A/N: It's more logical that the Andromeda expedition should've left the Milky Way fully formed as an actual government, complete with separation of powers, currency, codified laws, and a full fledged military, as well as the Nexus actually completed. It would fulfill the same role as the Citadel.


2785

August 12th

Andromeda Republic Navy Vessel ( ARNV ) " Tempest "

Helius Cluster

Leaving the Orbit around the Nexus Capitol Station ( NCS ).

En route out of system, via FTL drive


" Doc ? Hey, Doc ! Got a second ? "

Before she'd even finished fully turning around, at the sound of the MedBay doors smoothly hissing open, Dr. Lexi T'Perro recognized the casual, slightly southern drawl of Lt. Cora Harper.

Though...she could already detect an under layer to those seemingly normal levels of " Cool-and-I-don't-Flinch " that the human woman typically exuded. As Lexi finished her rotation, thus bringing her face to blue face with the Tempest's XO, she found that her skimmed hypothesis was....probably right. Mostly because of the Impervious-to-lying signs that was commonly known as body language- Cora's pretty, oval shaped face was calm enough, but her iceberg blue eyes kept moving around every other second or so, though they mainly just flicked downwards, before going back. Speaking of downwards, about halfway down Cora's stocky, but alluringly shapely figure, her thumbs were hooked around the edge's of her uniform's slacks' pockets, and she kept shifting weight ( 165 pounds and all ) from one deck shoe to the other...

Again...body language didn't lie. It couldn't. It always told the truth. And though an Asari she was, Lexi had decades of experience when it came to studying the unspoken language of how the human form spoke without the mouth actually doing anything- she'd been, after all, among the first Citadel aliens to begin openly-

"...Doc ? You seem a bit...out of orbit, so to speak. "

...God help me.

Like a tidal wave of water from one of Thessia's Arctic poles, Lexi was smacked with the reality that she'd been...staring. Staring ! Worse, running a clinical psychological evaluation on someone without telling them about it first, which was such an amateur thing to do. She was a professional, blast it. She was supposed to be better than this.

Blinking with surprise, Lexi promptly stood a bit straighter and put on a welcoming smile ( or at least what she hoped was one )...and fought to ignore how she could feel her face warming. With Asari's blue skin pigmentation, blushing tended to turn them purple, and that was a look that only Aria T'Loak had ever been able to pull off and still look irresistibly sexy ( Such prettiness hadn't covered, whatsoever though, the sheer capacity for violence that'd always just radiated off her...but at least it'd cheerfully distracted many a man before she'd biotically thrown them off a balcony- )

You're doing it again !

Stop it !

" ...Forgive me, Lieutenant ", the Doctor requested, raising a placating hand. " There are moments where my...white lab coat, as I understand humans call it, takes over. Pelesarria would have you believe that happens constantly, but I assure you: Its only once every now and then. "

The gorgeous blonde she was now chatting with made a light , but thankfully rather bemused( and tactfully vague )- sounding " HmmM " as a response, and shrugged. " Better that than needles. "

" ..For what its worth, I do actually understand the resentment toward them, but their necessity remains ", Lexi maintained, deciding she'd take the response she'd gotten at face value.

Cora raised a brow at her. "...You do realize you sound like a VI sometimes, right ? "

Was this the kind of banter that the ship's ground team exchanged between them on a regular basis while out on the field ? , Lexi subconsciously pondered. If so, it was most fascinating...

Oh...right.

Concentrate , concentrate ! This isn't an appointment...

Subtly clearing her throat, as it was all she could think of to hide her awkwardness, Lexi quickly mulled the question, then just ran with the first and most appropriate answer:

" Again, being around Pelessaria too much comes to mind. I suspect you are around her that often, to have asked such a thing. "

" Ok, ok...first off..."

