#MSVJackOfDiamonds – February 6, 2018

Zaylus waited until the activity in the galley had slowed down before drifting up for a drink of water. He had considered the food storage briefly before leaving the kitchen empty handed and retreating back down the stairs. Due to his chosen spot there he couldn't help but notice the captain holing up in the bathroom, and occasionally glances over as if wondering why. Now he rests

Jessica has only stirred from her location to get a bowl of cereal which she's still picking at on the corridor floor.

Jattic has finally managed to doze off. Despite it taking forever for sleep to set in, when it hit him it hit him hard and fast and not even the foot traffic or occasional conversation in the cargo unit seems to be waking him.

Jason finished a small breakfast. Nothing says 'breakfast of champions' quite like yogurt and beer. Might as well go for it while Vasquez isn't around to scold him. He's still in the galley after finishing his meal, seated on the couch with omni-tool in hand as he pokes at the interface. A fresh beer is sat on the ground beside his boots.

Leah retreated back to the cargo unit after breakfast, her pounding headache urging her away from the more social area of the ship. She's seated on a crate, swiping distantly through a datapad on her lap as she barely reads the contents. When the Eclipse merc begins to stir, her gaze rises from the datapad and she tucks a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear and watches to make sure everything is okay with the woman.

Nathan has spent his time working on his armour, barely breaking away from it to eat or drink, his mind a turmoil of conflicting emotions.

Oxaris is unconscious.

ColonistMother looks to Jason, furrowing her eyebrows as she studies him. It hadn't gone unnoticed that he seemed to be a leader, but they'd all been too exhausted for questions after the escape. She hesitates, unsure where to begin. The beer gives her some pause. Eventually she settles on: "Are... you the one in charge?"

Ilyna did find Ehanis after a few minutes of searching, just as she left the bathroom. Ehanis naturally tried to tell her off, but Ilyna wasn't hearing it, and they eventually ended up having breakfast up at the galley. Ehanis brushed off any questions, and the closest Ilyna got to hearing how she was holding up were complaints about the symptoms of her hangover.

Ehanis has been sitting in silence for a the last few minutes, drinking from a glass of water. She has a plate in front of her with a half-eatend slice of bread on it.

Ilyna sighs and stands up from her seat. They'll have time to talk later. If not on the ship, she'll arrange a meeting back on Aite. Not that she had high hopes about it given her previous attempts at the same, but she can't give up on her. She walks over to the ladder leading to her quarters, and starts quietly climbing down. Ilyna casts a glance over to the bed to try to see whether they're still asleep.

Jason glances up from his omni-tool as the woman addresses him. Her question causes his brow to furrow. Even after all this time, it's still not a notion he's comfortable with. Being 'in charge'. In his mind, that responsibility sits firmly on the shoulders of Vasquez. And he prefers it that way. He just aims a gun and pulls a trigger. But, at this point, that hasn't been true for quite a while. He gives a small nod. "Uhh-...

Halisi seems to have fallen asleep. She's lying with her back towards the ladder, a peaceful look on her face, the stress and exhaustion of the past hours nowhere to be seen as she rests. She has Li wrapped up in her arms. The girl is soundly asleep as well - it seems the fragmented rest she got curled up on the floor with Ilyna and Jason was less than she needed.

ColonistMother nods, glancing briefly to Ehanis before returning her attention to Jason. "I'm Miriam." she introduces herself, resting one of her hands lightly against the table as she thinks on her words. "I... wanted to thank you all for what you did back there. Getting us out." she says, her tone rathere subdued. Her gaze once again darts to the asari before settling back on Jason.

EclipseBiotic sits up rather suddenly as her eyes fly open, a cry of pain and a grimace on her face as the sudden motion causes pain to surge through her body. She looks as if she's trying to summon her biotics, but nothing comes. Blockers. She looks around with a wild and confused gaze, breathing heavily from the pain even as she tries to scramble out of the cot.

Oxaris stirs slightly, a weak groan coming from the turian. Her talons curl, ever so slowly, into fists.

Senya is quick to stir from her light rest, the groan and the change in pattern of the beeping machines enough to wake her. Her mind seems clear as she hurries to her feet, walking over to Oxaris' side and looking over the monitoring equipment. Then she waits.

