Strength of Heart

Chapter Six

Reunion

[Are you ready, Kaidan? We have berthed at the spaceport; I'll be taking the Shuttle down to your hotel's landing lot. Level 32, right?] She had promised he would be the first they picked up. What had surprised her is that Tayln elected to remain onboard the Valkyrie.

Kaidan inhaled deeply, trying to hold down his excitement. She was finally here. The parking lot was attached to their building. Each floor of their apartment had its own parking/landing lot. [Yes. Level 32. There's a covered walkway that leads to our floor. We're at 32-D. I would have met you at the lot but my mom wanted to greet you in our home.] She wanted to give Elvie the hospitality she deserved. His parents knew she'd gotten married, but they had a soft spot in their hearts for her for everything she'd done for him and the other kids at Brain Camp.

[That's fine, Kaidan. I'm about to hop in the shuttle. I will see you soon.] She flipped off her OT and looked up at her husband. "Are you sure about not coming with me?"

No! But he couldn't say that to her. His hand settled beneath her hair at the nape of her neck. Letting her go without him was hard. While, yes, he wanted to be with her to ensure she was safe but he also knew that the larger part was he wanted to be with her so that the other males would know she was his. He knew it was ridiculous but it was also instinctual. "I'm sure. Your friends will meet me soon enough. This brief time with them is yours." He grazed his lips against hers and then took a step back. She would be safe. CJ was piloting the shuttle. Not that his wife needed the mech to keep her safe, but he did feel better knowing she was not alone. He watched as the shuttle sped out of the shuttle bay, the large door rising to close behind her.

Since the station was further away from the Earth than the moon, it was not affected by the Earth's gravitational pull. They'd timed her leaving the Valkyrie for when the station would be closest to Kaidan's navpoint, since she was to pick him up first. She buckled in next to CJ and turned on the holowindows. CJ didn't need them since he was able to hook through the shuttle's sensors, but she wanted to see what was happening.

The shuttle shuddered as it tore through the Earth's atmosphere. She'd like to say she wasn't holding onto her seat in a death grip, but that would have been a lie.

CJ could sense her rise in heartrate. He glanced over at her and smiled. "The shuttle will be fine. Entry is…bumpier in a craft with a thinner hull."

She nodded. "I expected it. But knowing something and experiencing it are two different things." She forced her fingers to loosen their grip and focused on the readouts instead. She knew CJ could compensate for even the most minor of fluctuations, but focusing on what she would do in various scenarios kept her mind busy until the heated atmosphere was replaced by fluffy white clouds and a blue sky.

As they drew closer to landfall, a large cityscape spread out beneath them. The first thing she notices was that it lacked a dome, so she knew it must be using some form of clean energy. She, however, lacked the caring to verify that hypothesis. Kaidan was down there waiting for her. It had been a year since she'd seen him in person. Would he have changed? Had she? Would things still be the same between them? Obviously not the boyfriend/girlfriend part…but the comforting feeling of the deep connection they had shared. They'd fallen into an immediate friendship when they'd first met, as comfortable as if they'd always known each other. She wiped her damp hands on her thighs. That feeling couldn't be gone, could it?

"There is no reason for anxiety, we are safe now," CJ pointed out.

She looked over and saw the concern in the human appearing mech's face. "What? No – I'm not nervous about the flight – just nervous about seeing an old friend again. I guess I'm worried things will be different between us…that our friendship won't be the same."

Humans could be odd. "Have you not been conversing with this gentleman for the past year?"

Her grin was sheepish and her cheeks flushed with warmth. "I know, CJ. I'm sure I'm not making much sense. I have a lot of friends and family that I love but there have been only three people that I've connected with like this: Tayln, Loki and Kaidan. My fear of losing them is disproportionate to reality. My logical mind knows that…but it doesn't stop the worry," she explained with a shrug and wiped her hands on her pants again.

When CJ located an available parking spot large enough to handle the shuttle, she inhaled deeply after she felt the slight reverberation of the shuttle's landing. She hopped out of the copilot's seat and hurried back to the main side-doors. "Are you sure you don't want to come in with me?"

"I will be monitoring the situation. I do not need to intrude on your reunion as well, Elvie," he pointed out.

She grinned and shook her head. "This Is not some clandestine meeting. It is less…creepy for you to join me than it is for you to monitor everything like one of my spyder cams." Her gaze narrowed on his. "You're going in with me, so move…" Hairs lifted on the back of her neck and she spun around into a hard chest, with arms encircling her. It took a moment to register the scent of the man enveloping her and the endearing words murmured into her ear to make sense.

Kaidan held her tight. He couldn't wait for her to come to him. He tried, but he failed miserably. He'd missed her for too long. "You're here. I can't believe you are here. If this is a dream…don't wake me up." He inhaled deeply. "I couldn't wait. I just couldn't." He closed his eyes once more when he felt her relax against him, her arms slipping around his waist.

She laughed softly at his words. "I promise it's not a dream. I missed you too." A heavy breath slipped from her lips. The connection was still there. She felt it in his touch. His embrace felt the same too…except he had more muscle. When she pulled back, his lips grazed the corner of her mouth. "Someone's been working out."

He felt the heat rise in his cheeks as he forced himself to let her go and take a step back. "I'm not hanging out with my old friends anymore." He inhaled. "It gave me something to do with my free time. I've been running too…and keeping up with my biotic endurance," he admitted.

"Wanting to make sure I didn't get away again?" she teased. At Brain Camp, they'd often ran through the rings, which was better than running laps in the commons. Back then she could outrun him with ease. She bet it wouldn't be so easy any more.

"Yeah," he agreed, his cheeks heating up once again. "Something like that."

She saw him glance behind her when she heard CJs door close. "That's CJ, my protection detail. CJ, this is my closest friend, Kaidan."

Kaidan smiled and nodded to the brown-haired man. "It is good to meet you, CJ." He looked curiously at Elvie and inhaled before he spoke. "I thought Tayln would be coming with you?" He held the crook of his arm out to her.

She slipped her arm through his. "I haven't seen you all in a year. He didn't want to intrude on the reunions – he'll meet you all back up on the Valkyrie."

He was content with the drell's foresight. The reunion would have been more awkward for everyone if he had been here. He motioned for CJ to follow. "My family is excited to meet you." He inhaled. "And don't worry, they are fine with how things are between us. I explained everything to them. You will always walk on water as far as they are concerned…for what you and your dad did for us."

With her free hand, she rubbed at her cheek in embarrassment. "I can't walk on water without m.e. boots…maybe jet boots…"

He laughed quietly. "I promise – they haven't erected any monuments in your name. They just think you are a remarkable and caring woman." He inhaled. "And so do I." He led her down the hall and to the right. He grinned when they reached his door. To the right of the door was a plaque that stated '32-D' and below that 'Alenko Residence'. There was a holo-communication console on the door, it scanned him and the door slid open. "Welcome to our humble home," he murmured as he led her in.

There was a wide entryway hall with two benches and a waist-high table. A couple of coats rested on pegs on one side and family portraits lined the wall on the other side. The hall continued the length of flat with 4 closed doors on the right-hand side and one open, which she assumed was likely the bathroom. An archway on the left led to a large comfortable living room with a sofa, loveseat and a couple of comfortable looking recliners. The furniture faced a fireplace and above the mantle was a flatscreen, which was currently on, displaying some sort of sporting event. But the volume had been cut off. There was a breakfast bar that separated the living room from the kitchen and past the kitchen was a formal dining room and a door that led to a balcony. She'd seen squalor, she'd seen ship cabins, she'd seen lower class living and she'd seen fancy homes – but this was the first time she'd seen how normal, everyday people lived…and it was both beautiful and comfortable. You could see and feel the love and memories this flat held. She barely had time to take it all in before she found herself buried in Linda's arms.

"I'm so glad we've finally gotten to meet you, dearie. Strange really…we've talked about you so much that it feels like you've been a part of our family for some time." She pulled back and wiped her eyes. "Oh, Nate!" She lifted a hand to cup Elvie's cheek. "Look how beautiful she is…she's like an angel!"

"Let the poor girl breathe, Linds," Natoma admonished gently and held his hand out to the young woman. "Call me Nate," he said as he cupped her hand between his for a brief squeeze. He dropped her hand slowly and then motioned to his younger son to come forward. "This is..."

"I can introduce myself; you know." He took her hand and raised it to his lips before he looked up at her. "I'm Rylan…but you can call me Ry." He tilted his head. "Or you can call me later…" he murmured with a quirk of his brows as he released her hand.

Natoma cuffed the back of his son's head.

"Rylan…" Kaidan warned in a low hiss of breath. "She's taken."

Rylan shrugged. "You can't blame a guy for trying. Do you have any sisters?"

She laughed at the boy's words. The kid was undeniably good looking and his attitude said he knew it. No doubt he would leave a trail of broken hearts before too long. She looked between the brothers. Their facial bone structure was remarkably alike, taking after their father's square-jawed features, their noses, ears and foreheads more refined like their mother's. Where they differed was in coloring. Kaidan, like he'd told her before, took after his father. Dark hair, slightly darker complected, though by no means the medium-copper of his father's complexion. His warm brown eyes were lighter than his father's as well, but there was no denying the resemblance between father and son. Rylan, on the other hand, took after their mother, though his hair was a darker blonde than hers. Their eyes, however, mirrored each other – the same bright blue color. "I have three," she told him. "But none of them look like me. I look like my twin brother, Loki – but he's taken."

When Rylan choked and Natoma slapped his son's back with a hearty chuckle. "Sorry, son. I'm sure you and he would have made a great couple."

Rylan cleared his throat and glared up at his father. "Funny, dad. Real funny." He raked a hand through his hair, but like Rafe's, it fell right back into place as if never mussed. "I prefer the ladies."

"Okay," Kaidan said after a deep inhale. "The gentleman with us is CJ, he's a friend of Elvie's. CJ, these are my parents, Linda and Nate, and my little brother, Rylan."

After another round of handshakes, they settled in the living room. At one point, Linda jumped up to retrieve drinks and snacks. She brought Nate and Kaidan a beer, she and Elvie had wine and Rylan was given a soda. On the snack tray were finger sandwiches, which she'd had no time to make, so she must have had them pre-made before her arrival, along with some diced fruit and cheeses.

Over the next couple of hours, they talked about Nate's military career, Linda's career as a school teacher, as well as her own story of being kidnapped, to life in the ducts of the Citadel, to becoming technological innovator, to working with Teiner Tech. At that point, she'd managed to turn the conversation towards Kaidan and Ry. Linda was happy to regale her stories about their childhood. She'd even jumped up and squished in next to her on the loveseat, which she'd shared with Kaidan, to show her holopics of the children growing up.

"I'm outta here," Rylan told everyone as he rose from the chair he'd been seated at. "Nice meeting you, Elvie…com me whenever you want," he said with a wink before he went to his room.

"Never mind him. He hates it when I show off their baby pictures," Linda assured Elvie with a slight squeeze on the lovely girl's forearm. She knew only Elvie's presence was what kept her eldest from running off too.

It wasn't much longer when Kaidan rose to his feet. "We have other people we need to pick up, we should have left already. I'm going to give her a quick tour of the place and then we will go." He took her hand. "Come with me."

He led her through the kitchen and dining room to the door that led to the balcony. When the door slid open, she stepped out onto the balcony. It was larger than she'd expected. It spanned the length of the flat and was wide enough to have a grill, a table and chairs at one end, four loungers in the middle and a bench swing on the right. On the far side of the railing, green buds were sprouting in planters that wrapped around the balcony.

He angled his body in her direction, settling one forearm along the railing. "In a few more weeks, there will be a burst of color lining our balcony. It was the closest thing to a garden that dad could give mom in the city." His gaze slid out to the horizon. "Look." He inhaled deeply. "The English Bay…" He slipped his arm around her waist when she leaned her head against his shoulder. "It's beautiful…even from here."

"Yes….it is," she agreed softly as she watched distant waves roll towards the shore. A skycar raced by, briefly interrupting the view.

He settled the side of his head against the top of hers with a quiet laugh. "At least we don't get a lot of that." He waited another few moments and then took her hand. "I should get my bag."

He led her back through the house and to his bedroom, which he'd already made sure was tidy enough not to embarrass him.

She looked over his room. A bed, night table, lamp, dresser, desk. The normal bedroom furniture. On the shelves were model aircrafts, a few tribal crafts…and various animal sculptures, each with holopics being displayed. She gasped when she realized they were her designs. She ran her finger over a sleek silver-blue dolphin that had a picture of her and Kaidan sprouting from the blowhole. A couple had revolving holopics of their time at Brain Camp and a couple had revolving pics of his family. But this one in the middle…this dolphin had only one pic being displayed. She remembered when he'd taken it with the OT she'd given him. They were in the commons, a potted tree behind them, he had his arm around her, her hand flattened against his chest as she leaned against him, silly grins on their faces. "I didn't know you had any of my designs."

He slung his bag over his shoulder and he lifted her chin, his thumb grazing over it briefly. "I've bought everything you've made up until now. My dad and I both love the laser-blade pocket knife," he said as he patted the sheathed pocketknife on his belt, "my mom loves the kitchen items – in particular the stasis disks." He inhaled. "Bought a hoverboard for both Ry and myself. We've gotten pretty good at riding them. And those spyder cams…they've gotten my brother in trouble more than once," he said with a chuckle.

"Wow. I didn't know…" She was a strange mix of pleased and embarrassed at the same time. But it brought her attention back to something she'd wanted to give him. She reached down and pulled an oval disk from her magbelt by the edges, settled it on her palm and held it out to him. "Put your thumb over the holopad." He did so without question. The holopad went from red to blue to green and stayed on green. "There, now it belongs only to you. You are the only one the armor disk will work for. Since you aren't using a magbelt, you will need to clip it onto your belt." His OT chimed softly and she nodded in response. "It has synced with your OT. The disk is always on, always monitoring conditions and always able to deploy on a moment's notice."

He clipped it onto his belt as she instructed. "What do you mean by armor disk? Is it a shielding device?"

She grinned. "It's all the armor you will need. Say you stumble off the side of a building. You can either manually deploy the armor by saying, 'deploy armor'. Or it will respond to your fear-based adrenaline and auto-deploy, covering your body in protective nano-armor with oxygen and propulsion boots and gauntlets to help you come to a slower landing. Though…I don't recommend you jump off a building to test it…that was a bad example on my part. I don't know if you are going to join the military like your father or not, but whatever you do, it will protect you." She took a step back. "Say the words to deploy it."

He looked down at the strange disk, not understanding how it could ever be considered armor. It looked like it was capable of providing a protective holo-barrier maybe – but not armor. Still…the curiosity was like a bothersome itch. He had to know what it would do. "Deploy armor."

He nearly jumped when what almost looked like a metallic liquid grew rapidly outward from the disk, covering his whole body in a few beats of his heart. The liquid-like substance hardened into hinged plates that moved with him like clothing. His bag was now resting on the shoulder of the armor, as if the armor formed under it. He looked down and saw that his knife and its sheath were also outside the armor, not trapped inside on his belt. The air was light and sweet and the helmet's visor showed him object distances, suit monitoring and other stats in his peripheral vision.

"'Helmet down', will cause the helmet to recede." She smiled when he repeated the words and the helmet drew back and into the suit. "The back and belt are magnetized to hold weapons and such. I usually wear a magbelt, unless I'm dressing up. A magbelt will transfer items seamlessly, rather than having the sheath bits poking out," she said with a flick of her finger against the sheathed pocketknife. "You can use your OT for aesthetic changes. I have flames and a phoenix rising design on mine." She took his hand and turned it over, palm up. "Do you see the circles on your palms? The soles of your boots have similar fields. Like a jumpjet, they are used to gain elevation or slow a landing. In the case of your hands, it can also blast people away from you. "Command is Activate boots or activate gauntlets – but don't say those in your flat," she teased. She pressed the OT connection at the top of his wrist and showed him the armor's interface. "Commands can be inputted this way as well, if you need to be silent. The command 'remove armor' will cause the armor to recede back to the disk."

He knew he should be saying something…more than just parroting what she'd told him to say, but he was in a state of shock. This was so much more advanced than anything he'd ever heard of that his brain was having a difficult time registering everything. "Remove armor," he said in a strained voice. A harsh breath whooshed out of him when the armor returned to a liquid-like state and flowed back into the disk. "This is…unreal. How…" He shook his head. "Doesn't matter." He inhaled. "I wouldn't understand anyway. Is this a prototype? I would have remembered seeing armor like this on the Teiner Tech site."

"It's not a proto-type…exactly," she said with a slight wrinkle of her nose. AIs were illegal in Council Space. "But it also won't be available for sale. It integrates with the TNT AI. She goes by Dyna – that's short for dynamite, provided the suit is at least within tight-beam range of a Teiner Tower or one of our AI controlled ships. It doesn't need Dyna to run, as you can see, it has its own VI GUI- but if you are in range, Dyna will monitor all your suit and environmental functions and provide you much better feedback and repairs than the VI ever could."

"So…huh…it's illegal in Council Space."

"That about sums it up," she agreed. "Do you still want it?" Her brow quirked upwards and her lips pursed, holding back a grin.

He lowered his hand to cover the disk. He had no intension of giving it back. "Do I still breathe? Wait - " He inhaled sharply. "Yes, I'm still breathing." He gave a wry tilt of his head. "Probably should have pinched myself instead. But if I'm dreaming – I don't want to wake up."

She slipped an arm around his waist. "Of course, you do – life is too short to waste too much time on dreaming when you could be doing something to make those dreams come true."

Right. She was his brightest dream and there was little he could do to make that one come true – at least for now. Until then, he would discover who he was and what he wanted to do with his life. Like her, he wanted to help people. He just wasn't sure how he would give that help yet. His arms looped around her. "Why, Elvie? Why give something that…that priceless to me?"

Her hand lifted, her fingers stroking his cheek. "Because you are precious to me. I need to know that even if you're far from my side that I've done everything possible to keep you safe."

He lowered his forehead to touch hers. "You still love me," he murmured.

She bit her lip to stop words from spilling out. She was married. She loved her husband. "You are my best friend. You are a part of me. A – a…soulmate. That will never change. We will never change."

He lowered his head, his lips brushing along hers in a lingering movement while his heart beat frantically in his chest. He wanted to feel her skin against his. He wanted to bury himself deep in her heat with her knowing it was him giving her pleasure. He wanted to hear his name on her lips when she came. But that, too, was a dream on hold. His honor would never let him pursue her as a married woman. He also knew that If she wanted him, he wasn't sure if he'd have the strength to refuse her…but he knew the guilt would fester in his soul…in both of their souls. He felt her tense and broke the gentle kiss before she could. "I love you," he murmured into the shell of her ear. She shivered as he pulled back and a slow, confident grin spread over his lips. "And you still love me."

Maybe she did. But it changed nothing. She loved her husband. She'd given her heart and her vows to her husband. If she'd met Kaidan first, maybe…but she hadn't. She had no regrets. She had a husband she was madly in love with and a best friend who knew her on a deeper level than anyone else. She'd talked about things with Kaidan that she'd never be able to talk to Tayln about…about what Dagger had done to her…the pain and pleasure and torment of his torture. Kaidan hadn't been there when it happened – hadn't known her, maybe that was why it had been easier to open up to him about it. Regardless of anything either one of them felt, she knew Kaidan wouldn't do anything about it. He was too honorable. She was safe with him; he would have her back…and she would have his.

"You are so stubborn," she grumbled with mock irritation and pinched his back. "Yes, I love you and that is why I want you protected."

He knew she loved him; he wasn't sure why he needed to hear it. But it soothed him regardless. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes… yes, of course." She followed him from his room. "I'll get you a magbelt when we get on the ship, that way you can attach your pocketknife and your hoverboard disk," she said, motioning to the round, palm-sized disk in a holster on his bag, "without having to use a holster." The belt was nice enough to be worn as a dress belt, even if a bit wider than standard. The magnetic alloy used in the belt was also used in weapons and pouches designed to be worn with the belt or armor, neither of which were drawn to other magnetic alloys. According to the Archives, the metallic alloy was found on a prothean planet and the asari were first to locate it and make use of. An energetic hug pulled her from her musings.

"I'm so glad we got to meet you, honey!" Linda squeezed the girl tighter. "You and your family are always welcome here – right, Nate?"

"Right, Linds." This time he hugged her too…after his wife finally backed away. "Keep our boy safe," he told her.

"I intend to. Though, I might have to sit on him to keep him from playing the white knight," she teased with a grin.

Natoma patted her shoulder. His gaze lifting to meet his son's. Love shined bright in his eldest's cinnamon-brown eyes. "Our boy will always do right by you." That had always been the way of the Alenko men. An Alenko man gave his heart once. And the giving came with a pledge of devotion, loyalty and love. An Alenko man never strayed; he would always be true to his heart. Even if his heart was denied the thing it wanted most.

Elvie nodded. "And I'll do right by him. I'll always have his back."

Natoma studied her for a moment and then returned her nod. It was obvious she cared about his son. But he also saw something that intrigued him. She had a strength and confidence in her steady gaze - something he'd only seen in experienced soldiers who knew what they were capable of. Perhaps she would have his son's back. But would she ever give him her heart?

"Com me, Elvie!" Rylan yelled from his bedroom door and then darted back to his gaming chair.

"Tell him I will," she said with a wink at Linda. "Though, I don't promise to set him up with any of my sisters."

"That is a relief. He's too young for that business. Though…I suppose we will have to deal with it sooner with that one," Linda responded, with a motion of her thumb towards the bedrooms.

Elvie glanced up at Kaidan's classically handsome face, chiseled square jaw and warm brown eyes, drifting down to his muscled chest and arms. "I don't know what you mean," she said and turned back to Linda. "Kaidan is definitely heart-break material…and certainly old enough to leave a trail of them." At least he would if he put himself out there. He wasn't shy exactly, but he was slow and steady, never pushing for more. That was what had drawn her to him. That was why she'd given him her trust, her friendship and eventually her love.

"I – uh…no," Linda replied with a shake of her pale blonde hair, a natural color so rare to find. Her gaze shifted from her son to the young woman with the glorious metallic-caramel hair and striking green and yellow eyes at his side. The grandbabies they would give her…She cleared her throat. "You're right, of course. Kaidan is as beautiful as his brother…but he has a noble, steadfast heart – he will never be a heartbreaker…" Not when he's already given his heart to you. Though, those words remained behind her teeth. Speaking them would not change what was to come.

Kaidan's embarrassment meter was topped off. "We need to go if we're going to pick up Hendel and Dawn today."

The Alenko's shook a quiet CJ's hand again and the trio quickly left the flat and took the walkway back out to the parking garage.

-BREAK ONE-

Kaidan's eyes widened when he saw the shuttle she'd flown in on. Large, sleek and black with Valkyrie emblazoned on the side. He'd been so wrapped up in the woman he loved that he never took notice of the shuttle. Her iris was scanned and the door slid open. The inside looked more like a small, luxury cabin than a shuttle. Across from the door they entered was another exit door, between the two was the standard floor trap for a cannon to rise up from, but that is where any similarities to a military shuttle ended. To the right of the door was the cockpit with plush seating for two. To the left were two rows of six chairs facing each other, an aisle between split them into two groups of six. When they settled in thick-padded chairs a table rose up from the floor and holo-terminals flickered on in front of them. He swiveled his head towards the back to find a thickly padded wraparound sofa and a slit on the roof that likely had a vidscreen that would lower from it. In the space between the table they sat at and the sofa were lockers on one side and a sleek bench on the other with vertical grab-poles. He imagined if someone was too dirty for the fancy chairs, they would sit there. "I've never seen a shuttle like this before."

"It was a first for me too when I first saw the Oasis' shuttle. It's far more than I need. But there are some things, I've come to realize, that I can't control." She wrinkled her nose. "Still doesn't have a bathroom though," she teased.

"At least if we're shot, they can't blow a hole in the bilge tank," he pointed out. "That is one shower I could do without."

Laughter bubbled out of her. "Ewww…but you have a very valid point." She glanced down at her OT when it chimed and read the message Hendel had sent her. "Hendel and Dawn have arrived at the Houston Station. They are waiting for us at the landing pad VIP-54-B." The Houston Station had been built over the top of the old Houston International Airport. It had docks to berth smaller frigates and freighters and landing pads for arrivals and departures. In cities the size of Houston, no one ever descended to ground level – not if they valued their life. Gangs had taken over the streets long ago and few cops dared to venture that far down.

She was thankful both Hendel and Dawn's parents agreed to meet her at the station, it saved them quite a bit of time. They would all return to the ship tonight, pick Shelby up in Ireland tomorrow and then on to Denmark to pick up Jett and Tamra, who had also agreed to meet in a more central location. After that…off to Mindoir.

There were storage compartments under the long bench across from the lockers. Lifting the seat up from one of the compartments, she pulled out a couple of bottles, a beer and a water and a couple of plates of food CC had cooked aboard the Valkyrie and laid them out on the table. She plopped down in the seat next to Kaidan and motioned to his lunch.

He grinned and removed the stasis disks from the beer and covered plate. "These things are amazing." Utensils and a cloth napkin were stored in the lid, he pulled them out and removed the lid, his belly growling in earnest when he saw the thick steak and steamed garlic potatoes. "Steak and beer…you remembered." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Any one ever tell you that you're the greatest?"

She laughed softly. "Maybe a time or two – just be thankful I didn't cook it."

"But you made it happen." He slid a bite of medium-rare cooked steak past his lips and his taste buds exploded under the tender pink meat. "And I am sooo grateful right now."

After lunch, they lowered the table, reclined their chairs back and laid on their sides to talk quietly to each other until CJ notified them that they would be landing momentarily.

She pushed the button to raise her chair back up into an upright position. "Thank you, CJ." She flipped open her OT and commed Tayln. When his blue face showed up on the holoscreen, she smiled at him. "I spent an enjoyable couple of hours with Kaidan's family. They made me feel right at home. We're now outside of the Houston Station, about to land and pick up Hendel and Dawn, then we'll be on our way back to the Valkyrie."

Val had kept Tayln updated through her contact with CJ, but it was a relief to see his wife's face. It was hard being away from her, especially after what happened at Brain Camp. "I know how thankful his family was to you. I'm glad they were able to spend time with you. But I'm also glad you won't be spending that kind of time with your other friends' parents. Call me selfish," he said with a shrug of his massive shoulders.

"We will be spending a few hours on Mindoir," she reminded him.

"True…but I'll be there too," he pointed out.

"We have arrived," CJ informed her as the shuttle settled on the landing pad with only the smallest of jolts.

"We have to go – see you soon, husband." She flipped off her OT. "Let's get our friends onboard, because I'm more than ready to be aboard the Valkyrie again. The shuttle is comfortable but I need to walk out the kinks."

They Found Hendel, Dawn and her parents waiting for them at the VIP-54 waiting area. Hendel was even larger than when she'd last seen him, but she supposed that was to be expected. He'd spent a lot of time working out at Brain Camp. "You cut your hair," she said with a grin as she hugged light-brown complected man.

Hendel picked her up and spun her around, followed by a slap to Kaidan's shoulder. "I need to keep it in regs. I've already enlisted in the Alliance military. I'll be shipping out in less than six months for boot camp."

She saw the light shining in his eager eyes and knew this was something he really wanted to do. "Then I'm glad we did not put our reunion off."

"Yeah…me too," Kaidan murmured. He was surprised anyone would willingly jump into bed with the Alliance after what happened at Brain Camp. It was certainly not a decision he'd ever rush into. "Hope you know what you're doing,"

"I do," Hendel said with a nod of his head.

"Dawn!" Elvie smiled at black-haired, grey-eyed young woman. "It's good to see you again," she said as she stepped into the offered hug.

"I swear you're still growing!" Dawn whispered in Elvie's ear. "Wish you'd send some of that my way," she groused, glancing down at her 5'4" frame.

"Funny. If I was much shorter, I'd need a chair to hug my husband."

Dawn laughed, her hand flying up to her mouth to cover the indelicate snort. She blushed and slipped her arm through Elvie's and motioned Kaidan over. "Elvie, Kaidan – these are my parents, Diane and Wes."

Diane and her husband enthusiastically pumped the hands of both kids. "We've heard so much about you! Dawn said…" She felt her husband's elbow in her side. "I'm surprised you…" she felt the elbow again. She couldn't help it. She was surprised Elvie had gotten married…and to someone else, no less.

"What my wife is trying to say is that we appreciate you doing what could to help keep our daughter safe while she was away training." He shook his head. "They tried to make us fear our own daughter. It's a crying shame what went on out there. We're glad the kids had you…well, both of you."

Kaidan waved a hand in negation. "I did what I could, but Elvie was our lifeline out there," he admitted.

"It was team effort, Kaidan. We all had each other to rely on," she replied quickly.

Kaidan frowned at her denial. He knew compliments and praise were hard for her to deal with. "Acknowledging what you did for us at Brain Camp, doesn't diminish our own accomplishments. What you did…" he inhaled… "it meant something. Don't try to take that away from us."

She pursed her lips as she thought about what he'd said. He was right and she knew it. That didn't make it any easier though. "I won't. I'm just glad I was there and that I could help."

Dawn shuddered at the thought of Elvie not being at Brain Camp. "I don't even want to imagine how bad it would have gotten if you hadn't been there to…run interference." She cleared her throat and then hugged her parents one more time when Kaidan reached down to grab her bags.

"Be safe, baby," her mother whispered in her ear.

"Not a baby anymore, mom. And we're not going anywhere dangerous," Dawn reminded her weepy mother.

Diane pulled back and gripped her daughter's shoulders, giving her small shake to get her point across. "Com us every day, Dawny."

She rolled her eyes at her mother's use of her childhood nickname. "Of course." She could understand her mother-smother after what happened at Brain Camp, but this wasn't the same at all. They were traveling in an armed ship. What could be safer than that? Plus, any message she commed would take days for her parents to receive.

Wes pulled his wife back. "Let the poor girl go and have some fun before she leaves for the University."

Dawn waved at her parents until the shuttle door closed and then fell into one of the chairs around a table. She blinked at the opulence. "Tot-flipped! This is a shuttle?" She laughed softly. "I suppose it is if you are rich as a volus bank. Should have seen the shuttle I took from Florida."

Hendel nodded. "Ditto. My ass did not have enough padding for those seats." He wiggled his butt against the cloud he was now sitting on. "Commence enjoyment," he said with a sigh and turned on the holo-terminal in the table.

"Why did you sign up with the military?" Elvie asked. After what happened at Brain Camp, she would have thought that would have steered the students away from the Alliance.

He tapped a light brown finger against the table for a few moments and then lifted his gaze to meet hers. "Because of a lot of little things. But mainly, because of you."

Her head jerked back and she blinked twice in shock. "Me? I'm not in the Alliance military. You saw me at Brain Camp. Do you honestly think I'd ever be good at taking orders?"

"No." He cocked his head, that word didn't quite feel right on his tongue. "Maybe. If you respected who gave you the order. But that's not the point. I saw you take charge. I saw you take responsibility for a problem that wasn't yours. You molded us into a team that worked well together. You pushed us when we needed it, gave us strength when we floundered, you kept us safe and brought order to chaos. You gave us cohesion – solidarity, like a commanding officer with his platoon." He didn't care if they could see the fire in his eyes. He leaned across the table towards her. "Any one of us would follow you into hell. Any one of us would die for you without question. You have shown me what it means to lead and what a good leader can accomplish. You made a difference. If I can be even half the leader you are, then I know I can make a difference too!"

She slowly closed her mouth. Words failed her. His words were too much. She didn't know how to back away from them. She didn't know how to accept them. She didn't know how to move forward. "It was my job," she said in a strained voice.

Kaidan saw the stunned panic that stretched her features tight, the color leeching from her skin. He angled his body towards hers and took her hand between his. "That's not true and you know it. We weren't a job to you – you cared." He inhaled. "You didn't have to, but you cared," he murmured softly. "Look at me, Elvie." When her eyes finally moved to meet his, he smiled gently. "What you do matters and you won't always be able to hide from that or how others reflect on what you've done. It doesn't matter if they hate you, fall in love with you, put you on a pedestal or want to emulate you." He inhaled and lifted one hand to cup her cheek. "You are still going to do what needs done or help whoever needs help, because that is who you are." He leaned in close until his lips brushed her ear. "The only feelings you have control over are your own. Let it go." He inhaled. "It's only a compliment."

He kissed her cheek and leaned back into his own seat, though he kept hold of her hand. "Besides, every word he spoke is true," Kaidan told her with a shrug. "I'm not sure I'll join the Alliance, but whatever I choose to do, I intend to make a difference."

Dawn crossed one leg over the other. "What just happened?" she asked as she swung her leg back and forth at the knee.

Kaidan gaze darted to Elvie's. At her brief nod, he locked back onto Dawn's grey eyes. "Elvie has a difficult time accepting compliments – she prefers anonymity." One corner of his lips lifted. "It's a work in progress."

"Is that all?" Dawn asked, the words almost not making it out before laughter poured out of her. She wiped her eyes and groaned at the spasm in her diaphragm. "Anonymity? Oh, sweet hellafter. You married the wrong man and are living the wrong life if you want anonymity. You should have married Kaidan." Her hand flew to her mouth when she realized what she'd just said. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Forget I said anything. It was so stupid. I didn't mean…"

"I know what you meant," Elvie said quietly. She couldn't say that it was okay. It wasn't. Dawn's words had been careless and painful, but she knew Dawn hadn't meant to hurt anyone.