As she began the admonishment, Cora sauntered further through the depths of the MedBay, as the doors hissed shut as smoothly as they'd opened. " As much of a loose cannon as she might be, she does actually have a point- you could stand to be less stiff-lipped more often. And that's coming from me- career Alliance, remember ? "

Stopping by the end of the row of operating tables ( all of which were empty at the moment ), Cora turned to face the doc, leaning back to stand with perfect posture at the corner of one of them- even while leaning against it as well ! It was slightly odd, Lexi had to admit, how someone could look disciplined and yet so casual all at once..

Certainly on brand from what she remembered about the Alliance. Some days, she still wondered if they were still around...600 years of FTL travel away.

Food for thought, at least..

God, I hope they're ok back there..

Allowing herself the rare privilege of ruminating on the state of the Milky Way, Lexi redirected herself to her...guest ? Impromptu psych eval ? She wasn't quite sure what to call...this.

It was going casually enough, sure, but...Cora barely ever entered this section of the Tempest, owing to her deep-seated " White-coat Syndrome "...if Lexi remembered that curious Human phrase right.

Regardless, though, she knew what it was: That...prickly and unbearably tense feeling you got whenever you had to go visit the Doc. It made your spine pulse with ice, and you could tell your pulse was revving more than it should. Why ? Well, because you were surrounded by things that represented a threat you couldn't do anything against: Diseases, and ailments. Someone coming at you, you could fight, but hospitals, doctors' offices and clinics ( and, medbays ) all represented what you couldn't fight, and that drove some folks mad.

At least...that's all that Lexi had researched, and been told. Personally, it didn't affect her, but she actually did harbor sympathy for them...to some extent.

Which, also, made her slightly suspicious of Cora's motives here.

Practically chewing her nails on her usual visits...

But now ? As if we're on the flight deck...or briefing room. And I've barely been to either with her !

...Hmm...

Keeping her ruminations hidden for now, Lexi mirrored Cora's causal lean with one of her own ( albeit, a bit more stiff, which she couldn't help ), before finally setting aside her datapad, and answering her. " I certainly do, Lt. I've treated my share of Alliance before we left. All quality Marines and Sailors, yes..."

"...And, all of them hated having to spend even a minute behind a Meday's doors...", she finished rather tellingly, fixing the other woman with a perceptive look.

Like a geologist's surveying laser, it already began to smoke through layers. Cora had been doing a good job of acting all chill, so to speak, as soon as she'd gotten here, but as much as Lexi had been " turning off " her doctor's side...it couldn't last forever. It just couldn't. She'd been doing it for too long, and it just activated on its own whenever it sensed it was needed..

Like...now, for example.

Oh, yes...there it was. A momentary twitch on Cora's pretty face, a flicker of her gaze off to one side...

Telltale signs that she'd come here with an ulterior motive...which she'd been hiding under a mask of geniality. Admirable, and even understandable, but...

Ultimately, it was just going to hurt herself. Lexi actually felt a twinge of shame for doing that so ruthlessly quickly- Cora was a nice girl , and could stand to have some more friendly chatting with another one...without the clinical aspect of it. Half the reason for it was...her own, actually. Lexi was a born evaluator, and she couldn't stop that.

Something her own mother had told her more than she could ever hope to remember...

And, the kicker was...she was right. And...so was Pelessaria ! That necrotic sparkplug of an child ( Well...child by Asari standards, as she wasn't even 200 yet ) was actually right- Lexi could certainly benefit from living life without examining everything through a doctor's lens. She knew...she was well aware.

And day by day, she was clamping it down...only for it to surge back. It was a long, grinding process, but...for as long she lived, she'd fight it.

Still, though...as long as she was doing that aforementioned living, she might as well use her gifts to help out where she could. It was what she'd become a Doc to begin with, after all...

So...

Come on now...

Out with it..

"...That's...well, yeah, that sound like how we were. Are, actually. Assuming the Alliance still exists... ".

" Dang it. I sound like a cynic. ", Cora finished, shaking her blonde head.