Jason gives a couple of small nods of his own. "Yeah..." he says. After a hectic few days, the woman's words serve as a much-needed reminder that it isn't always pain, suffering, and loss, despite what his conversation with Lucy may have reinforced. Every now and then they have a few victories. Small, scattered victories, but victories nonetheless. "Don't mention it, Miriam." he adds, forcing a lopsided smirk, "Just glad we

Leah is quick to hop off of her makeshift seat, setting the datapad aside as she does. "Hey! Calm down!" she urges softly as she moves to the biotic's side. "It's okay! You're safe!"

Ilyna smiles as she catches sight of the two of them soundly sleeping, and she tries her best to avoid waking them as she continues down. Her broken promise of being quick didn't cause Li to wake up and wonder where she was, and Halisi was finally getting her well-deserved rest. Ilyna sits down by the bedside, content to wait in silence until one of them wakes or someone else needs her; although it

Oxaris 's head lulls lightly to the side and her mandibles quiver, a shuddering breath as she inhales sharply. Her eyes slowly begin to open, the room around her blurred and muted for the moment. The lights burn her retinas and she immediately shuts them away by closing her eyes. A moment later, she starts to crack them open. She tries to speak, but all it is is a croak at first. "..."

Ehanis looks up at the woman as she sees her glancing her way, and she looks at her as if expecting an explanation. She is not a good mood though, and her annoyance is clear in her facial expression.

EclipseBiotic practically snarls at Leah, looking about to lash out at her when her gaze settles on her surroundings. Metal. Cargo crates. A ship. The aggression slowly fades from her expression, heavy breaths continuing as she slowly settles down. "Where are we?" she spits out in a harsh tone, disorientation and pain lingering as her initial burst of energy fades. She winces, one hand moving to her abdomen as it settles in

Miriam seems a little put off by Ehanis' frustration, and keeps her focus on Jason instead. "I don't even know who you all are..." she says, her voice heavy with emotion as she takes a seat at the edge of the couch.

Senya places a gentle hand on Oxaris' shoulder, just to let her know she's not alone. "Try to remain still. You're safe. You're in the infirmary of the Jack of Diamonds." she says softly but clearly.

Oxaris takes a minute or two to collect herself, staring at the woman besides her. Slowly, she asks, "What... happened?"

Leah jumps a step back and puts her hands up, palms towards the woman as she seems to grow aggressive in an attempt to calm her and show her that she's in no danger. She's already measuring the distance between them and planning her move in case she needs to restrain the woman. It's not a conscious effort, just a side effect of years of training. Thankfully, it doesn't come to that. When the woman asks her question, Leah

Jason passes a brief glance Ehanis' way, but keeps his thoughts to himself. Wouldn't be right for him to scold her after the way he snapped at Leah. Instead, he focuses on the colonist. "Redrock." he says simply, followed by an apologetic shrug of his shoulders as he realizes that doesn't explain a whole lot. "We're just a small group of military contractors. Based out of Aite. That's where we're-... uhh-..." he cocks a thumb

Senya takes a moment to look over Oxaris' vitals again as the turian gathers her strength to speak. "You took quite a beating out there. Your friend carried you back to the ship as I understand it. All your people are alive." she explains, knowing quite well what someone in her position will find most urgent to know. She doesn't pile on more information just yet, not wanting to overwhelm her mind in her current state.

Zaylus is indeed still outside the infirmary. His eyes are half closed and he doesn't seem to know anything has changed.

Oxaris meekly nods, satisfied at the answer. She raises a talon very slowly,barely moving it from the bed and says, "W-water..."

EclipseBiotic seems to calm a little as she gets her bearings, but an intense look remains in her eyes. Her mind races as she struggles to catch up in her head, irrelevant thoughts and intrusive pain interferring with any attempt to think clearly. Eventually she gives up, allowing herself to fall back against the cot. "How did I get here?" she asks through gritted teeth, closing her eyes as she tries to dispel unwanted

Ilyna looks up at them when she hears movement, and she gives a gentle hush at the stir, saying "It's okay" in the faintest whisper she can manage. When her sleeping once again grows calm, she turns her attention to the viewport, looking out into the distorted space.

