Book 5

Siha: Rise of Rakhana

Part III

"Silver and Fire"

The door to the messenger ship opens and Zaeed puts both his hands on the upper round of his ship's airlock interruptor, leaning into the cold fog that quickly evaporates. Braith is holding Jenner on one hip and has a smile ready…Immediately behind her is Tetonbaum, shouldering up against Casnar, and to the left of Braith is Ylyssus holding Jaspin in his hands, swinging the little tike's feet in a billow of puffs from his nightgown. Feron is against the right side of the airlock, leaning left and looking at their new host. Zaeed lets go of the upper door edge and lowers his hands to his hips as he walks through and looks at Braith, the kid in her arm, then the other in Ylyssus's.

"How'd you do it, Shepard." He runs a hand through his gray-white hair.

"Hi Zaeed," Braith adjusts her hold on Jenner, staring at the man with one eye in front of them, "…Get crushed by a mine a few miles deep on top of you and then run pellmell over a drell country forbidden for a couple centuries and you got yourself a babymaker suddenly," she pats her belly, which is svelte, "…Probably not the last you'll see."

"Damn."

"Tell me about it," Casnar snaps and straightens after a sharp look at Tetonbaum.

"Well," Zaeed raises his arms, which they notice are covered in tight gray sleeves over a thicker coating of clothes held together by a belt with a few holsters and guns accompanying these, a knife in a thick leather sheath that looks more like a paddle to use upside someone's skull, and loose-legged pants with reinforced stitchings and pockets for stowing things in, "…Why don't you all come aboard and get comfortable."

"Liara going to show?" Braith asks, stepping through the remnants of mist and following Zaeed as he turns and returns his hands to hips, "…We're kind of in a hurry…Feron's got a bomb with him, by the way."

"Yeah, oy, jus'don't set it off while I'm within the diameta," Zaeed swings his shoulders round to look at Feron lugging a long rectangular case with him in his right grip as he comes through behind Braith, Casnar and Tetonbaum talking heatedly in the other courier vessel while Ylyssus ducks his crests and carries Jaspin through after Braith and Feron. "Dunno bout Liara, I imagine she'll send someone if not herself…She's busy."

"Always is."

The interior of the Sigourney has a large amount of space, and a number of Zaeed's crew looking up from idle wait and sitting about at the sight of the four drells and two infants in the one and the other's grip…But the sight of Braith with her long black hair and those freckles, the suit and boots Feron picked out for her are the main draw. As the crowd shifts and moves forward a little to get a better look at the woman, Zaeed steps forward and stands with his boots spread wide, hands hooked to his belt, "…Roight, you assholes, this is our guests, Braith fucking Shepard," his eye widens and he looks back at Jenner, then forward at his men again, wets his lips and clears his throat, "…Start again, here, no bad words in front of the 'oiks, y'hear…They all need to be treated none too harshly, drink'em up and smile with those dumb looks you usu'lly give folks before ya gut him…Now, anyone gets fresh with the lady, he'll be missing half a piece of his balls when I get through him."

The crowd shifts and stirs with a nonverbal chorus of agreement.

"Good…Get the beers and—"

"I'm fine, Zaeed," Braith says, lowering her hand from its halt of his words, "…I'm going to need a place to lay down for awhile with these guys, and some food that hasn't been laced with drugs, okay?"

Zaeed turns from listening to her and nods, "…Roight…A nursery or somethin', this way, Shepard…Bring the whole party with ya, yeah…" He walks through the room and into the crowd, moving apart as Tetonbaum, Casnar, Ylyssus, Feron and Braith take after him, the twins crawling up onto their parents' shoulders to look at all the new faces, dirty crates, rusting walls, and bright scouring lights hanging overhead and along the railings for other catwalks.

Tetonbaum and Casnar look to the murmurings and long whistle from someone in the shadows as Braith leads them into the darker but lit passage to the other parts of the Sigourney.

