Kalinda was looking straight up at the ceiling feeling bored. It was already late, other patients were asleep. She could not. Not only because of the pain traveling from her chest to the upper part of belly, but because of stillness of this place. Her own people were not allowed to come, it was too risky. She would usually seek her personal doctors in a nice room with privacy and own shower. The life on the top of the society had spoiled her and persevered certain standards. Even a rough life of a merch she exchanged her life for had not changed those standards. She tried to move on the uncomfortable bed up to sit down. Her hand automatically travelled up to hold her belly.
"Cannot sleep?" She heard a quiet whisper. Kalinda turned her head towards the bed next to her, a human male was lying there. Young, with light beard, short hair and a wide smile on his lips. In a way, she was happy for this interruption of her boredom, so she decided to play along. Anything was better than this and, maybe, if he was an important person of the Nexus, she could use him to get out of here.
"You may say that. What about you, Mr…?" She used neutral voice and smiled.
"No need for Mr." He tried to laugh as quietly as possible but failed and few annoyed looks had travelled his way.
"Maybe we should move to the common room? You know. Too many sick people around." He joked and Kalinda nodded.
"Good idea. I'm sick of everyone here." She was curious who this human was. She had her suspicion… The man stood up first and offered her a hand.
"Let me help you. I've noticed you cannot dance around." His relaxed nature only strengthened her suspicion, but accepted offered hand. Maybe if she played it to his weaker side… Slightly leaning on each other, they managed to walk outside the med-bay quarter in the now quiet entrance space where even a guard was half asleep. Kalinda sat on a sofa brought there for patients.
"So, we should be cool here." He sat next to her and offered her a hand.
"I'm Scott." Her instincts were right. The second of the Ryder family was sitting near her. This was her lucky day.
"You must be the brother of the famous Human Pathfinder." Kalinda said innocently.
"Yes… Well, I get that a lot. My sister seems to get the attention of all beautiful women around." He said with pretended sad eyes, and Kalinda was sure, he was flirting. It was strange that both Ryders had a soft spot on Asari.
"I'm sure that you just haven't met the right one… to show off." She grinned and played this game. Today was truly her lucky day.
"Yeah, yeah. Always overshadowed by Sara's charm and uniform. But, if you are that right one to, as you said, to show my qualities to, what's your name?" Scott seemed to use all the charming energy he could possibly gather.
"Ka…Kalliny. Kalliny T'ersi." Said Kalinda, correcting her tongue immediately. Both Ryders surely talked often and Sara must had told Scott about her.
"Kalliny, a charming name. Sounds a bit Greek…" He said with a side smile so typical for both of Ryders.
"Greek?" She raised her eyebrows. She was never really interested in humans and their history. The real interest of her former ambassador post was with Batarians.
"You know, those ancient half-naked humans in the past of our boring history…." He was looking at her, but Kalinda did not seem to know.
"No? Nothing? Well It reminds me of a Goddess." It seemed to not work, using references specific for their own race to flirt.
"A goddess you say…" She pretended to fell for his bait, as it was a part of her own plan.
"Yes… Calliope for example. She was like the goddess of all Muses, the ones which brings inspiration to writers, artists… Very poetic, you know. Even a lover of the god of war that time." Scott repeated some memories from books he read. History and mythology was always his passion. Sara was more adventurous compare to him. Kalinda leaned a bit and tried to look interested. Scott was surely charming in his way, but that part of him was not what Kalinda wanted and was seeking. He was a direct ticket to the Pathfinder, and to Pelessaria.
"That's quite well handled compliment, Scott. Calling me a goddess of all Muses." She smiled. "But, I think I'm more interested to know more about the god of war." Scott laughed and then moved a bit closer.
"You're talking to him." Said Scott and moved his eyebrows up and down like in a badly animated comedy series. Kalinda needed to laugh. He had his facial expressions under control like a professional actor. A person could feel relaxed around him quite easily. That reality played into her hand as it was obvious Scott was a type easy to trust to anyone.
