New Canton and the Captain
Jasmine let out an excited squeal and quickly closed the distance between herself and Isaac. He grinned and held his arms out, catching her when she jumped into his arms. Holding her close, he laughed and spun her around before setting her back on her feet.
"Hey, Sunshine," he said softly and kissed the top of her head. "I missed the hell out of you, girl."
"I missed you, too." She squeezed him tighter and took a deep breath, drawing the familiar, soothing scent of his aftershave into her lungs.
After a moment, she pulled back and looked up to examine his face. Medi-gel no longer coated the cut running along his forehead and left eyebrow, and the swelling and bruising had all but faded entirely. Still, she bet it felt tender to the touch. She sighed and frowned, only to have him chuckle and shake his head.
"I'm fine, stop fretting." Throwing his arm over her shoulder, he turned and flashed a smile at her husband. "Thane, it's good to see you," he said, offering his hand.
"And you as well." Thane dipped his head and shook Isaac's hand.
Isaac glanced back toward the skycar and raised an eyebrow. "Theodus isn't with you?"
Before either of them answered, the door to the non-descript warehouse opened, drawing everyone's attention. Raúl stepped outside, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jeans. His gaze swept over the area surrounding the building, scanning the sky and distant treeline before settling on their group. Too far away to read his face clearly, Jasmine couldn't say for sure, but she felt the weight of the man's gaze settle onto her.
"Excuse me," she muttered, stepping away from Isaac and Thane.
She'd spoken to Raúl a few times since he and Isaac left the Citadel after Akuze, usually just to check in on a lead or to discuss some new tidbit of intel on Cerberus. They never really said much else to each other on the calls, but she always saw something in his eyes; the same release of tension she'd felt whenever his face popped up on her screen. A part of them, some small piece of their minds, remained on Benning, tied to chairs while being beaten bloody. Broken and bruised. They still waited for rescue, using each other's gaze as an anchor.
Sometimes, the only way she felt absolutely certain she wasn't physically still there and simply lost in a shock-induced hallucination—while Cerberus carved into her flesh or pumped poisons into her veins—was to look at Raúl. To see that pain and fear mirrored in his eyes and the scars healing on his face. She didn't talk to anyone about it, not even Thane, because she just didn't even know where to begin. And, quite frankly, she didn't think anyone but Raúl would really understand. Well … maybe Jack and Toombs, too.
Raúl's gaze held steady on her as she crossed the eighty or so meters between them. Though his stoic expression held, she caught the flash of relief in his brown eyes when she got close enough for them to really get a look at one another. She stopped in front of him, gaze searching his face. Though Mordin and Leendar did a really good job on patching them up, she still saw faint scarring just below his eyebrow and at the peak of his cheekbone on the left side.
A whisper in the back of her mind told her that if they were still being tortured, his wounds would be fresh, not scarred over and fading. It may not have been entirely rational, but she didn't give a fuck. It helped keep her together. Keep her sane. She sighed as that thing inside of her relaxed a little. He studied her face, too, taking in the signs of her healed injuries not covered by her makeup.
She opened her arms, and he moved closer, taking one hand from his pocket to press against the middle of her back while she hugged him. As casual as it may have appeared, his one-armed embrace was anything but. He held her tight with the strength in that one arm, and his fingers splayed out, each point of contact adding pressure to keep her close.
"How are you doing?" he asked, voice low despite it just being the two of them within earshot.
"Still having some nightmares," she said, and he nodded his head against hers in response. "Probably jumpier than I ought to be, but I'm getting there. You?"
"Same," he said and then pulled back, letting his arm drop, but he didn't step away. Instead, he held her gaze a moment and then reached up with a soft smirk. He nodded as he cupped the side of her head, using his grip to tug and guide her toward the door as if she were a child. "Come on," he said, ignoring her snort and gentle slap against his ribs. "Come see what Isaac's set up for us inside."
