Work Text
Chapter One
Jules gasped in shock, eyes snapping open as she reached forward and clapped hands to some sort of- “Why am I in a box? Where am I?” She whimpered to herself, breathing shaky. She slammed her hands on the box, body achy but alarm and rising fear building up. Her eyes darted around, looking for some sort of release latch. She couldn’t see anything and so began to kick, but the box she was in was metal and she screamed in rage as it barely dented. “Who the fuck put me in here?!” A burst of pressure and the lid was loosened, enough for her to kick the shit off the hinges. It flew, to her great surprise, but anger was still rushing through her and she flung herself out of the box to the ground. Blessed coolness hit her as she pressed her forehead to the metal flooring. Where was she? The floor wasn’t exactly the cleanest, but it wasn’t concrete or tiling or carpet and she abruptly looked up and around, taking everything in with alarm. Rows and rows of boxes with windows in a humungous hall. “Jesus Christ,” She cursed to herself, peering at one of the boxes in horror. Was this some kind of cruel experiment? Some morgue? All these bodies, preserved for some… purpose. She shuddered, terrified for a moment. “Miss?” She snapped her head up at the word, not understanding. Blue women looking concernedly at her, some sort of weapons in hands. Anger blared in her as she slowly stood her tired body, eyes narrowed. “Who the hell are you?” One spoke up soothingly, “Are you alright, miss? What is your name?” Jules swallowed, but pursed her lips for a quiet few seconds, looking between each of them, noting one had a slightly more purplish hue, another mostly blue and the other a somewhat green, but still mainly a perfect ocean blue. “I can’t understand you. What… What are you?” The three blue women looked unsurely at each other at the spoken English, being able to understand this was a highly unusual circumstance when a human didn’t know what an asari was, not after six and a half, nearly seven centuries. It was then something cracked loudly and powered down. A burst of motion, and some other… beings, looking flat faced and terrifying and clearly had the blue trio shunting their weapons up and firing. Terror took hold of Jules at the sound of guns firing at first before she calmed down a notch. It wasn’t as loud as guns she recalled from her life, and that made her able to think. She backed up behind her box. Okay, weak body, no idea where she was and two types of enemies. What could she do? Movement to her side and she yelped as she dodged a strike by shoving against the box in front of her and falling back. Her mind jolted into action, looking down at its gun. It snarled, not expecting such weak prey to be able to move and hissed when his weapon was taken from him, only to crumble to the ground by a point blank shot to the face with its own gun. She felt it warm in her hands and then instantly cool down, wondered if this was how weapons now worked in the universe. It wasn’t even a bullet, really, some kind of weird blast of energy. Cool, yet terrifying, but damn if she rather felt powerful with it in her hand. The Brit looked up and around her when she realised she was still in a gun fight, fear-widened eyes locking onto some… overgrown dog creature turning into a camouflage against the way and tracked the beast with unblinking eyes. Her hands automatically raised, lining up with the just about seen creature and firing a shot. It growled out in pain and went back into a seen mode, locking onto her. She grimaced and shot twice, missing the first but getting the mouth on the second with only a little skill but a good deal of luck. It collapsed and flopped sideways, tripping up some other attacking creature that looked a dime a dozen and she took advantage of that, firing another shot. It missed again and she cursed at the rebound, making her already achy forearms ache further. Regardless of her low energy, she pressed on with the firing, a dab of sweat trickling down the side of her head. It shot at her and she had to duck with a squeak, feeling the bullet zoom over her head with a punishing speed and her body trembled. “Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!” She muttered, petrified. A stray tear fell down her cheek and she let out a shuddering breath, hearing it run forward. “WhatdoIdo? Fuck, fuck, fuck!” There was nothing for it, either she die like some pathetic weakling here or she gain some courage. She grit her teeth, tears falling as the weapon in her hand was cooled once more. Adrenaline pumped harder, and she backed up along the box she came out of, arms raising once more as two of those fucks came to her. Her first shot got the shoulder, making it howl and fall back a step and disrupt the aim of the one behind it, so she took a chancing aim at the face of the one behind it a mere metre from her and watched in dark satisfaction as its brain matter exploded out the back of its head. It seemed the one in front didn’t care about its comrade, turning to her, but it choked as a beam of whatever it was from her gun got it in the neck. There were moments of nothing for a short time. ‘I… I killed these things,’ she thought to herself, feeling disconnected, in shock. Gulping, she raised a forearm and roughly wiped at her face, taking the drying tears away with shaking arms. She looked around once more, seeing no movement and hearing nothing. She got up and instantly saw the two dead blue women on the ground, wondering where the other was for a second before not caring. A pang of fear took hold of her again when she realised she was alone with potential friendlies now dead. “What… what now? Find someone. More of those blue people. Or, or humans,” the woman told herself, nodding quickly, trying to process it all. The immediate thought of this not being real was shoved to the side as the smell of the bony looking beings got to her and her stomach turned, abut to step around the rotted greenie-black blood when a thought occurred to her. What if they had something that could help her? After all, she’d gotten this neat gun, hadn’t she? With a grimace she swiftly began looting, taking off some armour on its arms and tugging and tying them on hers with difficulty. This was some crazy futuristic tech, because it clipped on and shrunk to her form snugly, making her-
Futuristic.
The word gonged in her head like an omen and she did indeed look around in dawning understanding. Aliens. Advanced weaponry. This was a spaceship. She felt her bottom lip quiver and she broke down crying, great heaving sobs that would be ugly to look upon, slumping to the ground to hold her knees to her chest. She rocked herself for a good few minutes, wondering how and why and shaking and then began laughing to herself. Then she howled as anger pulsed through her, getting up and kicking the fucking piece of shit alien. She furiously scavenged the bastard, taking it’s belt and finding some sort of magnetising feature was able to hold the extra gun and pulled that on over her pleated skirt. She honestly thanked all the hours wasting money in arcade with her brothers and friends, it had given her some experience in aim what with laser tag and shoot ‘em ups. Nothing like seeing the alien have its brain blown out, but… she’d been to body museums, had seen arms cut open for scientific purposes in liquid, had seen the murder section with a floating head with the back of its head blown open. Just like she’d done here. There was a curious lack of care in her about this. “Is there something wrong with me…? Shouldn’t I give a damn at least?” She swallowed, unable to understand herself. It would hit her soon, she was sure. Right? Yeah. Had to. With that she scavenged the rest of them, finally getting to the blue ladies and noting some kind of… thing? Gizmo? On their arms. It was orange and still operational. She wondered what it did, plucking it off the woman, only to jerk when she must have accidentally touched a button. The thing trilled, and a voice came through. “Report.” She had nothing to say for a moment then realised she might as well say anything. “I cannot understand you, but if this has some sort of translating ability, my name is Julie Hartland. I don’t know how to use this object and I don’t know how I got here.” She swallowed again, throat feeling dry and wincing at how pathetic she must have sounded, all lost and struggling. “If… If you could somehow send out a map of this place so I can find you, I’d be much obliged.” There was some beeps. “Hold onto this and we’ll send a team out to you. Stay-” The voice was cut off by gunfire and the thing cut out as if hit. “Shit.” Jules cursed, running a hand over her face and then putting it on as they had done. There was also some sort of beeping visor thing, and when she put it on over her right eye, she noted it taking in heat, scanning everything and showing different characters. “At least that’s one useful thing I can understand.” She shakily felt at her wrist for one of the hairbands that was always there. She had a lot of hair, having always prided in the light reddish-brown locks touching the small of her back. She shoved it up into a large, tight bun, high enough to get her fringe in it as well and breathed out, staring at the large entrance. Gripping the hilt of her gun, she nodded to herself and went forward, breaching into the unknown. She took everything in as she lightly padded around, glad to be wearing relatively soft boots and was mostly silent as she kept to the walls. Nothing here was recognisable. It all looked put together, like it was premade to simply click into place like Lego bricks. The whole place spoke of efficiency and premium design, though she wondered if it would be considered old to whoever was here. Even the odd plant that she went passed showed that nothing was the same, completely oily in texture but oddly pretty as well, for leaves. There were consoles she went past, but even tapping onto the keyboard had nothing come up. Power out. Perhaps there was a backup generator somewhere? A way to reroute power maybe? Bah, she had no idea about engineering. Hell, she was a chef that did music and dance for a hobby. A sigh, and she left the console, pushing off from it and stalking away. It was a good thing she took the arm tech, because as soon as she reached to tap at it, the tool beeped and allowed her in. Was that woman some sort of high level management? Good. She went into a room, seeing it more… was this a room for children? So… this was a civilian ship rather than some rogue scientific experimenting one? That… was actually very comforting. She slumped into a chair meant for a little’un, exhausted. How long had she been in that box? Everything hurt. Her eyes tiredly peered around before she found a cupboard thing. Maybe she could have a kip in there? Sleep off some of this exhaustion? She got up, feeling dizzy and, wobbly, went to the cupboard. Opening she found it had to remove some, uh, things (toys, maybe?) first, but there was enough space for her to curl up and sleep, so she did, clocking out near instantly. It was five days later, and Jules was growing desperate, which drew her to make hasty and rash decisions. She needed to find an exit, but had been hunted near constantly. “Fuck!” These beings – Ceramics, as she’d weirdly named them in her head – had been on her trail for the last four and a half days, knowing there was a human out there they would take for… something. She didn’t want to even think about it, dashing away and ignoring the cramp in her hand and she furiously chewed on some kind of jerky. She’d found a small stash of snack food, a single bottle of water and tubes of paste in some red cooler that just about worked, and she didn’t care if she was munching down toothpaste, it was keeping her alive. Teeth bared and she backed around a corridor, shooting and killing two off and yipping as she saw the tell-tale movement of a hellhound, grabbing her shotgun and slapping the heated SMG on her magnetic belt and cocking the gun. Teeth went for her, but she fired the two round into its humungous mouth and smirked when it died immediately. She snagged the metal block from her pocket and thrust it into the gun, knowing it instantly melded two new bullets. She didn’t question future-tech. Simply used it. The eye-scanner on her face told her there were no more for now, whereas before the bars had been going haywire. She’d noted and understood some symbols meaning something along the lines of ‘can be opened’ and ‘danger’ and ‘locked’ and there was no way she could doubt the outline of the Ceramics as compared to the blue-ladies. There had been some people try to get through to her, but it seemed to be a ranged thing, only working when they were close – or maybe it was when they were in some area that could go online, like the internet. Just bad connection? They’d ask for her location hurriedly, but it seemed they were more involved in trying to defend against constant Ceramics attacking them. Which, really, she couldn’t logically fault them for. Keep their people safe and focus on defending, or get out a party to find her? They’d at least tried to help her, but some parts of the ship were still inaccessible to even them, who likely owned the ship considering they were the ones camping out there and defending. She yelped as, overhead, something burst and a fire began, making her eyes go wide in alarm and instantly back away. “Uh…” Her foot kicked back against the hellhound and she tripped over it, wincing as her elbow smacked the hard ground and jolted her upper body. She was feeling better after waking up from the box, but she’d also taken shot shots that skimmed her body, leaving three bloody gouges along her right thigh and two on her lower right arm from earlier, one of the arm guards now busted and useless. Grimacing, she held back the tears of helplessness and pushed up, legs over the beast and hands holding her up. Only to look down at the beast and up at the fire. Could she… eat these things? Her shotgun had an unused bayonet on it. An hour later and she was eating the surprisingly delicious leg meat, not feeling sick or bad at all. Huh. Well, that solved hunger for now. She ate until full and then went back to the living quarters, wanting to relive her body and then wash, but first making sure to scout the area. She fearfully washed her self and her clothing in minutes, terrified of being caught naked and completely defenceless. She wanted to wait until the somewhat ripped clothing of skirt, underwear, baggy shirt and hoodie dried, staying next to a flicking source of heat, but it was only twenty minutes later she dressed in somewhat damp clothing, too scared to wait any longer and departed. Currently, she was running only on fumes, but with a full stomach of meat, her mind and body were getting drowsy. Drowsiness that cost her. She hissed in utter pain as one of the normal file and rank soldiers of the Ceramics got the jump on her, having stupidly not paid enough attention to her scanner, having gotten too used to seeing the characters twitch. He came at her, backhanding her to the ground with his gun and she rolled, slamming into the wall, and she was dazed for a moment, gripping the gun with a white knuckled grasp and shakily using the wall for stability to get up. She stumbled out the way off the kick coming to her face and shot him in the head before dashing away, rolling her jaw that was starting to swell. The pain made her stagger when she pulled it a certain way, but her jaw wasn’t broken or- Jules cried out as a bullet finally caught her in the calf from one of those Smokescreeners. He disappeared behind it and she futilely shot, only to scream as a hellhound came at her, biting down into her bared arm. The pain caused her to see red and she roared and used her SMG to repeatedly shoot it in the head between the spikes. It fell on top of her, which was a good thing as she felt bullets penetrate the hide of the hound. Snarling, she shoved it forward, mind on the fight and using it as a blockade to keep her alive. Fear had her trembling to stay alive, but anger had her focused to kill and she used the both of them to take out the small group of three. There was silence. A heave, and she was slowly standing up, laughing with hysteric breathiness to herself as she stared at her bleeding leg. The bullet was only partially wedged in somehow and she could pluck it out. Her blood oozed out instead of rushed out, and it was… oddly tinged orange? Another uncontrolled laughter left her lips. What on Earth was this shit!? Oh, wait. “Not on Earth, girl,” The twenty seven year old told herself, swallowing and then turned to the next beast. “No point letting it spoil. Shit, where was that fire?” Jules was unsure how long she’d been trapped in here, wrapped up in medical bandages, having followed the – bless the absolute fuckin’ heavens – English script that told her how to do things like this. She’d also wondered over the odd little dots on her and under her skin but seeing as they did nothing to her, she ignored them for the most part. She couldn’t get out because she couldn’t decrypt the language, and was hunted down each time by Ceramics that could decrypt the thing when doors did open and had to run to divide and conquer based on her now excellent knowledge of the living quarters. She cursed her orange tool, roughly rubbing at her eyes, red from lack of sleep and darkly bagged. It hadn’t been talked into for days now, and she tried to force the idea out that she was left for dead. Most of her time was spent running, killing, eating, and, strangely enough, drawing. Her arm-tool had some sort of notepad on it and to take her mind off of things to have some sort of normality, she had begun to simply draw with blood-splattered hands holding a piece of metal that was thin enough to mimic a pencil. It worked, and using a children’s book she found, she’d begun to tutor herself in drawing with what she figured out was a how to book when the pictures did a step by step to completion of some sort of four-legged animal – possible the equivalent of a pet cat for the blue ladies? Foolishly she’d fallen asleep at the child’s table, and bolted up when she’d woken up to movement and her scanner flickering in her eye. Another attack, another day. She clenched her beloved SMG and let the fighting mentality grip her mind once more. A small smirk tilted her lips. Her blood was beginning to boil at the thought nowadays. It’s not as though she had anything else to live for.
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Chapter Two
Jules jolted, eyes narrowing when some systems around her crashed and some doors opened and others locked, according to her eye-scanner. Slow hope hit her. Did this mean that she would be free?! Then her head snapped up as she heard someone… in the ventilation shafts? There’d been no way in, locked as she was in this part of the ship, having checked every wall, bit of ceiling and flooring. She’d been kept in here like a growling tiger on the prowl and with a jog, she followed the sounds of the blue lady as well as watching her heat signature go this way and that. It seemed the woman didn’t know she was there and with utter relief at the door opening, Jules got out of the accursed living quarters. Until she realised everything looked near on the same as where she’d last been and her skyrocketing delight crashed in an instant as pain slammed into her head from being in this room for no well explained reason. She winced from that, but got used to it, adrenaline kicking in hard. She didn’t even flinch when the purplish blue-lady with the odd tentacles for hair turned and gave a short scream. Jules stared, unimpressed. “Ah… haha. Ahem.” The blue-lady cleared her throat in embarrassment. Jules eyed the tentacle-headed woman in displeasure for her loudness because there was no use speaking. It’s not like she’d be understood. Her eyes narrowed even further when a gun was pointed her way in slow reaction. Then the woman gawped at her, in which Jules really could have killed her multiple times already, and pulled her gun down, putting it away foolishly. Jules was stared at for a bit, until the survivor raised a brow in impatience and the woman grinned sheepishly and said something. “So… who are you? Are you with the Pathfinder?” An awkward silence then occurred. The blue ladies eye widened in realisation. “Oh! You’re the one who can’t understand us that’s been out here for three months! Right! And-And you can’t understand this. Oh dear. No translating nodule inside you? How strange.” Jules stared at her, waiting for her to bring them somewhere safe. “But I clearly see you’ve had something done to you…” Having enough of this lollygagging when there could be enemies anywhere, Jules cleared her throat and glowered. The woman jumped but then nodded and went to some cabinet and opened it with her arm-tool, which Jules watched with hawkish eyes, taking in the glowing buttons she pressed. It opened the cabinet up with clothing and weapons inside. She was passed a helmet, one that fit over her eye-scanner, with blue lady helping her lock it closed, followed by new boots and some sort of light armour that had some kind of… jetpack?! Jules gawped in awe as the woman hurriedly jumped far ahead, and with an attempt as the blue lady waved her over, Jules yelped as she also followed in a burst of fire power. She was off balance when she landed, but then simply gave it a few more goes, each slightly less wobbly and stumbling like a new-born goat than the last. “Okay. This isn’t so bad. I can do this.” “Hey! I can understand you now!” Jules jerked, gun instantly raising at the sudden voice in her helmet, having not expected it. “Oops! Sorry! I should have been a little less enthusiastic. It’s the helmet, it translates for us. Are you injured in any way?” The Earth woman swallowed, wanting to cry at finally, finally, finally being able to talk to someone. Gods she'd been so lonely in there. “No. No, nothing lasting. Where… when…? Just…” “Oh no, I forgot you must’ve woken up, a human on an asari ship, and having no idea… It’s two thousand, eight hundred and eighteen, and we’re on Ark Leusinia, the asari colony starship for the Andromeda Initiative.” Jules was struck dumb by the information, gaping and still. “Uhm… Miss, uh-?” “Julie Hartland, call me Jules,” The human replied breathlessly, barely able to comprehend what this alien was telling her. 2818. Starship. Andromeda Initiative? “Vederia.” It snapped her out of her stupor. Jules blinked, not yet out of her defensive state of mind. “What do you call those beings that have been attacking us if you are... asari and I am human?” “They’re the Kett.” The words were said in disgust and anger. “They’ve been attacking us for nearly four months but… you. You’ve been keeping them from killing the women and children of the ship and the people that can get us out of here. Thank you. Heavens above, thank you!” Some of her hatred for the people that hadn’t bothered to save her wilted at that sentence – how many hundreds of Kett had she killed just to stay alive, after all? - before her head snapped around as her scanner caught attention of Kett incoming. “You. We’ve got company. Please tell me you’re calling in the cavalry?” “A Pathfinder is coming!” “The hell is a Pathfinder?” Jules asked but then dove to the side as a multitude of Kett came in and she tracked them with her eye-scanner. “Vederia, to my three o’clock,” She commanded, uncaring if she was bossy as the asari did as bid, dodging bullets and giving Jules the opening to shoot three dead and hid back down behind a railing, letting her gun cool down, now knowing how long she’d have to wait by sheer experience and instinct. She heard the bullets, watched the Kett begin to divide and took the calculated chance to dodge to the next hiding spot up a level as a small break in firing happened and she shot down another two, taking out a shotgun to point-blank kill two hellhounds and grinning darkly as blood and gore spurted and painted the flooring. Stepping over dead bodies didn’t faze her, considering the dozens she’d stacked up back in the living quarters, festering and stinking up the place as a warning to the other Kett. Not that it didn’t stop them, then or now. She put the shotgun away after reloading it, taking out her cold SMG once more and firing off bullets to keep Kett away from Vederia. A private of the Kett army came too close to her so she blasted him to pieces with her heat-arms SMG. She let her gun cool down on her belt as she grabbed the gun he had, using the bullets up, used to Kett guns from having to use them a lot for when being out of bullets for her shotgun and overheated SMG happened. “On my mark, Vederia…” She powerfully tossed the gun to create a distraction and it worked, Kett turning as the slapping sound, thinking another enemy had appeared behind them, so both Vederia and Jules had a chance to gun them down. “Now!” The pair of them blasted the enemy to stragglers, and even those were easily taken care of within twenty seconds of aimed firing. Jules looked around with her beloved eye-scanner, probably the one thing that kept her alive more than anything else. Nothing caught her attention, but lack of it had cost her bullets to the body and so she took a second, third and then fourth glance around. “Alright. Vederia, do whatever it is you need to do. Quickly.” “Yes, ma’am! I’ll get to the mass effect field generator!” The woman huffed out through her nose in amusement at that deference. “Excellent. Keep up the good work.” She had no idea what that was but, as long as she was doing something apparently useful. “Yes, ma’am!” Right. Ma’am. If she said so. The asari went to some technology Jules had yet to see as she reloaded her guns, grabbing another Kett gun and began to loot. Metal moulds for weapons to have bullets, some random crap she had no idea if it was good or not but could be carried into her belt pocket for later analysing. She leaned on the railing as she took out some dried jerky and munched on it when she could, making sure not to eat too much. Just in case she needed to fight again in a few moments. But damn if she wasn’t hungry a lot. More hungry than she could recall. Sure this survival stuff had given her a great body, lither with barely any fat, but she knew without proper nutrients her body was suffering malnutrition. Though… she had to wonder at the better body. Even fit as she was before on Earth from her dancing as hobby, this body was better than that. Now she was out of imminent danger and in safe enough company, she was able to think on it a little more. Something had happened to her while in… stasis? Was that the terminology for it? She was hardier, able to survive for some reason. Her mind had wondered how she got there, but she could barely think of anything before a friendly game of Texas hold ‘em poker between family members. Then blips of… stuff happened, but she could barely focus on them. But one thing she knew was that it was something to do with asari. And so she would keep an eye on them, staying back with only politeness. Her eyes caught movement, ready to jump down as three others came in, one man and two women. But… two of them were human?! She sucked in a breath as she watched from her vantage point above with intensity “I tried pulling the plug but, nothing. Can your SAM figure it out, Pathfinder?” A pause in her suits translator. “I’ll handle the device. Maybe you three and Jules can connect the cables?” “Jules?” “That would be me, Pathfinder, was it?” Jules asked and waved from her point at the trio. He waved back. “Hi, Scott Ryder, nice to meet you! I hear you’re the human running amok here?” “Hello, pleasure to meet you! I’m Jules Hartland and, by the by? I can only speak English or Turkish, no translator tool imbedded into me,” The Englishwoman said succinctly with a wry grin easily noted in her tone. “I would be much obliged if you could take me with you, wherever you go, Monsieur Ryder. Bit lost, you see.” The blond blinked at her, a roguish grin on his face. Oh, he was a looker. “Are you now?” “Well, yes,” Jules remarked idly, waiting for the next round of Kett as she looked around for signs of trouble. “Why else would a human be placed amongst multiple boxes of, ah, asari?” “True. Ready?” “Aye-aye cap’n!” She winked and went into cover, waiting. It was then the asari booted up the tech she was working on and more Kett came in. Jules swiftly killed off multiple enemies, knowing their weak points after weeks of being hunted and being the hunter of these creatures. Her ease of taking them out seemed to gain her respect as the three that came in looked at her in surprise as the fight was over in under two minutes, done and dusted. But after being hunted by those bastards for months, how could she not know their weaknesses? She’d be stupid not to learn. Then she breathed out as that migraine inducing noise was gone. “Oh thank Christ that noise is gone.” Vederia breathed out in relief. “It’s really over!” The hope in her voice was palpable and then she looked determined. “I should go help. There might be something I can do.”
“We’ll keep an eye on the hull breach. Just in case,” The Ryder guy said, nodding at Vederia.
“Sarissa should be proud. You’ll be one hell of a Commando,” The other human stated, a short blonde-haired woman that had the looks and posture of a soldier. “You’d know Lieutenant. Thank you for everything. Please take care of Jules.” Vederia nodded and turned to Jules who was coming down. “Jules, ma’am. Thank you, from the heart of the Goddess.” That had the blonde woman raising her brows before turning to Scott and began to talk to him of some other asari. “You’re welcome.” Jules watched the woman go do whatever she had to and then went to the Pathfinder. And to some sort of argument? 'So this Sarissa person killed this Matriarch?' She said nothing, not willing to get involved in the anger coming from the blonde. Something personal was going on there. Her eyes went to the other blue woman that slunk up to her and gave her a polite smile, wondering if the black, uh, war paint, over her eyes meant anything. “Good afternoon. At least, I think it’s afternoon. Is it the afternoon?” A flirtatious giggle and the woman put hands to hips. “Name’s Peebee. Jules, huh? I’m with Ryder’s team, just as an aside. Where’d you come from?” “Could you clarify a little? I mean, I come from London, if that’s what you’re asking?” “The city on Earth right? I only know a few, like Tokyo and Berlin.” The woman grinned at her, flashing pearly whites. “Visited Vienna once, loved the concert I went to, really something to applaud. Think it was my favourite concert, weirdly enough. Usually I like hard techno music.” “Oh, yeah?” Jules grinned at her widely at touching on one of her favourite topics, instantly ignoring her dislike of the asari because this one was in no way involved with the ones here but for shared species. Species? Race? Wait, which was it? “I prefer to play, myself. Love the violin. Can’t stand music festivals though. Usually bands have been touring around and they’re knackered by the time they get to the main stage so they’re unfortunately not their best. Kinda sucks to be honest. ‘Specially when you pay bucket loads to see them.” “Wouldn’t they just take some medi-gel to heal voices?” “Huh?” Jules cocked her head, knowing she’d read that in the medical box, but there wasn’t any. “What is that exactly? What does it actually do?” Peebee squinted at her. “What’cha mean, what does it do? You’ve not seen medi-gel before?” “No. I haven’t. The medical box was out of it.” The asari was about to ask more when an alarm went. “What the…?” “Deck Twelve people!” Jules followed Scott Ryder in an instant, beginning to mow down Kett and clear up the way to Deck Twelve. She gawped and trembled at the sight of the hole in the fucking starship and felt tears of pure fear leak down her face at the endless nothing before her until Cora clapped her on the back, harsh. “Breathe, soldier! We have Kett incoming!” She swallowed feeling like she had something wedged in her throat. “R-Right!” It was the fault of the Kett. They did this. Passionate righteousness and self-preservation kicked into high gear. She wasn’t giving up after all those weeks being hunted down. Fuck that. She angrily shot down five, but then about two dozen more came out, in which she did her best to cut the throng down in half before the others took the other amount, trading looks between them at the clearly trained soldier with them in odd fitting armour. She began to learn names of each of the Kett types from the shouts between the people. There was even one that somehow floated with some ball thing floating around him (Her? It? What?) to hold up a barrier called a Valiant. A Valiant that screeched something that had the others instantly shooting him dead and Sarissa (wait, when did she get there? Bloodlust was a hell of a thing.) said something about a Battle of Ker-something as she stormed to the hole in the ship, letting out a gorgeous purple barrier that had bolts of current flashing through it, like miniature lightning bolts. Fired torpedo things were coming at the ship through space from what must be the Kett ship and her stomach dropped. Fear struck her in place. “W-What the…?” She mumbled to herself, astounded by what she was seeing. Sarissa looked back for a moment. “Lieutenant! Please!” Cora, the blond that'd been pissed off at this asari, did an astounding job of pushing her and Sarissa’s barrier out, saving the ark. Jules was in awe. What was that beautiful blast of power? Ryder called out. “Captain, get us out of here! C’mon, Jules!” He grasped her wrist and pulled her when she seemed frozen, watching the other ship blow up. She flinched when some odd sound went out behind her and hadn’t realised she’d begun to tremble once more, and Ryder felt it. “You alright there, Jules? What’s wrong?” His voice softened. “The… The hole in the ship. I-I-It…” He slung an arm around her shoulders and shook her, but not in a cruel way. “It’s something, huh? But it’s behind us now.” “Yeah, that’s what I’m mostly concerned over, Braveheart.” “Braveheart?” “Like the film, because your name is Scott? Y’know, like Scotland. The reference isn’t amusing if you have to explain it, you know.” His eyes widened when he finally got it. “Oh, like that old movie from way back when! Damn, that’s quite the niche knowledge.” He tried to lighten this up, but it only made her recall how far away in the future she was. Grinning weakly, she gave a feeble laugh. “Yeah… ages ago. We should get to the Captain, yes?” Scott pat her shoulder heavily twice and let go of her. “Right. Let’s move it people!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter Three
Sarissa desperately reasoned, “Pathfinder, I had to bring hope to people. You understand that, don’t you?” Scott narrowed his eyes. “I… agree with her,” Jules spoke up quietly and took off the helmet as had Peebee set up the translating programme for her on the Omni-tool. “One person or thousands?” The asari flinched at the intent eyes narrowed at her from the human. “I’d thought you dead when we let you out that day. You’ve got the Matriarch’s Omni-tool and eye-scanner, I see.” She eyed it covetously. Jules idly touched it, fond and unwilling to part with it. “This was the main thing that kept me alive. You know, when you guys never helped me once for weeks down there?” “What?” Peebee said, horrified and then turned to a pursed-lipped Sarissa. “How could you just leave her down there?!” “One or thousands, Peebee,” Jules repeated, suddenly exhausted and wanting off this ship. “We used her,” Sarissa admitted with a huge sigh. “We couldn’t believe she was able to survive for a week, so I said that you volunteered, gave the others hope. Told myself that I’d repay you however I had to if you survived. It’s on me, only I knew after the Head Doctor and our Matriarch were killed.” The Englishwoman laughed humourlessly at that. “That’s a big if, and in the meantime, if I didn’t, you’ve at least had some weeks of a diversion. Why am I even here on the Leusinia? I at least deserve that for a start.” “Yeah, you do. The data is on your Omni-tool.” Sarissa said, nodding at it. “You’ll not like the results. But you’ll be happy to know that specific Doctor is dead.” Jules frowned. “I don’t understand.” An apologetic look was sent her way. “You will. And until then, look forward to much credits coming your way.” Credits? Jules was slow as she went aboard Tempest. Her tired eyes looked around, unsure what to find, having mentally prepped herself for… anything really. She had no idea what to expect, having taken in the information that there were more aliens on board by the off sentences to statements from the other three such as, ‘Vetra is our Quartermaster, that woman can get anything, pins you with that look Turian’s have, you know? Got a kid sister she adores, too. Her and Drack, he’s this super old Krogan Grandpa type of guy. him and Vetra, they’re the mother hens of the lot, I’m telling you.’ And had no idea how she’d handle her staring. “But first to the med bay. Get Lexi on you.” “That would… be the ship doctor?” She guessed accurately. “Hole in one, Jules,” Scott gave her a grin as he guided her to the bay. A silent breath of relief exhaled from her for not passing by any of the aliens, and she was suddenly face to face with another asari with a see-through tablet of some sort. She stiffened, but otherwise showed no outward dislike. “Ryder. Having a physical?” “Nope! Got you someone to look over. Jules Hartland will be joining the team. Survived Kett by herself for months. You should’ve seen the piles of bodies decomposing.” Scott whistled at the memory in awe and Jules’ clenched her jaw at the reminder. “We can have a full team meeting afterwards. I’ll tell the others. Don’t give her too many shots!” He clapped Jules’ shoulder and got out quickly to go find Cora. Lexi snorted. “Hmph, always running away. Can’t keep those Ryder’s still for two minutes. I’m Doctor Lexi T’Perro and I take care of you all on board the Tempest. When was the last time you had a physical examination?” “Ah, that would be never. Unless I had to go to the GP for some sort of malady.” She looked around eyes wide at everything. “You’re a soldier, correct?” She eyed the guns on the belt around her waist and the issued armour. That drew her gaze back. “No. I’m not. I… I have no idea where I am, Doc’. And apparently it’s the year two thousand eight hundred and eighteen?” She said, breathless and looking up with wide eyes. Lexi softened her look and words, seeing the burgeoning signs of distress. “Yes, when you signed up for the Andromeda Initiative-” She cut herself off, seeing the bewilderment. She frowned, before a dawning realisation sunk in. “You didn’t sign up.” Jules shook her head gently. “No. I didn’t.” “I must ask, how did you get aboard the Ark Leusinia?” “I don’t know. Last I knew I was playing a game of poker with my uncle and that side of the family. Then I wake up to, asari, was it? Your kinds’ name?” Lexi blinked and nodded slowly. “Yes. Have you never met an asari?” “Not until I woke up about thirteen weeks ago.” The human looked her head over curiously. “I… don’t know anything about any aliens.” “I can tell you of all our species after the medical, if you like?” The doctor offered wishing to fill in blanks for her, to build bridges across species. “You can take off your armour and weapons now. You’re safe.” A hesitation but she nodded. She swiftly stripped down to her normal clothing, knowing she smelt and knowing there wasn’t anything for it. The last week had been especially difficult. “Any chance I can wash first?” Lexi gave her a kind smile and used her Omni-tool to begin scanning her body, taking in her vitals. “Don’t worry, I understand chances to wash while struggling for survival would be slim. Please don’t feel shamed by this. I see your body has gone through malnutrition, but it’s not as bad as I would have guessed it to be. You’ve much less of a fat percentage than I’d have liked for your height and gender but again, understandable. So I can begin a record for you, your full name is Jules Hartland, yes? Good, good. Date of Birth?” “Twenty-second of February, nineteen-ninety.” “I… beg your pardon? Nineteen hundred’s? Of Earth years, yes?” Jules took off her belt and put it on the bed next to her other things. “Yes. What is it?” “How old are you?” “Twenty seven,” She drew out warily, unsure about the lengthy look of disbelief. “Then, you’d now be eight hundred and twenty eight?” “Apparently… Doc, what’s wrong?” “So you were born in nineteen ninety, but then suddenly woke up in an Andromeda Initiative Ark?” The Earth-born woman nodded. “That’s what I’m trying to still process, yes. I don’t know how, but this Sarissa woman gave me some data on how I got there on this thing?” She held up the Omni-tool. “I don’t know how to work it, and I think it’s in asari language?” “I see, let me get that for you. We’ll need to get you a translator chip.” Lexi adjusted it and Jules watched sighing at how easily it actually was to do, annoyed with herself. She’d tried multiple times to change it herself but couldn’t find the settings for it and didn’t want to mess with it too much considering it was the only way for her to hear the asari on the other end. That tech was potentially her only way for help or freedom so she’d simply kept it on her. Plus it opened doors as well when she had it on, when not overridden my the main system. “This was a Matriarch’s? It has so much data on it…” She went through it and found a file. “Here. Oh? It has your medical profile? Let’s read it and I can transfer all I need to know over to my datapad.” “Sure.” “An audio log?” Lexi pressed a button. “Project Hit Back has been a success. The subject has fully taken on the Krogan gene and shows no signs of rejecting the blood. Healing is as superb as the Krogan’s, and it is even projected that she could potentially grow a crest on her forehead. We often give our enemies the means for our own destruction was a line from the human Aesop and he was right. We have to make sure the Krogan don’t form another rebellion. The subject is to be the first in many that will join Hit Back in taking down Krogan. The subject showed signs of leadership in high stress scenarios and will spearhead this group. It is fortunate we were able to buy this one. A royal flush, indeed.” “End of audio log,” Jules murmured, mind reeling. “Royal flush.” Her eyes closed, feeling sucker-punched. Lexi was astonished, light blue eyes taking in the human. The woman had Krogan in her? Many companies and militaries around the Milky Way had tried and failed at exactly that. No wonder the woman sounded so smug. “There’s another one.” “Play it.” The words were commanding, spoken through gritted teeth. “I will not lose this project! The Justicars have cracked down on this-” There was a grunt. “So I have to send the subject off out of their reach. I will not allow them to touch my beautiful girl. We will be far away, in another part of the universe completely. I will use her, keep her as my companion and kill the remaining Krogan, begin a new regime with me as Queen Matriarch and my girl as General. It will be sweet.” There was a silence in the room. “I-I…” Jules gulped and then heavily sat down, staring blankly. “The doctor is dead. Now I understand. But why would I kill for her? What made her think I would? I don’t even know what a Krogan looks like.” Lexi went through the file silently, finding that she was cryogenically kept by her people, one of those extremist groups that thought Krogan shouldn’t live. She hadn’t imagined they’d actually do something about it. “You were a chef?” “They have all that? Yeah.” Jules nodded and then snorted as a thought went through her head. “Apparently cutting well helped me in more than one scenario,” She quipped darkly. It made a chuckle come out from the doctor as she went through it all. “Indeed.” She looked up as she saw Jules take out and munch on some sort of meat she’d not seen before. “What food is that?” “What do they call those Kett beasts…? Wraiths? The one’s the go invisible? Yeah, there was a fire leak and I cook a leg of it.” “Do you know that’s actually poisonous to humans?” The doctor replied, utterly intrigued. “Your Krogan blood must keep you from getting ill over such substances.” “I guess. I have somewhat orange blood now too.” “How about we do that physical?” “Sure thing.” Two hours later, and Jules was sleeping on the bed, completely knocked out after taking multiple shots to prevent infection, topping up her immunity as much as she could for now until it settled and she’d do the second half of the lot after twenty four hours. Lexi sighed, glad Jules had given the okay for the others to know, saying she didn’t want to hide things from her new crew, if she was allowed to stay and be one still that is. She left the bay after placing a blanket over the exhausted woman, having asked Ryder to call a meeting. She was last to arrive to the meeting table, with Kallo still at the helm of the ship. “Thank you for coming.” Ryder nodded, arms crossed. “So, what’s the deal with our new buddy? Is she catching some Z’s?” He joked. The angara blinked. “Catching some Z’s?” “Sleeping,” Scott stated. “Another idiom.” “Ah. Idiom. Humans have many, it seems.” Jaal hummed to himself. “She is, yes. Her body is exhausted. However, the data on her given Omni-tool is rather alarming.” She threw up the information before them all and spoke of what she’d found for a solid five minutes. “So we have a human who’s not seen any alien but for Kett and asari, one who has tried to hunt and murder her or potentially knows about her Krogan blood, and the other who have willingly caged her for their own ends. I fear she may have a logical fear for aliens from it and ask you be gentle. Hopefully she won’t end up a Roekaar type.” The non-humans nodded in understanding. “I don’t know, Lexi.” Cora looked thoughtful. “She was exceedingly level headed about what happened to her when faced with the woman who left her in there. No wonder she was chosen for that extremist group. Getting that type of logic on your side would have you one hell of a loyalist should she agree.” “Yeah, but there was some cold hard murder in her eyes.” Scott scoffed. “You didn’t see it? Sarissa sure did.” Surprise was on her face. “No, I didn’t.” “She has nodules all over her.” The picture of her in a pod had the dots light up. “Biotic nodules. Three times the normal amount. She is untrained, and with the potential for her emotions to get out of hand from her mind processing what she’s been through she is also a danger to herself and others. However, I must note that even with being informed of being sold off as an experiment, the nodules kept to minimum power it always stays at when it was clear she was completely distressed at the thought of being sold by what I presume is a close family member. I shall have to do in-depth research of this if she allows me. She’ll need much guidance.” “Make sure she knows it has to happen if she wants to stay. People only have eight nodules top for a reason. That much is overkill.” “All to put my kind down.” Drack grunted out. Lexi nodded grimly. “I believe Jules’ words were ‘What made her think I would? I don’t even know what a Krogan looks like’. Be assured, Jules has no urge in her to kill unduly.” That made the large male laugh. “Ha! You sure she’s got Krogan in her then?” “She’s got a scary aim, and she was grinning at each Kett she took down,” Scott added for him. The Krogan took that in with a hum, hefty body shifting. “Hm, she’s got the quads then. What about this group? Anymore of them?” “I had SAM scan for more information,” Lexi informed. “SAM?” “There is no data to presume they survived or not. However, Pathfinder Sarissa stated that the doctor responsible for this is deceased,” The AI educated them. “I advise we keep Miss Hartland protected, so she is not kidnapped by any remaining members of the group.” “Of course, SAM,” Ryder grinned upwards. “So, how about we show each of you guys to Jules one by one, so she isn’t overwhelmed? How about-” “Wow!” They group snapped their heads around, seeing an amazed Jules looking at each of them incredulously, eyes bright and curious. Her eyes zeroed in on Drack and she grinned widely. “I’m guessing you’re the Krogan, huh? You look badass. Look at you!” She came right up to him, taking him in with no hesitation. Drack laughed loudly. “Ha! I like this one!” “You’re like a giant turtle,” She surmised, eyes squinting a little as she canted her head to the side. He pointed at her, giving a snickering Scott a stare. “I’m gonna shoot this one.” Jules took his hand, turning it and shook it in welcome. “I like you too. Wow, feel these hands, damn. You know, you’re a cute species. I like your face shape.” She looked at his head before looking down and turned his hand around curiously. He snagged it out. “Too old for you, kid.” She grinned at him, amused. “Oh? Really? I’m technically over eight hundred years old. Is that too young still?” “Come back to me when you’re at least a thousand.” “Jeeze, tough crowd.” “So, Krogan blood huh?” Drack asked, sounding like he was planning something. “We could even be related, turtle.” Drack huffed and then slammed his head forward making her yelp when he hit her forehead and stumble back, making the once amused crew startle into position. “What the shit?! You wanna fucking go, old man?! I’ll knock your bloody block off!” She grabbed him and smacked him back in the exact same way. “Ha ha ha!” The Krogan roared his approval. “You’ll be a good addition, kid. Can’t wait to bet on pyjaks with you!” He ruffled her messy hair bun and left, leaving her scowling after him. Jules waited till he was gone before turning back to Lexi and pointed to her head, dazed and slowly blinking. “Lexi, I have a booboo! It hurts! Fix me, please!” That caused a burst of laughter from the crew. The doctor scoffed and crossed her arms. “You’re not even bleeding.” “Take a measurement of my blood, then. I think I have too much Krogan in me. Why did I do that? I’ve never head-butted a Kett.” Sam spoke up, “My analysis showed rising adrenaline and aggression, based upon pheromones emitted from Drack. In short, instinctively you saw both competition and potential mate in Drack and so challenged him accordingly. It rose exponentially when you grasped his hand. Drack recognised you as Krogan immediately.” “Oh, cool. Thank you voice in the air.” “My name is SAM. I am an AI, companion to Pathfinder Scott.” “Pleasure to meet you. Where… Where do I look? Where are you?” She asked, then looked to Scott who tapped the side of his head. “SAM is in your head? You’ve artificial intelligence in your head?” “Yup.” “Whoa… Aww, man, I have so many questions for you all. Wait, did you say both competition and potential mate?” Her face screwed up a little and she turned to the doctor. “Does that even biologically work?” “Are you asking the good doctor about Krogan sex organs?” One of the human men asked. “Gil Brodie.” “A pleasure to meet you and, you know on second thought, I’m not, I’m really really not.” She told the doctor emphatically, putting hand to heart, gaining snickers. “You are open,” Jaal got her attention with his warm words. “Very much unlike your human compatriots here. I am Jaal.” Jules hummed at that, taking him in curiously. “Jules Hartland, a pleasure to meet you. I’ve been alone for months, so I’ve kinda lost some social graces. What is your species called?” “I am angara.” “Oh.” Then she gained a wicked grin and winked his way. “Say, Lexi, are angara sex organs compatible with humans?” Jaal gave a booming laugh, reaching forward to give the woman a warm hug in greeting and jumped when she yelped, pulling back immediately. “My most sincerest apologies! Did I hurt you?” “No? I mean, something on my wrist just hurt.” She held it up and eyed some raised markings on the inside of her wrist. “You are one as well?” Suvi spoke up and Jules looked up at the Scot accent. “It’s part of the angaran life. I have one.” The woman flashed her wrist. “Oh this is joyous news!” “Uh, what?” “It means you are a soulmate of one of my people!” “The fuck??”