Hendel tore his eyes away from the terminal and frowned at Dawn. "I'm sure we'll all do our best to forget it," he said with a wave of his hand as if to shoo her away. Loose lips sink ships and destroy friendships. "Kaidan is right. You weren't getting paid to train us. You chose to do it because you cared. You volunteered to help – that's not the same as a job."

Elvie was grateful for the change in subject. Considering there had been a job…spying had been a job. Training them had meant much more to her than that. "You're right. Being there for you all wasn't a job…a chore…or a duty. It was a pleasure." All the work she'd done in the Wards as Valkyrie had given her pride and a sense of accomplishment. But it had all been anonymous. There was no connection, not with the people she saved and not with the people she trained. Connections required the giving of self. Hiding behind a mask prevented the giving of self – and that was a revelation she'd never considered before. She suspected Valkyrie would only come out to play if Cole needed her now.

Talk moved away from her and onto stories to catch themselves up on each other's lives. Stories, no doubt, they would be telling over and over again as the rest of them arrived. It would be interesting to see if the stories changed with each telling.

They were still talking when the shuttle slipped into the belly of the Valkyrie. Tayln and Shadow were waiting for them when the shuttle door slid open and they stepped out.

Tayln shook hands with each of them before putting a possessive arm around his wife. Kaidan. That was a name he heard his wife speak regularly, similar to how often she spoke of Morra. What he didn't know was if this Kaidan was the boyfriend, a close friend or if they were one and the same. He wasn't sure why it still mattered to him; he'd won. He'd married her and he knew his wife would honor their vows. The past didn't matter – but still…he wondered.

"Hard to believe I've actually met the man behind Teiner Tech!" Hendel beamed. "Your innovations are military standard now – or at least when they require the best! Probably be a few years before I can get my hands on any of it."

"Maybe not," Tayln replied with a grin. "The next time you are on the Citadel, Illium or Sur'Kesh, come by Teiner Tech and I will ensure that you get a tour…to include the practice range. In the meantime, the Valkyrie also has a sims deck where you can practice weapons and biotics. The weapons are real, the ammo isn't, of course."

Hendel's mouth opened and closed a few times before he whistled his appreciation. "You aren't what I expected for a rich bastard, but I should have known Elvie wouldn't tie herself to an asshole. Thank you, Mr. Teiner."

"Hendel!" Dawn shrieked in disbelief. "I can't believe you just said that!"

"Most people with money tend to be superficial and entitled. They don't give unless they expect something in return. But he ensured Morra and her parents got home safely after Brain Camp and now he's giving us a reunion vacation. He's a good man – that's what I meant."

"Don't worry about it. I took no offense," Talyn assured Dawn. "Follow us. We'll give you a quick tour and then show you where you can sleep. There won't be much time to sleep, though you don't all have to accompany my wife to pick up the others, if you'd rather stay aboard and sleep." He motioned for them to follow him. "And don't mind the cat. Shadow is my wife's baby. She's gentle unless she's threatened…as am I," he added as an afterthought.

"Oh, hush!" Elvie hissed, though he ignored the dig of her elbow. "Shadow's a sweetheart. You'll see. You can join me to play ball with her later, if you want."

Kaidan's spine stiffened when he caught Hendel's sympathetic gaze. He didn't want sympathy. He would handle his own feelings. He loved her enough that he wanted her to be happy, even if that meant being with someone else. Outside of one feverish night that she couldn't remember and he'd never forget, she had never been his. He had known that from the start. You could not lose something you never had. She was still close to him…still a part of his life and that was what mattered, when all was said and done.

"That is not a cat!" Dawn whispered to Hendel behind her hand.

"I know! Look at those insane sickle claws!" He drew his thumb across his gut. "I bet she would gut her prey with a single swipe. That is one prime predator!"

Dawn shuddered, wishing she hadn't said anything. She hadn't even considered the cat as a hunter. She had just been surprised by its size. Now, she couldn't help her gaze being drawn to the large claws. She swallowed hard and looked away. Nope. She wasn't going to think that. Elvie would not be so sure of her pet if it wasn't as sweet as she'd said.

The tour was everything Hendel could have hoped for in a Teiner Tech ship – even more than he'd expected. Nanowalls. As far as he knew, the military didn't even use them. Mr. Teiner had told him that only two Teiner ships were using the technology and at this time, he had no intension of selling his design. Still…it was amazing how far technology would come. He could only imagine what the future would bring in his lifetime.

They had each been assigned to one of the bedrooms on the main CIC deck, thought they'd be having to double up when the others arrived.

-BREAK TWO-

They would all return to the ship tonight, pick Shelby up in Ireland tomorrow and then on to Denmark to pick up Jett and Tamra, who had also agreed to meet in a more central location. After that…off to Mindoir.

A few hours later, she, Kaidan and Dawn boarded the shuttle when Ireland was the closest it was going to get from the station. Going through the planet's atmosphere wasn't a concerning experience anymore – well, not as concerning. This was her third time through in the past couple of days. Shelby's navpoint led to a less populated area of Ireland, though arguably, more beautiful. His home was on a patch of lush vegetation near craggy cliffs. She could see why Ireland was once called the Emerald Isle. Much of the habitable island was urbanized cityscape now, but the outlying areas nearer the cliffs still showed off the beauty the country had been known for.

CJ spotted a male human with a suitcase and landed the shuttle nearby. "I believe your gentleman friend is waiting for you in the yard."

Kaidan spotted his friend, as mile tugging at his lips. It was good to see the shock of red hair again. "Maybe he's too excited to wait inside. If my family hadn't wanted to meet you so badly, I'd have been waiting near the landing pad," he admitted.

Shelby rose from the log bench, his smile widening as the shuttle opened to reveal Kaidan, Elvie and Dawn. "Isn't Hendel coming with us?" he asked as he hugged his other friends.

Kaidan slapped Shelby's back and stepped back. "I think he's still sleeping. There wasn't much sleep between pickups. But if you ask me, he probably stayed behind to talk to Tayln Teiner and play on the ship's sims deck."

Shelby's mouth fell open and his gaze shot to Elvie. "Your ship has a sims range?"

She pulled her eyes from the fluttering curtains in the nearby house to meet Shelby's dark blue eyes. "Yes, fully equipped with an array of weapons and capable of handling biotics as well. You have to put on a chest harness and wrist bands for the full interactive experience, but if you just want to shoot and don't want to be shot at, you don't have to wear them. Shelby…I think your parents may have just peeked out at us. They can meet us if they want."

His smile faltered, but he managed to hold it. "They are…superstitious. They don't believe in goodbyes." He cleared his throat. "Plus, they are respecting the fact that I'm an adult and can make my own choices." In truth, home had never been the same since he's been hauled away as a biotic. He'd been away at a boarding school in Birmingham when the Alliance sent men to get his parents' okay to take him to Brain Camp. His parents had been frightened ever since his return. He'd considered enrolling in London U just to get away from home, but this was better. He would leave with his friends and not return. He would be with people he cared about – that cared about him. Soon…he would tell them soon.

Right now…he slid a glance over to Dawn. He hadn't seen her in a year and he hadn't been able to talk to her for several months. Would she still feel the same about him? He took in her fisted hands, her flushed cheeks and her stormy grey eyes. She hadn't said much to him yet, but her eyes spoke for her. He held out his hand towards her and she flew into his arms as if she'd been waiting for his signal. His arms came around her and his lips crashed down to lock onto hers.

Kaidan grabbed the suitcase. "We'll just take this onboard and give you two a moment." He hurried up the shuttle's small ramp and disappeared inside before his dreams and needs gave away his thoughts. He was happy for Dawn and Shelby. They deserved to be reunited. What he wanted more than anything was for Elvie to have greeted him in the same manner. Hungry for his embrace…for his kisses. He deposited the suit case in a locker so that it wasn't a possible projectile and sat down in the seat he'd claimed as his own. He'd reined in his emotions by the time Elvie sat down next to him.

"I'm guessing they were happy to see each other again," she teased.

"Yeah," he inhaled, "last time I spoke with him, he said he was having comm issues. Though, I wonder if it's not more than that."

She nodded. "Me too. Something odd is going on with his parents. I suppose he'll tell us when he's ready."

Before either one of them could say any more, the couple joined them, sitting down in chairs across from them.

Shelby looked around the shuttle's interior and whistled as he sat down. "Damn hot ride you've got, Elvie. Never seen anything like it."

"Wait until you see the ship! There is actually a smaller ship piggybacking the Valkyrie!" Dawn told him, an excited gleam in her eyes. "In case Tayln has a business emergency. Can you believe he built his wife a bigger and better ship than his own?"

"Don't let Ase hear you say that," Elvie warned with a grin.

"Who's Ace?" Shelby asked with a sympathetic glance towards his old friend. He knew Kaidan had to be hurting over Elvie being with someone else. Those two had something special at Brain Camp. It wasn't just him, they all saw it. And honestly, he could still see that something in their eyes when they looked at each other. He didn't know why she married Tayln, he didn't believe she was the sort to care about wealth. Maybe she had a similar connection with the rich drell or maybe there was another reason, but he didn't for one moment think the connection between Kaidan and her was gone.

She blinked when she'd realized what she said. No matter, she trusted these people. They'd been through hell together. "If you were anyone else, I'd tell you Ase, A-s-e, was the Oasis' V.I., but since you're all friends, I will admit that he is the ship's A.I., just as my own ship has an A.I. and her name is Val." She held up her hand. "They are not geth, nor will they go rogue and try to exterminate us," she said with a grin. "They may not come to family outings, but they are a part of our family. Talk to them as you would any sentient being – they are worth getting to know."

"An A.I." Shelby mouthed excitedly to Kaidan.

Kaidan shook his head. "I didn't know either. She's not in the bathroom with us, is she?"

Elvie's hand shot to her mouth to cover a giggle. "Not unless you invite her in. There are sensors and cameras all over the interior and exterior of the ship, but she stays out of the bedrooms and bathrooms unless she hears her name or the sensors pick up something amiss. No worries that she will butt in on your private time." The look of relief on Shelby and Dawn's faces was priceless. No doubt the couple would be wanting some alone time. That thought brought her back around to her husband. She flipped on her OT. [We just picked up Shelby and are on our way to pick up Jett and Tamra.]

[Hendel and I have been talking weapons. He's quite knowledgeable. We'll be going to the Sims shortly. See you soon. I love you.] Hendel had been great at keeping his mind off missing his wife. Was Hendel his wife's fake boyfriend?

[Love you too. You boys have fun.] She turned off her OT and joined her friends in reminiscing about Brain Camp and what they'd been doing since going home. Eventually, their talk was interrupted.

"Elvie, we are approaching the Copenhagen Space Port. Tayln has rented a private landing pad on Dock E-62. Your friends have been notified and are on their way to rendezvous with us."

"Oh, thank you…" she murmured under her breath. "Thank you, CJ. That is wonderful news." Tayln knew how much she hated crowds. While there was something to be said for safety in numbers, crowds could also be as dangerous as the underbelly of the Wards. Spaceports tended to be busy and fast paced. That meant she couldn't relax, she had to be on guard, monitor everything around her. She could never be as oblivious as most of the beings rushing around the spaceport. And if she saw anything, she would have to act on it – and that's not why they were here.

"After everything that happened at Brain Camp, I can't believe you invited Jett to join us," Shelby said with a shake of his head in disbelief.

"He's not the same guy," Elvie explained. "Kaidan and I have both talked to him. He's apologized and I believe he's sincere in having changed. Give him a chance. Most people deserve a second chance."

"Not everyone?" Dawn asked with a grin.

She shook her head at her friend's teasing. "No…not everyone. I'm not that optimistic. Look!" she said pointing out the holo windows."

Below them were brightly colored homes, butting up against each other, of just about every color; waterways crowded with boats of various colors and what looked to be castles could be seen in the distance.

"It looks like a rainbow down there…" Dawn breathed out softly.

"Maybe like a rainbow threw up," Shelby teased and then grunted when Dawn's elbow connected to his ribs.

"It doesn't matter if the colors clash, they didn't do it to make an attractive color wheel. I think they did it to assert their individuality in a world where everything had been the same. That's what makes it beautiful. It's wild and chaotic, but it's choice. Besides," Dawn said with a shrug. "It sure makes giving directions easier. 'I live in the yellow house on blah-blah river between the pink and green houses.' See? Makes perfect sense."

"And you can easily see it from a distance," Kaiden noted with a nod. "Makes sense."

As they got closer to the spaceport, the colored housing slipped into the distance as the city expanded out beneath them. They could see a distant shielding bubble, but the rest of the city was open to the sky. Clean energy. Shield bubbles could work one of two ways. The first allowing traffic and rain to come through, its purpose to recycle and purify the air or it can be locked down so that nothing can get in or out. They couldn't tell from here which kind of bubble it was, but likely the former.

Elvie's OT chimed and she glanced down to see the message coming in.

[Rahna's coming. We still talk…some.] Though it had been mostly her reaching out to Rahna and Rahna being silent. But Tamra did not give up easily. [She knew when you were picking me up, but she always said she couldn't come. She's boarding a shuttle at the mono-station. We can't leave without her.]

She glanced up at her friends, each of their faces as shocked as her own when she read the message aloud. No one had expected Rahna to join them. She'd wanted to forget about everything, which had meant cutting ties with all of them. Her gaze locked on to Kaidan's warm brown eyes. Rahna had been terrified of him before he was booted from Brain Camp.

He reached out and squeezed Elvie's hand. "It's fine," he murmured. "She has to know I'd be here." He inhaled. "We'll make it work."

She nodded to him, a small smile lifting her lips. "I know you will."

Shelby chuckled. "Maybe you and Rahna will hookup," he said with a waggle of his brows. "I predict she'll be the future Mrs. Alenko." When he caught Kaidan's burning glare, he raised his hands up quickly. "For fuck's sake, Kaidan - I wasn't serious. Seds… It was only a joke. Like saying Hendel would marry Tamra." He frowned when the atmosphere didn't lighten. "You know – two people NOT suited to be together?" He sighed. "Sorry," he mumbled.

Shelby thought he should calm down? He didn't see the joke in him marrying Rahna. It would never happen, neither of them would ever want that to happen. It wasn't remotely funny. He felt the strength of the hand in his and could not stop himself from lifting his gaze to hers. There was a tightness around her eyes and lips. She hadn't found the joke funny either. His thumb pad absently rolled across the top of her hand as he looked over at Shelby and nodded. "Not everything is a joking matter."

Elvie lightened up on the death grip she'd had on Kaidan's hand and turned her head away to look out the window before anyone could see the flush rising up in her cheeks. While Shelby's joke wasn't appropriate, there was no reason that is should have bothered her as much as it did. She wanted Kaidan to be happy. But she didn't think he and Rahna would ever be happy with each other. Rahna was soft and gentle and while Kaidan was a loyal gentleman but he was also a white knight, which meant that he would defend others no matter what it took. Rahna needed someone who was a lover not a fighter, someone who would use violence only as a last resort and even then…show mercy. Rahna would never be with a white knight and Kaidan would never be happy curbing his need to be a white knight. She doubted he could stop himself even if he wanted to. It was the same for her with Valkyrie. Kaidan needed a strong, like-minded woman at his side. No one else could truly make him happy. Someone like her…

"…ing at Dock E-62."

She blinked, only hearing the last part of CJ's statement. She felt the shudder from the shuttle when it settled against the landing pad. She wondered how long she'd been drifting in thought. She squeezed Kaidan's hand and rose from her chair as the table sank into the flooring, grateful to have something to think about rather than Kaidan's love life. She glanced down as her OT chimed.

[Be ready to go immediately.] What? Before she could respond to Jett's message, Tamra, Rahna and Jett were jumping into the shuttle.

"Now!" Jett all but shouted.

"Take us to the ship, CJ! Get us out of here! Stealth mode." She motioned to the seats. "Take a seat and put your luggage between your feet for now. Since we are in a hurry, the ride will be more turbulent. Secure your belt." She sat back down and the table rose back into place. Once everyone was seated, she looked across the isle to where the newcomers were seated. "This wasn't the arrival I expected."

Jett looked over at Rahna, who gave him a slight nod. "Rahna's parents hadn't wanted her to leave home. They arranged for her to marry someone who would ensure she was tucked far away from the family seat. She ran and suspected she may have been followed, hence needing to depart immediately."

Arranged marriage. She'd have thought Earth would have been more advanced than that. "You are a legal adult. They should not be able to force you to marry anyone and they cannot force you to return. And we won't let them try. You are safe here, Rahna. I promise you that," Elvie told her even as she was flipping open her OT to comm Tayln. When his face appeared on the holo, she explained what had happened.

Now that was something Tayln never could have expected. "Val will open the belly. She'll know when her shuttle is near, even if she can't see it on the sensors. As soon as we clear the station, we'll go dark. Assure your friend that no one will be able to follow us." He smiled at his wife. "See you soon."

She flipped off her OT. "We'll be fine." She looked from Rahna to Tamra to Jett. "It is good to see you all again. I hope that we will be able to do this again some time."

Jett glanced down to where Kaidan's hand rested comfortably over Elvie's. Some things never changed. But it wasn't his problem, it was Tayln's. Despite that, he hoped Kaidan kept a lid on it. He didn't want to see anything happen to dampen the mood of their vacation. "As do I. I have a lot of…well, I have a lot to make up for."

"No joke," Shelby scoffed and grunted when Dawn's elbow plowed into a soft spot.

He gave the barest nod in Shelby's direction. "Glad you're giving me the chance to make amends."

Kaidan briefly looked over at Rahna, who seemed to be avoiding his gaze. "We've all made mistakes at one time or another." He inhaled. "I think everyone deserves a second chance."

"Almost everyone," Dawn corrected with a grin. "Isn't that what we agreed to earlier?" She swung her head, her short black hair flying as she turned to look at Rahna. "Tell us about the arranged marriage and how you got away."

Rahna blinked, a flush warming up her light golden-brown skin. She clasped her hands in her lap to stop their nervous movement. "Since I went back home, I was pretty much ignored. My family…well, they don't like to know that they could produce an afflicted child. I was – I am a stain on the family name. They didn't lock me away in an attic or anything, but they avoided me and refused to allow me to join in family events. A few months back, a childhood friend of my father's lost his wife. My father offered me to his friend to get me away from society. I…I pretended I was pleased with the match because I knew he wasn't asking – but demanding. Two nights ago, I slipped out after I retired for the evening and hopped the monorail. Not exactly a story worth repeating," she said with a shy smile.

"Well, I think you were very brave!" Dawn exclaimed. "Not only to stand up for yourself and leave your family behind, but to ride a rocket on a thin rail hundreds of feet above the ground – that would be terrifying!"

Rahna's eyes widened and a shiver raced down her spine. "I…I never thought of it that way before." She wished she could unlearn Dawn's words because it was the cheapest way to travel long distances. One thing she knew for sure was that she'd never ride the mono again.

"If you're not going back home, do you know where you are wanting to go?" Elvie asked quietly.

Rahna shook her head, her dark locks swishing over her shoulders. "Right now, I'm going to enjoy my time here. I'll worry about the future later."

"Fair enough. I'm just glad you were able to make it, despite the circumstances that brought you to us," Elvie assured her. "You are welcome to stay with us as long as you need." It wasn't that she was taking her husband's wealth for granted, she would have made the offer even if she still lived in the ducts. Accommodations would not have been very luxurious, but she'd have been willing to share what little they had if a friend was in need. Because, if she'd learned anything since her time in the ducts…friends and family had become things to cherish rather than shun.

They all quieted when the turbulence increased as they tore through the atmosphere. Once free, they released their seat harness with a sigh of relief and settled back in their chairs to catch up with each other.

By the time the shuttle slid into the Valkyrie, they were all eager to leave Earth behind. Most had never been to another planet. After everything Morra had told them about her home, they were eager to see Mindoir.

Tayln and Hendel were waiting when they arrived, introductions were made and the newcomers were shown to their rooms. Dawn and Shelby continued to share one of the cabins. Rahna and Tamra shared another cabin. The Hendel and Jett elected to bed down in the crew quarters, as neither of them felt comfortable enough to share a bed with each other. Kaidan would join the guys in the crew quarters when Morra joined them, for now he was enjoying the solitude of having the cabin to himself.

They spent time on the Sims deck daily, both for practice and fun. She gave them each their own armor disk and they spent time each day learning how to use the armor. She wanted to ensure that if they ever had to use it, they would be able to without thinking about it.

Their evenings were more relaxed, playing cards, watching vids or playing vid-games. Shadow was loving all the extra attention. By the end of the day the large cat was sprawled out next to them fast asleep.

She'd quickly learned one thing with all this togetherness. Things had changed. At least between her and Kaidan. They couldn't be as close as they use to be. She realized that when she'd automatically reached out to lace her fingers with his when he'd made an incredible shot on the Sims deck only to see a brief look of raw pain on her husband's face before the emotion was wiped away. She patted the top of Kaidan's hand before pulling her hand from his.

That was when everything hit her hard and she sucked in a harsh breath, her blood icy in her veins. Nothing would be the same again. Kaidan was her best friend…her confidant…she didn't think that would ever change. But how close they were…how free with their comforting touches – that had hurt Tayln…so that had to change. Would she want to see Talyn linking hands with another woman or leaning against one, his head on her shoulder? No. Absolutely not. How could she have been so blind? The fake relationship had become a part of their deep friendship…a part of who they were together – but they both had to let that part go.

She pointed out a holo-enemy that was flanking them and then switched off her vest's sensors so the enemies would no longer track her. She noticed Tayln's vest was also switched off just before she slipped her arms around him. She exhaled softly when he didn't hesitate to hold her. "I'm sorry." While she and Morra did occasionally hold hands, especially when Morra was excited, or curl up against each other to watch late night vids – she had to admit it was different with Kaidan. Maybe because they were closer friends than she and Morra. Maybe because they'd gotten too comfortable with each other when they were faking being in love. "I'm closer with Kaidan and Morra. I never thought about what holding their hands might imply I never meant to hurt you. That's the last thing I'd ever want to do."

He rested his chin on the top of her head. He knew the life she'd grown up with. Very little socializing. Hadn't had any friends. And now she craved what she was denied for so long. He gripped her tighter, his pain exiting through a harsh release of breath. He was sure Kaidan had been the fake boyfriend. The young man's pheromones and the looks Kaidan gave her told a story he did not want to hear. Whatever happened would remain buried out on that station – provided the human didn't cross any boundaries concerning his wife. "I know," he murmured softly as his teal lips brushed her hair.

He pulled back and removed their gear, putting it away as they left the Sims deck. Before the door slid shut behind them, he swung her up into his arms and hurried towards the lift. He heard a buzz followed by laughter and Shelby's shout, "Keep your eyes on the game, boyo – you nearly died!'. He couldn't help it that his lips pulled up into a grin. No doubt Kaidan had watched them leave and knew exactly what he intended to do to his wife.

-BREAK THREE-

Everyone was lined up at the holo-windows watching their approach to Mindoir. From this distance, the planet seemed primarily shades of blue and green. As they broke through the atmosphere, there were audible gasps. The deep blue of the sea, fields of varying color…the planet looked like a faceted jewel shimmering under a pale teal sky. This was nothing like the colony planet she lived on as a child. This was a place of dreams…not a place dreams go to die.

As they drew nearer to the planet's surface, they could make out the fields of tall, blue-green grass that rippled in the breeze. Mountains could be seen in the distance. Eventually, the spaceport came into view. Again, this was nothing like the spaceports she'd ever been to. It was a series of landing pads that surrounded what looked to be a large warehouse.

The Oasis uncoupled as the Valkyrie settled on the landing pad. Its A.I., Ase, settled on a landing pad to their right. There was a glider racing in their direction. A wide grin split her face. "That has to be Morra! Let's get down to the shuttle bay. We'll be taking gliders."

The gliders were stored at the top of the shuttle bay and were being lowered one at a time. When a rider settled on the seat and moved off the lift, it rose and another glider was lowered down. She and Tayln were the last two to mount up. Shadow trotted at their side as they exited the Valkyrie. As soon as she was clear of the ramp, she pressed the button to lower the glider's feet and jumped off to greet Morra.

Morra wiped her eyes and pulled her friend into a tight bearhug. "Ohmygod, I'm so glad you're here!" She blinked and looked up at her friend. "You're taller, aren't you?"

Elvie choked back a laugh and cleared her throat. "One inch. One little inch – and that was last year. I think I'm done growing." She was 5'10" and really hoped she was done growing. Tayln was 6'6" now and she liked their height difference. "Can you imagine me remaining 5'3"?" she asked as she motioned to her husband with a thumb.

"Ohmygod!" Morra wheezed as she tried to rein in her laughter. "You'd need a ladder to kiss him!" When she finally got her laughter under control, she was introduced to Tayln and a giant black cat named Shadow. For all its fearsome appearance, the cat seemed laidback and gentle. "It won't eat my rats or livestock, will it?"

"No," Elvie assured the girl. "Not unless they attack us. I'm guess your ruffalo prefer nutty blue grass to red meat?"

Morra nodded. "They only eat raw meat on Thursdays – so you're safe for now." When everyone just looked at her, she snorted. "I'm joking, geesh." She waved to the others, though she was a little uncertain about Jett and then turned towards her glider. "Follow me!" she said with a wave of her hand as she pulled her helmet off her seat, plopped it on her head, and hopped onto her glider.

They followed the winding road, color blooming on either side. So far, Elvie was in love with this planet. Scents she'd never dreamed existed swirled around her in a symphony of delight. This was not manufactured air or smoggy air. While there had to be some industry, you could not smell it on the breeze. Sur'kesh and Kahje were the only other worlds she'd visited where she could smell life without corruption bleeding into it. But they were humid and carried the dank scent of algae and fish. The air had an underlying nutty scent she could actually taste through the lightly filtered helmet.

It didn't take long for the road to open up to a small town. The sign at its entrance claimed the name Maplecrest. There wasn't a whole lot to the town. A couple of restaurants, a bank – of sorts, a pub, a few stores, various repair shops, a school, a town hall and random other buildings.

Faces peered out of windows and doors as they flew by. The few people that were outside had frozen in their tracks, their gazes not leaving the convoy of gliders – their faces unwelcoming. Elvie already knew few outsiders visited Mindoir. They didn't really like outsiders visiting, they liked their lives the way they were and didn't want anything to change. As beautiful as Mindoir was, she understood their fear of their way of life being lost.

After passing through the town, the countryside opened up. They passed colorful fields with varying crops, followed by pastures filled with ruffalo, some contained the northern long-haired ruffalo and some contained the curly-haired southern ruffalo. There were also pastures with large, colorful birds, reminding her of pretty, more densely feathered and muscled, wingless ostriches. Sort of. These, however, were red plumed, with silky feathers, topped in a crest of upright feathers at the top of their heads. Amongst the red birds that ran, keeping pace with their speeders, was a single green bird, a bit larger than the red ones. A male perhaps?

Elvie glanced down at Shadow, who was running alongside her glider, but the large cat paid little mind to the birds that were running the fence line next to the road. Her cat didn't see any animal as 'prey'. To her, food came in crunchy morsels or the occasional chunks of cold meat. Not that she wouldn't chase them for the sheer fun of it, but right now she was chasing the gliders, which held the same sport for her.

Houses could be seen in the distance, each one surrounded by fields and pastures. She couldn't even imagine living the live these colonists lived. She didn't doubt for a minute that taking care of the fields and livestock was hard work but they were also surrounded by a peace and harmony that was unlike anything she could have imagined.

She ignored the hushed words between her friends. They were all as enthralled with this place as she was. What she was feeling felt too personal to share. More than anything, she wanted to settle here someday - though she doubted she'd be welcomed by anyone other than Morra.

They took a gravel road that veered to the right between two posts that held aloft a sign that displayed the name "Wise Acres". She grinned. She wondered if a pun was intended with that name. On the left side of the road were southern ruffalo, followed by a barn and then a pasture of northern ruffalo. On the right side was a pasture of horses, another large barn, followed by a fenced in paddock and then a small fenced in area with eight red birds and a large shed.

A vast yard opened up around them. Large trees dappled the ground, their heavy branches shading much of the lawn. Single or double swings hung from the massive branches near the house. Between the trees on the left was a garden of what appeared to be vegetables on the left-hand side there was a fire spit, picnic tables and chest-high net set up over a blue mossy area.

The road split and both sides swung around to the backside of the house. As they circled to the right it became evident that back side of the house was actually what amounted to the front of the house.

The road they were on continued on to meet up with its counterpart and then continued away from the house and through the distant fields, likely meeting up to another road in the distance. But they veered to the right on a smaller path that led to a garage bay and a large parking lot area. On the other side of the yard appeared to be a shooting range with targets in the distance and not far from the shooting range, on its right side, was a two-story house, higher than it was wide, followed by another garage and parking area. That was a lot of living space for three people. Behind all of this, fields spread out and followed the backroad as far as the eye could see. Mountains could be seen in most directions adding to the scenic majesty of the planet.

As she dismounted, she swung around and shook her head at Morra. "This place is so much more than you told me." She looked around at the awestruck faces of her friends. "But even if you had told me everything - there was no way I would ever be able to understand without seeing it…without being here to breathe it in. I can't imagine any planet being as close to perfect as this one."

Everyone began speaking at the same time. They looked at each other and then laughed.

Morra felt the heat in her cheeks. "I have never considered Mindoir anywhere near perfect," she admitted with a shrug. "I've lived here all my life. Outside of the Citadel and Brain Camp, I have nothing to compare it to."

"Those birds are amazing," Rahna stated softly.

They were? They served no real function. "They are winocks. The hens are red, the cocks are green. We keep a few hens for eggs. Some of the farmers use them for meat or for children to ride. Maybe even pulling a small cart. They have no real use. They are native to Mindoir and easy to tame and safe around children."

"They don't have any wings at all, do they?" Kaidan asked curiously. They were large like ostriches, but built differently. They had shorter necks and their legs were more thickly muscled, with feathering going down to their hocks. Their bodies were more streamlined and upright than an ostrich's.

"No, they don't – not even a residual wing stump. I'm honestly not sure they ever were capable of flight," Morra admitted as she led them to porch swings that face out towards the yard. She settled into one of the swings and patted next to her for Elvie to sit. There were four swings that lined up, two on either side of the door, so there was plenty of room for everyone to sit. "But they do have two tiny little arms on their chests. It' hard to see them because of the feathers, but they are tipped in claws that we keep trimmed. They don't serve any purpose now, but we believe they were longer at some point and might have been used in defense."

Hendel snorted. "The missing link! Winocks are raptors! Dinosaurs!"

Morra cocked her head, not making sense of his words. "What's a dinosaur? Are they another type of bird?" Her cheeks flushed hot when everyone just stared at her with their mouths gaping. She knew most of her friends came from earth. "I'm guessing dinosaurs are an Earth animal?"

Hendel swallowed a laugh and ended up choking. Shelby gave his back a solid thwack and wheezed into a grin. "It's easy to forget not everyone is from Earth. I reckon early Earth history isn't part of your school's curriculum." He rubbed his hands down his thighs to push out the wrinkles. "I was fascinated by dinosaurs when I was a child. On Earth, Dinosaurs were around millions of years ago – they also went extinct millions of years ago. We only knew of them when their bones were dug up. Even so, remnants remained, such as alligators, sharks…and it is believed that some of those remnants evolved into birds." He flipped on his OT and pointed it to Morra's. He located a picture depicting theropod evolution and swiped his hand in her direction.

When her OT chimed, she glanced down. "That is tot-flipped! And scary as all hell. We've never found anything like that here. I don't think I'd ever look at our winocks the same if I thought they once looked like that," she commented with a shudder.

Kaidan looked over at the second house. "I thought it was just you and your parents. Do you share this property with another family?"

"What?" Morra looked up and glanced in the direction Kaidan was looking. "Oh…no, that's a work-house. Every farming family has one. Since we don't hire workers during harvest and planting season, we all help each other. Everyone moves in, completes the harvest and then we all move on to the next farm – until everyone has been taken care of. We're a pretty close-knit community."

A hum drew their attention and they turned their heads to see a skycar slip into the garage bay. As an older couple approached, they all rose from the porch swings. Morra's grin widened and she beckoned her parents to hurry up.

Jolene released Mika's hand and hurried up the porch steps and threw her arms around Elvie, pulling the young girl into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you finally made it out to see us!" She pulled back and gripped the beautiful girl's hands. "You simply must stay for dinner!" Her gaze rolled over each of the kids. "All of you! My Morra's told me so much about you all…well…I feel like I know each and every one of you! Oh – dearie me…I'm Jolene, how lax of me." She released on of Elvie's hands and wiped under her eyes. "When you return from your vacation – you are welcome to stay a few days. There's an empty guest house that would simply love to feel the stomp of feet again." She squeezed Elvie's hand and then moved on to hug the giant blue drell. "We will always welcome you here on Mindoir." She pulled back and tucked her windblown hair behind her ears before shaking the hands of the other kids. "I know we don't have a lot of normal attractions, but what we lack in industry – we gain in beauty."

She watched as her husband; Mika introduced himself. This was followed by another round of handshakes. "Mika, be a dear and show the kids 'round to the tables. Morra and I will bring out the food and drinks," she said, shooing her hands at the group of kids before any of them could say no. She blinked in surprise when Kaidan. Elvie and Tayln stayed behind to help her bring out their food. Such thoughtful young people – even when they were told not to.

