The rush to prepare everyone for departure occupied Mycerra the next several days. Dr. Deepak Parsi collected his notes, made copies, and shared his notes with every clinic doctor on Omega. He packed up Sylvia and Trent to take back to Earth and made Mycerra to promise to stay safe. Months of living together boiled down into a quick handshake and 'Pleasure to work with you'.

She allowed herself to wallow in self-pity before pulling up her bootstraps.

The next person she tracked down at Afterlife. The bouncer, Roker, informed her an angry elcor crushed Jasper Rhode's hand a week prior. With a reconstructed hand, he needed help with everything. His belongings consisted of a full closet of outfits damaged from the job. Several brass knuckles and knives lay in boxes with foam padding to competently display them.

"Douglas and Isla worked the bar at Afterlife." He packed up the brass knuckles and knives first.

She rolled his clothes and piled them at the end of the bed. She didn't dare ask about the discolored spots on the black and white blanket.

"Aria informed them. Hanako and Akira spearheaded the caretaking of the lesser skilled and capable. Everyone else helped mine eezo. Truth is, Colton, none of us thought we were leaving here alive." Jasper loosened the medigel wraps on his healing hand.

Colton shivered. "I knew people in high places."

"Thank you."

She accepted the gratitude. "I'm not the one who commands Palaven. When we leave here, be sure to thank the right person. I'm the go-between."

If she continued to build the heroic image, she may never leave the pedestal of grand expectations.

"I know about your work on Omega, Colton. Heard you wooed an asari. You're the envy of the group." He whistled and shook his head in 'appreciation'.

She bristled under the fetishization. "Amani is a wonderful person. She's full of life and curiosity and the drive to discover. Watching her work is like watering a plant knowing it'll bloom. Each new bud is proof the hard work mattered. Her work is dirty, but science is merely a tool. The fact she's asari is merely a coincidence."

"Doesn't it bother you that she works for a warlord?" He hard switched topics.

"You worked for a warlord." She curtly reminded him. "As I said, science is a tool. What difference does it make if she works for a warlord or a government?"

"That's a fine line, Colton." Jasper warned.

She continued the impeccable folding and rolling of his clothes. "There are a lot of fine lines. How many have you walked?"

He looked her in the eye. "For a politician, you're clumsy."

She blinked. "I'm not a politician."

"That's not what Aria believes." He countered. "When word gets out, how will it look at Haven 1? What will the Alliance think? You're already biotic. What happens on Omega must stay on Omega."

"If you're trying to protect me, Jasper, don't. I can handle myself."

"I'm only trying to help." Jasper said.

"My grave is my grave. It shouldn't be yours." She warned. "There's more to this than you know, Jasper. If you value your own happiness and freedom, trust me. Now I must go and talk to Hanako and Akira. The sooner everyone is off this station, the sooner I can focus better." She exhaled.

"Colton, in all seriousness, take care of yourself." Jasper extended his good hand.

She shook it.

Hanako and Akira cooperated and assured her everyone else would be ready and packed for the glorious day of departure.

Walking away from the capable pair, Mycerra turned that attention on herself. She worried she'd die on Omega before the birth of their child. She worried Jasper Rhodes hit the nail on the head about losing everything she earned on Earth because of Omega. Most of all, she worried she'd lose Amani.

She checked her omni tool obsessively. The only emails and video calls she received, the pitiful few, centered around Amani asking about plans for date night and the kids giving her necessary details in snippets to avoid hackers gleaning the full picture. She almost replaced the omni tool out of frustration if it weren't for the extensive software she installed for various needs.

The day the Normandy SR-2 arrived, she visited Amani at the lab.

"New PPE." Mycerra noticed. "New respirator mask. New lab coats?" She scanned the PPE hanging inside an open locker. "Specialty gloves?"

Amani flashed a quick smile and stepped away from the station. She placed her safety glasses on top of her head. "Precautions to protect the pregnancy. Along with eezo supplements to ensure the baby develops properly." She showed Mycerra the pill box of compressed blue pills locked by thumb print.