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Chapter Four
Jaal and Suvi excitedly told her about angara soulmates the next time she woke up, alarmed and alert and going for her gun but recalling where she was in an instant. They’d made enough noise in the med bay that Lexi was lowly hissing out threats to shut up and leave her alone, she’s sleeping! While waving her datapad at them in a shooing motion, clearly annoyed. “It’s cool, Doc. Won’t be getting back to sleep for a while. Hey people,” Jules said sleepily, getting up into a seated position and scooting her back against the wall. “How we doing?” Suvi and Jaal came over, with the Scot replying, “Aw, we’re fine, sweetpea. But more importantly, how are you?” Jules pat the space on the bed before her and taking the hint, Suvi sat, waving Jaal to also sit with them. She smiled as he did so a little awkwardly. “Just drained, Suvi. Still shocked it’s over, trying to cope with all these feelings I’m now feeling. I was blank in there, weirdly enough.” “Blank?” The scientist asked curiously. “Like I clicked off my emotions? First I was terrified and constantly exhausted from being terrified, but after a couple weeks, I just accepted I’d likely die down there and switched off. Only my anger stayed a constant. Then I grew to enjoy the hunt. Probably what the doctor who bought me planned.” “Sounds like what a Krogan would do. There are tales they block off all emotion but anger hundreds of years ago to heighten chances of survival in war. I wonder if it has changed certain parts of your brain? Surely it would have?” Lexi wondered out loud, scanning her instantly. She coughed primly when all three looked at her in exasperation. “I’ll just go over there and look at this.” Jules chuckled. “After a while I just got used to it. I think seeing the fact I was in space with a humungous hole in a spaceship was worse. Worse than even seeing the… uh… cannon turrets? Well, missiles come firing at us. So much space. That was horrifying. How do you look out the window and not piss yourself from fear?” “I was born and raised with it,” Jaal said, reaching out to grasp her hand in comfort. “You are strong. When we get to Aya, one of the planets of the angara, hopefully you can relax. The humans say it is akin to paradise.” “Aye, lush greenery, warm, barely humid temperatures, tropical plants, wonderful pools of water and beaches… on a world of volcanoes.” “Incredible.” Jules gawped at her, taking that in.
Holy shit…
She quietly asked, “We’re really…” “Aye?” “We’re really going to another planet? You’re really another species entirely?” She wondered at Jaal. He smiled at her, warm and endearing. “Yes.” She stared. “Can I touch your head?” “If I can touch your hair,” He offered, quickly. Jules instantly reached up and tugged out the last remaining hair band she had, the two others breaking from constant use. It fluffed down to the small of her back and she ran a hand through the unbrushed locks and she watched as his eyes lit up. “I don’t have a brush, but. Yeah.” She shrugged. His hand, with the last three fingers webbed, instantly had its glove removed and he reached out gently. “There is so much,” He noted, happy to play with it. “And so soft! The longer length is better, I think. Suvi, you look pretty as you are, but I would one day like to see your hair long.” “Smooth,” Jules noted, giving Suvi an impressed look. “I know. Not my team I bat for though. I have me a very affectionate angaran lady of my own now. Avela.” She showed her own mark, on her neck. “I asked Jaal to teach me the language. It’s the name of your soulmate. Mine is Avela Kjar. It’s strange. She knew I was coming. Jaal says their bioelectricity can feel us out. Your one knows you’re coming.” “It is true. Your souls resound for each other. You will feel peace from your connection and long for each other when you part. At least, that is what the old stories say. Most partners do not like to speak of it. It is private. Though Suvi has gracefully informed me it is like being fuller when with Avela. I do not quite understand, but perhaps, if it is not too much to ask, you could tell me something when you meet your one?” She touched the hidden words on her wrist. “I will see. No promises.” The angaran had yet to let go of her hair. “Would you like to touch my head now?” “Oh, yes please!” Jules crawled forward, watching those incredible eyes lock onto her grinning face. “You remind me of a feline, Jaal. I just kind of want to pet you. Kind of like…” She traced the back of her fingers down the flaps of his head, making him sigh happily. “I half expect you to purr,” She mused, making him chuckle and close his eyes to enjoy the touch. He was fresh smelling, like some sort of herb mix, and he felt as smooth as a snake, silky and yet very firm. It was a nice pleasant feel. His face was lovely as well, in a v-shape and she gently touched his face, finding no signs of hair at all. And he was real. Really real. She was touching an alien. Jaal didn’t see the way her lips quivered, but old habits kicked in and she buried the feelings down. No weaknesses would be allowed. “I miss my cats,” Suvi sighed out. “I had three family cats. Mitsy, Citrus and Tugger.” “Aww.” Suvi then looked at Jaal who seemed rather happy to be touched so intimately by a woman he’d met only a day ago. “Looking rather pleased there, Jaal.” “I am simply enjoying building bonds between species.” Jules laughed loudly in delight at that. “Is that what you call it? Just seems like a male enjoying the attentions of a female.” She gave an amused look to Suvi. Jaal cleared his throat. “Perhaps… that is also correct.” The two women giggled, with even Lexi putting the datapad to her mouth when she looking over, but unable to hide her eyes filled with mirth. “I’ll stop.” He opened his eyes in alarm. “Youcancontinue.” He blushed blue as he looked away when they snickered. He cleared his throat. “I… may have said that too fast.” In the end, Jules didn’t get her mark read to her, not wanting any impressions from Jaal of whom it could be. He looked disappointed but accepting, squeezing her hand. But there was a further frown when he noticed the human had covered it. She idly touched the bandage. The woman was unsure about some fate presumptively giving her a soulmate. Bah. She went off to go see Scott. “Oh my god, you cook?” Scott cried out in relief. “Cook? I was head chef at a Michelin starred restaurant!” “You have to be our cook!” “It’d be my pleasure!” “So our people decided war was best?” Jules said in disbelief and put her head in hands with a groan. “I am so disappointed in our peoples.” “Right? Can’t win ‘em all, Jules.” “Eh. True. So what did you do before this?” “Actually… I’m a smuggler.” The turian gave a crooked yet sheepish grin her way, unsure how she’d take it. Jules’ eyes widened. “Whoa. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever smuggled?” “Hm,” The woman tapped a talon to her mandible. “Probably a box of Atheme’s Nectar, this really upper crust type of wine, from The Goddess Temple on Thessia.” Lexi snapped her head up. “You what?!” “I, uh-” Jules burst into snickers as Lexi had a go at her. She leant forward and whispered, “From that immediate response? Good job,” The woman said, impressed and nodding. Vetra looked pleased with herself. “Thanks. It was actually pretty fun.” “Maybe you should do it again.” “Don’t encourage her, Jules!” The turian’s eyes twinkled. “You know, maybe I should do-” “Vetra!” “Come back later when she’d not here,” Jules theatre whispered. “Jules!” “Can we have some of that sauce today?” “The Spanish one?” “Yes!” “Yeah, sure thing, buuuut next time we stop? Go get me ingredients for everything.” “Deal!” Peebee and Liam joined her on another day of the med bay, but Peebee was soon pushed to the wayside. The two brits had football to talk about, with Liam delightfully surprised to find she’d been a fan of FIFA and supported Crystal Palace because she liked the name as a kid, whilst Liam was scoffing and pushing for Manchester United as better. “-Yeah but he sucked as a manager.” “Sucked? How? Look at the teams he propped up!” “For like, a single season each! He was totally skimming funds off the top, the sleezy prick.” “True that, but Rooney-” “Ugh, can we please talk about something else?!” The two football fans sighed, understanding this niche thing would be boring. “Later, yeah?” Liam nodded at her. “Yeah. Oi mate, you think you can bring up some old games on your, uh-?” Jules waved at the arm tool. “Omni-tool? Yeah, course.” The guy smirked at her, friendly and pleased. “Aw, thanks ,love.” He waved it off. “Ah, you’re welcome, babe. I got more than just sports though, films, books, concerts-” Peebee perked up at that. “Concerts?” “Interested now?” “Now we’re off boring sports? Damn right I am!” “Sorry Peeb’s! Football was the biggest sport back on Earth. Couldn’t be helped!” “Still is. Might even be the biggest in the Milky Way you know.” “No way! Seriously?” Peebee groaned loudly, head flopping back in annoyance, and the two Londoners grinned at each other and chimed in together, “Sorry, Peebee!” “Brownies? Please say you make brownies!” “Tell me we have cocoa powder.” “We! Uh…” “Yes?” “…Will get cocoa powder. Somehow.” Jules startled awake, instantly reaching for her gun and darted her eyes around. She breathed out. Right. Med bay. Nightmare’s wouldn’t be stopping anytime soon, would they? “Jules, do you require some soothing music?” “Do you have headphones? And a track of the outside world, like being in a park and hearing birds chirp type of thing?” “One moment.” “Thank you.” “Gil has consented to bring his spare pair.” It was minutes later the guy came through the door and took her in as she grinned in welcome. “Heard someone needs to feel free as a bird. Here you go, don’t break them. I know, I’m great.” Jules closed her mouth and gave him a thankful smile. “Now, must go, just wanted to walk to clear my head and do my good deed for the month. Ta-ra!” He waved and left. She grinned. “I like these people.” “Can you make anything?” “Pretty much, but European was my choice over cake or other cuisines.” “Just letting you know, the crew loves you.” Ryder picked up from Drack. “-So, Drack over here bowls right ahead with a roar that literally shook the rocks we were going over, scaring the absolute shit out of the raiders-” “-And the shits pissed themselves, tripped over their own feet and landed face first into a heaping pile of pyjak crap!” The three burst out laughing, with Jules clapping at the story. Scott sighed happily as they calmed down, holding his stomach with a grin. “I never get tired of that one.” “I probably would have let him go after that,” Jules wryly added, pillow cuddled to her chest. “The shame would have kept him away. Like, there’s the place that one time I slammed face first into a dung heap. Nah, mate, you wouldn’t catch me there!” It had been nearly two weeks since she’d gotten here and she felt fighting fit once more, full of energy and vigour. She’d had all her shots – all thirty bloody two of them – and scans and blood tests and god knows what else she couldn’t remember. She felt the urge to act, wanted to go fight something tricky, which boggled her for the moment. Fight something? Hadn’t she had enough of that for a while? Her fingers drilled, somewhat impatient. “I know that look.” Drack chuckled. “You know, what you did would make you good enough for Clan Nakmor, little bit.” “So, what, you’re gonna adopt me Grandpa turtle?” “In a fashion. Want in?” “Do I need to do anything special during it?” “Nah. You’ll be with us.” “Alright, gramps, I’ll be Nakmor Jules Hartland.” “Good. Ryder, take Jules out with you on the next mission. Her Krogan blood is burning.” “Alright, Ark Paarchero it is.” She winced. “Shit, another ark? Well, beggars can’t be choosers.” She sighed. “You even do excellent dextro food?” “You give me a recipe, I give you a meal.” “We have to save those scouts! The Archon will turn them into monsters!” “Damnit!” Scott cursed. Jules didn’t see the big deal. “We split up, of course. There’s four of us. You and Vetra are tech types, right? Me and Drack are soldier types. Drack goes to his scouts with one of you and I’ll go with the other.” Scott stared at her hard. “You can do this?” “I’ve yet to have my fill. Shall we?” “Alright! Vetra, you and Jules go get the Salarians! Move out!” Vetra and Jules burst into a run, with the smuggler leading a way. It was only a few turns but they got to the Salarian Pathfinder and the pair immediately went into protection behind barricades. Jules breathed out and then shot up, using her SMG to take aim and kill off three of the Chosen on her side, gaining attention off of Vetra. The woman began sniping off another Chosen and then went onto a Destined that disappeared behind a smokescreen. The turian blinked when the Destined reappeared and slumped to the ground and then focused on the next Chosen until noting a sudden lack of more. Jules had taken out the majority. “Damn. You really hate Kett.” “Pretty much as much as the angara do.” They pushed to the Pathfinder. “You’re with the Pathfinder! My people are inside.” A few hacks and Vetra had them out. “We have to run!” Scott slung and arm around her shoulders as she cleaned her gun carefully from her bunk in the crew’s quarters, legs crossed. “Did good out there, hatchling.” She blinked at him, knowing the compliments time the group on a going out would give each other at the end was over. What did he want? She cocked her head. “It was the obvious thing to do?” “Not many people would be okay in just a two man team for the mission.” “I didn’t think of that. I mean, Drack’s Krogan, so he can take care of you, the most important on this ship. Vetra and I are quick aimers, and maybe we don’t have the brute strength level you have, but we have my experience with killing Kett and Vetra’s tech skills, better senses and smuggling capabilities that helped us note enemy placement.” “I know you’ve got experience killing Kett, but you’re not military trained like the Initiative so I’m worried you’re going in too deep without the right training.” Jules slowly nodded. “I do understand your concern, however let me add I was under siege for months by swarms of Kett. I had to, and did, learn quickly if I wanted to live. I dragged set up defences of dead bodies for Christ sake. Do you know what that does to a person? But I pushed through. I lived off of toothpaste for nearly a week, before chancing eating a Wraith that should have killed me because I was desperate for food. This? With back-up, proper food, and a route back? This I can deal with this. Easily.” “I’m just saying, you don’t have to.” “It’s not so easy to be out of fight-mode. Terrifying, because facing the rest is… I don’t want to leave, Scott.” She turned to him, suddenly worried. “Don’t kick me out, please.” “This isn’t me kicking you out.” Scott soothed, pulling her closer. “Trust me, you want to stay, then hell yeah do I want you here! You make us happy, and frankly I’m done with Drack Surprise when I have a real chef. And you’ve been doing such tasty meals for us.” He grinned at the twitch of her lips and the relaxing of her shoulders. “The Pathfinder and Drack were so grateful I took your decision and trusted in you to get the job done. Vetra has a newfound respect for you. Seriously, I think she’s cursing that mark on your wrist. Jaal too, now I think about it. He used to watch Cora the most intently, but now it’s switched to you.” “It’s because I’m open and more angara like. Plus long hair. He likes seeing it swish.” “Huh, now you say it like that, maybe it’s just attachment to what his home is like?” He relaxed back, taking Jules with him. She threw him an amused look. “Probably. But now with you cuddling me on a bed with my skirt riding up… Why, Ryder!” She put a hand to her mouth. He laughed. “Nope! No offence, you’re cute and all-” “Here it comes. The rejection.” She gave a fake sigh. “Shut up, you. I prefer something with a bit extra between the legs. Kinda had a crush on Gil but uh… there’s this smuggler on Kadara.” Jules squinted. “Don’t think I’ve heard of that place?” “Ah you were still recuperating in the med bay. Remember Peebee and Jaal bitching about the flame water and the spikiness a week back?” “Oh yeah! Guy’s on there, is he? Is he going to join us?” “No, he’s Kadara.” “Not to say he can’t visit us on board for a flight, though, right? Have us deliver a box or two and get you some private time with him so you can be all lovely-dovey.” “Why the hell not? I am so glad you’re here.” Jules wiped her gun once more. “There’s a but in there, peeping out through the blinds.” Scott gave a weak chuckle and sighed, nodding. “Jaal actually suggested going to Aya next, for you and your uh, angaran soulmate. It’s considered bad luck to stay apart for so long at the beginning or something. I want you to stay for a week. I’ve noticed your anger is increasing, and Sam thinks it might be due to the presence of a powerful Krogan.” “Okay, sure, that’s logical but I cannot simply avoid Krogan, Braveheart. I am partly one. And what happens when I’m on Elaadan?” “True, but I don’t want it making you rash in fights. I don’t want to lose you for something we could prevent. It’s still new, right? If you don’t like it on Aya, potentially don’t like your angaran, we’ll take you with us on the next flight out of Aya, no worries. Jaal says that’s impossible but, people says things are impossible all the time. I mean look at you! Perfect example of what would be impossible. Over eight hundred years old, give or take a couple decades. Perfect GILF material.” Jules gave a groaning grossed out laugh and smacked his shoulder lightly. “Alright, I’ll stay. For the week.” “Good, because Lexi’s also been twisting my ear on it. She’s been under immense mental stress and she has yet to deal with it, blah blah blah. She didn’t like it when I told her you dealt with it the Krogan way and that works perfectly fine for you.” “It really does,” Jules mused, nodding. “Plus I don’t want to speak of it. It’s… weirdly private.” “And hey, maybe if you get wound up by lack of fighting on Aya, you have a hungry, lusty, angara willing to screw your brains out.” Jules laughed at that and turned on her side to face Ryder’s head, enthusiastically saying, “And he’ll be pretty too, if Jaal’s any indication.” “Those eyes right?” “Yeah…” Jules said dreamily, sighing out. “Just a heads up, Jaal is one of the more attractive ones. I think so anyway.” “Showed me some of his family the other day on his Omni-tool. He really is. I kinda hope it will say him but… I know it’s not. Shame that.” “Yeah, that I can understand. And he smells so good.” Ryder continued on, and Jules hummed in agreement. “We should form a group. The Jaal Appreciation Group. Peebee would join in an instant.” “J. A. G. Jags… we could have the Codename be Jaguar. It was also a car, right? So we could be all like ‘Did you see this picture I sent you?’ and stuff. Everyone would be like ‘The old worlder gave them weird likes’. So we could fake that. Of course, Liam likes cars so we’d have to kindly inform him not to say anything. If he finds out.” Scott groaned. “Damn you for agreeing to stay on Aya! I could use that mind for food and logic.” “Just a week and you got me back!” “And until then… Drack Surprise.” “Have fun with that!” “Have a heart!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter Five
Unable to stand looking out windows into the great unknown of the Universe, Jules’ first sight of another planet was from the ground of Aya. The Tempest opened her doors as she docked and the others splurged out in groups, chattering happily about what they wanted to do. The Englishwoman was staring at the warm surroundings, feeling very fragile in that moment and slunk down to wrap her arms around her lower legs as she unblinkingly stared at the land. “It’s just another place.” Scott looked back at her with Jaal, the last two. “Jules?” Distress was emanating from her as she continued to mumble to herself, “I know logically it’s a planet, a different system, but it’s the same universe. Only a little further than your norm, woman, just think that. Just think that.” Scott came over, concerned and ducking down to her side on one knee, resting an elbow on it. “What’s wrong, chirpy?” She snorted at that, but continued to stare on at the lushness she spied from her crouched position. “It’s a planet.” “Yes?” “The first planet I’d ever have visited.” Scott gave a sound of understanding. “Oh yeah, that’d be right wouldn’t it?” He nodded in a musing fashion. “It’s great out there though. A paradise, some would say...” “I thought…” She mumbled off as Jaal came next to her and crouched down silently, touching her shoulder. Being surrounded helped. Somehow. Half-blocked it out. “I thought I had this. I’ve seen so many species of peoples with such vibrant cultures within a few weeks and during the months before that and so many, many looks of different people's and I tried so many new things... I thought I had this,” She grumbled miserably, wanting to bury her face into her knees but resolutely didn't. “I mean, I still get nightmares, and it’s still so hard at times, but I feel like I’m getting better. You know?” “I know. So what’s the problem right now, Jules?” Scott asked softly. "Speak to me, sweetpea." Jules shifted uncomfortably. “I was going to pretend that it was another holiday destination, like back in the two thousand’s. Get on a plane, pretend like we got to, I don’t know, Barbados.” “Because there isn’t much difference from disembarking from a plane as there is the Tempest,” The Pathfinder said in a 'light-bulb-turning-on' kind of way and finally understood. “You know it’s not, but pretending makes it easier?” “Pretty much Fake it ‘til you Make it. Yeah. I know, it’s not good, but you said it; pretending makes it easier,” She repeated and sighed. “It’s going to take me some time. I’ll just… stay here for a bit. Could you tell the uh, dock… hands? That another human is coming out?” “Will it help you to be alone?” Jaal asked, frowning. Scott nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you sure you don't want us to wait with you?" “You know the feeling of leaving your parents to live alone? That freedom?” She remarked pointedly, giving Scott a look that told him to go away. Scott snickered and got up. “Come on, big guy, let’s let Jules make her own decisions, because she so responsible now. Oh, she’s so mature! Knows better than her parents, this one!” Jules barked out a laugh at that as the alien confusedly followed the human after stroking her head affectionately and she then squeezed his digits and nodded at him warmly, watching them as they left. “Loveable bastard.” It was quiet for a moment, listening to the hum of the Tempest, a little more obvious down here. She fondly patted it, looking around the area. Very clean, very futuristic, but she’d gotten used to it. It had become normal to her. That was good progress. She couldn’t ignore that. But she’d always been that way, harsh on herself. It took more effort to tell herself she’d done good for herself instead of actually doing more good for herself. There was this drive to be the best in her that she had no idea where it had come from, considering her parents had been normal folk, her mother a full time housewife and her father an accountant. She supposed the jobs were hard and she knew hers as head chef at a posh restaurant also was. So maybe there was some idea? but the thought of them made her heart ache so she focused on why she'd wanted to be the best. On why she’d taken up dance. After the stress of working long days as a head chef at a Michelin restaurant in London, she wanted a little stress relief, and there just so happened to be a dance studio down the end of her road offering all sorts of classes. Salsa and bachata had soon become favourites, but also had folk dancing from Europe been a random choice and also available at the time she needed, and so she’d learnt to waltz and dance baladi and do all sorts of circle dances super late at night for the last two years. Jesus, what if she was the only one that even knew some of these cultural dances anymore? Her heart dropped. It’d be- Her head perked up as she felt something akin to the thrum of music tingle through her. “What…?” Her bandage itched as she focused on what she felt. Ignoring previous worries, she single-mindedly got up, determinedly pulled her hair up into a high bun and brushed down the tight Andromeda Initiative top Cora had given her as well as her old skirt and walked right on out of the Tempest. Her sharp eyes peered around unwaveringly, feeling the thrum like a song in her body. It was glorious to hear. It was wonderful to feel. Making her way down the docks, the blue-purple angara guarding the city gave her clearance to come in as she pulled off the knotted bandage around her wrist. She grinned at some passing angara women who gasped as she waved at them and they saw a mark of the Shelesh language and hurriedly began to whisper. That’d hurry it up a little. But that song... She longed for a closer, louder version, feeling the urge in her like a need to be satisfied. It had to be him, right? She paused her fast striding when coming to a market area and stopping, the music in her had begun to dull once more. Her eyes looked around, noting a broad back stalking off and her mark burned and she sucked in a loud breath.
Him.
It seemed to caused the blue male to stop and turn back, showing a large scar over his left eye and pursed lips, a burn up between them and highlights of white and sea-foam green along his features. They locked eyes, feeling a click of something locking in them and a relief tumbling through them both at the sight of the other. There was a moment of acknowledgement between them before some guard came up to him and handed something over and he turned, dismissing her and paying attention to the datapad as he walked off. A strum of hurt hit her chest. Ah. Her lips pursed and she sighed, looking away. “I see,” She mumbled to herself. Well, that was… that was fine. She’d be bitching at Jaal for giving lovelorn sighs and statements of him being jealous later that made her think the wrong thing. But Suvi... She didn’t get it. Suvi sounded so stoked to be seeing her historian again. Maybe it wasn’t always like that? Not romance, but a more platonic love? Or maybe he truly was busy? That he’d simply wanted to see what his other half was because surely he’d understood with aliens now around and his bond clicking into place so coincidentally that there must be a high chance she was alien? Unless that was the problem. There could be explanations later... right? He... He did want her around like she did him, right? Her head and heart was thrown into disruption and she put a hand to her temple and rubbed.
i want my partner.