Senya is quick to comply, filling up a glass from the infirmary sink. The angling of the bed already props up Oxari's upper body a decent amount. She holds the glass up to her mouth, the turian lack of lips making the manuever of assisting her with the water inevitably more messy than for most humanoid species. She has a towel on hand.

Ehanis gives the faintest apologetic look to Jason and turns her attention back to her food. She picks it up, but puts it back almost immediately and instead coohses to have a sip of water.

Oxaris drinks gently from the water, droplets spilling down her cheeks and chin. She doesn't seem to care, though, and offers a gentle grunt in thanks. "How long?" She manages to say more coherently.

Leah furrows her brow as she hears the question. "We-..." she begins, but pauses and scrunches up her nose. "Do you mean here?" she gestures towards the cot, "Or here here?" she asks, briefly airquoting, but she doesn't give enough time for the woman to answer. She sucks in a deep breath, her cheeks puffing up momentarily before exhaling, causing her bangs to flutter about momentarily. "You were in a Collector ship. We

Miriam nods faintly, placing one hand over the other on the table and looking at them as she thinks. "Is-... is there anyone else? From New Hope?" she asks, even though she's pretty sure she knows the answer already.

EclipseBiotic grunts, not answering right away. Her eyes remain closed. "They grabbed us during a mission." she offers. "Didn't see any of the others, so I guess it's just me." A drawn-out sigh laced with frustration follows. "Ah, fuck..."

Senya uses the towel to gently dry Oxaris' chin after pulling the glass back. "About twelve hours. We're headed back to Aite."

Halisi and Li do not stir any more, sleeping in peace. The hum of the ship, a bit louder than before, and the occasional sound of venting steam in the corridor above is all that's heard in the small cabin. Outside, a distorted view of space continues to ripple past the small viewport. It's remarkably calm, even compared to the rest of the ship. No passersby or emotions running high.

Jason's smirk fades away and his gaze briefly drops to the table. He gives a small shake of his head. "I-... No, I don't think so." he says in little more than a whisper. Another victim of the Collectors. More pain and suffering and loss. It's always one step forward and two steps back. "I'm sorry." he says as his eyes move to meet hers once again.

Leah gives a couple of small nods, a small sigh escaping her as the biotic voices her concerns out loud. She doesn't have any answers for the woman, but the chances are pretty high that her people didn't make it. High enough that it doesn't need to be said. "Thanks for helping us out back there." she offers sincerely, showing little interest in prying into whatever her 'mission' may have been. Despite having little doubt

Oxaris nods and she tilts her head down to her bandaged chest. She inhales slightly and winces at the feeling. "How bad?"

Miriam gives another small, resigned nod, but it's not hard to tell she's suppressing a more obvious reaction as she bites down on her lips. "Yeah... I figured." she says quietly, her voice a little shaky. She remains silent for several seconds before speaking again, keeping her gaze on her own hands. As she opens her mouth to speak all that comes to her is a faint laugh, laced with emotion, followed by a sniffle. "Damn

EclipseBiotic takes a few slow breaths, the stabbing pain in her head enough to keep her from speaking right away. "Zandra." she offers. It takes a little while before she speaks again. "We kicked some ass back there, huh...?" A wheezing laugh follows, turning quickly into a nasty cough as she squirms on the cot.

Jason pulls his attention away from the woman as her emotions begin to bubble up. Add it to the list of reasons to want those winged motherfuckers dead. "It's not all bad..." he says, but decides against going into any details. "We can help you get set up with a room and get you wherever you're going once you-..." he sighs, giving a shake of his head at being forced to so casually discuss someone's life being torn apart,

Leah gives a small, tired snicker in turn. "We definitely gave them something to think about..." she says, her smile fading as she sees the condition the woman is in. Concern settles onto her face. "...Do you want me to go get the doctor...?" she offers once again.

Senya sighs quietly. "Bad. Serious organ damage, fractured ribs, multiple bullet wounds, burns, and that's not half of it. You'll need to be transferred to a proper medical facility for additional surgery. You're lucky to be alive." Certainly no sugarcoating.

Oxaris nods, resting her head against the pillow. Yeah,lucky. Very lucky. "Anyone else... bad-" She winces in pain and whimpers a little. "-badly hurt?"