Well, actually, she didn't- Lexi had heard plenty of actual, hardcore cynics, and this didn't count. But, it had proven herself right.

Cora was distracted by...something. Something important, which was eating at her for a while, and she'd come to Lexi to exposit. But...it was proving real hard for her to be forthright with it.

WCS, and all that..

But, al that aside, the sight of another woman clearly grappling with some emotional troubles ( Species difference be blasted ) was pretty strong, and Lexi's un-Doc side slowly began becoming stronger..

"...On the contrary: You sound like you have something a sympathetic ear could listen to ", the Asari observed kindly.

She stepped forward herself, slowly approaching across the deck. Around her- around them- the Tempest hummed and thrummed ( vbbrmmmm, vbrmmm, vbrmmmmm ) , sending detectable vibrations pulsing through the metal as its drive core propelled them at FTL speeds.

It was nice ambiance, frankly. Well...for Lexi, at least. Otherwise, it might've helped prompt Cora to say what was on her mind quicker...

Maybe.

Regardless, though, she did seem to have understood that she could...as she'd finally uncrossed her arms- but then had bitten her lip. Then again, though...that was something humans tended to do when they were about to say something...

Something they were reluctant to share, but really wanted to...

And, with deep, but rapid sigh of resignation...

Cora soon did exactly that.

It wasn't a spilling-all-at-once, but it was good enough:

"..What gave it away ? "

" Lt ? Looking after the crew is why I am here ", Lexi gently reminded her. " Psychically, and mentally. Meaning, if you have something you need to...get off your chest, as they say, you can always come to me. "

She paused for a moment, then quickly followed it with, " And I apologize if you didn't get the hint earlier that you could. Maybe Pelessaria has more of a point than I thought. "

The admission drew a brief huff of amusement from Cora. " Ill tell her you said that. "

A moment later, though, the Tempest's XO bit her lip again- that " issue " , whatever it was, wasn't going away...

And, clearly, she'd delayed long enough, because a second later-

" ...OK, yeah, Doc...there is something I've been pretty badly distracted by. "

" And, as I said: Here I am. Ready and able to listen, Lt.

" Always. "

She came even closer then, and then crisply joined her at leaning on the table's edge. On a daily basis, this wasn't something she'd do- standing beside said tables, or standing overall, or sitting on one of the chairs available if she was going to do some sitting. Then again, though...for some folks, you had to put them at ease if you were going to get anything out of them.

If this is what did it , then that was ok.

" ...I appreciate it, Doc. I really do..."

Cora stopped for a second. Glancing over at her, Lexi found her staring at the pristine white deck shoes she was wearing.

They were always so clean- just like the rest of her outfit..

" Hhhh...! "

Breathing deeply signaled that Cora wasn't finished. And a second later...

...the truth finally came out.

"...Because..."

"...I...I think I have a thing for the Pathfinder. "


Vbrmmm

Vbrmmm

Vbrmmm

Vrbmmm

Vbrmmm

Vbrmmm

...

For several seconds, Lexi didn't say a word.

Zero words.

Zero.

Just...the sound of the drive core. Thrumming away behind them, it filled the ship with its noise, but that was it for the MedBay.

It seemed like an electric current had run through the air as well- or a whip had been cracked a foot away. Point was- a shocker that nugget of fresh news was for the Asari...

Her brows shot for her head crests, she blinked automatically...and actually froze for a second. Froze !

That, was an absolute first for her.

Then again...could she be blamed ? After what Cora had just said ?

That's...

...Well...

...Good lord, where do I begin ? I...

Well- at least she can't hear me stammering like this. That wouldn't something I could escape from...

Better to...

Yes. Better to just keep asking questions..

Easier said than done, though...!

After a bombshell like that...what could she-

"...A ...a thing, Lt. ? ", the Doc finally asked.

" You mean...such as..."