"We'll cordon off an area for the Iliad," Isaac said, pointing out over the land beyond the window. "We'll still need to dry dock her someplace for repairs and upkeep from time to time, but she's capable of a ground landing so long as she's got enough distance for a safe descent angle and a clear area to settle down."
"Are you concerned with drawing unwanted attention with the Iliad?" Thane asked, tucking his hands behind his back as he surveyed the warehouse.
"Nah," Isaac said, pursing his lips and shaking his head. "This is a pretty secluded area." He continued on, making his way deeper into the building.
Jasmine slipped her arm through Thane's and glanced back over her shoulder at Raúl, finding him following along behind them, gaze steady on Isaac. Turning her attention forward, she tried to listen as Isaac talked about setting up an armory, a gym, dorms, and even a little space for a medical facility. Her mind kept drifting, however.
Leon's sister lived on New Canton.
Jasmine knew Thane and Theodus would've remembered when she mentioned the planet as her next destination, but she doubted it'd ever crossed Isaac's mind. Isaac would've wanted to talk about it; make sure she was okay. Her husband and cousin didn't say anything, however. They probably thought she'd forgotten—and honestly, she was grateful because she didn't want it to be a thing. And yet ….
Somewhere out there, Astrid was, hopefully, learning to move on with her life. She'd lost her father and then her brother, too—the last of her family—in such a short amount of time. Jasmine knew that particular type of devastation all too well. She hated the fact she'd been the one to pull the trigger, killing Leon, and leaving Astrid all alone in the galaxy. She wondered what the Phantoms actually told the woman had happened to her brother.
Leon could be buried here, somewhere.
Unnerved by the thought, she swallowed. Still, it wasn't enough for her to turn down the opportunity Isaac was presenting to them. She'd asked, and the man answered. The converted warehouse and its two and a half square kilometers of land seemed like exactly what they needed.
"And this is your property?" Jasmine asked, meeting his gaze when he looked back at her and nodded. "It's great, really. Perfect, even, but …."
"But …" Isaac stopped walking and turned around, loosely crossing his arms over his chest and smirking. " … you want to contribute to the costs."
"I do, yeah," she said bluntly, raising an eyebrow.
Pursing his lips out until they brushed the bottom of his nose, he bobbed his head in that special way of his and then sucked on his teeth. "Alright. I hear you. We'll sit down and talk numbers, get the costs figured out."
She smiled. "Thank you." Seeing Thane watching her out of her peripherals, she leaned into him, and he reached over with his free hand to squeeze her fingers resting on his forearm.
Raúl cleared his throat. "So do I, Isaac." His gaze skimmed over Thane and Jasmine when they all turned to look at him before settling on Isaac. "This thing we're doing, all this shit with Cerberus and the Alliance, it's personal to me now. I'm in, all the way. I need to help see this through to the end."
Thane smirked, finding Jasmine's joy infectious. Even though they were only joining Isaac long enough to meet his Alliance contact, Captain David Anderson, stepping back aboard the Iliad brought a grin to her face. Her attachment to Isaac once baffled him, but as he watched her gaze roam the main deck before tracking her former handler's movements toward the cockpit, Thane simply felt at peace. He didn't need to understand the intricacies of Isaac and Jasmine's relationship, how they came to care for each other so deeply and so swiftly. He only needed to know that it was, and he delighted in her happiness.
Raúl moved past them, headed for the elevator. Thane settled his hand on the low of Jasmine's back, adjusting his bags on his opposite shoulder. She glanced at him, and her smile shifted to the soft, loving one she reserved just for him. Humming, he leaned in, giving her a quick kiss before guiding her toward the elevator, too. They caught up with Raúl before the elevator doors slid closed on him, allowing them to ride up to the living quarters together.
"Raúl, hey," Jasmine said, and he glanced over his shoulder at her. "There's uh, there's something I actually—we, uh—" She glanced at Thane, and he rubbed his hand along her spine. She took a deep breath before meeting Raúl's gaze again. "There's something we wanted to talk to you about—you and Isaac—away from the others, but there wasn't really time planetside."