"Kalinda?" She turned her head around and jumped on her feet. That movement caused her a tremendous pain. The fear was stronger though. Peebee was standing on the stairs, her hands on the chest crossed scanning her motifs. Kalinda's heart was beating fast. She did not expect Peebee to come to see her at all, nor exposing her in front of Scott Ryder who she planned to trick. Everything now was destined to failure.
"Peebee. Nice to see you again." It was Scott, however, who spoke, walking towards the stairs, not looking shocked at all.
"Scotti… You look good. Not as handsome as Sara, but still good." Peebee relaxed her body and walked down the stairs. Her scanning look was interrupted and exchanged with kind and playful one.
"Come on… I exercised. I'm surely bigger than my little sister." Peebee moved her eyes from his feet to head and touched her lip with one finger, thinking.
"Nah. I must see you naked first." Scott laughed and Peebee smiled. Kalinda was looking at them stunned. Maybe she was the one tricked. They had played it well to humiliate her. Surely. Hugging her belly with one arm she managed to walk a bit closer to them. Peebee looked at her, not suspicious anymore, but there was a shade of worry behind that stare.
"I met your friend here, Kalinda. She was just talking about you…." Scott said and Kalinda needed to bit her tongue to not say anything which would compromise this lie. What was he doing?
"Really?" Peebee looked at Kalinda and him and back at her.
"Yeah. I insisted. Needed to know some dirty secrets of yours." He smirked and Peebee poked him with one arm. She looked more relaxed around someone else than being there alone with Kalinda.
"I …. I…. haven't said anything." Said Kalinda only, still amazed by Scott's game he was playing with both of them. Peebee finally looked at her longer, but had not say anything.
"She was good. You've come before I could charm her and dig much up. So… Well, but I'll let you have some privacy. Right?" He did not wait for approval and distanced himself from two of them. Kalinda tightened her grip on her own body and looked down. When Scott was far away, Peebee spoke.
"I'm not stupid, Kalinda. You tried to manipulate him..." Peebee said with a cold voice. Kalinda's embarrassment intensified.
"Yes… I introduced myself as Kalliny." She looked at Peebee. Her own body was in pain but it didn't matter to her now. Peebee rolled her eyes.
"Reckless… and stupid name. Scott knows who you are. Sara even uploaded your photo to his omni-tool. Your name doesn't figure in the official report only because I asked her to not do so." Peebee consciously kept Kalinda standing there, knowing it caused her pain because she deserved it. She was regretting coming here, thinking Kalinda deserved a chance.
"I… that was stupid." Said Kalinda and massaged her forehead with the free hand. She wanted to hide the amazement that Peebee tried to protect her from getting exiled from the Nexus. True was, she was touched by what she heard.
"It was. I was… to trust you. To try to trust you you've changed." Said she and turned around ready to leave. Kalinda realised that Peebee was leaving her and moved fast, grasping her wrist and holding on it tight. The pain nearly consumed her consciousness, but she was one a hell of a tough bitch to let it stop her now.
"Pelessaria…. I'm sorry." Said she quietly. Peebee breathed in and out and then turned around and looked at her.
"To hell with your sorry. TO HELL WITH IT!" She nearly screamed at her. She was so pissed off. An hour ago, she was telling Lexi to talk to Sara to reveal her pain, her suffering and she was so full of commitment herself to come here, to give Kalinda a chance, because they could die anytime.
"I heard it before and I trusted it. And now I'm seeing you fooling my friend, tricking him, manipulating him as you always did with everyone…" She wanted to punch her, to make her feel how disappointed she was. There was whole galaxy fighting and she dared to add more lies into this melting pot.
"Pelessaria, I've had no intention to hurt your crew in any way. I'd never betray that promise I gave her after you saved my life." She tried hard to save the situation, trying to explain what were her intentions.
"I don't have time for this." Said Peebee and tried to release her hand from her grip. She just wanted to return back in the safety of the Tempest, back to hold her Geth, to be close to Lexi or Sara.