With another deep breath, Cora soon confirmed it. " Yeah. Yeah, that's exactly what I mean, Doc. "

" I've been hitting all the signs now...for weeks. Weeks ! And its...I don't...ugh ! "

Another huff- but one of frustration now. The blonde raised her palms, and hid behind them for a blink or so, rubbing, before dropping them to her thighs.

"...Ugh ! ", she huffed again. " Its like I went back to 15 or something. I - "

" Woah...woah, there..."

Reaching over, Lexi put a hand on the other woman's shoulder. She didn't squeeze, or grip- just...placed it there. Carefully. Just enough to let Cora know it was there.

" I can tell you're...well...you've already taken a huge step, telling me even that ", Lexi helpfully pointed out. " Huge. Its ok...its alright. Go all the way. I want to help, after all. "

Something about all of that - exactly what, Lexi honestly couldn't tell- must've hit home, because a heartbeat later...

Cora did actually relax...kind of. Her shoulders went from tight to...rigid, mostly, so that was progress.

On the WCS, or her issues ? Both...to put it optimistically.

Optimism was better. Better to go with that.

"...Its ok...take it from the top."

"...I ...aw, geez ", Cora lamented.

"...It...well...I'd have to say it began...around when he helped me out with tracking down the exact location of the Asari Ark. "

Lexi's own pulse surged for a second- the mere mention of that Ark, crammed with thousands and thousands of fellow Asari that had nearly gotten taken out by the Kett if it hadn't been for the Tempest arriving with hours to spare- still got that out of her.

She hadn't ridden to Andromeda with them, sure, but...they were still the same as her: Asari who's taken a giant leap and an even more giant risk to go on a 600 year old journey to another galaxy ! From as soon as she'd arrived her, to Andromeda, thoughts of what'd happened to them- and whether there was any chance that they were still alive out there somewhere, either awaiting rescue or feverishly plowing on through space toward where they hoped the Nexus might be had always been close to her mind.

Cora wasn't Asari, obviously. Yet, her levels of concern for that lost vessel carrying tens of thousands of them had been on par with any Asari Lexi had met on the Nexus till that point. Then again...she had...unique reasons for it.

Exceptional, really. Uniquely exceptional..

"...I remember ", the docor confessed softly. " You spoke about it for months- I don't blame you , though. Most nights, it was one of the last things I thought of before dozing off. "

" Well, you're Asari, so it probably hits closer to home...", Cora shrugged. " But...I was a Commando. The Daughters- I was one of them. "

"...MMMmm. Over 1,000 years of combat experience was what you lived with day after day, wasn't it ? "

" Yes...for years. Years ! I'd barely met any aliens before that, but before the first of those years was out...well, I won't say I felt like an alien, but they'd fully rolled out the red carpet for me. They'd judged I'd proved myself by then...especially after that one mission of ours on Ageko.."

She trailed off by then, her tone becoming a curious mix of deep-held melancholy but also warm nostalgia. Lexi had barely heard of her speak of her days with the Asari Commandos ( though, that mostly had to do with how Lexi didn't leave the MedBay much, and Cora usually hated visiting it ), but...it'd always been this way when she did.

Honestly...the Doc had to admit to herself that she wouldn't mind hearing more.

Abruptly, the blonde chuckled lightly-barely audible, but there it was. " Wow...look at me...going off on a tangent. "

"...Hardly, Lt. "

"...Trust me, it counts. Distracting myself here...geez. I mean, I still love them, but..."

Again, she stopped. Again, though...Lexi helped to fill the gap , as a shrink does.

" This is about Scott.. ", she completed, nodding. " And your...um..." feelings " so to speak, for him ? "

Cora nodded, rather than speak, but her expression then said plenty.

Speaking of saying, though, she soon did more of that as well, helpfully elaborating.

" ..Right, right..."