Miriam looks over at Jason, struggling to keep her emotions in check. A drained smile briefly crosses her face as she nods. "Thank you..." she says softly. "My son, I-... I just want to get him somewhere safe. Away from... all this."

Ehanis stands up from her seat, brings her plate over to the kitchen counter and makes her way out of the room. She glances down at Jessica as she passes her in the hallway, but she does nothing more to acknowledge her presence. She stis down on the stairs where she sat yesterday.

Zandra shakes her head as her eyes open again. She props herself up against the crate that the head of the cot is up against, wincing as she adjusts to the sitting position. "Nah... it's minagen." she says dismissively. She studies Leah in silence for a moment, eyebrows furrowed. Her facial tattoos are clearly seen. There's little doubt they're meant to resemble asari markings. "Must be tougher than you look to get out of

Wrench is working deeper in the ship now, no longer seen in the main engineering room.

Senya 's attention turns to the monitoring equipment, but she looks back to Oxaris at her question. "A few fractures, cuts, concussions. You had the worst of it."

Oxaris nods faintly and she tilts her head a modicum to look around for a moment. She made it... she couldn't quite believe it, but they made it. "Can I... can I speak to the others?"

Senya nods. "Of course." she offers. "I'll let them know that you're awake." She heads for the door, passing through and looking to Zaylus. "Your friend is awake." she announces with a faint smile.

Zaylus gives several hard blinks, snapping back to attention after a moment of sluggishness. He rolls onto his feet, still looking tired but at least focused now. He heads right into the infirmary, turning back once he's already inside to give the doctor a hoarse "Thank you" and a slight nod. Then he approaches Oxaris' bedside, quieting his footsteps and giving her a curious look,

Jason forces another small smile at the appreciation. "...Yeah." he says with a nod. "We're gonna make sure that happens, Miriam." he assures. "You and your son just try and get some rest, alright? Should be another day or so before we reach Aite. Plenty of time to start planning your next move." he continues, doing his best to put an optimistic spin on the situation despite the grim circumstances. He's not able to muster up

Leah nods. The minagen has done its fair share of work to her already. But as Zandra continues, she gives a quick, none-too-serious roll of her eyes. She's been hearing that most of her life. "That we are..." she says with a sigh as she decides to move to take a seat near Zandra, dropping to the floor to sit against the nearby wall.

Jessica watches Ehanis with disinterest as she passes through her corridor, idly swirling milk around in her otherwise-empty bowl with her spoon. After a few moments she pulls herself to her feet, bowl in-hand, and strolls up behind Ehanis. "Is pretty fucked, mmm?" she asks as she settles down onto the stairs beside the asari.

Senya nods again. "Keep it short. She needs to rest." she instructs Zaylus, lingering outside to give the two of them some space.

Oxaris tilts her head now to look at Zaylus. She watches him for a moment before offering a weak smile and a pleased twitch of her mandibles. "Hey," she croaks, blinking slowly, just pleased to see Zaylus unharmed.

Zaylus initially regards her with a dazed, uncertain expression, but the pleasured response from Oxaris draws out a grateful smile in return. "Hey." He murmurs. Now that she's awake and well, kind of moving, it's easier to see the extent of what she's gone through. He taps his talons together on one hand, the other resting uselessly in a sling. "You're fucking crazy, you know that?"

Miriam nods yet again, falling silent. "I-... we appreciate your help." she says eventually, drawing in a deep breath before rising from her seat. She turns back to him with a slight frown. "Is... there any food? We haven't eaten since..." Her frown deepens slightly. "I-... I don't even know how long. What... date is it?"

Oxaris she perks her browplate up, bemused by his comment as she lets her head lull back to its original resting position. "Well that's... nice. Thanks for the kind words," she breathes, managing just the slightest chuckle. Sadly, it causes her to grimace in pain and she quickly bites down on the humour. "You... you carried me out."

Zandra takes a look around the room, going quiet for a while aside from another cough. "Any idea who these people are?" she asks, the details of who knows who lost in the chaos of battle.

