Lidanya awoke with a start, the last dream fading from her consciousness but for fleeting images of alluring shapes, and her quickened pulse and a flush on her skin. She found her thoughts inescapably returning to Velana… Vel, already thinking about the next time she could see the asari, thinking up excuses to call her up …before she caught herself, overcome by rare uncertainty. Is it presumptuous of me to think she would see me a third day straight? Why would she? I… I should not.

She breathed out heavily, and steeled herself. There was nothing wrong in sending Vel a thank-you note. She turned to her wrist to tap a quick message on her OT before discarding her tangled sheets and heading for the shower.

[lta] Vel, I enjoyed your company very much, thank you. You made the rest of the evening bearable. —Lidanya

Vel glanced aside from a half-disassembled Disciple as her omni-tool beeped. The morning had been quiet, and there was nothing to keep her company but the constant droning of ventilation fans and the deep, low rumbling of the Ascension's drive core that permeated throughout the ship. At least the boarding operation from the day before kept the armory busy with an influx of captured Cerberus weapons.

After departing from the lunch with the captain, Vel had spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know the squad leaders and where she might help, always keeping an eye on her omni-tool, expecting... something. It was bold of her to expect Lidanya would contact her again, but perhaps their enjoyable time together had made her hope...

And now the omni-tool blinked with an incoming text from the matriarch. Vel tried to contain her grin as she set down the weapon and tapped the highlighted icon to open the message body. Glancing around at the other asari milling about the armory, she turned towards an isolated corner and typed a reply.

[v.t'ria] I'm happy to hear that. I enjoyed our conversation. I hope the Council meeting didn't feel too tedious afterwards

Lidanya padded back to her living space, toweling herself off. A shiver took her by surprise, running up her spine at the sight of the tremendously mundane and usually burdensome message light flicking on her terminal. She quickly read her dozen or so messages, discarding all but one… the one that she reread time and again as she hesitated before replying, trying to choose her words very carefully.

[lta] No, I had something to occupy my mind during their endless debates. How is your day shaping up? Has your squad found a good use for you yet, or have you found an undertaking yourself?

Vel paused and allowed her mind to wander—only briefly—at Lidanya's reply.

Something.

Pushing aside presumptuous thoughts, her fingers found the holographic keys again, but her lips were still curled in a small smile.

[v.t'ria] I suppose one can't help but mentally escape during those Council debates... And no, I haven't been sent anywhere specific, though I've taken up weapon maintenance... something I was doing too while aboard Normandy.

[lta] I nearly asked if you knew your way around weapons… but of course you do. I do not think I have touched one in a decade, myself. I am certain they will find something for you. If nothing else, my staff keeps telling me I should have a bodyguard.

[v.t'ria] Really? I'd think the Ascension is safe enough for her captain to walk around, but I can understand the paranoia of some people... Did they tell you to refresh your weapon training too?

[lta] The Ascension is. It is when I visit other ships, and especially the Citadel after this last incident. And I still remember which way to hold a gun. I have never used a thermal clip one, though. This must sound silly to you.

The little confession in the end did bring a smile to Vel's face. It was to be expected, perhaps. Thermal clips only became widespread after the Battle of the Citadel, and being a captain at that time, Lidanya wouldn't have had a reason so pick it up...

Suddenly Vel had a tangential realization, Lidanya was commanding the Citadel Fleet during Sovereign's attack.... Silently awed and making a mental note to ask the captain later about this pivotal battle, she sent back a reply.

[v.t'ria] Not as silly as you'd think, thermal clips only happened a few years ago anyway. I'd recommend switching over though, it's important to know self-defense even if you have a bodyguard...

[lta] I am sure you are correct. I just have never felt the need, nor had a reason to learn. You would not happen to know anyone who could perhaps show me these new technologies, perhaps help practice a little…?

Lidanya grimaced inwardly at her poor attempt at playfulness and the rather inartful plea, but sent the message anyway. She fastened her uniform, anxiously waiting for the commando's reply before getting up from the corner of the bed she had sat on.

Vel read Lidanya's message a few times, considering whether or not to volunteer. Was the captain genuinely inquiring about a shooting instructor, or was it an attempt... And how should she word her reply so she wouldn't come off as desperate? After a brief internal debate, Vel decided to keep the message inviting, short and to the point.

[v.t'ria] If you like, I'd be honored to walk you through these new weapons... I'll be at the range for the next little while.

[lta] I would like that. I will try to make some time.

Lidanya flashed a private, relieved smile before striding out the door, Ami quietly falling in step with her as she headed for the scheduled maneuvers by the on-duty fighter wings.


Lidanya tried to hide the insecurity she felt under her normal confidence as she strode toward Vel two hours later. She spotted the asari from a distance away, the teal and magenta drawing her eye like a magnet. If there were others at the range, she did not notice. She paused for a breath before moving again, unable to ignore her excitement and the warm flutter she felt deep within. Goddess, I am acting like a maiden.

Vel glanced up to see Lidanya approach. The captain was her usual confident self as she took measured and controlled strides towards the table at the firing position. Vel quickly looked down to the Disciple that she was setting up when Lidanya was close enough and looked back up again, putting on a warm smile.

"Hi! You made it."