It wasn't precisely the truth. They'd been in no rush, and Isaac certainly would've given them the time, had they asked. The shuttle ride to the Iliad was also more than long enough for the conversation they needed to have. She just didn't seem interested in bringing up the subject until that moment. Thane thought it might simply be that she felt more comfortable aboard the ship.
"Okay." Raúl turned more toward her, brow furrowing into something far more expressive than the man tended to display. He glanced between the two of them. "Is something wrong?"
"Not at all," Thane said, shaking his head. He'd heard the anxiety in his wife's voice, felt it in her tense muscles. Truthfully, it left him feeling the same. How could it not? He wanted the conversation to go as smoothly as possible for Jasmine's sake, so he hoped his reassurances helped put Raúl at ease. "Indeed, we hope something is right."
Jasmine smiled at Thane, her eyes silently thanking him for his intervention. Turning her attention back to Raúl, she asked, "Do you mind waiting around for a minute with us, until Isaac comes up?"
Raúl shrugged one shoulder, face smoothing back out into his usual, stoic expression. "Sure."
"Thanks." She relaxed, leaning into Thane's side. "I'll make us some coffee while we wait."
The elevator door opened, and Raúl stepped out and to the side, silently turning to watch as Thane and Jasmine exited.
Thane slid Jasmine's bags from her shoulder and gave her a warm smile. "I'll take our things to our room and join you in just a moment, siha."
"Thanks." She smiled, pulling him to her for a kiss. Though chaste, something about her lips lingering on his and the way her fingers, tucked over the hem of his vest, brushed against his scales warmed him from the inside out. She pulled away, taking a moment to simply stare at him with love-filled eyes before letting him go.
Sweet Arashu, you are so beautiful, and you are mine.
He made his way to their room and settled their bags down on the bed they shared. With Theodus on Earth and not the Iliad, perhaps Thane might have the chance to make love to his siha when they retired for the night. Scanning the room, he noted everything remained exactly as they'd left it the last time they'd docked with the Citadel.
He left the room and made his way toward the kitchen, but stopped next to the elevator when it chimed and the doors slid open.
"Isaac," Thane dipped his head. "Would you join us in the kitchen for a moment, please? Jasmine and I have something we wished to speak to you and Raúl about in private."
Bobbing his head, Isaac said, "Sure."
"My thanks." Thane continued on to the kitchen, Isaac at his side.
He touched the door's release, and it slid open. Jasmine worked to fill the coffee machine with water, and Raúl watched her from his seat at the table. She glanced over her shoulder at Thane and Isaac before smiling and nodding her head toward the table. Isaac took a seat next to his subordinate when Raúl scooted further into the booth. Thane dipped his head to Jasmine and sat opposite of the two other men. They both watched him expectantly, but Thane only smiled and clasped his hands, propping his elbows on the table while he waited for his wife.
A moment later, the scent of coffee filled the air, and Jasmine slid into the booth next to him. She cleared her throat, pressing her palms to the surface of the table. "So, uh, we don't have an exact date yet, but … we wanted to invite you both to our wedding ceremony."
Isaac grinned and reached across the table, taking Jasmine's hands in his own. "I'm honored, Sunshine. Of course I'll be there, you just say when and where."
Raúl didn't speak, but his mask of indifference shattered the moment Jasmine issued the request. Shock, doubt, and a flurry of other emotions stormed across his face, tugging at his lips and creasing his brow. His gaze shifted slowly from Jasmine to Thane, a question in his eyes.
Thane dipped his head to the man, offering him a smile. "We're planning to keep things small, inviting very few people. Both of our families will be in attendance, so, as you can imagine, we were quite selective while devising our guest list. It would mean so much to us if you both were to attend."