Ehanis looks up as someone takes the seat beside her, looking a bit displeased at first that she's not left alone. Her expression does soften when she speaks however. "That's putting it lightly," she says. "We were lucky. Another minute down there and we would have been dead."

Zaylus manages to smile a bit more, shaking his head instead of actually laughing. It persists through her last sentiment, though the look in his eyes take on a more distant quality. "Well... Yeah. You were going quick and I just..." He shrugs, glancing away. "It all just happened. I know you wanted me to..." He trails, shaking away the last of that thought. Oxaris' self sacrificial

Oxaris swallows and mutters, "Sometimes you have to sacrifice one... to save many," catching onto what he was saying easily enough. "If it had to happen, Zaylus, I wanted you to be prepared to do it. Especially... given how I was... am." She nods softly, turning her talons skyward and gently motioning to his. "I'm glad... you didn't have to..."

Jason gives another nod at Miriam's first statement, but remains silent as she begins to take her leave. It's not until she asks her question that he looks up to her. "Yeah." he offers quickly, shooting a brief glance towards the fridge, "Take what you need." It may not be his food to offer, but at this point that was the least of their concerns. Her second question causes his brow to furrow. "It's-..." he begins, but pauses.

Leah rests her head back against the wall, bringing her forearms to perch atop her knees. Zandra's question causes her to glance about the room before suspecting the woman means on a broader scale. "Most of the people onboard are coworkers of mine. Redrock." she explains with a sigh, "Just a-..." she shakes her head, deciding not to go into too many details right now, "...Just a small security agency. We just met the ship's

Jessica gives a couple of short nods as she stares into her bowl of leftover milk. She tilts it back, drinking it from the bowl before setting it aside on the stair. She uses the back of her forearm to wipe at her lips and then leans back, resting against her elbows to prop herself up. "Mmm." she hums. "I see the video of Horizon..." she continues with a small shrug of her shoulders, suddenly recalling her conversation with Yan

Zaylus nods quietly, casting his gaze down. He knew it made sense to her, the devotion to the good of the whole. But in his life, people didn't get left behind for the good of others. They just got left behind. "I understand." He murmurs, genuinely hoping that he could. His eyes catch the subtle motion of her fingers, and his own twitch in response. Gently brushing his hand over,

Miriam nods in response to the offer of food, but the date gives her pause. "I-... oh." She nods a few more times, her mind wandering as she moves to the fridge, looking for food suitable to bringing back to be brought back to the cabin. She settles on some yoghurt and cereal.

Oxaris smiles faintly at him, a soft, "Good," given in response to his understanding. She's too tired to care if he truly did or not, but just hearing the words were good enough for now. Her talons curl around his, giving them a pitiful squeeze. She looks a sight, wearing half of a gown that isn't even fit for her species, bandages covering her torso and unable to even string together many sentences. But she was

Zandra nods slightly. "Hmh." Her gaze continues to wander the tubular room, but her attention turns back to Leah as she seems to realize the implication. "It was a rescue." She furrows her eyebrows. "Loyal crew you're running with, huh? Real stupid, but..." She shifts her head a little as if to shrug.

Zaylus reflexively returns the light squeeze, turning back to her with a shallow nod. "We did. Even got the kid back, too." He reports, unable to muster much of a triumphant air. They may have gotten out alive, but spirits haven't exactly been high since their return to the Jack. "Everyone else should be fine. It's you we weren't so sure about." He replies honestly, "So... don't

Jason watches Miriam as he delivers the date, gauging her reaction. "...How long were you out...?" he asks tentatively before giving a small shake of his head, "If you'd rather not talk about it-... I-... I was just curious." he's quick to add, not wanting to seem like he's trying to poke at a fresh wound.

Leah gives a small snort. "Guilty." she says before adding: "On both accounts." Her gaze moves to Nathan as he works away at his makeshift workshop. If it weren't for the small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, it might seem like a sleight towards him. "Good people, though. I'm just glad they all made it out..." she says softly.

Nathan has just been caught looking at Leah. Instead of returning it or offering a small wave, he tries to play it off by instantly turning back to his work. But, he ends up knocking his helmet off with a clatter of tools and a thud. Flailing, he picks it up, sets it down and tries to play it off as nothing happened.