Lidanya smiled in return when she came to a halt next to Vel, eyes meeting the asari's for a moment before she turned her gaze at the weapon. "I would not miss this for anything. I hope I did not make you wait?" she asked, smiling uncertainly. Surreptitiously, she checked on her OT that Ami was doing alright with the task she had delegated, still terrified of letting go of even that small bit of control.

"Not at all, I planned to stay here for the day anyway," Vel said and set down the weapon, smiling to try to ease any worry she sensed in Lidanya. Though from the glances that the captain were giving to her omnitool, perhaps it wasn't something easily let go. "Thermal clips are really easy to figure out. What would you like to try first?"

"I…" Lidanya started. She looked around at all the weaponry laid out, thinking a pistol would probably be wise but eventually turning to Vel—both for her expertise, and to test her reaction and demeanor. "…Why don't you tell me?"

Vel quirked her brows slightly at the unexpected question, though her surprise was quickly replaced by an analytical eye as she appraised Lidanya's small frame. "Maybe you can start with a pistol? I think that's fitting for an officer, and it's a good starting point to understanding thermal clips."

Lidanya stared at Vel intently before her expression softened back into a smile. She nodded. "I trust you on this. Do you have a… a favorite one?"

Vel looked back up, pausing briefly under the captain's intent stare, her mind racing behind her calm exterior at different possibilities, but she settled down again when Lidanya smiled. "Yes, the Predator. It's a fast weapon."

"I have seen a few of these, of course… and that one looks quite nice," Lidanya said, her finger stopping to point at the distinctly non-asari-looking, reasonably compact but robust Predator after gesturing at the wide array of pistols on display, "but you can tell me which one actually is good."

Vel watched as Lidanya browsed through the weapons like merchandise on display, and she quickly suppressed a chuckle when the captain inquired about her opinion. "The compactness is the Predator's strong point, actually..." she said, picking up the turian-originated pistol and a few thermal clips. "It's able to empty out a clip fairly rapidly without too much kick. I prefer it over ones that focus too much on one end of the spectrum..."

Lidanya raised an amused brow, mouth quirking slightly. "Ah, it is both beautiful and lethal, then? I like that… Show me."

"You can decide whether you do after the demonstration..." Vel flashed a smirk while she loaded her Predator and turned towards the target. The commando took aim after the briefest pause, and blue flares of muzzle flash soon spewed from the weapon rapidly, lighting everything in sharp contrast as Vel emptied the clip downrange. As the last shot drew into a ringing echo she picked up and pushed a fresh clip into the pistol without taking her eyes off the target and emptied it again before the first clip hit the floor.

Lidanya bit into her bottom lip unconsciously, guiltily thrilled by the demonstration of graceful efficiency. She dearly hoped it was at least in small part for her benefit. She had seen good warriors before. This one… this one was good. She waited for the noise to die down. "That was… amazing," she said in a low voice as she stood quietly admiring Vel, a little taken aback by the surge of primitive attraction that the display had caused in her.

Vel ejected the empty clip, deactivated the Predator and put it back on the table gingerly. "Just to show you what this pistol can do," she replied, feeling the heat from Lidanya's admiring gaze, and the maiden may have lingered on the unspoken draw in the captain's eyes for too long before wearing a humble smile.

Lidanya tried for a small smile. "I am quite certain that the pistol cannot do that if I am the one using it, Vel… How do you keep it so steady? The still recoil seems very strong." She looked down at the weapon and leaned in to to brush her fingers lightly over the metal.

"You just need practice..." Vel smiled and said, lifting her hand and let a wispy blue flare drift off. "And biotics. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it can counteract the recoil... Would you like to try?"

Lidanya smiled at Vel, and fell silent for a moment trying to decide if she should show off her biotics. She might even have come close to Vel's power… but she did not truly want to try. She enjoyed being the weaker one, she realized with a slight thrill. She cleared her throat and spoke, a bit embarrassed at her hoarseness. "Yes, please."

"Right." Vel smiled, glad for Lidanya's eagerness to learn, even though she was sure that the matriarch was skilled in biotics. She picked up the pistol and handed it to the asari grip-first, indicating a slot with her other hand. "First... load the clip."

Lidanya took the weapon by the still-warm handle, and turned it around in her hand to get a feel for the weight of it. She watched Vel's instruction and slid the clip in before turning her eyes back to Vel's. "It feels a little heavier than I remember. It is not too bad, though. And it ejects here?" she asked, pointing, and hefted the weapon once more.

Vel leaned over slightly, only inches away from Lidanya, though her attention was entirely directed towards pointing out various parts on the pistol. "...Yes, and here's the switch for cycling through different ammo types..." the commando explained, occasionally catching glimpses from Lidanya. She smiled softly, making sure the captain was following before continuing, "...and here's the ammo count if you need to find out."

Lidanya ran her fingers along the touch interface for the ammunition, lightly pressing one after another to see how long it took to switch the mode. She smiled to herself, as much for the capable weapon as the flutter that the stirring of air from Vel moving so close caused in her chest. "Is it hot? The clip, I mean… I assume so. Must one take precautions when ejecting it?" she asked while raising the weapon to aim her finger still off the trigger, and then lowered it, poorly mimicking Vel's graceful reloading to try to visualize the ejection. "What if I have, say, you right there next to me, as we are now… must I move away? Turn away?"