Elvie felt her cheeks warm when she saw the different platters of food and bottles of drinks lit up with her stasis disks. She was pleased that people found her devices useful but it still felt a bit...odd seeing them being used. Perhaps, odd wasn't the correct word. No, it was some kind of weird mixture between bizarre, pride and embarrassment.

Dinner was relaxed, talk centered around discussing the differences between life on Earth and life on Mindoir. No one brought up Brain Camp. While their time there made this dinner possible, there were far more pleasant topics of conversation to be had around the tables.

They stayed for a couple of hours after dinner, enjoying the nutty scented breeze and the untainted beauty that surrounded them. They promised Jolene and Mika Wise that they'd stay for a few days when they returned and hopped the gliders back to the spaceport.

Once the Oasis recoupled with the Valkyrie, they lifted off towards their first destination. Virmire. And the time it took to get there was just what Elvie needed. The kids she'd grown close to at Jump Zero…plus Jett, a surprise in and of itself, were all back together again. She couldn't pretend things were the same – they weren't, and she hadn't expected them to be. Much happens in a year, but the bonds they formed during their shared time together had endured. It also delighted her that some things hadn't changed. No one had fallen behind in their biotic endurance and several had focused on specific biotic abilities and grown stronger for the focus.

Elvie grinned when Rahna's protective barrier came up and she deflected the ball Jett had tossed to her. Rahna abhorred violence. The ball she deflected wasn't propelled back at Jett, but instead arched high and bounced at his feet for him to catch. She clapped her hands. "Your skills have grown so much, Rahna! It is good that you were able to keep up your practice."

Rahna's cheeks heated as she released the biotic field to conserve energy. "When most people avoid you, it is easy to find time alone." She shrugged. "I am…accepting of it now."

"Keep practicing with the others," she told Tayln as she waved Rahna over to her. There was something in the other woman's eyes that belied the words she had spoken. "There is more and I would like to hear it," she told her when Rahna was close enough that they could not be overheard.

Rahna's dark eyes widened. "No..it's fine – I…"

"Please." She motioned towards the lift and led the other woman in. "Deck three." When the lift came to a stop she opened the front doors and hooked a left into the lounge. She settled on one of the thickly padded sofas and patted the seat next to her. She smiled when Rahna crossed her legs after she sat down. That was something she, herself, rarely did. Sitting with one's legs crossed did not allow for quick movement. "There was an unspoken 'but' at the end of your sentence."

Her gaze dropped down to her hands, her fingertips absently plucking at the material of her pants. She stilled her fingers and looked up at Elvie. Those odd green eyes with the golden stars saw deeper than she'd wanted. She wasn't going to say anything until the end of their vacation. "As you know…I'm not going back…" her voice was strained and barely over a whisper.

She didn't blame her one bit. Rahna had it worse than any of them had. Neither her family nor her community accepted her. Despite having a roof over her head, she was shunned. She covered the other woman's hand with her own and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I meant what I said before. You can stay with us until you know what you want to do or where you want to go."

She shook her head slowly and removed her hand from under Elvie's. "I didn't tell you to get something out of it. I have a credit chit." Though it wasn't going to last her long. "I appreciate you wanting to help but I'll get by on my own. That's all." Her hands clenched into fists and she slipped them under her thighs to hide them. She needed help but pride had been shoved down her throat since she could walk.

Help was often difficult to accept, even when needed. She, herself, had issues accepting help. She understood what the other woman was feeling. "Rahna, I know you didn't. You are my friend and if I can be there for you…I will. Just as I know you'd be there for me if you could. That is what friends do for each other." She rose from the couch, not wanting to push the other woman to hard, and held out her hand. When it was accepted, she led the girl slowly back towards the lift. "You don't have to decide anything now. We have a vacation to enjoy. Just know that you have a place stay as long as you need it. Do you know what profession you have an interest in?"

"I want to help others. Heal their minds," Rahna told her. "I've been taking Extranet courses and sims. The mind is fascinating. Of course, I had to take some medic courses -not as much fun. I've still got a long way to go, but I've no doubts at all."

Elvie couldn't help but smile at the woman's enthusiasm. "That is a noble field of study. It's perfect for you!"

As soon as the lift doors opened back up to the Sims deck, Elvie couldn't help but notice Jett's turquoise eyes fastening on Rahna, a slight smile tugging his lips until a ball smacked him in the face and sent him stumbling backwards. Rahna released her hand and ran over to check on Jett. Hmmm. That was not what she expected. She was usually quite skilled at matchmaking – but that one had caught her by surprise. Maybe it shouldn't have. Jett was not the same narcissistic ass that he had been. In fact, she'd seen no signs of the old Jett at all. Now, he was just a charming and attractive man who had eyes for a beautiful and gentle woman who was discovering how strong she actually was. She watched them interact a moment longer and then joined in training exercises.

They trained twice a day, despite it being a vacation. In the mornings, it was physical self-defense. In the afternoons, it was biotic training. Not a single one of them complained or chose to sit out the hour-long training sessions. In fact, weapons training was added by popular choice. Even the women chose to join in – though only Morra knew anything about shooting. She'd expected Rahna to decline, but she hadn't. Of course, there was a world of difference when you were shooting a holo-target rather than a real one. Despite how "real" the target looked, you knew no one would get hurt. Whatever the reason, she was glad Rahna was learning how to protect herself with weapons. It is far better to have a skill and not need it than to need it and not have it. Like being able to swim…it could save your life.

-BREAK FOUR-

Val's voice came over the intercom. "We have reached Virmire, Tayln. You will either need to either halt your attempts at procreation or provide me with landing coordinates – if I am to land the Valkyrie."

His hands tightened on his wife's hips, stilling her hard ride, fighting to slow his harsh breathing enough to talk. While he could prevent her from moving on him, he could not prevent her from squeezing him with her muscles. He cried out softly as her muscles stimulated the ribbing along his shaft.

Elvie drew her fingertips down his arm and pressed down on his wrist to deploy Savvy. She ground down on him, squeezing him as tight as she could. His hips jerked up in unwilling response, his body unable to refuse the demands of his mate. She smiled. Only a threat to her life would give him the strength to fight the instinctual need to respond to her scenting – especially when he was already hilted deep inside her.

"Ohhhh my…" Savvy purred, the humor in her voice unmistakable. "It would seem you are a little busy right now. As much as I would love to stay and watch – I mean, a girl needs to learn these things…." She sighed dramatically. "I will coordinate with Val to find the best spot to land." With a final look of longing towards the couple in the throes of passion, she slipped through the wall.

Her hand slid down the tight muscles of his belly to where they were joined to locate the one spot her husband considered his alone. She pressed the hard bud and groaned as pleasure shot through her body. Though she was expecting it, his growl caught her by surprise and she found herself on her back, his face buried between her thighs, almost before she could blink. Now, it was she crying out as his magical tongue and lips nearly ripped her apart with a pleasure so keen it bordered pain.

She gripped the ridges on the sides of his head and pulled him tighter to her. When the vibrations from his cadence hit her, a scream tore from her lips as her body arched up against him, shattering into what had to be a million pieces. Before she could come down from her euphoric high, he was hilted in her depths, each thrust harder and faster than the last, a new pleasure building over the old that hadn't even had the time to fade yet.

Their elated cries wove together in a lover's symphony until they broke through ecstasy's barrier in a crescendo that left them both in a euphoric haze. She clung to him when he rolled them onto their sides to relieve her of his weight. Nestled in his arms, where only the two of them existed, her body relaxed until her breathing and heartrate slowly fell back into a normal, rested rhythm. "You, husband, are the most amazing lover."

His arms tightened around her and he dropped a lingering kiss to her forehead. "If I am, then it is you who has made me so." Before he first made love to her, he never could have imagined what it would be like between them or that it would keep getting better. Nothing could have prepared him for what a touch from her could make him feel.

With a groan, he released her and rolled off the bed to his feet when he felt their descent. "We are landing. We should help them set up the campsite." He stepped into his pants and then looked at his enticing wife as she moved gloriously towards the facilities. "I'll take CJ and gather the survival pods."

The survival pods had been her creation. Borrowing from Tayln's nano-infused armor disk, she'd used his technology to produce a fabric protection dome. The lightweight pod could fit in the palms of your hands, but when activated would create a 7'x7' domed enclosure. The nano fabric could become semi-transparent to allow light in or opaque. It would cool or heat as needed, storing the solar power it needed to regulate temperature. If it ran out of solar energy, body heat would spread across the fabric to warm it. The fabric filtered and flushed out toxins, moisture and smoke. There was a covered vent at the top that could be opened or closed, as needed, Inside the dome were various pockets that contained small survival items. A rebreather, stasis disks, a small blade, thin nano-blankets, inflatable pillows, a spick to start fires, flammable granules, dehydrated meals, hydrogel, first aid and the like.

Like everything else produced by Teiner Tech, the technology would become inert if tampered with. Nano-fabric could not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands.

After her shower, she quickly dressed before Shadow could rub against her, leaving itchy cat hair underneath her clothing. She'd learned that lesson when her cat was just a cub. No sooner were her pants on and Shadow was twining around her legs, her head rubbing against her thighs. "Let me finish dressing, Shadow."

Once her top was in place, she ran her hands through her cat's sleek, black fur. "Come on, girl. Let's go have some fun!"

She and Shadow were last to leave the Valkyrie. Maybe she had taken too long in the shower, but her muscled had melted into heaven under the heat.

The last of 8 survival pods deployed on the sandy bank in a round of applause as she and Shadow descended the ramp. She and Tayln and Dawn and Shelby were the only couples sharing a tent. She wondered if Rahna and Jett would be sharing a pod before long. They had set theirs up side by side.

In the middle of their circle of pods was a communal area with a stone circle where the fire would eventually be. They were really going to do this. While the pods were strong enough to protect them from attacking wildlife, they weren't soundproof. Anything more than a whisper would be heard by anyone who was awake. That's okay. At least they would be able to eat and shower in the Valkyrie.

She looked out across the light teal-green waterway to see large mountainous tree-covered rock outcroppings in the distance and behind that the open sea. She twirled around and took note of the high rocky cliffs that surrounded their alcove on three sides. A splash drew her attention to the shallow riverbed. Since it didn't appear that anyone had thrown a stone into the water, that likely meant fish. The sand beneath her feet was clean, not littered by debris from a tide. So, their chosen location had been considered thoroughly by the A.I.s.

Hendel weaved his way between the pods and dropped his armload of wood. "There is quite a bit of dry wood along the cliff's edge." He picked up a couple of the longer pieces he found and his grin widened. "The ends can be sharpened - we can use them to spear fish!" He tossed one to Kaidan and the other to Tayln when the drell hunkered out of the pod and rose to a stand. He grabbed up two more of the longer sticks. "Let's get to work, men. Dinner's not going to jump into our laps."

Shelby held his hands up to ward Hendel off. "I'm goin' tae hunt fer crabs."

Morra hurried over to Hendel and tugged one of the sticks out of his hand. "I'll help spear fish." She pulled a knife from her pocket and grinned.

Four was more than enough to catch fish. "I'll go with Shelby to hunt for crabs," Elvie spoke up.

"Sounds good," Tamra responded. "Rahna and I will finish setting up camp, start the fire and get ready for the food."

Elvie hurried back onboard the Valkyrie to dig up some pails from the galley.

CC clucked her tongue when she heard what the kids were going to be up to. "You should allow me to cook you all a healthy meal. You can eat it outside, if that is your wish."

She smiled gratefully at the human appearing mech. "I appreciate that, CC. But it appears to have been decided that we are to have the full camping experience. Though, I draw the line at toileting outside. I do not consider this dire enough for that to occur."

The mech chortled. "Oh, my. I am very glad Tayln did not install that feature when he created me. I would not wish to leak like that." She pulled out a picnic basket and filled it with a couple of pots, plates, cups and utensils. "This ought to do it," she said as she handed the basket to Elvie. "Anytime you want some real food, just come on it and I'll fix you right up."

"Thank you, CC. Try to enjoy the break for now."

When she reached the campsite, she left the basket near the fire pit and retrieved the two pots. "These will have to do," she told Shelby, handing him one of the pots.

He grabbed the pot from her hand and spun it 360 degrees between his fingers. "That'll work! Let's go down river so we dinnae frighten away the fishies." He smiled when the large black cat raced ahead of them. "Yer Shadow is an amazin' creature. Utterly terrifyin', yet gentle as a wee pup."

She glanced over at the red-head with a cute dusting of freckles across his nose, making him look more boyish than his years. "You might see them in the wild when we get to Sur'Kesh. I've never seen more than one at a time, so I don't think they hunt in packs. I wouldn't want to go for a walk by myself unarmed, but they don't seem too keen on hunting if their prey is not alone."

Shelby grunted. "If'n ye intend tae get me oot in the wilds, ye can bet yer sweet ass I'm goin' in armed with more than biotics." He watched the patterns in the sand as they drew further away from the campsite. "They tol' me ye created the pods. Right spiffy idea, that. Yer what I'm wishin' I could be."

"I didn't do it on my own," she admitted without hesitation. She would never intentionally take credit for something she didn't do. "I borrowed from technology Tayln created and used it to design something entirely different. You know…if you want to do what I do, I can talk to Tayln about granting you an apprenticeship in one of Teiner Tech's departments." No…that wouldn't work. "Apprentices wouldn't get paid," she frowned, "since they are being schooled. So, maybe that wouldn't be the best -"

"No!" he said, coming to a standstill so fast that she was a few steps ahead before realizing he'd come to a stop. "It's okay - Dinnae finish that sentence. I would give my left…er…wee toe to get my foot inside Teiner Tech!" This was unreal! A dream within reach! "I can work a night job – anythin'. Or contract fer a number of years after my apprenticeship, if'n I could earn enough tae get by on." His loosened his grip on the pot handles when they creaked under his hands. "Dae ye think he will do it, Elvie?"

She held up her left hand and wiggled her ring finger. "I believe this gives me a few strings to pull," she teased.

His gaze lowered to the ring and for once it didn't sadden him that she'd married someone other than Kaidan. He knew that was wrong, but feeling bad for his friend wouldn't get him back together with Elvie. And he would be a fool to pass up this kind of opportunity. He knew, from the bottom of his heart, that Kaidan would be happy for him. His grin widened and he waggled his red brows. "More than a few, I'd wager."

"I'll talk to him tonight," she said as she turned to continue down the beach. The sparkle of the sun turned the water into a teal colored jewel. "I think this is probably the most peaceful and beautiful places I've ever been. I'm glad we came."

"There's no place I'd rather be." And that was a fact. Virmire would always remain in his heart – it was the place where his dreams had come true. He couldn't wait to tell Dawn. They'd been talking a lot about their future. Where she would go to nursing school, where he would work – now there were new possibilities. He grabbed her hand and pointed. "See the holes and the indentions in the sand? Those are crab burrows. I'll show ye what to do."

By the time they returned, they could smell fish cooking over the fire and someone had put up a net across a narrow part of the river, which looked no more than knee-deep. And logs were placed around the fire to sit on. She caught her husband's one-eyed double blink, which was his way of winking at her, while he continued talking with Hendel and Jett. Kaidan was studying Tayln thoughtfully. She wasn't sure if he'd been participating in the conversation, but he did appear to be interested in what was being said. The girls were waving their hands dramatically while talking and giggling. Everyone seemed enjoying being together again and that was what mattered most.

Shelby grabbed her pot, plopped himself down next to Dawn and began preparing the crabs. She could tell he was fit to burst with wanting to tell Dawn what they'd discussed. She took pity on him and took her place at her husband's side. Tayln dropped a quick kiss on her lips but continued the conversation until it turned away from him.

Seizing the moment, she slipped her arm through the bend of his and pulled him down towards her. "I would like you to do something for me – well, for Shelby. He loves…tinkering with technology. He's pretty good at it. I told him I'd talk to you about offering him an apprenticeship – he's willing to start at the bottom – maybe starting in recerts. That would give him the chance to take apart and rebuild our standard issue parts."

He grinned over the word our. His wife was finally starting to see Teiner Tech as theirs rather than his. Everything he had he considered theirs the moment he found her again. Teiner Tech still manufactured her brand: Elvie, but it was all theirs. Not hers. Not his. Theirs. He captured her face in the palm of his hand and brushed his lips across hers. "I'll talk to him. Find out his strengths and his weaknesses and then find suitable mentor to pair him with. I'm sure, in time, he'll become an asset to our company.

With a wide grin, she leaned past Tayln. "Shelby – go for it!" She laughed softly when words tumbled out of her friend's mouth nearly too quick to understand.

Dawn gripped his shoulders. "Shelby! Take a breath. You're speaking gibberish," she managed to get out in between giggles.

Shelby felt his cheeks heat up and knew they were bright red. And that made him blush all the harder. But he also took a big breath and let it out slowly. "Tayln and Elvie are givin' me an apprenticeship at Teiner Tech! Teiner Tech! Can ye believe it? It's my dream, Dawn. I nivver thought…" he shook his head and took another calming breath. "I dinnae think t'would ever be an attainable dream."

She threw her arms around her man. "I'm so happy for you, Shelby! You deserve it, babe!" He jumped when whistles and applause broke the near silence. She giggled at his reaction and kissed him soundly but briefly. "Now, finish up with those crabs, so you can wash their stink off you."

After dinner, Shadow rolled onto her back, stretching her legs towards the sky as if kneading it, rumbling in contented cat bliss. The rest of them waded across to the net and played a strange game of tossing a ball over a net and trying to let it fall to the sand. No biotics allowed. Elvie had to admit that she slipped a few times and used biotics. But she wasn't the only one. It could be difficult not to use something you've been honed to use until it had become instinctual. The most the offender received was being made the butt of a humorous remark. The gentle teasing resulted in mutual laughter.

Elvie jumped back with a shriek when sand exploded towards her from the impact of Kaidan's shoulder when he dived down to keep the ball from hitting the ground. She shook the sand out of her hair as she jumped up to spike Kaidan's bump over the net. By the time Hendel deflected the ball back over the net, Kaidan was back on his feet with an apologetic grin.

This was a new and exciting experience for Elvie. Physically demanding games were not something she'd ever considered doing. With her work as Valkyrie and all the training she put herself through, she'd always considered these types of games a waste of time. But she discovered there was a comradery…even a bonding that occurred in the shared experience of team-based games. Physical games were by no means a new found passion, but it did give her deeper insight as to why so many people were drawn to them.

They spent several more serene days, unwinding under the warm Virmire sun. They explored the waterways, climbed some of the smaller rock outcroppings, swam and enjoyed the time they had together. A shadow behind the fun was the fact that they realized this was possibly the last chance they would all have to be together as a group. Their lives would soon be taking them in different direction.

That being the case, she wanted to know that they would each be protected. She provided each of them with an armor disk and took a little time out of each day training them how to use and command the suit.

"This is fucking awesome!" Hendel crowed as he flexed his muscles in the comfortable armor. "I thought it would be years before I could ever hope to own Teiner Tech armor! Now, look at me! I'm Ironman!" He activated his boots, propelling him up to the top of a rock formation. "Fucking awesome!" he yelled down at the others. He smiled down at the armor he'd colored in Alliance blue. He was going to be the only cadet at the academy with armor this kicking. His smile slipped. He would probably be forced to use the same standard issue armor as the other cadets during basic training. No matter. Once he graduated, so long as he wore Alliance colors and the armor meet or beat Alliance standards, he'd be able to wear it.

Elvie cupped a cupped her hands around her mouth. "Now use your biotics to get down!" she yelled up at him.

He rolled his eyes. He was far better at heavy biotic attacks than the finer shit. All in for nothing, he thought as he held his hands out and stepped off the outcropping. His body twisted and turned as he fought for control. Knowing he had the suit on and could activate the boots if needed, allowed him to focus more intently on his biotics. After a few hairy moments, he gained control of the descent and landed, his knees dropping into a crouch with the impact and then rose. "Not a problemo," he replied with a jaunty grin.

Morra clapped her hands and whistled when the others joined in. "That's impressive, Hendel! That's the highest you've ever descended from!"

"Tell me about it," he grumbled, but the smile on his face ruined the disgruntled look.

Morra linked her arm through Elvie's when they sat around the fire later that evening. She looked up at the stars. "I wonder if my parents are looking up at the stars wondering if I'm doing the same?"

Kaidan's head rose and he looked across the fire at Elvie. He'd done that same thing every damn night. If he couldn't be near her, he knew he always would. He couldn't say why looking at stars lightyears away would make him feel closer to her, but it did.

Elvie leaned her head against Morra's. "I'm sure they are, Mor." She caught Kaidan's look and recalled their conversation about the very same thing. "I do it too, when I'm away from those that I care about. I think it's a natural instinct." She closed her eyes, but his face still danced in her mind. Sometimes, when she looked at him it felt like something was missing…something just out of reach…something she should have done or remembered or said. It was a feeling she couldn't get rid of, but nor could she make any sense of it.

Morra shot a hard glare at Kaidan until he lowered his gaze to the fire. She glanced quickly at Tayln, but he was in conversation with Shelby. She doubted he'd seen anything, but Kaidan needed to keep his damned mooning to a minimum when Tayln was around. She wasn't begrudging him his feelings; he was entitled to love whomever he wanted. And he had a right to love Elvie – they'd been together for two years and had a connection few people ever found, but she didn't want anything ruining the mood of their vacation. He'd chosen to come, knowing she was married to Tayln. He had to deal. And he was, better than she'd expected. He just needed a little nudge now and again. "I'm probably being a baby missing them like I do, but I'm glad I'm here. I never could have imagined a place like this. It's not as perfect as Mindoir," she teased, gently bumping her friend's shoulder. But it's a hellofa lax vacation spot."

"Hmmm…a part of me wouldn't mind building a vacation home here, but people settling here would destroy the majestic beauty of this virtually untouched planet. I've always believed should we is far more important than could we."

"We've come to a decision," Shelby said, breaking up the quiet hums of conversations. "Dawn and I will be movin' in taegether at the Eclipse on Ilium after our vacation. Tayln's agreed tae me workin' at his Ilium office and there's a multi-race nursin' program fer Dawn."

Jett winked at Rahna and then clapped his approval. "Moving in together is a big step. Congratulations."

Elvie's brows rose when she caught the flush in Rahna's cheeks. Definitely something going on there. She knew Rahna seemed put off around larger men, but Jett wasn't built like Kaidan or Hendel. He was built more like Shelby, though not as tall. About 5'11", trim but toned. Light mocha skin, classically handsome - bordering pretty, tight-cropped black hair and turquoise eyes. And now that he wasn't acting the ass, she could see why Rahna would be attracted to him.

Once the excitement and well wishes died down, she could tell that everyone seemed to be deep in thought, likely considering their own futures. It made her wonder too. Where would they all be this time next year? What about in five years? "Do you know what you're going to be doing in five years?" she asked Morra.

She flicked a small twig into the fire, it snapped and crackled, sending a few sparks into the growing darkness. "Same thing I'm doing now. Work the farm."

Elvie turned her head to get a better look at Morra. "Am I hearing a but in there somewhere? I thought you loved all things Mindoir?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, I do!" Not for one moment did Morra want Elvie to think that Mindoir wasn't the best place in the world to live. "There's no place I'd rather live. But…not just yet. I want to explore. I want to meet new people – see other races. Most races I've only seen in my cultural studies classes!"

She could certainly understand Morra's need to do more before settling down. "I want to give you something to think about. How about, when you are finished with your schooling, you take a year off – two if you can, stay with us. We'll take you with us, wherever we go, and then return you to Mindoir." For a brief moment, she saw her friend's silver eyes light up with excitement. But that only lasted for a moment. "What's wrong with that, Mor?"

Morranna played with the end of her light blonde braid. "Nothing is wrong with it, Elvie. It sounds like the chance of a lifetime. But I'm an only child. I wouldn't feel right about leaving my parents to work the farm by themselves. They'll have help during planting and harvesting, but the daily chores and upkeep – that we do as a family. This," she said with a slow wave of her hand, "vacation is fine. Two or three weeks won't be a problem – but more than that wouldn't be fair to them." She took Elvie's hand. "But appreciate the thought – it was a good one."

She patted the top of Morra's hand. "Just know the offer is always there."

"I know and I love you for it, Elvie." She wiggled her feet out from under Shadow's hip and stood up. "I'm tucking in for the night."

One by one they each retired to their pods. Come the morning, they ate their last foraged breakfast and then broke camp. CJ and CC came down from the Valkyrie to help them leave as few signs as possible that they were ever there.

Leaving was bittersweet. It was a beautiful and relaxing place to be. Virmire's serenity melted all your troubles away – that was hard to walk away from… but leaving meant they'd all be able to eat something other than fish and forage. Not to mention the soft beds that awaited them. With wistful looks out the holowindows, they watched Virmire slowly slip away. There was a hum felt under their feet as the FTL drive kicked in and the holowindows winked out.

-BREAK FIVE-

Jett, Kaidan and Hendel chose to bunk in the crew quarters. Shelby and Dawn took one of the three available cabins. That left two cabins and three girls.

"It's fine," Morranna told Tamra and Rahna. "If you two want to bunk together. I tend to be a night owl anyway – wouldn't want to keep anyone else from sleeping." She could tell they were afraid of hurting her feelings – and honestly, they wouldn't. Unless, two of the guys chose to bunk together…but that was something they obviously didn't want to do. Guys were funny that way. And she wasn't about to offer to share her bed with one of them…so having the room to herself was more than fine. She doubted she'd be spending much time in her cabin anyway – there was far too much to do in the Valkyrie.

Tamra hugged Morra and kissed her forehead. "You are a thoughtful and beautiful woman, Morra Wise." She tucked a strand of light blonde hair behind the other girl's ear. "Maybe Kaidan will bunk with you," she teased.

Morranna blanched. "Eww, Tamra! For one, he'd never agree. For two, I like blondes. And three, he's in love with…" she cleared her throat. "I'll stop at two. Why don't you pursue him?"

Tamra just blinked and then laughed like it was going out of style. "I thought you knew. Honey, Hendel and I have more in common than you seem to be aware of – which is why he's one of my best friends. I like the laaadies," she said with a waggle of her brows. "And since he likes men, there's nothing to get in the way of our friendship.

"Oh!" She looked from Tamra to Rahna, trying to look at them another way. Were they a couple? She'd been so sure Rahna was crushing on Jett…Did she have it all wrong?

Rahna's hand flew up to cover her mouth and cut off her giggle when she saw the confused understanding and realized Morra had gotten the wrong idea. "There's no us," she said, motioning with a finger between her and Tamra. "I like guys." She could feel her cheeks heating up. "Well...maybe one guy," she admitted. She was not the kind of girl to like a lot of guys.

"Jett!" Morra beamed a smile. "I knew I couldn't be wrong about that! He's steamy! Well – for not being a blonde and all. You know, I never really noticed how good looking he was at Brain Camp? I couldn't see past his assiness. But he's a whole new Jett – and I'm finding it hard to even remember the old Jett."

"Thank fuck!" Tamra agreed. "And I'd kick his balls up into his mouth if he ever hurt our Rahna."

Rahna's mouth fell open in stunned surprise. "I wouldn't want you to do that, Tam!"

Tamra snorted. Rahna was not a creature of violence, but then neither had she been – until Brain Camp. Brain Camp had changed them all. Rahna was stronger, but she, herself, was hardened. Her lips pulled up into a smirk. "Maybe not, but we'd both feel a hell of a lot better if I did it anyway. And don't try to deny it."

Tamra obviously had a point, even if it was on her head. "Fine," Rahna sighed dramatically, "but you won't need to give him cheek-nuts. I don't think he's going to hurt me and he's okay with taking things slow. Whatever he was before," she knew darn good and well how awful he was before, "he's a good man now."

"I'll go find my cabin and leave you two to unpack – see you soon," Morranna told them before slipping out the door. Her room was across the CIC from Elvie and Tayln's room. When the door slid shut behind her, she smiled when the silence embraced her. Silence was a rare experience for her. At Mindoir, she could hear animals as well as her parents all the time. The few ships she'd been on, you could hear their engines and often the others onboard. But here…there was just silence.

Within a few days, they were berthing the Valkyrie and Oasis at the space station and taking shuttles down to the Waedorth hotel. The top two flats, each having two floors and three bedrooms, belonged to Elvie and Tayln. Elvie, Tayln, Shadow, Morra and Kaidan had the three bedrooms in the top flat and were aboard the shuttle that landed at personal landing pad for that suite. Shelby, Dawn, Tamra, Rahna, Jett and Hendel took their shuttle to the landing pad of the lower flat.

Each flat was fully stocked. Tayln even activated the CC and CJ he had aboard the Oasis, so that each flat had a cooking and protection mech. Once settled into their rooms, Shelby and the others took the lift upstairs to where they'd be spending most of their socializing time.

Hendel whistled his appreciation. "This is the nicest hotel I've ever been in. Are all your hotels this nice?"

"The Waedorth is not so extravagant as the Eclipse of Blue Diamond," Tayln admitted with a shrug but until I found Elvie again, I considered it my home. Now, my home is at the Blue Diamond – it will always have a special place in my heart." He smiled warmly at his wife. She'd helped him through a few legal matters, given advice on design and they'd kissed on every floor when she returned from Brain camp, just as they'd promised to do before the hotel was built. They'd both breathed life into the Blue Diamond – and for that, it held a special place in his heart.

"And mine," Elvie returned with a wink. "But if you think this place is nice, wait until you see the Blue Diamond. We'll be leaving Sur'Kesh in three days and we'll head straight to the Citadel for another three days, before we head back to Mindoir. We've got a lot of living to do and only a few precious days to do it in."

Tayln nodded with her assessment. "I want to point out to you, that you can explore Sur'Kesh as you see fit. You have the shuttle, the hotel also offers gliders and down the hill a bit, we have large stables for those that want to ride kiblak's. They are a six-legged, rugged mount. But you can only go riding with an armed guide. There are too many predators in the jungle to risk going off on your own. We have things planned to do, but you don't have to feel like you have to come, if you want to do something different. This is your time." He turned his attention to Shelby. "Please don't tamper with anything – the salarians don't like it if you mess with their programing."

Shelby grinned. "I'll be a good wee lad and keep my hands in my pockets."

"He'll behave," Elvie told her husband. "Since it's already afternoon, we'll be taking a shuttle to the nearest commercial sector and you will be free to explore the shops – there is even a couple of museums, if you are interested in that sort of thing. Kaidan – would you be willing to have Shadow stay with you? Tayln and I have to report in at the Tower and I think she would have more fun with you."

It took him a moment to realize she was talking to him; he'd been deep in thought about being in one of the two bedrooms below Elvie and Tayln. He hoped it would get easier, the more time he spent with them, but it still hurt just as much. Despite the pain, being near her – able to actually see her and talk to her…it was worth it. He heard her call his name age. He inhaled sharply. "Sorry. Of course, I'll watch her for you. But the...uh… businesses are okay with her being there?"

She nodded and rubbed the top of Shadow's black head. "Of course, merlotecs were created here. Even though she's…large, it's obvious she's been engineered. She's probably going to startle a few people, but she's allowed just about everywhere except restaurants."

He'd seen how close she was to her cat. Shadow made her happy. That meant the cat was important to him as well. "She'll be safe with me," his voice lowered, "but then you already know that."

"I do," she admitted, a small, soft smile lifting her lips. She trusted him completely. She turned away before he could see her smile fade. Had she been hasty? She wondered if maybe she should have asked Morra. She loved Kaidan, she had a connection to him – but she didn't want for him to ever think she was using him just because he had feelings for her. She wasn't even sure if it was something she should talk to him about or let it go. She didn't want to hurt any more than she suspected she already had.

They piled into the shuttle. With tables that had six seats each on either side of the isle, there was certainly enough room for them. But they chose to leave the tables down, there wouldn't be any time to use them this trip.

A few minutes later, they landed at a public landing pad in the commercial sector. "We'll return as soon as we can. We just want to get the business part taken care of quickly. Shadow," she motioned the cat out the side door, "go with Kaidan."

Shadow twitched her tail with a chuff and hopped out of the shuttle and rubbed her head against Kaidan's leg.

The cat never ceased to surprise him on just how intelligent she was. He wondered if the wild Merlots were as intelligent as Shadow or if it was gene manipulation. He hoped the latter. The thought of a sentient predator with reasoning and problem solving was a terrifying prospect. The Yahg were a fine example of that.

He raised his hand and waved as the shuttle took off then joined the others. He didn't really care where he went, there was so much to take in everywhere, starting with the unique structuring of the architecture, reminding him somewhat of a layered cake. From what he could see, all outlying buildings had massive decks that were open to the humid jungle. He was surprised to note that out side of a few birds that there were seemed to be no wildlife using the decks. Maybe the wildlife knew to stay away from the structures.

He followed the others from shop to shop, watching salarians go pale and keep a distance from the large merlotec that paced the group. Interesting enough, he saw a few small, brown mottled merlotecs riding on the shoulders of their owners. These were small cats, longer legged, larger eared and slightly bigger than an earth housecat, though far more dangerous with their sickle side-claws that armed every leg.