Mycerra cleared her throat. She wanted to leave today. She wanted to drag Amani with her and say to hell with everything. Her gut twisted at the mere idea of the risky plan turning upside down.

"I have to see everyone else off today, and tonight I might not be in the mood for much." She forewarned Amani. "But it doesn't mean I regret you or us or Tia. It only means I wanted to go home today, and I couldn't. Okay?" Her voice ached.

Amani kissed her cheek. "I understand. It's not me. It's Omega."

"Thank you for being so wonderfully perfect." Mycerra whispered in her ear. "I am so lucky."

"Complete your mission, Colton. Hold that line." Amani rubbed her back.

Mycerra bounced between wanting to sprint to the Normandy SR-2 and anchoring herself to Amani. She barely noticed the bouncers trying to antagonize her, Anto acting like an ass, and the perfect balance of the drink in her hand.

"You're too quiet, Colton." Aria remarked flatly.

She passed the drink hand to hand. "Omega isn't home. This may be my last chance to leave and I'm staying behind to be there for someone I care about knowing I may never see the stars of Earth again. I may never breathe the air I took for granted. I may never set foot on soil again. All because I prioritized a family over my freedom. Because that's the right thing to do."

"That's what makes a good person predictable." Aria said matter-of-factly. "You walked right into your own trap."

"Amani's not a trap. She is trapped, but not by Omega. She's trapped by this future she wants and doesn't know how to achieve. She takes risks, hopes they'll pay off, and when they do and don't, there are consequences."

"And you know this how?" Aria inquired curiously.

Mycerra sipped the drink. "I'm learning the in and outs of mind melding a little more each time Amani and I confirm our affection for one another."

"It sounds serious."

"I want it to be serious." Mycerra whispered. "I don't want to have to keep looking. This galaxy is too big. And there must be someone for everyone, right? Why can't I have that too?"

Aria said nothing for a moment. She motioned for everyone to leave. Nearby patrons at the special tables filed out and Anto followed them reluctantly.

Mycerra made the mistake of looking at Aria and glimpsed a softness to the woman usually masked. She learned to read people better these days, but she doubted she honed her skills that well.

"There are moments in our lives where we make decisions, Colton, which impact our lives in ways we never imagined. What matters is your follow through."

"I'm not abandoning Amani. Hell, I'm tempted to run off with her today. Thought about it, but I know that won't solve the problem and she'd insist on paying the remaining five years to you. I know better than to argue with her."

Aria crossed her legs. "Like I said, you'll stay willingly."

A familiar set of horns crested the steps. Mycerra jerked upright and almost spilled her drink. Aria's gaze drifted toward the approaching party.

A familiar human fell in step behind the familiar salarian.

Mycerra forgot to breathe.

"Boss." Wei Bohai stepped past Calun Dravis.

Mycerra rose from the couch and caught him in a big hug. "Don't trust anything." She whispered in his ear before pulling back. "Wei, you look good. We should talk later." She announced loudly and truly smiled.

"Absolutely. Much to share." Bohai agreed and caught Aria's bemused expression. "Should I introduce myself?" He asked Mycerra cluelessly.

She put her arm around his shoulder. "Aria T'Loak, my right-hand Wei Bohai. Wei Bohai, Aria T'Loak. Warlord of Omega."

Bohai saluted. "I already know about your rule, Ma-am."

"You have him trained, Colton." Aria remarked curiously.

"Mom always said good manners will get you farther than the people without them. I have yet to be proven wrong."

"Omega will disagree with you." Aria said in a low voice.

"Don't worry, Ma-am. I know you're in charge." Bohai said respectfully.

"He's too clean, Colton." Aria complained. "Get him off my station if you want him to stay that way."

"I'm staying. No offense, but the boss needs assistance. Two guns are better than one." Bohai naively insisted.

Aria leaned forward. "How sickeningly sweet."

Calun Dravis advanced aggressively. "Where are the other humans?"

"They're waiting near the docks with full protection. Not a hair on their heads harmed. Promise." Aria stated sardonically.

Bohai glanced at Mycerra. Mycerra shrugged.