"Yes, it's hot. The clip, I mean. In real combat hopefully..." Vel answered, looking up, her voice trailing off into a strangled whisper as she realized how close she had moved to Lidanya. "...Hopefully we'll never be this close," she cleared her throat quietly, slowly shifting back from the captain as to not appear too abrupt. "Because that means we're hopelessly cornered. But yes... if we were, I'd turn away from the clip."

Lidanya lowered the weapon again, tapping muzzle the against her thigh almost unconsciously. She looked up at Vel with a sad smile. "Hopelessly cornered, you say? If I need to use this at all, things have gone very badly already… I do not think it at all unlikely that I would end up cornered then. And if I do, I certainly hope I have someone like you with me."

"Thank you for your confidence..." Vel replied. Never had she talked about being cornered this lightheartedly, but the thought of huddling behind cover with the captain as they fought off enemies did put a coy grin on her face... It was silly, but the words were flattering. "I do hope we never have to encounter that situation..."

Lidanya's smile broadened as she sought out Vel's eyes and straightened up, the weapon still at her side. "So, I must be careful not to set things on fire… Reasonable enough. Now, let me try this thing… you did something with your elbow and shoulder. Like this?" she asked, raising the weapon to aim properly this time, her offhand steadying the other at the wrist, her elbow and shoulder at a shallow angle.

Vel stood back slightly, speaking distractedly as she inspected Lidanya's stance, "You don't have to worry about setting things on fire, there's another weapon for that purpose..." The posture could use adjustment, and she took a half step towards Lidanya's side, leading into the question as she looked up inquiringly and ventured, "may I?"

Lidanya held the warrior's gaze for a moment before giving her a small nod. She tried to relax her posture, steadfastly ignoring the creeping tension in her shoulders and lower back, and breathed deliberately and deeply. "Please."

Vel looked at Lidanya for a second, trying to ignore the deep inhalations taken by the captain to relax. "Right, first..." she moved closer, lifting her hands to Lidanya's off-hand without hesitation—dwelling on it would only worsen the small flush swelling up in her—and nudged it to rest under the pistol grip with gentle pushes of her fingers. "Keep your arms straight, and..." Her hands traced along under Lidanya's arms as she explained, before patting her lower back lightly, "keep your upper body leaning back slightly."

Lidanya breathed in sharply at the touch on her back, and then deeply to hide the reaction before she tried concentrating on finding her relaxed posture again. One by one she reasserted control over the muscles that the casual touch had made shiver. She fervently hoped that her tense sensitivity wouldn't turn into ticklishness as she tilted backwards while trying to keep her new, more stable form, eyes returning on Vel's for the asari's approval. "Better?"

Vel felt her cheeks darken as Lidanya inhaled sharply upon her touch, her mind racing to push out thoughts of the effect she was having on the asari, reeling back to focus on making sure the captain's firing stance was correct. "Better..." she murmured, patting Lidanya's shoulders again, signaling the captain to relax her muscles, and with her fingertip lightly lifted the asari's chin to align with the pistol's sight. "Now you're ready."

Lidanya breathed out, finding herself gradually relaxing under Vel's expert hands, trusting her guidance. Struggling against the urge to nod at Vel—and at the same time feeling profoundly uncomfortable with her neck so exposed—she settled for looking once more in her mentor's eyes for approval, and then turned her gaze to the targets downrange. "I will try without biotics first, see how the recoil works…" Her words were more a mutter to herself as she slid her finger over the safety and then onto the trigger. She took one more deep breath in, and with a smooth squeeze fired the weapon, caring less for hitting the target than Vel's verdict.

The commando's eyes were fixed on Lidanya as soon as the pistol's safety clicked to Armed, following the captain carefully as the trigger was squeezed. She only peripherally noticed the shot being fired, focusing more instead on Lidanya's posture. The asari's nervousness seemed to have subsided after the last look in her eyes, and the combat experience of the matriarch showed in her smooth firing motion. "Very good..." Vel said over Lidanya's shoulder, smiling. "With practice, you'll get used to the weapon."

Lidanya smiled cautiously—first to herself, and then turning her head slightly so that Vel could see her expression. She nodded, enjoying the asari's soft breath on her skin.

Without another word she closed her eyes reliving the motion of her body during the shot and, pushing her chest slightly forward and rolling her shoulders, summoned her barrier. The blue-purple energy flared between her shoulder blades and flowed up to her neck in two columns, cascading over her shoulders and winding around her arms. She turned her eyes back on the target, brow furrowing as she concentrated on feeling her field, on how it would live around her body when she fired.

Once more she slid the safety off, and with a calm breath squeezed the trigger again and again until the clip was spent. She lowered the weapon to her side silently and let her field subside before looking back at Vel from the corner of her eye, quite displeased at her own lack of finesse and anxious about the disapproval of her rashness that she was sure Vel felt. "I… I'm sorry. I should've asked if you were ready…"

Vel stood back as blue-purple energy spurred from Lidanya, taking in the sight as the biotic glow hugged and flowed fluidly along the asari's taut shooting stance. The captain's aura was refined and controlled; a marked difference from the brute force of a Vanguard. Ripples ran smoothly along Lidanya's arms as the pistol's recoil was absorbed after each shot, and Vel could only admire the grace and ease with which Lidanya commanded and manipulated mass around her.