"Pelessaria…. Pelessaria listen… I was afraid, that you'll never contact me again. I wanted to find a way to you." Said she and Peebee stopped to fight with Kalinda's fingers.
"Bullshit…" Said Peebee in her defence. It was hard for her to believe anything she said.
"It's true. I'm touched you've come to see me..." Said she honestly and Peebee finally freed her hand and pointed at her.
"Don't, don't sweet-talk me. I don't trust your lies anymore." But she wanted to. She wanted to believe them, but her insides were screaming to cut this toxic relationship before it even starts.
"You don't need to trust me, Pelessaria… I just don't want to lose contact with you again. I meant what I said… But… It's just... I hate when things are not under my control." She sighted.
"Exactly. That is your problem! Your style to use others and control them… and I was stupid to think you might change. That death might change you. Well, you haven't died at the end, but someone might not get over your nature and kill you for sure." She did nearly spit those words out leaving Kalinda absolutely speechless.
"But I'll tell you this only once and forever now." She moved closer to Kalinda's face, stronger than ever driven by her pain and anger.
"I'm not a thing. You cannot put a controlling chip on me to localise me whenever you desire to. You cannot come and hurt me or take me when you feel like. If, again, I'll get a slightest feeling you are trying your dirty tricks on me or my friends, I'm getting you exiled, in prison, whatever. This is the last warning and take it as your chance. You'll get no more." She said. She was now bigger than Kalinda, she was not scared of her anymore, not even of the pain she felt while thinking about their past. She did not have time for games, and if Kalinda could not understand this simple truth, Peebee was done with her.
"Pelessaria…" Kalinda was amazed. This was not Peebee she had known. Peebee really matured and overstepped her own shadows. It even seemed that she was the one controlling the situation.
"Yes. That's my name. You don't own it either. Not anymore." Said Peebee suddenly relaxed and smiled. This was a victory and a manner she planned to deal with Kalinda from now on. Playing by her rules or letting her go forever. She hoped Kalinda understood this new change of command and accepted it. It was not Peebee wanted to really let her go, not that she lost feelings for her after this theatrical act she tried with Scott… Peebee just realised that she respected herself too much for falling into the same dam of depression again. She did not need Kalinda's protection or guidance. This was not about dominance anymore but about mutual respect. The lessons she learned on the board of the Tempest.
Pelessaria had left her there with those words, alone under the stairs. She watched her figure disappearing behind the closing doors. Kalinda was still processing what she told her, still speechless and also amazed. Pelessaria proved to be worth any effort although Kalinda was not sure if she was capable of overstepping her own fear of commitments.
"Peebee has some temper. So sad, she already loves you. I'd fight for her." Kalinda turned around. Scott was leaning on the wall near the door, smiling.
"You… why?" Said she ignoring his words about love. Scott just shrugged his arms.
"I was curious how far you'd go. Simple." He was still smiling and Kalinda wished to punch him.
"You won... I hope you're satisfied." She moved slowly back to the sofa and sat there.
"Won what exactly?" When he saw how tired Kalinda looked like, he moved next to her again and sat down.
"Oh, come one with that sad face. She'll forgive you if you try hard enough." Scott was too positive for her taste bur she still looked at him.
"Why do you care? I nearly got your sister killed…" She could not understand humans at all sometimes.
"Juuust nearly. Like nearly everyone in this galaxy. But, let's say my opinion is completely opposite to Sara's." He stopped smiling but kept looking at her.
"I don't understand…" Kalinda was puzzled.
"I believe you'd never stopped to care for Peebee. You've been following her steps too intensively for that." Said Scott and Kalinda looked down at the floor. She nearly sarcastically chuckled but could not find words to fight the truth. Then she noticed a human hand offered to her.
"So, if I'm right let's start again. I'm Scott. And you?" The hand was offering her friendship. Yes, she definitely did not understand this trustworthy race…. Especially his words made her lose control over her poker face and forced her to smile. She accepted that hand
"Kalinda… Nice to meet you Scott."