He couldn't resist buying an artificial buwantu flower bud finger cuff; it had thick vines that interwove, creating the band. It looked amazingly real and responded to touch – or the heat of a touch. Were you to touch it, the flame colored bud opened its petals to reveal a golden, sparkling center, much like the real flower. However, this one had practical uses as well. If you pressed on the open bud's center it glowed brightly, which could be used to either blind an attacker or see in the dark. It also turned black if it sensed anything toxic and sent an SOS to frequencies programed into it if it felt her heartrate drop to a dangerous level. Using the frequencies she'd left stored in the OT she'd given him, he programed in his, Tayn's, David's, and Torin's frequencies.

The ring reminded him of Elvie. When she first arrived at Brain Camp, she'd been open with him but reserved with most of the others. She slowly opened up to everyone and became their inspiration and their fiery defender. But it was more than that, the bud's interior reminded him of Elvie's metallic caramel colored hair that sparkled when it caught the light as if it were a living thing. The bud embodied Elvie, at least in his eyes.

He knew he shouldn't give it to her. He knew she might not accept it. But he hoped, because the ring had protective implementations that she would. He slipped the ring into his pocket and hurried out of the shop to rejoin the others.

Morra fell back to talk to Kaidan when she saw him finally leave the exotic trinkets shop. "You didn't do anything stupid, did you?" she asked quietly.

Was his purchase stupid? Maybe, if he was honest with himself, but it was also practical. He inhaled sharply. "It may have been a little stupid, but it was for her safety, Morra. He pulled out the box an handed it to her.

The shape of the box told her it was either earrings or a ring – neither of which were appropriate gifts. Her eyes darted to his. "Kaidan…you didn't - "

"Open it," he told her softly.

She flipped the lid to see the tiny fiery bud on a stem-woven band. The bud wasn't flat, but nor did it sit as high as a diamond would, but somewhere in between. She sucked in her breath at its simple beauty. It looked like a tiny flame sat atop the band. She gently touched it with her fingertip, wondering if it felt warm like a flame or soft like a flower. The bud twitched and the petals swirled open. She gasped at the gleaming center that seemed to be the color of Elvie's hair. It was so stunning…so perfect…and yet so wrong. "Kaidan – I don't think…"

"It can save her life," he insisted, his voice a little harder than he'd intended. "If you touch the center, it will give off a light to help her see – or momentarily blind someone- so don't touch it. But it will also turn black if it senses toxicity and send out an SOS to Tayln and her fathers if her lifesigns showed severe stress."

So, it had practical uses too. Wait. "You programmed in your frequency too, didn't you?"

He cheeks warmed. "I did," he admitted. "You know I'd do anything to keep her safe." He inhaled again. "It doesn't matter that things worked out different than I'd hoped. She's still my closest friend and I love her."

When the bud closed once more, she snapped the box closed and handed back to him. "I know," she said quietly. "Give it to her with caution, Kaidan. You can't know how she or Tayln will react to it," she warned. The snick sound of the box closing had caused her heart to pound harder. She could only hope that their peace would not be shattered. Tayln had to know about Kaidan. How could anyone not see it?

He didn't respond to her words because he also knew the ring could cause issues. He didn't want to do anything to jeopardize Tayln allowing him to stay. And he honestly didn't want to cause any problems between Elvie and Tayln. Most important, he didn't want to hurt her. But he was going to give her the ring. He could not imagine a more perfect birthday gift…and her birthday was only a few days away.

They explored the Sur'Kesh Historical Museum, which showed archeologic artifacts going back thousands of years, telling the planet's history as well as their own and what they'd gone through to achieve relative harmony with their homeworld. The second museum was the Sur'Kesh Advancement Museum, which showed their flight history, from mere ground transportation to their current space explorations. There were a vast number of other museums throughout Sur'Kesh, but not in this sector.

By the time the left the second museum, their bellies were complaining. They stopped at an open-air café and ordered whatever the special was. They quickly discovered salarian food ran spicier than expected. Kaidan was far from the only one left gasping, with red cheeks and watering eyes. But the creamy soup seemed to balance the spicy meat sticks if they dunked them in the soup or ate a bite of soup right after the meat stick. He did both. He pulled a hunk of meat of one of the sticks, thoroughly soaked it in the soup for a few minutes and then held it out to Shadow.

Shadow sniffed the offering. She sneezed from the underlying spice, but opted to eat it anyway. If her new pet could eat it, then so could she. She mouthed the morsel a bit and then swallowed. It wasn't the best snack she'd ever been given, but it was acceptable. As too, was the second morsel she'd been offered. After cleaning her lips with her tongue, she rubbed the side of her cheek against his thigh. He was a good pet. A worthy pet. He was also one of her prized pet's mates. She found it odd that the mates did not try to kill each other for the right to mate her prized pet. Perhaps, they did not know any better. Afterall, they did not have her understanding.

He spoke up as they left the café. "Elvie's birthday is in three days," he told them. "She's not too big on surprises," he inhaled, "but we should decide what we're going to do."

Morranna smiled. If Elvie was pissed, Kaidan would be the one to get the brunt of it, not her. "Then, let's just make it a small surprise. Her birthday falls on the day we return to the Valkyrie. So, we make sure she has an extravagant morning breakfast – if we can find something NOT spicy, give her our gifts and well wishes, then head back to the Valkyrie. That way, we still get our surprise, but it's not over the top enough to make her feel uncomfortable. What do you think?" she asked as she scanned the others in the group.

"I dinnae know it was her birthday comin' up. The wee – er…bonny minx dinnae bother to tell us. So, let me get this straight. No cake, no strippers, no alcohol…where's the fun in that?" Shelby complained.

Dawn elbowed him in the side. "Considering she's strong enough to kick your ass, do you really want to do all that?"

He scowled at his girlfriend. "Ach, now. Dinnae hurt a man's pride." He sighed dramatically. "Fine, then. A lavish breakfast it is – so long as I'm not cookin' it."

"We want to impress her, not kill her," Hendel said with a snort.

Shelby's mouth fell open, but no words came out. He could hardly disagree. "I'm the only one that willnae raise much suspicion if'n I pull Tayln aside tae talk tae him. He will know how tae pull it all together."

A hissing growl startled them and they all turned to find a female salarian tugging on the leach of her mottled-brown merlot, trying to halt the large cat's crouching stalk towards Shadow. Kaidan watched as Shadow stepped in front of him, her muscles tight beneath her black coat. Her tail swished back and forth; her bright, sky-blue eyes locked onto the aggressor's golden gaze. Her lips curled back and she growled in response.

Kaidan tried to get around Shadow, to block her from the other cat's view, but Shadow moved with him and all his maneuvering had done was get them close to the other cat. He watched Shadow's tail whip back and forth with irritation. That was when he realized that Shadow was protecting him.

Several more salarians rushed to the woman's side, adding their strength to hers, yanking back on the leash. As they pulled the large cat back, more salarians put their bodies in front of the merlot, blocking its view of the other large cat. They watched the group until they could no longer see them.

"So, that is the difference between a wild cat and an engineered one," Morranna put forth thoughtfully. "It would seem the merlot, even when raised in captivity, maintains their wild instincts. If they are solitary hunters, then it viewed Shadow as competitor or a threat, while it ignored the smaller cats perched on salarian shoulders."

"That is also why you do not try to make pets out of wild animals," Rahna pointed out.

Jett rubbed slowly up and down Rahna's back to relax her. "At least we have only seen the one. And there may be a compelling story behind that merlot. There may not have been a choice in returning it to the wild." From what he could see, salarians preferred to make their own pets. Though, that too was still highly controversial in Council Space.

"You are right, of course," Rahna agreed with a dip of her head in acknowledgment. "Perhaps, I am seeing injustice where there is none." That was something she'd been working on. Because of how she was treated like a leper or a dangerous abomination, she knew she often saw recriminations in people's eyes and actions that simply weren't there, because she expected them to be. Everything had a story and she needed to work on not assuming the worst without knowing the truth - because that made her no better than her family and neighbors and that thought sickened her. She would never let herself be anything like them. "We should return to the shops. I want to purchase a gift for Elvie before they get back."

Elvie caught sight of them talking intently as they came out of one of the shops. Shadow bounced back and forth on her front legs, excited but not abandoning her post guarding Kaidan. Once she reached them, however, their talking stopped abruptly and Shadow was rubbing all over her. She rubbed the silky black head. "I got what I needed done, but Tayln is delayed at the office. I didn't want to make you wait any longer than necessary. I also wanted to warn you about salarian food."

"It was an eye opener," Hendel told her. "Yeah, we found out."

She winced. "Sorry. I can get distracted when I'm working." She glanced down at their bags. "Did you want to get back or did you still want to explore?"

It was unanimous. They were going back. She led them to the shuttle and they returned to the lofts.

They'd talked, had dinner and watched a movie before they retired to their bedrooms. Everyone, that was, except Kaidan and Elvie. Elvie had fallen asleep during the movie, leaning against his arm. When he moved, she toppled over and then snuggled into the sofa with her head on his lap. God, how he'd missed this. He gently pulled her soft, silky hair back from her face with gentle strokes, his heart swelling with feelings he normally kept boxed up – or at least tried his best to keep boxed up. He considered carrying her upstairs and laying her down on her bed, but he decided against it. Not only did he not want to lose this precious contact, but right now he was vulnerable and raw with feeling and he couldn't risk joining her in bed and pulling her into his arms and falling asleep. Not to mention Shadow was draped over his feet and ankles. No, he wasn't going anywhere. He draped his arm around her, his head falling back against the sofa when he could no longer keep his eyes open.

Tayln stilled when he saw his wife sleeping on the human's lap when he got home. Rage and pain crashed through him and he took deep breaths fighting the instinctual need to tear his rival limb from limb. There were no doubts left – this had been her "fake" boyfriend. She would never just lay down in someone's lap unless she felt completely safe and connected to them. They were far too comfortable with each other. This was obviously something that had happened a lot and was now second nature when she got tired.

If they had both fallen asleep laying on the sofa, spooning, with her buried in his arms, he knew would not have been able to contain his emotions. As it was, he forced himself to walk up the stairs; each step away from them tore at him. He wanted nothing more than to rip his mate out of the other man's arms. But he was not an animal who lived only by instinct. He was a man and he would get himself under control. If he did something stupid, he would lose her. And hurting someone she loved and considered one of her closest friends would tear them apart.

Once he reached their bedroom, he grabbed some pajama bottoms, which he rarely wore, and headed straight to the shower. He stepped under the icy stream, his body quaking from the shock of it. He leaned forward to rest his forearms against the shower wall and bent dropped his forehead until it too touched the wall. He forced his hands to unclench and flattened his hands against the wall as the icy water numbed his skin.

He knew Kaidan was in love with his wife. The others loved her for what she did for them – or maybe for just being the person she was. But Kaidan – he was in love with her and he was incapable of hiding it. He forced himself to acknowledge the man was too noble to act on his feelings. He'd never once even openly flirted with Elvie or did anything inappropriate.

As the possessive rage washed away reasoning began to take over. He programmed the temperature rise in the water and groaned as it slowly warmed him back up. Falling asleep when one was tired was natural. They were doing no wrong. The human couldn't even have moved if he wanted to, Shadow had him boxed in. It didn't matter if Kaidan was in love with his wife – his wife saw the human as a close friend. That was all. She'd chosen to marry him. To spend the rest of her life with him. And if Kaidan could deal with the pain of seeing the woman he loved with another man, then by the gods he could do no less. From what he'd seen Kaidan was a good and honorable man. He also knew that while his wife didn't need protection, the human would give his life to keep the woman he loved safe. As he, himself, would do.

If he and Elvie were not married, the man would have made a worth rival for her affection. Now, he would make a valuable and worthy friend. Someone he could count on to help keep her safe to help ground her, when needed. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. No! He tamped down on that thought. Kaidan was not a rival. Not an enemy. Fake it 'til you make it. See it in a different light. That is what he had to do. To keep his mate happy, he would have to embrace their friendship and give a noble man his due. He did not doubt his wife's love and he knew that she was honorable and would never forsake him. Kaidan was noble and honorable, he would never intentionally press his favor or try to come between him and his wife. Though, he could never turn a blind eye, with those boundaries set, the friendship could flourish and benefit them all. It was how it had to be. His wife needed people in her life that she trusted completely – someone who could help ground his beautiful but stubborn wife.

With his mind settled, he hit the quickdry, pulled on his pajama bottoms and descended the stairs. "Shadow," he called quietly to the cat "It's time for bed." The big cat yawned, mouth open, tongue curled up before she slowly rose and headed for the stairs.

Kaidan blinked when the cat's weight lifted from his feet. His tired eyes slowly opened to see a massive blue chest. His eyes traveled upwards as the fog of sleep started to dissipate. "She had hoped to wait up for you," he said, trying to keep the censure from his voice.

It wasn't the first time his wife would have to go to bed without him and it certainly wouldn't be the last, but it was a painful for him as it was for her. He did his best to avoid that situation as much as possible. "I was unfortunately and unavoidably detained, much as I could have wished otherwise. My place is at her side. Thank you for being there for her when I could not." He slipped his arms under his wife and gently lifted her up, cradling her to him. "Good night, Kaidan."

He blinked trying to gather his wits as the drell carried Elvie up the stairs. He thought of many ways that could have gone, but he never once thought Tayln would thank him for holding his wife while she slept. He doubted he could have been that serene and magnanimous about it all. Honestly, it was a punch first ask question later type of thing. Not being punched by one of those massive blue fists was a boon that he was grateful for.

Kaidan dragged himself off the sofa and into his room, praying the walls were soundproof before his eyes closed once more. There were some things he did not need to hear.

-BREAK SIX-

Come morning, they had a late breakfast, spent some time in the suite's small gym and then dressed with their bathing suits on under their clothing. CC packed them a nice lunch in a basket and then they hit the trail leading from the hotel to the stables.

Those that had never seen a kiblak were stunned by their appearance. The beasts had six legs, short, tight hair of varying colors, feathers at their fetlocks, twin, spiraling horns on their foreheads, a short zebra-like mane and a silky haired tail that sported a hidden barb. Another unique feature was the two sets of eyes. One set in front and one pair set on the sides like a normal horse.

"Hope ye don't have tae be a virgin tae ride this unicorn's cousin," Shelby teased.

Tayln tilted his head in confusion. "You have uni-horned mounts on Earth that you can only ride if you're a virgin?" He hadn't heard anything about that. The laughter that ensued made him realize he'd misunderstood.

Kaidan shook his head trying not laugh with the others. It was an honest, logical conclusion on Tayln's part. "No, on Earth, unicorns are horse-like mythological creatures that supposedly were magical. They would only suffer the touch of the pure." Kaidan shrugged and inhaled. "Most believe they never actually existed."

Humans were certainly an imaginative bunch. But then, many of his brethren still believe in the old gods. Who was he to judge? "Thankfully, the kiblak don't care who you have slept with, so long as you respect them."

The first half-hour was spent getting their kiblak mounts used to the presence of Shadow. When they no longer shied or pranced nervously, they mounted up and followed the trail through the forest. Occasionally, Shadow would freeze, her blue-eyed gaze boring into the jungle. They suspected that she scented a merlot, but she would eventually relax and catch up with them. Unlike in town, the merlot in the jungle did not brave the group and try to attack.

Since it was against the law to kill wildlife, unless it was self-defense, forays into the deep jungle required an armed escort. The escort would determine if neutralizing an animal was needed. They were armed with both tranquilizers and a rifle. They would determine the extent of the neutralization. But at least they were a silent escort that didn't intrude upon their vacation.

They turned off the main trail and took barely discernable trail it the left. It ended at a churning deep, churning stream too harsh to swim in. The stream ended in a waterfall with a large pool basin. With swimsuits underneath, they pulled off their outer clothing and dove in off the dry ledge to the left of the waterfall that jutted out over the water. The water was crystal clear, and the pool was wide. They avoided the end of the pool as it butted up against a rocky ledge and spilled over. They were literally swimming between two waterfalls.

It didn't take long for Shadow to follow them over. She did not like being away from her pets. She hit the water hard and it rushed up over her head. She paddled to the surface, shook the water out of her eyes and took a breath before sliding back under. She paddled down and made a brief circle of the pool. When she found no threats, she rose to the surface and paddled over to the embankment. Once on the dry land of the mountainside, she shook the water from her fur, ignoring the shrieks of the others and then curled up in on a warm rock, her ears swiveling, listening for any sound of movement towards them. She would not let anything happen to her precious pets.

Kaidan found it difficult to keep his gaze from returning to Elive. While her suit covered more than the other women's, it was far more erotic to him with the high-cut legs, plunging back that showed a remarkable phoenix tattoo, and the large peek-a-boo diamond that showed off her sexy as hell navel ring. He was very grateful that the others kept him grounded by dragging him back into their spalshing games.

Hendel climbed up on the rocky ledge so he could peer over the edge to see if he could make the dive down this waterfall. He turned his head and called out to the others. "How high do you think we are?" He yelled when he was suddenly yanked into the air. The next instant he hit water, hard enough to sting before he slipped under and smacked into the silty rock bottom. He pushed up until he broke the surface sputtering and rubbing his abused tailbone. His accusing gaze shot straight to Elvie. Her biotics were stronger than the rest of theirs. "I wasn't going to jump." Maybe. He'd certainly been considering it.

"You're blaming the wrong person," Kaidan told him. "And you were an idiot to even climb up there. Those rocks have water rushing over them. The stones were slippery. You are lucky you didn't kill yourself, Hendel!"

"I was just seeing how far up we were," Hendel said in defense.

"Then you should have asked before climbing up on those rocks," Kaidan pointed out.

"He's right," Tayln replied quickly. "If the fall didn't kill you the jagged rocks below the falls would have. The jump is not survivable at this height. And if you'd have slipped and fallen over, I'm not sure even my wife could have brought you back up in time."

Elvie was fine with his speech up until then. "Don't put limits on me," she groused. "Not that I want to be put in the position of having to yank your ass out of the grave, especially because you were standing in stupid – but can't is not in my vocabulary."

Hendel grinned. "I'll keep my ass on this side of the rocks, ma'am." He dove under the surfaced, swam past Kaidan, turned suddenly and the pulled his legs out from under him. He darted backwards as Kaidan sank under the water.

When they finally tired themselves out, they took the stairs that were built into the side of the mountain and climbed back up to the bank above. They spread out towels and sat down to each lunch under the heat of the sun. By the time they were ready to leave, they'd be dry enough to pull their clothing back on.

Since Tayln was on the other side of Elvie, Kaidan got a close view of that tattoo the drell had on his upper shoulder. A wooden heart – the same one he wore suspended around his neck – and a sapphire heart were woven together by a golden chain. He could make out the LV and TNT within the hearts. His own heart aching with the pain of what that tattoo meant. But he also knew exactly what he needed to do. "That is a beautiful piece of work on your arm, Tayln. Where did you get it done?"

Tayln glanced down at his shoulder, a soft grin pulling at his lips. "Rafe created it. You can find him at Raphael's Arte Parlor on the Citadel. I'll tell him you're a friend. He'll treat you right."

He doubted Tayln saw him as a friend, but he was grateful for the consideration. "I appreciate it." He inhaled. "I never considered getting a tattoo, but I've never seen work like that before."

"He's the best," Elvie remarked with a warm smile. "I've got three smaller masterpieces – that's what he calls them, but if you want to see something truly magnificent, I'll have Reed show you his phoenix masterpiece. It looks like mine," she said as she pointed to her lower back, "but it covers his chest and his back. It looks like there is a bird inside him trying to get out. It is truly amazing."

"I want to meet him too," Hendel cut in. "I've been wanting to get inked!" He smirked at Kaidan. "I didn't think you would be one to get inked."

Kaidan looked over at Hendel and inhaled. "Things change. I'm thinking of getting a flame colored rose bud with a thorned stem that curls up into a circle. Inside the circle is: B.A.a.T, so that I can remember what a fiery, stubborn young woman did for us and the type of person I want to be." The words were true, but he also intended to get duplicate tattoo just above his pubic line on his left hip, that one would have a faceted diamond seated in the stem circle, half diamond/half peridot, two halves of a perfect whole.

Morra bit her lip to keep from speaking out. Maybe he had the right of it. He managed to give a noble meaning for the fiery bloom, so that giving her the ring on her birthday might have less of an impact. "I'm getting one too." She smiled when several others wanted one as well.

Kaidan grinned at Elvie. "Deal." When she stuck her tongue out at him, he laughed softly.

There was no sense in telling them different, they had made their choice. "Fine, then. I will get one," Elvie told them. "The art will show our shared experience and our bond." She would decide where to put it later. She did not like her works to be seen unless she chose to show them. Hmmm…maybe behind her ear...or the inside of her wrist…or her ankle.

After they dried off, they pulled their clothing on and packed up their towels and food for the long ride back to the hotel. Too tired to do anything else, they ordered room service and sat around talking until the sandman called them to sleep.

The following day, they rented a boat to go out on the ocean. As before, they had an armed escort – well two this time, this time with a high-powered rifle a shocker in case they came under attack.

They slipped on aquatic suits and one of the escorts dove with them. They were not allowed to come within touching distance of reefs or approach any wildlife larger than a small fish. But they weren't there to touch or disturb anything – only to bear witness of the world under the sea. There were large, flowery stalks, colorful fish would swim between the stalks, rubbing their sides against the blooms that covered the stalks. Sometimes, they would face one of the flowers with their mouths open as if they were kissing the flower's inner tendrils. One fish, was not so lucky as the others. For whatever reason, the flower closed its large petals over the fish and did not open back up. The bulb moved for a few moments before the fish stopped its struggles. The other fish didn't seem bothered at all, they went about their business, rubbing against and kissing the flowers.

They were also able to see other strange life. There was a long, snake-like creature with four flippers and two tiny little arms up near its mouth. Other creatures had hard carapaces on their backs and long tails that ended in hard bulb.

When they rose back to the surface, they discovered it was already mid-afternoon. They ate a quick meal before the escorts took them further out into the deeper ocean, where they were able to see the horned breld pods cavorting in the distance. One of the escorts, handed out magnifiers so that they could see the pod's playful antics.

The 'ahhhs' turned into gasps of horror when they realized the breld weren't playing – though maybe it could be said that they were playing with their dinner. A smaller aquatic mammal with brown hair and four flippers that ended in claws was being tossed into the air like some macabre game of catch the ball.

While the men and Morra continued to watch, the rest of the women lowered their magnifiers, preferring to see the pod as merely frolicking.

"Damn...that t'was brutal," Shelby murmured.

Not a moment later, the boat shuddered as something hard slammed into its steel enforced sides. One of the enforcers jumped up, elongated some sort of stick or rod and shoved the end of it down into the water. "We must go," he said quickly as the other escort jumped to the controls.

They held on tight to the railing as the boat turned and sped back towards the shallow seabed. All they could see was a dark shadow pacing them from a distance before it finally turned away.

Later that night, they chose to dine at the Waedorth's restaurant. The restaurant, unlike many of the local establishments, had a menu that catered to many different races. Despite the soft music, Elvie was content to sit and let her meal digest instead of dancing. She'd never gone diving like that before and she was thoroughly exhausted.

The next morning, she woke up to a cold bed. Tayln rarely woke before she did. She looked around for a note, but there was nothing explaining where he was. Their refresher light was off, so he wasn't there. At least she didn't have to wait to use the toilet. She rolled out of bed, took care of her morning business and then hopped into the shower. He was still not back by the time she came out to get dressed.

As she descended the stairs, she noticed hard dark it still was downstairs. She flipped on her OT to check it. No messages – at least none from her husband. Maybe he had an emergency at the Tower and hadn't had time to let her know. Not wanting to wake Kaidan or Morra, she turned to the right, intent on going through the dining room to the kitchen. The light flared on and myriad of faces bounced out of the dark. She sucked in a harsh breath and pinwheeled backwards, her hand rising to defend herself.

"Happy Birthday, Elvie!" They shouted in unison.

"Assholes!' she hissed, but it was ruined by the smile plastered to her lips. She saw a huge waffle cake, berries and cream, scrambled eggs, bacon, coffee and tea. She even saw a jar of peanut butter. Yes! Several gifts sat in the center of the table. "Now, this is a breakfast! Thank you – everyone."

The first thing she did was grab a hot waffle and spread creamy peanut butter all over it and watched it melt. She held the feast up and sank her teeth into the melty, creamy waffle. She noticed the surprised look on many of the faces and she swallowed. "Don't you dare judge me without trying it."

After breakfast, CC removed the plates and they all looked at her expectantly. The gifts. Not usually her favorite part of birthdays, not unless she was the one giving them. The first thing she noticed was none of the gifts had from tags. Then the gifts were a group effort. She pulled the top one off and carefully removed the paper. Inside was a picture frame with the words: BAaT bonds along the top and a single word: Forever along the bottom. When she removed the sticker covering a small panel, the screen came to life. Pictures she knew of and others she never knew were taken displayed one after another on the screen. One with them all together, many with her and one or more of them, some did not even have her in them, those were just as precious. "I think this was the nicest gift you all could have given me." She had an eidetic memory, but she still appreciated being able to see the pictures.

"Can I see?" Tayln asked.

She handed the frame to her husband and picked up one of the other gifts. The second was a book. Hardcover bound, titled: An Untold Story. She opened the cover and found an indexed list of authors. Each of their names were printed there. She read a small blurb thanking her for her actions, protection, guidance and friendship at the unforgiving Jump Zero. This book was written for no one else but her. The fact that they trusted her with their inner most thoughts was daunting and touching at the same time. "I will read and cherish every word." She looked over at Tayln to see if he wanted to take a look at it.

"No," he said quietly. "Those words were meant for you, not me."

She picked up a very small package next. She carefully removed the paper and flipped the lid open. She sucked a breath at the at the ring with the flame-colored bud. It couldn't possibly be real. A bud could not survive on a ring. She gently touched the bud with the tip of her finger and brought her hand back quickly when its petals opened to reveal the faceted dark golden gem within. "I don't…"

"It will protect you," Morra jumped in. If you touch the gem, it will give off a bright light that can temporarily blind those around you – so please don't touch the center."

"It will turn black if it senses toxins," Kaidan added, "and send out an SOS to your fathers and Tayln if your lifesigns showed signs of severe stress."

She hadn't expected that. Her suit would protect her in most cases, but she didn't always wear her suit. She imagined Tayln would appreciate the thought. She glanced over at him, but he was staring at Kaidan. He turned her head to look at Kaidan who was also staring at Tayln, as if the two were having some sort of internal discussion that she couldn't hear. So, she left them to it and slipped the ring on the ring finger of her right hand. She looked at it and smiled and then held her hand out so that everyone else could see it on her finger.

Tayln took her hand and looked down on the ring. It looked like a small flame sat atop the ring. He suspected Kaidan gave her the ring and the artwork he wanted to get all but mirrored the ring. Despite that, he could admit the ring would protect his wife in a way he hadn't thought of yet. "It's remarkable."

"Oh, and I can't forget your gifts!" Elvie exclaimed.

Jett laughed and slapped his thigh. "That's not how birthdays work, Elvie!"

She waved off his silly notion, jumped up from the table and ran to the hall closet. She pulled out a bag that she'd brought back from the Tower carried it back to the table and set it down. "They are magbelts," she said as she pulled a black belt out of the bag and handed one to each of them. "You can aim your OT at them to sync them and then program in the color that you want, that way it will match whatever you are wearing. Weapons, med-kits and many other things will work with the belt. And if you have to deploy your armor, it will flow under your belt so that all your attachments will be in easy reach."

Talyn grinned and pulled a box out from under the table. "I have something you can put on that new belt. I created a pistol for my wife. I'm calling it the Valkyrie. And I'm giving each of you one to commemorate this reunion. He picked up the oval device, about the size of a deck of tarot cards, albeit it a bit thicker and placed one on each of their palms. "Do you see the finger grooves? Hold the device in your palm, setting your fingers in the grooves. There is a button on the top side that would have to be depressed to decompress the weapon. Press your thumb on that button." The pistols deployed and the silencers popped out.

"Holy, fuck me!" Hendel nearly squealed like a girl. "Happy birthday to us!"

"We will practice with them when we return to the Valkyrie," Tayln told them, his voice raised over the laughter. "I want to ensure each of you becomes comfortable with cleaning and firing your new weapon."

Jett noticed Rahna was less than pleased about the pistol. He took the gun from her hand and pushed the button to compress the gun back into itself and set it on the table. "It's only for protection, if it comes to your life or someone else's – then I choose your life and I need you to choose your life too." He brought his hand up to her cheek and caressed it with his thumb. "You may never have to use it, Rahna. But better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it, yes?"

She leaned into his touch. "Yes. I know. I see your point. I'll practice with it." She'd been in the Sims before, but always with a practice weapon, never one that actually belonged to her. Having her own pistol made it real. She could only hope she never had to use it. "I choose your life too, Jett," she said softly.

His heart fluttered at the way she'd said those words and he leaned forward to brush his lips across her forehead. Jett never would have believed that he'd have feelings for Rahna. He had always thought she was a standoffish little queen bee. He'd been wrong. She tended to be shy and introverted and that gentle shyness is what drew people to her, much as Elvie's strength drew people to her.

Elvie's smile widen and she beamed it all of her friends. This was a good birthday. She wasn't the sole receiver of gifts and that and that made this day special. Maybe someday she wouldn't mind being the center of focus on her birthday, but for now, she could not have imagined a better birthday.

Afterwards, they packed up and returned to the Valkyrie. Honestly, most of them were in too much of a hurry to get to Deck 1 and practice with their new weapons – alright, play with their new toys. If you could call a necessary evil a toy.

The sound on the Sims deck paused and Elvie brought her gun up, so that it did not point at anyone.

Val's voice came over the intercom. "Elvie, the asari councilor would like to be patched through to the QEC."

She felt the heat of stares as she headed towards the Gear room to remove the equipment needed to play. "Patch her through, let her know I will be there soon." She collapsed the pistol and snapped it to her magbelt on the way to the lift. She took it to Deck 2, exited out the rear doors and hooked a left into the QEC.

"Spectre…" the asari wasn't quite sure how to address her now that she was married.

She'd already thought about how she'd like to be addressed concerning the Council – a decision she'd discussed once more with her husband after they were married. Both of her fathers were having families again, new Falkr's and Anderson's were being born. Tayln had other Teiner relatives on Kahje and now he had a brother who will be having children soon. It was up to her brother to keep the Shepard name alive now. Even though Shepard had not been their biological father, the name meant something to Loki – it was the only connection he had left to the man who had loved him as his own and raised him. And she wanted to share in that…in a small way - for her brother. "You can still call me Shepard. I'm more than just a title."

"Of course, Shepard. There is a comm buoy down near Kepler Verge. With your skills, you should be able to activate the comm buoy," the councilor explained.

"That seems a bit simple. What aren't you telling me?" Elvie queried.

"It is simple because you are knowledgeable in such matters. It is essential that the comm buoy be restored. We are expecting a data packet, but the buoy has blocked its progress. Activating the buoy may not be as simple as you think," the asari warned. "We do not know why the buoy went down. I'm sending you the navpoint."

"Understood. We'll investigate the situation, councilor, and let you know our findings. Shepard out." She moved to the console and deactivated her connection. Things don't always go as planned. She was hoping she'd be able to show her friends around the Citadel. But at least the rest of their reunion had been enjoyable. "Val, we need to turn this ship around and head to Kepler Verge."

"One step ahead of you, Shepard," Val teased. "I've got the navpoint plotted. We are en route."

"You cannot call me that," she warned the A.I. as she returned to the lift. The Sim was still paused, conversation stopped and all eyes turned to her when she entered onto the deck. Everyone was sitting on or standing around the benches and chairs that lined all available wall space before you reached the Sims console. Tayln's face was void of all expression and his arms were crossed over his chest defensively. No doubt, they were grilling him after they'd heard Val's message over the intercom.

"I said nothing," Tayln told her. "It is not my place to say anything." He rose from the bench. "I suggest you clean up your mess." He kissed her forehead to let her know he wasn't upset for being put in that situation, but he was going to give her time to deal with it. She'd tell him what he needed to know later. He inclined his head to the others and stepped into the lift. With a long, drawn out breath, she settled on the bench her husband had just vacated. "Let me guess – you want to know why the asari councilor would want to see me." Her gaze lifted to meet Kaidan's. "The answer is simple. I'm a Spectre. I have been for the last three years."

Hendel ignored the buzzing whispers and dropped to his knees in shock. "You are fucking kidding me. A human Spectre? But…" he shook his head, unable to wrap his mind around what he'd just heard. She had to be a minor. How was that even possible? "How?"

She bit her lip and turned away from Kaidan's hurt expression. She knew she'd hurt him by not telling him, when she'd told him so much about herself. But she'd been on a mission. It wasn't something she could talk about…and afterwards…well, she could have done better about that. "I had already competed my schooling. I had the skills and youth they needed – so they emancipated me. As a legal adult I was allowed to become a Spectre."

"Three years…" Morra muttered. "So that is why you were at Jump Zero? It was an assignment?"

Shelby cut in, a harder edge to his voice. "Yer tellin' us we were just a mission tae ye?"

Dawn smacked the back of his head. "Shut up, Shelby. Even if it started out only a mission, it didn't end up that way. She gave everything she was to us – she didn't have to do that."

"Dawn's right," Kaidan said quietly. He was so shocked and hurt that he felt numb. He'd thought they'd shared everything. "She did far more for us than the Alliance ever did. She watched over us and nurtured us because she cared. I would walk through the fires of any hell at her side. There is nothing she could do or say that would make me doubt her."