Raúl's eyebrows slowly lifted, and he shifted his attention back to Jasmine. She watched him, still holding Isaac's hands, with her lower lip trapped between her teeth. Isaac watched him, too, compassion filling his eyes. Thane didn't know Raúl's history, but Jasmine trusted him around their families, at least in part, because of something she'd learned of his past. While only conjecture, Thane believed something terrible had happened to the man's family, and the heartache he saw in Isaac's gaze seemed to confirm the matter. Thane prayed their invitation didn't bring Raúl pain, it certainly wasn't their intention.
Jasmine let go of one of Isaac's hands and reached across the table. She hesitated just before making contact but then took Raúl's hand in her own. "If you're not comfortable with coming, it's okay. I get it, I do."
Raúl looked at her hand for a moment and then closed his fingers around hers. Taking a deep breath he nodded, face smoothing back out but failing to hide his emotions entirely. "If you're sure you want me there," he said, voice hoarse as his gaze shifted between Jasmine and Thane, "then I'll go. Social gatherings have never really been my strong suit, so just don't expect much out of me."
Thane breathed a silent sigh of relief and smiled. He reached over, wrapping his arm around his wife's waist.
Jasmine snickered and squeezed Raúl's hand before letting go. "So, I shouldn't ask you to sing for me or give a big toast?"
He scoffed and chuckled, shaking his head. "No."
"Alright," Jasmine said, folding her empty bags and sliding them under the bunk before sitting down at the table in their room. She'd taken a few minutes to say hello to Razik and Toombs while Thane unpacked his things. They wouldn't be on the Iliad for more than a couple of days. Normally, she wouldn't bother putting her stuff away for such a short trip, but there was something about it that felt comforting. "Tell me about our job." Picking up her cooling cup of coffee, she took a heavy swallow before cradling the cup against her chest.
Thane smiled and sat down across from her, opening his omni-tool. "I'll send you the dossier." He ran his fingers over the keys before closing the holographic display and rested his hands on the table, and a moment later, her omni-tool pinged. "The man who hired us is one I've worked for in the past; a human named Oliver Hudson. The target is a batarian named Grealis Ibariaan. He is a leader of the Na'hesit; a pro-slavery group on Anhur in the Amun System of the Eagle Nebula. Are you familiar with Na'hesit?"
She'd pulled up the dossier when he sent it to her, but her attention remained focused on her husband. "The name sounds familiar, there was an uprising—a civil war, I guess—not too long ago involving Na'hesit on Anhur, wasn't there?"
Taking a sip of her coffee, she glanced at the image of Grealis on her screen. He was an older batarian, maybe sixty years or so—she was sure it'd say somewhere in the dossier once she took the time to actually read over everything. Scars cut through Grealis' green and yellow skin, leaving chunks free of the stubbly hair batarians grew all over their faces. Wrinkles creased his forehead and created bags beneath all four of his eyes. There was a coldness to his face, something in his expression that said he truly, completely, felt indifferent to the suffering of others, and it made Jasmine's back and shoulders tense.
"Indeed. The Anhur Rebellions ended in twenty-one seventy-eight after the local militias hired the Eclipse to help defeat Na'hesit. This man, Ibariaan, was able to escape and went into hiding. He's been discovered in the capital city of New Thebes, surrounded by a small group of his followers. Local authorities are hesitant to take action against him now that The Anhur Rebellions have ended, fearing any formal move against Ibariaan will only lead to further uprisings within the system if not greater conflicts between humans and batarians across the galaxy." Thane waved his hand as if the possibility of war were a minor footnote.
"Hudson is the relative of some of those taken as slaves and killed during these rebellions." Clasping his hands, he propped his elbows on the table. "He'd like for us to eliminate Ibariaan in a way that minimizes the chances of further political conflict. It is likely, in doing so, we will also have to remove his followers. Hudson is prepared to provide an additional fee, should this be the case."
"What do we have on his followers?" She raised an eyebrow, scrolling through the dossier to see if there were any other photographs, but she found none.