Ehanis looks over at her as she puts the bowl down, listening to what she's saying. "I've heard rumors of them since I moved to Omega," she says flatly. "Recluses making weird deals with slavers. I didn't pay much attention to it." She shrugs, and lets out a sigh. She looks to the door across from her. "But now...," she says. "They're putting whole colonies in pods, and for what?" Ehanis shakes her head.

Oxaris nods, her smile widening that they got Li out. "Wasn't planning on it, Zaylus. Could... could you grab Wolfe for me soon? Wanted to... talk to him." She keeps a hold on his hand though, breathing deeply and wincing at the pain it causes. "Ask... and ask the doctor if I can get something to eat," she adds in barely a whisper.

Zandra lets out a snort of her own. A sigh follows as she adjusts her position. The clatter of the helmet causes her attention to turn to Nathan, and she raises an eyebrow as a snicker slips out. "That's one of yours...?" she asks with a glance back to Leah, sounding less than impressed.

Wrench emerges from the ladder, sitting down on the edge of the opening and looking up at the two on the stairs, resting a... well, wrench, in her lap. "I knew they were real. I've seen 'em before." she says matter-of-factly.

Leah is unable to suppress a small snort of laughter at Nathan's clumsiness, but she quickly brings a hand up to cover her mouth for his sake. Hand still pressed against her lips, she gives a few nods of her head to Zandra's question, a muffled: "Mmhmm." escaping between the silenced snickering.

Jessica lowers her gaze, her good eye resting on a random point further down the stairs. It was easy to pay it no attention. She was just as guilty as Ehanis in that regard. Worse, maybe. Her attention is pulled towards Wrench as she makes her presence known. "Mmm?" she hums, seeming like she expects her to elaborate.

Zaylus lets out a gently hum at her requests. "I'll grab him for you." He agrees, looking back behind himself. "That is, if the doctor hasn't already told everyone the good news." He adds, turning back to her with a gentle smile. "Hey, I'll find you the best paste this fucking levo ship has to offer." He promises, dipping his head in a courteous bow. His fingers flex slightly in

Oxaris nods and eventually releases his hand. "Thank you," she whispers, closing her eyes for a moment.

Zaylus gently takes his hand from hers, lingering for a moment as she seems to return to resting. Either way he'll do as she asked. "Okay, Ox." He returns just as softly, drawing back to leave the infirmary, and immediately looking for the doctor.

Miriam lets out a heavy breath. "Twelve days." she says, her gaze darting back to Jason briefly before she goes to leave the galley and return to her son, a distracted look on her face.

Senya is waiting right outside as Zaylus exits. She looks to him, studying his expression. "Any problems?"

Ehanis also looks at Wrench expectantly. "Really?" she asks, though there's no frustration in her tone this time.

Zaylus seems a bit lighter than he did before, and he addresses the doctor in a respectful tone. "No problems." He echoes, "She just wanted to know if she could eat something yet."

Jason pulls in a deep breath, muttering a soft: "Shit..." under his breath as she begins to wander out of the room. He gives a small shake of his head as he mulls it over. Being completely out of it for 12 days just to wake up to news that nearly everyone you knew is gone. He does his best to push the thought from his mind as his eyes wander back to his omni-tool.

Wrench nods. "On Omega. You see a lot of things living in the ducts." she says, a strange tone to her voice. She dangles her legs, bouncing the heels of her boots against the ladder, hands in her lap as she studies the human and the asari. "They'd come to trade, yeah? People for tech. And there's a lot of people no one will miss on Omega..."

Senya shakes her head. "No food. I'm afraid the IV will have to do for now."

Zaylus nods his head in compliance. "Alright." He replies, starting to step toward the staircase. "She wanted to talk to the boss." He adds, "Mind if I send him down?"

Senya gives a wave towards the stairs. "Go ahead." she says, returning to the infirmary to check in on Oxaris. She looks over the monitoring equipment before deciding to deliver the food news directly. "I'm afraid food isn't an option right now. Your digestive system took a lot of damage."

Oxaris doesn't seem overly upset by the news, merely nodding. "I understand, doctor," she murmurs softly. "No harm in asking, right?"

Senya offers a brief, faint smile. "No harm." she agrees. "Your friend is fetching your boss." she informs before heading over to her desk, taking a seat and turning her attention to the laptop on it.