"Beautifully done..." she praised as the last echo died down and continued with a teasing smile, "were you a commando before becoming a captain?"

Lidanya frowned, not quite sure what to make of Vel's smile. She let her head hang as she looked down at the weapon to make sure she was touching the correct spot to turn the safety back on. "No, I'm just old," she said, frown deepening. She glanced over at the results table from the target only to find it barely satisfactory. "This is why they gave me the Ascension to shoot with."

Vel didn't expect Lidanya's anxiety, and the frown looked so out-of-place after the commendable biotic performance. She ventured, squeezing the captain's shoulder lightly and encouragingly. "But your command of biotics is excellent... if I may be so presumptuous as to compliment. And your accuracy will improve over time," she said, turning to glance at the results and grinned. "Better than a lot of crew members on human ships."

Lidanya found herself unexpectedly smiling, Vel's words and touch dissolving her disappointment over her performance. She looked up at the target once more before turning back to look at Vel over her shoulder. "Thank you. I do need to practice… with both the weapon and my biotics."

Recalling the earlier advice, she turned around to face Vel… but didn't move away as she did, standing instead just as close as they had been, barely a handspan away when she looked intently into the asari's eyes. At her side, she raised her armed hand just high enough to safely eject the clip into the unoccupied space with a light touch. "Do you keep in touch with the humans? Made friends among them?"

Vel withdrew her hand as Lidanya turned around. She should have been moving back from their close proximity, but Lidanya's eyes seemed to be telling her otherwise. So she stood where she was, watching the captain barely a foot before her, whose smile and light conversational tone let Vel see the asari in an entirely different light. "I've made friends—humans or non—and some I'd trust with my life. Though with the war... it's hard to have a get-together."

Lidanya held her gaze quietly for a few seconds before turning to face downrange again. She lifted the pistol up to her waist to somewhat ungracefully insert the replacement clip into the weapon, and then raised it to aim. She shrugged her biotic tendrils back to life, but on second thought let the field die away, thinking that Vel might be able to judge her posture better without the biotic assistance. She turned her head toward the asari, brow raised questioningly. "Hard? It is. You might not know if they are alive, let alone nearby… but you should try to meet. How is this?" she asked, making minor corrections in her stance.

"No biotics? You can try, though the recoil may be hard to control at this stage," Vel said, raising her brows as Lidanya roughly reloaded the weapon, but the procedure was still acceptable. She took a step back, taking in consideration of the stronger kick, and continued as she waited for the captain to fire, "I do try to meet. Now that I'm so close to the Citadel... I should be able to catch whoever is here for some R&R."

Lidanya took Vel's movement to mean that her posture wasn't too badly off and, adhering to the advice, shrugged again as the physical mnemonic to bring forth her field. Recalling the last attempt, she moderated its power slightly, concentrating the field more where it was needed, and creating a little buffer field to help her realign the weapon again after. Tilting her chin up like Vel had shown her, a little higher than she was naturally comfortable with, she took careful aim and fired into the target until the warning for the thermal capacity came up on the small display of the weapon.

She scanned her handiwork, satisfied that the more focused biotics seemed to have kept her results at about the same level while tiring her much less. She turned toward the weapons table, looking sidelong at Vel when she put the Predator down. "You should. Most superiors will understand, and make time for you if possible. Have you given any further consideration for what you would like your role to be?"

Lidanya's fluid control of her aura kept Vel's attention like a mesmerizing dance of ribbons. The wispy flow of the mass-warping field was reserved, yet undeniably beautiful as they ebbed and flowed along Lidanya's delicate frame, and the muted arcs of energy bleeding between blue tendrils did little to conceal the power being wielded by the matriarch.

"I have," she said, looking back to the target, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. "I may be out of line, but if you need a bodyguard..."

Lidanya turned her eyes back to the desk while she slowly and deliberately placed the pistol in its slot. She stayed silent, hoping that Vel would take it as thoughtfulness or gravitas rather than the effort to hide her warm flush of joy that it was. She turned around to half-lean, half-sit on the edge of the table, and crossed her arms lightly as she looked sternly back up at Vel. "I would not have mentioned it had I not wanted to. So no, you are not out of line." Noting that she may have overdone the somberness, she offered a small smile. "There are a few things that we must address if you do wish to do this, however."

Vel unconsciously snapped to attention when the captain looked at her sternly, recognizing the mask of command, though the smile helped relax her a little. Her lips curled up into a polite smile while her mind switched to briefing mode. "What might those things be?" she asked in a somber tone.

"First…" Lidanya started, raising her arm to point and drawing a lazy circle around Vel with her index finger, her smile turning into a playful grin. "This has to go. I understand it will take you a little while to get back to the way we do things, but even beyond that… You cannot hesitate because of rank when you must act. When it comes to my person, you will be the boss. Can you do that?"

Vel's eyes followed the circle in the air and back at Lidanya, wondering what "this" meant. Only a second later it sunk in, and she blushed in embarrassment, trying to stand at ease in a not-so-obvious way. "Um, I understand. And yes, I'm aware of the responsibilities of a bodyguard. I can do that."