"Nothing as of yet. We'll need to hire Theodus to see what further information he can find on Ibariaan and his followers." He leaned forward. "When this is necessary due to being provided inadequate information to begin with, I factor Theodus' fees into what I charge the client."
"And what are you anticipating charging for this job?" She took a sip of her coffee and, whether or not she should keep her face straight with her husband, she did. They were talking about business and money, and both of those things seemed … a little awkward. She chalked it up to the newness of the change in dynamics with Thane and her woeful inexperience on his side of the fence, so to speak.
He hesitated, likely feeling out her unease and considering their past conversations relating to credits. "For Ibariaan alone, given his notoriety on Anhur and the parameters of the contract, two hundred and fifty thousand credits. Factoring in Theodus' fees and the likelihood we will need to eliminate Ibariaan's followers, I estimate the finalization of the contract to be closer to four hundred thousand credits." He brought a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat. "This is all at somewhat of a … discount. I thought it might help to ease Hudson's mind over allowing me to include someone he's never worked with on the contract. I did, of course, make it clear this should be viewed as—as an introductory rate and not a permanent decrease in our fees."
"Four hundred thousand credits," she repeated, noting the slight warble to her own voice and fighting the urge to blink through her shock.
"Indeed." He waved his hand again. "If this is agreeable to you, siha?"
"And uh," she said, and then licked her lips, "how much of a discount is this, exactly?"
"Twenty-five percent." He let the silence linger a moment before adding, "After a few contracts, I thought, perhaps, we could … reconfigure our fees to better suit your requirements, if you'd like."
Jasmine let out a sudden bark of laughter.
Thane pulled his head back ever so slightly and blinked. "Siha?"
"You actually think I have complaints about your fees?" Setting her coffee cup down, she rubbed a hand over her hair and then rested her forearm on top of her head. She stared at him a moment and then shook her head, letting her arm drop to the table. "Christ, Thane … you're charging far more for this one contract than what the Alliance paid me in a single year. I'm …." She trailed off shaking her head again.
"Ah." He shifted in his seat and showed his empty hands. "I assure you, I was paid far less while working under the Compact, as well. Freelancing comes with a variety of new risks and benefits, siha. I will do my best to assist you in navigating these changes, if you'd like. However I can help, it's my pleasure to do so."
"David," Isaac said, holding out his hand. "Thank you for coming."
Jasmine took slow, even breaths, keeping her face still as she scanned the newcomer head to toe. He appeared to be about Isaac's age, maybe a year or two older. Of course, it might just be their differences in lifestyle. Captain David Anderson definitely didn't spend time wearing rejuvenating face masks or manicuring his nails, and his clothes spoke of practicality, not fashion.
Isaac said David was a friend of his family's when he first mentioned him back on the Citadel, but that was really all. He never gave her much more intel, just a few more snippets whenever he came up. Apparently, Isaac met David in London when they were kids. Their parents had some sort of business relationship, so Isaac saw David from time to time until he enlisted. He didn't sound close to David, but neither did it seem like he didn't like the guy. She didn't exactly push for more information, though. Standing there, she wished she had. She didn't really like going into things quite so blind.
"Sure, sure." The man shook Isaac's hand and patted his shoulder. "Your father said it was pretty important, but he refused to give me any details. Now that I'm here, maybe you can tell me what's going on?"
"Of course." Isaac turned, holding a hand out toward Jasmine. "First, let me introduce my good friend …." Isaac stalled out, meeting her gaze and raising an eyebrow.
She smiled and offered the man her hand. "Araceli Nuara. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."
"Araceli," David said, giving her hand another shake before letting her go. "It's good to meet you. I'm Captain David Anderson. Well, just David Anderson at the moment, I suppose." He chuckled and tucked his hands behind him, standing at parade rest.