"We'll ensure they're on the Normandy. Colton, I need a word with you. Now." Dravis ordered.

Mycerra's brow rose. "I'm getting really tired of being bossed around." She muttered under her breath and reluctantly followed. Bohai gave Aria one last look before following his comrades.

They pushed through the crowds of Afterlife and out the back door. Calun Dravis walked forward in continued silence.

"Am I being punished?" Mycerra asked Bohai in confusion. "Did I do something wrong?'

"I think he's processing that the mission isn't finished." Bohai said. "He hoped with your return, he could return to the Citadel instead of ignoring their emails and finding creative solutions to prove his lies."

She paused. "Bohai, full honestly, if someone tried to shoot me now, would you take a bullet for me?"

"Without hesitation."

"Likewise." She breathed slowly. "I can't leave yet. You do not have to stay. I can take care of myself."

"You shouldn't have to." He said.

She touched his shoulder. "If you want to stay, I can't stop you. Omega isn't Earth. No one here will save you and you will have to play dirty to stay safe. I want you to remember that." She gestured broadly toward the people passing them, armored individuals equipped with bare minimum of one weapon.

"I'll remember that." Bohai repeated out of habit.

She nodded solemnly. "Forgive my lack of enthusiasm. This is a shithole station that no one should live on. For any period."

"I'll keep that in mind too."

"If you won't keep up, I'll leave you behind." Dravis threatened from a distance away.

They walked slowly toward him.

"New armor?" Bohai asked casually.

"Something like that." She answered. "Something borrowed, something bought something stolen. A little of this, a little of that."

Bohai lifted his new rifle. "We need to talk. Before the Normandy takes off."

"I haven't received any messages. How did Primarch Victus contact Aria T'Loak?" She questioned critically.

"On the Normandy, Colton." Dravis interrupted. "Please cooperate."

She picked up the pace. "STG. You've been holding out."

"Necessary at the time."

"And now?" She loaded her pistol and locked the safety in place. "Don't go near the vorcha, Bohai. They like salarians liver fried. I'm sure they'll try the same with human flesh if given the opportunity."

Bohai stepped out of reach of the nearby Blood Pack members. "They eat people?"

"If you had lunch, don't dwell on it." She warned seriously. "So, STG, we need to talk. Not about the Spectre part but about how it took so damn long for anyone to look here."

"Comm buoys are damaged. We're fixing what we can when we find it, but half the comm buoys are sabotaged by pirates wanting to capitalize on the lack of communication. The other half we haven't found yet. Terminus Systems is a mess. The only reason we're here is because of the buoys the quarians fixed and protected."

"Then why haven't I received any messages from outside parties?"

"Communication backlog." He immediately answered.

"Communication backlogs my ass. I sent out daily messages to everybody I could remember, but it was only Palaven who answered. I worked my ass off to help lift Haven 1 off the ground, Dravis. I'm not saying I did the hard work by myself, but I should have mattered to the Alliance. A human abducted from Earth, a group of them, a group of biotics- "

"We're here now." Dravis snapped.

She stopped and rooted to the middle of the walkway. Her jaw clenched, her hands shook, and she subconsciously pulsed biotics through her right hand. "You were supposed to be there when it mattered, Dravis. When it fucking mattered. Do you have any idea what I've gone through since being here? Any idea how many nightmares I've had? Any fucking idea- "

Bohai put his hand on her shoulder. "Boss, people are staring." He whispered.

"FUCK THEM!" She glared at the turian bouncer and the people in line. "I matter, Dravis. I matter. Everyone on that list mattered. Did the Alliance just not care? Should we have been in uniform for us to matter to them? How fucking hard is it to keep track of people when millions died by the day because of the reapers? How hard, Dravis?"

Her voice shook.

"Why is it – no matter how much effort people like me put into fixing things and being decent – that we're the ones fucked over? What did I do to people to deserve that, Dravis? Why can't I have something nice without someone trying to destroy it?"

Bohai tightened his grip.

Dravis bowed his head. "I know how it feels to lose everything when you try your hardest, but you need to focus now. Everyone is watching."