Despite the heat in her cheeks, her lips rose in a small smile for him. Even when she hurt him, he did not say anything spiteful to her. She briefly touched on each of their faces. "The Council had heard some unsettling rumors. I was sent out there to infiltrate and collect information. That was secondary to me though. I was told there might be some kids in trouble. That is why I accepted becoming a Spector. It is why I went. I had to do something. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't make sure you were safe. I came to cherish each of you and I don't regret anything - not for one moment. Except for not being able to share what I was doing with you." Her gaze locked on to Kaidan's. "I would have told you if I could."

"What's it like being a Spectre?" Hendel asked after haven risen back to his feet.

"I don't know – a glorified errand boy?" She laughed softly at his incredulous expression. "I'm guessing it would be like the CIA or the AIA or maybe even C-Sec. I have more operational freedom and better intel than those other agencies, but I still go where they send me, do what they tell me and then report back for a debrief." She shrugged. "I wasn't expecting the Council to com me with an assignment. Unfortunately, that means I had to cancel going to the Citadel. The assignment isn't far from Mindoir, so we're going to take care of that and go onto Mindoir."

Shelby's brows rose comically high. "Och. Yer the best! I dinnae ever expect tae be on a Spectre assignment."

"It's not all as exciting as that, Shelby," she warned him. "This is a simple assignment. Or it should be. We need to check on a comm buoy that has fallen out of communication. They sent me because Tayln and I have some experience in repairs."

"Some," Shelby snorted. "I have some experience. The two of you could build it from scratch!"

"She was understating, mate," Jett pointed out. "She does that a lot."

Shelby mocked Jett by mimicking his words silently while making a ridiculous face. "Ow!" he said with Jett flicked his forehead. He rubbed the stinging mark. "Yer lucky I dinnae have my itchin' powder, laddie."

"Or Elvie's love potion!" Morra exclaimed. "That would have been tot flipped!" An orange belching Jett would have a hilarious sight to see.

Sweet hell – she was never going to live that down. "Don't even think about it, Shelby! We don't have the ingredients on the Valkyrie and Mindoir won't have them either. You, sir…are sorry out of luck."

He lifted his hand to his heart in a with a dramatic air. "Yer a mean one, Elvie. Breakin' a mon's heart with nae remorse. Dashin' his hopes 'n dreams withoot a care."

Dawn sighed. That was her Shelby. Open mouth – insert both feet. It didn't even occur to him that those words might affect Kaidan. "She cares. And your heart is not broken," she admonished her boyfriend.

"It could be," he teased and then leaned in, his lips whispering against her ear. "But yer the only one that could break it."

"The first human Spectre," Hendel mumbled. "I'll be fucked. I didn't think that would happen until after we got a spot on the Council. So," he said as he swiveled his head to look at Elvie. "Are you going to be the first human councilor too?"

Her mouth fell open, but no words came out. She cleared her throat. "Oh, hell no. I should drop-kick you out of the airlock for even suggesting such a travesty."

Hendel laughed at her horrified expression. He couldn't blame her; he wouldn't want to be stuck behind a desk or pandering to everyone who wanted something. He patted the armor disk on his magbelt. "Go ahead. Thanks to you, I'll survive – at least long enough to get back in." Of course, that depended on if he could get back in.

"What was I thinking?" she asked with a grin as she shook her head. "Sowing the seeds of my own headache. But please don't ever even think about me being councilor. My head might explode." Even as her words came out, she twisted to point a finger at Shelby. "Don't say. Don't think it. Don't do it," she warned. "I like my head where it is. Intact."

Shelby looked up in surprise. "Och, now. Dinnae fash yerself. I wouldnae ever say or do anythin' to risk that head of yers. Splattered grey matter isnae as pretty as ye are. I'm nae a numpty. Tayln 'n Kaidan would break my arse."

"Not sure there'd be much left for Tayln, after Kaidan got through with you," Dawn teased her boyfriend. Of course, she would kiss every inch of him better afterwards, but best not to say that…his mouth had a habit of getting him in trouble. "And I like your ass just the way it is."

Jett took Rahna's hand. "So, where are we going?"

Elvie rose from the bench and stretched the kinks out. "We're going into the Kepler Verge. It's three relays away from Sur'Kesh. We should be at the buoy's location in maybe four days, depending on the expanse of Kepler Verge. We'll know more once we're in-system."

Hendel took her cue and jumped up from his seat. "Now that it's settled – we need to finish our practice session!" While he was in awe of everything he learned, he wasn't the type of man who liked just sitting around.

Kaidan motioned with his head for the others to go on without him. He turned his harness off, so it would not be detected by the Sims program. "Come with me." He motioned her towards the lift. They took it to Deck 3 and turned left into the Starboard Lounge.

They settled on one of the padded sofas along the wall. He turned his body to face her, running his arm along the back of the sofa. "I can understand why you couldn't tell me you were a Spectre while we were at Brain Camp – though, I wish that you would have had enough faith in me to tell me. Your secret would have been safe with me." He inhaled. "I hope you know that."

"Kaidan…I told you things I've never been able to tell anyone else. You know how much I trust you. This wasn't about trust. I didn't have the right to talk about it then. It was – and technically still is classified. At the time, my being made a Spectre was kept confidential. They will be releasing my induction soon. So, I don't have to keep the fact that I'm a Spectre classified anymore." She saw his fingers tightening on his thigh and settled her hand over his. "You have to know how much it bothered me that I couldn't tell you."

He forced himself not to turn his hand to hold hers. It was enough that she was touching him. "I know," he said softly. "I'm not sure I would have been as strong as you." "In fact," he scoffed lightly, "I'm not sure I'd be able to keep anything from you." But would he have if keeping quiet could save her life? Yes. He would do anything to protect her, even if it meant not being honest with her. But he hoped it never came to that, because any lie he told her would eat at his soul. "So…when you were with Captain Cowboy aboard the Folly with the pirate battle. That was a Spectre assignment, wasn't it? I didn't understand when you mentioned the Council then – but I do now. Now it makes sense."

"Yes," she admitted. "That was my second assignment from the Council. I didn't want to tell you I was a Spectre over a com. I wanted to do it face to face – I didn't want there to be any misunderstanding about my actions at Brain Camp." She took a deep breath and released it. "I should have told you in the shuttle when we were alone; I was just so happy to see you – my job didn't even cross my mind."

This time he did turn his hand to wrap it around hers. "We're fine," her told her as he squeezed her hand. "It bothered me when I first found out because I thought we shared everything, but that was before it sank in that what you were doing was classified. I wish you could have told me, but I understand why you didn't."

She rose and pulled him up with her. "Thank you," she murmured and slipped her arms around him for a brief hug. For a moment, she allowed herself to remember the familiarity of his embrace and then pulled back. "We'll spar later tonight." She shot him a hard look. "One of these days, you are going to stop going easy on me. I can take anything you can give me."

One corner of his lips curled up in a somber parody of a smirk. "Not everything," he murmured under his breath as she walked out the door of the lounge. "But maybe someday you will."

-BREAK SEVEN-

"Elvie, Tayln, you need to come to the bridge," Val stated over the intercom.

She flipped on her OT – her bleary eyes barely making out the 04:30AM time. "Sleep is highly overrated," Elvie groaned as she rolled out of bed, and slowly pulled on her clothes. "Be there soon, Val."

Tayln grinned as he pulled on his own clothes. When she wasn't Valkyrie, his wife enjoyed her sleep. At least when they were away from the Citadel, he knew she was getting enough sleep. His brow ridges drew together when he realized the vibration beneath his feet was that of an idling ship. "We're no longer moving. We need to get to the bridge." Normally, Val just informed them that they'd reached their destination. Her being cryptic was new.

Once they reached the bridge, Val activated the holowindows and Elvie sucked in a harsh breath. "Fuck me…" she breathed out, barely that of a whisper. She moved closer to the holowindow. Debris was scattered everywhere. "What the hell happened here? Val – scan the area. It looks like the remains of a ship. Can you tell us what happened?"

Tayln rubbed the side of his forefinger across his chin absently as he scanned the debris. "It's worse than that – it looks like the remains of two ships."

"He is correct, my scans show the wreckage of two distinct ships."

"Keep scanning for signs of life, escape pods…anything like that. And send your scans to holoprojector in the CIC. I'm going to try to reassemble those ships." Elvie was out the door without a glance back. She hurried to the holoprojector; the scans came up momentarily. "I need you to go around the debris field and scan from the opposite direction." She tapped her fingers on the large console table absently as she waited for the scans to be updated. "Thank you, Val. Can you separate them out according to hull alloy?" It would save her a lot of time, if the A.I. could.

"Of course, Elvie. I can also assemble the ships and let you know when I've completed the task," Val told her.

It was on the tip of Elvie's tongue to refuse. Puzzles were both challenging and invigorating. She released a heavy breath when she already saw the debris field reorganizing and pieces of the ships starting to come together. No doubt the A.I. could do it quicker than she could anyway. "Thank you, Val."

"I have found an anomaly," Val told her. "Moving closer."

Elvie returned to the bridge and peered out the holowindows. The ship shuddered and she grabbed at one the chair she was standing next to so that she could keep her balance.

"Hull is intact. Shields still at 100%" Val informed them.

"That's a shuttle!" Elvie exclaimed when she could finally make out the anomaly. "Scan for life signs!"

"Already doing so, captain," Val's voice showing the humor behind her words. "You may wish to have a word with your friends."

She turned around to see sleepy faces approaching. Everyone was not going to fit on the bridge. "Please turn the holowindows on in the CIC, Val."

"Elvie – there are no signs of life. The shuttle's hull has been torn open. There appears to be a body in the shuttle."

"Then we will need to retrieve it." She left the bridge to her husband and hurried out to the CIC. "We have arrived at our Navpoint. What woke you up was a piece of debris hitting the side of the ship. We took no damage. Initial scans show that the debris field contains the wreckage of two ships." She pointed to the shuttle growing larger as they approached. It would seem someone tried to flee the destruction of their ship, but did not survive the blast – or perhaps they were taken out by whomever was attacking the ships. As of yet, we are unaware if there was a third attacking ship or if the two ships attacked each other. We are still trying to piece it all together."

"Those poor people," Rahna murmured. When Jett slid his arm around her waist, she leaned into him. "I wish we could have arrived sooner."

"Whatever happened here, happened before we were notified of a problem."

"Elvie – I'm sorry. The first ship I've been piecing together is Zues' Folly."

She froze, hearing words she never expected to hear. "No." She spun around to stare at the holo of the Folly, over two-thirds completed. She shook her head. "No. Cowboy would have done something. He's too crafty to die like that." She felt a large body press against her, but she pushed him away. She didn't want her husband's comfort right now. She wanted answers. "Val – I want to broaden our search field. I want to scan for a distress call. I want to know if there are any lifepods or shuttles still out there."

"I'll unhook Ase." His eyes scanned the group. As much as it still bothered him, he would leave Kaidan to guard his wife. "Hendel, Shelby, Dawn and Morra, come with me aboard the Oasis. Grab your magbelts, pistols and armor disks. Always be prepared for anything. Meet at the airlock in 10." He left quickly to get his own equipment.

"Everyone with me, go grab your gear as well. Then, I'm going to pull in the shuttle. Rahna, I'll want you head to the airlock in case Tayln has any last-minute instructions and to keep an eye on the holoprojector. Jett, I need you to hit the medbay and prep a bed. Kaidan and Tamra, after you are geared up, come with me." Of the team assigned to her, their biotics were the strongest.

She followed them out of the CIC and went directly to her cabin. Tayln was snapping on his weapons when she arrived. "I did not see this coming," she admitted as she slipped on her magbelt.

"No one could have predicted what happened here. But we'll do what we can." He tipped her chin up and lowered down to brush his lips over hers. "I'll see you soon."

She snapped on her bats, pistol, armor disk, bow, daggers and pouches. She almost felt like Valkyrie again. Not that she'd really need any of her things, but it felt good wearing them. Once done, she moved directly to the lift. Tamra, Kaidan and Jett joined her. "Deck 4". She'd expected questions at the least, but all she heard in the lift was breathing.

Tamra debated asking her about Zeus' Folly. She pursed her lips to keep quiet until she just couldn't stand not knowing. "How do you know the Zeus' Folly?"

Elvie glanced over at Tamra. "I investigated him once. Pirates had crippled his ship," she said as they exited the lift. "Tayln had to get the FTL drive going while I handled the guns when a few pirate ships came back. We were eventually able to get the Folly to safety."

"Ha." Kaidan scoffed. "By few, she means thirteen." He inhaled. "I was on com with her. I didn't think they were going to make it. I'm glad I'm here this time."

"I wouldn't mind fighting pirates," Tamra admitted. "I would love to try out my new gear somewhere other than the Sims."

Jett turned right into the med-bay while they continued on to the hangar-bay. "Lower the hangar-bay door," Elvie instructed Val. As the large door lowered, a fuzzy blue shield took its place, keeping the air from venting. "Get as close to the shuttle as you can, Val."

"Watch your footing." She pulled on the energy stored in her body and activated her biotic field.

"I cannot risk getting any closer, there is too much debris in the way," Val explained.

When the ship came to a stop, she held out her hand towards the shuttle and slowly pulled her hand back. The shuttle shuddered and rocked as it inched towards them. "I need you two to move the debris out of the way. Clear me a path." There were no large chunks of debris between them and the shuttle. Val had positioned them better than expected, but there was still light debris and she didn't want to pull the shuttle through it.

Tamra looked at her and then at Kaidan in surprise. "But I've never -"

"It's just like the crate stacking we practiced. We're moving the debris from one place to another." Kaidan inhaled. "You got this, Tamra."

"There you go," she said as the wreckage started moving away from the shuttle. "You don't have to move it far – just wide enough to make a path."

She started moving backwards as the shuttle slowly approached the ship. Sweat popped out on her brow, she could feel the burn, as if it were her muscles doing the pulling. She knew it was just phantom pain, the exhaustion was biological from converting the energy."

With the path clear and only a few meters to go, she wanted their help. It wasn't anything she'd done before, but that would never stop her from trying. "Step into my biotic field, put a hand on my shoulder and activate your fields. I want us to meld together – it will give us more energy to pull from." At least, she presumed it would. She was always trying new things, pushing the envelope, so to speak.

She felt a pleasurable hum go through her body when Kaidan's field activated and another when Tamra activated hers. Due to her connection to Kaidan, their fields melded quickly and she felt his power as well as her own. She envisioned her field stretch and wrapping around Tamra.

Tamra shivered as the hum going through her strengthened. "Oh my…" she murmured, embarrassed by how good it felt. There was a mild wrench feel that made her belly drop and then she felt the combined power of Elvie and Kaidan. It was far more intimate than she'd expected. She felt a part of them. More so than any sexual encounter she'd had. "Thank you," she said to Elvie, knowing her friend had taken control and pushed the meld. She lifted her hand like the other two and started pulling.

Elvie grinned as the shuttle moved faster. "Back up…back up…" she told them, moving her feet quickly backwards as the shuttle slid into the hangar-bay. She laughed and hugged them both, before releasing the meld. Kaidan's hung for a moment, the two of them connected, before he too let it go.

She hurried to shuttle. "Val, have Jett bring a hover bed and close the hangar-bay door. Kaidan – help me get her out of the shuttle." She disappeared into the husk of the shuttle through the tear in the side. She used her foot to move aside debris that had been floating inside the shuttle. She felt the heat of Kaidan's body as he moved in behind her.

One of the shuttle's cockpit doors had been jarred open from the impact. They both leaned into it, there was a groan of metal before the door slid back into its groove, giving them more room to get into the cockpit. "Asari," she told Kaidan. She knelt down and released the harness. "Grab her shoulders, I'll get her feet."

Kaidan pushed the cold body forward enough to get his forearms hooked under her armpits. He heaved up while Elvie ended up grabbing her under the knees, hooking the asari's feet under her armpits. Kaidan backed up slowly, grateful Elvie had already kicked aside anything he might have tripped over walking backwards. He looked back as he maneuvered them through the torn hull of the shuttle to where Jett was waiting with the hover bed.

They settled the stiff asari carefully on her side on the bed and then grimaced at the condition she was in. Her body was puffy and discolored to nearly purple with bruising.

"I hope we can find out who she is," Tamra mumbled. Death was not kind.

"I'll get the bed," Jett told them as he took the controls, aiming the bed towards the connected med-bay.

Once she was in the med-bay, Elvie scanned her and then she had the men transfer her to the bed Jett had prepared. Once she was settled, Elvie slid the bed back into the wall and turned on the stasis field. "All we can do now is search for survivors."

"What about the com buoy?" Kaidan asked on the way back to the lift.

She shook her head. "It's gone. We'll download the datapacket from the previous com buoy, but there is nothing left for us to repair." She shrugged. "They will have to set up another buoy in its place."

Tamra latched on to Elvie's forearm and pulled her to a stop. "You are amazing! Jett, you should have seen her! She pulled a huge shuttle from at least almost 15 meters away into the hangar-bay using only her biotics! It was the most incredible thing I've ever seen!"

Elvie felt the heat rise up in her cheeks. "You both helped me. I couldn't have done it without you," she pointed out.

"Liar!" Tamra snorted. "But my vanity forgives you. However, I know damned good and well that you didn't need us to do anything – you just wanted us to feel useful. We appreciate it. We do. But what you did was tot flipped. Ohmygod, Jett! She linked – wait, melded all three of us together and combined our biotic strength at the end, to bring the shuttle in faster! I didn't even think that was possible!"

"It's not – is it?" Jett's mind was officially blown. "I wish I could have seen it – hell, been a part of it." He rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. "To be honest, it's hard to wrap my head around."

Kaidan smiled warmly and rubbed Elvie's arm. "I saw it and it's still hard to believe," he admitted. "I didn't think anyone could harness that kind of power…and melding us like that…" he inhaled sharply, "there are no words to describe the sensation." At least not words he wanted to share.

"No words?" Tamra snorted. "It was the most intimate three-way I've ever had." She released Elvie's arm and waved her hand in front of her face – that business was hot as hellafter." She groaned as the stepped into the lift. "I wish Morra wasn't the only available girl onboard. She only likes blondes," she grumbled.

"And guys," Elvie pointed out with a laugh, glad to have the topic turned away from her.

"How did you do it? Have you moved anything that big before and have you ever er – melded, with another biotic before?" Jett inquired, still coming to grips with what he'd heard.

"Deck Two. I've never done either of those two things before. But I'm always pushing myself to do more and I've never been one to pay much attention to others telling me what I can or can't do. I do what needs to be done. I find a way and I don't let preconceived notions get in my way." She blinked and shook her head in dismay. "That made me sound like a cold-blooded hard-ass."

"Ha…maybe, but we know you better than that," Kaidan replied gently. Heat infused his cheeks the moment the words were out of his mouth. He hadn't meant his voice to drop so low and soft. He rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously and inhaled. "All you meant was that you don't put limits on yourself and you don't let others do it either."

Elvie bumped her shoulder against his playfully. "You said it better than I did."

"I have found five bodies in the wreckage, Elvie. I have scanned them. They are batarian. I have also completed much of the second ship. It, too, is a batarian model."

"Then it is unlikely a third ship was involved. I cannot see the batarians fighting alongside a human. So, they were likely fighting each other. Let Ase know. Have them scan any bodies they come across and submit it to the Council. We will do the same. We can at least account for the batarian dead and notify the hegemony where to locate the bodies of their crewmen."

Between the two ships, they scanned 24 intact batarian bodies amongst the debris field. There were various partial body pieces, but none seemed to belong to any humans. "Where are you, Cowboy…" she muttered under her breath. And how did the asari fit in? Then again, maybe he had a turn over in crew.

"We found an escape pod," Tayln's voice spoke over the intercom. "I'm only reading one life-sign and its fading. We're bringing it in."

"Get us to Ase's coordinates, Val." She realized she sounded a bit terse. "Sorry, I'm a bit on edge. Please, get us to Ase's coordinates."

"I was not offended, Elvie." While it was not needed, Val appreciated the apology.

"I'm taking over the com while the others deal with the pod," Dawn informed the second team. She would have loved to have gone with them, but she knew they each had to play their role. And honestly, she didn't have the muscle or biotic strength as the other three.

Elvie stared out the holo window as they slowly approached the other ship and the pod that appeared to have crashed on an asteroid. Her hands closed into fists when she saw to emerge from belly of the Oasis wearing their armor suits. Cords led back into the ship. At least they were tethered. One was large enough that it had to be her husband.

She saw them peek through the small window of the escape pod when they finally reached it. They appeared to talk for a moment and then both turned to look back at the Oasis. A third joined them, bringing out several more tethers. From the looks of the three, it looked like Hendel remained inside the ship. Why? For muscle to help pull them in if needed? It made logic sense, those she was sure Hendel would have preferred to be out at the pod with them. Hell, she wished she were.

"I wonder what they are going to do." Rahna spoke in barely more than whisper.

A pale field enveloped the pod and then Tayln pried open the pod's door. He waved Morra inside, while he and Shelby waited outside the pod. There should have been more room in the pod…unless it was filled with the dead.

Kaidan slipped an arm around her shoulders when he saw her body shudder. "It looks like Tayln knows what he's doing," he admitted grudgingly, though with respect.

She leaned into his comforting warmth while she tried not to worry. "The man's brain puts mine to shame," she admitted.

Kaidan seriously doubted that, though he kept the words to himself. Instead, he offered her a quiet comfort.

A pale blue light in the shape of a body slipped out of the pod, moving in the direction of the ship. A second body followed the first. So, two people were pulling bodies in. CJ?

"There are eight people in the pod," Dawn told them. "Only one is hanging onto life. Tayln wanted me to tell you that Cowboy is still alive."

"Thank anyone's god," she muttered. She felt bad for the rest of the crew, but she hadn't spent any time getting to know them. Shadow bumped her leg and she reached down to stroke the large cat.

The last three bodies were pulled in by Tayln, Shelby and Morra.

"Cowboy's still alive, Elvie," Tayln told her. "We'll get the…dead into stasis at the med-bay and then we'll board the Valkyrie."

She could hear his rushed footstep until the com cut out. While they waited, she told them all the story that Cowboy had told her about how his ship got the name Zeus' Folly. They were all intrigued by the story but she, Rahna and Tamra all shared a knowing smile when they caught the men unconsciously cupped themselves.

She turned towards the bow of the ship. "I'll be near the airlock. Thank you all for your help. You're welcome to go back to bed if you wish."

When Tamra, Jett and Rahna looked at him, he gave a brief nod of his head to go.

Rahna took hold of Elvie's arm. "Try to get some more rest, Elvie. I know you have to be exhausted."

"I will," she assured the other woman and then watched as Rahna took Jett's hand, slowly walking in the direction of the room she shared with Tamra. Tamra trailed behind them. For once, too tired to even tease the new couple. She glanced over at Kaidan; he hadn't moved from her side. "I'm a big girl, you know."

"That's not why I'm staying. I was with you throughout your first encounter with Cowboy and I'm not walking away now." He inhaled. "He's an impressive man. He was boarded by pirates and was able to single-handedly expel them off his ship and regain control and you were able to fix it and get him to safety. And now, he survives the destruction of everything around him." He inhaled. "I can't tell if he's extremely lucky or extremely unlucky. Perhaps, both."

That brought a small smile to her lips. "He is a glass half full kind of guy. He believes in his good luck. I wonder if he still will?" she murmured.

"Do you know why he is called Cowboy?" That never quite made sense to Kaidan. He thought Maverick was a pretty good name for a pilot.

"I don't know," she admitted. "The Council believes he was a colonist of Mindoir, maybe he herded ruffalo." She shook her head. "But it's odd – Morra didn't mention knowing him. I know there is more than one settlement on the planet, but the population isn't that high."

They turned their heads to watch the airlock's door when they heard the hum of decontamination. Tayln led the small group onto the Valkyrie. As soon as the airlock door closed behind them, they felt the rumble as the bridge arm retracted. A deeper reverberation followed a few moments later when the Oasis settle atop the Valkyrie and latched on. Hendel and the others pulled Kaidan to the side to exchange stories with him. Leaving her with Tayln, Cowboy and Morra. "We should get you to the med-bay," she told Cowboy, when she saw his pallor.

"No. ma'am," he returned with a hard shake of his head. He moved slowly and carefully until he stood in front of one of the holowindows. "Holowindows," he muttered under his breath. Rich folk were plumb crazy. Although, he had to admit the view was no less impressive and clear – though he could wish the view was not of the wreckage of his ship. "I don't need a med-bay. I need my ship – my friends. My luck wouldn't even let me die with them," he mused. "Not sure what I'm going to do with my life now. My ship was my life. Now I'm a captain without a ship." He raked a hand through his tousled hair and let it fall limp to his side. "I'm not ready to settle down on Horizon or Mindoir. I'm not done out here…" his voice faded to nothing.

She lost everything when she was a child, she could not imagine doing so now. Her heart ached for him. And then it hit her. She could do something for him…if he let her. "Val…"

Val had overheard the conversation and she knew what Elvie was asking. "I have a suggestion, Maverick 'Cowboy' Neeson."

Maverick looked around, unable to find the source of the voice. "You have a pair of ears listening, though it would be nice to see whomever is talking to me."

Val laughed. "If Tayln had given me a body, I would be able to accommodate that request. As it is, my name is Val and I'm the Valkyrie's A.I."

His brows rose in surprise. "A.I. Eh? Not the first illegal thing that's been on a ship with me, hope it won't be the last," he said with a dry laugh. "What suggestion will my ears be hearing, Val?"

"While I cannot offer you the position of captain – that belongs to Elvie, but I would like to offer you a position aboard the Valkyrie as her main pilot. You would have your own cabin near the bridge, across from the airlock. You would receive standard job benefits to include housing when the Valkyrie is berthed – and you will probably be facing danger on a regular basis," Val explained. "Do you deem that something reasonable to do with your life?"

When he took an unsteady step back, Morra hurried to his side and took his hand. She looked up into his blue-green eyes. "I know it's not the same as having your own ship, Mav – but you will be flying the best ship in the galaxy and spending time with the most beautiful people I've ever met. I don't regret a single moment of knowing them and you won't either." In the past, he'd been one of her closest friends. Just because they didn't want the 'arranged' marriage, didn't mean that she didn't care for him. Neither one of them were on Mindoir. There was no need avoid him anymore.

He lifted his head to look at Elvie and Tayln and saw the acceptance in their eyes. "But I'm not needed here. You have an A.I.," he pointed out, unable to believe what luck had dropped into his lap. Even luck couldn't bring back his friends, but it had a hell of a way of atoning for the loss of his ship.

"That is correct in the truest sense only," Val told him. "I run every aspect of this ship because there is no crew to do so, but I was designed for a crew. I was designed to monitor and step in when needed once a crew was onboard. I welcome having a pilot at the helm. Once I teach you our systems, you would be free to take over. Will you accept the position?"

He'd nearly asked why, but he didn't want them to rethink the offer and change their minds. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he'd get to pilot a ship like this one. For the first time in days, he was glad he didn't go down with his ship. "When opportunity knock – I answer. You've got yourself a pilot." He nodded down at Morra and gave her a quick motion of his head to let her know he was going to join Elvie and Tayln. With his shoulders squared back, he approached them, trying to hide how weak he felt. No one wanted to hire an invalid and he wanted them to know the Valkyrie was safe in his hands. When it came to piloting, he had the magic touch. He'd always had it. "You always seem to come to my rescue when I need you most," he said with a wry grin. You won't regret your decision," he told them point blank. "I'm the best pilot alive." He shrugged. "I've got the magic touch. You'll see."

Elvie shot a quick wink at Tayln. In her mind, Tayln was the best pilot, but she might be biased in that regard. "I don't doubt that, Cowboy. I've seen how quick you can think on your feet." When she saw him look past her at the holo of the ships Val was reconstructing, she flinched. "Holotable off, please." Cowboy's gaze didn't return to her for a few moments. "Can you tell me what happened out here?"

He rubbed the back of his neck wearily. "We picked up an asari at our last supply drop. She paid us well to take her Illum. Since I needed to go, I didn't think it would be an issue. But before we could reach the relay I needed; we were attacked moments after we dropped out of FTL. I don't know why the batarian ship fired on us. We hadn't been aggressive and they didn't even com to ask who we were."

Kaidan had slowly been moving towards Cowboy, wanting to hear his story. He felt he others at his back and knew they'd followed him over. "They're willing to go to war with the Council races?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Elvie returned. "This is the Traverse. This isn't Council Space and there are mostly humans out here. Either Cowboy stumbled upon something they didn't want him to see or they're stepping up the conflict with the Alliance." She centered her attention back on Cowboy. "Why was the asari not in the escape pod with you?"

Because she was mad as a ruffalo in rut. "I honestly don't know what she thought she was doing. She took a shuttle from the hangar bay during the assault. Maybe she thought she was going to die." He shook his head. "Looks like she was right. Even if she came with us, she would have died. If she'd come with us…I would have died with my crew. I wouldn't have had enough air to hang on until you arrived."

"How did you manage to take out the bat ship?" Hendel asked.

"Wasn't an easy decision – but it was the only one we had left," Maverick replied. "The first things the bats did was take out our FTL drive – damn thing just couldn't catch a break," he snorted. "I'm a trading vessel, I'm shielded but not armed worth a hot damn. I rely on speed to get me out of danger. I put the ship on auto-destruct and aimed it for the bats. Then we busted balls to the escape pod. The explosion knocked us off course and we slammed into an asteroid. We were lucky it didn't tear a hole in the pod." He shrugged. "Or maybe not. In the next couple of days, we started running out of air. I was forced to watch each of my friends suffocate. Their deaths allowed me to breathe just a little bit longer, the recycler didn't have to work as hard – It wasn't meant to handle the needs of that many people, but our other escape pod was damaged during the initial attack…I'm not sure I would have survived another day if Tayln hadn't shown up again to pull my foot out of death's door."

Elvie hadn't realized she'd been pacing during his story until she'd come to a stop. "The attack makes no sense. Maybe they knew that Zues' Folly was trading vessel and they wanted to stop you from supplying the colonists. Still – it's an act of war against the Alliance. I know they want us out of the Traverse but I can't think they want war." Her shoulders dropped with the release of a harsh breath. "Maybe they do. I'll let the Council and the Alliance know what we found and send the scans we took onto them. I'm sure the Council will see to it that the bats know where to find their dead, considering they prefer not to make any waves. Honestly. I'm not sure the Alliance will do anything either. The Folly wasn't an Alliance ship. But they still need to be made aware that the bats are firing on human vessels. Are you sure you wouldn't rather spend the night in med-bay?"

Maverick held his hands up in a stopping gesture. "Whoa, there. I'm stuffed full of medigel and hydrogel. Nothing a good night's sleep won't cure." Except for the loss of his ship and crew – nothing would ease that pain but time.

She nodded. "You know your needs best. Val – allow Maverick 'Cowboy' Neeson full access to the bridge." Her eyes caught his. "You will be given an identichip - Tayln can you please get one for him? In the event that Val is incapacitated, the chip will allow you access past the bridge's nanowall. There are other areas of the ship that also have nanowalls, but you will not have access to those areas, such as engineering. These measurements are in place in case we are boarded. We don't want hostiles to have access to critical ship functions."

Maverick whistled. "Now that is some serious defense. Essentially, they'd be getting a brick – but that wouldn't see that coming."

"It's more than that. It's also a deathtrap. There are safety rooms on the ship that we can retreat to. From there, if Val is incapacitated, we can cut off life support or vent the rest of the ship – otherwise, Val will handle that. You would be safe on the bridge. If you activate the nanowall, no one is getting in without Val or their chip letting them in. If the nanowall solidifies on a hostile…they won't survive becoming part of the wall. Fair warning - Val and the chip are the only things keeping you alive if the wall solidifies on you."

Tayln held up the small gun. He pressed it into the fleshy part of Cowboy's shoulder and deployed the identichip. He, Elvie and Val could reprogram the chip if he needed more or less clearance, they could also make it inert, if he was no longer working aboard the ship. "Identichips are only required for those needing access behind nanowalls. The bridge nanowall is usually left in a deactivated state, unless there is a possible threat. Welcome aboard, Cowboy. My wife will show you to the bridge and your cabin."

He shook Tayln's hand and thanked him for everything he done for him. He followed Elvie towards the bow of the ship. Across from the Airlock was his room. He turned right into it and smiled. It was larger than the cabin he'd had on the Folly. It looked to have everything he needed, to include a desk with a terminal and land sakes, it even had a bathroom. A small one, mind you. Toilet, sink and small shower. But it was private and right next to the bridge. "Better than I thought it'd be. Pleased as all hell with it. Thank you for taking me in. You won't ever regret it."

"Follow me," she motioned with her hand. "I think you'll be pleased with your throne."

He followed her out of his room and turned right, getting his first real glimpse of the bridge. It was large enough to house three chairs. By the looks of them: navigation, weapons and pilot. It also looked like the navigation chair could co-pilot, if needed. A.I., pilot, co-pilot…more back up redundancies than most ships had. He whistled his approval. "I've never seen a bridge this fancy and yet, everything looks and feels natural…like I'm home." With an eager lift in his step, he quickly moved around Elvie and settled into the pilot's chair with a groan of comfort. "Heaven…my ass has never known such bliss," he said with a sigh of pleasure. He looked over the controls, everything was logically placed and his fingers itched to play. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship."