" Ok. Right- So...it...it was right after that. That's when we had a conversation about how hard it'd gut-punched me. "

"...As If I'd been looking for that back then , though. I hadn't. Honestly, Doc ? I just wanted to...run and hide. I felt betrayed. Betrayed by Sarissa. She'd gone against the core of what it means to live as Commando, and after all the action I spent with the Daughters ? How I'd come to realize they were the ones who finally understood what it was like to have Biotic powers you could barely control ? They were worth a galaxy to me...and she'd betrayed them all. "

"...She'd betrayed me. She betrayed herself. "

Aha...now they were getting somewhere, Lexi spotted.

To live as a Commando- to follow their rules, and way of life ? It was a huge deal for Cora. It was basically a pillar of her whole identity, and something she held extremely deeply. It was even a component of her whole worldview, one might even say. To understand her- to get close to her- someone had to accept that.

Trouble was, though...how many Humans had fought alongside an Asari Commando unit for so long and so fiercely that they were considered one of them ? How many ? Virtually 0, was what. Cora wasn't so shallow that she'd only draw close to someone who did grasp the concept of what an honor that was...but there was getting close...

...And then there was getting close.

A delicate game, at best..

" It was...it mattered to you ", the Doc assessed her " patient"'s mood. " More than finding the Ark- it was also about the values of a true Commando. You being you. "

"...Pretty much, yeah. "

" 'Course...he's the Pathfinder. He's the Commanding Officer I have, so...I wasn't going to lone wolf it. As much I might've wanted to, I couldn't. That'd be its own kind of betrayal..."

Grinding her teeth across her lower lip, Cora crossed her arms, staying unspoken for a stretch. The quick movement, however, revealed a...a scar, maybe ? On her right forearm, tracing back toward her elbow.

Just a glimpse, but Lexi caught it. By sheer reflex, she made a note to examine that properly . It hadn't been there during the ship's last psychical list..

That was neither here or now, though..

"...But, he signed off on it. He led the mission, and we got it done. "

" Got to watch a mentor and sister under arms backstab everything we believe , but...we saved the Ark. Job done. "

" Sounds like he's filling the shoes that'd been put before him quite nicely ". Lexi deftly provided a distraction, to having Cora dwell any more than strictly necessary on how Sarissa had done what she deemed unforgivable.

It was accepted, as there was a minute twitch at the corner of Cora's mouth- a human gesture that showed they were thinking of something positive...from an outside hint.

" True. "

" But...", she went on. " How he got it done wasn't the kicker. Sure, it was quick, slick, and just about as good as Alec would've done it-"

There was a note of sorrow as she mentioned the deceased original Pathfinder's name, but she rolled ahead before Lexi could say anything. She hadn't planned to, however.

" - but, he had just gotten direct orders from Director Tann to commence this Environmental Restoration Project for the Angara on Voeld. We were on our way there, actually, when I got the fresh report with the critical details that showed exactly where the Asari Ark was. I was over the moon ! We were...we could finally do it ! But...we did have orders from Command- from the Director. I was basically caught between a rock and a hard place- the soldier side of me wanted to follow the Chain of Command, but...the Commando side wanted to find that Ark yesterday. "

" Two of the greatest pillars of my life...and I didn't know what to do...short of just getting that ERP done, and then hurrying like heck to get to the Asari. It was eating away at me like crazy...but I was determined I wouldn't be the squeaky wheel. That isn't who I am. "

Lexi drummed her fingers on the edge of her end of the exam table- duttum, duttum, duttum. She hummed lightly, and bobbed her head.

" His...creativity impressed you. "

" How he found a way to get both done- and what you personally wanted first. What you truly held dear. "

" Exactly...! "

" Yes...!", Cora confirmed, sounding excited again at last from having entered the MedBay. " That's it ! He...honestly, I wasn't sure if he could handle the job. I'd trained as Alec's second for years, and I knew him well. I was sure of him. His son ? Less so, and I had my doubts. But...he...that was a command decision he made then. "

" The man on the field, so to speak. He didn't freeze, or hesitate. My whole life- my whole career, as an Alliance Marine, and my life as a Commando- had been all hinging on that kind of leadership . On that kind of a person. He showed he could be one of them. Aside from how much of a priority saving the Ark was on a personal level for me...it still had 20,000 Asari on board ! A huge population , and there wasn't any way we- he- could leave them. Tann had written them off, or he was focused so heavily on the planet restructuring that he wasn't giving it a second thought. Some might defend it, but extracted a result that satisfied....everyone. "

" Saved a whole- literal-boatload of fellow Colonists, as well. "

Admiration was leaking through now...and perhaps...