"This is Omega. That's all anyone does." She seethed.

"Boss, we really should talk about this on the Normandy." Bohai insisted.

Her jaw clenched. "No. I'm tired of taking orders and being the good girl. I'm going to tell Amani I'm moving in with her. Everyone else can find their way off the station. However, in eight months, when I have an itty-bitty bundle in my arms, then everyone can talk to me and tell me 'How much they cared' and 'how tragic' the 'incident' was."

She lifted Bohai's hand off her shoulder.

"I'm staying." Bohai stated.

"You can stay, Bohai, but don't say I didn't warn you this is a shithole station in the middle of shithole space the reapers should have cleared out first." She spoke. "Goodbye, Dravis."

"Don't be stupid, Colton. Listen to what we have to say first." He bargained.

She shook her head. "It's the same old lies, isn't it? Nothing changes. Don't insult me with lies, half-truths, and empty promises. No one does anything and the people that do die young or die trying. I'd rather die young and die trying than listen to another lie parroted by someone espousing government propaganda."

"It's your grave." Dravis said coldly. "Wei?"

"You don't leave a teammate behind." Bohai loaded his rifle. "That's rule number one, Dravis."

Calun Dravis glared at them both. "This is the only official transport permit by Primarch Victus. If you don't leave today- "

"I'll listen to all the lies in eight months, Dravis." Mycerra stood her ground. "I'm not becoming my parents."

His shoulders sagged. "We'll square up when this is over with." He conceded. "Wei, the comm buoys are unreliable. You're on your own."

"Nothing like pre-spectre training to toughen a person." Bohai said sarcastically.

Dravis walked away from them.

Bohai faced Mycerra again. "How badly off are we?"

"Not as badly as it seems but not that much better than post-reapers pre-Haven 1. I'll do without the lies and half-truths. Why did it take them so long, Bohai? Why?"

"Primarch Victus needed a free vessel to make the trip. The council wanted to confirm with Aria T'Loak there were humans on Omega to avoid political conflicts. That took time. And then the Alliance passed on the responsibility to the Council to resolve since it was now a galactic concern."

"I hate politicians." She muttered and harmlessly pulsed weak shockwaves to the ground at her feet. "When you need them, they don't act fast enough, and they always have convenient excuses."

"You forgot the red tape." Bohai added darkly. "We almost didn't set off. They wanted the Normandy to investigate a comm buoy problem near Rannoch. The council thought we could pick everyone up after that."

Her face reddened.

"The damnedest thing, Boss. Of all the people to take up a cause, a fifty-thousand-year-old prothean argued with the councilors. Called them 'Unworthy'. Good soldiers were hard to find, harder to keep." Bohai whispered. "You can't buy faith. Javik understood that."

She stopped pulsing the biotic energy. "You build faith."

"Like you build a home. A culture. A team. Credits start the process. Everything else needs heart." Bohai summed up. "Dad always preached about believing in something. We told him he needed to live in the now and not the past."

"C'mon. I want you to meet someone. Be nice to her. She can kill you one hundred different ways without touching you if you piss her off."

"Is that why you like her?" Bohai teased.

She smirked. "We'll call it the equivalent of your weakness for red heads. I always liked someone with a bit of edge. Just so happens a few of the women I'm drawn to happen to be aliens."

They walked back to Amani's lab taking the scenic route. She stopped at Hadar's and paid for two varren specials. "Hadar, meet Bohai. He's my right hand. Please be kind to him." She pulsed biotics rapidly to avoid cramping in her hand, her anger simmering beneath a veneer of control.

The batarian eyed up the young adult male. "Looks young."

"I'm eighteen. By Earth standards, I'm an adult." Bohai shot back.

"Still young." Hadar smiled at Mycerra. "Right hand? How effective?"

"He's better than he looks." Mycerra nodded toward Bohai. "Why? Need something?"

Hadar cleared his throat. "Craid didn't come home last night. Yusa's worried."

She froze. "After he finished school, and he walked home?"

"He wanted to watch a movie. Blasto 8."