She cursed that, ever stubbornly independent. An easy arm was slung around her shoulders. “Who needs him, anyway?” Peebee. She’d seen, huh? Jules leant into her as actual music began, percussion and stringed instruments livening spirits. She couldn't be completely sad when there was music, watching people begin to dance joyfully, looking happy and care-free. “Let’s dance?” The asari grinned and brought her into a spin. “You know it!” She then watched as Jules laughed brightly at her stumbling attempts to get into the rhythm and moves before remarking hotly, “Oh, you think you can do better?” “My darling, Peebee! Yes,” She stated with an arrogant grin and took lead position and took them into a proper dance, listening to the beat and feeling it inside her in a way that was almost hollow after what she’d been previously listening to. After the heavy and soul-fulfilling sound of her bond, music wasn't quite as intense. But she smiled as some angaran people's cheered at them for joining in and some couples rolled in and began what seemed like a traditional folk dance. Jules slowed her fun swirling of the asari to gentle swaying and turning as she took it in, musicality mind working. “Two steps left, twirl you out, bow and you do some hand twirl thing, up again, we spin around in the circle with the others and change partners after three times of this. Okay! Let’s go, peanut butter jelly time!” The blue woman laughed and changed dances with her. Jules ended up with a light blue angara male and gave a beaming smile as he unsurely smiled back at the little human in his arms but twirled her anyway, wondering if she knew the dance. He smiled a little more genuinely when she giggled at doing a wrong move and gave a sheepish look his way, liking the freedom of her emotions the other humans had yet to truly show, from his observations. He showed her the proper way, adding a little flare on the next go around she instantly copied enthusiastically, and actually felt a little sad at passing her along. Until he looked up and saw the Resistance Leader cast a scowling look his way from high up and promptly looked away in fear to take the next partner. He peeped back to see the man gone and breathed out in relief.
Close one.
The Earth-born was breathless from laughing so much, feeling the music finally affect her until she caught to the next dancer and felt sheer electricity flood her and shuddered as the music soared in her and her eyes looked up, awed, mouth drying up.
Him?
The other half of her soulbond was dancing with her. she swallowed deeply, astonished, and in some manner, she was... humbled. The intensity on his face, non-blinking, taking in all she did and looked like, and she was entranced by those eyes, her lips parted and eyes wide, like the night sky just after the sunset. Dreamy blues and hints of purple with the stars twinkling. She hadn’t realised how she’d simply stared at him until she clicked on she had to let go to her next partner. With a last long look, she shivered as he let go of her slowly, thumb swiping along his name on her wrist erotically, and went to her next partner. The music seemed almost muted now, the delicious feel of it slipping away. She watched with a jealousy tinged stare as he danced with another and dragged her eyes away to grin at the purple angara she was twirling with, bowing to him. Only for him to flinch at something and drop her hand, bowing back lower and then scarpering. Jules stopped, swallowed, and stepped out of the circle so she didn’t get in the way, unsure if she’d done something wrong. Peebee came up to her when she got close enough. “What happened?” “I have no idea?” “You step on his foot or something?” “I hope so, because at least them I’d have some semblance of understanding and could fix it.” The asari snorted. “Culture, who’d have it?” Jules gave a little grin her way and nudged into her shoulder with her own. “Thanks Peeb’s. You’re a diamond.” An arm around her shoulder and Peebee sighed, cuddling the human to her. “Damn shame you have that on your wrist. There’s something real tempting about you humans.” “Really?” The human asked, bewildered and intrigued. “Do tell.” “You know how you shouldn’t like the badboy?” “Are… are we humans the badboys type of the races? Seriously?” “Uh-huh. Exactly that.” “You’re having me on.” “Nope!” Peebee snickered. “It’s true. You’re these intrepid bastards that won’t quit, you’re all so damn cute and soft and yet we’d all be scared shitless if you decide to fuck us all over. You’re everywhere and you fight with your own kind too much, but when you have a cause, we all watch out. You’re the type we all love and hate at the same time and you lot can be so damn charming for it. We’re suspicious of it, but we adore it too. Like hell, there’s a reason it’s always humans seeming to lead the charge. It’s like you were made for it.” “Listen, I think that says something about you lot then humans, mmhmmm?” Peebee cackled at that, dragging Jules closer and the human grabbed her back, giggling with her in sheer delighted camaraderie. “Please, you’ll never be as gorgeous as asari!” Jules escaped her grasp and mocked as she tickled the asari under the chin, “Don’t have to be if I can charm your panties off regardless, babe!” Peebee shrieked in delight and enthusiastically tugged her back into the dancing circle for more swirls and twirls, the pair laughing until they had to pass up partners, with whatever had spooked Jules’ previous partner not spooking the next. The purple angaran male that belonged to the Tempest gave her a warm smile as he got her next. “Are you having fun, Jules? It seems you’ve fit into the circle?” He bowed and then began to spin her. “He’s here!” “Your bond?” The male asked, joyed. “Yes, Jaal!” She held up a wrist and he finally was able to decrypt the male’s name who was luckily paired to her, making his eyes widen incredulously. “What’s his name?” “Evfra de Tershaav,” A voice poke up from behind them. The pair looked at the Resistance Leader as the time to change partners happened but the Tempest duo ducked out the circle with him following. A moment of silence as the trio stared at each other. Well, Jaal and Jules looked at each other and then at Evfra and the serious looking Resistance Leader stared only at Jules, hot and heavy and unrelenting. She peeped back at him, flustered under his unblinking stare. Damn, he was… gorgeous. He just did it for her. He was like a lion, eyes intent and focused on her and she felt like prey. And not in a bad way this time. “Evfra,” Jules murmured, feeling a foolish grin on her face before she cleared her features to a polite one, noting his eyes flash intensely. She showed her wrist. “So this is… your name, in uh, angaran?” “Shelesh.” The other two corrected, with Jaal looking sheepish at Evfra’s stern look at him. “Aha…” The human smiled. “Do you-” She cut herself off, a bit self-conscious for no reason. “So you have my name on you?” “Yes.” The response was curt and to the point, but he didn’t show her it. “Jaal, you’ve reports to turn in. Come, we shall go to the Headquarters.” He led the way, Jaal falling into step behind instantly. Jules watched them go unsurely, until Evfra stopped and turned to her. “What is it? Why do you stall?” She rubbed the back of her hand over her forehead. “I am not Resistance?” Evfra raised a hairless brow, which apparently was universal because he watched her grin at him wryly, understanding his thoughts. “You are my bond. Now come, we will be busy.” “We?” An impatient sound and the angara came over, sweeping an arm around her waist, fingers tightening while the blare of bioelectric he let loose into her instinctively had the nearest viewers swaying away at the power made him smirk. They understood not to come near to his one. Good. “Yes. Of course.” Jules swallowed as he began pulling her away somewhere, seeing disbelieving eyes on her. “O-Oh. With what?” “The Resistance,” He said, exasperated and giving her a look as they left the marketplace. She elbowed him lightly. “Well I don’t bloody know, do I? First time I’ve been here! And I’m supposed to be on leave, you know.” The angara Military Leader eyed her. “Hm. Is that what you wished?” The Brit rolled her shoulders and looked away. “Well, no, it’s not-” His eyes roamed her face, taking in every micro-expression to understand her best. “Then you shall have a purpose. I can grant you this in the Resistance with me.” With me made her face feel hot. “But what do you even resist against? Is it…?” “The Kett.” It was said with such hate her eyes widened before sheer resolve came over her. An unknowing sneer was on her face at the thought of the ceramic faced bastard. She didn’t want to be aimless. She was best with a goal. “Right, I’m on-board with this.” Evfra smirked at that, pleased. “As I thought. We are of the same soul.” “Music.” “What?” Evfra frowned, not understanding. “What do you mean, music?” “Is it… not that to you?” “No.” Jules felt awkward in his hold, even as his bioelectricity crooned to her and wrapped around her. “Oh. It is what you are to me. Your electric chimes like a mellifluous tune to me. A favourite song. You are music to me.” His fingers dug into her, eyes hot and heavy and promising and watching as her lips idly parted at his fascination with her. “Good.” His hand crept up her side to hold her shoulder, keeping her close and feeling relief at her presence. He felt like any tactics he’d use would work without a hitch, large hand encasing her side once more and getting her closer to take in her warm human scent, full and heavy and making him want to idle in her. She wondered at how damn big this guy was. He was slightly chunkier than even Jaal, which was rather surprising, though somewhat shorter. The two seemed just plain big for angara people. Exceedingly strong, too, almost alarmingly so. Krogan’s looked resilient and dangerous and meant to fight you to the death– angara people looked like big, gorgeous felines to pet. So to feel the easy power, very easily a few times that of the humans and other visiting species to the new galaxy? That was disquieting. And she felt overwhelmed. She truly liked being up close, but it was too fast for her. Especially when she knew he wanted her and her alone. It hit her how insane she was being. Suddenly being like this and wanting to be all over him? It was addictive and scary all at once. She needed some breathing air. “Please let go. It is too much right now.” She pushed his arm off, because please was just for manners sake. A pulse of hurt indignation flared in Evfra, keeping to her side. “I am your bond.” “You are also a stranger,” She pointed out softly. He grunted as they entered the HQ, listening to her completely as his eyes scanned the words on the datapad but didn’t read them and unhappily loosened his hold on her to let go. He could think only about her. Had only been doing so these past weeks. A terrible thing when he should be planning attacks against the Kett. “How else does one become close if not to touch and keep near?” “True but that’s suspicious to humans. Too much and you have an untrustworthy ulterior motive.” “My motive is to have you as mine. Is it not the same for you?” Her lips pursed. “Relationships are two way streets, Evfra. We come from different paths, you know? Have seen and learnt different things.” Evfra stared down at her, his one whose height barely reached his neck. “I will have you as my own, Jules Hartland.” He promised as he fully let go of her, seeing a sort of relief come over her face before she hid it and feeling complete displeasure at that. Her heart skipped a beat and she gave a little grin. “Well, you should probably thank Ryder for convincing me to stay here for the week,” The woman joked as he left her side to open the door to his tactician area. The blue male peered over at her, broadcasting nothing as they went in. A week? He felt relief and worry at once. Just a week? “Is that so? Not one part of you was curious?” He idly put down the datapad on the table. The woman couldn’t help the smile on her face. “Perhaps one or two cells,” She teased, eyes playful. A snort and the Leader smirked at her. “If it got you within my grasp, so be it.” Jules turned to the quietly smiling purple angara male. “Jaal, I thought your people were more charming, considering how pretty your words are.” She grimaced at an amused Leader. The male chuckled as Evfra scoffed at her look, arms crossing. “It is what makes Evfra such a viable leader.” “Bluntness instead of prettiness?” Jules asked, eyeing the said leader who simply stared at her daringly. “I suppose wars aren’t pretty.” The Commander came up to her, close and bearing down on her, arms behind him even as his hands sorely wished to touch. He watched her for a second as he murmured, “Good to know my soulbond has understanding of such things.” Her mind went to the time back on Ark Leusinia and her features become stern and stoic, flashes of Kett dying before her as she crossed her arms. Her eyes narrowed and a scowl appearing on her face. “Quite. I suppose I didn’t survive just to make things flowery. What is it I can do here that will have my Pathfinder and my Doctor bitching at me? Because I’d be very happy to do it.” Evfra smirked at that, taking her in, because if she was his other half, then she didn’t need to take breaks days long. She needed an aim. “What is it you do on the Tempest?” “Keep spirits up and kill Kett. I am very, very good against Kett.” “I agree. Very good, Evfra, is the basic of what I would say.” Jaal clapped her on the shoulder and smiled at her as she beamed at him gratefully. “This one has survived excellently against Kett. Jules.” He looked to her, with her face curious. “Vetra and Ryder both spoke to me of your ability to kill Kett, that you slay them down with your SMG like they were nothing.” Jules gave a grin. “They are nothing. We would do well to kill every single one of them.” “Indeed. If not for your attachment, I would ask you deploy her as leader of a ground strike team. Jules has proven able to do it.” “Huh,” The human spoke and went thoughtful. “A strike team, you say? Hm.” She quite liked that. Evfra would not have that. Not his mate. Not with his home so quiet. He looked at her, taking in her features that practically shouted she seemed to want to go for it and inwardly cursed. Of course he'd have a mate like him. He deserved it. “And of management?” “Not sure what you want to hear. I kill Kett exceedingly well and boss people around because people generally don’t like to step up to the plate, so to speak, and I do. I’m unsure what you need from me, Resistance-wise. I'd be an excellent strike force leader or some sort of teacher of it.” “I will decide. You need a place to stay. Take Jules to my home, Jaal. Today you shall rest, tomorrow, you will have your goal.” He turned his back on them to face a screen as he picked up a datapad, doing his best not to look back at the human woman he wished to touch. A nod, and both Tempest members left at the clear dismissal. "You think he likes me?" "More than, Jules. More than."
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Chapter Six
Jules wasn’t too sure about simply going to live in his place for the week, looking around the base curiously as they left it. She whispered, “Jaal, I do not wish to make waves, but I also do not feel comfortable going to live in someone’s house that I’ve known all of ten minutes. I understand going to another world-” Her voice cracked at that but she coughed, cleared her throat and went on, “-and taking on the culture so as not to insult, but I don’t know him.” He put a warm hand to her shoulder to show his company. “Do you not feel comfortable by his side?” “Yes, and no.” He ducked his head down closer to her. “Jules, I must ask you do for the sake of reputation, if nothing else. We angara see this bond as exceedingly important, and wonderfully beautiful; a blessing. The two souls are already, ah, married, in our ways, and only the mind has to catch up when the soul and body knows the truth. It is why you would be expected to live with him. Then there is the fact you are human, and so many of us do not have full trust of the new aliens that come to us. In a way, you are an ambassador of your peoples, and a test. Can she meld with our ways, or will they be outsiders all the time? She is the one of our own Resistance Leader, it does not say much for the future if she rejects our best and the happiest part of our culture.” Jules gawped at him before grinning and shaking her head. “You sod.” Jaal smiled too innocently as he let go of her shoulder. “I am completely unsure as to what you could be meaning, Jules.” “Uh-huh.” “Have I lied to you?” “Not so far. You are lovely and your words so very silken,” She drawled out, smiling when she saw his head cock at her in interest before he cleared his throat at realising himself, “but now I’ve a feeling it’s your culture rather than just you.” He gave a fake inhale in indignation. “I can assure you that I, am wonderful.” Jules laughed brightly at that, hugging him to her and inwardly rejoicing when he grasped her back. “You make me laugh! I shall say no more on the living thing. It is just a week, after all.” Jaal smartly said nothing to that in reply, but for, “Thank you, Jules. It warms my heart that you try. It is just as well Evfra has a human mate with more openness of her emotions than most humans, for he is slightly more restrained with his than most angaran. He is… very work-related. We worry for him, as well as live in fear of his snapping words when he is infuriated by a bad report.” “That meant he failed, huh?” She looked back over her shoulder, feeling the music fade step by step. “Yes, unfortunately. It is my hope you will realise you love him soon.” The woman tripped, Jaal catching her, bemused. “You say such things so easily,” She griped as she righted herself. “Again, rather suspicious to humans, and a little off-putting as well.” “Off-putting?” “Begins to be something you don’t like. Kinda. Not a good thing.” “Why? Should it not be a good thing to know others adore you?” “Not so quickly! You do not know me well enough to love me, after all. I have many features to myself, different faces for different occasions.” Jaal frowned at that. “Humans lie much, then?” “Lie? It’s not so much lying… well I guess it be constituted as… but… It’s… gosh, this is difficult to put into words. Okay, example. At work, even if we may not like our manager, we keep it behind a veneer of politeness and a fake smile, to smooth over disagreements to keep things going. Emotions get in the way of doing your job. If we had to sit down and hash out our emotions at all turns, we’d never get anything done. With your parents, you are different to them like you are with your siblings, to your friends. You do that too, though, yes? To strangers, we keep a modicum of distrust because we don’t know their motivations. When they say one thing, how do we know they’re not lying? Why should they tell the truth? It is best to keep at a distance with emotions.” “How do you ever feel love and connection, if you so distrusting of your own countrymen? It seems so lonely and so empty.” He guided her through the marketplace. “Time, and experience with them. If we let you in, we are putting much trust in you not to hurt us. There is also different cultures within these examples that I lay out for you. Some humans I know are very warm in friendliness, while some others are considered much more reserved. Even more than what you see with us on the Tempest, Jaal. We are actually quite open on the Tem- Oh, Jaal! Jaal can we get some fruit? I love fruit,” She enthused, tugging at his rofjinn. He threw her a bewildered but still smiling look. “How is it you can be so emphatic over fruit but not people?” “It can’t hurt us, unless I choke on a pip or something, but that would be my own doing. I can’t control others actions.” “So it is the lack of control that makes you shy away?” Jules looked over the fruit, wanting to try it all. “No. More the hurt thing, or shun thing.” “Shun?” “For multiple things. Everything from looks to interests. You don’t look like this? You’re not as good. You like this? How stupid. It’s petty and distasteful and one of the things I truly don’t like about my people. People get er, hung-up, on the little things.” “That I can understand. It happens in all species, I see.” Jaal thought back to his dead pet and taking it apart, how his siblings thought him weird and that hurt. “Good to know. Social politics, hm?” She grinned and nudged him with her shoulder. Jaal chuckled at the apt term and pat her back fondly. “Quite so. Which do you want?” “Uhm…” She looked at the good selection of fruits she’d never seen. Round, tubular, soft spiky… Her eyes took it all in. There was plenty of different ones to choose from. Sarissa had given her credits at regular intervals. “Jaal, I don’t know if I have enough.” She held the Omni-tool out to him. “How do I check? I’ve not bought something in this time.” Jaal immediately showed her and then choked. “You, ah, have more than enough. The asari were very grateful. Like this,” He guided her through the process when she chose her fruits and swiped across. “You see?” “Easy-peasy. Thanks, lovely,” She smiled at the two angara who smiled back. “You’ll probably be seeing me a lot. I love fruit and I want to try everything here.” The angara woman chuckled gently at her customer as she handed the fruits over in a weave basket. “I shall be here. I am Felaan.” “I’m Jules. A pleasure to meet you.” “I must add, buying fruit like this is expensive. It is meant to be shared between friends and family for fortuitous times and celebrations.” “Oh then, Jaal, you have to have some with me. Maybe I should send one along to the Tempest?” That made the purple angaran smile widely at being considered friend. “Certainly.” “Fruit is hard to come by?” “You have seen me eat paste from tubes, yes?” Jaal said as Felaan nodded. “It is full of all the nutrients we need.” Jules frowned. “Back on Earth, in the Milky Way, I was a chef at a restaurant. I love food and preparation and knowing I am feeding people and keeping them alive, so to know it has come to simply tubes on your planet? That’s… really saddening to me. Say, Jaal, Felaan,” She said slowly as a thought came to her mind that made her blood stir. “Is there anywhere on this planet to cultivate food that would be considered dangerous to do so?” “Many places, but there are Fiends and Eiroch in those areas.” “Do you think we could go scout out some places?” Felaan looked uncomfortable, but Jaal hummed before the fruit vendor spoke up, “We have not let an alien into our other settlements on Aya.” “I mean, the Tempest already knows where they are? We’ve not gone to them. My team has not spoken to me on any intentions for angara, and I know the Pathfinder only thinks of the Kett and making sure we build good relations with the angaran people. This isn’t so much a let’s go to the other settlements as it is, lets free up space for more food.” “There have been council meetings on it, but no true resolution. I… would like to come. I’ve knowledge with guns and have had experience in the field with volunteering for the resistance.” Felaan drew herself up. “We could take a shuttle out,” Jaal said, begin to get enthused about a human helping his people out. “Maariko should be nearly finished with work. He could pilot us. He does owe me a favour. He lost a bet in a game of poker the last time the Tempest landed here.” He smirked at Jules, who giggled and nodded cheerfully. “SAM, please inform Ryder where I will be.” “Affirmative.” “I will close up. Business is slow today.” “We can eat these on the flight?” Jules held up the weave basket. “Also, do I bring the basket back?” “The fruit is expensive so the basket comes free with it.” Felaan gave her a soft look. She liked this alien. This one was calm and pleasant and wanted to do something. That blue one with the black over the eyes she'd met was far too flighty and mischievous. “Oh lovely.” She smiled down at it, running a thumb over it. Smooth and well made. “Well, let’s help you close up and we’ll go find Maariko.” Jaal mused out loud, “I will go ahead and get Maariko to set up the shuttle, ready to depart when you arrive. I will also bring you your weapons and armour.” “Thanks, Jaal!” Twenty minutes later and the four were flying out, with SAM helping them out, co-ordinating with the angaran Omni-tools the other three had. Felaan had blueprints on hers that had been proposed should the area ever be cleared of Fiends and Eiroch, unlikely as it seemed and was happily showing the pair of them, food being her business. Jaal was asking question for all of them. Jules was determined to face off against them, blood beginning to pump. “A turret on this thing would have been good. We could snipe some off. Do you think they’re edible?” “Have our people ever tried hunting them, Felaan?” “They’ve always been too dangerous… We do eat meat. We rarely get the chance to, however.” She looked thoughtful. “It may be poisonous.” “I can go first. Human and angara digestive tract is similar, right? SAM?” “Biologically, both angara and humans are extremely similar but for the bioelectric tendencies of the angara. The two species are extremely compatible. Lexi believes the two species could procreate.” “Good to know we could have hybrid babies,” She winked at Jaal and waggled her brows. He chuckled. “Perhaps you and Evfra could be pioneers for our species instead of Peebee and I?” Maariko seemed to choke. “Why would you say that about our Resistance Leader?” “Oh, it has not gone around yet?” Jaal smirked widely as Jules narrowed her eyes at him. “He has a soulbond.” “No!” “Yes.” “No!” Felaan repeated in amazement. “Who-” She gasped and turned to Jules, who was stubbornly staring out a window. “My goodness! Congratulations! It is wonderful to know Leader Tershaav has a partner! How lucky for you both!” “Yes, congratulations. Though I do wonder how he feels about a human as his mate with his distrust of aliens,” Maariko mused out loud. “Maariko!” Felaan and Jaal hissed, looking at their human companion in alarm. Jules shifted but didn’t say anything, face blank, until SAM beeped a couple seconds later. “We’re here? Good.” The female angara came over. “It was not meant-” “Don’t want to hear it. Water under the bridge. In the past. I've already forgotten it. Is this the place?” Jules fiddled with her eye-scanner as Felaan nodded silently, SAM helping her to scan all life forms, glad Scott had uploaded a program so SAM could help her. When that was complete, she asked SAM to send them what she picked up. “Looks like a herd of them is in that cave. And two groups of them are south. I think we should use all our grenades to take the caves ones out and get rid of the other eight by our guns. Take the small group of three out after the cave lot so we can judge how well we can take the beasts down. Maybe after we should scan out in circles.” Maariko spoke up, “I was just thinking that. See if there’s any left over. If they’re harvestable, we could store them, if not then take them out. Felaan, will it adversely affect the ecosystem?” “The deluga population might flourish, and that could be a problem. They’re like…” Felaan went through her Omni-tool and brought up a picture. It was like a mixture of fox and rabbit with three tails and two sets of eyes and a large under-bite. It was also scaly. “They’re about this big.” She held her hands out, showing about the size of a young wolf. “Why would it be a problem? Do they eat angaran produce?” “That, they eat anything, and they reproduce at an astonishing rate. If we wipe out these Fiends, in a month we will see many of them roaming. They’re brazen. It is admirable, and annoying.” “Like rabbits. Farmers hate them though the world think they're cute." She informed the fruitseller who nodded in complete understanding. "Can you eat deluga?” “Yes, very much so. They’re a favourite, but they also eat other animals that would upturn the ecosystem should we eat too many. Of course, if we were to take care of the Fiends and then eat them ourselves, we could sustain ourselves better. This would become a hunting ground, or perhaps we can make cattle of them?” “Will this create a problem for the council?” “You are Evfra’s, he will protect you.” Jaal smiled at her. She gave him an exasperated look. “That… that really doesn’t answer my question. Or on second thought, perhaps it does? I would take the consequences. Though it will seem like some random human just came along and tried to take control as if she knows better.” “Perhaps you do?” Maariko threw over his shoulder. “That wouldn’t sway well with the higher-ups, would it?” “We could ask Pathfinder Ryder to smooth things over if you let him explain that your extra blood necessitated it if they start accusing you of that,” SAM beeped out. Jaal and Jules grinned at each other. “This is acceptable. Ready?” Jaal asked Felaan, who lifted up her gun. “I am.” “Ready to deploy!” Maariko called out and yelled after them as they jumped out to the green ground below them, waterfall off in the distance, “Happy hunting!” Landing, they immediately spread out around the cave hole, ducking down and looking in. There was grumbles from within but with a good half dozen grenades being chucked in, that soon changed. “Put down the frags!” Jules called out as the explosives went off and Jaal and Felaan quickly did as bid when whatever remained decided to come out to attack, only to end up stumbling, dead. The last one came out and Jules and Jaal each shot an eye out, instantly killing it. “Yes!” A snarl came from the left. Jaal summarised it perfectly. “Shit.” “Jet pack up or hide behind the bodies?!” Felaan cried, unsure. “Jet pack up!” Jules decided instantly as her eye-scanner informed her the Eiroch were incoming. “They’re Eiroch and they might eat the Fiends!” The trio did so, crawling up the side to get to higher ground in time, watching the Eiroch stomp into the area and go straight for the cave angrily. “Let’s take out the last one in,” Jaal whispered from between the women, all of them behind a large rock serving as a natural barrier. “Right. I’ll go first, for the throat to stop it from roaring,” The human murmured to them and they nod in agreement. “We can go for the eyes, Jaal.” “Yes.” The trio waited with held breath and Jules lifted her third gun, a Vetra approved Black Widow, beloved SMG and shotgun on her belt. “And… now.” She shot twice into the throat, and another two for good riddance with the other two following suit and the beast crumpled to the ground, dead in an instance, the sound getting attention. “Nice one!” Another came out and followed the same death, making the trio grin and reload before they looked down at the next Eiroch coming out. “Oh snap…” Two came out to sniff about this time. “Left or right?!” “The one on the left is injured,” Felaan mentioned in a hurried whisper as the blue creatures looked around for what killed them off. “Could be easier to take out?” “The other one should be taken out first,” Jules murmured back, “Because the injured one should be easier to defend against if it spots us when we shoot. Gonna stop it from sounding out.” “Agreed,” Jaal raised his gun and Felaan did so as well, the two waiting for the alien to go for the throat. After Jules took her shots, she swiftly reloaded and started on the next one, cursing when only one hit and it rushed for them. She shot at the mouth, which only served to piss it off more, but it stumbled as the two were able to fire it in the eyes and slammed into another Eiroch, which began to fight with it. Another soon jumped on the two, killing the blinded one in a rage. “Shall we stay close?” She hissed to the other two. “It might hear the jet packs,” The fruit vendor replied instantly. “We might be too close to us.” “And have them all come after us?” Jules pursed her lips, silently watching the Eiroch’s come out. Their time to run had passed. “We stay. Let them fight it out. Wouldn’t happen to have any more grenades, Jaal?” She looked around the area for potential opportunities. “Two.” “Hopefully they kill each other.” “They won’t stay frenzied for long,” Jaal said, hand gripping the grenade in preparation. “When a winner is clear, they will submit to the dominant.” “Throw one down when they group together when it looks like they’re calming down. If they see us, we shoot,” Jules reloaded her gun, glad for the experience to get used to the weight and kickback in a real setting instead of the fake one Vetra set up for them all on the Tempest. It wasn’t her favourite, but she could use it well, and Vetra was happier to have the squishy Krogan further back. “Ready? Drop at will, Jaal.” It was a good four and nearly five minutes before Jaal let loose a flare of bioelectricity to let them know he was about to use the throwables, having seen signs of the last three Eiroch calming down and threw the sticky grenades, one after the other. It was excellent aim, with one head blowing up and another loosing an arm. The women blasted out bulltes as the armless one hobbled to them, killing it after two rounds each while Jaal kept the other ones attention, younger and prone to chasing it seemed. The women reloaded as Jaal spent his clip on the last standing Eiroch and they took over for him, having to jet pack out of the way, dividing so it focused on them, Jules falling in front of the cave while Felaan ducked to the side. Shotgun out, and Jules shot the powerful ammo into the beast, freezing it, cryo-ammo prepared beforehand. The other two took the chance to shower the beast in bullets as she jumped back onto a boulder and reloaded. It fell to the ground, dead before she could add anything more to the fray. Instead she kept her gun up and scanned the surrounding area. “SAM, anything out there my scanner can’t pick up?” “Your scanner boosts my ability to scan, Jules. Only deluga are out there. Your team is safe.” “Thanks, duckie.” “I did not think it pertinent to divide your attention, but please take note that the Pathfinder has spoken to the Resistance Leader. He is now on his way with him.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter Seven
Jules looked up at as the shuttle came down, munching on Eiroch to her hearts content, the two angara sitting on a boulder as she cooked more while they chomped, humming happily because Jaal had bravely tried after Jules gave a happy sound and succeeded in not throwing up. In fact, he found it absolutely delectable and would be very pleased to bring news of this to the arriving Leader. Scott and Evfra dropped out with Peebee and some other angara Rebels. “Hey, pretty people! Have fun?” Scott called out. Jules piped up from crouching next to the firepit, “Yeah, we had a ton of bullets and grenades around, so-” Scott interrupted with a shit eating grin, “You had a blast?” “I…” Jules’ lips twitched before snorting in amusement while Peebee groaned. “Dislike the fact I like stupid puns.” “See? This is why we’re besties.” Ryder grinned cheesily at her as she laughed before sticking a bit of seasoned meat in her mouth. “What are you… are you eating the Eiroch and Fiends?” She swallowed the meat in her mouth and responded, “Yes! Hey, you have to try it, we all really like the taste!” She held up three cooked skewers, grabbing some of the herb some found near the cave and what she’d curiously tried, finding it kind of a mix between sage and thyme. She sprinkled it over and handed them to her two Tempest companions, holding the last. Peebee came over, taking it from her hands and chewing, knowing most human food was edible for her. She moaned in pleasure. “Oh, this is good. Ryder, you gotta eat this.” He did so and made the same noise she did, waving the meat in delight in sheer appreciation. “And we’ve been leaving these guys laying around?” The Pathfinder said in disbelief. Then he turned to Jules and slung an arm around her shoulder as she got up with the last. “I love having a personal chef on the ship.” He gave her a big kiss on the cheek in thanks. Jules smile to herself in smug satisfaction and pat his back, loosening from his friendly hold and unsurely went over to Evfra, whose arms were crossed and his eyes narrowed, unhappy. She held the stick out. “For you?” Evfra ignored it, despite how delectable it smelt. “I am displeased to see you out here, surrounded by far too many Eiroch and Fiends. You had only two backup support. One of which is not Resistance. You put yourself and my brethren in extreme danger.” His voice was rising in anger, infuriated by the chance she could have died and stepped closer to her, feeling the need to wrap his bioelectric around her completely and did so. “This was unnecessary and foolish.” She grit her teeth as the music of him wound tight, worried and orchestral and possessive. “I took a chance to help your people,” She explained patiently. The Leader sneered at that, running fingers over her hair and then down along her jaw, adoring and hating how tiny her chin was in his fingers. She could have died from jumping into this, so small and apparently rather water-based by his research. How easy it was to take out a human, neck undefended unlike the angara with their neck flaps. He gently lifted her chin. “The southern valleys were full of Eiroch and Fiends. This is a small group. There are more, likely to come from the smell and change in their land. You were imprudent to have done this,” He snapped, looking her face over and then her neck. “You should not have left the docks for this. It is not a problem for you to deal with without any regard to our concerns, the environment, and the ways of this world.” “Evfra, we took into account the happening of taking out the Fiend and the Eiroch groups. For one, please taste this.” She held up the skewer as she saw his nostrils flare before he took it and plucked a piece off and tried it. His mouth watered as the taste hit his buds and he chewed slowly, taking his time at eating her food, free hand roaming down her throat to hold the back of her neck, thumb on calm but faster than angaran pulse and rubbing slowly. “This is good. Some good has come from your misadventure.” He looked at Jaal and flickered his eyes to the beasts and nodded at them, and the male immediately set to getting the others to begin harvesting the Eiroch, gathering the others to help. His best soldier indeed. Jules eyes dilated at the feel and smell of him so close, cheeks tinting red. “You are… very touchy.” He drew her closer, hand on her chin now slinking down and around her back smoothly. “You are very touchable. Why else do you do this then? You think the angara have need of outsiders' help?” The human swallowed, eyes unable to look away from his gorgeous ones. “Well, one angara seems to have need to touch an outsider, why not take the next step, or am I and the help I offer less because I’m human?” “You are mine, it matters not what you are to me,” He murmured, and then grudgingly admitted, “Though your people have been keeping their promises and saved the Moshae and a betraying angara I thought dead.” He bent down to bite at a piece of meat on the skewer. Evfra looked far too delicious when eating with intent, Jules thought. “Hm. Talking of dead. I’d suggest calling in a group to begin more harvesting of the parts before they spoil. There’s potentially more in the cave, but we, uh, exploded them all.” Tongue came out and licked lips absently as she watched him enjoy the piece. Why was that so erotic to her? She couldn’t help but admire. “Aha… You, ah, do like that then?” She leaned on him without realising it, wanting to see it close up. Evfra approved, making grumbly little sounds at her closeness. “It is delicious. You cook well.” He went for another bite. She watched, entranced and murmured without thought, “I’d hope so. That’s my previous job. Head chef of a busy restaurant. Bossing people around and being a perfectionist. I’m… gonna cook some more.” His arm tightened, rock solid against her escape. “You have not explained yourself.” He watched as her eyes flashed, a spark of defiance that had him intrigued. “The threat of Eiroch and Fiends in a local place get taken out, a new place to either build up farms, cattle the deluga or make a new residence appears and I get to loosen some of the battle need I have. More people could come to Aya, more potential Resistance troops, more buildings, more life and more trade. Is this not a good thing?” “Your life is on the line when you do this. Of all the people,” He murmured and bent down to nuzzle at her cheek and felt her shiver and grip to his rofjinn, which filled him with some kind of intense but unnamed emotion, “Why must you torment me on the first day I meet you, my soulbond? How was I to work when you are potentially without real backup against such enemies on my own world? You realise now the threat they are?” He practically purred out in her ear, low and enticing and feeling a smirk of satisfaction lilt his lips as he felt her shiver, “Let me know, let me arm you with more than just one of my best soldiers and a marketseller, even if she is ex-Resistance.” How easy it was to curl around her small human body. He had every wish to pluck her up and simply carry her with him as he went about the place, but he had a feeling he’d get a mouthful from that. His eyes lidded. And not the type he wished to have. “So you disagree with what it was for?” “Apparently your Krogan need to hunt.” “Well, that’s the cover story. Shh! Don’t tell.” Evfra found himself smirking at that and hid it when he pulled back from her cheek. That cover he appreciated. Good to know his mate wasn’t completely foolhardy. “I do not like you taking this upon yourself. Inform me. We can debate, then do. I will have to calm the other Leaders. Paaran Shie will be especially pleased to note my mate is so impulsive,” He grumbled and grudgingly let go when she pulled away, and noticed her hide a yawn behind her hand. Humans even hid bodily tiredness? Incredible. “I have finished for the day. Come, let us learn of each other at my home after we are done here.” His hand went to her lower back, eyeing the shotgun in the way, simply taking it off to carry and guiding her over to her Captain. “Ryder.” Scott came out the cave, smirking at the sight of them. “Uh-huh.” Jules went red and crossed her arms, shifting away from his hold and muttering, “Shut up, you,” as she walked off to go cook the meat with Felaan, only to hear something and tugged Felaan with her, passing the cooking to Jaal idly. Evfra glowered at him, hand slowly clenching as he unblinkingly stared the male down. Ryder inwardly sweat at that. “No teasing with the romantic stuff, make note of that SAM,” The Pathfinder said instantly, hoping he hadn’t ruined angara-human relations with that. “So, you’ll look after our old-worlder?” “What do you mean, old-worlder?” “She can tell you later. You will?” He pressed. “You’re not a fool, Ryder. Don’t act like one.” Scott shrugged, waving his fourth skewer. “Just need to know. I am fond of her, and she does have specific needs to cater to. Nightmares, having to fight to stay sharp and feel useful, needing company near on all times. I’m glad it’s you she has. I believe you can fulfil those. Especially as an angara. I wonder if that's the point. Huh? What's happening over there?” “Hn.” He frowned when there was a sudden hubbub when Felaan went out of the cave with Jules, the angaran woman holding a frightened angara child and going over to him. There were murmurs about the sniffling child who seemed to realise there were aliens and stared at the humans next to him and that stopped him crying, shocked at the different beings with their lack of blue, purple or green. Evfra noted he was thinner than he should be, having been lost for quite the while it seems, and he remembered sending out scouts days ago. Of course, if trapped in a cave full of Fiends was anything to go by, he’d somehow managed to survive them even when they’d surrounded him hungrily. A soldier came up to him. “Sir?” “Forward message to Anaya that her child has been found.” “Yes, sir.” “Pekoe,” The Commander said gently to the boy. But he seemed entranced by the two humans, who grinned at him and waved, only for the purplish boy to blush purple-blue and bury his head into Felaan, making the other two aww at each other. It drew the child’s attention again, wondering at the sound and when Jules moved he traced her actions, seeing her next to the Leader and then looking for her by leaning out of Felaan’s arms when she disappeared behind the big angara, only for Evfra to speak up and get his attention. “Pekoe. How did you get here?” “I-I ran. I was lost, then they chased me.” “No one did anything to you?” He felt Jules put her fingertips on his back and he leaned back a little to fully push them against him. He almost lost focus when she put her forehead against him but it came back when he saw the unsure look on the child’s face. “Pekoe.” “S-Someone grabbed me.” “Do you know what they looked like?” “Not angara.” Scott closed his eyes at that, breathing out. “Like this?” Evfra pointed at Ryder, but the child shook his head watching as Jules came out and pointed at herself and the child paused but shook his head and looked away as Evfra pointed at another. “Like that?” Pekoe turned and squeaked and whimpered at the sight of Peebee, who looked flabbergasted. “I see. That blue colour? Or mixed with anything else?” “Purple.” “Just the one?” “I think so? Where’s mama?” Evfra nodded, silently putting an arm around Jules at the thought of their children being taken by aliens. “You shall soon see her. Come, Jules. We will return him.” He barked out a few commands as he bustled himself and Jules to a shuttle, though Felaan smiled at her in awe when they sat across from each other, bewildering the human. There was a silence Jules wasn’t sure was comfortable or not and she leaned forward on her knees, the arm around her shoulders dropping to her back, hand splayed fully and nearly eclipsing the whole of the small of her back. He seemed to constantly touch her, and she wondered at that, because not even the angara she'd seen out and about were so touchy-feely. It was unusual, and each time she was a little uncomfortable, but she was getting used to it, liking the crooning of his bioelectric just that bit too much to push him away fully. She looked down at her boots, noting she’d have to get rid of mud on them as she entwined her fingers and then looked out of window to watch the world go by. From the corner of her eyes she could see the child copy her stance and then gawp at her fingers not being attached. She smiled to herself warmly. “I am Jules.” The child jumped at realising she was looking at him. Pekoe looked at Felaan and Evfra for guidance but they said nothing, watching. “Your hands are weird but pretty. Like anana’s.” That made the other two angaran snort, amused. It rang a bell though. “Anana’s? Like a yellow fruit?” “Yes!” “In a bunch of maybe five, on a tree? Green first, then yellow?” She then did a motion of peeling one. Pekoe clapped and nodded, copying her. “Yes!” Jules brightened up at that. “Ah, no way! We have anana’s too! But we call them bananas!” Pekoe went into bubbles of giggles. “Bananas!” She sat back, mouth slightly agape in surprise at his sudden laughter, but saw the other two look at her with little smirks. “What?” “That is a slang word for a man’s ah…” Felaan darted her eyes to Evfra’s crotch and gave her a knowing look. She groaned and leaned against the wall of the shuttle. “Don’t tell me, men’s extra that females don’t have? I mean, I’m guessing both our species have that joke. Oh no.” Her eyes widened and she looked at the happier child. “Anana’s. But what about this?” Jules went to the weave basket. “Kuri…” “Kari!” The child reached forward as she brought it out, hands clenching and unclenching, intolerant by waiting. “Patience, Pekoe. Jules, you peel it like… anana’s.” The Leader smirked at her when Jules threw an unimpressed look over her shoulder at him, doing her best to not grin as her lips twitched. He watched her closely, feeling the joy in him at having his mate by his side. It truly was incomparable, knowing the one person meant for him was there and within reach. He did not know what she meant by music between them, but he certainly knew her heat was like a voice calling to him, urging him to touch and keep her close. Perhaps she was the singer to his music? He huffed silently through his nose, wondering at the nonsense coming from him now. Family. Affection. It had not happened since- He turned his mind away from past travesties, seeing Jules watch him as Felaan and Pekoe enjoyed the Kari. She knew something was wrong. His thumb rubbed calmingly. “Think not of it, bond.” Jules nodded at that, knowing it was not her business and a little unsure at such touchiness, but the sound of his bioelectric had truly turned scratchy and somewhat like nails on a chalkboard. She gently reached around her waist and lightly caressed his fingers without looking at him and yipped when he suddenly tugged her back to him, not liking affection hidden. She was given strange looks by the opposite angara. “J-Just sudden.” She’d fallen back onto him and flushed at the arm locking around her waist. “Evfra de…” Pekoe then widened his eyes and pointed at them, having read the words on her wrist. “Souls!” The Resistance Leader lifted and ran a caressing hand down her head and settled on her lower back to grasp the side of her waist. “Yes, Pekoe. This one is mine. My soulbond.” Jules flushed at the pride in his voice, grinning nervously at being in the limelight for it as they all turned to her. “Ohhh. Wow,” Pekoe said in awe.
