|| Sunrise Gray ||
9.
Were it not for the boy freeing me from my block, I wouldn't have been able to save him…Were it not for his father, who had every intention of killing me, had I been the one to kill his wife and threaten harm to his son, I would have never left Kahje alive…
The holosphere is loud, cool, drier—but wet from the seep of rain, constant humidity attempting to infiltrate. Great conditioners and dehumidification systems thundered. He gets out first and lets his son out on the other side, telling Kolyat in that quiet manner of his to go inside the shelter for crisis services. Braithlyn Anne looks up slow from her lap, skirt stiff with blood not her own, into the black eyes watching her hunching in the middle of the bench. That she has not used her power tells him something—her, too. "Come out." He steps aside, holding the door. She shifts, rocks on her hips to move sticking thighs off the seats, sliding and lifting legs over boney blood-stained knees. She comes out of the skyrunner. Turning and standing awkwardly on the sidewalk, she brings to mind a foal covered in afterbirth, the remains of those she killed covering the thirteen-year-old. He bends to her face level. A green finger moves aside her hair, stiff with blood and…offal. "What is your name."
"I'm…" She trembles, frightened by the friction of power rubbing against her own.
Sweet menthol from his mouth and with his next words, "…What do people call you." She takes in a deep breath—him, the dank air of the artificial city, her own reek.
"Sunset…Sunset Red," she looks at him, willing herself not to shake, "…Look, Mister, I want to go back to my brother, he's on Illium…" She drops her eyes from his stoney expression. My hands…Blood is deeply embedded in fingernails, the lines of her skin. She whispers again, "…Favor for a favor…I want my brother…I gave you your son..." She lifts her eyes. Gently touching her beneath a dry elbow, he coaxes her into the skyrunner.
"Wait for me." He watches her duck back inside. "Cover yourself."
Her head jerks forward, her eyes wide open. The power warns her he returns…Braithlyn Anne stretches her neck off the mess of bags and trash in the backseat she is laying beneath, having fallen asleep from being so tired. It feels good to be in touch with her power. She sees him settle in the front seat. He starts the engine core, "…You will go with me somewhere to clean yourself…I will procure a ride for you to Illium while you do so."
"You're just gonna leav'um?" she looks to the concrete block with its stucco-white paint on the street of the slum they're parked in, "…Your son, your kid…You're just gonna leav'um like that…After—"
"I have left him in the care of his relatives," he patiently responds to assuage her, "…I must move you separately, apart from them…If you wish to not be detained, you will need to do as I instruct…It is the favor for a favor..." Braithlyn Anne stares at his face—until he turns down the mirror.
As she walks ahead of him on bare feet, the doors are all the same. Anyone who sees her first is quick to close the door to their presence. Thane stops her at the end of the hall, motions to the left…She looks at the door facing her. For a moment, she does not wish to go inside another bedroom. "Mister?…" She looks inquiringly at him over her shoulder…Thane Krios's eyes widen and his tebris aligns to his jaw.
"I have lost my wife," he says. "I have no intention of ever being with…anyone else." The door slides open by his hand. She finally enters. The room has a bed, a dresser with drawers, a light in the wall over the bed, another door to a bathroom, a toilet, basin and shower. She looks around. "Go and clean yourself…I will return with what clothes I can find." He points her towards the bathroom and leaves by the first door.
Stepping onto the rough surface of the floor of the wash stall underfoot, she feels the reverberations of her shower's water pummeling the metal. She washes. Moving both hands over her scalp and hair, she removes the cloth-elastic holding her hair in a bun. The cold water warms. Stain washes off her skin, out of her black hair, down round her dirty feet and into the gurgling drain. She bends and cleans. Rubbing hands up and down the skin of her freckled legs, she moves over the small hairs with her palms, flips her head back to send water in an arc to the ceiling of the stall with the black whip of hair on her scalp. The only cleaning tool present in the stall is a black stone—lava pumice. Missing that blue ivory…The door slides open from the bedroom. He makes her jump as a bag lands heavily on the floor outside the shower.
"Clothes." Turning the handles in reverse to shut off the shower spray, Braithlyn Anne steps out of the stall. Crouching, she lifts the bag up—She is hit with a warm towel. The door closes. Drying her hands and arms off, she attempts to open the bag again. She backs her face out of the bag's contents.
"This is for me?"
The wetsuit beads with water. Grabbing the towel, she continues to drag off the water from the still-dripping ends of her hair. Free hand grabbing hold of the door handle, she slides aside. "Ready?" Moving to the entrance, he slides it open. There is a moment's hesitation as he looks outside the room. "Why," he turns and looks at her face, sliding the door partially closed, "…Why did they kill her."
"They wanted to teach you a lesson…" She looks at his hand on the door to his face, "…You killed the batarian's brother," Braithlyn Anne says, "…They paid Stiv creds—tons—to go after you…They were chicken, them batarians, Stiv…They were afraid of ya," she stares back at herself in the eyes, "…Thought they'd hit you where you'd be not able to get back at them…They did it so they could disappear, thinking you'd hurt no one no more if you had any smarts…or anyone you cared to worry about them finding…It works…Stiv got me doing stuff 'cause my brother…They use what you love against you…" She points to the ring around her neck, the raw mark from her brace and the nailmarks from her scratching, "…They controlled me until your son helped free me…I'm sorry about your wife, Mister, I am…" She wipes her tears off her cheeks, "…I know she put up a hard fight…I can tell…" He opens the door. This time she realizes why he had it partly closed. Another drell ducks his smooth golden crests through, looking at the green and black one. Each countenance grim…The second drell in the wetsuit and silver coat turns his striking face towards her.
"You saw her die." She dips her chin. The related of the deceased, by the look of his eyes and skin color. He does not possess tints. "You are only alive right now because having heard what you've just shared, and comparing it to what's Kolyat's version," emerald eyes widen and narrow, "…I'd better not see you again." Casnar Sousan-Soterios snarls in his chest in an animal way. "I'm going back to Kol," he says this to the other, "…Roj's with him." She quakes as he slides the long blue-silver knife away into his sleeve, what had been held point-tip towards her chest by his hand.
After that tense confrontation, the father put me on a ship…With instructions to the pilot, I was returned to Illium, dropped off where I could locate my brother, the rest of the Red Suns…I killed every one of them, and I freed Matthias, Eryn, the rest of the kids…We took over and ran it like we'd been taught, only this time no one was controlled…We had each other, we looked out for one another, and no one messed with us…We were wild then, freed, and we started making a new reputation for the Red Suns…I became a leader with my brother and Eryn since we had the biotics and we had even heads on our shoulders…The others waited on orders from me and Eryn, Matthias casing joints and gangs. We thought we could take on everyone, break everything…We had a few close ones, being ego as we were, but I got a reputation as the reorganization in that underworld…People didn't last against me, and maybe I pissed off someone…I know I did, who am I kidding…I found my brother bleeding out on a sidewalk for what I should have known better than to let go and happen…I didn't take it well, and I went through a lot of burning bridges to take my revenge…