"Do you know where he was last seen?" She leaned on the edge of the counter. "Do you have a tracker on him?"

"No. Starting today, we'll consider it." Hadar said seriously.

She looked to Bohai. "We'll start at the theatre. And hopefully Amani doesn't mind if you couch crash in her apartment."

"A couch is better than rock and sand."

"I liked that cave system." Mycerra mockingly defended. "Air conditioning. Top of the line security. Best accommodations in the city."

Hadar placed two specials in front of them. "On the house. Please find my son."

"I have it covered, Hadar." She promised. "Consider the fifty credits on the house too."

She paid the credits and switched directions. "The theatre Craid would go to is owned by a hanar known as Doson Cinema. Inos is incredibly polite. I like Inos. Don't ask him for a discount. He's a shrewd businessman."

"How old is Craid?"

"Ten years old. Smart kid. Future pilot." She loaded her shotgun and mag locked it to her armor. "I'm hoping he makes it off Omega one day. He deserves the chance."

Bohai flinched from the attention drifting towards them.

"They're staring because they know I'm on speaking terms with Aria. You're a new face. They'll lose interest in a week. Might have a few offers from the ladies though. I heard turians your age like to rebel against the authority without breaking the rules and regs."

"I prefer someone softer." Bohai said seriously.

She hailed an air taxi. They flew three levels lower to Doson Cinema.

The area around Doson Cinema contrasted significantly from the less refined area Amani worked in. The polite society pretended polish mattered here. Mycerra wanted to scrape the lies away to reveal the truth. If you knew the truth, you knew how to handle yourself.

No street litter here. Garbage in garbage cans. No backed up sewage and repairs on hold. Protection fees cleaned out people's accounts and spare income, but the locals on the level never seemed to mind.

"What's the cost of living here?" Bohai asked.

She gave the clean, livable space a once over. For a brief second, if she closed her eyes and inhaled, it almost smelled like home before the reapers. Shiny metal modular apartments, apartment towers, and immaculately maintained shopping plazas attracted well-dressed individuals. "I'm guessing Blue Suns or Eclipse. For this level of control, easily ranging from twice the protection costs where I previously lived. That's not including the rent itself. You must make money to live here. You need more money to have the luxury of Amani's apartment."

"Will she be alright with me staying there tonight?"

"Amani won't throw you out on the street. And if she does, she's not the woman I thought she was." Mycerra said. "We'll find you accommodations. We'll make it work."

"About that. Work." Bohai wrung his hands. "Dravis offered me a spot on his team. Offered you one too. If you were willing to take it."

"A spectre putting together a team. Council orders?" She mocked.

"Yes, actually. It's a good offer." Bohai said seriously. "Please consider."

Mycerra shrugged. "I'll think on it. For now, though, let's find Craid."

A holographic sign spelling out Doson Cinema in bold, bright red coloration concealed the middle portion of the two-story cinema. A bullet proof glass screen wrapped around the ticket booth centered between two doors on ground floor. Movie posters promised new projects in the future, Omega based.

She approached the ticket booth. "Baccus, you look positively awake." She spoke loudly to jolt the turian out of his data pad. "Quick question."

"One hundred credits for a simple question. Five hundred for a complicated one." He deadpanned and looked up from his data pad. "If you're not here for a movie, please go away."

She listened to his poor attempt at politeness in amusement. "Was Craid Voldek here last night? Do you remember the time he left?"

"He attended a movie with his friends. They started throwing graxen at the other attendees. We removed them from the theatre between seven and eight. If you want more than that, it will cost you." His mandible flexed. "Did something happen to the kid?"

She nodded. "Never returned home."

"Inos may let you see the footage for two hundred credits." Baccus offered.

Bohai crossed his arms. "It's a kid we're talking about."

"They're the majority of pickpockets on Omega, human." Baccus replied flippantly. "New to Omega, Colton?"

She nodded. "Fresh off the ship, unfortunately."

"He's too clean. Take him around the races, introduce him to the betting circle. Maybe throw him in the fighting circle. He'll lose his idealism in a half hour." Baccus recommended.