She laughed softly. "So do I. I will let Val go over everything with you. When you get tired, she can take over."

"I've napped for days," of course he'd had little choice in the matter. "I'll be fine."

"I'll send CC by in a bit with more hydrogel and breakfast – if you don't want to join us for breakfast. But we hope you will. There are a lot of things you can do onboard: gym, entertainment, lounge, Sims room. Val will let you know where everything is. Go ahead and walk the ship when you're ready so that you get a feel for her. She's your new home away from home."

He swiveled the chair around to look at her. His ship had been his home. He had no other home. "If she is my home away from home, then where is my home?"

"You'll have a flat at each of our hotels. We tend to spend the most time at the Blue Diamond on the Citadel. Tayln will get you your flat number. You'll be scanned as the main occupant when you get there. The identichip will be scanned as well. We also have the Waedorth on Sur'Kesh and the Eclipse on Ilium. You'll have a 3-bedroom suite on each. The third bedroom is smaller and could be used as a den or study." She looked over his filthy attire. "I'll have my friends scrounge around a couple of sets of clothing for you. It will at least get you by until you can replace what you lost."

He glanced down and saw just how dirty he was. He rose quickly from the chair. He must smell as bad as he looked. "I think I'll grab that shower now."

She nodded. "I think you'll feel a lot better when you're clean. I'll have them leave the clothes on your bed. Despite the tragedy of why you are here, I really am glad you're with us, Cowboy." She left him to get cleaned up.

In the end, it was Jett and CJ that were able to donate clothing to their new pilot. Kaidan was willing, but too broad in shoulder and hip. Shelby had been too tall and lanky. But Jett and CJ were of similar size.

After breakfast, she sent a message from the QEC to asari councilor to contact her about the buoy incident. She responded back before Elvie had been able to exit the room.

"Shepard, we have received the datapacket we'd been expecting. You were able to repair the com buoy?"

"No, we weren't able to fix it because there was nothing left of it but debris. It was collateral damage when a batarian vessel fired on a human supply ship. A ship you are familiar with. Zues' Folly. Cowboy was transporting an asari…I'm sending you scans we took – hopefully it will help identify her for next of kin.

The asari looked down at the incoming data and recognized the Spectre in the scanned images. "She was one of our operatives. She was the Spectre that sent the datapacket," She looked back up at Shepard. "How did she die?"

Now it made more sense. "When the ship came under attack and the com buoy was obliterated, she took the only shuttle and left the ship. I suspect, now that I know she was a Spectre, that she was trying to make it the next com-buoy to send out another copy of the datapacket. She didn't make it. The damage to the shuttle is indicative of being fired on by the batarians."

The asari nodded. The scenario was likely what happened. "And the human ship?"

Cowboy set the auto-destruct and aimed it at the batarian ship. Both ships were destroyed. Cowboy and his crew took an escape pod. But we arrived too late. There were too many in one pod and they ran out of air. Only Cowboy survived – and barely. He should make a full recover in a few days."

This wasn't good at all. Neither humans or batarians were Council clients. Unlike the Turian/human war, they had no basis to intervene. This could get ugly fast. "Do you know why the batarians fired on a supply ship?"

"No," Elvie responded with a shake of her head. "Nothing definitive – only speculations. Either they fired on a human vessel to start a war…or perhaps hoping it wouldn't be noticed. Or the batarians were doing something they didn't want anyone to find out about. In which case, they would have fired regardless whose ship it was."

Either scenario could be right. And likely one of them was. "Did you see any signs of what the batarians might have been doing out there?"

"Again, that would be a negative. Not yet, anyway. If we find out anything more, I'll get a message out to you," she told the councilor.

"Thank you, Shepard, for finding out what happened to S'Trea. I'll make sure that com buoy is replaced." It may not be Council Space, but Spectres were often sent beyond Council Space and communication was essential.

When the com went dark, she sent a datapackage with the scans they'd taken and detailed briefing of what happened to Father David before she hooked up with Morra in her friend's cabin. She pulled her friend down on the small sofa. "You called Cowboy, Mav. Is it true that you know each other from Mindoir?"

Morra rubbed her reddening cheeks. "Sorry about that. I never told you about Mav because it was not something I even thought of anymore. His aunt, uncle, cousins and parents all lived on Mindoir, at first. They lived in two separate settlements. His aunt and uncle lived in Maplecrest not too far from my home. They were my parents' best friends. Mav and his parents lived in Harborton. The ties between the two sister towns was strong. But there was a falling out between his uncle and father, so his uncle took his wife and kids and moved to Horizon to start up a new colony there. Mav and I were the two oldest children and it was decided that we would get married to shore up relations between the two towns. Mav and I were friends, but we just didn't feel that way about each other. He left Mindoir. This was the first time I'd seen him in years. And that's the whole sordid story."

"I'm glad you were never forced to marry each other. But now you have the chance to be friends again without the pressure. Out of curiosity, how did he get the name Cowboy?"

Morra shook her head, her brows drawn together. "I have no idea. Maybe because he was a rancher on Mindoir? We never called him that. At Mindoir, we knew him as Maverick or Rick if he was a close friend. But I've always called him Mav." She grinned. "I guess I just like to be different. I'm the only one that ever called him Mav – or maybe ass, whenever I had to call him on his shit," she said with a laugh.

Elvie leaned back into the sofa. "We'll be at Mindoir within a couple of days. I can't wait to see more of your home. I'm glad we will be spending a few days there with you."

Morra put her feet up on the table and got comfortable. She smiled at Elvie. "You only got a glimpse of Mindoir before. There's so much more to see. I'm sure my mom is already gathering what she'll need to make you all yummy, authentic Mindoirian food. Wait until you taste the grass!"

That made her laugh. "Not usually the first thing I'd think of eating, no matter what planet I'm on. But I have to admit it smelled good."

They talked quietly for a while before they rose to join the others in their delayed morning routines.

-BREAK EIGHT-

Two days later, during a training session, Val paused the Sims. "Elvie, we are receiving an intermittent distress call. It has since been silenced."

She pulled off her harness and draped it over her arm as she hurried towards the Gear room. "Where was it coming from?"

"It was coming from a satellite above Mindoir."

Elvie's gaze lifted to meet Morra's and Cowboy's. Tayln, take your team and board Ase. We don't know what we're going to find and two ships are better than one."

"Agreed," he said as he hung up his harness. "Gear up, team. Meet me at the airlock in ten."

"Wait - I'm going with you," Cowboy told them. "It's my home down there."

"That is between you and my wife. You are a part of her crew," Tayln responded when he felt the Valkyrie go idle. "Let's go team. Grab your pistols and your armor disks, if you don't already have them. Additional weapons, if needed, can be taken from the Oasis' armory."

"If we have to go planetside, you can come with us, Cowboy. It's apparent you know how to handle a gun and you seemed to have physically recovered from your ordeal. I've got to run down to grab something out of the lab, team. Meet me in the CIC in ten. We'll know more as we get closer."

She took the lift down to Deck 4, while her team was putting away their Sims equipment. She swung a right into the Lab and went straight to the locked cabinet. She pulled out an armor disk and then hit the armory for a magbelt and a Valkyrie pistol. She felt the reverberation when the bridging arm connected the two ships and hurried back to the lift. The other team was already filing into the bridging arm by the time she reached Deck 2. "Shadow – go with Tayln," she told cat and grinned when she slipped through the narrow entry before the airlock door slid closed. They would still need to go through a few moments of decontamination before the bridging arm could be disengaged and pulled back. But at least now she knew her husband would have a five-member team too.

Once again, her team consisted of Kaidan, Tamra, Rahna, Jett and now Cowboy. They were all talking to Cowboy about Mindoir when she finally reached them. She handed Cowboy a magbelt. "Put this on." She quickly showed him how to activate the Valkyrie pistol. "Snap it to your belt and then snap this on the opposite side," she told him. "This is an armor disk. I would keep it on you at all times." She briefly explained a few main commands. "You can practice using it later. If we have to deploy, Val will be with you and she can let you know any additional commands you may need. She will also execute any commands needed in an emergency situation. Once you are familiar with the armor, you won't need her as much. But I like to know she's there – just in case. She can only assist if you remain within tight-beam reach of the ship. If you are out of range, the suit has a backup V.I. that can take over if needed." The holowindows lit up the CIC.

"We are now in stealth mode," Val cut in. "As you can see, Mindoir is under attack. The attacking vessels are batarian. I am scanning shuttle activity to and from the planet."

"Tayln, I'm sure Ase has told you about the batarian attack. Since Morra is with you, I want you to cover Harborton. I'm sorry, Morra. You will be more affective defending Harborton. My team with cover Maplecrest. I'll do what I can to protect your people from any further…devastation."

Tayln hated being away from his wife – it was worse knowing she would be going into danger. But he could not let instinct rule logic. He pushed down the lump forming in his throat. "Stay safe. Kaidan -"

"I won't let anything happen to her." Not as long as he drew breath.

She was going to say she didn't need protection, but in a situation like this, it never hurt to be careful. "We'll all look out for each other." She looked over at Cowboy, his face both white and tight. "They will do what they can for your town, Cowboy." She saw Rahna tremble out of the corner of her eye and nodded in understanding. "I know this is scary. I'm not asking you to fight – though you may have to in defense. I'm hoping you will come down and help set up a field triage. There are bags in the medbay. Fill a couple up – as much as you can carry. Jett – grab blankets for pallets. You can stay to defend the building we clear for triage. The rest of us will take out the bats. Val, I'll need you to play cat and mouse with the bat ships – try to keep them from deploying or receiving any more shuttle runs and take out as many as you can. But – be careful."

"I'm always careful. We will be over Maplecrest in a couple of minutes," Val warned.

Two teams were not enough to clear all the settlements. "Val, please get a message to both David and the Alliance for assistance they can send." She knew better than to contact the Council. Even if they gave a damn, they wouldn't lift a finger for a human colony in the Traverse.

"Messages have been sent, Elvie."

"Thank you. Let's go…and thank you all. Mindoir needs us. You've trained hard for this. We all have. Now, let's go kick some bat ass!"

They hit the armory and medbay to grab weapons and supplies before they piled into the shuttle. With the shuttle in stealth-mode, they left the Valkyrie. "I know you probably don't want to hear this, but there is every likelihood that Mindoir has been under siege for days, maybe even over a week. The ship you ran into, Cowboy, was likely a scout ship that was watching that relay for anyone not just passing through. Since you didn't immediately leave, it made you a threat. They couldn't risk you finding out what was happening on Mindoir.

Now for the nitty-gritty. "Expect to find survivors, wounded and dead. We have to focus on the survivors and any wounded that can survive with a bit of field triage. Those that are gravely wounded can be granted a…merciful release or sedated, but we simply do not have time for anything more. I know it sounds horrible – and it is. Walking away from someone in need will be the hardest thing I've ever done. But even I know we will have to let some go in order to save as many as possible.

We will use Morra's home as a base of operations, if we are here for too long. Jolene and Mika won't turn us away. There should be gliders in the garage bay to get into town if we need to split up. Please always try to stay at least in pairs.

They flew over the small spaceport, but saw no movement. Mindoir was just a few small communities, farm land and wilderness. No one would commit suicide by flying away in a shuttle capable of only short distances. No, these people would fight to defend their homes and families. It appeared the batarians thought along the same lines, she suspected they went straight to the towns.

Morra's ranch was quiet. "This will be our homebase of operations," she said as the shuttle settled down outside the house. Their arrival seemed to go unnoticed. She pulled her pistol off her magbelt and activated it. I'm going to see if anyone is home. Kaidan, come with me. The rest of you, go check out the hangar bay. I'd rather take gliders into town." The shuttle was great at coming in unnoticed, but the sound would give it away in town – and she didn't want to risk a lucky shot taking them all out at one time. "Be ready for anything."

She moments were low and quick to the back door. She motioned Kaidan to look into the windows on the right, she took the left. Everything was quiet and undisturbed. With a silent nod to Kaidan, she twisted the knob and entered the house. With Kaidan as her wingman, they quietly traipsed through every room: upstairs, main floor and basement. "All clear," she commed to the others.

She found a datapad on a small table next to a recliner and jotted a quick message to let Jolene and Mika know they were there and would meeting back up here later tonight to talk strategy. Since she didn't know if Morra's parents were alive, she decided to wait to message her until she knew more.

Cowboy rushed into the house when he heard the all clear. But the house didn't show any signs of a hasty exit. It looked as if it waited for Jolene and Mika to return home at any moment. "If the attack was in town, that's where everyone will be. The folks out here, they know how to shoot. Those that live in town…" he shook his head, "most of them would be defenseless. Bankers, seamstresses, teachers, mechanics – that sort of thing. We don't have anything of value…we never thought we'd be attacked."

"After we get through with them – the bats will think twice before invading Mindoir again." She placed her thumb on her armor disk and grinned at Cowboy's stunned expression as the liquid nanites spread out over her to form the armor.

He watched as, one by one, the others activated theirs as well. It was like nothing he could have ever expected. Honestly, he couldn't see how the armor disk would ever be effective as anything more than providing a shield. "Damn sweet." With a grin of his own, he placed his thumb on the armor disk on his magbelt and felt the cold tingle as the liquid began to spread. The cold only lasted a moment, as the liquid quickly warmed up.

After it was fully deployed, he noticed the different stats being shown on the inside of his helmet. He looked down at his armor, it did not have the various coloring theirs did, instead it was a gunmetal alloy. Color would have been nice, but played a back seat to protecting his ass...and all his other essential bits.

"We'll show you how to color it later," Rahna told him. She'd enjoyed playing with it until she designed it just the way she'd wanted.

"How many gliders were there?" She asked the others.

"Three," Jett announced.

"Then we will have to double up. Kaidan, you're with me – I need you to fly. I'll defend us. Jett, let Rahna fly and Tamra let Cowboy fly. Defense – I shouldn't have to tell you to keep one hand secured to your pilot. This is not a time for heroics. We will be outnumbered. The goal is to save as many lives as possible. Don't be a meathead grunt…use stealth whenever possible. When I was here last time, the sturdiest building I saw was the garagebay. It will be on your right, just this side of the town. It has no windows and a large, heavy bay door. Jett, Rahna – you may need to do some cleaning and rearranging before the injured start arriving. But we'll use that for triage. We'll head straight to the garage bay and make sure it's cleared out before the rest of us move into Maplecrest. Let's get it done."

She led them outside to where the gliders had been situated when they were moved out of the garagebay. She mounted to the rear of the seat and let Kaidan settle in front of her. "Do you remember the way back into town?"

"Affirmative," he responded as he turned on the glider. He peered briefly back over his shoulder. "Don't let go of me," he told her as he slipped the glider into gear and sped down the round drive towards the main road.

While gliders could reach a respectable altitude, they'd already agreed that would put too big of a target on them and chose to stick to the roads. As they reached the garage, they slowed down and approached cautiously. The large bay door was open. She squeezed her knees against the outside of Kaidan's thighs and she motioned him, with her gun arm to pull around to the side of the garage.

When he pulled to a stop, she immediately synced all their helmets, so that they could hear each other. She was surprised she hadn't thought of that sooner. The attack on Mindoir must have rattled her more than she thought. She snapped her pistol to her magbelt, but left it activated so she could use it at a moment's notice. Right now, she wanted her hands free for her biotics. "Fall in behind me. No one has fired at us and no one has confronted us. I suspect the bay has been abandoned. But we're going to ensure that is so."

With a nod to the others, she stepped around the side of the garage. Her steps were all but silent as she moved out in front of the bay, arms out, energy stored and ready to use. But it was anti-climactic. As suspected, the bay proved to be empty. Tools were scattered and one vehicle was raised and looked as if someone had just been working on it. The floor was remarkably clean. The owner had to be fastidious with the kind of work that went on in here. She noted the small windows in the back had steel shutters. "Looks like there won't be much clean-up work for you two," she told Jett and Rahna. "The windows in the back need to be secured." She noted the building had facilities and even a small kitchen area. "But it looks strong and defensible.

She moved towards the corner where she saw several somethings covered in what looked like a dust guard. She pulled off the material and grinned behind her mask. "Glider carts. Let's get them hooked up to the gliders. They can help move the injured

"Cowboy, Tamra – until we find armed locals to be the runners, I'll need you to escort the survivors back here. We'll cover your retreat and draw bat fire so you can get away."

Het OT chimed. She flicked on the message to view it. "The SSV Einstein is the closest Alliance ship and it will be here in a few hours. Val – let the Einstein know that we are covering Maplecrest and Harborton. They need to send soldier to cover the other towns." She wondered how things were going for her the other team, but she couldn't allow herself to remain connected to them. Hearing what Tayln and the others were going through would be too distracting.

She hopped on the back of Cowboy's glider, while Tamra and Kaidan took the other two. They might be able to use broader biotics to protect themselves, but there was no way Cowboy could shoot a gun and fly at the same time.

Eventually, they saw smoke wisps rising in the distance. With the batarian fleet in the sky, she knew they were not finished with Mindoir. She could only hope that survivors remained. As much as she wanted to go in guns blazing, so to speak, she would never intentionally put innocent lives in danger.

They slowed as they drew closer to town, there were a couple of builds that were charred husks, their wood nothing but ash, the stone blackened. That was where the smoke was coming from. A bright light flashed from the left corner of her eye, she flung out her hand, erecting a shield bubble around them as the beam slammed into the ground behind a two-story building. The ground rumbled beneath their feet, the building heaved and the front of it buckled.

Four batarians ran out a side door, flames engulfing their bodies. Only one of them dropped to the ground and rolled, the others had panicked, their screams gravelly and harsh, their hands beating at the flames as they ran until their legs gave out from under them. She did nothing to help. None of them did. It took her a moment to realize she heard muffled sounds coming from the building. Thanks to Talyn's implant, she could hear far more than a human was capable of hearing. She jumped off the glider. "Hide them in the shadows between the trees and the building that was just hit. Then, join me – people are trapped inside!"

"Wait -" Kaidan exclaimed in disbelief, "You want to go in…" but she was already disappearing into the side door the bats had run out through. Windows shattered, and smoke poured out as the building shuddered. Fear gripped him in an icy grasp until he'd parked the glider and darted off after her. It wasn't until he was entering the building that he heard the cries for help over the din of the roaring fire. For just a moment, he couldn't see anything through the smoke and then his helmet compensated and he could see glowing outlines surrounding everything. At another time, he might have smiled at the discovery, but his fear for Elvie's safety was the only thing on his mind.

He stepped over charred beams and followed a glow to the left. He stilled when he saw her, arms up and realized she was using her biotics to hold up the second-story floor. His head swiveled to catch the sounds coming from the room behind her. "I'll get them out," he assured her.

"The door was jammed," she huffed with a groan, the strain of the hold causing her to breathe harder. "I didn't have time… Use your omni-blade to cut through the lock." When her body began to sweat, the suit immediately cooled her, the sweat wicking from her body.

He didn't even know the OT she'd given him had an omni-blade. But how did he even activate it. Wait – the suit synced with his OT. All he had to do was give it the command. Before he could, however, the omni-blade swung out. "Stay back!" he yelled to the occupants. "I'll get you out of here!" The blade sliced down the middle of the doors. "Thanks, Val!" he murmured, knowing the A.I. must have activated the blade for him.

Cowboys stepped in next to him and they both shoved at the doors until they'd receded enough to enter the room. He'd expected people to rush out. When they didn't, the three of them entered the room, dumbfounded by what they saw. Ragged, dirty young men and women were caged, two were strapped to tables – one of which was deathly still, blood trails from his eyes, his nose, his ears and his mouth. The other lay docile, eyes opened, barely blinking. "Check out the two on the tables," he told Tamra.

He and cowboy approached the cages, the need to hurry outweighed any fear the colonists might have had with them rushing at them. "We are here to help you,' he told them. "Back away so I can cut through the lock." He used his omni-blade once more, the metal melting under the heat of his blade. "Go out the side door and climb into the glider carts in the shadows of the trees."

Tamra joined them a moment later. She and Cowboy used their pistols to shoot out the locking mechanisms of the cages.

Minia rose from the table and watched the other children file out the door. With a final look at Anton's body, she followed the other kids out. She didn't, however, follow them into the trees. This was a far as she could go. She gritted her teeth through the pain that felt like it would tear her head in two as she watched the children make it to safety. She turned back to see what her rescuers were doing.

When the last kid was out, Kaidan nodded to Elvie. "They're safe. There were twelve plus the one on the table. We need to get out of here, Elvie. We…" his words trailed away. She couldn't move. If she let go of the floor it would collapse on top of her.

While she was not one to put limits on herself, nor was she one to take risks that didn't need to be taken. "Kaidan, Tamra…"

"We've got this," Kaidan told her. He hurried to the far window and stepped one leg out, riding the pane. "Tamra, step just inside the door. We need to help hold up the floor until Elvie can get free of it."

"Oh, fuck. She's stuck in there, isn't she? Thought we were going to forego heroics," she teased as she stepped into the doorway, her hands lifting to add her power to push against the floor.

It was obvious her rescuers were in trouble. Minia angled through the door and rushed straight towards the woman in the middle. She buckled her knees as another blast of pain nearly took her down. Even if the woman in the middle made it out, the man at the far side would not be able to maintain the whole far section of the floor by himself. His leg would pay the price.

Her eyes stung and she coughed, wincing at the added agony, but managed to meet the woman's gaze through her mask. "He will lose a leg without my help. I'm biotic. I'll help him hold it up."

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "Then all three of you need to leave. I've…got this."

Minia shook her bald head and grimaced with the pain such a small movement gave her. "They put something in my head." She pointed to the flap of her skull that had been glued back into place. "They can track me, kill me or command me. I didn't fight it, so I survived, but this pain is not living. I'm going to die…or worse. Let me do this. I need to do this. To know that I helped my people before I die."

Elvie knew walking away from someone in need would be difficult. This young girl was maybe fifteen or sixteen. She should have had a full life ahead of her. The girl doubled over with a coughing spasm. When she rose, blood dripped from her nose. "You're fighting it?"

"I am now. I don't have much time. GO!" Minia's legs felt like rubber, but she forced them to move towards the man in the window. She wiped at her burning eyes. She stopped a few meters shy and lifted her arms to add her power to theirs.

Kaidan had heard the exchange. His heart slammed hard in his chest as he warred with the need to save the girl. "What is your name?" He would ensure everyone would know of her heroism.

She turned to watch the middle woman making her way to the door. "Minia," she said and bit her lips when she felt the weight of the roof become nearly unbearable. Her legs wobbled and she locked her knees, but her back bent under the weight. "Minia Brant."

He felt the heat build behind his eyes, watching the strain bearing down on the young girl – knowing he could do nothing to help her. Knowing that she was dying for him. She'd been right. He needed to be inside enough to hold up his end, but once Elvie was no longer close enough to help him bear the weight, the floor would fall on him. "I'm honored to have met you, Minia. Everyone will know of your…heroism." His arms shook, but he still could not force himself to leave. Tears slid down his cheeks, dried by the helmet almost as soon as they'd fallen. How could anyone leave a child to die in their stead? "I -"

"Go!" Minia yelled at her legs buckled and she fell to her knees.

He pulled himself out just as the floof slammed down, the force of it pinwheeling him backwards. His legs gave out and he dropped to his knees, falling forward onto his hands. His head dropped as he took deep, agonizing breaths. He hadn't been able to save her.

Elvie heard his struggle and knew the what he was going through. It had been against her nature to let that little girl die for them as well. "You two, take those kids to the bay. Kaidan and I will continue sweeping the town." She moved quickly around the rubble, the blackened grass crackling beneath her feet as she hurried to Kaidan's side. She scanned their surroundings and then dropped down on her knees at his side. She wrapped an arm around him and pulled him into a hug. Not saying anything until he stopped shuddering in her arms. "She went out free – on her own terms."

"I respect the hell out of that," Kaidan said, not even noticing that his voice cracked. He inhaled. "A child died for me. I can't get a handle on that."

She lifted a hand and settled it on the side of his helmet where his cheek would be. "You heard her, Kaidan. She did what either of us would have done. She knew she was going to die. She needed to know that something good would come from her death. That she could make a difference. And she will always be a part of us for the sacrifice she gave."

He held onto her words as he held onto her. His shelter in a storm of emotions. Us. "Yes," he said quietly. "She will always be a part of us." He took a step back from his harbor and gripped her shoulders. "The batarians will pay for what they did to her…" he inhaled, "…to everyone here."

She smiled, though she knew he wouldn't be able to see it through her helmet. "I guarantee it."

They moved quietly through the buildings, looking for survivors or bats. They didn't find survivors. Their silencer equipped pistols made quick, quiet death follow in their wake. Was she enjoying each and every death? In all honesty, a hell of a lot more than she knew she should. Everywhere they looked were bodies of older men and women torn apart by automatic rifle fire, some of them still with weapons in their hands. These colonists had put up a fight. There were a number of bat bodies, their injuries anywhere between stabbing, blunt force trauma or neat and precise gun fire.

She looked up when another bright light lit up the sky. An explosion. "Val? You still up there?"

"You wound me," Val retorted. "But the bats haven't."

"Just checkin'," she said as she scanned the next building. "Their heads look too round to be bats," she told Kaidan. "But guard up."

As they approached the door, she nodded to Kaidan. He stood to the side of the door, turned the old-fashioned knob. When it cracked open, she darted through, with him close behind her. Human heads spun in their directions and she raised her gun into the air. "Helmet down – we're here to help."

Benik's gaze narrowed a brief moment before he realized it would be stupid not to accept any help they could give. "Name's Benik – not sure what good two's gonna do, but it's two more than we got now. Hey – I remember seeing you two before. Where's Morra?"

"I'm Elvie, this is Kaidan. We have four others on my team. Two of my team have set up triage at the garage. We found about a dozen teenagers – they should already be at the garage. Morra is with my husband's team over at Harborton," she explained.

"Then they are under attack too." He shook his head, his low, short, black ponytail swishing against his neck. "We didn't know. The first thing those damned bats did was take down our communications tower. We had no way of knowing what was happening at the other settlements. We'd hoped we were the only ones hit."

"I'm sorry, Benik. It looks like they are hitting all the settlements. The SSV Einstein should be here at any time, they will send troops to the other two settlements. They already know what to expect, I suspect they will release their fighters to distract the bats from the shuttles they will be deploying. Now, where are Jolene and Mika?"

"Dead," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "They commandeered a bat shuttle and took down a lot of enemies just east of here. But one of the orbiting ships blew it out of the sky." He sighed wearily. "They didn't stand a chance. But at least they gave us a chance we never would have had. There's about fifty-seven of us crammed in the bunker beneath our feet. We got food, water. We hadn't realized old Ed was prepared for just about anything. Sadly, he didn't survive the initial invasion."

Damn it. That was not news she wanted to give her friend. "There is plenty of room at the garage and we have medical supplies. When it gets dark, we can haul people and any food and water you're willing to part with over to the garage. It's solid and defensible. It's not a bunker, but it's the next best thing."

Benik grunted and nodded, his cheeks flushing with color. "We didn't do right by you when you arrived. We should have treated you better. I – er… just thought you should know that." He cleared his throat. "Not sure how you got this far into town, but it's not safe to be on the streets while the sun is up. You're welcome to stay here for now. We'll help you get some supplies over to the garage when dark falls. I suspect a number of people will want to go to. I -" his gun came up with the door opened again. "Rick," he growled. "Didn't think I'd see your face around here again."

"Benik." Cowboy briefly inclined his head. "Don't you think this bullshit has gone on long enough? We didn't want to marry each other – simple as that. I left so everyone would stop pushing us."

"You broke her heart, Rick," Benik growled.

Cowboy shook his head in disgust. "Because we were friends and I didn't keep in touch with her – not because she was in love with me. Morra and I have made peace. If I had thought you were still going to be such an ass about it, I'd have kept my helmet up."

"Too late – I already know you're here," Benik grumbled. "At least you're good with a gun…or you were…"

"Still am, Benik." He twirled the pistol around his finger and aimed it at Benik's boot. "Pick a toe, Benik. Any toe. I won't miss."

"Huh," Benik grunted. "And you said I was an ass."

"Do you know if there are any more of you that may need rescuing, Benik?" Elvie asked, turning the subject to something worthwhile.

Benik tore his eyes away from his ex-friend. How did Rick end up with Morra's friends? There was a story there, but he sure as hell wouldn't be the one to ask to hear it. "Not that we know of, Elvie. The first several days, they rounded up our youngest – killing any parents who fought back. They put the children directly onto shuttles. Then they started on the teenagers and women. I don't know what they were doing to them, but the screams were unbearable. Any who tried to rescue them, never came back. Men they just killed on sight. There were a few captives that broke free, but they weren't right in the head. Most just dropped and writhed in pain until the bats came to get them. But there was one – Daton, he attacked the bats that came to drag him back. His head – it just exploded."

She nodded. "They are implanting those they don't think they can control. I'm guessing the implant is used for mind control – using pain to condition their slave prospects."

"Sick fuckers," Benik growled.

"Agreed," she said with a nod.

-BREAK NINE-

Val had let her know when the Einstein arrived and again when they had boots on the ground. Once they had a couple of more who could fire a gun settle in at the garage, Jett joined them on the field. She assigned him to work with Cowboy and Tamra. So that each squad had two biotics, that could handle crowd control better than a gun.

A couple shuttles managed to escape, before they narrowed it down to which building contained the townsfolk. It was the school. They infiltrated it the following night. They took out the guards first and then crept through room after room, silently taking down the invaders and hiding their bodies in whatever cabinets or closets they could find. They fanned out when they reached the gymnasium, where the colonists were being held. The gym had three doors. They burst through at the same time, silent rounds taking them down in a wave. The second wave hit the remainder of the batarians just as they were pulling out their guns. Their guns fell to the floor with a clatter of metal, their bodies made barely a whisper as they hit the ground. She aimed her OT at the batarian medic and hit him with a sleepytime dart. He would remove the implants, if possible, and get turned over to the Alliance or he would die.

Once he was down, she cuffed him and then looked around at the tables that filled the room. One third of them were still filled with colonists, each of them attached to an I.V. and wearing virtual wrap-around glasses. The people were either contorting in pain or writhing in pleasure. Benik was right. Sick fuckers. She located the terminal that controlled medication and stimulus and shut it the fuck down.

"Elvie – Einstein troops are pinned down at the settlement east of you called Junction. It is at the junction of the twin rivers, Yin and Yang. The Alliance is requesting backup."

"Let them know I'll be on my way." She wanted to aske Val about Tayln, but again, she had to focus on what was in front of her or she'd falter. She wanted to leave two biotics behind. Most of the bats had been taken care of, but there were likely to be a few stragglers and it was still possible more could land. So, she'd leave Rahna, Cowboy and Tamra. "Jett and Kaidan, you're with me." She hoped Jett would not balk or ask her why she'd chosen him.

She could tell when understanding settled on his face. He said a few brief words to Rahna, kissed her and joined her and Kaidan. "The three of us are going to tear a hole through the batarian defenses so the Alliance will get their chance to kick some bat ass. They came all this way – might as well let them have a bit of fun." She turned to the rest of her team. "I don't care what you have to do to get that asshole to remove those implants – if they can't be removed without brain damage, we have no use for him."

Tamra grinned and saluted. "Aye aye, Captain! Consider it my pleasure."

They loaded one of the carts with food and water and another with blankets and meds. She wasn't sure what condition the soldiers were in, but she wanted to come as prepared as possible. She removed the cart from her glider. It would give her more maneuverability to defend their little convoy.

She took point while they hung back. In this manner, she hoped to flush out any ambushers…spring the trap before the other two arrived. Near the outskirts of town, a round fired just wide of her and she grinned, spinning her glider forty-five degrees to the right, whipped her hand out and drew it back towards her. Two batarians were pulled out of hiding. As she pulled them closer, they fought her power rather than trying to fire at her. She grabbed her pistol with her left hand and shot each in the forehead before releasing them to drop to the ground. Her team was just catching up before she took off again.

"Remind me not to piss you off." Kaidan's voice was laced with admiration.

"I'd never shoot you, Kaidan. I might throw you up against a wall if you're being an idiot or I might even put you into stasis so that you were helpless against me," she warned. "But I'd never shoot you."

Jett choked and then burst out laughing. "You might want to stop torturing the poor man with fantasies. He might piss you off just to live them out." He started laughing again.

"Ass!" Kaidan grumbled, feeling the heat sting his cheeks. He wasn't sure why Jett's teasing remarks embarrassed him – unless…he groaned. Unless, there was truth in Jett's words. His heart rate had sped up when he'd heard Elvie say those words to him, his suit notified him at the rise in temperature. He swallowed and pushed the thoughts away. Focusing instead on their surroundings.

A bright light followed by the whine of an engine brought her head around to see a shuttle, engulfed in flame, careening haphazardly towards them. She spun on her glider, getting out of the trajectory track. She frowned when she felt the need to help. Something odd was going on. "Be ready," she told them when the other two reached her. She raised her hand, encasing the shuttle in a shrinking bubble until the flames went out and then focused on pushing against the shuttle to ease its landing.

"Uh – what are you doing Elvie? Why save batarians just to kill them?" Kaiden asked, thoroughly surprised that she was aiding the batarians inside the shuttle.