Nathan focuses hard on his work, muttering in annoyance under his breath as a red tinge creeps to his cheeks at his blunder just now. Pretend it never happened, just pretend Nate. He does glance towards the pair and seeing her smile, he does offer her a small one in return. It seems he has cooled off a little.

Oxaris swallows and she looks to the asari. She watches her for a moment before muttering, "I'm sorry."

Zaylus nods again and turns to climb the steps, but stops before he reaches the top, creating a disembodied turian head staring at Jason. "She's up." He reports loud enough for him to hear, lingering a moment or two before slowly ascending the rest of the stairs.

Zandra scoffs slightly. Her attention doesn't linger for long, and for a while her eyes close as the pounding in her head intensifies. She gives it a while to settle down before she speaks up again. "Where we headed...?"

Ehanis frowns, averting her eyes for a moment. She didn't grow up on Omega, but a substantial part of her life was spent there. "People who give a shit don't last long on Omega," she says flatly. "I hate to admit it, I do kind of miss that hellhole."

Senya furrows her eyebrows, turning to look over her shoulder at Oxaris. "For?"

Oxaris nods gently. "That you and the crew of this ship got caught up... in this." She closes her eyes, breathing deeply and, for a moment, it is as if she fell asleep again. However, her eyes open. "Be honest... not everyone got out... did they?"

Jessica furrows her brow, studying Wrench with her good eye. Her armored heel clanks against the step below her rhythmically as a frown settles in. Her focus falls to those creatures back in the ship. Their contorted faces haunting her memories. A chill crosses her spine, causing goosebumps to rise up on her left arm. "I guess we are knowing what they do with them now..." she mutters. Not that she feels guilt or remorse for

Jason's gaze is once again pulled from his omni-tool as he searches for the source of the voice. As he spots Zaylus a small, lopsided smirk returns to his face. He's quick to shut down his omni-tool and climb out of his seat. "Yeah...?" he asks as he tucks the device into his pocket. "...How is she?" he continues as his enthusiasm falters slightly, trying to feel things out to brace himself in case of a worst case scenario.

Leah settles back against the wall once again after stifling her laughter. She holds Nathan's gaze when he glances their way and she continues to watch him work until Zandra speaks up once again. She casts her head in the biotic's direction, arms resting against her knees once more. "Freedom Falls." she says, "Town on Aite. It has a spaceport so-..." she shrugs her shoulders, "...you should be able to get to wherever you

Senya lets out a low sigh, her expression softening as she looks at the turian. "No." she confirms, hints of subdued emotion in the faint smile that follows. "Hardly your fault. As easy as it is to assign blame, it gains us little." she says, suddenly sounding very tired. Another sigh follows as she turns back to the computer.

Oxaris sighs and nods. "I'm not blaming myself," she assures the woman. "I know that... we all did the best we could in that situation." She pauses once more and, barelyabove a whisper, asks, "The woman who helped me saved the child? The one with the colourful... hair?"

Zaylus rounds the top of the steps as Jason rises, offering a little shrug to his question. "She's up." He repeats, "Awake, talking. All seems pretty good to me." He's obviously not much of a doctor. Then, remembering why he came up here, he nods his head down in the direction of the steps. "She asked for you." He adds with a small grin, stepping back to give the man space to get

Wrench studies Ehanis with a hard gaze. The words of someone big enough, strong enough to defend themselves. Someone that could fight. Someone that had the option to leave. Someone that didn't spent their childhood hiding in dark corners amid machinery and smog, scavenging scraps not to starve. Her attention turns to Jessica as the ladder speaks, and she nods. "Yeah..." she says quietly. "People used to... used to say it was

Senya takes a while to realize who Oxaris means. When she does, all she offers is a shake of her head.

Zandra nods slowly. "Good enough." she says with a grunt. "Have to get back to the Sisterhood." she comments without any real context.