Even the children were amazed by it?
Felaan sighed at the romance of it.
Of course the fruitseller was.
The hand on her back rubbed.
And him...
Jules, while absolutely enjoying the feel of him and his music chorusing around her in waves of emotion, was still unsure of this sudden relationship. Was she even ready for something like this? Especially with such a forward male that felt like a force of nature? Well, not really, no. She needed time for that adjustment in her life. So with a put on grin she sat up and grasped the hand on the arm around her and pulled it over her head to sit up while she remarked, “I haven’t tried the Kari yet, still.” Evfra watched with a little frown at her somewhat rejection of his regard, noting the voice dimming until he realised she still held his hand. He wasn’t being rejected; he had to remember she was human. Which was brought to evidence when they got off the shuttle and met up with Cora, who was waiting at the dockyard for them, bag in hand. She raised a brow at the connected hands. “Rather quick, Jules?” Evfra narrowed at the human, wondering if he should say something. Felaan looked at the entwined hands. “It is?” Jules looked at Cora and nodding quickly, subtly, eyes widening to get her to continue. Cora got the hint. “Are you kidding me? First day and holding hands? One hell of a leap for a human. I suppose the angara charm is at work there. I’m surprised. I guess you do feel the soulbond even if human. Anyway,” Cora changed topics and held a duffle-bag out. “Some Andromeda clothing for tomorrow and some essentials.” The old-worlder took it gratefully. “You’re a doll. I completely didn’t think about this stuff. Oh,” Jules blinked as Evfra plucked it from her hand and slung it over a shoulder, “I- thank you for carrying it for me. Uh,” She grinned a little awkwardly and turned to Cora, giving her a wide eyes look and slightly turning of the head. The woman chuckled. “I doubt motels are a thing here. Oh, and I left another of Sarissa’s books in there for you. Are you sure you want that one?” “I read the others. I wish to see more.” She’d wanted to know the woman better without talking to her, and what better way than through her books? It’d been… interesting, so far. Cora hummed in understanding. “As you say, Jules.” The woman smiled. “Oh, and we expect a daily message. See you later! People,” She nodded at the angaran, looking curiously at the child, and then with another smile to Jules she was off. “Pekoe!” Jules jumped at the sudden screech of disbelief, hands going to gun, twitchy before the heavy mass of Evfra went to her back, protecting it. His bioelectric crooned at her as it had since he’d seen her and her shoulders relaxed, tension lessening. She slumped against him, hands dropping and shuddering out a shaky breath, wondering if she’d always be like this. Jittery. Switching into battle mode. A frown pulled at her face until she realised the two protrusion that ended in his chest made a perfect headrest for her and it made her smile, suddenly feeling relief and comfort. “Oh.” She blinked. “Uhm. Evfra,” She whispered and look up at him, wanting to share her finding, tugging at the rofjinn he had on. “Hm?” His hands trailed up her arms, wishing she was without the armour. “My head fits perfectly here. See?” She pulled his hands up so he could feel, head shuffling back in. Evfra did not wish her to know that he was inwardly melting at this and utterly smitten, looking at his adorable human and her pretty beaming smile, completely stupid for her already. “Naturally,” He scoffed, but he curled around her, his actions completely the antithesis to his tone and word, unable to help himself and not wanting to. Let them look. His arms would not move from around her chest and hummed, intrigued by what he felt under his forearms. “It seems I am not the only one with protrusions on my chest.” Jules went red, not used to flirting or sexual talk out in the public eye. “Please don’t talk about them publically, they’re uh… part of the reproductive system. In a fashion. Either way, they’re sexual,” She murmured. “Some are okay with talking about it very casually, but I am not.” “Very well.” They'd be all for him then. He would not be having others see that would rightfully be for his eyes only. “What are acceptable parameters for you?” “No touching my chest protrusions, or my, ah- yes.” His lips twitched, wondering now if she was inexperienced. “Indeed.” “Everything else is rather okay!” She chirped with a smile at him. “Oh, but not my bellybutton. I hate that being touched.” “Belly button?” “Do you not have a dip in the middle of your belly, a type of hole?” Jules twisted, but he didn’t release, only loosened the circle of his arms and she pulled her shirt up a smidgen. “See? It’s vestigial from when we were birthed. Nothing wrong with us.” He looked, marvelling. “You do not like it touched? Why?” “It’s no bother to most humans but for me… It made me shudder and I hate the feeling of it, it’s horrible. So really, no touching that. It’s not like being ticklish, it’s just horrid to me.” He did not understand that feeling but nodded, not letting her yet drop the top, tracing her skin around it and feeling her muscles quake in reaction. His mind went blank from lust for a moment at how soft she was, smooth and delicate underneath that fiery character and personality-hardening clothing. How humans could be an enemy… He was beginning to think not, just from how soft they all must be, and how giving her body was under his strength, skin thin. He’d seen 'enemy' when it came to Milky Way races, but now he was feeling fragility of the human race. It was disconcerting. “We have that, but ours heals over fully. Hn. It is a weak spot.” He pulled her top down, now wishing she would constantly wear the armour. He’d have to see about getting her proper protective angara clothing. He peered over at the mother to check on the angara as an afterthought, holding her boy tight. His lips pursed. This should not have been brought up in front of Jules. He didn’t want her getting the wrong understanding about their protective measures over their children. “Keep an eye on your child next time. We’ve so few as it is. They are all dear.” The woman scowled at him, offended. “Of course my child is! I love-” Her voice broke and she sobbed, holding her boy and rushing away. Jules watched that, frowning after the light blue woman going.
What the…?
Evfra grunted at that, annoyed but that soothed when looking upon his lady. “Come, we shall retire.” He looked at the ex-resistance with a nod. “Felaan.” “Commander. Jules, please be welcome to talking to me at any time.” The human grinned at the other woman, going over and hugging her with Felaan joining in warmly. “I will do, and thanks for joining me today!” She parted, Evfra relinking his arm around her waist and tugging her back to him. “It was fun and we should do it again, minus the child thing.” Her lips twitched as Evfra scoffed and pulled her away while Felaan chuckled, causing her to wave and call out happily, “Have a good evening!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter Eight
As Resistance Leader, Jules noted Evfra got a very close home to the Headquarters and main plaza of Aya and while it was as big as any other she’d seen from above on the shuttles that day, it seemed bigger with just the two of them, having learnt angara tendency to happily live with each other crammed so close together. She breathed out, relaxing while not under so many curious or suspicious or fascinated eyes. She was the alien, she got that, but it was hell on an Earthen Westerner’s nerves to be so constantly gawked at. Did she have dirt on her face? Jules looked down at herself with a frown, well maybe, actually. She was pretty messy from earlier. The woman rubbed the back of her hand along her forehead, nervous. It’s then she peered around an angaran home for the first time, unable to help but reach and lightly touch the sofa to understand it’s feel and give, smiling on how it practically melted to fit her hand when she pressed deeper. She then went to the table and touched the wood that surprisingly had a layer of softness to it, like invisible fur. Kind of like that anyway. The lamp on it was pretty neat, some sort of religious figure (perhaps?) holding up the lightbulb – or what appeared to be one. Its purpose was light bringing so she didn’t think too much on it. There was a lamp shade looking like it was made out of the fibres of one of those humungous leaves she’d seen, feeling sleek to her fingertips when she curiously touched it. There was a chest of drawers, paintings, and a screen of some sort – their television equivalent? – around the room. A lot of things were made from the surroundings of their land, which really was something she appreciated. Ingenuity and adaptability, and an eye for melding it seamlessly into surroundings. It was a shame the walls and flooring were efficient futuristic furnishing like in most places. She missed the tiled flooring and carpets and wallpaper that gave a room character. It was minimalistic here. There was that large screen that caught her eyes again when she looked over the place a second time that she wondered if it was used much and then there was what she believed was a fridge. She tapped in curiously with a short nail. It would make sense. They did eat those tube things. Nutrient paste. Her nose scrunched up at that, which prompted a rumble from the angara Leader she’d forgotten about, that was watching her actions with amused interest. “Why do you do that with your nose?” Evfra came over, touching the pointy nose and then dragging his finger up, rubbing the wrinkles away. His thumb traced over an eyebrow delicately, wondering if she felt that. “Does this bring you pleasure?” Jules began to explain, “So, the eyebrows? Hair is nerveless, but for the stem of it, not that the feel of being stroked isn’t soothing. It feels good to have the hair played with. The nose thing, it’s a show of distaste to something. I used to be a chef back on Earth and loved creating new recipes. It displeases me that there is only paste. I understand why, Jaal filled me in-” She choked as she felt him drag her up close to him, gaping at his sudden ire, thrown but not afraid as he glowered over her shoulder. “He what?” “Jaal told me about why? To be filled in… like, information into blanks in minds-?!” Evfra huffed through his nose, a growl leaving his throat and she stared at the sounds he could make, bewildered and uncaring at being cut off. “I see.” He did understand when his possessiveness didn’t get in the way. It wasn’t a hard idiom to decode. “You like food?” “Food lover. Epicurean, me.” A rumbling chuckle and then he replied, “We did not think it healthy to eat Eiroch and Fiends. We thought it poisonous.” “Something has to try these things. So I did. Made sure it was well cooked first, but for me, most meat has to be rare.” His head cocked as he brought her to the sofa and tugged her down with him, beginning to take her armour off for her. “Ah thank you, these are always a bit fiddly for me. As in, hm...” Her mind was lost as she thought about food. “Hey, Evfra? You’ve always have these tubes, right?” He placed the first piece down on the table. “Yes. It feeds all and keeps us at our best without taxing the ecosystem. I wonder what the others will think of this.” “Hopefully they’ll begin to cattle deluga that apparently breed like nobodies’ business now there are notably less of those humungous things in the local area. Milk, butter, cheese, do they have fur? No it’s scales, isn’t it? So more things for furnishing, I suppose? Clothing with the leathers?” She got a nod as the other arm piece came off and suddenly felt guilty. He was a leader in their military right? He should be back in work rather than looking after her getting into trouble. “You know, if you’ve work to do, like reports or-” “No. I may come back late and leave early, but work stays there. Unless emergencies happen. If I may, I would like to see your Omni-tool, and add protections.” “Sure.” “It was said we once had them as cattle, the deluga. Perhaps it can be so again. I still am unhappy you put yourself in danger.” He looked her arms over as he spoke, dragging hands down the lithe arms and wondered how she picked anything up with these slinky things, looking for injuries while taking off the Omni-tool. “You made sense even if succinct, though I do believe it may more be the words of Felaan you speak, as she has quickly become annoyed at the delaying. Now we know how quickly we can take down such massive creatures and we can eat them, we will be able to quicken progression of expanding living and agricultural areas out.” “For more of those tube pastes I take it?” His lips twitched at her sighing tone. “Yes. It bothers you.” “Yes!” She gave the response in an exasperated laughing voice. “It is my passion. To know my best skill and passion here is useless and non-existent. Ngh…” She half shrugged, face going blank as she began to take off the legs of her armour. “I suppose I’ll find something to take my mind off for the week I’m here.” Hm. Yes. Week. He was not best pleased about that. He would make sure she would think of this as home to come back to. Him to come back to. Perhaps she could be useful to the Governor, he could show off his bond while also potentially having a sway over the others. None of them could live if the Kett attacked after all, and if his mate was seen helping them both, human and achieving like she had this day… He ran a hand down the back of her neck, smirking when she shuddered. Then all would be good. Now only in the body suit over her loose clothing – she hadn’t wanted to change in front of the other angarans on the shuttle – she felt exposed. “So where am I sleeping?” “With me,” The relaxed reply came, Evfra relishing the thought of her in his room, in his sheets, in his arms. He fiddled with his Omni-tool and her own, adding the protection swiftly. “I-what?” “We are bonded. Is it not the way of your people to also do so?” He knew it was when married. Had garnered knowledge on it so his people had databases on the other species. “Whoa, whoa, whoa.” She got up, hands held up, could feel his music and was instantly followed by him, eyes narrowing on her. “Bonding is what I presume is marriage to you, but a bond is just a type of link, uh, partnership to me.” She misled, not wanting this. Not yet. “Friends. Friends don’t platonically sleep with each other unless they have to, unless it’s some sort of sleepover, and even then it’s not against usually each other like a marriage; someone can take a floor, someone a sofa-” He caught her up in his arm, chest to chest. “How are we to properly bond if we do not? No angaran takes such things slow. It is alarming if we do. That there is something wrong with one or both of us. Here.” He raise the omni-tool. “It will nip to gain samples to adhere so as to be used by only you.” He put the tool back on her arm. She yelped as the tool stabbed her to take some blood sample or something and tried to pull out, distress on her features. “I’m not angara! This is your peoples bond and everything in me and within my social ways and mind is saying to slow down! This is overwhelming, and half-terrifying!” She swallowed as he responded to that by nuzzling into her and rumbling calming sounds into her neck and internally she sighed as it did calm her down - far too easily. This worried him, made him think there was something faulty in their bond, making his chest clench. “You do not feel the pull to me as I do to you?” She couldn’t answer that and have him be all over her. “Evfra, please.” The Leader would not be accused of accosting his mate and so let go of her, aching and pained at her wish to move away from him so quickly, face discomforted and looking away from him. “I would not harm you. I do not seek to have you turn from me either. You do not have the bioelectricity of my people, so I must feel you, touch you, know you are there. It is a comfort to have you here, your body heat singing its song to me. If you wish it, you may sleep here on the couch instead of with me. I will bring out a blanket. We should clean you up. One thing Aya has is a surplus of hot water. Come. We shall talk in the morning.” He put a hand to the small of her back and guided her to the bathroom after she nodded in assent. Jules looked up at him grateful, something that settled the rolling of his stomach. “Thank you, Evfra. I… I’m sorry I’m not the right mate for you.” He scoffed at that. “Nonsense. Soulbonds are never wrong.” She wondered at that confidence and implicit belief and, nodding, gave him a small smile as she murmured, “Goodnight, Evfra, I’ll see you in the morning?” He wanted to kiss her, take that unsure look on her face away. Instead he handed her the bag Cora left her. “Until then, bond.” The woman watched him sweep away to his quarters without a look back, watching the stalking lope of his walk in fascination. Then she blinked and went in and sucked in a breath as the door closed behind her, bag dropping. The shower. “Holy shit.” It was incredible, like a miniature waterfall, the water thick and enticing and damnit she wasn’t out of her clothing and under there fast enough with her things. She scrubbed at her body, washed herself with the all-in-one hair and body wash that smelt pretty damn good, florally but nothing so overwhelming and sneeze-inducing. Lexi had thankfully been able to take away the hair on her body but for her eyebrows and head, the doctor waving off her concerns of payment. Apparently all the human women had gotten it done, not that aliens understood why the only haired race amongst them would want to take it away. Most found it endearing and soft. Feeling good, she dried up under a blast of a ceiling fan that ostensibly knew when to turn on, which had her heart in her throat for a petrified moment before she let it do its magic. She cursed when she found no pyjama bottoms or boxers or anything, Cora rightly assuming it’d be too hot for them, but it did leave her in a simple pair of plain cotton panties and a spaghetti top in Evfra’s front room. Next to naked. She kind of wondered what angara people looked like naked. Huh. How would Evfra look like? She stalled at that, imagining the large breadth of him naked, sweaty in the hot sun of Aya, gravelly voice murmuring lowly over her skin as he ducked close to inhale her scent. A pulse of lust went through her, hot and zinging and she went with it. She imagined those hands trailing up her body, daringly dipping into the most secretive of places, rumbling form behind her and bending her over with his chest to her back, sucking at her neck. He’d rub and grind and bite and- Jules felt her mouth watering and her eyes half lidding. Her vagina clenched on nothing, and she distinctively felt the emptiness there. She ran a hand down her chest, finding her nipples hard and waiting for attention. No. Not in his damn bathroom! Agitatedly, she ran a hand through her mostly dry hair, only to find it knotty from the blasting it just had. She swiftly brushed it, bottom first and then top to bottom, and ran a hand through it again, nodding when there were no stops. “Good.” She threw it up in a loose bun, chucked in all her clothing into the duffle bag but for a spaghetti strap top and baggy shorts, and took a breath before leaving the room, finding Evfra wasn’t in the living room and there was a folded blanket and pillow waiting for her. Smiling at the kindness, she settled onto the couch. She sighed at the relaxation this sofa bought, moulding to her perfectly, and looked at her things, neat and orderly on the table. And maintained, gleaming from a good polishing and look over. “Oh.” She reached for her SMG, having thought to check them in the morning, but they were all cleaned and inspected. It seemed she’d been quite long in the bathroom. Speaking of, she heard the door go and the shower begin being used before the door closed. She shifted as the thought of him naked came back to her, and it seemed he only wanted a wash down, out in minutes and in his room once more. Feeling better he was in bed, she relaxed… Only to close her eyes tight and sigh in annoyance.
Nope.
She flipped to the side.
Not this either.
She turned around on the bed.
Or this.
Scowling, she flopped to her back, narrowed eyes on the ceiling. She wasn’t going to be able to sleep. It was one of those sleepless nights, in a new place, and still feeling the heat of the naturally tropical planet after a wash, beginning to feel grubby already. No way would she be able to. And not just because of those three things either. His music was there, out of reach, and during the time with him, she’d become rather fond of the closeness he insisted on having.
All-freakin’-ready!!
And thus the annoyance it was out of reach when it didn’t have to be. It was only going to bother her, but was she really going to go so fast in their barely started relationship? “Ngh…” Her eyes glowered up at the ceiling, huffing out through her nose, wanting to sleep. One time. One time she could give it, damnit. Surely it wasn’t just her? “Screw it.” Jules got up wrapping the blanket around her biceps and got up, leaving her things behind but for her Omni-tool and pillow. She went to the bedroom she’d seen him slip into earlier and knocked at the door. “Evfra?” The door opened near on instantly and Jules very very stubbornly did not look down. Naked. Evfra was naked. He slept naked! Oh-ho-ho-ho… wooow was his body impressive. Her mouth watered and she swallowed it down. Damnit all she was not leaving now, not when it meant the ache of wanting to be next to him throbbing in her all night was the other option. “I can’t sleep alone. Is there… Is there a chance I might stay with you?” A quirk of his lips and a little huff of air from his nose in exasperated affection and he nodded. “Of course,” His words were growling purrs, the slits of his bared eyes dilating. “I would not reject you when you ask for closeness. Delay, maybe,” He murmured to himself as she stepped in, watching her every step and glad he was fastidious with orderliness in all parts of his life as she peered around, ever curious. “I was merely reading.” He did not think he’d be able to sleep with her so close but out of his reach this first week. But she came to him! The sheer relief at that. That…
That his bond wasn’t broken-!
He blinked at the odd pieces of fabric on her when she let go of one side of the blanket to clamber on the bed and flop gracelessly with a happy sigh after at finding something she liked greatly, making him snort. “You wear clothing to bed?” She sat up at that, intrigued. “You don’t have sleep clothing?” He scoffed. “Certainly not on Aya. It is too hot. For Voeld, we must. Far too cold.” “That it is.” She fiddled with the strap of her top, unsure. He understood right away. “This is another human thing, isn’t it? Your modesty of body? Your people and your barriers against others. Ridiculous.” Jules snorted at that and promptly replied as she then twisted and snuggled under the blanket, “You overly emotional types are far too unrestrained. How do you ever learn control on the battlefield?” She had him there. “With much difficulty, admittedly.” His soulmate laughed lightly at that and hummed when he joined her, and said nothing against itwhen he tugged her onto his front firmly and she fell into his body when his coolness pleasantly surprised her. She crossed her arms over his chest, head tilting to lay on a protrusion while her chin lay on folded hands and sighed out, finally feeling able to relax. He smelt good, felt surrounded by him and it made her smile. She didn’t care she could feel all of him. “It is loose.” “Hm?” She hummed out sleepily. Evfra lightly touched it. “Your fur. Are you… well? Or is it up for practical purposes?” “Well?” She chuckled at the odd question. “I’m not ill. It is called hair. Why did you ask that with some hesitation? Rather unlike you, isn’t it?” “Angara do not speak of their illnesses. It is a private affair.” “Practical. Take the hairband out if you want, just don’t lose it please. There’s only that one left for me. After so long…” She sighed out. Evfra did so gently, wondrous at how much there was of it and how fluffy it was after just being washed. It felt silky between his fingers, and kept in the smell of her cleaning oils well, emphasised more so when he could scent her hotness and her- His mouth watered when his nose detected that extra heated layer.
Excitement.
His mind swirled at the scent of her need as she shifted, permeating from between her legs. His body reacted within seconds, cock hardening at the soft feel of her as one arm slunk around her waist and the other dug into her hair, head burying into it as he rumbled something and he daringly licked her neck, groaning at her flavour. She further made a sound of surprise that went to a little feminine sound that had him gripping her tighter. His hand trailed up her rib cage, intrigued by the soft, round, giving flesh he felt there, as well as a hardened nub he had no idea was used for. It felt fun to play with and it instantly had her groaning into him with soft sounds of want, even making her buck her hips into his hardness. He growled, gently tugging the hair at the roots so she would get the hint to move and instead a lusty keen left her throat that had him snarling out lustfully, “Jules.” That had her jerking back and on all fours above him, blinking multiple time to wipe the lust fog out of her mind. “Uh…?” His eyes flashed at her, annoyed by her discontinuing this for no reason. “Why do you stop? Come here. Let me taste you. You smell divine. Surely you would be nectar upon my tongue,” He urged, softly pulling her head down. “Just to taste, not to take. Not tonight.” He left his lips there, waiting this one time. For the one time would open the way to him knowing she liked and wanted it, and he’d take advantage of that. A shudder and she fell onto his lips with hers, sighing at his taste. A moment and Evfra seemed to be everywhere at once, lips fervently kissing her, hands roaming down her form to take her all in and then shoving her down against him once more, humming with low masculine pleasure at how she writhed on his body and gripped onto him for stability. His body was utterly firm and strong and there and in no way retreating, almost sculpting her to him by his whims. He wanted to devour her it felt like, hot and heavy and hard and her mind whirled as electric raced through her, lighting up her nerves and making little high pitched breathy sounds leave her. Evfra was delighting in all of them, not having thought humans would be so responsive in the slightest with how restrained they came across as. He grunted when her tongue slicked along his bottom lip, and he hadn’t expected her kind to also use tongue, but why wouldn’t they? He eagerly joined in, tongue swirling against hers and then plundering her mouth with his, wondering at the sleekness against his rougher tongue and he felt her lips quirk up. He pulled back at that, watching her move back from him with darkened eyes and a panting body. “Why do you suddenly smile like that? What does my tongue remind you of?” “Picked up on that, did you?” He focused on how breathless she was, distracted by that. “Yes.” He watched how her chest heaved, making those protrusions on her chest also move, almost mesmerising. His hand roamed up, cupping the flesh and enjoying the way it gave to his inquisitive touching. The point of her nipple made his thumb roam over it once and then flick back which had him snapping his eyes up to her as her thighs twitched closed. “Ah!” “Hm, on buttons?” She spluttered in laughing indignation, “Don’t call them on buttons, you cretin!” She flicked his own chest protrusion with a finger he did nothing but snort at, focused on watching her when he again flicked and then rolled the bud in his fingers, making her eyes close. “Mmmm.” He couldn’t look away as her body shuddered, sensitive and gripping into him with her odd little nails. He wanted to do more, squeezing the flesh around but not getting nearly as much response as when he focused on these. “You said this was sexual…?” “Yes. If you couldn’t tell that you’re getting me going,” Jules breathed out. Evfra was about to stop her leaving, free hand tightening, when he understood the idiom. “Good. These are for sexual pleasure?” “Before children, yes. Your women don’t have breasts?” He flicked them as he said bluntly, “No.” Jules gave a full body twitch. “Ngh! How do your women feed their new born?” He disentangled his hand from her hair and slid his hand down, cupping both and squeezing. He enjoyed these and her reaction to them. “Our children can eat meat from the beginning. You feed children with these?” “They produce a milk with the nutrients a child needs. But, as you can tell from your curious expedition across my chest, they’re sexual before that.” She grabbed his hands and tugged them away, clearing her throat as she came out of her lusty mind set. “So, yes.” She rolled off of him, and upon grabbing her pillow and laying on her back, she cuddled it to her. A smirk and Evfra followed, clasping her to him and nuzzling into her hair, making her go red. “You’re… not going to let go are you?” “No. We want this.” She could give in this once. A sigh left her lips. “Alright.” “Why do you fight this?” Her legs were picked up and slid over the thick of his thigh. “It was forced onto me against my will, making me have to depend on another person and forcing me upon them as well and completely turning my world upside down. How was such a thing not supposed to bother me?” Evfra instantly hated that, but then thought on it. He could only grudgingly say, “From an outsider point of view, I can understand that.” Regardless, his fingers kept her in his hold securely. Didn’t meant he liked hearing it, but it helped to understand her reticence of their bond. “I hear a but in that sentence.” “But there is no point fighting against it. We are what we are.” His words were low and somehow soothing to her and she nodded. “I’m trying, otherwise I’d never be here.” Evfra knew eventually Jules would have come here, or he’d have gone to her. Better to have her here now where she was away from that Pathfinder that seemed to have taken the fight up against the Kett full on. Let others fight, this was his only piece of family remaining in the world and he was loathe for her to have a gun in her hands. Not without him also having one by her side. “It is a wonder to have you here in my arms.” Jules felt a sudden stupid grin on her face and ducked her head into his chest, cuddling in. He let out a huff and said nothing, amused by his human that fell asleep surprisingly quickly. She must have been tired. Thinking of something, he quickly scanned her body, and sent off a request. Better. Now to rest well.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter Nine
It was Jules that snapped awake first, having begun to fall into a nightmare of her time with the Kett and let out a shaky breath when she realised that the arms holding her against a body were loose from sleep and not harsh and crushing, the body relaxed and warm and not cold and clammy, the breathing against her neck slow and not cruel and mocking. It was a complete relief to have him there next to her, a mostly-stranger though he may be. His magical bioelectric around her was far calmer, the song of him light and lilting and… loving. She felt cocooned in warmth and tranquillity and it swiftly helped her unwind from the nightmare she had. She felt calmed. Wow. Even in his sleeping state? That… kind of made her see the reality of bonds for the angaran people. She sat up, having realised she’d not moved during the night as her knees were still over his thigh, and simply took them off and put her forehead to them. Her eyes looked up through his balcony doors and noted the sun was rising. She wanted to see it, wondering if it was any different on a new planet and so gently got up, eager to view it. It was warm, yes, but there was a cool breeze in the morning so she grabbed the blanket Evfra didn’t seem to need, bulky and wide as he was and practically a radiator (though he was cool, last night?), and flung it around her biceps as she gently padded to the door and leant against it. She peered around at the balcony quickly, and blinked. There was a simple table and chair there. Just the one. It was larger than Evfra was and more like a chaise longue with its length and was bordered by a back and sides and was very plush a piece. But it made her frown. Just… the one? Weren’t angaran highly social people? That families were in the many? That they had multiple ‘mothers’ and siblings galore? That they lived communally and loved it? She hadn’t realised the quietness of his apartment, so used to it from a human perspective. Something confused her. Didn’t Jaal say they- Her eyes snapped to the furniture, worried and ignoring the gorgeous sunset. One chair. Minimalistic settings. Gruff attitude over the usual curious warmth and hugging of the angara. A vitriolic hatred of Kett unseen in the others where fear was more obvious. Her lips pursed. Was that the connection? Angara shouldn’t be alone. They weren’t made for it damnit. Angry indignation hit her at that, a protective pulse in her for the angaran people that had stemmed from knowing Jaal growing swifter as she looked over her shoulder at the sleeping male. There was a stronger flare of his bioelectric as he slowly awoke, perhaps from feeling the lack of her side of the bond as he had all night. A smile was on his face when she saw him shift and his hand absently go to his side until it froze. It was where she had been sleeping, supposed to still be, and his eyes snapped open before he jerked up and looked around with a dark scowl that had her gulping. His eyes locked onto her and the sheer relief on his face at the sight of her slowly coming to his side made her feel so damn guilty. He was angara without his own people. She could try to be more affectionate, right? No angara should be alone... They weren't made for it. “Watch the sunrise with me,” She blurted out, sticking a hand out from the swaddle of blanket she was in. “I, uh, wanted to watch the first sunrise on the first planet other than the human home world that I’d ever been to.” Evfra took it without hesitation, pleased at her reaching out to him first. He’d had been so worried she’d left without him knowing of her whereabouts, needing to know his bond was safe and happy. The first planet? This concerned him. “You have not been to another planet? Yet they have you aboard the Tempest?” He responded protectively, getting up without care to his nakedness. Jules wanted to say everything and have him know, but there was still something in her mind saying to keep a wall up for now. But it was so difficult in the face of angaran warmth and connectivity. “Yes.” She tugged him to the balcony, seeing rays of light and was about to go to the rail when he instead tugged her to the large voluminous chair and took her into his lap. She felt the rumbles of pleasure coming from him, his music stronger with her awake state, and settled back against him. Her neck found the perfect place between those protrusions of his and his chin nestled on top of her messy hair with a content sound, arms winding around her torso. “I had wanted to have you in my arms as I awoke,” He said gruffly, thumb coming up and rubbing her shoulder and neck. “But I am settled by this.” “Good.” Her toes dug into the chair and she further relaxed in his hold, reaching a hand up to pet his neck flap but her palm was instead nuzzled into. A grin at how nice that felt, and she stretched out, body quivering before she slumped into him completely, hearing him chuckle at that, pleased. The sun caught her eye and she watched it avidly. One hand of hers played with one of his purposefully, taking in the rougher feeling skin and feeling much better, her own nightmare nearly completely forgot. All too quickly it came up, barely any different to her own experience on earth but still slightly skew-if and she rather enjoyed this more. Maybe it was just a mind trick because putting one next to the other, she was unable to tell what was different. A hand raised her chin ever so softly and lips trailed gently down her ear and jawline and she let out a little sighing sound in reaction at the nice feeling. Ah. Yes she was able to tell. The woman smiled to herself because, okay, maybe she was starting to get a little crush on the gruff guy that could barely keep his hands off of her and was giving these stupidly adorable sounds. It was hard not to! “I can feel you smiling.” Jules snorted and didn’t say yes or no, merely giving a huffed out, “You make it sound like I’m being accused of some heinous crime.” A chuckle left him. “You are not running from me.” “I don’t think I’ve ever tried to run from you. Move, shift, and slide, perhaps?” She replied with a little taunt in her voice that had him making a low sound. “Maybe even-” She cut off, yipping at the nip to her neck. “Hey!” Evfra smirked at her glower up at him, shying away from his body against hers with a shoulder up on her abused side before he brought her back with a, “Such irreverence.” “That’s me alright, sassy,bossy, cheeky, and perhaps I should add tormenting to that list just to top it off.” She began turning around, looking like she was trying to loosen the blanket. He held his arms up to help her, blood heating when her body became more accessible to his eyes, and soul practically singing in rejoice when she ducked to kiss him.