Lidanya looked at the commando with a quiet smile before cocking her head to the side. "Good. The second thing… well, we have already done some background work on you, but my security chief will want to do a little bit more, so you will need to speak with her. That I do not assume to be a problem. The third thing…" she started, looking down as her expression regained its seriousness. "Someone will need to verify your trustworthiness in a limited melding." She paused briefly before looking back up to gauge Vel's reaction. "One of my officers can or, if you prefer, I will."

All the requirements so far were standard procedures, and Vel nodded intermittently to indicate that she was okay with the various checks. The melding, however... it was always more comfortable to share thoughts with a familiar asari, and—as she silently admitted with an inward smile—Lidanya was the most familiar to Vel on this ship.

"I'll need you to trust me completely, and vice versa," she inhaled and said finally, meeting the captain's gaze. "It's important to see for yourself."

Lidanya pushed herself off the table, her smile freer now with the intense relief. "Thank you…I am glad you feel that way. Now…" she said, moving a step closer to take Vel lightly by the shoulder before continuing, "I clearly need much more practice, but that can wait."

She reluctantly let go of Vel's shoulder and brought her OT up to check her schedule. "I only have a few minutes to eat before I need to leave for the Citadel. Will you join me? Or are you not done with your guns yet?"

Vel returned the smile, her face brightening from the captain's relaxed demeanor, though a faint fluttering replaced the weight of her previous uncertainty when imagined images of their melding bubbled in her mind, until the light touch on her shoulder pulled her back to the present.

"Of course. Anytime you wish to practice, it will be my pleasure to accompany you," Vel replied quickly, and the reluctant withdrawal of Lidanya's hand only very briefly tarnished her excitement for the captain's invitation. "I've already finished what I planned for today," the commando answered, grinning. "So I can definitely use some food."

Lidanya nodded approvingly to herself when Vel turned to tidy up, chattering at the asari's back. "I would like to say that we should do it at your convenience, given that the experience may be more stressful for you… but with my schedule, I am afraid you are in the right. I will make time as soon as I can."

She smiled again when Vel turned back around, nodding her head in the direction of the door before heading that way herself, her feet still feeling particularly—but not inexplicably—light. "Your preference today… what do you wish to eat? You will need the calories."

"I don't think the training was that exhausting..." Vel said with a light laugh, glancing at Lidanya as she caught up and walked beside the captain. "But I do have an idea on what to eat... Are you a fan of asari Palaven cuisine?"

Lidanya cocked a brow as she looked over at Vel, gesturing for her to step into the elevator. "Why yes, I do quite enjoy most of it. You have been around, haven't you…?" she mused with approving smile and selected the common deck as their destination. "I have not read your file in detail yet… Ami did, but I opted to come here and speak with you in person rather than listen to her summary. Where are you from?"

Vel followed Lidanya into the elevator and stood beside the asari, her eyes brightening as she retraced memories of her origin.

"I was born on Thessia," she replied, though the implicit meaning in Lidanya's question did not escape her. "But I spent my childhood on Palaven. Mother liked the idea of immersing me in the two cultures."

"It sounds like a good experience. Too few of us do that. Despite all the talk about enriching our heritage, we still raise our children into the asari ways," Lidanya said quietly, smiling with her own sorrowful memory even as the elevator came to a stop. "I myself spent a few years—too few—on Palaven. The father of my elder daughter was a turian… but I never understood it then. I never tried to fit in… it did not work out in the end, not least because of that."

She shook her head, bemused. "Listen to me lamenting, and old matriarch… I am glad your mother was wiser than I. Had you been back to the homeworld? Before… before this war, I mean. I grew up in Astra, myself… I have not had the heart to see how my home has fared."

Vel smiled softly, reminiscence suddenly filling her expression, though a tiny quirk in the corner of her lips and a barely noticeable wavering of her usually piercing eyes hinted suppressed sorrow from a fresh heartache.

"She is. Was. She was also very accommodating... since Father wasn't going to be around forever. After Father died we moved back to Thessia, until I left and started living on warships," Vel recalled wistfully, the last trace of smile fading from her expression, her gaze lowering. She continued with a small inhalation, as if pained by even the recollection of the hellish devastation she had witnessed, "I was back on Thessia after the invasion. It... It wasn't good."

Hesitating a moment, Lidanya squeezed Vel's shoulder comfortingly, a pang of concern flaring over the maiden's clear distress. "Any time you wish to talk… well, any time I am supposed to be sleeping, probably, with my schedule the way it is, you are welcome to."

Vel flinched slightly at Lidanya's gentle squeeze, mind snapping back from memory. It wasn't an act to avoid the captain's contact, but she was unconsciously keeping a safe distance, afraid that she would lapse into another recollection of Reaper-controlled Thessia, and that the nightmarish images would surface, becoming plain for anyone to sense through touch.

Lidanya stepped out of the elevator, a little taken aback by Vel's shirk but gently urging the commando along, trying to think of a less sensitive topic for the moment. "I do not expect you have gotten used to the sleeping schedule yet?" she asked uncomfortably. " I am not certain what you are accustomed to, but the Ascension runs six on, six off… of course, recently, it has been more ten–twelve hours on, four hours off for me, but that is creating its own problems…"

"I... I have," Vel replied. Glad for the change of subject, she quickly recomposed herself and chuckled; albeit just slightly forced, her eyes hoping to convey gratitude for Lidanya's kindness with searching gaze, despite the rudeness she must have displayed in her moment of memory relapse. "I was briefed on the Ascension's hours on the way here, so I had a bit of time to adjust...