She offered him a warm smile, noting that despite wearing casual clothes he still had 'Alliance' written all over him. And, he looked like he could kick some serious ass without breaking a sweat. She sincerely hoped Isaac was right about trusting the man. He'd taken precautions to keep the Iliad off of the SSV Tokyo's radar and out of sight, so at least no one else aboard the Alliance vessel would know anything about them. Unless David broke his promise to Isaac's father. Then again, the short amount of time she'd spent around Adrian Winter left her feeling fairly certain no one really wanted to cross that man.
"Why don't we go to the top deck where we can speak privately?" Isaac asked, turning back to David and waving a hand out toward the elevators. "There are others I want to introduce you to, as well."
"Alright." David nodded. "Lead the way."
Jasmine resisted the urge to look back over her shoulder at David as they walked to the elevators. Isaac glanced down at her as he pushed the elevator call button, and he gave her a reassuring smile when she met his gaze. She returned the gesture, even if she didn't entirely feel it at the moment.
It was actually kinda nice being back on the Iliad. She'd left a few of her things aboard the ship, in the room she'd shared with Thane and Theodus. Nothing big, just some clothes and a hygiene bag to help her remember that she still belonged there whether or not Isaac was her handler. To think the Iliad might be threatened by bringing David aboard … God, she hoped Isaac made the right call. The truth of the matter was, David could be involved with Cerberus. He might be one of the higher-ups sending soldiers in for experiments, giving them cybernetic implants, and letting them get pumped full of drugs and thresher maw venom. And even if he wasn't, he might very well decide to turn them all in to the Alliance.
The elevator arrived, and they stepped inside. Jasmine leaned against the back wall, watching David out of her peripherals as Isaac pushed the button for their living quarters. When the elevator stopped again, they made their way over to the couches. Before they had the chance to sit, Thane left the kitchen carrying a tray with a pot of cinuela and tea cups. David's brow twitched when he caught sight of Thane, but he showed no other indicators of what he might be thinking.
"David," Jasmine said, drawing the captain's attention, "this is my husband, Tannor."
Thane dipped his head as he settled the tray on the coffee table. "It's a pleasure to meet you." He offered David his hand, and the man accepted.
"You, too." Smiling, David released Thane's hand.
He glanced around the commons area, nodding absently to himself. What, exactly, he was looking for, Jasmine could only guess. Most likely assuring himself they were actually alone for the moment. She idly wondered if Adrian told David that Isaac owned the Iliad, and if so, what David thought of the ship. It certainly couldn't compare to the SSV Tokyo.
"Have a seat." Isaac followed his own suggestion, tugging on his slacks as he bent to perch on the edge of the couch. "Tannor made us some cinuela. It's a drell tea. Tastes fantastic," he said, glancing at Thane—who gave him a subtle nod—before picking up the tea pot and filling a cup.
David took a seat in the chair nearest to Isaac and accepted the cup of cinuela when Isaac passed it to him. "Thank you," he said, lifting it toward his mouth and breathing deeply. "It certainly smells good." He took a sip and hummed, nodding his head in approval. "This is good."
Thane grinned. "My thanks."
Jasmine tracked Thane's movements as he rounded the table to sit at her side. Isaac handed her a saucer with a cup of tea, and she gave him a smile. Balancing the saucer on her knee, she brought the cup to her mouth, taking her first sip as Isaac poured cinuela for Thane. Once everyone was served, Jasmine shifted forward and sat her saucer on the table. She kept her cup in one hand and rested the other on Thane's knee. A moment later, his hand covered hers, tucking his fingers in against her palm.
"Isaac," David said, drawing everyone's attention, "not that I don't appreciate the hospitality, but I can't be away from the Tokyo for long. We've got an hour, at most, before I need to be back on that shuttle."
Isaac sighed and nodded, brushing his hand over his head from top to front a couple of times. "I need—we need to discuss something with you. Something big, and it's not going to be any easier for you to hear than it's going to be for us to say. So, before we jump in, just know the reason we're bringing this to you is because I believe we can trust you, and so does my dad."
David leaned forward, putting his saucer and cup on the table before bracing his elbows on his knees and threading his fingers together. "I'm listening."