His bond!
Only for her lips to barely brush his, a giggle that had him blinking at her, bewildered, and her to duck out of his grasp with a feminine laugh and run inside as he stared off after her. A split-second of disbelief at her gall for denying him which he fervently wanted and then with a smirk he was on her trail, looping an arm around her waist and snagging her to him just as she passed the bed and shoving her back onto it, making her bounce and laugh loudly. Not once did she look at him in anything but sheer beaming playfulness, willingly doing this with him. He couldn’t help but fall over her and take that kiss, her mouth giggling her laughter into him before humming her delight into his mouth and kissing back, arms going around his broad neck. He enjoyed the feel of this small thing all wrapped around him, with even a leg sliding up his side and sending a thrill up his body as her heat beckoned him to fall into her. So he did. He lost himself in her mouth and hands, mind fogging. She parted from his lips, breathing heavily and groaning at his travelling lips and fingers dragging down and feeling her nipple being played with, an electric hum running up and down her. “Evfra.” His eyes snapped up to hers, just in time for her to see his long tongue lick at an aching nipple and make her squeak and her thighs to twitch, nether region throbbing. Jules narrowed her eyes at the blue male. His smirk was far too satisfied with himself. “Jules?” A scoff, and the woman let go to slide up the bed with a rueful grin at him idly following on all fours until her eyes darkened because damn if the sight of him naked, with a hard thick cock bobbing and hot eyes on her didn’t get her panties wetter than ever and her mouth watering. He was so sleek and predatory and big and she felt like goo in his hands. Literally in his hands as he cupped her jaw, shuffling on his knees around her and bringing her face up to his. He scented the heat and excitement instantly and smirked, but wouldn’t lead it anywhere. “You are delectable. You make me want to forget the world around us.” His whispered words made her swallow the building saliva in her mouth and he watched her eyes take him in, a glassy green shade that not one angara had. He wondered what their children would look like. “You make me want to make a world around us.” “There already is a world. Let’s go fix it, hm?” He rumbled a sound, proud, clutching her to him and picking her up as he got off the bed. “We leave to the Headquarters then,” He mumbled into her hair as he set her down. “Dress.” Jules was far too busy staring around her of the morning scene of Aya’s main settlement to notice Evfra’s almost constant narrow eyed looks at curious angara that were taking in his bond and quickly looking away. She was vaguely aware of his constant closeness from the music of his bioelectric pulsing around her, but was unaware to what that meant. She did feel the hand that constantly tangled its fingers in her hair but considering he wasn’t forcing himself around her, giving her the space she wanted, she’d take it. It certainly was a step up from the love sick couple they just passed, nuzzling each other and walking while staring into each other’s eyes, not paying attention to others. What a cringe-fest that was. Jules turned to him, “Evfra, don’t you dare ever be like that to me.” The Resistance Leader snorted, hand leaving hair to touch the small of her waist and ducked down to her ear to admit, “Even to angara that is a bit much. They are young and foolish.” His nose tapped at her cheek, revelling in her softness and smile his way that was a lot warmer than the previous day, pleasing him to note. While it wasn’t at the point angara would be and certainly not as quick as he would want, she was certainly warming up to him. It made him relax. Of course, later on when she was away, he found that was only when he had her in his sights and close to him. The reports he was reading kept on getting interrupted by his wanting her heat around, looking up to try and focus on her. He kept second guessing actions, wondering what Jules would say. Ridiculous. This was unacceptable. Frustrated by his lack of concentration, he tapped into security feeds around the HQ and found her overlooking the training, arms crossed and frowning. There was a chuckle, and Evfra looked to the eldest angara in the Resistance with an intense look of disapproval, kept for his calm demeanour and excellent advice. “Go see her.” Evfra slowly blinked at him. Javenovo smiled at him gently. “You won’t be doing much in such an early stage of your relationship. Not until you complete it.” “Complete.” “You know exactly what I’m talking about, young Leader.” Snorting because he was thirty eight, he responded, “It is not to be rushed. She is human, Javenovo.” “Certainly.” The older angara smiled, colouring paled and showing his age at one hundred and eighty years old as he lowered his datapad. He even taught the Moshae Sjefa. “But I most acutely recall the days with my mate. You need to be by her side. You will get many days with the Resistance, you may not get as many if she is the fighter I’ve heard about. And see, if her teaching your teachers is anything to go about.” He held out his datapad and Evfra’s eyes watched her now talking to the trainer for the new recruits, very much a hands talker. “We all needs breaks, Evfra. You’ve worked hard, and she is yours. Go to her.” Evfra shook his head. “No. I’ve far too much to go through here.” Javenovo nodded and turned back to surveillance. “As you say.” The Leader was left with the very distinct feeling of being disappointed in and it wrenched at his gut. Jules nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! When the Kett come when I’m alone, I’ve always had to go for the ones to the left first. They’ve only ever been right handed, so to take those ones out first is best because Chosen will most usually rush forth to overwhelm. It is the Anointed that come from the left, because even though they are right handed they have miniguns that will take your shields down quick and are less prone to being killed off.” Trainor Unina nodded, the dark purple male looking to his fellow trainer Vesoan. “Thinking back to my expeditions, I believe I can confirm this.” Vesoan looked at her, his blue eyes blinking while the third trainer Anjem held back his words. “So the points of weakness?” “All Kett? Face. Chosen? Mostly their dark places as the white is bone and exceedingly resistant, though I’ve found their hands are terribly weak as well. Anointed, take out shields and they’re floundering for a few seconds so get their lower legs. I’ve found Chosen usually run over them, thinking them dead and this kills them off more than you.” “And Destined?” “Their cloud range is about three metres in diameter. Usually I do a diagonal sweep of gunfire and hone in. Sometimes you see the movement of them go to one side or another during the smokescreen. But cut down the Chosen and they seem to get frustrated at being forced to go in when they’re far more suited to defence of fellow kett.” Anjem huffed out through his nose. “And we are to believe this human? How many months do you even have fighting these things?” “Three months.” “So barely a dozen raids?” Jules cocked her head. “Raids? As in me and a group going into killing them? No raids.” “So we who have been each fighting for years against, are to take your advice on this? You who have not taken bases with a team, leading or following?” She didn’t let her emotions show. “Take it or not, I only seek to help keep people alive. I fought the kett for those three months and only stayed alive by learning these things inside and out.” “I do not see why one without raids on the tehet-” “Just because I haven’t gone on raids means nothing. Whatever you even mean by raids,” Jules stated without inflection, anger beginning. “I killed hundreds of kett and I’m telling you how I’ve seen them act not two days ago when I helped free dozens of slaves with another with the other half of my team going a different way after killing our way through an overtaken mega-starship of kett. When’s the last time you even went out on a raid?” Because fuck him, her survival wasn’t something to ignore. “Why should we even trust you?” Anjem snarled. Anger boiled in her higher but she held it down. “Because my Pathfinder does, the one who saved your Moshae, and your people, and cleaned up Havarl and Voeld and has fought kett and killed them this whole time and is still out there fighting them off. Just like your Resistance Leader trusts you to train your people up right and send them off into battle.” “Now why do I hear my name? What is the problem?” Jules sighed out through her nose, eyes closing. She could take care of this damnit. Now she’d look weak. “Evfra.” She opened her eyes and looked at him with a calm smile. “A disagreement of kett weakness that is aggravating us is all. Nothing to be concerned over.” He was not about to have his mate shouted at. “It sounds like a problem, Jules.” “This human does not know her superiors in battle, Commander.” Evfra’s eyes narrowed. “Clearly not you if you persist in thinking kett fight only one way. We’ve seen them two ways, put together. Mine so happens to be the newest way. Unless you have even newer ways, in which, please, teach me. When I go back out to the Tempest to go off and help several species fight off kett, I want to be prepared.” “What we teach will prepare you!” Anjem growled out and Jules stepped up to him, uncaring she couldn’t defend herself without a gun and that Evfra’s bioelectric strung around her tightly like a coiled snake. “What you are teaching needs to be adjusted! Those kett holograms are slightly wrong!” “Enough!” Evfra barked and Jules turned away from Anjem to frown at him, wondering if this would be their first disagreement. “I know of Jules’ experience with the kett.” Her stomach dropped at him knowing, lips pursing.
Ryder.
How else was the Pathfinder to ask her to stay? “I also know of the Pathfinders experience and trust in her. We will run two separate training regimes and have it practised out in the field. One of each.” Her body stiffened, knowing that hers was right because weeks of instincts reacting to them couldn’t be wrong if she was alive. Unless they were going easy because they wanted her genetics? Surely not. She’d been shot multiple times over her chest, right at her lungs and heart. What would it matter if she was alive or dead, after all? Samples were samples. Evfra looked at the woman, irritated on her behalf. “Jules, go with Vesoan. He will take you to change the holograms of the kett to your wishes. The week you are with us, we shall change them to see if they can challenge us.” Unhappy, but understanding he needed to keep his people happy with a human interloper in the ranks, Jules nodded curtly, ignoring Anjem’s look of satisfaction as Vesoan stepped up to her side and she looked at him with a blank face. He hadn’t accepted her at her words, but he had been curious about her judgement and explanations and looked at it from a practical point of view. For that, she liked him. Vesoan was thoughtful. “Shall we work?” “Indeed.” A last look at Evfra, lingering, and she was gone. Unina look at them. “I understand she is important to you, Evfra, but do you believe she has truer knowledge than us?” “She is not a soldier.” “So why must we take any advice from her?” Evfra crossed his arms. “She is not a soldier. However. Reports tell me she survived for months on end by herself, trapped on a spaceship that kept being invaded with dozens of kett a day. That she layered bodies up for defensive walls because where she was so happened to be loaded up with deceased kett. That she killed to stay alive, clawing to stay hidden. Without being a soldier. If a non-soldier can do that, regardless of being weaker than us, then that means she caught onto some way to keep her alive and the kett dead. That our civilians could also learn.” Unina liked that thought, nodding and appeased. “How can you believe this?! It’s ridiculous! A ludicrous scenario from the aliens to bait us!” “Because I saw the videos. I saw the pictures. The Pathfinder has an AI that showed it all from one of their colony Arks. I saw everything, and you will follow my lead when I say I believe it. I’ve seen her injuries, and her in action. Now shut up and make sure every scenario run through from now on is hers.” “Hers?! But she is- is-!” Evfra sneered. “And what is my soulbond, Anjem?” “S-S-Soul-?!” “Yes. Do you expect me to have a weak soulbond?” The blue angara said to the green one, somewhat derisive. “No!” “Then why do you undermine me and mine? Do you think just because she is who she is to me that I would simply put anyone here in tutoring of our recruits? The ones with no experience that could cause most accidental harm to others? No? It is lucky that I am understanding,” He drawled out. “That she is understanding. That when I give you the vids of her in action, and you will watch them, you will understand why my soulbond is perfect for the role.” “Yes, Commander!” Anjem nodded swiftly. Evfra stepped forward. “If she still remains angry with you, I remain angry with you. Are we clear?” “Yes, Commander!” “Good.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter Ten
It was a less frustrated Jules that met up with an alone Evfra later on, sweaty and grinning and coming right on over to him at the table. “I feel good.” “You’ve worked hard.” He’d been enjoying the streams next to his report which had helped in getting him doing some work, knowing where she was and calming him. He held up the datapad and smirked when he saw her look a little flustered at that. He was watching her? She cleared her throat. “Of course, I despise the kett. This was delicious to do.” “Tell me of the time you were on the asari Ark Leusinia.” She coughed in sudden disbelief. “Tell you of the most terrifying period of my life? Just like that?” “Yes.” Evfra nodded, watching her. “Tell me why you live alone,” She challenged with a blank face. He pursed his lips, hating how she could take away all emotion like that. He reached a hand out to grasp hers and tugged her closer to him. When she was knee to knee with him he leaned down to grasp her behind the thighs and plucked her up, settling her on his hips and making her swallow as she grabbed his broad delicious shoulders for support as he held her, eyebrows pulling down a little. “The Resistance has been my life since I was born. All of my family have been in it, in all aspects. Javenovo, the oldest in the Resistance that works the surveillance and keeps it running efficiently? When it first began he taught my grandfather as a child as well as teaching me when I had to be looked after by someone else other than my mothers.” Jules would have to ask about the mother’s thing. That had been confusing her. Still, she kept quiet. “I have known guns my whole life, known kett my whole life, the monsters that come into our lives, betraying and killing and stealing our people. The Resistance was never fully functional and efficient as it is today. Javenovo held control as best he could, but it was hard when half the people didn’t believe it was kett in the first place. There were many betrayers at that time, backstabbing for the kett to gain whatever it is they think is worth more than angara lives. Some were forced into it to get their loved ones back, but they never came back. No one ever comes back. At least not until your people got the Moshae, a most critical error on my part.” That surprised her. “Huh? How?” “There were still betrayers. Vehn Terev was one of my men.” Grief was in his tone then and he reached his arms around her, relieved when she cuddled him to her chest and rest her cheek on his head. It greatly settled him, breathing her in. “One of the closer ones. We had all seen the signs, his anger and simply punching us without cause, the flashes of emotion out of nowhere. Yet, he was an excellent trainer. Anjem was personally hurt by this, feeling like they were brothers, and it is why he especially does not wish to fumble with his new position and unwilling to change what has been working so well since I took up leadership.” He leaned back, putting hands on her thighs. “He gave up the Moshae, thinking it would stop his brethren being taken.” “I see.” She breathed out her nose in a sighing exhale and then touched his face gently. “It’s hard to constantly watch people die that you care for.” That was surprisingly empathetic. He did not expect that from a human, which was a ridiculous thought. He always just had it in his mind angara cared more than all those other species. “It was a foolish thing to do.” “No doubt about it.” Glad she agreed, he continued, “During the time my true mother was heading the scouting teams. Betrayers had them captured. My father charged off after them, with uncles and siblings going in. I was too young to go. Everyone else was not.” His hands tightened on her legs. “The kett took them. I thought that was unfair, that I trained just as hard, a better shot than half the others. What’s more unfair was never getting them back.” His voice was hoarse, angry and mournful as her hands cupped his face as best as she could as she leaned forward to kiss a tear he hadn’t realised had dropped and then doing so to another from the other eye. “There was news they were captured and held in a slave camp, so I grabbed a few ragtag members and liberated it.” “They weren’t there,” She guessed at, lips pursing afterwards. “They weren’t there. The kett exalt. I wonder if I had to kill my own family.” The heart-wrenching grief in his words moved her. “No, Evfra,” She grasped his head more sternly, staring him down strongly. “Don’t think that. That way lies only madness.” The blue male mused on those words, relishing the comfort of her heat and softness. “Tell me of the ship,” He demanded, taking her hair out of that ‘bun’ thing she always put it up in and letting it twist out of its hold and twirl around her shoulders. He loved when that happened, like a sea of silk on the beach of her body just for him to enjoy. He adored her body, soft and sleek and his to adore. Beautiful. Exotic. different to what he knew and remembered and fresh. Something he needed after his life with the Resistance and the same depressing shit day after day. There was mroe loss than wins, and this newness of person and emotion reminded him of what could be. “Short version? I was awoken from cryostasis to kill invading kett. Long version? The last thing I remember from my previous life was a card game with my family and then suddenly I was awake in this box and slamming fists against the lid trying to open it up. That was something I never want to repeat again. There were asari who let me out, but it wasn’t to awaken me for settlement on some Initiative Outpost. I’d been sold by someone in my family and experimented on by some dead asari to have krogan genes in me to stop another rebellion of the krogan or to kill them all or something. The asari Pathfinder and Matriarch knew this and used me with my harder to kill body as a constant diversion so their kind would live in this new galaxy.” Evfra’s hands tightened on her now, shuffling her closer, hip to hip. “As you can imagine, I was next to pissing myself in fear. I’d never been in a fight let alone seen another alien. Never held a real gun. Couldn’t imagine not having one to hand now.” Jules gave a wry smile, putting hand to her SMG he’d not been able to demand or convince her to leave behind but had at least been hidden under her hooded jacket. “This was the first gun I got. Literally stole it right out of the hand of a kett about to use it on me and killed him. The asari trying to talk to me were dead but for one, later found out to be the Pathfinder. Having done her duty to the people on the ark in awakening me and leaving me as her tool, she’d left for safety. I was trapped in these living quarters, kett guided my way because that’s how the crew monitoring the situation could work to try and save their ship. And me, too. One person or the masses of asari, you know? Thousands of lives, which we now know would have become kett, or me? It’s an easy bet to take.” “Your life is not a bet now.” She breathed out and admitted, “Evfra, I would still take that bet as much as I hate it.” “I will not have you doing so. You’ve done your part in the fight against the kett.” “As have you, but you still are here.” He growled at her debating this with him as if it ever were up for debate. “I had no one else. I could devote myself to it. Now I have you. I cannot let my family go again.” Her eyes hardened at that. “I’m going to fight kett. It’s the one thing I’m good at here. The only thing I can do to help our people.”
Our.
He rumbled appreciative noises at that. “It is not. You’ve had our leaders wishing to meet you after your little excursion down south. We’ve a meeting to get to.” He grunted, unhappy to stop her willing touch of him. “Oh, one of those meetings? Damn. When is it?” “An hour ago.” He stood up with her in his arms and her legs automatically gripped around his waist, something he greatly enjoyed, feeling the core of her heat against him. “What? Why didn’t you come get me? Or tell me!” She put her hands up in disbelief, visibly annoyed. It was adorable. And he liked that she trusted him not to drop her, that it didn’t seem to even pass her mind he would. Good. “I would hear more of your survival over the coming days.” “Yes, sure; why didn’t you tell me about the meeting?” His lips twitched at her stubbornness. “It is a trivial thing. They just want a story.” It was certainly not that he wanted her away from their prospectively using hands putting her in harm’s way again. Not at all that. “And the first hour is just emotive arguing for the sake of it. A waste of your time better spent doing what you were doing for the Resistance.” He strode over to the door after he collected some datapads, grunting at her moving to be let down and then letting go when she shoved at him irritably. “You are tired. Let me take your burden.” “I don’t need you to pick me up and carry me.” “I enjoy you wrapped around me so intimately.” His smirk widened when she choked, amusing the guards they walked past but mortifying her. “I will be sure to make time for more of it.” “Evfra! You’re a bloody menace, you are,” she grumbled, making him feel like goo inside. “Menacing you will simply be another of my many enjoyments of you,” He laughed lowly, expecting her to twist her nose up at him and looking forward to it. It didn’t happen. Evfra wondered why she didn't for some reason, and why it was that which made her stare at him in amazement and then be the one to first initiate contact, wrapping her arms around him with deliberate intent and smile up at him in a way she had yet to do. It made him feel floaty and powerful, disarmed and yet able to do anything. And when she murmured, “Kiss me,” he did so fully, one hand cupping the back of her head as he ducked down and she tip-toed up, fingers clinging onto the back of his rofjinn, filled with a sense of wonder at how different and better this felt and how much he wanted so much more of it. He pressed her against him fully, enjoying the softness of her lips against his firmer ones, delighting in her taste and how she could make him think of nothing else but him. Her body was a wonder and so very giving when he pressed it into his. He lost himself in all of her, forgetting where he was, who stared in awe at the sight of the tough leader being so soft and loved-up, and where he was supposed to go when her taste and scent flooded his senses.
His.
She parted from him, stepping back two steps with heat suffusing her cheeks before smiling to herself, back of the hand rubbing her forehead for a moment as she looked up at him from under eyelashes and walking away, head ducked and hands clasped behind her. He couldn’t help but follow her out the HQ without looking once at anyone else, passing off all but one datapad.
Jules.
Evfra had the subconscious thought that his mind was swiftly catching up to his body and soul. Moshae Sjefa was a particularly good advisor amongst the six angara that were there, using logic and calm experience. And Jules was quite enchanted by her, staring. “And of our guest?” Jules blinked. “Apologies, my mind wandered. Will you repeat that?” “What do you think our newly acquired lands should go to?” She had no clue. The arguing around her had her not bothering with listening much. Her eyes closed, not wanting to see being stared at as she thought, head cocking, and she spoke slowly, “I… if no one can decide on one singular thing, then go do the logical thing to make the majority happy.” “How?” Paaran Shie asked. “Free more space up.” A blue angara spoke up, hurriedly, “We must maintain our planet-” He was cut off when Jules simply raised a hand, unsure what that meant from her doing such a physical thing. “If you worry of ruining the scenery and ecology, add more specialist laws that are fair and understanding for each specific area. Do that by having willing people in to analyse the area. Get in people that will then be focused on their specialist area to keep it up, to maintain a standard that area requires. More people to look after your world means more people will be on Aya. You will need to feed them, so more agriculture. You will need to house them, so more housing should be made. You will need to protect them, so more security. We make more space, we use more of our people to make this world work, we get more. I don’t understand the problem. Isn’t this simply how world-building goes?” Her eyes opened halfway, not revealing much. "You need more things so more works, so more people come in to make them? Made steady by amount of food and water and shelter coming in?" The Moshae watched her for a moment. “It is, yes.” Jules then cocked her head, waiting. Then she frowned, looking at them all. “Am I missing a social cue?” Moshae smiled at her. “You are not arguing.” “Argue? Why would I argue?” “It is the way of angara.” Bewilderment crossed her features. ‘But… that is completely ridiculous to me? Definitely angara though.’ She carefully hid the confusion once more. “I’ve seen, yes.” “You do not do so?” Jules thought about the House of Commons and wryly smiled. “It’s not without its heated moments, that’s for sure. I am used to one party talking first, then the other, before reverting back and forth. You bring your motivation, evidence, think of what could be used against you and work with it. You also do the same with what your opponent has and use it against them. Make them look weak, their argument floppy so they don’t seem able to lead and their points of no consequence. Usual politics. Well, Milky Way politics, at least.” She shrugged, arms crossing. “How do you help your worlds?” Paaran asked, confused at that. “The same as it is here, I suppose, strongest looking contender wins and changes what they want and believe in. It’s by majority of vote for strongest in my country though.” “What is your country called?” Jules closed her eyes, thinking of the busy multicultural boiling pot Capital, the rolling hills and forests that made so many old classical writers of note so inspired to their greatest works, the old, pretty, picturesque Tudor housing of York, the coastal waves of Devon, the castles of royalty, the caves like Cheddar Gorge because they loved their cheese and that’s where cheddar came from, the staunch stiff upper lip, the strange fascination of gardens, and oh gods and goddesses above she missed it. “England,” She practically breathed out, feeling it reverberate around her chest, eyes watering and she grit her teeth because she hadn’t realised how powerful an impression her own country had made on her. Where her heart belonged so deeply. Because it’d all been so normal. And now everything wasn’t. She fucking missed it. Who wouldn't miss their own country in her place? Blinking furiously, she affected an even stronger blank face, eyes intent as her chin raised and her hands went behind her into fists and her shoulders went back. She didn’t realise pride was showing when the others looked at her, wondering how she could look so strong and yet show no signs of emotion despite any other human looking would know her feelings of ‘Fucking Try Me Bitch’ clearly as she stared them down, ready to argue to hell and back all of a sudden. “You do not miss it?” Paaran Shie questioned. Jules slowly turned and stared at the angara in question with fire in her gaze, which she was glad the angara seemed to understand. She forced the words out calmly, “With everything I am, I miss my country.” “You do?” “Very much so.” The other looked amongst each other before nodding past it, believing she didn’t because no emotion showed she didn't, and went on with Jules unable to concentrate properly but keeping that professional face up. Evfra, however, was watching her, feeling her heat so built and stuck there in her singing bond, feeling like she was an inferno next to him and wondering at how others couldn’t feel it. Surely with their bioelectricity they’d be able to feel it? It was astonishing how intense the heat was and he didn’t know if he wanted to step to her, mesmerised, or away because feeling it from her was utterly disconcerting. Her eyes connected with his for a tense moment of utter determination. Humans… Felt alarmingly deeply and intensely and it completely threw him. How could she not show what she felt? How did she have such control? It was mind boggling. Did all humans feel like this? Did angara even measure up to such passion? He was suddenly a little wary of them, able to hide such depth of emotion. Such soft, weak looking beings but had a blinding amount of emotion that powered them through. This… this was how they were. Humans. He suddenly understood the reason why the other species seemed to simply follow them despite being themselves longer in lives or ridiculously stronger or with better biotics or simply having a more defended body or quicker mind. The human species was fascinating, weak in body yet powerful in spirit, short lived but all the more motivated for it, slow to show feeling but utterly beguiling when doing so. It was uncanny how incredible they were. So rousing. So ready to do what it took. A force of character while others dawdled and uhm’ed and ah’ed over things. His hands clenched. He could see it so clearly in her. “Jules. I wish to talk to one of your staff. The doctor, perhaps.” She nodded and sent him Lexi’s personal channel. Evfra exited, ignoring the curious looks he got, dialling up the woman. “Good afternoon. I am Doctor Lexi T’Perro of the Andromeda Initiative ship Tempest.” “I am Evfra, Leader of the Resistance.” There seemed to be a smile in her voice as she spoke up, “I wondered if I’d get a call from you. This is about Jules, yes?” “Yes, in a way. I… wondered of humans. They seem so weak.” “I see. You’re there.” She chuckled. This was not a new thought? “There?” “Yes. The other species get it quite the bit, astonished by the humans as the rest of us are when they truly think about it.” Lexi hummed in amusement. “Humans seemed to do this to us. I wonder if it is because of their hair.” What ridiculousness was she spewing? “Explain.” Lexi laughed at that demand. “You’re feeling it aren’t you? How humans, as soft as they are, seem to almost be forces of nature?”
It was good she understood instantly, but unnerving that she did.
“Yes.”