"Maybe she hopes to show them that we are good people and they will stop attacking us," Jett said with a mock sincerity.

"If only it was that simple," she replied back. "I think I saw their own ship fire on them. I intend to find out why." She nearly lost concentration when a massive explosion forced them to avert their eyes for a brief moment. Then sparks, like candle flames, lit up across the sky as debris burned up in the atmosphere. She released the shuttle when it hit the ground with an impact that nearly knocked her off her feet. She'd done what she could to slow its descent, but she wasn't sure if anyone was able to survive.

She approached the shuttle slowly and held up her hand to halt their progress when the shuttle door slid open and smoke poured out. Her body hummed, at the ready, with the energy she's stored inside her.

A batarian nearly dropped to his knees. He wobbled as he sucked in vast amounts of air. A coughing fit doubled him over, hands on his thighs as he coughed up the smoke that he'd breathed in.

She hurried over to him, yanking the medkit off her magbelt and pulled out the small pre-loaded gun. She moved quickly, putting the gun against his neck and pulled the trigger. His body jolted with the blast of condensed medigel and his coughing fit slowly eased.

When he could suck a breath through his lungs again. He wiped his eyes to clear them from the tears his coughing spasm had brought on. He'd expected to be surrounded by his own people, who hadn't yet discovered their treachery. He took a stumbling step backwards and made a shooing gesture into the shuttle when he saw the armored humans. Yarl kept his body between the armed humans and his wife, who was still in the shuttle. "We aren't here to harm you, humans. We're here to defect."

"Not a lie." Elvie murmured. "Helmet down." As the helmet receded from her head, she motioned for her team to lower their weapons. "He speaks the truth," she told them and then looked at the batarian once more. "That was you," she said, her head jerking in the direction of the explosion.

"Y-yes. We were aboard a super dreadnaught – the capital ship in charge. We set the auto-destruct before we defected. The Hegemony is down two leaders now. Please – please don't hurt my wife, humans. We are defecting," he repeated. "We will surrender to you."

"Not a lie." None of what he said was a lie, nor did she sense any deceit about him. "Why did you risk so much to take out the dreadnaught?"

"B-because it's wrong. Our parents were best of friends, they left Hegemony Space before we were conceived. The colony world they'd settled on was attacked by – by our people when we were young. Soleya and I were taken – our families destroyed. We were young and batarian – they didn't bother to implant us, but we saw what happened to the other children. We pretended to be one of them until we found a way to escape. We saw the Alliance ship and took a chance. Will you accept our defection, human?"

"My name is Elvie. This is Kaidan," she motioned to her right. "And this is Jett," she said, pointing to her left. "What are your skills?"

Those were words that gave hope to Yarl. "I am Yarl. Yarl Michaels. My wife, Soleya Kac'cekk – she is a navigation and communication specialist. I," he said with a proud grin, "am the best gunner you will ever find."

She could see the pride in the batarian's eyes. She automatically looked him in the larger, lower pair of eyes, as they were the pair Litu preferred everyone to look at. Litu had told her the top set of eyes didn't actually allow her to see better, except perhaps in the dark. The top set of eyes allowed her to read heat signatures. The heat signatures glowed brighter in the dark, making them easier to see.

Again, these were positions she didn't need filled, but after bringing Cowboy aboard, she realized she wanted them filled. "I'm not with the Alliance. I am a Spectre for the Council. I will provide you with protection and positions aboard my ship. Now," she said with a grin. "Will you stop hiding your wife behind your back? One of my best friends is batarian and I look forward to meeting your wife."

Yarl took a step aside and lifted his hand to help his wife step out of the shuttle. "This is my wife -"

Elvie took a step forward, shocked by the familiar face. "Litu?"

Soleya froze, she could feel the cold leach into her face. The shock making her numb It was a name she thought she'd never hear again. A name she carried in her heart since she was a child. "You know my sister?" She stormed over to the metallic, caramel-haired woman and stared into her strange green eyes with the yellow star. "Where is she, human?"

She motioned for her team to lower their guns, when she heard them rise. It was hard for her to see the batarian female and not see Litu. The two could be twins. "She's one of my closest friends, batarian," she admonished, not unkindly. "She's safe…and married to a human. They have a have a human daughter named Rosie."

Tears fell from all four of her eyes. For the first time, the hole in her heart did not feel so empty. Her sister was alive. "I thought – I didn't think she survived the attack. She wasn't with the rest of us that were taken." She turned hopeful eyes to the human. No, to Elvie. "She's happy, then?"

"Yes, very much so – though I know her past pains her still. We will talk more about it later. Right now, the Alliance soldiers are pinned down and we need to punch a hole through the batarian defense. It will be safer if you two remain here for now."

"No," Yarl cut in. "This is our fight as much as yours. We've waited years for this chance – and we know how to fight. We need to do this."

Too much could go wrong. Few in the Alliance knew she was a Spectre. She wasn't sure if she would be able to fight and protect Yarl and Soleya. And she damned well couldn't let Litu's sister die. "I know you do; my concern isn't with your fighting abilities but with my ability to protect you from the Alliance. Those soldiers don't know I'm a Spectre and I don't have time to get into that right now. Emotions are running hot and they'd see you as just another batarian to kill," she pointed out.

"They won't have to see us at all. Not until you have the chance to tell them about us." He held up his hand to display the band around his wrist. His wife wore its mate. "These bands were prototypes batarian agents stole from a salarian lab. The salarians did not survive. And we could not let…our people reverse engineer the devices. So, we stole them before we left." He drew his wrist back and activated the band. He watched his body disappear. He deactivated it. "They are refraction cuffs – or at least I think the was the name the salarians were going with. Extreme heat, biotic energy and prolonged darkness can interfere; barring that, we will remain unseen."

"Prolonged darkness?" That was an odd thing…ah…they must be solar charged. "They need light to charge and I'm guessing they have limited storage capability."

"That is how we understand it," Soleya agreed.

"Then you should keep your distance from us," Elvie warned them, "once you go dark. If guns alone had been enough, the Alliance wouldn't be pinned down. We're biotics and we intend to spread chaos among the bats – er…batarians. Sorry."

"The majority of our people are oppressed, but the pirates and slavers have given the rest of the galaxy a reason to hate us all. I cannot begrudge them that hate when I share some of it," Soleya admitted freely. "We need to change - but I can't foresee anything happening to topple the batarian regime without full-scale war. The people are too frightened or too ignorant of what the real galaxy is like." Now it was her turn to be sorry. "Sorry, now is not the time for me to rant. We have people to save."

Elvie winked at her and nodded. "Helmet up."

Yarl watched the liquid metal spread up over the three human faces. "I want one of those."

"You both will have one soon enough. For now, try not to be seen. Kaidan, ride with Jett and take rear. Yarl, Soleya, whoever is shoots best with one hand, takes rear."

After leaving the town of Maplecrest, you couldn't even tell there had been an invasion that had terrorized the hearts and souls of Mindoir. The smoke dissipated, the birds sang, The farm lands and further on, the forests remained untainted by horror that was happening. In war, much of this would have been destroyed, but it was almost as if the bats were leaving behind a trap for the next unwary humans that chose to settle here. An inviting home that would eventually have unwanted guests. She had no intension of letting that happen. She couldn't help every colony planted, but this was Morra's home, she damned well could help this one. It wouldn't change what happened here, nothing could. But a defense system would be one hell of a deterrent.

Mountains, in the distance, seemed to go on in both directions as far as she could see. The mountains grew steadily larger. Before she could reach the range's base, the navigation system lost the navpoint. Even if they took the air, their systems were scrambled. And she wasn't sure she trusted these gliders more than a few feet off the ground. While the certainly got the job done, they were older models. She pulled to a stop. "Val, the bats have a scrambler; our gliders' systems are out. If I slice into my glider and sync it to my OT, can you get us there?"

"Of course, Elvie. Give me access to the glider's systems and I will verbally assist you," Val told her. The route was already stored in her database due to their previous trip to Mindoir.

Good enough. "At least now we know how the Alliance got pinned down. If their systems were scrambled too, they'd have had to find a less direct route and the bats were likely prepared for that." They hadn't done that for Maplecrest, but there was no need. Maplecrest was on open land. It wouldn't matter if systems were scrambled, you could see where you needed to go. "You're in," she said with tinge of self-satisfaction.

"Go northwest…"

She followed Val's directions; the others close behind her. Eventually, they were led to a road that snaked through the mountains. A herd of goat-like creatures with a single long horn sprouting from their foreheads leapt off the road, jumping from ledge to ledge until they felt the were safely away from the danger. She noticed all their heads then turned to watch them until they could no longer see each other. Every once in a while, she saw a couple of the 'goats' reappear, as if they were curious what the humans were doing. She suspected they were young adults, too old to be chased down by worried parents but too young to realize the danger they were putting themselves in.

She spotted bushes laden with golden berries. Sunberries. She remembered Morra telling her about them at brain camp. "Pull over and grab a few of those sunberries. You might not get another chance to try them." She knew they were pressed for time, but as a biotic, she required more frequent meals to keep her strength up.

She was off her glider the moment it stopped, her helmet melting away even as her fingers quickly divested branches of the golden berries. She popped a few in her mouth and felt he warm, tingle-pop of the berries on her tongue. The berries didn't get the name sunberries because of their golden color, but because of the warming sensation when they were eaten. The fizz against her tongue was an added, albeit welcome, surprise. It was like eating some bizarre candy.

"Wow!" Jett exclaimed in stunned appreciation. "These berries are like mini, sweet explosions in your mouth. I hope they sell these." The smile fell from his face. "I don't have anywhere to plant these at home."

"Can we grow these aboard the ship?" Soleya asked as she wiped at the berry juice at the corner of her mouth. She'd never eaten anything that could compare to the delight of the sunberries.

She absently nodded. "Not as we are now, but once we get to one of the Towers, I don't see why we can't turn one of the storage compartments into a terrarium." She caught sight of the two juvenile goats peeking out from behind a rock outcrop. She smiled, tore a few berry laden branches off the bush and lifted them up. A field of pale blue surrounded her and the branches lifted off her palm and slowly drifted over towards the goats. She lowered them to the left of the boulders and smiled when they stepped out from behind their cover, their small tails wagging back and forth at they delicately picked the berries off with their front teeth.

Soleya could only watch in stunned disbelief. She glanced up at her husband to see his mouth hanging open. She reached up and used her finger tips to close his gaping maw. "I have noticed you are a decisive leader that people willingly follow without question, yet you have a kind and gentle heart – even to those so far beneath you." Her eyes were drawn back to the horned creatures. "I did not think it possible."

"Innocent life is precious to me," Elvie admitted and then laughed. "I confess, I'm less tolerant of biters, however. If you bite me, you're going to get slapped." She shrugged. "Your survival depends on how big you are – or how fast you can move. Most insects don't survive – some people have."

Soleya blinked. She'd killed people for biting her? Then again, a batarian or vorcha bite could be nasty. She saw the two human males cover their smiles with their hands and then noted the sparkle in Elvie's eyes. She nodded in understanding. She smiled, exposing her needle-sharp teeth. "Ah – so you are joking."

Elvie mounted her glider; she turned her head and flashed a grin at the batarian. "I haven't been bitten by any people yet. Would you like to be the test subject?" she teased.

Soleya mounted in front of her husband. "No…no. I think I'll pass on the experience." Elvie was unlike any commander she'd served under before. All were men and all ruled by fear. Were female commanders different? Or was she just different? "She's a strange one…" she murmured to her husband.

"Maybe strange will prove better," he returned with a slight shrug.

Elvie chuckled as her glider shot forward. She'd been called far worse things than strange. She didn't get very far, when a nearby scream was cut off. She jumped off her glider, leaving it idling and advanced up the incline in a crouch, not sure what she would find.

She nearly lost her balance when she something being dragged, followed by a body being thrown off a cliff's edge to the left of where she was crouching. She scanned the fallen body. Batarian. Who was up there? Were the bats turning on themselves? She held up her hand to keep the others from following until she knew more. Another body was tossed over. Both had been killed before they were tossed.

A moment later, she found out the summit was wider than expected and that she was not alone. The two goat-things trotted towards her, their long, spiral horns bloody and their small tails swishing back and forth. Their legs pranced high with pride. She rose to a stand and held her hand out as they approach. They nuzzled her hand until she realized they wanted her to turn it over. After she complied, they each dropped a berry into her palm and then looked up at her expectantly.

She glanced down at the slightly slimy berries and back at the goats, who were still looking at her intently. Ew. "Thank you for sharing," she told them with a wide, forced smile. She popped the berries into her mouth and swallowed them whole; she could not bring herself to chew them. She swallowed hard and cleared her throat, motioning her team to join her. "Go home, little ones. It's not safe where we're going."

"Who are you talking…to…" Kaidan's words drifted off when he saw the two uni-horned creatures. "They're the ones that killed the batarians?" he asked in disbelief, despite seeing the blood dripping down their horns.

"I don't know how they realized the batarians were a threat to us…" her words fell silent when the goats pranced backwards, their tails swishing in agitation. She glanced the direction the creatures were staring and then held up her hands. "They won't hurt us and they won't hurt you." She sided over to Soleya, not wanting the goats to impale her newest crew members, and took her hand. "They are with us."

The goats stared a moment longer, their long eyelashes sweeping down when they blinked. They appeared to make up their minds when they jumped down to a lower ledge and disappeared into a copse of trees growing on the mountainside.

"Help can be found in the most unlikely places," Jett said as he shook his head in disbelief. "I kinda expected them to follow us around after you fed them – but I didn't expect them to defend us."

"Neither did I," she mused as she peered over the opposite edge of the summit. From what she could see, mountains ringed it on the east and the west, where they were currently standing and partially so in the north and south. To the north, she could see the two rivers meander north until they disappeared in what looked like steam, but was likely a waterfall. At the Junction of the rivers was what looked to be a hot spring. Through the magnification provided through her helmet, she was a be to see the steam billowing off and the bubbles rising to the surface. The main town sprang up around the spring and along the rivers. Between the two rivers were solar panels, followed by windmills and finally the hydro power. The town appeared to be utilizing all three sources of clean power. She was curious if they were utilized for different purposes, but that meant nothing to the situation at hand.

The school was on the west side of river Yang, nearest to them. She could see activity in the school – it appeared the bats were using this as their headquarters. Further south, there was only one entrance into Junction, the mountains nearly closing off the southern passage. With the scrambling agent in place, this was the only safe passage into the valley and the Alliance had been forced to use it.

The bats must have had some kind of warning, because they'd been able to bottleneck the marines and prevent their advancement. The marines were unable to use rocket launchers or other serious weapons due to the risk to hitting any civilians left in town. She could see bodies, like a line through the sand, separating the two factions but the marines were outnumbered and outmaneuvered. What made it worse was that there was a row of civilians between the marines and the bats. Something was very wrong with the movements of the civilians. She guessed they were implanted. Until something broke the bat's wall of defense or distracted them, all the marines could do was watch.

"Damn…" Kaidan murmured softly when he saw how entrenched the bats were and that their front lines were using colonists as meat-shields. "What's wrong with the colonists?"

Yarl grunted. "Control implants. They likely took colonists too old to sell for credits and implanted them with the sole purpose to either attack your people or…"

"To use as disposable shields if your men start shooting again," Soleya filled in. "Their bodies are contorting because they are being controlled by the batarians. But they can still think and still feel. If they fight it, they will die in excruciating pain. It is a horrid practice," she all but whispered.

"It looks like your men were able to take out several enemies before they had the implanted victims brought out. Without the time for proper conditioning, those colonists will be fighting the control. They are in pain," Yarl informed them. "It would be far kinder for a well-placed bullet to end their suffering – then the Alliance could start in on the enemy again."

"The Alliance would never do that. Their special force units might," Kaidan growled in disgust, "but their marines will do whatever it takes to minimize loss of life and collateral damage whenever possible."

A plan formed in her mind as the others discussed what was happening. When she understood what needed to be done, she nodded grimly. She turned to look at her team. "I have a plan and we'll all have to do our parts. Yarl, unhook the cart from the back of your glider and hook it up to Jett's glider. Jett, I need you to stay out of sight, this side of the mountain range, and take these supplies to the Alliance troops for the injured and the hungry. Ask Val for guidance, if needed. She scanned the region the first time we were here. Then, if you wish to be a part of the battle, make your way to the frontlines. If not, help any that have been injured thus far. Let me know when you are ready, either way. Yarl and Soleya, you can take the speeder to get closer. Try to get into the school and take out the batarians inside. We need to save as many colonists as possible – but don't go dark until you see my diversion. That could draw a lot of the guards out. Just be quick once you are in."

"What diversion are we looking for?" Yarl asked curiously.

"It's unmissable," she replied. "Boom!" Her fists opened up, her fingers springing out to mimic an explosion. "I'll set the glider to auto-destruct and send it into the batarian flank. Once it detonates, it will distract their forces, kill off quite a few, I'd imagine." Her lips moved for a moment but no sound came out. "I can't know if the victims will survive the explosion." Her throat restricted over the words and she was forced to clear it. "But that may not be a bad thing – once the explosion occurs, I have little doubt the bats that are controlling the colonists will send them into the Alliance ranks and detonate their implants, trying to take out as many Alliance troops as they can. They won't really be left with any other options. Jett – make sure you tell commander to expect that. Under no circumstances should they let the colonists get close to them. Until we can neutralize the batarians, there is nothing we can do for the implanted victims."

She hated sending Jett off on his own, but there was no choice. She knew Kaidan would not back down from a promise he made to Tayln. He was too honorable. "Stay safe – all of you. Kaidan and I will handle the distraction. Just wait for it."

After her friends, both old and new, took off in opposite directions, she turned to Kaidan. "I never thought our vacation would end in so much death. I hate that all of this,' she said as she spread her arms wide, "will be the last memories of our reunion. I wanted everyone to have good memories of being together again." She sighed wistfully, letting her arms drop to her side. "But I know if we never went on this vacation, I'm not sure Mindoir would have had any survivors – I would have lost Morra."

"Come here," he said as he enfolder her in his arms, not even minding the armor between them. "Not one of us would turn down the chance to help these people – Morra's people." He inhaled. "What happened here is horrendous and tragic, but it doesn't wipe away the good memories we've made these last few weeks. Nothing can do that. Whatever happens here, we'll leave knowing we've done our best to do everything we could for the survivors. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, eh?"

"Always." When she smiled, he returned it. Was he thinking about how he almost always ended their communications with the world always? "I'm guessing there will always be an always between us?" she teased.

His heart tripped up, but he knew she couldn't mean the words as they sounded to his yearning heart. "Always," he returned with another grin and lowered his arms, taking a step back. She turned away to straddle the glider, her OT flipping on as she worked to hack into the vehicle. When her helmet drew up over her head, he followed suit. He scanned their surroundings to make sure no one was flanking them and then looked back over the summit's edge to watch the enemy below.

-BREAK TEN-

When she finished, they could only wait. When Jett's go ahead came through their helmets, she could only hope that Yarl and Soleya were ready. She looked back at Kaidan. Follow me down, but keep well back. I'll be jumping off the glider when I have it just where I want it. I'd rather not hurt either one of us by slamming into you," she warned. With a nod to him, she straddled the glider and took off.

She slipped over the side of the summit, heading towards the batarian's western flank. The glider would plow through them and detonate somewhere in the middle, if she calculated everything correctly. There was little hope for the human shields below. If they survived the explosion, they would either go on a suicide run and lose their heads or they would fight control, the pain increasing until it killed them. She just had to remember if they died, it was the batarian's fault, not hers. Though that would be stretch to believe if the glider killed them.

She ramped up the speed to what she needed for it to detonate where it could do the most damage to the bats. And then used a voice command to start the count down. She waited a few more precious moments. Just as some of the bats were turning their heads in her direction, she backflipped off the glider, using her biotics to propel her further away and landed in a crouch, her bent legs absorbing the impact.

Her visor darkened when the fiery explosion propelled debris projectiles in all directions. She threw up a quick shield bubble around as many bats as she could, allowing the metal fragments to impale those stuck inside. When the fury of the blast died down a few moments later, she released the bubble and rolled to the side, as rounds began to pepper the mountain side around them. The glider, however, had done what was needed. It thinned out the batarians and focused them, at least momentarily, on the attack coming from the mountainside.

Alliance soldiers poured through the broken batarian line. She didn't have time to see what happened with the implanted colonists. Her soul did not need that added weight right now. She kept low, moving through the shadows of the trees towards the school. "Kaidan and I are heading towards the school, Jett, to backup Yarl and Soleya. Assist the Alliance any way you can." As expected, she saw batarians spilling out of the school, their weapons drawn.

Jett laughed. Assisting? Sure…he was assisting. "Just doing a bit of target practice. I'm going to kick some serious ass when we hit the Sims next time!"

"Just remember this is real – keep to your cover," she warned.

"Yes, mum," he grumbled, though humor could be heard in his tone.

It took her a moment to realize that rounds no longer peppered through the trees. They had been forgotten in the chaos of the battle field. That suited their needs perfectly. The approached the backside of the school and noticed the backdoor had been propped open by a large rock. She wasn't sure why, but left the rock in place as she slid through the entry. Further in, she found a dead batarian. No apparent struggle. No blood, but his head was twisted at an odd angle.

She used one of the programs in her helmet to scan through the walls for heat signatures. There was nothing alive left to the right, so she motioned to Kaidan to follow her to the left and headed for the hallway. Another two bodies were found outside of a doorway on the left in the hall.

"They've been busy," Kaidan murmured.

Yarl darted out of a doorway on the right, Soleya on his heels. They stopped when they saw Elvie and Kaidan, both sighing in relief. Soleya reached the pair first. "They've sealed the doors. We've searched the area, but there is no other way in!"

"Not without putting the colonists in danger," Yarl added.

Elvie reached out to the A.I. "Val – we need another way in."

"A moment, Elvie," Val said as she used sensors feeds from the armor.

The settings changed on Elvie's visor until she could make out the ducts running through the ceiling. "Of course!" She turned and followed the large duct back to the main room that held offices and what appeared to be a main help desk. She looked up and saw the vent.

"I'm not going to fit through there," Kaidan warned. Not to mention, he would sound like a herd of elephants stomping through the ducts.

"You won't have to. Soleya and I will go through the ducts. I'll drop down first and distract the batarians while she opens the door for you two to join us," she explained.

Kaidan shook his head. "If they can't see her, there's no reason for you to risk yourself," he pointed out.

"Soleya doesn't have biotics and she doesn't have our armor. Her landing would not go unnoticed and I won't put her at risk."

"Thank you," Yarl said quietly. That a human would risk her life to keep his wife safe – that was unexpected but deeply welcomed.

She looked up at the grate, scanned the distance and told her boots to lift off that high. When she reached the grate, she used a small burst of power to pull it from duct and used her biotics to lower it back down to Yarl. Now that she had use of her hands, she used her power to pull her up into the duct. Once in, she turned around and peered back down. "Kaidan use your power to lift her up to the duct."

Kaidan knew Elvie could have easily done what she'd asked him to do and it warmed his heart to know that she trusted him to be able to control his power enough that he wouldn't hurt Soleya. He'd felt bad after what had happened to Vyrrnus. The turian may have deserved what happened but he did not like to lose control. After he'd left, he continued with what Elvie had taught him, gaining strength, precision and control. And ever since she'd picked him up on Earth, she'd been building his confidence in his own abilities. When he saw Soleya grip onto the vent and pull herself in, he released his hold on her. He smiled when the words 'good job' echoed down to him.

Yarl's pointy grin widened. "That your wife?"

Kaidan released a sharp breath. "No. She's married to someone else," he said simply, his throat tightening with emotion. He turned and headed back towards the gymnasium.

He'd been sure the two were together. There was an obvious bond between them and even their pheromones suggested a closeness. He shrugged. But what did he know about humans except viewing a few illegal vids? "I'm sorry," he said as he caught up to the human.

He looked over at Yarl and nodded. "We're…" He'd nearly said soulmates, but he'd managed to stop the word from leaving his mouth. What he felt for her was too deep and raw and personal. He inhaled. "She's my - my best friend, and I won't do anything to jeopardize our friendship."

He gave the human a knowing nod. Not all loves were given the chance to bloom or be acted upon. "I wouldn't either," he commiserated.

"Helmet up," Kaidan said as he pulled the Valkyrie pistol off his magbelt.

Yarl watched the strange device spring out into a recognizable pistol. "A most unusual weapon."

"It was named after a most unusual woman," he agreed. He rotated the pistol to see it from several angles. "It appears unassuming – easy to underestimate, but it's fast, agile and punches as hard as its heavier counterpart."

"Ha!" Yarl grunted. "Are we talking about a weapon or a woman?"

"Both…I think," Kaidan said thoughtfully. Thinking about the Valkyrie made him think about its namesake.

While the men were talking quietly, Elvie and Soleya were moving silently through the ducts. When they reached the first vent in the gymnasium, she captured Soleya's OT frequency and sent her a message. [Hang on tight to me. I will lower us both down together, so they only hear one of us landing. But duck and roll towards the door quickly.] She ran another scan. [There are two just inside the door. They may come after me, but be prepared if they don't. the rest are surrounding the cages and tables. Ready?]

Soleya wrapped her arms and legs around the human. She sure never thought she'd be doing that and then nodded. She forced herself to keep her eyes open as Elvie pried up the vent grate and dropped down into the gym, her arms were already up and shooting something small at the other batarians, whose legs were giving out from under them, even as their hands lifted to their necks. She let go and rolled backwards when Elvie's feet hit the floor.

She saw Elvie's lift from a forward-facing, downward-aimed fist to a raised hand giving the stop gesture. Rounds could not penetrate the shield she had in place. A growl drew her attention to the two batarians behind her, near the door. She'd barely heard their expletive, but Elvie swung one arm back, two more tiny projectiles took them down. She shook her head, forcing herself to look away when all she wanted to do was watch the attack unfold. She managed to hack into the doors locking mechanism, thankfully it was not difficult or she doubted she'd have succeeded.

When the door light turned green, she spun around and drew her pistol. Her mouth fell open when she saw two men throw their weapons down and charge Elvie. In a blur, Elvie was up doing some kind of backwards spinning kick thing. Her leg hooked around the man's neck. There was a sickening crack as her body followed through. She reached her hand out for the second man, drawing him to her in a blink of an eye, she rounded over the second man's back, her catching the far side of his jaw as she spun over him. She landed in a crouch, dropping low to sweep his feet out from under him. His head and body couldn't take the strain of going in two different directions, the ending result was a grisly crunch.

Kaidan assessed the threat quickly as he stepped through the door, his pistol already firing as he stepped in front of the two unarmored batarians that were helping them. One arm came up and flung the last two batarians standing against the wall. When they grabbed for their guns, they each took a round for their efforts.

"Kaidan, Yarl – make sure the school's doors are locked down tight. Once done, tell Val to let the SSV Einstein know that the school and remaining colonists have been secured."

Once the men left, she and Soleya dragged all the darted batarians into a single pile, which she then secured with the release of a webdisk. "They won't be going anywhere now. The Alliance can decide what to do with them."

"What do you think they will do to them?" Soleya asked. "They need to suffer for all the pain they've caused so many people."

Tory gripped the cage's warm bars, the energy tingling through his hands nearly to the point of pain and stared out at the woman in the interesting phoenix armor. "I agree with your invisible friend. They killed off our oldest and took the youngest immediately. The rest of us…those that weren't killed out right were implanted. They didn't even use anesthesia! We were forced to watch and wait for our turns." His gripped tightened on the holo-bars. "The twenty-eight of us you see? We're all that's left of Junction." His gaze lowered to the four on the tables. Still. Quiet. Devices over their heads. "I do not know if they are even still alive. They have not moved for a long time."

"Do you have medigel, Soleya?" Elvie inquired.

"Yes," she replied back, tapping the small compartment on her belt.

"Ok. You take care of these two and I'll take care of the other two." She moved in between the two tables that she was responsible for and carefully lifted off the device covering the eyes of the one of the victims. She turned it over in her hand and saw the small arms that seemed to both hold the eyes open and lubricate them. There were two, thin wire-like probes with bloody tips at the temples. The pictures flashing through the inside showed suffering at the hands of Alliance-armored soldiers. The two temple prongs vibrated. "Hand free." The armor melted away from her hand and she touched a fingertip to the temple probe and pulled back with a hiss, shaking her hand.

She dropped the device and then quickly removed the device from her second victim. She scanned both victims, their heartbeats were too slow, but they were steady. "They will need the implants removed or neutralized and they will likely need psychological help to break the brainwashing, but they are alive."

"Same here," Soleya said. "Both are alive." Though she wasn't sure how the men and women on the table would feel about being alive if they'd lost their children and loved ones to the raid. "The Alliance with help with their recovery?"

"I will ensure that they do." One way or another. She located a datapad and hacked into it to shut down the holo-cages. "I have two team members guarding the doors. We'll be safe in here until the Alliance can neutralize the slavers. Anyone with injuries see Soleya or me for medigel shot. I know you can't see her, but she's standing right to my left."

"Why is she invisible?" Noni asked

"For your peace of mind," Soleya told the young human in a gentle voice. "And my safety."

Noni looked over at Tory who just shrugged. Noni walked over towards the invisible woman, clutching her throbbing arm to her chest. She felt two hands move her a bit to the left and she carefully held out her arm. "I think it may be broken."

Soleya scanned the child's forearm with her OT and nodded when she saw the hairline fracture. She wasn't a doctor and didn't have anything to make a sling with, but the medigel should start it mending. "You have a hairline fracture. As long as you are gentle with it, the medigel should help you recover faster. I'm going to place the shot close to the wound, so it will be concentrated there. Is that okay?"

"Yes." Though Noni couldn't see anything, she felt the tip of the injector gun press against her forearm. She hissed with the sting of the forced injection. There was a cold sensation, followed by the numbing of pain. "Thank you, invisible lady. You don't have to fear us, you know. Why would you? It doesn't matter how scary or ugly you think you are. You're helping us."

"Noni!" Tory hissed at his younger sister, pulling her away by the shoulder so that others could be healed. She was twelve years old. She knew not to say things like that to people. They were mean and hurtful.

"What?" Noni asked, shooting her brother a hard look. "She said she's invisible for our peace of mind. So, she must think she'd scary enough looking that we'd hurt her. She helped save us! I can't let her think we are monsters who would turn her away because of how she looked." She ran a finger down the scars on the right side of her face. Scars from an injury when she was a small child. "You've always told me looks don't matter!"

Tory knelt down in front of his sister and gently gripped her upper arms. There was nearly fifteen years between their ages and now he would have to be father as well as brother to her. She had become the new center of his world. "Looks don't matter! Heart matters. Actions matter. Even words matter – that's why I didn't want you to say anything that might hurt the invisible lady's feelings. Looks only matter to shallow people not worth knowing."

Elvie smiled at the kind words. "You are a wise man. So many do not see as clearly as you do."

Tory rose and faced the only woman he could see. The lines had melted away from the two women. His people were huddled together talking softly to one another. "I am Tory Roth and this is my sister Noni Roth. I don't know why you came and it doesn't matter. What matters is that we are alive because of you." He spread his arms wide to encompass all of the remaining people of Junction. "We would like the chance to know our rescuers." He could still hear the sound of weapons firing outside. "And if our school is breeched, then we would like the honor of knowing who we are fighting and dying alongside." He looked over at the nodding faces of Junction. "Every last one of us will stand with you."

She could understand wanting to know who was at your back. She nodded. "Four of my team are in the school with us. I am a Council Spectre known as Shepard, but you may call me Elvie. I am close friends with Morra Wise over at Maplecrest. The woman at my side is Soleya. The men guarding the door are Kaidan and Yarl. Two of my team are at Maplecrest and I have another team over at Haborton. But we are not here alone. The Alliance sent their closest vessel, the SSV Einstein to fight for your freedom. Before we entered the school, we broke through the slavers' flank so that the Alliance soldiers could get a foothold. One of my team members, Jett, is outside fighting alongside the Alliance troops. There are three ships in orbit that are defending Mindoir against the slaver fleet."

Tory grunted. "You have an interesting way of wording things. You say slavers instead of batarians. Why?"

Her gaze scanned over Junction's survivors and then settled back on Tory. "Because they are salvers. Pirates. Most batarians aren't evil like that. They are an oppressed people living under a harsh regime. I have two batarian crew members that I trust to have my back. They are here on Mindoir trying to help in any way they can. But even closer to my heart, one of my best friends is batarian and she is one of the kindest people you will ever meet even if people do not always act kindly to her simply because of what she looks like. That is why your words to your sister touched me. Because they are words everyone should live by."

"Fair enough," Tory replied with an incline of his head. "You cannot blame a child for their parent's misdeeds and you cannot blame an entire race for the actions of a few. Though, sometimes that is easy to forget."

Noni looked up at her older brother. His brown eyes confident. When he nodded to her she smiled and turned towards the invisible woman. With one arm outstretched, she walked slowly towards where the woman had been until she felt a hand touch hers. She settled her gaze on where the woman's face might be. "We are grateful for your help, Soleya." She squeezed the invisible hand and her voice rose so that everyone in the room could hear her. "You didn't have to help us but you did, even though you knew you were risking your life. You do not have to be afraid of us. Your looks don't matter."