Something...more ?

"...He showed it...actually, just as much as any of that, after it was all said and done. Afterwards, once the Ark was on its way again, all free and clear...he came to speak with me one on one. "

" And...what did he say ? "

" ...It wasn't so much what he said...but how he said it. "

Shaking a knife hand for emphasis, Cora let it fall to her knee, and spent the next few second clearly recalling the memory...before softly continuing.

" I was there, alone. I was pissed off, euphoric, vindicated...kind of depressed. All of it. Plus awestruck...guess towards who, Doc. "

" I could, but I'll let you finish. "

Cora flashed her a quick smile. " Thanks, Doc. "

" So...anyway..."

She loosen her shoulders, and kept speaking. " He came over, just like that, and asked for a moment. Asked, rather than ordered, so I figured it was something off the record. Turns out...it was, but..."

"...Different, to what I was expecting. I thought it'd be tactical, or strategic, etc. Something about if I had anything about the Commandos' SOP that I could share...etc. I was thinking it'd go like that. I was ready for that. "

" But, what happens ? He comes right over to me, while I've got my head on my hands, staring at my desk, and I've barely turned around to look at him when he says: ' Cora ? Cora...can we talk about your sisters ? ' "

" Sisters. He knew. He understood. I don't know how, but he did. Everyone else...they seem to think it was a...a " cool " side gig I had ! Or if you ask Pelesarria...well, maybe don't ask her, actually. But, point is...even when I share that side of me, I...I rarely get any kind of connection. It just seems to be one sided, and I know that's partially my own fault. I suck at socializing. I can't articulate what means the most to me to others well, and even when I get close, it seems to just be a bunch of pretty lights to them..."

"...But...then he says what he did. ".

Like one of those...what were they called again- aha ! Jigsaw puzzles, yes. That ancient human game. Like one of those...pieces were finally coming together now.

Finally...

Lexi had suspected this, more and more the longer Cora had revealed the story. She'd begun to, because Cora was a trademark social square peg, as it was, despite her friendliness ( such as it was ), and ability to articulate. Folks like her had a tough road when it came to getting to know others, and establishing meaningful relationships- romantic, and otherwise. It took someone they could relate to, on a worldview and emotional level...

And all that was to begin the relationship building, though. There was a lot more to go from there- basic compatibility, for one.

They- Cora and Scott- seemed to have it. Lexi hadn't observed any bickering. Hints of body language , etc. They'd always seemed to...click, basically, when conversing or even standing near one another. That was easy to understand, at least- both were generally approachable, open, and weren't prone to having a prickly/cold/ snobbish attitude that would turn someone away/off.

Psychical attraction ? That...was even easier. An Asari though she might've been, Lexi wouldn't argue that Cora had the kind of body that many human males would want: strikingly curvy, but she wasn't some skinny pipe-cleaner, and was remarkably fit. Sure, there were always some guys who had a different taste..

Some. Scott had a gentlemen about it, but he hadn't been as subtle as he thought he was about what kind of frame he would prefer on a girl during his own Doc appointments..

And, then...there was the diamond of it all: connecting with each other, about what each coveted the most. What each had built their own universe around...and the values that they wouldn't sacrifice.

As different as one relationship was from another, all of them shared common threads for success. From her decades of experience and education, Lexi could read the writing on the wall, and got the gist of Cora's entire presence here. The entire tale of the Ark, the significance of it for Cora, as well as that of Scott's earnest desire to understand the bond between Cora and her sisters...