“I’ve a feeling it’s to do with their hair. Not one of us has it. Yet, we have all had pets with fur, our species. In all of our races, we each find feelings of contentment of stroking fur and hair and an actual decrease of stress and worry when we do. Humans have it naturally, have softness naturally, have character naturally. It makes us weak to them, almost wanting to please them. They don’t seem to realise this, so don’t tell them. We need some upper hand.” He snorted. “So it is not just angara.” “The asari believe they are the ones most beautiful to all the other species, and we are, but it is the humans that are most enthralling. The turian’s believe they are most militaristic, but it is humans that are willing to follow, discredit and demand the best of all military that had the turian’s respect them because they want the same. The salarian’s have the most agile of minds, but even they listen to humans when it is put into practical terms, their own scientists wishing to be just as good and listen and learn and then power through with the humans that have done so much in so little time compared to the rest of us. The Krogan are strongest, but humans with all their squishiness are considered charming by their brazenness to fight them anyway. It is they that pave the way and we all almost helplessly follow. We love our humans greatly, and they give back so deeply by being the sacrifices, the fools, and the indomitable leaders.” Lexi smiled in her tone. “Humans are the best of your species?” “Hm, no. In many ways, we are all better than them in nearly every way.” Evfra nodded, so glad his problem with humans weren’t just his own. “This is my problem. They seem so blank, yet feel so much more than even angara?” “Trust me, it had been the Milky Way’s problem for years. Not one human had ever been better than any one asari or salarian or turian or quarian or so many others. Yet they feel and seem so much more! So how do they do it?” “This is the question I ask.” “It is a question not yet understood. They simply… are. Be both sighing and proud you’ve a human partner, Commander Evfra. You will give in when you don’t want to and be bemused at what they take seriously, such as emotions or odd priorities specific to each of them. If you wish to know more of Jules, I would perhaps contact Crisis Specialist Liam Kosta. They both come from the same city, though a couple centuries apart, but seem to have a good rapport because of shared beginnings.” “Centuries?” “Oh, you did not know?” Clearly not. “No.” “Hm. Well, Jules is born around one hundred and fifty to two hundred years previous to Liam, so she must feel completely out of touch with everything because true space travel like we have was barely touched upon then. Evfra, she is from eight hundred years ago. Everything you show her will be new and potentially scary, even if she doesn’t show it. Ask. Humans don’t show their emotions to keep up a good professional rapport. To us, the angara and asari, it seems suspicious, to them, it is considered good manners.” That suddenly cleared up a few things. “Good manners,” He growled out, annoyed how obvious it all was now. “Indeed. If there is anything else, do not hesitate to ask. I must get back to my patient. Also, Jules is talking to Pathfinder Ryder. Goodbye, Resistance Leader Evfra.” The Pathfinder? “Doctor T’Perro.” He cut the transmission and then went back in. Evfra stopped and narrowed his eyes. Moshae Sjefa was looking too pleased and the others seemed satisfied by the human. He felt a clenching in his chest. What had he missed? “Great! Thanks, Ry! See you soon!” Jules cut the conversation. “Good news, Evfra. Scott said he’ll help blow up the Exaltation Base when he comes to pick me up. Want to join us on that?” “I am not having my soulbond anywhere near an explosion as big as that,” He stated, arms crossing and ignoring the hushed whispers from the others as he stared her down. “Not without you there.” Her head ducked as her eyes and grin widened as she reached forward and playfully tugged at his rofjinn. “Right?” Evfra could argue this, could try and assert his protection and drag her back to his home or shove distractions at her to keep her mind off it because by the stars she wasn’t a soldier, but, “Exactly,” tumbled from his lips instead as he looked at her smile. A brilliant smile lit her face up. He most certainly did not look at the Moshae who was wearing that completely infuriating knowing smile on her face at him inwardly melting for her.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter Eleven
Evfra watched the woman stare absently out of the balcony at the sunset, leaning against the doorframe. While Jules had been quite energetic and talking details with him as they passed through the marketplace to go back home – pausing to speak to Felaan about their further planned excursions and buying fruit and gaining a volunteer against more possible Fiends and Eiroch – it seemed his human was feeling down, her heat dim, chin in hand and elbow on table with the other hand lightly gripping the glass of water. “The Tempest doctor spoke to me of humans.” That made her smile a little but not look at him yet. “Oh?” “That you are from eight hundred years ago.” “Yes. When people still believed there were no such things as aliens. To think I’ve kissed one…” She chuckled lowly and then sighed out, rubbing her eyes. “By the gods, Evfra, I miss my world. I didn’t know how much until earlier in the meeting when I was forcefully reminded of it. I-” Her voice hitched. Within seconds he could feel her heat dip lower and lower until it became near frozen and was next to her in an instant picking her up and bringing her to the bed inside. He rumbled little noises to her as she cried on his chest and clung to him, great heaving sobs somewhat halted by the tight grip around her body he had. He ran his hands over her soothingly, letting her feel his constant companionship. Nuzzling didn’t seem to really help until she calmed down a little and fell into him, body relaxing, one arm around his back and fiddling with his clothing as the other gripped his rofjinn loosely. “Do humans often hold their heaviest emotions back?” “No, it’s exceedingly hard to. But we do try and hide painful ones. Like you hide your illness.” “Hn. Hiding your pain when it shouldn’t matter is ridiculous.” She smiled. “Hiding your illness when it shouldn’t matter because it can’t be helped...” “Quiet.” A light laugh and she realised her position. A little awkward now, but his hands didn’t stop travelling over her, brushing under her top to feel her skin before dragging his hand down her thigh. It went up again, going over her top, lingering at her breast to truly appreciate her female human form and then roaming along her arm and squeezing her bonding words. He rose her wrist to his lips and kissed it fondly, and in response she felt a responding throb deep and low. She swallowed the sudden build-up of saliva, eyes lidding halfway. “I can smell you.” There was a smile in his voice. She peeped up at him. “It’s another sexual spot.” That stopped him. “What?” “Your name.” He’d never heard of such a thing, but he was unbelievably satisfied at hearing it. “Excellent.” Jules scoffed. “Oh hush-ahh…” She breathed out a moan when he licked a drawn out line up the name. “Tell me you wish to stop and I will.” “S-Stop, please.” Evfra froze, removing his lips and looking at her critically. “Are you denying yourself pleasure because of your human walls?” “No, there’s plenty of one night stands all about the place for all Milky Way beings.” “Then why do you not allow me to bring you to completion to make you feel good?” “Because I don’t want it to be meaningless like that and this means something to you,” Jules blurted out and then went that pleasing red in the cheeks, looking away. She began to fidget a little. “And it’s… maybe, kinda, somewhat starting to be like that for me too.” “Hmph. Humans are slow,” Evfra taunted with a smile, but when she snapped her glowering gaze up, she froze at the gentleness on his face, softening her own. His hand rose, rubbing her cheek. “But how enthralling you are as you stumble there.” “Stumble?” She raised a brow, fighting a grin and shook her head as if unimpressed, looking away and then crawling out of his lap. She didn’t expect him to follow in the same fashion, body covering hers, his front to her back as he kissed the back of her bared nape and making her shiver as the light kisses continued down the slope of her neck and up again along her jaw, one hand coming up to turn her head to him so he could reach her lips with his. She sighed into the kiss, feeling his bioelectric croon at her as she pressed back, sliding a free hand down his neck flaps that smelt faintly of some sort of herb, woodsy and alluring. The kiss didn’t turn heated, instead they just became long drugging kisses that had her hands wandering over his form, slowing turning to be chest to chest with him and eventually was pressed into the bed. She felt overheated and shifted up at him, making him grunt and pull his lips from hers with a frown on his face which soon turned into a smirk when he saw her take off her Andromeda top and then gaze curiously at the stretched garment over her chest. “Sports bra, to keep them from bouncing. Which is painful and distracting when in a fight.” “Will you be taking it off? Or shall I do it for you?” Jules chuckled at the fact he expected it off, already slipping a finger under the elastic at the bottom of it and rubbing at the skin he felt. She wasn’t big, but she was a nice handful, and a handful that still needed holding back when working hard. The top of it had a zip and button to stop the zip sliding, and she undid it and that stopped, fiddling with the zipper. “You do it. This.” She tugged it down a few teeth to give him the idea, and laughed when he didn’t hesitate to pull it fully down, eyes taking in the plush breasts greedily, no clothing in the way this time. They were pleasing to see, Evfra thought to himself, finding himself unable to help but caress them with the back of his fingers, and they moved so freely. “How squishy.” He grasped one. She giggled at the description coming from his mouth, making him raise a brow at her. “Evfra says cute words like squishy. Who’d have guessed?” She teased. “You will keep that to yourself. Such words are for your ears only.” He snorted, leaning down to nudge her chin with his nose at her impertinence before lapping at the nipple and making her hum and shudder. He began to enjoy himself, finding what made her happiest, finding she made the most pleasurable little sounds that had him rumbling back, running his hand up her body to been the vibrations on her throat before she grasped his hand. He looked up as she drew it up and sucked the finger into her mouth and instantly his rock hard erection twitched uncomfortably in his body suit. He got up on his front knees, grasping his rofjinn. He was about to take it off when his datapad made sounds and he growled in absolute annoyance. She frowned, worried. “Go get it. You said you didn’t bring work back so-” Evfra’s kiss stopped her words, grateful. “You are an understanding mate.” He swiftly got up and took the message on the datapad in. “There is an attack on my scouts by kett. They need me to coordinate it,” He replied to her silent question, already walking back over to her and she got up, neither zipping nor losing the sports bra on her body and he saw the unasked question in her eyes. “Stay. I do not know when I’ll be back.” Jules nodded at that, hating she couldn’t do anything to help but knowing she couldn’t do anything in this circumstance but to get in the way. Nothing useful. “Wake me up when you get back, or message me if you don’t?” “I will. Sleep for both of us,” He demanded, leaning down to kiss her hard and pull back just as quick. “Aye, aye, Commander.” She winked and turned, dropping the sports bra. He was treated to the delicious view of her bent over his bed in the skirt of hers and willed his erection to calm down when it twitched as he left. Jules sighed as soon as he was gone and rolled out of the large bed. “Shower. Need to come now.” The woman woke up to a beep on her Omni-tool and grumbled, turned and shifted to the bedside table, reaching forth and grasping it and flopping front first onto the bed. A video call? She’d not used it for that before. “How do I…?” She looked at it, fuzzy from sleep and peered at it in confusion, squinting before slicking a finger along an answering slider, perhaps a relic from old mobile phones? “Ah.” Evfra appeared, looking stern and yet some of the tenseness around his eyes was gone when he took her in, eyes flickering all over the image she presented. “So this is what you look like freshly woken. I shall enjoy it tomorrow.” She gave a sleepy grin and shoved a pillow under her chin for comfort, needing another hour because she hadn’t slept until late, feeling the far away flashes of annoyance in his music. It seemed now she was in contact with him and had acknowledged the bond, it had settled. She wondered how. “Good. The bed felt cold without you here.” It got a twitch of his lips and the complete softening of his eyes at that. Jules wondered why until, oh, she, uh… actually said that out loud. Well, she meant it. Even if she didn’t realise she had. “I will keep it warm for you soon.” “Hm,” She hummed in appreciation at that, grinning. “How are things on your end, Evfra?” “Still busy. The main threat has been taken care of, but now an extra ship has been sent out for back up and another to chase down the satellite the kett took over to determine a weak spot,” He spoke honestly, surprising her that he’d tell her so much. “There may be more, so I’ll be getting a sweep of them all.” “Maybe do only random ones, maybe half, instead of them all, Ev’. They might be following those ships. Or maybe get the Tempest on ‘em or… someone from Kadara or wherever. Ela-something.” He gave her a considering look before nodding. “That is a thought. I do have a couple of favours owed. Sleep.” “Will do. Night night.” “Rest well, bond.” She smiled and put the Omni-tool down on the bedside table, figuring he’d cut the call off and slumped back onto the pillow, falling asleep again instantly. Evfra watched her for a moment, simply taking her in and then he set the datapad down and left it on and he went through reports and gave commands in a quieter but no less demanding tone. It was a couple hours later when she shifted, moved around and got up, unfortunately putting the sports bra back on. But she was singing to herself. “The lady in red… is dancing with me, cheek to cheek. Like nobody’s here, just you and me, it’s where I wanna be.” It was when she paused in reaching for the Omni-tool she noted him watching her with a little smirk. “E…Evfra? Did you have this on the whole time?” He put his datapad down and looked at her fully, taking in her surprised look. “Yes. I wanted to watch you, to have the constant knowledge of another reason to keep this part of the universe as safe as possible. That and I cannot keep my eyes of you when I’ve you in my view.” Jules swallowed at that, cheeks flushed. Christ on a bike the man was intense. “It seems you are just as smooth as the rest of the angara,” She grinned ruefully and rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand, but looked pleased. “Really?” “Yes. Do not ask when you already know this.” “Domineering git.” Not sure what a git was but knowing the meaning of the first word and exasperatedly fond tone, he smirked. “It gets me what I want.” She scoffed and she put the Omni-tool on, grabbing socks and boots and pulling those one as she said, “I’m going to go see Felaan today.” Knowing he’d be completely burdened with this emergency fallout, he nodded. “I will be back tonight.” “How much do angara sleep a night?” The earthling asked curiously, walking out the apartment and sliding along the lock on his door with her tool. Evfra knew what she was asking and smiled lightly to himself, finishing a set of commands to one of the satellite bound ships. “About five to seven hours. I will be fine. It won’t be the last time.” “Want me to bring you any food?” There were supplies in his desk, but to have her close once more… He couldn’t be interrupted, needed to learnt to ignore the extreme want to have her by him. “No. I have what I need. You will distract me. Go see Felaan. Message me when you are with her.” “Sure. Hope it goes well for you, Evfra.” “I expect a message in the next twenty minutes. She is in the marketplace. Stay strong and clear, Jules.” Message sent, and Jules looked at Felaan with Paaran Shie with a smile. “Now my bond is happy and appeased, shall we go and clear out more areas?” Felaan’s eye glinted, eager. “Let’s. Where next, Paaran Shie?” “To the east.” Felaan made a curious sound at that. “The most dangerous?” Jules’ blood felt like it was bubbling at the thought of it. “Oh?” “Will you be alright with this?” “Now I’ve got people with me, hopefully a big team?” They nodded at her. “Then I will be.” Big was right. Many people had decided they getting on this meant getting their family with them, a bigger colony with more opportunities and apparently because it was something to do, according to her now favourite angara there, Osorio. Which meant serious thinker, as in philosopher, something the angara clearly didn’t care about having no clue about humans and asking about preposterous rumours he’d heard of humans. “I heard you had tails and that they get in the way of your suits so you cut them off.” Jules giggled at that, putting the last piece of armour on. “Now you’re just pulling my leg.” “What?” “Messing with me.” “Messing?” “Lying but in a friend way, you know?” “No?” “Wait, no you don’t know or no you’re not lying?” “Uh-” The green coloured Osorio blinked owlishly. “Tails?” “W-What?” “Osorio,” His brother Reviir sighed, looking up from the gun he was checking over. “She thinks you are being friendly in the way you are playing with the rumours and making them outlandish.” “Exactly that, yes. Nicely put. Practise?” She asked with a smile. “Much.” A few of the angaran laughed and began ribbing them both with Jules snickering along until Osorio pouted and she felt the urge to check over his weapons. Just in case. “Where’s your rofjinn?” Osorio asked curiously. “I don’t have one.” Osorio pushed, leaning forward, up and close and no understanding of personal space. “But you’re leading us? And you’re Evfra’s bond, right?” Jules looked around, seeing the faces stare at her, waiting and expecting the answer they knew was coming. “Yes and yes.” “Is that a human word thing?” “Uh-” “It’s not an idiom, Osorio.” “Ohh.” Reviir looked to Jules. “He is one of the best shots in the angara, I promise.” A barked laugh and a nod. “Your weapons are in shape, I take it?” She looked between them and then at the others, all nodding. “Alright…” She went into finding out each preference of the fifteen people, grouping them up and thinking to the Sarissa books to figure how she’d go about and tackle the largest pack of Rylkor that the planet had. The large shuttle flew over a beautiful valley and with her mind set, mentally reverting into the leader they needed, she turned to Osorio, remarking, “Shoot one of them down. Headshot until dead. We need to know how many shots it takes. Fire.” Evfra scowled when he read the report and then his fist cracked the datapad, making the few others in the room look over and warily step back. “Paaran Shie,” He hissed furiously. That blasted woman had taken advantage of Jules’ need for a fight, completely bypassing the fact bonds shared responsibilities - with agreements being just one of the many things they would hash out and approve upon. He was already working himself to the bone to make sure his stand-in’s would be able to do the workload if Jules decided she would be going aboard the Tempest. He would be following after all, and he didn’t want to leave behind inept temp’s that couldn’t do half his job. He would not bind her to anywhere but his side, and if she wanted to leave, then he could do with refreshing his skills on the field and be on call should his input be necessary. His Jules was logical, strong, and an excellent shot against skkuting kett, but a politician she was not. And not indefensible either. It seemed she’d taken a bite to the thigh while being a distraction for that airheaded Osorio, shotgun shooting point blank and letting her backup reload. Where the hell was Reviir? He checked on the next datapad, because that brother was the better thinker of the twins. Clearly their true mother had mixed up their names at birth. He found the male had been keeping another off their back, a mini distraction to the bigger distraction Jules was providing for the others. He was both pissed off and infuriatingly proud his bond would stand up to the mark, no doubt being thought of as the leader and yet having no clue she would be. They were both leaders, so it was a wonder they’d gotten along so well so far, but both did favour logic rather than emotion in such scenarios and appreciated that in the other. Unfortunately he had to put this to the side and take care of reports on Voeld. More kett. There was always more skutting kett. There was still a scowl on Evfra’s face as he got back to the apartment, though each step closer to her heat had a little chip of tension drop from his shoulders until when seeing her relaxing with some film in the front room he was only a third as angry as he initially was. Her head snapped to the side, eyes intent, one leg propped up, skin bared from under her up-falling skirt. Eyes were instantly scanning and assessing the damage she should have after the medi-gel and found it better than he was expecting. Much better. Perhaps he would have to berate the one who did the report for overstating the seriousness. With that more important need completed, he greedily took in the sight of her skin. She lit up at the sight of him, sending a thrill down his spine and a warmth blossoming in his chest, and paused the movie from her Omni-tool. “Evfra! Guess what?” She asked joyfully. “You secured the valleys.” She threw her hands up in disbelief. “Oh come on!” He snorted, going over to her and taking one of the large nutrient paste tubes on the table next to a half drunken bottle of water and a full one and her Omni-tool, having barely eaten since he left this morning. “As if I wouldn’t know when not only a small portion of my men leave, my bond also becomes farther and farther from me, the rest of the leaders are twittering in my ears like Floopers in heat about what to do with the land to distract me and I’ve then a report of you, the only current human on Aya as a soulbond, being given medical attention.” Jules huffed up at his explanation, grimacing at him and turning on her side to face her Omni-tool once more. “Oh sod off.” “Is this akin to Jaal’s fuck over?” She abruptly laughed at that, tickled pink by the fact Jaal got it so wrong. “He said fuck over instead of fuck off? Ahaha!” She cackled loudly. “I’m totally going to throw that in his face the next time opportunity presents itself!” Evfra neatly plucked up her legs and sat down on the sofa, draping them over his lap. “Hmph, you’re enthused this evening.” “I’m very happy is all!” “And why is that? Death-defying experiences do it for you?” “Ohhhh yes.” “I am not having you throw yourself at every situation like that.” She hummed at that, teasingly contemplative. “That would raise the percentage of possible death, wouldn’t-?” “Jules,” He growled in displeasure, eyes narrowing, but the sound turned more into exasperated fondness as she seemed to decide something in her head as she stared at him and reached forward, grasping him around the shoulders – or as much as she could, considering his bulk against her small human body – and pulled him down. He instantly nuzzled his liking of that into her neck and huffed out in annoyance when she leaned away, only for the movie to continue playing and he had free reign to enjoy her neck once more. His hand spanned her stomach, the stray thought of if human and angara could procreate lingering as he stroked idly. It was then he heard it.
Dum-Dum. Dum-Dum. Dum-Dum.
“This sound.” “Hm?”
Dum-Dum. Dum-Dum. Dum-Dum.
“In your chest.” “My heartbeat?” Evfra scowled at that, raising his head. “You humans are so fragile your own heartbeat is heard?” She laughed at that. “It’s very soothing to listen to, I’ll have you know!” He made a sound through his nose and relaxed his head to hear. To his immense pleasure, the calm double-beat was completely relaxing. He liked the fact he could literally hear her being alive and with him. There was an almost pleasure to it, knowing that while she couldn’t give out feeling, he could hear her very life and somehow that was better in a way. Alien, but so very comforting. It was so human, and he liked her humanness now. He couldn’t think of her any other way. “You know, when I was on the Ark, there really wasn’t much for me to do.” He perked up with the last bit of energy in him. “Your days. What were they comprised of?” “Sleeping, hunting, preserving any food I could though I learnt that wasn’t necessary because they sent plenty of kett beasts my way and I tried them out of desperation. Never really knew when the kett were going to attack though. Sometimes I was exhausted when they came, other times I had all the energy in the world and took down squadrons. That could take several hours, sniping them down one by one, running away, using the knowledge of the Ark I had to lose them and it was gruelling. It kind of came down to a fine art after a while. It became the thing I did. After the first month of terror, the only times I grew afraid was when exhaustion hit and I slept out in the open because I was too tired to find somewhere. Usually in the children’s room. I found a book that taught you how to draw and that became what I did. I got pretty good. I’ll have to thank the asari mother for getting that for her daughter.” Evfra lifted in head looked at her in incredulous amusement and stated, “Drawing and killing kett were your hobbies.” Jules gave a rueful nod. “Yeah, they didn’t have a violin. A type of stringed instrument you play with a bow, like this.” She showed him the movements and he nodded, nuzzling back into her warmth and listening to the heartbeat. “I used to play it as a child and teen before I got into my career. I liked music and how it affected people. My family was pretty big and I wanted to bring them some cheer, but… we weren’t really well off. Poor. On benefits from the government, parents trying to get their kids a decent upbringing while working insane hours in crappy jobs for pittance, and it didn’t help my father and uncle had gambling addictions. I got this second-hand violin – or more likely it was stolen for me – for my birthday. I loved the damn thing. Won’t see one again, I think.” “I will take you to the marketplace this week, ask after specialist items. See if there is any such thing we can order for you.” “Really?!” He snorted and leaned up to kiss her, humming his complete approval when she kissed him hard in thanks and hugged him around the head, snuggling in. Exhausted by such a long, busy day and relieved at her presence so thoroughly wrapped around him, he soon felt himself drift, humming when he felt a kiss to his head and falling asleep to her heartbeat.
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Chapter Twelve
Day four went swifter, with Evfra waking up first, well-rested and just about trapping his bond against the back of the sofa, nose buried in her hair. He huffed in amusement at his sleeping self and simply watched her in sleep for a bit. It still didn’t seem real. A bond. He’d gotten over the fact it was with a human, one of the more suspicious species from the Milky Way, and was more intrigued by their differences. Honestly, he was most intrigued by her toes, not that he’d let her know that yet. He could already see her lips raising up in his mind, eyes glinting with the same playful light as last night as she was about to tease him. A lingering smile on his lips and he ran a hand up her head to undo the hair bun she so loved to have it up in and took that band out, placing it on the table. He slid off the sofa, undressed himself and picked her up, grasping her bag in one hand as she began to shift and brought her to the bathroom. Jules shifted, feeling the motion of movement. “Ngh, Ev? Where we going?” “Shower.” He put her bag down and without further ado simply said, “Arms up.” Without fully comprehending the woman did as bid and was stood up and leant against him, her top and sports bra gone as well as her skirt unclipped easily – which she really would have commented on if not half dazed by still being half-asleep – and blinked when her knickers were tugged at. She flushed red and grabbed his hand with a squeak. “Evfra!” He chuckled, instead letting his finger slip along the top stretch, rubbing the smooth skin. “May I?” He blinked slowly when she looked up at him apprehensively, patient. “Let me take care of your needs like you have taken care of mine.” “I have?” “How do you not know?” He scoffed. “Did you not leave me sustenance last night?” “Well, yes, I knew you’d be knackered from the day you’d had-” “You gave me comfort, even though you are still so hesitant with me.” “-I’m, uh, I’m really trying with the bond, I mean, you can see that, can't-” “Which is hard for you humans with your reticent emotions, I understand?” She laughed and elbowed him, making his arms twirl around her and press her up against him, with rumbly happy sounds coming from his throat. “You should see us when we’re drunk! All hugging affection or easily offended anger.” She took her knickers off half way before he eagerly took over, wishing to see her in the full, actually going down to his knees and holding her hips. Anticipation built in her and he smirked up at her, hands going up and down her legs languidly. She was red, but feeling the musical crooning of his bioelectricity surrounding her warmly, she was able to simply stare down at him and take him in. The smirk on his face, the scarred skin showing his fighting life, the rough hands showing his willingness to work hard. Incredible. “Wow.” Evfra grumbled as he leaned forward to kiss her sternum, thumbs rubbing hipbones, “I’ve yet to begin.” It was then that the building lust he had been smelling stopped rising. He looked up once more, wondering what was wrong. Jules swallowed as emotion slapped her, staring, unblinking. It was the first time he felt unsettled under her gaze, roles switched as the woman traced fingers down his head and then up to cup his jaw, so very soft and delicate and ran thumbs over his lips. “You are the most incredible man I’ve ever met.” Her words were in no hurry, taking their time and meaning every single one. “You are so wondrous to me. All you are.” She ducked down then and put her smiling lips against his. “I am honoured to have you.” She pressed her mouth to his, eyes slipping closed. Evfra pressed back, hungry for more affection after that. He stood, plucking her up and sighing into the kiss, feeling the bond words on the muscle over his hip flare erotically as the water gently fell down over them as he stepped into the shower. He smiled at her hum of the heated water. His hands roamed her body, wishing he could take his time and explore her properly yet adoring every little move and sound she made. He put her down, preening her by using the concoction for her hair and washing her, rumbling when he received the same in return with his oils and at the feel of his mark being touched, his stomach twitched hard. “So not just me?” His fingers dug into her sides. “You are a temptation. If the war effort fails because I am entranced by you-” “Don’t worry, I’ll pick up your slack.” Jules smirked at him and he growled, kissing her hard and she didn’t care when he smirked as she fell into him, arms slung around his neck and on tip toes to keep close. Jules’ kett simulation was on point. She was watching the recruits face off against more realistic kett projections from above and across from the Quartermaster, tweaked to have specific parts of their body weaker from what she’d found and their aim more precise and in more group tactics than before. It was running the recruits ragged. She pushed off the rail, arms loosely crossed. Good. Hopefully they took it these lesson rather than the previous ones. Still, it made her sigh when they looked disheartened at their own showing. “Perhaps a showing would be wise.” Jules looked around to see the purple angara Scott had saved. “From me?” “Who else but Evfra’s bond?” Moshae smiled at her kindly. “Or the one that put them into this position,” Jules replied wryly and nodded when the wise woman smiled at her warmly. “Alright.” Within minutes her mind had clouded into its old war fog she had on the ship, realising she’d barely known the layout of this place and it had her on higher alert. Her eye-scanner was of no use here, reading biological responses only, so she shoved it in a pocket, her newly acquired practise SMG in hand, cold and waiting and listening to the sounds. She ducked to the next set of boxes, ducking low and snapping off shots to one side and gunning down the first two Chosen. The weapon felt odd to fire, not what she was used to but a sound and she was shooting up at a Destined while shoving away to her previous spot and rushing around to where she’d killed the next two, sniping off a sharp shooting Chosen. Her heart beat fast as she reloaded, meaning she had to fake putting in a new set and the gun registered it, a full round of fifteen green light on the side showing it was full, and her eyes darted around. It was an Anointed that found her, tommy-gun type of weapon raising to meet her body and she shot twice at the hand, missing once but clipping it enough it dropped the gun and she rose it up to the eyes and shot three times, rushing to the next barricade. She knew it was dead without looking, hearing the body crumble, and upon taking on the next Chosen a grin touched her lips, teeth baring. Her next opponent was a Destined blacking out the next set of three Chosen as she got closer to her aim. Recalling where the Chosen had gone to, she let out a spray of weapon fire and reloaded behind a box, cursing when Chosen came from her left and the gun wasn’t as fast to reload as her SMG so she had to go back to her previous barrier before coming back out again, eyes flashing as she took two Chosen down by a shot to the thigh and then the face up close. A bullet slammed by her leg instead of hitting it as she shoved away from a load of boxes once again, Destined coming after her with vicious intent it had when its protectors were low or all dead, rushing her. Cold practicality swept through her as she released all bullets his way, halfway done, she believed with a reload. The next four were Chosen coming from one direction as they seemed to do when a heavy was coming out to get him in position, so the human ducked back once more, going to the opposite side of the training area quickly and taking the suddenly clearly seen Anointed out first, grabbing the tech that was the aim of this simulation, the next part leaving from up the stairs where the kett-simulations were. The Chosen were taken out two by two, about a full command of them now dead and Jules went to the top, slamming the button that ended the virtual reality training. She wiped the back of her hand along her forehead and grinned, pleased she’d not lost her touch. Unina, a trainer she’d previously met of a dark shade of aubergine, gestured her down as he came over with a gaggle of angara, inclusive of Osorio. “Quite the impressive go of it.” “That was incredible!” Osorio put in chirpily, eyes shimmering. “Yes, Osorio,” Unina said wryly, fully used to him and his enthusiasm by now. “You would do well to learn such situational awareness.” The man deflated a little. “If it helps, I really only know guns and kett. Every single one of you would beat me in a one on one hand to hand fight.” Unina smiled at that. “I do believe I can help with that. Go through tactics with kett with us, some group work against the simulations, and then we shall build up that defence of yours.” The Moshae handed Jules a bottle of water that she gratefully took, taking big pulls of it and sighing out happily after she brought it away from her. “You enjoyed that.” “I did.” Looking over the rail, Moshae Sjefa said quietly, “I saw only the Krogan on your team display such hunger.” Jules wondered at that, a little suspicious. “Moshae, what do you know about me?” “Not much, unfortunately. I would like to know the other half of Evfra, if I may?” “Uh, sure?” “What did you wish for as a child?” Completely thrown, she answered honestly, “To play music for people, actually.” And the questions went on like that as angara came and went. Evfra scowled when it came back later on that day that one of the teams had been kidnapped. A good one. His best, in fact. “Skkut.” He ran a hand over his face, fingers on his free hand tapping in agitation against the desk. What did he do? Write them off, send in two teams after that would take away from other missions of keeping the starspace around their colonies safe? Or take from others that are following leads going nowhere right now? They had people beginning to come to Aya to build new farms and houses in within the next two days thanks to his bondmates action, and as much as he adored her and loved the fact she’d helped by being a catalyst of the angara people really beginning to work for their own future, this had brought on more work for him and his people. They trusted in the Resistance Leader keeping them safe and secure. And sometimes, he really did feel like one man. He looked up, feeling the signature heat of his human come in. “Your music was getting more and more convoluted by the minute.” “Music.” He scoffed. “It is my bioelectricity.” Jules nodded at that, seeing the frustration in his body and went over to him, ignoring the stares from the other angara and kissed him lightly, one hand resting on his chest. Evfra fell into it, hating it truly helped him and he grumbled against her lips, “There is-” He kissed her and parted, “Far too much,” He grunted as she kissed him with a pleased hum, rubbing circles into his neck flaps, “to be done to enjoy kissing you.” But his accursed hands had gone up and held her waist to his body regardless. “What’s wrong, Evfra?” “Not enough people to go around for what we need to protect ourselves on Aya, Havarl and Voeld.” Jules thought of possible allies. “Why not talk to my Milky Way peoples’ Ambassador?” “We do not need the help of Nexus.” She was surprised by the more than usual irritation in his tone and gently sat sideways on his lap at his hands urging. “Evfra, is it so bad to get help from my people?” “Don’t. Don’t use words like that against me. Your people.” He sneered, thinking of outside help. “Whether we like it or not they are. Is it truly so bad? They would jump at the chance to help. The people on the Nexus certainly jumped at the chance to open up outposts on Eos and Elaadan. They got what we refer to as cabin fever. Stuck in one place too long, no knowing if anything would change, needing to do something useful to feel needed, like they weren’t drifting in nowhere-land.” She remembered Lexi telling her this when asked about what it was like on the Nexus. “And why wouldn’t they want to do something for a beautiful face?” Evfra snorted, an arm going around her waist and going under her shirt to calm himself further with her softness, uncaring of her sweatiness of having learnt to defend herself with hand to hand. “Now I know you’re fooling me.” “Think what you like, your people are beautiful and exotic to us Milky Way specimens. What person doesn’t occasionally mess up by nerves in front of the people they like because they find them attractive?” “And of you?” “Jaal’s the first I met and I thought he was gorgeous.” She grinned widely, laughing as he scoffed extra loud at that. “Of course, he was flirting with all the ladies, but then again, it could just be that angara charm. It’s hard to tell.” A curious gaze over the other three at their stations and her lips twitched when she saw them looking back. “Are angara attracted to humans, or do you mainly prefer the Milky Way’s most attractive to all kind, the asari?” “Asari,” Two went straight away, shameless in their favouritism. Jules snickered at how quick that reply was, not offended. “Asari are blue, so that is pretty to us,” Javenovo spoke up, “Though if I had my time again, I’d have a soft human with your fur, or slinky salarian with the big eyes.” “Oooh, Salarian, huh? Quick thinkers. Nice. Anyway, Evfra, I’d suggest the route of my people.” She pat her male on the shoulder and got up. “Give both our people hope and an aim, even if temporary, as well as show they can work with each other, you know? Would you like me to bring you anything? You hungry?” “No.” “Alright. I’m going to see Felaan. I’ll see you later, yeah? Bye, gentlemen.” She waved at them, walking out while she said to the eldest, “Javenovo, yes?” The old man’s eyebrows rose. “Indeed.” “Until next time.” Javenovo watched her go and then looked at a working Evfra, appearing to have already forgotten she was there. “Your bond has a point.” Evfra slowly put down his datapad as he looked up, eyes narrowed. The other two widened their eyes and quickly went back into work mode - ears still sharp though. “You would have us trust these aliens with our inner workings?” “I would have both sides attempt even more than they have. Small thing by small thing.” “They could easily take over what is our roles, our people, our lives. Just like last time.” The old man replied softly, “They might, but they also might not. Do we not take risks against the kett every day, potentially killing our men? Why not also take risks, potentially gaining allies? Our people’s population has gone down in the last eighty years by a sharp turn. If we are to rebuild those numbers, we will have to accept trades of all kinds, whether it be technology or food or favours. They have numbers we need, we have food they need. And with a surplus to begin very soon now we’ve much meat it makes sense to link now.” “Numbers, yes, trained numbers that very potentially outclass us technologically and militaristically! We can little afford to show our stomachs to them and hope for scratches!” Javenovo nodded at that. “Of course trained numbers are with them, and hopefully some of the best we can use. They cannot be expected to find a new world to colonise with only civilians and traders, how else would they protect themselves? As for their technology, while it may not be given to us, it’d be used in our name.” “We cannot let anyone but HQ have our rotas or missions, no matter how often I change them and scramble them. We must have as much secrecy as we can to protect us. Nexus would not be happy with that for long.” “No true military ally would. How can you trust one such people to have your back? There are back up attack plans in case of betrayal, and then there is specifically holding out on allies when one should be working together.” Beeps, and more reports had come through. “Enough. I’ve actions to take rather than words to debate.” “As you wish,” Javenovo bowed his head and turned around to go back to security, watching the little human go to the marketplace and shaking his head at the suspicious angara that still watched her go by with scowls. He knew the rumours as well as Evfra did, that she was an upstart, that she was slowly taking over, that she was making Evfra look weak and susceptible to seduction. He had seen politicians, bureaucrats and traders come and go with far more motivation for selfish goals than this one. He may be wrong, but he did not believe it so. Just like it had been believed Evfra was too young and full of spite and betrayal and not angaran enough with his lack of showing emotions to be a Resistance Leader. No. Javenovo would enjoy watching Jules carve her path through angaran life.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter Thirteen
Jules woke up the next day, looking around. No soulbond, huffing in her ear or nuzzling into her neck. “Evfra?” She focused, realising the distance of him meant he was in the HQ. Damn, did he work all night again? She checked the Omni-tool, finding a couple of short messages, one telling her not to wait up that she got last night and another informing her he’d talk over what she said last night with Paaran Shie today and potentially the Nexus Ambassador. A quick trip to the bathroom to get ready and she was out of the apartment, visiting Felaan and greeting her with a hug. “My friend! It is so good to see you again.” Felaan smiled beautifully as she pulled back. “Anymore adventures today?” “Only practise in the Headquarters with the kett simulators and then some hand to hand.” “Would you like to visit my home today?” “I’d love to!” Felaan beamed. “Wonderful! You already know two of my cousins, Osorio and Revvi.” Her eyes widened, disbelieving. “They are?! Oh wow! I’d never have guess that one.” “After your time training, come see me. We shall go then.” “Let me shower first, and oh! Should I bring some kind of gift, or-or-” Felaan laughed and cut her excitedly nervous friend off. “Do not worry! Your presence will be more than a gift for my family. You will be relentlessly questioned and that is payment enough.” “What about something from the bar?” Jules grinned playfully. “Ohhh, my true mother will like you.” “Felaan? Hm.” Jules cocked her head, eyeing him. “You okay?” Not wanting to put her excitement down, he shook his head and turned to her, raising a hand and stepping to her, holding the back of her head and gently kissing her forehead. “No. Enjoy an angaran family. Perhaps we will have one someday.” “Ah-Ah-Ah-” She went completely red, eyes wide up at him and gawping. He laughed loudly as she abruptly turned to leave, only for him to hook an arm around her waist and pull her up against him, grasping her behind to shove her fully along his form and making her give that squeak he so adored, kissing her soundly and ducking her down. He parted with a, “Humans,” squeezed her rear end hard enough she’d feel it as she walked and let go of her, guiding her to the door. He touched her cheek fondly. “Go. Stay strong and clear, soulbond. Think of me.” “I will. And get some rest! You never know.” Hearing the exasperated affection in her tone, he ducked down and nuzzled her cheek, enjoying her heat. “My human.” Her cheeks blared red again. With his goal accomplished, he opened the door and watched her go, looking forward to teasing her about her hangover tomorrow. And perhaps even helping her over it with touch? As she said, you never know. A smirk hit his lips. Until then, he had much to do still. Jules snapped her eyes open, head woozy and mouth tasting vile in a way the drinks certainly hadn’t- The smell of cold metal snagged her attention. Tears sprung to her eyes, memories of - terrified, buried alive, no escape - the pod coming back and hitting her hard. Fear pounded through her, blood rushing and she trembled, hyperventilating and tapped her hands around her small prison, eyes darting around. She yelled and banged on it, hoping for someone to come find her, doing so until her fists were bruised and pained and her voice scratchy and tired. Then she simply sobbed, hoping someone heard. Nothing. It was so silent.