Lidanya clasped her offending hand with the other as they walked, wondering whether she should apologize to Vel… though she found herself unwilling to do so for fear of invoking further bad memories and only making the situation worse,

"...And human ships actually maintain a similar schedule. But," Vel continued, looking at Lidanya with a slight tinge of concern. She hadn't known the captain for long, but it was long enough for her to notice little signs of the weight of responsibility that constantly pressed down on Lidanya's shoulders. "You should really delegate some of your tasks to your officers, and perhaps try the sleeping schedule...

"It's for the good of the fleet," she added lightly, looking over at Lidanya's side profile with a teasing smile. Her own daring remark surprised her, but Lidanya's openness made her feel... familiar—not to mention the slight thrilling amusement from chastising the captain. "We need you well-rested and clear-minded to lead us to battle."

"When I am supposed to sleep, I said," Lidanya clarified, smiling slightly to balance the seriousness of her tone. "I do not sleep much of my off-time, nowadays; adding hours would do little. And Ami does not let me access my files during that time, either, bless her… So spending that time with you instead of staring at the ceiling sounds just fine to me.

"Not that the only reason I want to talk to you is desperate boredom, far from it," she added before she could stop herself, and let out a soft, embarrassed chuckle.

"I didn't think it was…" Vel said quietly and looked away as to not fluster Lidanya any further, but not before stealing one more glance at the captain's eyes, her smile broadening slightly at the candid confession.

Lidanya walked quietly for a moment, slightly abashed and studiously looking anywhere but Vel. "You will like Ami, I think. At least your interests align as far as complaining about my inability to give up control goes," she finally said, allowing a hint of kind disapproval in her voice though she knew both younger asari to be absolutely right.

Stopping to look for a table, Lidanya allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction before turning back to Vel. She didn't need someone who folded under the resistance she knew she'd put up against any attempts to wrest the strings from her hands, and so far the asari was holding her own quite well. Still…

"Perhaps I will..." Vel agreed, joining the game of looking away from each other—in which she cheated a number of times, quietly adoring the faintest sign of fluster on Lidanya.

"Although... I don't sleep much any more either," she said after a moment, remembering the nights when the nightmares were really bad, before quickly sealing away those thoughts, adding with a smile. "So if you need someone to keep you company during your insomniac hours... drop me a line."

"Drop you a line?" Lidanya asked, brows raised in mock indignation, hoping levity would let the maiden forget the worries she seemed to have dredged up. "Perhaps I shall relocate your bunk to my foyer, and throw things at you when I have need of you. You are to guard me, after all."

The image of being pestered by the captain with a rain of thrown objects brought another soft laugh, and Vel wondered how closely this would resemble reality if she was relocated to Lidanya's foyer.

"Of course, ma'am," she said, gliding towards the table, her lips curled in a suppressed smile behind the mock serious tone. "If I am to guard you, I will need to guard you from exhaustion too. And that means: bed time means bed time."

"—Besides, I am needed," Lidanya retorted, sidestepping the demand so as to not reveal the… feeling of approval that Vel's assertiveness caused. "The Council barely listens to me, let alone my staff. The Fora… well, there are a few of us with voice there, but even then it requires the efforts of every one of us. I can hardly forgo that, either."

"I can only imagine the obstacles you face," Vel said, sliding into a seat while listening attentively as Lidanya explained the situation on the Council. Like most in the galaxy, the maiden was cross with the stagnant bureaucracy. And being a commando, she was even less impressed by blatant dismissals coming from the Presidium Tower that left homeworlds defenseless when the Reapers struck. "And they are only making the situation worse by being so difficult."

Lidanya carefully folded herself on the seat opposite Vel, brow furrowed in thought. "No… difficult is not quite it. It is as though they do not remember there is a galaxy outside the soft breezes of the Presidium lakeshore sometimes.

"But those things are mine to worry about," she added, steepling her fingers and briefly touching her lips to the tips as her mind wandered to the meeting ahead… As indolent as she felt thinking about all the work she could have—should have—been doing instead of sitting here, it did bring to the fore exactly how little she had been thinking of anything other than work in the last weeks. Months.

With an imperceptible shake of her head and a frown flashing over her features, she reached over to the menu interface in the center of the table to look for something appetizing. Actually eating food instead of just nutrient bars and energy drinks had been scarce of late, too.

"That's a very accurate description of them…" Vel replied, idly flipping through the holographic menu. "You can see it everywhere on the Citadel, people blind to the fact that there's a galactic war going on elsewhere. It's a shock to adjust to every time I return here.

"And you're right. I have no business prying into Citadel politics," she added, knowing Lidanya was dropping the subject. "But if it helps any to talk about it, I don't mind hearing what's on your mind."

She quickly looked back down at the menu, realizing Lidanya was doing the same thing and not wanting to make her wait. In all this time aboard Destiny Ascension, she hadn't sat down at a table here for a meal, mostly because she didn't know anyone, and the state of weapon maintenance was wanting when she took over the job. But she was glad for the chance to do so now with the captain.

Lidanya paused at the words, instantly turning to Vel. "Do not presume to know what you should and should not ask. Ask, pry, and I will answer if I can," she said sharply—allowing the corner of her mouth to curl up in a small smile to soften her statement when she realized her tone may have been too harsh.