Yes. Yes, it made sense now.

Finally...it did.

Cora was beginning something...whether she knew it or otherwise.

Why had she come here, though ? To Lexi, rather than right to Scott ? Why wouldn't she just do to him what he did to her, and track him down one -on-one, and just chat it out to discover where she stood with him ?

That...was technically an option, but the reason why was just as glaringly obvious:

Cora was scared of this.

Or...nervous as heck, at least. That was the norm for most girls, though, so it wasn't a cause for concern- even girls who's career required them to get shot at on a regular basis ! That might sound crazy, but it was true regardless..

More so for some than others, evidently. They needed...confirmation. They needed...another view, from another woman, before they could gain the confidence to keep taking steps.

They needed nudging. That was the long and short of it, but...

It wasn't a bad thing. It wasn't. Actually...it was an honor.

I heal.

I help

Both mind, and body, Lexi acknowledged , as she stood.

She came to me for the former, but that can matter as much as the latter.

"..Doc ? ", asked a slightly surprised sounding Cora, as the Doc straightened out the creases of her clothes, before pivoting to face her.

" Is something...? "

Lexi waved a hand, " Its ok " style. " On the contrary, Lt..."

A smile, seemingly with a mind of own, now decorated her features. Oh, if only Pelessaria could be here to witness it...she might lay off with those aggravating quips about how Lexi was half robot, or allergic to humor...or both.

For once, though ( or, perhaps more than just once, God bless, if all this about Cora had a future )...Lexi could push it aside.

Because she had something better to occupy herself with.

" I'd say- and refute it at once if I am wrong, alright ?..."

"...Ok ". The confusion had faded a bit, but it was still there. Still...Cora was game.

" Go on. "

" ...Well then, Lt. Harper ".

Lexi spread her hands. " The truth is..."

"...It seems to me that you're falling for him. "


This...was the moment.

This...was the critical moment, actually.

The one where Lexi would know for sure, once and for all...if she'd gotten everything right.

Or...if she'd horrendously misread everything she'd been told just now, and completely missed the mark by such a wide gap, that it'd become a borderline criminal offense.

If she'd let Cora down. Failed her. She'd come her for honesty, but also a clear, and concentrated analysis of her feelings, which perhaps were too muddled for her to sort out on her own. Relationships were like that: simple and straightforward, but only when they weren't mindlessly complicated. Holovids always got it wrong, and dramatically so- the truth was just beyond them.

Which was: As complicated as it all was, more often than otherwise, all you needed was as a crisp, clean, and pure assessment from someone you knew and trusted as they could give you, to help you begin the journey you'd already begun to walk yourself anyway.

Short of Cora actually saying one way or the other, though...how could Lexi be sure...?

There were hints, though. There were hints already: All expressions, which could actually say more than words.

At first, Cora didn't have one- she had several. More surprise, some...nervousness...

Confusion...

But, after another few milliseconds of wordless-ness...

Something coalesced.

Something...clear. A measure of...hope, had appeared.

Relaxation. Reassurance.

A rosy hue on her cheeks ? Good lord...she was actually blushing !

Cora Harper...with a blush !

And...then..

"...You- you think so ?! ", she finally, and actually...eagerly, asked.

" You're sure ? "

With every word...those emotions were reflected. Lexi saw that, and there was 0 doubt.

0...and, as much as it made this entire situation seem it'd come out of one of those ridiculous antiquated RomCom Holovids that Liam kept watching during shipboard " Movie Night "...Lexi found a wave of cheerfulness going though her, as well.

It was so comical and laughable...!

...And also...so real.

Yes...

"...Yes ! ". That odd moment, when you thought a thought, and then actually said it...was also real, Lexi now found.

But that was ok ! It got the gist of what she had to say across, and quite well.

Beautifully, actually...

" Yes, Lt. "

" As sure as I can be. "