Isaac shifted to look at Jasmine, fear and worry flashing briefly through his eyes. She gave him the same reassuring smile he'd given her a few minutes before and nodded. Obviously she had her own concerns, but she trusted Isaac enough to push forward—even if he started doubting himself. He sucked in a deep breath and bobbed his head, turning his attention back to David.
Thane observed his wife more than he watched Isaac's Alliance contact. She'd slowly become more relaxed as she studied Captain Anderson, and in turn, her calm eased Thane. He'd come to trust her judgment of character, both personally and professionally, and she gave them no signal to indicate she'd found reason to doubt Captain Anderson's intentions.
Thane had remained mostly quiet as the three discussed matters. Everyone agreed beforehand to keep Jasmine's involvement in the initial discovery of the connection between the Alliance and Cerberus to themselves. It wasn't necessary information for the man to have, and it minimized the risk to Jasmine as well as Isaac and Raúl.
To say Captain Anderson seemed stunned as he listened to them speak of the atrocities they'd uncovered in the Cerberus facilities would be an understatement. He'd stared, wide-eyed, with his mouth agape as Isaac and Jasmine took turns detailing the gruesome experiments. Several times he rubbed his hand over his face and muttered a prayer to his god. To his credit, he recovered swiftly once they'd finished, and—seemingly without second thought—he began weighing options with Isaac and Jasmine on how to handle the situation moving forward.
"There's one more thing," Jasmine said, glancing between Isaac and Captain Anderson. "We rescued a soldier from the last facility on Akuze. He was held against his will, and forced to undergo experimentation. He knows the Alliance approved Project Evolution, and I don't think he has any interest in returning to service."
Captain Anderson hummed and nodded. "I can't say that I blame him. Honestly, it's unlikely he'd be cleared to return to service, anyway, given everything you've told me about what they were doing to people. Hell, it's a miracle the man's still alive, let alone sane."
"His sanity is … fragile, especially as it pertains to the Alliance and Cerberus." Jasmine grimaced and shrugged, and Thane tightened his grip on her hand. "But he damn sure still has fight left in him."
"What do you need me to do?" Captain Anderson asked, glancing between Jasmine and Isaac.
"Is there a way to get him discharged on paper without him having to go in?" Isaac asked, spreading his opened hands. "I'm sure he was probably declared MIA and presumed dead with the rest of his squad—and I'm not planning on sending him away or anything—but if he does ever want to return to his life at all …."
Captain Anderson studied Isaac for a moment before asking, "Where is he? Can I speak with him?"
"Uh." Isaac glanced toward the room Razik and Corporal Toombs shared in Jack's absence. His gaze flicked to Thane, an unasked question lifting his brow.
Thane squeezed Jasmine's hand before standing. "Allow me to see if he is comfortable joining us."
"Thanks," Isaac said with a smile.
Thane dipped his head and gave the captain a slight bow. "Excuse me for a moment."
Captain Anderson nodded and waved. "Of course."
Thane turned away and headed down the hall. He knocked gently on the door to Toombs' room, and a moment later, Raúl answered, remaining shielded by the door itself. He jerked his head in toward the room, so Thane stepped over the threshold. Raúl closed the door behind them and then walked over to lean against the metal frame of the empty bunk.
"Hello, Corporal." Thane tucked his hands behind his back as he dipped his head to Toombs. "I hope you are well."
"Mr. Manners," Toombs said. "That's what they called you on Akuze, isn't it?"
Thane smiled, letting out a soft chuckle. "Indeed. My wife thought it a fitting codename for me."
"Sunshine …. Razik calls her Ramona, and you Tannor." Toombs pointed upward at Razik's bunk. "You called her something else, though." He seemed to be processing his memories more than seeking confirmation.
"Indeed," Thane said nevertheless. He glanced at Razik, but the turian didn't turn his attention away from his opened omni-tool. "I often call her 'siha.'"