Vel looked up, slightly caught off-guard by Lidanya's sharp tone, but she nodded seriously. If there ever was a time when she disliked her hardwired sense of rank and command, either from her time in the Alliance or her turian upbringing, it would be now.

"I do not expect to be assassinated by the Council, but you will need to be up to date with the politics at a general level, and the goings-on of the fleet and the Citadel itself," Lidanya continued in a softer tone, food forgotten for the moment. "You could do with a crash course, but I expect you will pick up enough during the course of a normal day." She leaned back on her seat. "You also need to work with C-Sec and whatever other security organizations we encounter. They always have a liaison, but it will be better if you know someone personally."

Vel scolded herself mentally, fighting a purple flush that was creeping up her cheeks, and quickly answered, "I do know someone. I've been assigned guard duty inside the Council Chambers before, so I've had numerous contacts with C-Sec.

"The rest… I'm sure I will pick up just by being around."

"I am certain you will," Lidanya agreed. Vel was certainly smart, and remarkably dauntless; the last five candidates her security chief had sent her before giving up had lasted about half as long. In fact… "You would probably start questioning me on your own, given time, but… well, this is who I am. I will control everything unless someone takes the control away from me, and you are likely to be the primary target, being closest," she continued, pausing for a moment to look Vel in the eye. She knew herself well enough after centuries of introspection not to bother with self-deception. "When I am micromanaging you—as I am right now—you are more than welcome to call me out on it, or simply ignore me."

Vel nodded again, this time more firmly and decisively. "Understood. I'm not without my own thought, and I'm certain that I will question you at some point," she said, wearing a lopsided smile. "This... isn't quite 'micromanagement' yet. You should see some of the officers I had. I might well have been a synthetic.

"That said... I will not dismiss your centuries of wisdom for guidance. In most situations. But in cases of security and your safety, I will need your cooperation."

Lidanya nodded approvingly in response, and then let out a small chuckle and shook her head bemusedly. "We came to eat, not to discuss the numerous flaws of mine. I believe I shall be boring and get the vegan selection… that is the one thing I did like about Palaven back then."

Vel gave a bright smile after the serious business had finished and looked back to the menu, bringing up a hologram of a delicious-looking roasted fish filet in the center of the table. "I think I will have this... the fish is from one of the asari garden worlds, but the cooking method and flavoring are done to mimic what the dextro version would taste like to turians."

"Now I really do feel boring," Lidanya said with mock seriousness as she tapped her order in. "At least compared to whichever turian did the levo taste testing for that dish. Or asari the opposite, I suppose," she added after a moment's thought.

"So, you have been around the humans, and the Citadel," Lidanya continued after settling back in her chair, one leg lightly crossed over the other and hands in her lap. "Thessia and Palaven… what about the salarians? Or Terminus interests?"

"I do have a Terminus connection," Vel tapped the table lightly with her finger after going through her mental contact list. To be honest, She didn't venture outside of Citadel space much except on remote missions. "A turian mercenary pilot. We worked together a few times when the commandos needed some outside help. Last time we spoke, her quarian friend was still on Omega. Maybe I can get her to poke around for some intel.

"Salarians though, sometimes they're even more enigmatic than the quarians, despite being on the Council. But if I had to guess…" she lowered her voice conspiratorially low, "I think they are pooling their forces in case the Reapers attack Sur'Kesh. Of course the Councilor would never admit to this…" she added, speaking more normally. "That's it. I was mostly sent to the Terminus for covert ops... Unfortunately the ops were never long enough for me to mingle with the locals."

"Any Terminus connections you have will become useful if the rumors are to be believed. Pity about the salarians… they are sneaky bastards," Lidanya mused, voice slightly lowered but conversational again. She nodded approvingly at Vel's confidence, slowly easing herself back into a more comfortable sit. "I do not want you to worry about intel," she said after a moment's silence, still considering the maiden's words. "That is for someone else to handle, though you are certainly encouraged to pass on any good leads. I need you to—" she started, but managed to keep herself from finishing the directive with visible effort. Vel could handle herself.

"I am sure you know best how to manage your contacts for this role," she continued after a welcome pause to receive the food, speaking very deliberately as she watched Vel from under her brow.

Vel blinked and watched as Lidanya's attention turned to the food being served, seemingly ending her sentence unfinished. "Yes, I can certainly pass along anything useful to fleet intel..." she murmured a reply, catching a glimpse of the captain's eyes after the interruption had gone away, but the other asari had moved on from the topic.

Was that also Lidanya's attempt at micromanagement? Vel wasn't sure. Though she was sure she'd grow to appreciate the freedom Lidanya was allowing in this matter.

Lidanya was silent for a few seconds, then, only to again find her eyes resting on Vel. She shifted uneasily in her seat, and ran a finger along the ridge of one of her fringes, a nervous habit. With some effort, she focused her attention back to the conversation. "How much training have you had with your biotics? You obviously have potential and… let us call it working knowledge."

A gleam of pride flashed in her eyes as Lidanya asked about her training, and she sat up primly with a confident smile, happy to impart the Vanguards' unique branch of biotic training. "Quite a lot. Vanguards tend to differ from other biotic specializations. We become one with our biotic force when we charge, so biotics is more than something that we wield… it's part of us..."