Braith keeps a relaxed grin, her right hand holding onto Jenner as his belly leans against her shoulder. She can feel his little heartbeat racing through her blazer, and his head turning about as he looks everywhere…Too, she can see snippets of what his eyes see…Brief little looks at dark faces and guns, knives and weapons, toolbelts and dirty leather pants and coats…The grime, the shadows, the stark glowing lights…She feels no fear in him or Jaspin, in Ylyssus's arm, and turns her head to look over her shoulder as they tour the Sigourney to catch a glimpse of her husband…Ylyssus looks cool and calm, and his gaze drifts to hers as he is always paying attention.

Braith looks behind her other shoulder at Casnar beside Tetonbaum, and both emeralds and sapphires lock with her grays.

Feron with his head down as he carries the nuke-box with him over his shoulder.

Braith looks ahead to Zaeed's back of his skull, the gray-white hair still thick enough where it exists…He looks good for a few decades after the war…Since Braith gave him back his dignity and his Blue Suns, he's aged none too badly.

Zaeed stops and points to the right, "…Down that pass there, you can find a room big enough for your family, Shepard," he lowers his arm and turns to face her, the blue eye bright and the scar white, "…You need anything, just holla, y'hear, yeah?"

Braith's catting eyes smile as she walks up to him, leans forward and kisses him on the bristled jaw, "…Thanks, Zaeed," she pats his chest with her hand, Jenner turning his head to look obliquely at the man his mother's just thanked as the others move down the passage towards their waiting room, "…It's good to see you again."

Zaeed looks down at her and smirks, "…Yeah…You 'elped, Shepard," he lifts a hand and clasps it with hers, giving it a brief squeeze, "…You pick a crazy lot to hang wit'…You and those two 'oiks yours…The one holding the other is the second father?"

"Roight," she says playfully using his favorite word, "…And he's good as the other one with the temper."

"What about the other one, not Feron—I know's him from some work we and you did t'gether…Surprised he doesn't remember me—"

"The accent has changed a little, Zaeed, but he remembers, don't let him fool you."

He lowers his hand from hers, returning it to his hip as he considers her comment, "…Yea, I sup'ose it did somewhat…Hanging out with this group over there in the other bay goin' to do that, Shep…" His blue eye drops to her boots and up to her face, "…The other one, you were going t'tell me…"

"The big one, with the wave in his crests?" She looks over and back, "…That's Tetonbaum…We've a bit of an understanding with each other…and yes, he's another one of mine in a way…"

"What happened to Thane."

"Casnar and I met, Zaeed," she rocks her hips with Jaspin laying his teness on her shoulder and sucking his thumb, dark gray eyes watching the man across from them, "…Things went and we had a breaking-up, I guess."

"I haven't seen Krios for a long time…He with his little toik?"

"His little toik is grown up, looks about the size as his uncle," Braith nods to Casnar, watching them from the doorway with Ylyssus and the others, "…I'm not sure where he went after our last meeting."

Zaeed studies her face for a little before he says, "…Yeah, I guess that's jus' how things fall, eh?" He looks at Jenner and extends his arm, holding a knuckle to the little eyes under Braith's chin and hooded by her black mane of hair. Jenner's little lips smile, showing his teeth as he reaches to touch the old knuckle—rough, hard, and nowhere near infirm yet. Zaeed draws his hand away and glances at Braith. "Unexpected, I'll say…He really yours?"

"You don't see the resemblance?" She waits, and Zaeed takes his time comparing.

"Oi see the freckles, and the nose, the eyes now I think of it…Darker…He looks like the gold one."

Braith nods, "…Jenner's his. Jaspin's Ylyssus's."

"But they're twins?"

"Yup, same birthday."

"Weird," Zaeed's eyes widens, and he holds up his hand, "…Strange is all, no harm meant."

She adjusts Jenner to her other shoulder, "…Let me get this one put to bed, he's been running around with his brother since we stole that ship…If you look through it, careful what you find. Not a lot of couriers with nuke cases on board."

Zaeed nods, "…We'll salvage what we can of it, then send it into a star or something…Meet you in an hour, Shep." He raises his hand to wave at the little one of Jenner's that has left his mother's shoulder to wiggle at him as she moves away to join the others.