"Yeah," Razik said, still not looking at Thane, "what is that, anyway?"
Thane chuckled. "Perhaps we can discuss that another time." He turned his attention back to Toombs. "Corporal, I've come to see if you feel comfortable talking to a friend of Malcolm's."
"The Alliance captain I told you about," Raúl offered, and Toombs' gaze shifted to him for a moment.
Toombs remained quiet for a moment before saying, "The Alliance thinks I'm dead."
"Indeed." Thane dipped his head and brought his right hand forward, turning his palm up. "We haven't told him your name, only that we encountered you on Akuze and the circumstances surrounding your … captivity. If you don't wish for him to know anything else about you, we understand."
"Why does he want to talk to me?" Toombs asked, absently fingering the scars along his jaw and cheek.
"Ah. I believe it is his intention to assist you in a formal discharge, if it is your wish, so that you may return to your life without being expected to return to the Alliance as well." Thane hesitated only a moment, long enough to tuck his hands behind his back. "I think it might also benefit our mission if you were willing to share your story with the captain. Only whatever you are comfortable with."
"He's a friend of Malcolm's?" The man's gaze shifted between Thane and Raúl, fear and doubt raw in his eyes. "Does Malcolm want me to talk to him?"
Thane cleared his throat. "I—"
"He wouldn't have sent Tannor in here if he didn't think it was a good idea," Raúl said, shrugging when Toombs looked his way again.
"Do you want us to go out there with you?" Razik asked, closing his omni-tool and sliding off the top bunk to lean against the frame, studying Toombs. Although the turian tended to prefer making jokes and didn't take much seriously, he'd more than proven himself in battle. He also seemed to have a curious kindness about him when it came to Toombs and Jack.
Toombs looked up at Razik and swallowed before glancing at Raúl who crossed his arms and nodded. Licking his lips, Toombs stood and said, "Alright."
"Ah." Thane held a hand out again. "Before we go, my wife has chosen to introduce herself to the captain with an alias, Araceli, for reasons which are not mine to share." He met each of their gazes. "Please, if you refer to her by name in front of the captain, call her Araceli."
"Surname?" Razik asked, taking to the request without pause.
"Naura," Thane said, a smile lifting the corners of his lips. He liked that she'd chosen to use his own alias' surname, and he already had his contacts working to establish paperwork for the identity of Araceli Naura.
"Araceli," Toombs repeated as he nodded.
Raúl simply looked at Thane as if he thought his need to seek out confirmation from him, of all people, was ridiculous. Thane supposed it was an understandable response. He chuckled and dipped his head to the phantom before turning and opening the door. It occurred to him, quite surprisingly, that he didn't think twice before showing his back to the three men, nor did it feel at all dangerous or unwise. He imagined it was the beginning of the sort of trust and comradery those in the military developed for their squadmates. He led the way back to the commons and returned to his wife's side.
Captain Andeson tracked the others for a moment before his features smoothed out, gaze steady on Toombs. The scarring on the corporal most likely marked him, as opposed to Raúl, as the man Jasmine spoke about. Toombs came to a stop, the coffee table between him and Captain Anderson, before snapping a salute. He seemed to think better of it less than a second later, frowned, and muttered an apology as he settled into the chair next to where Thane sat. Razik and Raúl remained standing, Razik taking up station just behind Toombs while Raúl moved to lean against the wall—where he could easily watch everyone present—and crossed his arms over his chest.
Jasmine extended her hand toward Toombs while speaking to the captain, "This is Corporal Scott Toombs." She turned her gaze to the corporal. "Toombs, Captain David Anderson has come aboard, at our request. He's not here in any official capacity, however. We just wanted to talk to him about Project Evolution because he's someone we trust isn't involved, and we think he may be able to help us set things right. Is it okay if he asks you a few questions?"
Toombs licked his lips and nodded, gaze darting between Captain Anderson, Isaac, and Jasmine. "Alright."