Glad for the easier topic—for herself, at least—Lidanya leaned in slightly, curious as she was about the differences in biotic training. If there was one thing that she had delegated to any degree, it was the details of non-fleet operations… and despite the near-mandatory stint as a huntress she herself had endured, this was an entirely foreign world to her. "I have heard that said about Vanguards before, and I admit that it always conjured a… simplistic image of your breed for me," she admitted. Vel, at least, seemed much more multifaceted than the composite brute she had constructed for her mental model. It seemed a much more interesting concept now. Exciting, even. "I would like to see it at some point. For me, biotics is something else entirely… Apart. Like an animal, a pet."

"That's the image most people associate us with," Vel continued with a smile, amused by the common perception of Vanguards. "And you're not completely off the mark... A lot of Vanguards are extremely violent and ill-tempered on and off the battlefield. But some―mostly asari―try to refine the speed and strength of a biotic charge, increasing its lethality and efficiency with grace of movement and fluid transition between biotic states.

"And I can definitely demonstrate if you so wish..." she said, grinning.

Lidanya let out a small cough before she could stop herself, elaborating it slightly as though a bit of her food had gone down the wrong way. She sipped her water, and set the delicate vessel back on the table gingerly before speaking again. "I mi— I will take you up on that offer, Vel," she said, trying to visualize the scene in a non-suggestive manner, and ending up with an image of being piggybacked by Vel.

Vel politely suppressed a soft chuckle as she watched Lidanya's reaction, even though it was after having a momentary worry that the captain was really having difficulties. It was safe to assume that Lidanya liked the idea, she thought. Lidanya's barely concealed excitement was strangely endearing, and Vel was happy to sate the curiosity of someone who would appreciate it.

Straining against a grin of her own, Lidanya turned her eyes back on Vel's. The next condition required a little more seriousness… she clasped her hands together under the table almost painfully as she sought words. "Have you melded with anyone in a… non-romantic context before?" she finally asked, examining Vel's expression carefully.

Vel calmed slightly as the other asari's tone turned serious again, and she could feel the matriarch's examining gaze on her face. "Of course... for sharing vital or hard-to-describe memories," she replied, keeping her expression as nonchalant as she could. Though her eyes were studying Lidanya with equal carefulness.

Lidanya held the gaze for another moment before looking down at her plate for her next bite. "Good," she said curtly as she speared a troublesome berry. "Some are… awkward about it, and avoid it at all costs after childhood. Like me," she added with an unconscious frown. "I will make time for you tonight, then."

"Right," Vel murmured, eyes transfixed on Lidanya's duel with the berry, until her frown caught her attention. "I... It's inevitable amongst some commandos. Too much sensitive intel, and too little trust to go around."

Lidanya's voice again stopped her from thinking further about the matriarch's comment. "Of course, tonight is fine."

"Good… good," Lidanya repeated, more to herself than Vel. She looked up at the asari again after quickly glancing at her omni for the time. "Nine hours… unless my meeting runs over, again, which it almost certainly will. Make it ten."

She stopped to think for a moment, utensil tapping a slow rhythm against her plate. "If you have nothing else to do, and you're curious, I believe they are going over to the Cerberus ships for a proper sweep shortly. Who knows, you might find something interesting.

"Otherwise, you can move your stuff up. You can sleep in the foyer, if you like, but there is an actual cabin next to mine. The one on the right. Ami's on the left," she clarified. There was no point delaying now that she had made her decision.

"Come tonight, you will be relocated there or the brig, anyway," she said mock-seriously while she finished the last bites of her meal—though she did not, perhaps foolishly, truly even entertain the possibility that Vel would turn out to be untrustworthy. Something about the asari had captivated her, and that something was unfalteringly ushering her to move forward.

Vel put down a mental note while silently sympathizing with Lidanya for having to attend a 9-hour long Council meeting. The joke of Citadel Council efficiency was that, in that span of time she could have completed everything the captain had suggested.

"Sure, nine hours is enough for me to get a sense of the situation over at the Cerberus ships... and to move my stuff to your foyer," she replied, taking a delicate sip of the water to hide a swelling excitement.

Definitely a change from charging Reapers and Cerberus... she thought as she looked back to the day's events. It wasn't the first time she was assigned away frontline duty, though this time was different. A better room than the crew quarters was a given... but that was beside the fact that Lidanya was a delight to be around.

Vel quickly finished the last bits of the fish filet and nodded. "I will see you tonight then."

Lidanya nodded, and smiled as she got up—happily, easily, for the first time in… too long to bear thinking about. She stood there for a moment, feeling just a bit lost, unwilling to leave and unsure if there was something more she should say. She was overjoyed by this turn of events, all the more so because Vel seemed genuinely interested, if a little cautious. Still, perhaps it would be better to leave analyzing it all for… later.

"Tonight," she settled on saying. With a last smile, she strode in direction of the elevator, brushing her fingers along the edge of the table as she passed Vel.

Vel smiled as Lidanya passed her and took another slow sip of water before leaning back into the seat, bringing herself down from the high. Though her skin seemed to be working against her, still sensing the tiniest lingering flow of air In the captain's wake. Her eyes fixed on the table's edge before she shook and left the restaurant, determined to distract herself with tasks for now.