me if you find any inconsistencies.