Evfra? Where was Evfra?
She noiselessly cried to herself, petrified of being trapped here. It’s so quiet! Her mind screamed. “WhatdoIdo?” She whimpered, shaking, swallowing a dry mouth. It was quiet for a good five hours or so it took for her to relatively calm down before exhaustion hit and she succumbed to sleep. Slipping in and out of sleep in a tiny compartment made her feel like she was back on the Ark Leusinia, so her mind mellowed out, fazing back into the mind-set that kept her alive back then, blood warm and flowing in her. It pulsed gently. It was when she was half asleep she heard footsteps and instant alertness caught hold of her, snapping her awake. This was it. Her blood pumped as she got ready, body relaxing. The box opened after a few beeps, the left side and top side opening electronically and whoever it was looked at her. They were going to check she was still asleep. A powerful slap and her head swung to the side gracelessly. Blood welled up and dripped down her cheek as her head throbbed. Her head was grabbed, looked over before a scoff and she was thrown, back of her head smacking against the metal below her. She was stunned for the moment, vision clouding, glad her hair was covering her face to hide the wince a clenching of her jaw to hold back the shriek and let her head flop to the side, waiting for whoever to leave her side. Her eyes opened a slit, noting a Turian turned away and talking into an Omni-tool. “- and not waking up, luckily. It looks like she had, tears and everything. That’s the Resistance Leader’s mate? You sure? Alright. No, she’s fully alive, just banged up for your blackmailing convenience. Where do you want the cargo? Elaadan next? Really bouncing all over to lose him, aren’t you? Right. Until next planet.” Footsteps. Again her head was grabbed. “Shame, but I have to sell a pretty thing like you on.” It was then she snapped her arm up to reach his head spines and sharply break them, eyes snapping open in a burning fury, and with all of her weight, she twisted around his body as he was distracted by the pain of part of his head breaking and ended on top of him, shoving him down and grimacing when he met his measly end by slamming his head into a corner of her container box. He jerked in his dying throws before flopping like a sack of meat. There was no guilt in her in the slightest. “Serves you right.” She grabbed his gun, took his belt with its pockets and checked for extra ammo. Only two blocks. And it was a sniper rifle. Damnit. She checked the place to reload, made sure the safety was off and tested it on the dead body. Ugh. So big and weighty. This would be shit to use. Her glassy green eyes peered around, bemused and frowning. The cave she was in gave nothing away. There was zilch in here but for a supply of nutrient paste. She took one and ate it and with some embarrassment and hastiness, she went to the corner to relieve herself from both ends, stomach roiling with the alcohol she’d ingested and had lingered while she was knocked out, cleaning with a scrap of the dead turian’s bodysuit. “What the fuck?!” Her head snapped up, literally caught with her pants down and shoved the knickers up, only to be punched in the jaw by the human, body forcefully twirling to the ground and landing. Embarrassingly, her bladder lost control from already halting her peeing, painfully wrenching and was laughed and jeered at. Then she was kicked hard, slamming into the wall of the container pod she’d been in and slumped, feeling her blood boil as pain shrieked up her spine and tears of fury and humiliation caught her. She was picked up by her top, once again faking being unconscious by dangling heavily. He laughed and in an instant she grabbed his extra assault rifle, shooting him point blank in the face, sending his body skidding back. A trail of gore lit the path of his brain being blown out. She coughed as she fell to the ground. The woman did her best to wipe herself dry, dirt and blood marring her body and coated to her own urine on her. Taking a moment to try and centre herself lasted into more, because she didn’t know where to put her head right then, silence echoing around her. The angara had made her weak, emotions flaring, where her usual self was completely focused on taking down when in such scenarios. She breathed in and out for a few minutes to calm down before figuring she’d just have to deal with it and got up, walking to the cave entrance. She went out the area quietly, eyes darting left and thought the way too narrow and so went to the right, gun up and swore when she went into an area filled with guards of some sort. She ducked behind a load of boxes, knowing her two singular days of hand to hand practise would do nothing, but she did have a gun and that counted for a lot. She listened carefully, hearing about orders and exporting and keeping it quiet when back out there. “Smugglers?” She was spotted when she looked back up, and wanted to sob when the call went up. Mind panicking, she looked back and dashed for the narrow route, body sideways to go faster and shot back at the first trio to appear, humans and turians alike and dead before they could aim for her, eyes widening at how better the assault rifle was for her with her aim so excellent. Plenty of bullets per round. Maybe she could last this out? One tried to follow her but with a shot to his arm that dropped his shotgun and then to his head, he was caught dangling in the narrowness of the route and smaller female body got through easily, making a great barrier for the moment. Eyes lighting up, she ducked to the floor and fired the five other smugglers from below the dangling body, unseen from how the body blocked her and cast a shadow. The next lot went the same way, incredulously enough. Quiet. She stayed very still for the next hour and a half before daring to move and got up kicking the body along the narrow path until it was wide enough and he fell down. Her gun didn’t lower, lips pursed and she looked around, tense and hyper-aware. Nothing. Quickly, Jules made her way out, unsure what to think or do in any. Where the hell was she?! Movement and she stilled, bare knees nearly wobbling under her skirt when faced with eight separate guns aimed her way as her instincts screamed ‘I don’t wanna die!’ at her. She slumped her shoulders and dropped her gun and kicked it away, holding her hands up in submission. She’d rather be a prisoner of someone else or killed than cargo to be passed around from place to place. She’d had more than enough of that. Three wasn’t going to be her magic number. “I’ll co-operate completely.” “Good.” An accented voice came. “Knock her out.” Jules closed her eyes as the butt of the gun came down. Evfra woke up, stilling the arm that automatically reached forward, realising he’d ‘fallen asleep at the wheel’ so to speak and felt cold. He wondered how Jules was as he grabbed a nutrient paste tube and opened it, shoving it in his mouth and focusing on finding her heat. Naturally, considering how far Felaan’s family was, he couldn’t feel her. Wanting a change of clothing and a shower, he decided upon a short trip back to his apartment, thinking of grabbing some fruit for Jules, knowing Felaan would be there, supremely hungover or not, wanting an update on his bond. “Commander Evfra! How is our newest human angaran?” That halted him. “Repeat that.” “Uh… How is Jules, Commander? Jules went home last night? I was just wondering if…?”
He couldn’t feel her heat.
“What.”
Jules stared up at the top of the cell dazed and head throbbing with both pain and silence. The fact it was so quiet was much, much worse. Steps came over to her, and from the corner of her eyes she saw the guy that ordered her unconscious. “I am not drinking for another month. Maybe.” A warm chuckle, which she noted as trained and fake, and slumped her head to the side to look at him. Ah, very attractive. Whiskey eyes and a thick mop of well styled hair. And that accent. Mmm. Right up her alley. “What’s a soft thing like you doing here, guiri?” She scoffed, now knowing he was a Spaniard. Guiri was a term word for ‘a northern European tourist’ not meant so nicely and she wasn’t surprised the translator didn’t pick it up. “Well, chulo I decided a nice trip to a cave would be grand. Stalagmites, man, they simply turn me on all hard and pointing up so temptingly,” She remarked crudely, making her equally imprisoned neighbour snort. “Chulo! You know the word!” He laughed at that, pleased as punch. “Well, well, someone’s visited my lovely homeland!” “Once. Was a chef.” She grunted, sitting up and feeling her head go light and pulse at the same time was the weirdest combination. “Had Spanish friends. They hated that an Englishwoman was better than them at cooking and constantly came around without warning on my days off with all these ingredients to challenge me. Bloody Spaniards,” She grinned to herself at the memories and stood up, wobbling to the bar and gripping them tight. “Who the hell knocked me out? I think I broke a skull bone. I want to make a complaint to the manger.” “I will be sure to file it. You are the only smuggler left. We want answers.” She blinked hard and widened her eyes and then narrowed them at him, trying to concentrate. “I’m not a smuggler. I was smuggled.” “Boss, we got the security feed unlocked.” The man looked down at her hands, taking in the bruises and then went up to her face, looking thoughtful. “Let’s go review the tapes, shall we?” He tapped her nose, making her huff and throw him a look, unimpressed. “Definitely an English rose.” She scoffed, leaning heavily on the bars. “Oh, please, you’re like a goat, carnation boy.” “And there’s the thorns!” He chortled and left the room, smirking at her from over his shoulder as the door closed. “Cocky bastard.” She grunted and slumped down further. “Like a goat? Carnation boy?” Jules looked at the turian. “It’s an idiom that means ‘To be crazy’, in his native language. Carnation is a flower, and the national flower of his country, Spain. Our two countries used to have a rivalry way back when.” “Hn. Smuggled?” The human looked away. “Yes.” “Touchy.” “It’s none of your business,” She snapped, glowering at him, but he chuckled. “I wouldn’t be intimidated by a little bit like you. Not in a thousand years.” “Well, we’re over sixth of a way through that now, aren’t we? Not long now!” She mocked, actually feeling pretty thorny, now Spaniard said it. The turian smirked at her, arms crossed and leaning against the bars walling them apart. “Name’s Kaetus.” “Jules. Where are we?” “Kadara Port.” “Oh, the exiles place. What’s it like out there? I only got a glimpse of mountains and greenery. And smoke? I think? After I walked out the mouth of the cave?” “You must have been in the Badlands, in the Draullir.” Jules snorted. “Really? Badlands? Original.” The pale turian chuckled but said nothing further, and without anything to do but wait, she went to the bench away from Kaetus, grabbed the crappy blanket, fluffed it out, flung it around her and lay on it, facing away from him. Might as well sleep. Silence. She didn’t want to think about who the hell betrayed Evfra by stealing her. Or something else perhaps? The next time Jules woke up, aching and bruised, it was to talking, angrily from Kaetus and- She jerked up, getting attention from the two males. “Scott!” He came over in an instant, gripping the bars as Kaetus spat on the ground and ignoring him. “Jules?! What the hell are you doing in there?!” He looked at her, everything pretty much bruised, especially her head and fists. “I don’t know!” She grimaced and got up to go over to him and was hugged tightly though the bars. “Do a girl a favour and get me back on the Tempest?” “You hang tight, Lan’.” “Thanks. I think I have a concussion.” “I’ll tell Lexi. Be back soon.” “Wait! Send message to…” She gave him a look. Evfra. He held the Omni-tool up, fingers flying. “Doing it as I go.” “Stay strong and clear.” Scott laughed, going. “So… He’s the Charlatan.” Jules blinked slowly, and then sighed in disbelief. “Of course.” Reyes raised a brow. “Of course it’s the bloody chulo.” Scott blinked as Reyes gave a hearty laugh. “What?” “The Spaniard here?” She gave a wobbly smile to him as some medic fussed over her in Tartarus, feeling like everything was so damn quiet. “The smuggler you told me of once?” Scott gave a stupid grin. “I may understand now.” They had watched as the medic Reyes brought in bustled off after putting medi-gel over her and was ordered to sleep, but she didn’t yet want to move to a ship she’d have to go in via the cargo hold and Reyes had offered her someplace quiet, but she asked for a place with quiet music and so was here instead of shooting out straight to wherever the Tempest would be going. He’d yet to decide where he wanted to go, unsure if she wanted to go back to Aya and not yet asking, considering she’d been kidnapped from there. He went to his bag, fishing out an Omni-tool. “Here. From Vetra. What happened to your last one?” “I wasn’t wearing it. I’d kind of just had a shower and left it at the apartment.” She looked down at the Omni-tool in his hand, a spare one, and took it gently. “Is there-” Her head snapped around as she heard the first stirrings of music around her body and intense relief caught her. “Oh. Music at last.” The Pathfinder snickered, putting an arm around her shoulders. “How hard did you get your head slammed? It’s been playing this whole time. It’s old age, isn’t it?” “Can it, you.” Jules chuckled lightly, grabbed her drink of some water and slumped back down in her seat. “You’re right. I guess I just didn’t hear it.” She smiled wryly to herself. The woman didn’t have the energy to get up to meet him, even though every cell of her wanted to get up and run to him and feel protected in his arms and demand he take her back to Aya because she kind of hated Kadara right then. She hadn’t liked that kind of feeble mentality before, what with always being the one to lead and boss about and look after, but really, she kind of needed some stability right now. And that so happened to be with him. Damn. She’d never gone so fast and so serious with a man before. It’s either been hot and heavy one night stands or long drawn out relationships where’d she been friends with the guy for years and then oops, relationship. A beep and the Charlatan looked down at a message, eyebrows raising. “It seems we will be having an important guest,” Reyes mused, not feeling so thrown by the sudden appearance of the curt, aggressive angara when he realised he had Ryder here and they were on good terms. “My dear Rose, do not take this man’s brashness or dismissal to heart. He is mostly, how do we say? All business?” He winked at her. “No offence will be taken, my dear chulo.” She sluggishly drunk her water and put it down, eyes drifting as a wave of sleep rush down her and got to her. “Though with how I’m about to fall asleep? It might insult this man you are concerned over.” She followed the music getting louder with her eyes closed until she could tell he’d walked in and was swiftly making his way up. The door opened with a hiss, and Evfra, as well as Osorio and Reviir, stormed in, a scowl deep and dark on his face which only got worse when he saw the state his bond was in and came over to her, ducking down to a knee beside her and analysing her. “What happened to her?” He growled out, fierce and unforgiving as he looked upon the main man of Kadara Port for a second so Reyes knew who he was talking to, peeling the blanket off carefully. “Jules. Tell me your state.” “I am injured, fatigued… and have a blown up pride.” Reyes looked on, stunned as she was looked over, hands delicately tracing for more injuries and rumbling with anger at each wince she did. “Thorn here was found smuggled from Aya to Kadara. The poor woman was beaten up… until she killed the cave of smugglers by herself.” Reyes threw her an impressed look. “We took her and put her in a holding cell after she dropped her gun and submitted to us, thinking she was one of them, and we were going to get information out of her.” Jules leant forward and murmured, “True, though some things were left out.” Instantly a hand carded through her hair to put on the eye-scanner and then the blanket she was still in was completely pushed aside, momentarily pausing as he growled at the state and smell of her, and her Omni-tool was gently placed on her arm. Sheer comfort was found at him realising how she needed to have them there, feeling a lot more centred. “Thank you, Evfra.” She opened her eyes when his finger slid along the bruise of her jaw and she winced at a particularly swollen part. “Still pretty?” “Still pretty,” He agreed gruffly and then the soft look was lost as he glowered at the Charlatan. “You. If you ever dare to treat my bond in such a repugnant way again or treat her any less than you would myself, it’ll be your successor I’m talking to. Are we clear?” Reyes held his hands up, completely thrown that the man who was so distrustful of aliens would seemingly adore one. He watched Jules lean forward to rest her head on the side of his neck and Evfra cup the back of her head as he said soothingly, respectfully, “Of course my friend, we had no knowledge of her, and she would have been let out regardless of Ryder’s interference. We had no idea she was your, ah, woman.” There was a slight question in his voice. “Bond. I believe you call the term wife?”
Wife?
Jules felt her mind spin for a second. “Congratulations! A drink perhaps?” But, well, of course he did. That’s what a soulbond was to him. Evfra narrowed his eyes and succinctly said, “No.” He abruptly dismissed the Charlatan who grinned wryly at still being treated as inferior even though he’d earnt the title of leader of Kadara Port and turned to Ryder. “I will be travelling with you now, Pathfinder. It has come to my attention that our species can do better by one another against the kett. I’ve obtained the other Leader’s acceptance of militaristic trade between our people being handled by me. I’ll be operating from your Tempest. I presume you have enough space for three more angara and your kett killing expert once more?” That made her smile, with his music wrapping around her possessively, unwilling to part any time soon. She stood up with a smile. “Sounds good to me.” “Definitely,” Scott got up. “Welcome aboard the Tempest!” Jules looked to the angara that slunk an arm around her, musing as she absently gripped his rofjinn in reply. Wife, huh?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter Fourteen
The Tempest was the same as ever. Well, it was when Jules woke up after showering and slumping into bed in the medbay, having pushed Evfra away from his gruff mother-henning so he could go set up in the vid room with his two helpers because all she’d do was sleep. She was surprised to note he’d taken helpers, but he’d stated they grown attached to her and felt guilty they’d not been able to stop this from happening and practically demanded to come along. Despite that irritating the Leader, they were good shots and good weapons quartermasters, so he’d allowed them to come instead of ones he’d had in mind. She’d first been startled into an awakened state, but after nearly three weeks on the Tempest before Aya, the hum of it was familiar and settled her, though not quite as much as Evfra’s body would. Their bond felt stronger, getting more and more used to searching one another out at greater distances, and when she sat up she felt his bioelectricity wrap around her, stronger and alert of her wakening from her moving. She instantly smiled at the fact he was coming to see her and pushed the blanket away, legs dangling over the side, momentarily alone in the med-bay as Lexi was out eating with Drack in the kitchen. The sight of blue flashed when the door opened and she turned to her scarred bond with a grin, trying not to wince and failing when a sharp tug of pain went through her face. “You are still in pain. What is that doctor, doing?” He came right up to her, bag in hand. “Allowing the other medi-gel to diffuse enough to put the stronger stuff in. This,” She pointed to her face. “Should have broken my jaw. It’s my Krogan blood that otherwise both helps and hinders me. It, uh, my blood that is, didn’t like whatever second rate medi-gel the exiles have and so is slow working, but I was designed to have the best gel and would work faster with that stuff. Just a waiting game so I don’t get overloaded and have a poisoning. I’m a tricky patient.” “Designed?” “Here.” She tapped at her Omni-tool, hesitating for a second before she played the audio logs with a sigh. Evfra listened, more and more incensed as each sentence went by. He paced and snarled out when it finished, “Who sold you?! What fool-?!” “Evfra.” There was a frayed weariness in her tone that had him instantly listening and coming over to her. “It was family. My uncle. He was brother to my father and both of them had gambling addictions. It didn’t matter how much money came into the household because it would soon go on anything gambling with only second thought to food and housing bills. My mother, blinded by love and weak to my father, turned away from it and blanked it from her mind As if the problem would go away if she didn’t pay attention to it.” Evfra snorted, settling next to her on the bed. “Ridiculous.” She rocked herself to the side, nudging his shoulder and smiling when he did the same. “Right? On that night, I went around, invited about two weeks earlier but with such a busy working schedule I could only get around to it that night. Apparently my uncle had gotten a bit of a windfall, uh, lucky in a money lottery. Having grown around gambling, I picked up a few tricks, and in my chef career, I got used to looking scowly and determined. The business look.” She grinned at him a little with him giving a slight smirk back, watching her intently, before looking down and rubbing hands together. “I figured I could decently bluff my uncle. And I did. I got enough to help my parents out of major debt. A lot of debt. I don’t recall much after that, but I was also drinking quite the bit.” She laughed humourlessly. “You’d think I’d learn. I guess I didn’t expect it on Aya as well.” Guilt thrashed in him, as well as self-flagellation at not being able to protect her on his own home turf. “I am sorry. It seems Vehn Terev is not the only betrayer in my ranks. It was a Roekaar sympathiser taking offence that their strongest militaristic leader was with human.” She snorted and chuckled. “With human.” “Hm?” “With humans using that sentence in such a way, it usually means pregnant. She’s with child. She’s with human. Sorry, not the time to make jokes.” He chuckled anyway. “It is the same with angara.” The Leader watched as Jules reached out, wanting some comfort, and he instantly replied, picking her up and leaning against the headrest, keeping her against his chest. He pressed a kiss to her head, running a hand through her hair softly, slowly detangling the strands with his hand. He wanted to care for her and so reached for the bag on the floor, pulling it up and over and scrounging for her brush. Taking it out, he gently began brushing the locks he so loved to play with and feeling her relax into him with a happy hum. It pleased him, her trust after such an experience. “And of designing?” He rumbled out lowly. “You heard the woman. My body is now mixed with krogan blood. When I’m in a situation as that with fighting, I go calm, focused. I go hungry. B-” She cut herself off looking away but he grasped her chin with his free hand and gently turned her back around. Her shoulders slumped at his intent look, knowing his stubbornness. “Evfra.” “Tell me,” The Leader said softly. A pause but then a blurted, “Bloodthirsty, Evfra. I want to take out my enemy. Stars, but the feeling of killing kett I get is so satisfying. Usually krogan go berserk, but she focused on humans because our genetic sequence is easier to manipulate than any other species of the Milky Way, if what Lexi says is true. Asari do so with their offspring to make more asari, but that’s how they work. Humans… we’re pretty weak. I really don’t know how we survived; all you aliens are so much better. We don’t have the brains or beauty or tech know-how or strength or longevity or emotional aptitude you others do.” “Yet it is humans that are leading and paving the way.” “Wish I knew how.” He brushed through it as he repeated from Lexi, “The hair.” Jules burst out laughing, looking up at his half serious look and further cracking up, turning and burying her face into his neck and making him smirk and nuzzle into her, pleased to get such a reaction. She leaned back and sighed out happily, “I did not expect that.” “You’re welcome.” She giggled and nuzzled back into him, getting happy rumbling sounds she adored in return. “Thanks.” “You’re welcome. Continue.” He sure didn’t relent. She half disliked and half admired it. “Doctor whoever, the asari wanted me, as you heard, to be by her side as an ultimate fighter. I don’t know why, I mean, humans live about a hundred years top mainly? Usually we die mid-eighties, like turians and quarians. Salarians get the short end of the stick at about forty but they’re incredibly fast-minded. We’re not sure about the Krogan blood in me when the krogan live for a thousand odd years like asari. Drack says he’s over one thousand four hundred years!” Evfra couldn’t quite think of what such a long life was like living. “Incredible. Angara live at latest one hundred and fifty years old.” “O-Oh… I… don’t want to live without you, Evfra.” “You will not.” Even if it was completely out of their hands, his conviction settled her, hands roaming her body. So she went to a different topic on her mind. “On the Tempest now, hm? It is your job, and I would not question you, but... why? Wouldn’t it be better on Aya?” He scoffed, lifting her chin with a single finger and remarked bluntly, “Good you do not question me then.” It made her grin at him, shaking her head and taking his hand within her own, kissing the finger and making him almost purr at the soft barely there caress of her lips. “Perhaps. The systems are trusted in the Headquarters, but so are the ones on Tempest. We tried to get in to the Tempest systems and were buffered back greater than we expected, and Tempest and SAM were greater against our enemies than when we tried on our own in Aya.” “You didn’t.” “He did,” SAM was quick to put in. Jules snickered, glad to be away from the topic of her family. Evfra scowled up at the ceiling. “It is better off I transmit call and orders from the Tempest, it provides and extra level of security my people need. We’ve had a sudden run in of kett getting a bit too used to the way we work. A new start on the Tempest with some alien minds to offer different ways would be utterly beneficial to our people. Even I will admit alien help can be valuable. And you are here.” “I’d have come back with you to Aya.” “I do not want you there yet. Your soul is most precious to me. I will not have it potentially disturbed by recurring nightmares mimicking earlier devastations.” Jules flinched and looked away and he instantly nuzzled her, bioelectric crooning and wrapping around her protectively, humming when she fell into him once more. It occurred to her she was being clingy and shouldn’t. So she pushed back, hands on his chest and shifting from his hold. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be so dependant.” She got up on wobbly feet but was instantly swept back onto his lap with a yelp from her, knees suddenly on either side of him and eyes wide. “So dependant? You are not nearly so dependant as an angaran soulbond would want or warrant,” Evfra grouched, arms wrapping around her huffily, dragging her closer. It was then his eyes caught sight of the human male coming in through and narrowed his eyes. “Hmph.” “Huh?” Jules looked up at him and then followed his eyes, flushing but grinning at Liam. He couldn’t help but come in. “Aww, Jules! Getting all chirpsin’ in the med bay, babe? Shameless, you are!” She grabbed the pillow behind Evfra, “Oh, do one, mate!” She flung it at him, scoffing at his cackling and walking away, doors closing once more. “Wanker.” “Mate?” “As in… Packmate? It’s an Earth thing from specific countries. Our one, Liam and I, is definitely one of them. We use lots in my country, like darlin’, hun’, duckie, poppet, love, dearie, sweetness, princess, trouble-” “Hmph. Do not use it.” “Not in such a way. You’re my mate. He’s just my mate. My friend. You see?” Evfra huffed through his nose and leaned down and nibbled at her neck to taste her on his tongue, finger gripping in harder. “No.” “You’re my bond. He’s my packmate. You’re more important.” “Better.” His grumbles into her hair made him adorable to her and Jules couldn’t help but lean up to kiss him happily, only to pull back and grimace, holding her jaw. “Be cute another time.” “Cute?” Offence was clear in his voice. “Ruggedly handsome?” She offered. “Exactly.” He kissed up her neck only for the door to go again and Lexi squawked, demanding they split up so her patient may rest. His glowers did nothing to the doctor, who scowled back deeper, protective of her patients and he gave in without showing it, knowing his mate needed a tending to that he didn’t have the knowledge for. Perhaps he should learn? Keep her to himself so only he saw her injured or ill due to how private such a thing was for his people, possessive over her and just about letting her go to get scanned over. He instantly took her back into his hold after her scanning, feeling better at her so close to him, even though the Tempest was the safest place for her. He was feeling particularly protective after all. Lexi sighed in annoyance, knowing her patient did not need this to get better. “The medi-gel of Kadara has settled, but needs another hour or two.” “Surely adrenaline would pump it out faster?” The asari snorted at the playfulness in Jules’ words. “So would water.” “I’m sure I’d need it after.” Evfra chuckled lowly and nuzzled into her, glad she was open enough about their relationship she could joke about it. “Speaking of, as doctor, I would be open to hearing about human-angaran reproduction and bonding.” Jules stiffened, pushing into her mate somewhat. The Resistance Leader felt that very clearly, feeling her heat go cold, and wasn’t too happy himself. “You would do well to mind your own business, doctor.” Lexi bowed her head. “Of course. Another couple will tell me, perhaps.” “Perhaps. As much as we are open, these bonds are special. Find a regular couple,” He replied in an offended tone, throwing the doctor a scowl before turning to his bond. He drew a hand along her uninjured jaw and kissed her on that cheek. “Come see me when you can. If not I shall come to you.” He took her in and then smirked a little at the tiredness beginning to show. “Sleep, Jules.” “I-” She felt a yawn come on but closed her eyes and clenched her jaw to hold it back. Evfra chuckled lowly and cupped her cheek, rumbling, “You are, my bondmate. Rest.” She sighed, annoyed. “You’re right.” “Naturally,” He remarked, slipping from under her and laying her down carefully. “I’ve clothing for you when you are well enough to walk around without a limp.” Was that supposed to be an attempt at an idiom? She snorted at that, having no limp. “Right.” Then she smiled and reached up to hold his cheek. “Thank you, Evfra. I feel better.” Her fingers went down after he kiss her marked left wrist, touching her name along his hip, grinning at his intense eyes as she pulled her fingertips back. “Go deal with your Resistance. They need you more than I do.” He frowned at that, not liking that. “I do not wish it to be that way.” Jules gave him a weak grin. “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” “What?” “Ask Ryder.” “Tch. Sleep.” He kissed her lips, because while he didn’t always understand her, he got her and she kissed back warmly. “Stay strong and clear, my bond.” “Stay stronger and clearer than I will be, and try not to shout at Osorio.” She tapped his skin fold playfully, dragging down it with warmth and care. “Such difficulties you ask of me.” Evfra chuckled, and with a warm, extra lingering kiss and stroke of her soft cheek, he was gone. Already she missed him, but ignored that. “Do… Do you love him?” Her heart wrenched at that question, sitting up and staring at the large bag he brought in with a sigh. “Not yet but, I will, beyond everything. Can’t be helped. I know for a fact he’s going to be the rest of my life. There’s both peace and frustration at that.” “I understand.” “I mean, could you imagine someone being the next eight hundred years of your life? No one else, but knowing they’ll be everything to you because Fate decides to nose on in? And being so damn bossy and aggressive as he is?” Lexi chuckled and shook her head. “No. I imagine you’re one of the few Fate wanted to play with.” Jules grinned at that and nodded. “Indeed so. Please don’t tell him, but… I think I adored him the moment I met him. But who does that?!” The woman spluttered, insulted by herself. The asari looked at her Omni-tool, pressed a fee buttons and scanned her again. “You.” “Heh. Yeaaaah.” She grinned foolishly, the back of her hand rubbing her forehead. The doctor laughed. The next time she was up she so much better, and Jules got out of bed with a grin, even if still tired. It was then she noted the bag left over. Taking it, she zipped it open and looked in, taking note of the different clothing. Angaran clothing. Excited, she took out the pieces, noting angara women were decked out in four pieces of clothing exactly like this. A tight top like that under-armour was found and that was covered by an extra long-sleeved top and there was some sort of matching under-armour knee-length shorts, and then leggings that melded into specialist boots that angaran women didn’t wear because of their feet shape were supplied. The underclothing was a silky royal purple, but the over clothing was charcoal black... and she had her own rofjinn, the exact same as Evfra’s in colour, shape, and pattern. It took a little while for it to all go on that first time, what with the leggings entertaining those rojinn-colour-matching wrap-belts around her midriff. She felt it wasn’t as good looking as when the angara women with their more circular hips wore it, but she felt she looked good. Confident and commanding, even. She ran a hand over the aqua-green scarf like a foam green sea on a warm beach with a smile. She wasn’t too sure what to do with the white ‘Y’ looking clip that went on the left side… it held it all up, right? She awkwardly put it on, sure she got it right. The woman left the empty med-bay, going to the crew area and stashing her bag in her space and leaving once more into the cargo area of the ship, looking at suped-up the Nomad, impressed before turning away and seeing Peebee and Vetra. “My people! SAM, folk music to dance to please!” The two looked over, with Peebee beaming and darting over at Jules’ open arms as some music began to play and the human swung the asari around the Nomad in fun circles, making her giggle. Jules hid the immediate exhaustion, still not fully there, until the end of the song before slumping against the large tire after of the Nomad and letting go of Peebee with a happy sighing, “I missed you guys.” “But I heard you had so much fun on Aya!” Vetra came over with her own version of a smirk, mandible moving smoothly upwards. “Apparently you’ve been making waves.” “I might have killed some Eiroch and Rylkor here or there.” “Also been helping us up here,” Vetra spoke, cleaning some sort of gizmo Jules took an almost instinctive curiosity at. “Just a gun piece.” Jules nodded in understanding as Peebee slung her arms around her shoulders heavily, not seeing how the human nearly buckled. Vetra did, ever the elder sibling. “Damnit, asari, she just got out of being smuggled and beaten up, give her some air. You good, sweet-pea?” “Oops! Sorry!” “S’okay.” She nearly forgot that name. “Yeah, just knackered.” “You wouldn’t have said a thing.” “Would you?” The Earthling asked in reply. “Not a chance.” They grinned at each other in knowing acknowledgement. The doors went and Jules grinned at the feeling of Evfra coming near, then seeing him sliding down the ladder, ignoring Peebee’s nudges to her side as she smiled his way. Now she simply enjoyed him coming closer to her, feeling his music get louder and settle around her comfortably, once again ignoring Peebee’s elbow and giggling. It didn’t embarrass her, his intent, her intent, their bond. It was so quick but it was starting to feel normal now. He prowled to her side, coming up close with a hand slinking around her waist and pulling her up to him gently and completely, her back to his front. When he got even nearer by ducking his head, rumbling in content, she murmured, “Evfra.” A smirk and as he ran a hand down her arm and lifted a hand he replied, “Jules. You look magnificent in such clothing.” “Thank you.” He kissed the middle of her palm, murmuring, “Your state?” Not feeling a need to lie, she said, “Physically achy and yet wanting to kill a kett or a squadron of them. Need something to do. Got anything?” “Always. Come.” He bent down to kiss her cheek. “We’ve work to do.” He would watch her state carefully during the next hours. He nodded at the other two with a polite, “People.” She smiled, relieved he wouldn’t fuss over her and just got her, and nodded. “Let’s go then.” She felt him let go with an expectation of her to follow immediately and follow she did, looking back at a gawking Peebee to fist pump and lick her lips making shrieks of giggles come from the asari while Vetra laughed with her. “Later, ladies! Work to do!” “Hey, Jules!” Said woman looked back at Peebee, about to climb the ladder after her bond. Peebee winked at her. “Looking great in your angaran clothing!” “Damn right! I am angaran now, after all!” That pleased Evfra greatly, smirk on his lips as he held a hand out when she got to the top and pulled her up easily and then clasped her face and brushed his lips against hers with a purring, “Is that so?” “I may have accepted my role in your life. Maybe.” “Finally.” “Oh hush, you.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter Fifteen
Liam, Jaal and Jules were watching a movie on Liam’s screen, but the males were more entertained by Jules’ gawping and widened eyes and twitching in reaction to the events on screen. Jaal let out a particularly loud laugh when she jerked and yelped and grabbed his rofjinn and didn’t let go. The crisis specialist gave her a grin. “You alright, babe?” “S-So intense… These electrodermal signals… It’s crazy to think this tech exists…” “They are incredible, yes? A most wonderful upgrade! You think you are there!” The angaran beamed when Jules nodded, unblinking and watching the film. “Jules?” “Mm?” She said absently, head only partially turned to him but eyes locked on screen. Liam snickered. “You lost her, Jaal. Popcorn?” “Thank you,” She replied faintly, hand going for the bowl and missing twice and then shoving the finally obtained handful to her mouth as her eyes didn’t move from the screen. It was then she stilled, because suddenly horror films weren’t as fun when the element of being trapped in a small cupboard, with electrodermal signals, made her still and then begin to shake, “O-Off. Li-Liam…!” She swallowed and grasped his knee painfully, making him yelp and then curse at her face and suddenly she was grasped by her friend and taken into a huge hug as the film was changed to some fluffy animated film, chirpy kiddy music blaring. “Fuck.” She ran hands through her hair, grasping it harsh to remind her she was here. “Maybe later.” She laugh-sobbed at that and replied haggardly, “F-Fuck off, you sod.” “Ah, that is it,” Jaal hummed. “But what is sod?” “Tell you- Tell you later.” “Glad to know Mr Fuck Over can learn.” Liam smirked at him, gently stroking her back in comfort, because being a specialist in crisis had given him many lessons and understanding of comforting a traumatised victim. He grabbed the throw from the back of his beloved sofa and curled it around her, knowing warmth always helped. “Want Jaal to get Evfra for you?” Jules felt shame in her and pursed her lips. “I… I’d rather not.” Maybe this was harsh, but she wanted a human right then. Her hands gripped him. “I just… want…” She gripped tighter, hoping he got the hint as she looked up at him and her eyes darted to the door. “How about we get us a hot drink? Kick Drack out?” “Yes.” Grinning at being able to help, he turned to the frowning angara. “Jaal, speak in a bit, yeah, mate?” “Yes. Jules? Are you sure you do not wish Evfra?” He looked so sad when she looked at him and he sighed when she gave a half-smile half-grimace and shook her head. “Please know you can come to me anytime you wish, Jules. My shoulder is open to cry on.” “Thank you, Jaal.” They left, entering the kitchen which was empty and Liam set about making some tea for them, about to turn around until he saw Jules come up without the throw that’d now been chucked on the chair and then angrily began taking things out that Vetra got for her, watching her take out ingredients for what he believed was a cake. Two sets, one so Vetra could enjoy it as well. “You, uh, need a hand?” He watched her get some pans out. “Grease ‘em?” “Yes please.” There was a controlled displeasure in her movements he noted, watching her jaw clench as she took out more bowls and measured out amounts of dry ingredients. “Mix these for you?” “Yeah. I’m so pissed off with myself, Liam.” She cracked eggs of some sort of bird from Eos into the liquid mixtures she was now doing. “I can’t do small spaces anymore.” “Not right now. But you will.” “That… in time, I might be okay again? Ngh.” “Do you think you will be?” He asked, whisking when she poured the liquids into the bowl carefully. “I… maybe? I don’t know.” She began the next set of ingredients. “Pour it in after the lumps are out.” Jules mumbled and she grabbed the mug of tea, taking in the warm scent of it before sipping and smiling. “You make a good cup of tea, Kosta.” “Made hundreds.” He poured the mix in the baking pans and explained, “Mum was an addict. Loved tea from everywhere, had this humungous collection. Seriously. Hundreds of boxes. Did dad’s nut in. She liked Darjeeling best.” He grabbed the next mixture and whisked as Jules laughed. “I prefer a beer but, tea, you know?” “I know.” Jules chuckled and set up the oven as Evfra came in. “Bond.” “What happened?” “It’s nothing. I’m just… being stupid.” The Leader narrowed his eyes. “You are not a stupid woman, but you are a lying one right now. If not for directing attacks I’d have been here swifter. I apologize. I know you needed me.” Jules gave him an unimpressed look as Liam winced from behind her and poured the mixture into the seconds pan. “I did not need you. As you can see, I’m quite capable of helping myself.” “We are bonded, we do not have to simply help ourselves when we are available to each other.” Her shoulders slumped. “You’re not getting it.” He rumbled some sort of sound and understood. “I do not think you weak in anything but expressing your human emotions, but that is a failing of the Milky Way that we angara will be happy to correct.” Jules and Liam looked at each other in exasperation. “These angara,” The man muttered, shaking his head. “Right?” Yet there was a wry grin on their faces. “Excuse you both?” “Listen, this oven is set, right? You go cuddle with him to make him feel better and I’ll take care of this.” “Me feel better?” “Thanks, Liam. Melt chocolate and cream together, two sets of one-fifty grams to about seven tablespoons of cream for the ganache. Stir the melting chocolate every half minute and then add in the cream afterwards. Add in a bit more vanilla and cinnamon to it, I think.” She grasped Evfra’s hand and pulled him out to the crew quarters. “I’m not doing good with small spaces. It makes me recall being trapped twice. I’ll get over it soon enough. Just… just not yet.” She let go and sat down on her bed. “If there’s anything I can do-” “Appreciated, but I have to do this by myself.” He scowled and crossed, feeling pushed away. “Why?” He gritted out. “So I know I can.” “Why can I not help you?” “I don’t need help, and if I needed you I’d have gone to you. Liam had it in hand-” “He should not have had to!” Evfra snapped. “I am your bond!” “You are, yes, but he is my friend and skilled in the aftercare!” “As am I!” “And I wanted a reminder of home to help me.” Jules grimaced as she stood, still feeling rough and was instantly plucked up by the man, gentle and caring even as he glowered down at her, and still continued even as her arms encircled his thick neck made him rumble at her like a big jungle cat. “It is not a slight against you, not a projection of me liking Liam more, not a rejection of you, and not me saying I don’t want you here to help me. I’m finally getting used to you – don’t huff at me - and really accepting this bond against my human rationalising. Don’t be jealous and chase me away by being too much.” Evfra felt himself being calmer at her words, jealousy and slight anxiety slipping away. “I cannot help it. You are my bond and my family and the only one that is mine and you just came back into my arms after being stolen from me. Of course I’m too much.” He huffed regardless of her wants, tucking her against him and shuffling into the bed, huddling her up against him. “You deserve my utter attention and protection more than ever and you will have it.” “Whether I like it or not?” He smirked and nipped at her neck making her yip, “Exactly. Now sleep. You need much more rest for your human mind processing such complex emotions.” A little grin, disbelieving at his overbearing nature, and she settled into him. “You’re a dick.” “We’ll see.” Jules flushed at the smirk in his face, but there was a little bit of intrigue at the idea in her. Oh? “Jules! This cake is so good!” Osorio said as she woke up a little later, running hands through damp hair that Evfra had helped wash, a grin still on her face at him joining her and getting some heavy petting in. “I’m glad you like it.” “Can you make more, please?!” “Sure thing. If we have the supplies.” Osorio gasped and gave her an open, horrified look. “There is more, isn’t there? Please tell me there is!” “Haven’t a clue,” She lied with a grin. “Now, I’m going to make dinner.” Drack came over nonchalantly. “Want a hand?” Knowing he loved to cook, she wrapped an arm through his. “I can always use my favourite turtle apprentice, sure!” “Ha! Toeing the line. I like it.” He softly butted his head into hers. “And me!” Osorio came over, energetic and ready to do something that wasn’t endless inventory checks. “I’ll do what you say! And can we make more of the cake stuff?” “Alright, c’mon dear gentlemen.” An hour and a half later, dinner and warm cake was make, and Ryder had thrown his weight as Captain of the ship to have them all eat around the vidcall centre, aggravating the Resistance Leader as chairs of all sorts came up, but giving in slowly. Everyone had turned up to eat the dozens of small Eiroch steaks with multiple freshly made condiments, mixed root vegetables and greenery dishes in all sorts of seasonings that Jules had gotten the other two to help her with. There was sudden noise all around the circular table, lively and happy, angaran laughter loud and booming over the quieter alien cackling and snickering, with debating and sounds of eating from all around as even Kallo put the ship on autopilot for the next hour. Evfra wanted to keep the glower on his face but eventually it settled into an amused little smirk. He’d not had this type of dinner for so long he’d almost forgotten what it was like. His Earthling came in with the final tray of bowls of Eiroch steaks and lentil dishes that was quickly jumped by the others and when she sat on the seat he saved for her, she leaned to him and murmured, “This is why I like to cook. People gathering around and all on the same page.” She sounded wistful, dishing herself greenery and the closest to aioli and tartare sauce she could make. The blue male ducked down and kissed her cheek, one hand on her lower back. “You make an excellent angara.” “Thanks, Evfra.” “This cake dish is much to angaran taste.” She laughed lowly at these compliments, quiet though they may be. “Evfra has a sweet tooth?” He snorted at her light teasing, narrowing his eyes at a smirking Jaal who caught sight of it. “Get back to your food, soldier,” He growled out lowly, one hand climbing up her back to rub the nape of her neck. “It is good to see you like this,” Jaal praised him. “Yeah, you’re cute,” Osorio added on brightly. “Will you live together on Aya or Voeld?” Jules blinked.