Soleya wasn't sure she'd be able to decipher human expressions, but the earnest sincerity in the little girl's eyes could not be ignored. She lifted the girl's hand and placed it against her cheek. If there was the slightest fear, she would not expose herself. The last thing she wanted to do was cause these people to suffer more than they already had.

Her fingers smoothed along tiny, satin-sleek hairs. Noni didn't think she'd felt anything quite so soft. She slowly traced her fingers over the alien face she could not see. There were firm, bone-like structures around the lower set of eyes and above the upper set. Tiny, slightly pointed ears wiggled the smallest bit under her touch. She drew her fingers along soft cheeks, over the enlarged eyes sockets to what must have been her nose. Unlike the male batarians who had much larger 'noses', hers felt small, like an upside-down triangle with tiny ridges. Below that were warm, full lips. Noni smiled. The lips beneath her fingertips returned the smile. "Are you as beautiful as you are soft?" she asked softly.

"I think so," Elvie admitted, her hand feeling for her Soleya's shoulder and then settling on it. "Soleya's little sister, Litu, is one of my best friends. They are mirror images of each other." She looked over at the space next to her. "You are just as beautiful to me as Litu is."

She appreciated Elvie's kind words but she still found herself uncertain about showing her face. Soleya looked down into the young girl's brown eyes. "Are you sure about this? Knowing something is not the same as seeing it," she warned.

She carefully moved her healing arm up so that she could cup the woman's face with both hands. "We need to see your face, Soleya. Most of us have never seen a batarian until the attack. We need to see the kindness and compassion in yours. We can't leave this as our only experience with your people."

Soleya nodded and deactivated the band on her wrist. She held her breath when she popped into view. For just a moment, there was utter silence, then everyone turned away and resumed the discussions they were having.

"Oooh," Noni murmured softly as she stroked the woman's satiny cheeks. "Your coloring is as beautiful as the wings of a dawning butterfly." Female batarians had soft and rounded features…almost dainty, not harsh and blunt like the males. At least, Soleya did. She had no way of knowing how other batarian females looked. "You're pretty, Soleya." She lowered her injured arm and wrapped her good arm around the kind-hearted batarian that had helped them. "Thank you for replacing nightmares with kindness." She knew she'd still have nightmares, but seeing Soleya diminished some of the ugly.

The batarian held the little girl close for a moment and then looked out over the faces of the other colonists. She saw varying degrees of acceptance, but no outright hostility.

Jett's adrenaline was running hot. They took out a lot of bats today. It felt good but it also felt like an ugly stain on his soul. He could kill to protect or in defense, but today showed him he would not ever want to do this for a living. He had no intension of ever becoming a soldier. "The last of the bats are being picked off now."

Kaidan sighed with relief. "Best news I've heard all day. See you soon, Jett. Yarl and I are coming back to join you, Elvie. I sent Jett the code to the doors. The Alliance will join us when they can."

So, it was almost done then. "Kaidan - Tell Yarl he doesn't need to be cloaked. The survivors know you and Soleya helped to save them. They are both welcome."

"He heard you. I have my helmet down and the line open," Kaidan explained as he kicked it into a slow jog to catch up with Yarl, who was likely concerned about his wife now that she'd exposed herself. But Elvie had been right. There was only a brief pause when Yarl darted into the room and then everyone started talking again. In fact, he and Yarl were also dragged into discussing about what they'd seen in Junction and how Maplecrest faired.

It didn't take long for Alliance soldiers to march into the gymnasium. One by one, the Junction survivors moved to stand in front of and beside the batarian pair, forming a protective shield.

Sten stepped forward, "There is no need for that, Spectre." He was still stunned that a human had been made a Council Spectre. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Sten Cortair. Your squadmate, Mr. Stevens, has informed us of your batarian squad members. While their presence is unexpected, they are not a part of the attacking force and have nothing to fear from us. If you will allow, sir, I have medics with me."

She inclined her head. "We will get out of your way, Lieutenant, our mission has been accomplished." And she had another team she needed to check on.

"Please, sir," Sten said as he followed the Spectre and her squad from the school's gymnasium. "My captain is wanting to speak with you."

She sighed and came to a stop to look the flustered lieutenant. "Is he panetside?"

Sten dropped into military rest, his hands linked behind his back. "No, sir….ma'am…"

"Either is fine, I don't care what pronoun of respect you use. I'm Spectre Shepard. And, I'm sorry, he'll have to wait. Look, I have another team to check on and I need to reassemble by team. If he wants to see me, he can find me at Maplecrest."

"Yes, sir!" He snapped a salute. When she returned it after a moment's hesitation, he smiled and relaxed. The FIRST human Spectre actually saluted him. "I'll let Captain Davis know right away. And…thank you for the supplies. They are helping our wounded."

Unsure of how to speed things along, she did the only thing she could think to do. "Carry on, lieutenant."

He saluted again and hurried back to the gymnasium. "Medic! Lieutenant Zabaleta is down. Fainted, I think. Check his…" the words faded with the closing of the gym's door.

She flipped her OT on. "Val – when you hear from Talyn, let him know we're fine and we're returning to Maplecrest."

"I've already heard from him, Elvie. A great many times, I might add. Com him at your convenience." Val told her. "Soon, would be nice."

He was okay then. Relief, like a cooling blast, swept through her. "I'll do that. What about the slaver ships?"

"A few of their ships were disabled. They destroyed their ships rather than let them get captured. The rest of their fleet escaped via FTL. I don't know why they destroyed their own dreadnaught, though."

"Thank you, Val. We'll explain it later." She broke the connection and commed her husband. "Tayln," she smiled, her breath hitching when she saw his beautiful baby blue face. "I'm not sure what's worse. Not knowing what's happening to you or knowing and not able to do anything about it," she admitted. She took deep, calming breaths, trying to keep her stomach from heaving. She felt Kaidan's hand against her back and took the comfort that offered her nerves. "How are the others…"

"This has been a fascinating field test for the armor - "

"Tayln!"

"Sorry,' he said sheepishly, his cheekfolds darkening. "We are all fine. Even Shadow's collar shield held up under gunfire."

She nodded. "Good. We can discuss any adjustments I may need to do to it later. We are well. We picked up a husband and wife team, Soleya and Yarl. Soleya is Litu's older sister. I have offered them positions as part of my crew." Her throat tightened and she released a tight breath. "We are heading to the garage in Maplecrest where we set up triage. We couldn't save Morra's parents. Jolene and Mika gave their lives taking out slaver ground forces with a commandeered shuttle before we arrived. Did you find Cowboy's parents?"

His lips tightened into a thin line and he shook his head. "They didn't survive either. But we did locate a few survivors in town and quite a few more in fishing submersibles in the bay. They'd had somewhere to escape to that the bats weren't aware of."

"That the slavers weren't aware of," she corrected shooting an apologetic half-smile to Yarl and Soleya.

Talyn cleared his throat, embarrassed by his lapse in manners. "Of course. You have my apologies, Yarl and Soleya. Welcome aboard the Valkyrie."

"Thank you, but it's okay. I lost my family to a raid when I was a child. I know what these people are going through. I feel like calling them dirty, rotten bat bastards myself," Soleya chimed in.

Tayln laughed softly but cut it off quickly. Somehow it didn't feel right to laugh at this moment. "It would seem that you and Litu have that in common. We've done what we can here. We will be joining you soon. I love you, wife."

"Love you too, see you soon." She flipped off the com. Talyn didn't have a Kaidan to lean on. She felt bad for him until she realized he knew that she was okay. He was bound to her. She knew it pained him to be away from her because of that bond, but she also knew that if she were badly hurt, dying or dead that he'd have felt it in a way that she would never be able to. He may not have someone to lean on, but he did have that certainty.

-BREAK ELEVEN-

They retrieved their speeders. Yarl and Litu chose to ride in the carts and look for any slavers that might be hiding along the way. Their top set of eyes would aid in the search. But the ride was anti-climactic. If there were any slavers nearby, they kept themselves well hidden.

She pulled up hard when one of the goats burst out in front of her, crying out in pitiful bleats. It bounded towards her and then bounded away several times until she realized it was telling her something. "You want me to follow you?"

The goat reared slightly up twice, it's head nodding in the universal sign of agreement. "Looks like we might have one more thing to do." She followed the spry one-horned goat through the trees until it came to a sudden stop, its head dropped down. It turned its head back to them, bleated again and dropped its head to the ground once more.

She dismounted and hurried over to where the goat was standing. It was looking over the edge of a pit or sinkhole. It looked natural, not man-made. At the bottom of the pit was the second goat, laying on its side. There was a gash along its thigh. She winced at the jagged bone sticking out of its lower rear leg.

With a touch, her armor slid back from her hand. She knelt down and took the goat's soft muzzle in her palm. She called it a goat, but in actuality, it was somewhere between goat and horse. It's soft, rubbery lip and nostrils were very horse-like. She stroked the stroked its muzzle with her fingertips. Not once did it occur to her that it might be odd for a wild creature to accept her touch. Without perceived limits, it just was. "I'm going to call you Brik. Your friend is Brak," she said pointing down into the pit. "I will do what I can to help Brak."

Its nostrils widened as it breathed her in and then it blew gently across her wrist. Its head nodded and it pulled back to peer back down into the pit. It bleated and trilled something she would never be able to understand. Brak lifted its head momentarily and then lowered it back to the ground. Could it be that animals were smarter than beings that were considered sentient? Or were they just better at reading people? They understood us far better than we understood them.

She rose to her feet. "Soleya, grab one of the gliders with a cart and bring it over as close as you can. Since I don't have a stasis disk, then - "

Kaidan cleared his throat. "I have one."

She looked over at him in surprise. "You do?" She saw him rub the back of his neck and his cheeks redden. She tilted her head, wondering why he was flustered.

"Yeah, it…uh…wasn't just my mom that purchased your Porta-stasis set," he admitted. He pulled the pouch off his belt and settled it in her hand. "I charged them last night."

She pulled on of the small disks out of the pouch, a smile lighting up her face. "Perfect! Oh, I could kiss you!" She blinked and spun around before he could see her own cheeks light up with color. It was a harmless remark she might have said to anyone but due to the fact that she had actually kissed him at Brain Camp, it brought back memories that needed to stay in the past. She sidled around the edge of the pit until she could hold her hand out over the downed animal. She knew there was a limit to what the stasis disk could encompass, but the goat was well within range.

She activated the disk and dropped it, ready to use her biotics if she needed to alter its trajectory, but the disk landed on the goat's shoulder. A pale field quickly enveloped the animal. With it now immobile, she held her hands out and slowly raised the animal up out of the pit and lowered it into the cart.

Brik wagged his short tail and darted over to the other cart. With an impressively high jump, he settled into the cart and curled up.

"Hmmm," Kaidan hummed. "I hope they are not part of the local menu." He inhaled. "They are smarter than some of the people I've met."

Elvie wrinkled her nose. The thought of eating them was as appealing as eating Shadow. It simply would never happen. "They won't end up on anyone's table unless they're standing on it."

Once again, they shared the speeders since the goats were occupying the carts. But nothing further happened during the long ride back to Maplecrest. As they rode through the town, survivors were working together to toss slaver bodies onto a massive bonfire," the sparks and dark smoke billowing up with each new batarian offering. She'd have thought it would have smelled worse. The townsfolks' bodies were being lined up, while others were digging graves. Everybody that could move was keeping busy. It is what she would do. Keeping busy took the edge off of the pain. And removing all signs that the slavers had ever been there was a goal that would keep them busy.

She pulled to a stop when she saw Cowboy and Tamra break away from the cleanup and hurry towards them.

"Where's Rahna?" Jett asked as soon as the pair arrived.

"Maplecrest doesn't have a doctor anymore. She decided to stay at the garage to help the wounded," Tamra explained.

She looked around, surprised none of the survivors rushed the batarians.

Tamra caught the look. "Val informed us about your newest crewmembers so that we wouldn't be caught off guard. "You must be Soleya and Yarl. Nice to meet you," she said as she gave them each her hand.

"Take my glider, Jett. I can tell you'd rather go to her than hear all this," she said as she made shooing motions towards him. His answering grin was good enough for her.

Cowboy chuckled. "That is one eager young man." With a shake of his head, the smile slid from his lips. "The scrambler is down and planetwide communications seem to be back up, but I can't reach my folks."

She reached out and took Cowboy's hand. By the slump of his shoulders and the understanding etched into his face, he knew what happened. "I'm sorry, Cowboy. They were gone before we got here."

He squeezed her hand and took a step back, his hand falling to his side. "I didn't allow myself to hope they were alive. I didn't leave on the best of terms…I'm not sure how I'm feeling right now."

"Do you need to go home and collect anything?"

He smacked the dust from his thigh. "This hasn't been my home in a long time and it won't be for another long time. There's nothing I need here. I'll let my cousins know. If they don't want to come back and work the place, then I'll lease it out for now. Maybe someday…" he let the words trail off. Then again, maybe someday he'd put the damned property in one of his cousin's names.

A noise caught her attention and she turned, shading her eyes as she looked up. A shuttle was coming in to land. When it drew closer, she smiled. It was a sleek, black shuttle with the word Oasis on the side. The smile faltered when she remembered what Morra would be going through.

Tayln motioned the others to hop out ahead of him. He watched his wife greet the others. When she'd clung to Morra, he knew he'd made the right choice in waiting. By the time her head lifted to meet his gaze, his feet were already heading in her direction. He scooped her up in his arms, raising her off the ground in a hug that might have hurt her if she still wasn't armored. Relief rushed through his veins, his body going from cold to hot and back again. He'd known she was safe but knowing and having her next to him were not the same. He kissed her mouth and then her forehead. "Back where you belong," he murmured next to her ear before lowering her to the ground.

"Will you go with me back to the house, Elvie? I – I can't face it alone," Morra told her.

She patted Tayln's arm so that he would release her and then she took Morra's hands. "Of course, I will. We've got to drop the goats off at triage on the way."

"Goats?" Morra asked curiously. "I haven't seen any goats on Mindoir. I don't think anyone's brought them from Earth."

Elvie pulled her towards the carts that were hooked up to the gliders. "Here they are," she said when Brik stood up to greet them.

Morra's mouth fell open in utter shock. "Ohmygod! Elvie – those are unicorns! I'm not kidding!" she said when she saw her friend's skeptical look. "We've heard occasional rumors that they existed, but no one I know has actually ever seen one. We thought they were nothing more than a myth or the imaginings of drunkards."

Elvie stepped into Brik, rubbed his neck and scratched behind his horse-like ears. "So, you are a unicorn. I thought you'd be bigger," she teased. A smile followed when he stamped his foot and lifted his head to nuzzle her with his soft, rubbery lips. "This is Brik. His brother, Brak, has been injured. I put him in stasis, but he needs to get to triage. I wish we had a doctor."

"You do," Samuel said as he hurried to the side of the cart and looked down at the injured unicorn. "I'm Dr. Samuel Wickers from Harborton. We weren't sure what things were like over here. My business partner, Dr. Noble is taking care of our people. I thought to offer my services here – though I didn't expect my first patient to be a fairytale," he admitted.

Morra snorted, quickly covering her mouth until she couldn't hold back the words any longer. "You should see their office plaque that hangs on their door! It has Noble Wickers rounded on the top, Medical rounded on the bottom and inside that sandwich of words is a horse's head with a crown between its ears and a thermometer in its mouth!"

Her lips twitched. If his skills matched his humor, Brak would be well in no time. "Very witty. So, Doc Witty Wickers, are you ready to give a fairytale a happily ever after?"

He patted the bag that was slung over his shoulder and resting at his hip. "Wanderer Witty Wickers waits willingly to work with the woefully weak and wounded." When she just stared at him, he cleared his throat. "Everyone's a critic," he mumbled. "Best I could do on short notice."

"No, I was strangely impressed with your alliteration. Morra – can the doc ride with you?" she asked.

She motioned the man to follow her as she `claimed the glider with the lively unicorn. "As long as he doesn't keep talking like that," Morra teased. "I can't believe you're real," she crooned to the beast, offering a quick scratch under its chin before straddling the vehicle. That is when it hit her. She wasn't going to be able to share the wonder of the unicorns with her parents. She waited for the familiar pressure behind her eyes, but it never came. Her body had cried itself dry for now.

With a heavy heart, she pulled in behind Elvie and Tayln, following them to the garage. When she pulled to a stop, the Brik jumped out of the cart as if he knew this was their destination all along. Jett met them at the door.

"Another table has been brought in and prepared," he informed them.

Morra wasn't sure why they'd chosen the garage of all places. Town meetings and emergencies were usually held at the school. When she stepped into the garage, her mouth fell open in disbelief. Tables, beds and chairs were arranged, survivors sprawled out according to their injuries. The lightest wounded sitting in chairs. Only two were on tables, pillows under their heads, a third table draped and empty. She moved out of the way when Elvie floated the injured unicorn – Brak, past her and lowered him onto the table. That was new.

Samuel looked over the two humans and then over at the unicorn in stasis. "How long will that ingenious device keep the unicorn down?"

"I'm not certain," Elvie replied with a shake of her head. "I didn't design the stasis disk for masses this large – a few more hours maybe? Three or four?"

"That's fine, dear. That's plenty of time. I'll get these two here finished and then work on the unicorn. Once these three are done, I'll attend to the rest of you - in the order of need. Now," he said looking around the room, "who is responsible for dressing these two?"

Rahna stood up, her shoulders squaring. "I am," she told the medic. "I did what I could for them."

"Would you like to assist me?" He asked of the young woman. The smile that brightened her face let him know he'd been right to ask.

She had thought he would ridicule her attempts to help the wounded, but instead he asked for her help. "Yes!" she looked around, her cheeks darkening over the outburst. "I would enjoy learning whatever you are willing to teach me."

Leaving them to do what needed to be done, she, Morra and Tayln returned to the gliders. What surprised her was Brik. He jumped into her cart and swished his tail in anticipation. She supposed he believed Brak was in good hands. Like everyone else in town, he apparently wanted to keep busy. "We're just going to Morra's, but you are certainly welcome to come with." His little tail swished harder.

Tayln let Morra pull ahead, giving her some privacy. This trip to Wise Acres was not laced with anticipation and excitement. This trip was far darker. It marked an ending. It almost didn't seem fair that the birds still sang and the ruffalo still lowed in the pastures. Brilliant red and green winocks raced down the fence line beside them. So much had changed and yet so much remained the same. The world didn't stop for grieving. It didn't sigh at the tears or weep over the blood that soaked into its soil. It was uncaring and relentless – it didn't stop so we could take a breath. Maybe it wasn't fair - but that is what we needed it to be. It forced us to move on. It kept us from losing ourselves. Much like she imagined drell could lose themselves to solipsism.

Deep in thought, she hadn't even realized they'd arrived until Tayln came to a stop and shut off the glider. She slowly approached Morra, who stood frozen outside the back door. "Do you need to sit on the swing for a moment before you go in?" she asked gently.

"No. A part of me was expecting my parents to run out and squeeze me in a sandwich hug. They always did that if I'd been away any length of time. I just realized that they won't ever do that again." She took a centering breath, pulled open the door and stepped inside. It didn't feel like her parents were never coming back. It felt like the house was waiting for them to return. Or maybe she was. She forced each foot forward until they began moving on their own. Once she reached her room, she dragged two more bags out of her closet and tossed them on the bed. She rifled through her closet and drawers, tossing clothing along with anything of any real importance. She had no intension of coming back for a very long time.

After she zipped her bags up, her gaze fell on twin cubbyhole beds not far from hers. Jinx and Minx! She darted out of her room, calling their names. She didn't see Tayln pick up her luggage. She'd lost so much – she didn't want to lose them too. By the time her feet touched the lawn, she stopped and dropped to her knees. What was she thinking? She couldn't take them away from here. This was all they knew. They were giant rats; they wouldn't be happy living on the Citadel or on a ship. She felt two, warm, silky bodies wriggle up under her hands and then she was hugging them, her tears falling once more. She couldn't stay here – but they needed to. They needed the freedom to run and explore as they always had. All she would be able to give them is a caged life. They deserved more than that, even if it tore her the last of her shattered heart to shreds.

She was torn between wishing she'd been here to see her parents one last time and knowing, in the remains of her heart, that she'd have died with them – died with her friends…or worse…so much worse. Her parent's deaths had been explained. Her friends had not. What happened to Kiara, Morten, Briton, Jensie, Carson and Trina? Had they been taken? Killed? Implanted? All she knew is that they weren't among the survivors or the dead that had been found so far. Her heart wept for her parents, her babies and her friends. She felt an arm slip around her and the warmth of a body. "How did you survive the death of everything you knew?" she asked in a weak and strained voice.

Elvie understood that Morra was talking about her childhood colony's attack. "By forcing myself to push forward. To survive. But that, alone, wasn't enough. Surviving wasn't enough. I also had to force myself to let love in again. Love meant the possibility of pain and loss – but it also meant living. I rose from the ashes to embrace life and you have that in you as well. I won't lie to you. it wasn't easy but that's what makes everything I have now so precious to me." She wasn't sure if she the one who should be giving Morra advice. She used her heartache, her pain, her deepest feelings to fuel her. But then, she hadn't told Morra that part, which was how she survived and pushed forward. But opening herself up to others? That hadn't been easy for her to do…at first."

Morranna's tears eventually slowed to a stop, her body once again wrung dry. "I can't stay here. I'll lease the land to Ronz for now. His land boarders ours – mine to the north. I want to go back with you to the Citadel. I'll – I'll see if my aunt Anita will take me in. Maybe take courses to become a medic. So many injured – and I couldn't help them," she said with a helpless shake of her head.

"That's a noble goal," Elvie assured her. "You can live with your aunt if you want, or you can live with us or even have your own place in our hotel. We even have a team of lawyers that can find every grant or scholarship that's out there. Or – if you want us to fund your education, we can work out a service agreement – say a set number of years where you'll serve as medic aboard the Valkyrie or Oasis." Damned if she wasn't getting excited.

Morranna forced her gaping mouth to close. "You are truly insane. For one, I couldn't begin to afford a place of my own and I don't want to feel beholden to anyone. And two…nope, that pretty much covers it."

Elvie's smile widened, she could see the desire to say yes in her friend's stubborn eyes. "It can work out better than you think. We are doing something similar for Shelby and Dawn. They didn't want to beholden to us either. And I understand that. Look," she scooped up one of the rats and began stroking it, "If you want your own place, we won't charge you while you're in school. Once you're a medic, serve your first five years as our ship's medic. You'll get a small stipend to live on during those five years. Once your service is up, we'll establish a rent or mortgage agreement. If you choose to stay onboard as our medic, you will become a salaried employee. What do you think?"

The offer was more than anything she could have hoped. She still felt a bit like she was taking advantage of her friend's wealth, but no so much that she could refuse outright. "I still think you're insane – but I also want that life more than I can say," she admitted wistfully.

"Then consider it a done deal." As far as Elvie was concerned it was as good as settled. "What of these little guy's?" she asked curiously.

"I can't take their freedom away from them. They wouldn't be happy on a ship or the Citadel. I'll take them into town and see if anyone is willing to take care of them. If not…I'll just release them. They aren't with me because they need me to survive. They are with me because they love me," was her simple reply.

"Will they stay in the cart?"

She nodded. "Yes, they've gone into town with me before."

"Are you ready, Morra?" Elvie asked quietly.

Again, she nodded. She was exhausted and even that seemed like an effort. "It's time."

They each took a rat and walked slowly and quietly towards the gliders. Tayln was sitting on the glider, his feet stretched out to the side. The luggage piled into his glider's cart. They lowered the rats into the empty cart. "Morra's going to ride with me," she told her husband. "We're going to run in and grab their beds."

He nodded solemnly, sympathy and understanding shining through his eyes. "I'll keep an eye on them," he informed them. He wondered if they'd just added two more pets to the Valkyrie.

They returned quickly with the beds and food bowls, carefully setting them in next to the rats before Elvie took her place at the front of the glider's seat. When Morra mounted behind her and had a steady grip, she took off. Since the gliders had a holoshield to keep the bugs and air from slapping them in the face, they didn't use their helmets. But that also meant that the ride was quiet. And quiet suited everyone just fine, as each were busy with their own thoughts about what they experienced today.

They pulled up outside the garage. "I'll secure the luggage on the shuttle," Talyn informed them.

"I'll see if the others are ready to go," Elvie replied back as she headed towards the side door of the garage bay. They left the rats in the cart, since pets were not allowed in triage…unless they were a unicorn.

Morra let them know she'd be leaving and wasn't sure when she'd be back. One of Ronz's sons was waiting his turn to be seen and she'd told him that his father could work her land while she was away. She hugged those that were not badly injured and then turned to the room at large. "I can't take my babies with me. Jinx and Minx deserve to stay here. If any of you are willing to open your home to them, you would have my warmest gratitude."

Rahna cleared her throat. "We'll give them a home for you. Jett and I have decided to make our homes here. The Groves - well, there are not many survivors over there and we were offered one of the properties. They'll teach us everything we need to know. The people here are so generous." And they didn't care if she was biotic. Willing to help out had impressed them and made them welcome.

Morranna studied the pair silently for a moment. "You do remember my babies are large rats? Don't get me wrong – they are better behaved than some house guests and they're housetrained."

"I remember," Rahna assured her with a grin. "Jett will have to get over his fear," she shot a wink at Jett's astonished face, "but rats have never bothered me." With a growing grin, she skipped towards the door, towing Jett with her by his hand. "We should meet our new babies!" She almost wished her snobby parents could see her settling at a farming colony with rat babies. They would be horrified and mortified and that made her smile grow ever larger. So much so that her cheeks started to ache.

When they all arrived at the cart, Jinx and Minx stood up on their back legs to peer up at the people looking down at them. "Minx, is the one with the white legs. Until you get to know their personalities, that's the only way to tell them apart. Jinx is more likely to find himself in unfortunate circumstances, while Minx if more of an explorer. He wants to see everything. Understand everything."

Jett wasn't sure what he thought about the rats, but it was obvious that Rahna was enthralled by them. On the plus side, they certainly didn't look like any rats he'd ever seen. They had short, silky tan hair, red eyes, tufted ears and their tapered tails were also covered with the same silky hair as their bodies. But they were the size of a housecat. Who knew rats could get so big?

Rahna's hand lifted to her mouth in surprise. "Oh! They are more beautiful than I expected. When you described them, I really couldn't picture them. I didn't even know rats could be that pretty!" she crooned.

Morranna lifted Jinx up and set him in Morra's arms. Then she picked up Minx and settled him in Jett's arms. "Now," she said to her babies. "I want you to meet your new family. I have to go away. But Jett and Rahna are going to take care of you and you are going to live with them in a new house with new places to explore!" She kissed the tops of each of their heads and then looked up to meet her friends' eyes. "They will stay with their beds since it's starting to get dark. They grew up with human hours. Thank you both for taking care of them for me. I didn't want to cage them." When their little hands wrapped around her fingers, she sucked in a harsh breath, her smile trembling but her body unable to produce more tears. "There are toys in their beds. They like to play fetch or hide and seek with them. They are more like dogs than cats when it comes to play. They – they eat people food…"

"They'll be fine, Morra. We'll take good care of them for you," Rahna assured her friend.

Elvie settled in at her husband's side. Tayln had sent the Valkyrie's shuttle back to the ship so that CJ and CC could get Morra's bags settled into her room and Jett's and Rahna's bags into the shuttle. While they were waiting on the shuttle's return, she told him about the deal she'd made with Morra. Tayln had agreed the deal was more than acceptable. They also discussed the highlights of their missions.

"I didn't see any unicorns," he told her, "but we did see a large reptile with spiked webbing between its elbows and its body before it disappeared through the trees. We found out later that they called them wyverns. Apparently, they are slow-moving ambush predators that are considered harmless, for the most part, since they won't chase their prey down and they stay well away from settlements." He picked up her hand and wiggled her pinkie. "Its teeth were as long as your little finger -its fangs much larger. I don't consider that harmless."

She looked at her pinkie and shook her head. "I don't either. I'm glad it preferred to hide." She looked up when she heard the shuttled approach. When it touched down, she and Tayln hauled the bags out and settled them into the empty cart.

Morra looked up and nodded. It was time. "Com me if you have any questions or concerns," she said as she moved towards the shuttle. Numb. She felt numb for the moment. Though she knew it wouldn't last.

They boarded the shuttle and took it back to town to gather the rest of their friends. Elvie pointed out the standard Alliance shuttle as they came in for a landing. They'd barely had time to step off the shuttle when they were greeted by Alliance soldiers.

Sten Cortair hurried towards the arriving shuttle. As soon as the door slid open, his eyes scanned over the occupants that were disembarking and settled on the Spectre. A woman he'd heard a lot about since he'd first spoken to her. "Spectre Shepard, My CO, Captain Dundridge, would like to speak with you."

Since the Captain had been willing to come planetside to speak with her, she could hardly refuse. "Then take me to your CO, Commander." It wasn't like she couldn't see him standing at military rest, trying not to look in her direction, but failing miserably.

She was surprised when the captain, in his dress blues – so out of place in the chaos around them, saluted her as she approached him. Since he was yet to rest from the pose, she saluted him back. That seemed to do the trick. She wasn't sure why he saluted her, Spectre wasn't an Alliance rank. Respect, then?

"Thank you for speaking with me, Spectre Shepard." He inclined his head. His gaze lifting momentarily to meet that of the massive drell before lowering to focus on the Spectre. "I am Captain Gregory Dundridge of the SSV Einstein. I've heard a lot of good things about you from your mother. She was a hard woman to replace. It has become obvious that you, like your mother, are a remarkable woman. You, your second in command and the squads you led have distinguished yourselves – at the risk of life, above and beyond any call of duty. These actions will not go unrewarded. What you have done, today, for the Systems Alliance and the planet Mindoir will not be forgotten. I formally, hereby request the names of your squad members so that they may be recognized for their bravery and heroism during a brutal attack against a peaceful and crucial Alliance colony."

She nearly refused to be awarded anything outright. She wasn't doing any of this for recognition or glory. But as she looked out around the community, her friends doing everything they could to help the colonists clean up after the attack. It was obvious they were exhausted, but they pushed on. She would not take this honor away from them. With that decided, she returned her attention to the patiently waiting captain. A man she could look in the eye due to their equal heights. "I will supply you with a list of their names, captain."

She lifted her OT, aimed it at him and swiped those specific contacts in his direction. His OT chimed when it received the data. She quickly added her two newest crew members: Yarl Michaels and Soleya Kac'cekk.

Gregory nodded when his OT chimed again. "Data packets received." He saluted and when she returned it, he held out his hand. "It has been an honor to meet you, Spectre." When the shake ended, he turned away, took two steps and looked back at her. "Expect the brass to contact you when they are ready for the dog and pony show."

Dog and pony show? "I don't even know what that means," she admitted.

He grinned. "It means that the brass will want you and your team present for a vid-ceremony. I don't normally go for that sort of thing. Too flashy. But you deserve it. Honestly – I don't think there would have been anything left of the colony if you hadn't been here. Mindoir is one of our largest suppliers of produce and meat. The Alliance owes you a huge debt, if you ask me. Take care out there, Shepard. Your mother will be proud of you when she hears. Hell, I'm proud of you." His cheeks flushed and he cleared his throat as he turned away and headed back in the direction of the men who accompanied him to the planet's surface.

Rahna, Jett, Jinx and Minx had already left for the night to their new home in the Groves by the time the meet and greet was finished. She gathered up the rest of her people and returned to the Valkyrie. They'd done what they could for Mindoir.

The rest of their journey proved uneventful, but she was thankful for the peaceful down time. She supplied Yarl and Soleya with both an armor disk and their own Valkyrie pistol. Everyone was eager to show them how to use their new toys. Along with the fun was the somber undertone. They were leaving, going their own ways once more and who knew when they'd be able to come together like this again.

Tayln took Shelby and Dawn to Illium via a shuttle. He got them settled in his Eclipse Hotel and lined up a mentor at Teiner Tech for Shelby's introduction into the company. The rest of them remained aboard the Valkyrie, either being lazy or playing on the Sims deck.

Tamra and Hendel were returned to Earth and she, Tayln, Kaidan, Morra, Yarl and Soleya were headed for the Citadel. Yarl and Soleya and Morra were given flats on the same floor. Morra offered Kaidan the use of her second bedroom while he decided what he was going to do. For now, he wanted to volunteer a few hours a day at Guardian Security to help ensure the underbelly of the Wards were safe, while Morra enrolled in the studies she needed to become a medic.

Elvie had projects of her own she was working on. She was still working on Stein – the A.I. combat drone and she also wanted to tinker with the Valkyrie to see if she could improve upon her husband's design.

And, as warned, she and those of her team that were on the Citadel were requested to adjourn to the Systems Alliance embassy where they were presented with varying awards. She was presented with dress blues, granted the title Honorary Lieutenant of the Systems Alliance Navy and granted the Star of Terra. While Tayln led the second team, he was not human and so could not receive a military medal. He, along with Yarl, Soleya and Rahna (who was not involved with the fighting) received a Parliamentary Medal of Honor, the highest award that can be given to a non-human or civilian. Kaidan, Jett, Shelby, Dawn, Tamra, and Hendel received a Naval Silver Cross.

What mattered far more than any medal was that her family was allowed to go on leave so that they could be there for the presentation. For a moment, almost all of her friends and family were with her. And that was worth any amount of public attention.