She glanced over at Bohai, who glared at Baccus. "He can make his own decisions. The rust of Omega will stick eventually. I'll talk to Inos, but do you know what direction Craid would have walked with his friends?"

Baccus pointed eastward. "Five hundred, please."

She transferred the credits.

"Boss." Bohai protested.

"Cost of doing business on Omega." She said. "This is cheap. About to lose two hundred more to Inos."

Baccus returned his attention to the data pad in hand.

They entered the cinema. Bohai's expression shifted dramatically from annoyed to pleased. The exterior of the cinema screamed restrained politeness with a touch of color, specifically the color red. Classic stripes and blocky designs gave character to the otherwise nondescript cinema. She preferred the simplicity of the design. It never caused headaches.

"They even have a popcorn stand." Bohai oohed and awed.

"Normal, right?" She whispered. "Now if only Inos will be as accommodating as Baccus."

She walked straight to the office and knocked. "Inos?" She looked at the camera and waved.

"What if he's not here?" Bohai whispered.

"Inos is here every day. It's his baby." She answered. "Inos, this is important. Could you open up? I need to look at last night's camera- "

The door slid open. A floating hanar faced them. Bohai's jaw dropped.

"Hanar. Kept afloat by something something." She explained quickly. "Inos, Craid went missing last night. Could we check your video feeds? I'll pay."

Bohai tried to figure how the hanar talked and floated without being overly offensive. He craned his neck looking for an antigravity pack.

"This one is most pleased to offer such information for a small fee of two hundred credits." It answered. "This one is willing to wait for the payment in light of the situation."

She transferred the credits. "Thank you, Inos."

The hanar moved aside for her.

Bohai investigated how the hanar moved, mesmerized.

"This one is most curious." Inos addressed Bohai.

Bohai stepped back. "Sorry. I – uh – you're the first hanar I met."

"This on is most honored." Inos faintly dipped in acknowledgment. "This one will recommend you reading material."

Bohai glanced at Mycerra for help except she deep dived into the video footage from last night.

"Thank you." Bohai said. "Boss?" He panicked.

She handwaved. "It's fine. Inos has a digital library full of hanar related information free for perusal. He considers it an honor for his people to be well known outside of their home planet and their relations with the Drell."

"Drell?" Bohai asked in a pitched voice.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll introduce you to Dr. Firan tomorrow. Good doctor. Just no prolonged physical touching." She advised. "They excrete poison or something like that."

Bohai's expression shifted comically from confusion to concern back to confusion. "And the hanar?"

"Don't touch the hanar." She advised. "They're fragile. Also, they don't like it."

"Wasn't planning on it, Boss."

Inos divided its attention between them. "This one is confused. When has Mycerra Colton become Boss?"

Mycerra looked up. "Oh, months ago. How long has it been, Bohai? Half a year?"

"I haven't kept count. I'll look later." He said seriously.

"It really has been that terrible, hasn't it?" She mumbled darkly. "Three and half months here. Prior to that…I'd have to look at a calendar too. I've been Boss since day one, Inos. Don't worry about it. You're the king of this cinema."

She backed away from the console screen. "Craid left with his friends at 7:32. And walked eastward before the cameras lost him. Thanks, Inos." She clapped Bohai on the back and motioned him to follow.

Bohai looked back at the hanar one last time in genuine confusion. "How is that possible?" He whispered to Mycerra in sincere confusion.

She shrugged. "Life has many mysteries. It's okay to live with a few of them. The next few hours are important. We're going to ask each person we see on the street if they've seen Craid and his friends. We're going to find his friends. And hopefully we can do that before the night is over."

"Sounds like a plan. Just one problem, Boss. There are a lot of people." Bohai gestured to the early evening crowd converging on the cinema.

She shook her head. "Wrong people to ask. You want to ask the street workers, frequent travelers, and vendors. People who are on the streets all the time." She said and pointed out several individuals. "We start there and hope and pray."

"Hope and pray sounds oddly familiar." Bohai mumbled sarcastically.