Together?
Well, yeah. But it hadn’t occurred to her. “Oh wow, uh, I don’t quite know…? I hadn’t thought about it.” “I would not recommend Voeld for humans,” Lexi inputted. “The temperatures, while rising to be better survived in, are still detrimental to humankind.” Evfra felt his happiness dip at that, wishing to bring Jules to his birth planet but not at the cost of her life. “Bah! She’s got krogan in her.” Drack scoffed and then shoved three whole Eiroch steaks in his mouth, chewing with a happy sound. “Plus the outpost on Voeld is surrounded by mountains that break the wind.” He waved his knife dismissively. “It’d be nice to go there to visit,” Jules said, then chewed on her aubergine equivalent and swallowed. “I’ve never been snowboarding before. Always wanted to go.” “Ah it’s the best, mate!” Liam piped up. “Used to go with my uncle in France, he was a teacher in Chamonix. Loved it. Absolute freedom, wind in your hair, chill on your cheeks and blood pumping? Bliss.” “Niiice,” Ryder, Gil and Jules said in unison, nodding, though Suvi giggled at them. “Humans,” Drack stated with the aliens speaking in agreement. “Okay, next time we’re on Voeld? Snowboarding trip!” Ryder stated. “And my sister will never forgive me if I left her out of it-” “-You’ve got a sister?-” Jules inquired. “Yeah, didn’t I tell you? Tell you more another time, but the pod she was in had an accident and she ended up in a medical coma. But she’s fine now and rearing to go! You can meet her on the Nexus when you finally go.” “Finally,” Jules repeated, smiling and nudging his shoulder as he munched happily on some purple potato-like root veggie. Ryder snickered and swallowed. “I think you’d like her. You both have a do it or die attitude. This is nice.” He held up a bit of steak. Vetra was enjoying her bit of meat, surprised she was able to eat it, but then tasted the injection of amino's that made it edible to her, though she'd likely feel a little ill if she ate too much. “What seasoning’s on it?” “Is it the one from Aya?” Ryder asked. “Yup! It’s a mix of our Earth sage and cayenne pepper with what seems to be a hint of garlic. That part is apparently ones humans can’t eat but turians can because of dextro something or other. Great isn’t it? We can both eat the same meat and seasonings! Do turians have seasonings that humans can eat? I’d love to try some.” Evfra settled with his arm around her waist as he ate, knowing he had work to do but quite happy to stall it for as he listened to what was now essentially Jules’ family at a family meal of hers. He took a bite of the food as he gently pulled her closer, hoping it would continue to happen because everything angaran in him wished for it. A pause, but Jules slumped into him, if a little sheepishly, top of her nose nudging his chin affectionately. “So cute!” Osorio said to his brother. Jules went red and went to her food, mumbling something he couldn’t hear. He smiled at the fact she didn’t move from his side, taking a bite of his meal, listening to the chatting around him and enjoying the flavours on his tongue. It tasted good. Jules half-woke to pleasure, feeling her body flare with want and her nipple being lightly played with days later and she felt her body react on autopilot in his arms, back arching and her throat letting out a barely there sigh of pleasure. Her eyes drifted open, blinking at the darkness and her eyes acclimatised to the dulled light, turning head and looking up in bewilderment before drifting half shut at the sight of her bond and hummed at the feel of hands pleasuring her. She sucked in a light breath and her thighs clenched as a finger playfully dared to venture south, going over her breasts, down her stomach and rub over her lower belly. “Mm…” She sighed out, only to suck in a breath as she felt his fingers go lower for the first time, ducking beneath cloth to rub at her mound. She felt the fingers go back and forth as she awoke properly and looked at him bewildered for a moment before giving a little grin. “Can’t even wait until I’m awake, Evfra?” “Tell me to stop,” He murmured, low, grumbly and wanting, leaning in to kiss her face softly, cheeks, eyes, lips, and forehead. She hummed quietly. “I don’t want to.” His eyes glinted at that and he got closer, warm breath brushing her as he drew a hand down her side, grasping her behind and thrusting her hips to his, showing her what she did to him once more. He enjoyed the sucking in of her breath, how she felt so delightful up against him, wanting to kiss every part of her, feeling even more possessive of her when his peoples clothing was on her and his own personal family colours were proudly shown. He’d stopped wearing purple to wear the certain white shade of angaran burial underneath the black of military, but he couldn’t stop wearing the green rofjinn of military command, which he bestowed upon her as well, having helped his people, having helped liberate her own Milky Way species and survived the skkuting enemy kett for so long. Even if he didn’t want to, if she was mated to another of his kind, he’d have been obliged to. He felt half like he wanted to give Ryder and the Tempest crew one, understanding they were extended family to her. Lifting himself up, he kissed downwards, enjoying all of her body slowly. “Soft,” He cursed, disbelieving and almost reverent as he rub his face back and forth along her belly with happy purring rumbles. But then her scent got to him, warm and hidden and swirling around his senses. Yanking down her shorts was almost done without thought, and immediately after his mouth was low down and kissing the softness there. He groaned at her taste, tangy and flavoursome and damp. Something he converted into utterly wet within seconds, licking persistently at her entrance, finding the best places, rough tongue licking at that nub that had her trying to hold her gasps and obvious sucking in of pleasure. “Ev-fraaaa.” He delighted in lifting her hips up, suckling at her nub slowly, gently, maddening and perfecting his technique, a novelty that angaran females did not have. He kissed gently, careful and persistent, not going faster when she wanted him to, letting it build up quietly instead of some harried, botched job that could have gone better when this was the first of thousands she would give him over the course of their lives together and he’d make it damn good. After all, he was better than some fool teen wishing to fulfil his own pleasure. Evfra only wanted hers, not willing to make them as one until back home where he’d spend hours upon hours on them, letting himself free and loose like he was making her. Instead he’d take his time here, confident in himself to make her come soon if he simply listened to her. And she sounded like music to his ears, looked decadent and delicious with hair splayed all over the pillow as she breathed haggardly underneath a hand to hide the sounds as he spied up her riveting body, toes curling as his tongue, longer than what she’d likely ever enjoyed slowly inserting itself into her deepest part and darting around to find any of her pleasure spots- She breathed out heavily and gripped his rofjinn, arching into his when his tongue roamed up the higher part of her canal he wanted to plunge into. -There. He rumbled, hand going up her body to play with those lovely mounds on her chest and one large hand grasping both nipples and playing with them between thumb and underneath a pinkie finger. The other played with that little nub, tongue exploring and mimicking the motions of what would soon be his cock in her, focusing up and feeling her thighs clench around his head, knowing that to be a good motion, knowing that soon she would- “E-E-Evvvvvv…!” She groaned out in a hiss, vagina clenching and pulsing in the most erotic way and making him want to shove himself in so he could feel it as her nectar coated his tongue deliciously, having never known a female to do such fluttering motions until a good ten second later she flopped back onto the bed and heavily breathe out, high pitched and disbelieving and like she’d run a marathon. He watched her, incredulous and addicted, as her chest heaved as he let her breasts go reluctantly. Their women came only at the end and the male knew he had to hurry if he’d wanted to come with them, passage tightening well before they came to show their closeness, as they were unbelievably sensitive afterwards and would likely punch you if you kept going. With humans… A bit of a breath and Jules was looking at him like she’d like to shove him on his back and go again. And she did, flipping him over and catching him unawares, awed by her shorter length of coming but quickness of recovering. He rumbled both his like and dislike of being the one under, not sure which. Regardless, he went to pull her hips up to his face to get another serving of her juices that taste incredibly like one of his favourite fruits- Until one of the others of the Tempest in the bunks around snorted in their sleep and both lost the urge to keep going. Surprisingly, he was rather private in his sexual emotions, feeling incredibly lusty but only wanting her to know, no matter how much he may give her affection throughout the day. “Back at ours?” Jules asked, frustrated. “Back at ours,” He confirmed in the same tone. She grinned at him knowingly and ducked to whisper into their secret little world, “Then I can taste you.” He leaned up to kiss her, dragging her to his size and giving her drugging kisses tasting of him mixed with her addictive lust. “It will not be so quick, I assure you.” A giggle and she replied keenly as she nuzzled his neck flaps, “I look forward to it!” “Did the Moshae just wink at me?” Jaal laughed loudly, clapping her on the shoulder. “You make the unofficial Leader of our people happy! Of course she approves of you. She already loves you like a daughter.” Evfra snorted, arms crossed. “She loves us all like her children.” He let out a huff through his nose, but both of them could detect the warmth hidden in his words. “Back to business. There’re sightings of kett activity here,” He pulled up the holograph of the Andromeda system, as they called it, and began going into a select system and going into the details, telling of what has been transpiring with his mining outposts to the four angara people. Jules simply blinked slowly, fiddling with her rofjinn. Huh. Moshae Sjefa did? She watched the spots on the map show up and move. Even though she couldn’t do anything but be a gunner when hitting the ground, Evfra wanted her there so she knew his work – that and so he wouldn’t get distracted and considering she only had the self-imposed duty of cooking and learning self-defence from Cora and Liam for hours a day now, she didn’t mind. She watched on silently, learning ever more about the new world she’d woken up to. Reviir spoke of mining on other worlds, stating with the Nexus tech they could use different tech. Both Osorio and Evfra didn’t wish to, as if that was giving up, but Jaal would be happy to use either, having gotten used to the arms Tempest members used. “Supply lines. Where do the kett get theirs?” She asked curiously. “Can we not take theirs? Or is that already done?” “We get what we can from their dead bodies, try to trace it back but we’ve never been able to-” Evfra was cut off. “There are traces in Jaal’s rifle that suggest they come from here, according to the scanners of the Tempest. Co-ordinating my knowledge on where mineral deposits are best found with that of the Tempest’s map show signs they are likely to be from these eight systems.” SAM zoomed in on the shown area, highlighting the systems in reds of differing brightness levels with a percentage above them. “I’ve placed the percentage to show where it is likelier that the deposits are from and the stressed colour to show danger levels of where kett are thought to have been according to my calculation and other information taken from the Nexus and Tempest.” Evfra narrowed his eyes. All the years he’d been leading the Resistance, and all the years the Resistance had existed, and in comes the residents of another galaxy with their superior technology and AI and grit and determination to make friends of the angara and eradicate the kett and push forth to actually do it… It was both infuriating and the most blessed thing to happen to his people in many a decade. It was why he was half here. Javenovo was correct in opening up to them, and the Moshae was just as pleased by his decision, even if they knew the undercurrent of the fact it was his bond here that he followed. This was temporary, and soon he’d have to go back to Aya to help co-ordinate a full attack when the Pathfinder got to Meridian, but for now the Tempest and the Resistance were helping each other here. It was the most effective way at this time. He’d been able to stop on planets to speak face to face with teams, finding them have a renewed sense of purpose, especially when the Tempest was doing more attacks against the kett now a main bulk of outposts had been placed and built up. People desperately wanted to help and be useful. There was a feel of getting to the final hurdle, and being prepared for it. “Excellent,” Ryder came up to them and slung an arm around Jaal and Jules, who both grinned back at him. “SAM set course for the top three spots and I’ll take these two,” He wiggled the two under his arm, “Out to fight on my team. You two up for a long haul of kett killing?” “Always.” They both growled and looked at each other with smirks at their matching dark tone, high fiving. “Make it easier and take my two men with you,” Evfra commanded. “An extra front liner and sharpshooter will do wonders. Though two of your team could help me out here for co-ordinating here.” “Vetra would be good,” He thought of the smuggler. “And Drack with his hundreds of years will have good insight. SAM?” “Message sent.” A pause. “They’re coming. Shall I set course?” Ryder dropped his arms and walked backwards as he said, “Yup. Gear out people, this first one isn’t far away.” The others walked from the table to gear up, though Evfra gently held his bonds’ wrist before she could fully leave. Jules looked back with a smile. “Hm?” He didn’t have to say anything, the tightness between his eyes and the pursed lips were enough. A smile and she took his hand in her own, kissing the back of it as she stared at him in understanding. Satisfied, Evfra lifted her hand, kissed the inside of her wrist, and murmured, “Go,” as she ran a thumb over his cheek. She went. He didn’t need to look back at her. And both kept the thoughts of those lingering touches close to their hearts. Osorio beamed when he saw Aya once more, bouncing on his feet. Jules grinned at an exasperated Reviir by her side, but considering she knew he was just as happy to be back home she didn’t take it seriously. “Every time.” “I’d be the same,” She pat him on the shoulder. “Only natural to miss your home, hm? I know you did.” “True. Still.” “Youth, hm?” Reviir pat her back but a feel of music encircling her had him jerking away. “Ah, yes. Until next time,” He quickly went away as Evfra came, jogging down the lowered hatch to Aya with Osorio hot on his heels. “You’re scaring off my friends,” Jules remarked as he put an arm around her, now normal and comforting rather than too forward and expectant. “Good. If they can’t take me, they shouldn’t get any access to you.” Evfra scoffed. “I… what?” Jules asked in disbelief, not getting it. “Why?” “If they get through me, it means I am happy for you to know them. I wish your protection when in my care.” “That’s…” “I merely protect you. Do not think it controlling.” He went down the rail, guiding her. “But it is.” “I don’t wish you to have people willing to sell you off again. Can you blame me for searching their pasts and current contacts and making sure they are good not only for you, but for Aya?” She looked at him, worried and disapproving with her head cocked. “Evfra…” She trailed off in disappointment. “No, Jules. Felaan is fine, but her family? Osorio is good at what he does and is highly skilled yet foolish so I can think him safe - but Reviir? Too smart and charming. I would trust you with all of the Tempest members, but there are so many of my people who hate aliens, hate that their military leader would be supposedly duped by some weak human who faked her mark. I must keep you safe,” He told her earnestly as people began to come up to them. She wasn’t a leader in military, or subterfuge, or intelligence, she was a chef that could survive and so she nodded slowly, reluctantly. “Alright. But please don’t control who comes near me?” “Certainly not. Far too much hassle. Come.” “Leader, we have reports-” “There’s finding on kett in the system of-” “Are we going to-” Jules raised her brows at the instantaneous need of the people for their Resistance Leader. He held his free hand up. “Later. Send it on to HQ.” He wrapped his arm around her waist tighter, hand splaying possessively over her stomach as he took her on to the Headquarters. Javenovo was pleased to see them once more, with another trusted angara called Raske behind him smiling. “Welcome back! I’m so pleased to see you well, Jules.” He hugged her tight as he came up to them, Evfra going over to the main screen to deal with the load of incoming requests and needs. “You have been missed.” “Oh, thank you.” She was let go of. “How do you feel?” “Mostly well. Bit achy, a bit scarred, a bit warier than I was. The usual after a kidnapping.” She smiled, keeping her emotions back. Javenovo seemed to have some understanding, smiling at her kindly as he held her shoulders. “Yet you are here.” “I… am, yes.” “You are strong.” “Nah, just adaptive.” “That is a strength.” He pushed, squeezing warmly. “You are loved here.” A complete opposite of what Evfra was saying, bemusing her. “Thank you?” “You’re welcome.” Jules parted from him, puzzled while Evfra was swarmed by people. She raised a brow at that. He’d just gotten here and had been working for hours each day. ‘Give him a damn break.’ She looked at Javenovo, who chuckled and nodded at the man and turned to him. He was looking at her and she mouthed, ‘Want some help?’ A nod and off she went to him asking if she could help, was handed a datapad with requests on them and pointed at a screen, one hand drifting over her back as she went. It was just lists of things he already wanted to approve and also send out and she simply had to match up requests to order forms, Omni-tool guiding her. It was some hours later things died down and she gave an acknowledging hum when she was hugged by some angara or another, having had multiple angara coming up to her during the work hours to exclaim their relief at her return. Only to blink because- “Ananas!” “Pekoe?” She then grinned as he went up and hugged her leg. “Now how did you get in here? Did you-” She suddenly frowned at him shaking. She ducked down, sweeping him close. “What’s wrong?” “I saw her!” Her? Jules cocked her head. What her? Felaan, his mo- “You mean the asari?” Her eyes snapped up, connecting with Raske before going to the eldest angara. “The one that took you?” She looked over to Evfra, who was narrowing his eyes at the scene but not coming over, going through his Omni-tool slowly from muscle memory and clearly listening in. “Yes!” Javenovo came over. “Where, little one?” “Home!” Raske was already talking to a group down in training, ordering them out. He nodded at me. “Do you know anything else, Pekoe?” He shook his head, but there was something there in the way he moved, making her frown. Softly, she grasped his chin in one hand and lifted it so their eyes connected. “Pekoe…” “I don’t know anything!” He moved away, distraught. Jules was silent for a moment, peering at him contemplatively as she thought about the way Pekoe’s mum had acted. “You love your mama, huh?” She touched his head, but he shoved it away. “Don’t touch me! You feel dead!” He buried himself into Javenovo’s leg. Her eyes widened. That hurt, because damn, did angara feel that way of Milky Way species because of lack of bioelectricty? She affected a blank look, focusing on him. “I understand we Milky Way may feel so, but I can prove we aren’t completely dead feeling after you tell us whatever else is on your mind about your mama. Is she in trouble, Pekoe?” “She loves me!” Jules licked her lips, the answer hitting her. And far too close to home for comfort. “Your mother tried to sell you, didn’t she?” “No! She loves me! She loves me!” He bawled, gripping desperately to Javenovo. The eldest gave her a weary look. “I fear you are correct.” The pair watched as Evfra left, a couple men already outside the room and the group left to deal with it. There was a long time of stilted silence as the remaining angara wanted to come over and did so to try and console, but the child was adamantly buried into Janenovo’s rofjinn and accepted nothing from them. The old man was using his bioelectric to calm him down she saw, but he was old and using it for such lengths at a time was hard on his lagging stamina. He kept at it though, the trooper. “You okay, Jave’?” “Just a bit tired. These old bones aren’t what they were.” Jules hummed at that and went over to him and hugged him, pulling him down so the child’s head was against her chest, right above her heart.
Dum-Dum. Dum-Dum. Dum-Dum.
Pekoes struggled at first, but the sound was enthralling to him, enough to make him let go of Javenovo. “What’s that?” “What makes me not dead feeling.” She plucked the child away, keeping his head to her chest by a hand. “Humans are not as sturdy as angara people. You hear my heart beat.” She carried the child to the window overlooking the city, the child facing the calming outside world rather than the business side of the HQ. He settled into her hold, with Javenovo bringing over a chair for her, which she gave him a grateful smile for and sat down on and he went back to his surveillance. There was a quietness after a while as angara began leaving and Jules kept the sleeping child on her, waiting. It was about twenty minutes later Evfra came back in with Felaan. “Evening.” “Jules!” Felaan came over swiftly, wishing to hug but not to awaken the boy on her lap. “I am so glad you are well! I’m so sorry-” “No, Fe’ it wasn’t your fault. Please don’t say anymore, I’m wanting to put it behind me. Are you taking Pekoe?” Felaan exhaled and nodded, hands wringing. “I am, yes. If that’s alright with you?” Jules blinked. “I, what?” She asked in laughing disbelief at being deferred to like that. “Of course?” The female angara smiled and took the child gently, untangling his hands form her rofjinn. “I shall keep him well. Stay strong and clear.” Another little nod and she went. “Uh. Evfra?” The Leader smirked at her lightly, holding his hands out and pulling her up when she took them. “Your rofjinn. It is the mark of a Leader.” “Wait, what? No, no-” She let go to tug at it but a scoff and she was suddenly hugged hard. “I’m not angara, and like you said, people out there think I’m trying to control you and thus the people or something.” She huffed. He ran an uncaring hand down her back, keeping her firmly up against his body by grasping her behind and shoving her hips to his. “People have already seen you with it. To see you without will make it seem like such a title is but easily taken off and dismissed to you.” Jules gawped before crying out in annoyance, “Are you kidding me?! Why wouldn’t you tell me this?” She glowered up at him. Evfra thought it endlessly cute. “Jules, you are already in the role with or without it. You’d already been asked by Osorio as to where your rofjinn is. Your simulation has already had excellent effects on people who’ve tested it out in our groups. Our success rate has been increasing, our people surviving with more ease than in a long time. Our lands are being colonized further from your actions and any less than this rofjinn is a discredit to you. You are mine, thus you are angara regardless of biology. This is your role.” “But, I-” She gave a haggard sigh of irritation and grumbled as she buried her face into his rofjinn. “Goddamn pain in the arse angara. Here I was thinking you lot charming and pretty.” “We are.” Her lips quirked at that. “So arrogant.” “Sheer confidence.” He replied, simply enjoying her on him. A huff of laughter and she moved away to go to the door and waved dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, let’s just go home and you can tell me what happened with Pekoe’s situation.” Home, she called it. Evfra felt his body heat up at that and joined her, slinking at arm around her waist and holding her stomach possessively, pleased. Back at home he informed her not only of the fact the mother had been taken to be interrogated and found that an asari was threatening to have her son or kill off her whole family but that the asari also had links to Jules own kidnappers, as she'd been sold out by the woman. That there was still a contingent of asari that believed in it. In killing the Krogan off. They’d wanted access to her. “There are Roekaar types all over.” Evfra had sneered, taking the datapad from her unstopping fingers and chucking it to the table. Jules stared up at the ceiling of the shower, letting the water flood down her back and wash away the lather in her hair as she thought on it. Wondered if she’d ever be free of it. Shaking her head she stepped forward, snorting at the instant ball of fluff her hair was minutes later as the above dryer did its work. It never failed to make her lips quirk up in the slightest as she stared in the mirror afterwards. Quickly dressing in shorts and vest, she grabbed her brush and went to the front room, surprised to see the screen on and Evfra relaxing on his back on the sofa and watching some type of comedy. She stared at him as she brushed her hair, all relaxed and smiling and chuckling and it made her feel better. To think that not so long ago she actually wanted to stay away from him. His large eyes peered over to her, blinking slowly. “What is it?” She shrugged and finished off her hair, and then crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe, smiling. “What?” He grouched as her grin widened at him. “Tch. Join me.” “Shall I…?” She asked herself wonderingly, humming after at his rumble of annoyance. Seeing his eyes narrowed, she began climbing over the arm of his chair, grin lifting further in a Cheshire cat grin as she crawled over him and his eyes locked onto her body, greedily taking her in. His scent and heat and thrumming bioelectricity took her senses over, making her eyes darken in lust and she slowly sat on his hips. His hands instantly went to her thighs as she chucked the brush on the table before them, idly rubbing thumbs over the breadth of them. She leant down, letting her hair fall and brush a neck flap and chuckling when he pulled her forward to bury his face in the silky locks. His hands traced up and down her body, flattening her against him. “You are so soft. I wish to hold your body against mine always.” “Sounds impractical,” She murmured and then stretched, body quivering before slumping on him. “I just want a cuddle, Evfra. I’m exhausted.” “Do you wish to talk of it?” He wondered if he should simply press until her emotions were bursting from her so she didn’t keep them inside, churning horribly. Humans were fiddly creatures, emotionally. Jules thought about it. “I don’t know. If I let it out I feel weak and unstable and out of control, but if I keep it in, in may come out badly later on. More weakness on top of already feeling weak, or potential bad timing later on.” She smiled at the fingers now gently carding through her hair. She slowly told him of what was upsetting her, the kidnappings, feeling the relation to Pekoe, the tiredness of everything right now and doubts she had about living in the future. “But I know it’s just a time thing,” She finished finally, reaching for the water to pour herself another glass and taking a sip from the cup. The jug was taken from her and put down by her bond. “Thanks.” He sat up, with her shifting to be between his bent legs that made a great circle for her to settle in. “You are strong. You will not fail in adapting to this when you clearly succeed in it.” “You think so?” “Of course.” Jules hummed as she looked down at her cup and slowly nodded. She smiled as his legs coiled and got her closer, peeking up at him under playful lashes. “You’re good to me.” Evfra kissed her, mumbling against her lips, “Humans and their emotions.” This made her huff but kiss him harder and pull back, shaking her head. “This is one of the least things I will do for you. And it is important you get used to your emotions around myself and the angara. I will continue to help you.” It got the laugh he wished from her. “Let us relax with this show. It is one of my favourites.” At her nod he pulled her back to lean her neck between his chest protrusions and she snuggled in to him, making a smile lilt his lips. His bond accepted him. He was pleased.