Jason draws in a deep breath and releases it in a sigh of relief, a nod and a quick: "Guess I should get down there, then." his only response to the turian's words at first. As he nears him, however, he pauses as he moves to pass Zaylus by and reaches out to give him a pat on the shoulder. "Uhh-... Nice work out there, by the way." he offers, a small amount of discomfort showing through. "I know this wasn't-..." he trails off,

Jessica gives a snort at Ehanis' statement. Whether it was just a contradiction or a statement of not giving a shit is uncertain, but it seems to amuse her either way. But as Wrench speaks up, a small sigh escapes her. "People would rather believe some bullshit than accept the truth, yes? The galaxy is fucked and the strong will always step on the weak..."

Leah cocks a glance towards Zandra, furrowing her brow. "Sisterhood?" she asks. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume you're not a nun." she adds sarcastically.

Zaylus is about to just let Jason pass when he's accosted by awkward friendliness. He flinches slightly at the pat, perhaps not expecting it at this moment. It's an uncomfortable exchange and there isn't much he can do to adabte that, and he just nods his acceptance of Jason's unenthusiastic praise. For a moment it seems he won't say anything back, just taking a few steps into the

Zandra snorts. "Not exactly..." she says. "Eclipse branch." she says, tapping the tattoo that covers most of her head. "Illium? Asari. They'd take you in for sure. They do right by people like us. No judgement. No bullshit. What we've got? Normal there." she says, her gaze turning back to Leah. There's sincerity to her words. Pride, perhaps.

Jason has already continued on his way towards the stairs when he hears Zaylus begin to speak, causing him to grip the end of the staircase's railing and glance back over his shoulder to meet the turian's gaze. Zaylus' words get a small smile out of him and a single nod. "Glad to have you with us, Zaylus." he offers simply- but sincerely- in return, not wanting to bring about any more discomfort than he already has for either

Oxaris has merely sat in silence, starting at the back of the doctor before turning her gaze to the ceiling.

Ehanis frowns. "Yeah," she says. "I'd like to think most wouldn't fall for that. Seriosuly, slavers and paradise don't go together, ever." She sighs. "But yeah, the galaxy is fucked no matter what we do."

Wrench sighs, slipping down to the ladder and disappearing out of view without another word.

Zaylus just nods at Jason's response, appearing nonchalant as he leaves. After he's gone out of sight, a smile and a series of self affirming nods bubble to the surface. He revels in it for only a few moments before releasing a low sigh, stretching out his good arm and dropping himself onto the couch. He sinks down and lets his head rest on the back, drooping his eyes into narrow

Leah tries to force a smile as she listens to Zandra's words, her gaze turning towards the floor. She doesn't share the same pride for what they are. But the asari have always been a fascinating idea to her. An entire race of people with the same 'gift'- as her parents so often referred to it- as her. A society where she could just blend in without feeling any eyes on her. Any prejudice. A place where she wasn't an outsider.

Jessica watches as Wrench makes her silent escape, but she says nothing. She learned long ago the harsh lesson of 'if it sounds too good to be true, it's probably bullshit'. Instead, her attention moves back to Ehanis. "Mmm." she hums a response before falling silent. Her gaze drifts, moving back to the stairs. After a number of moments she finally speaks up again. "...Do you think they will come to Aite...?" she asks plainly.

Jason makes his way over to the infirmary, taking a momentary pause as he reaches the door before stepping inside. He only takes a tentative step into the room, gaze moving from Oxaris to Senya and settling on the latter. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I...?" he asks, "Zaylus said-..." he trails off, looking back to the turian. Sitting up. Breathing. For now? He'll take it.

Oxaris drifts her eyes to Jason and she smiles, mandibles twitching faintly. "Sir," she says softly. "You'll... forgive me not for saluting." She nods gently, eyes drifting to the doctor.

Senya shakes her head. "Go ahead. Just keep it quick. She needs plenty of rest." she says without looking away from the screen.

Nathan sets down his powertools and lifts his helmet up to inspect it, running his thumb over the visor before his gaze drifts over to the pair again. He sees Leah glancing his way and, instead of making a show of it, merely smiles back and nods to her, before setting the helmet down and polishing it up.

Zandra nods. "Yeah... seems like your people have your back." she comments, glancing back briefly to Nathan with a thoughtful expression. She turns to silence as she closer her eyes again. A deep breath follows. It's hard to ignore the pain throughout her body. And harder to focus on a conversation.

Jason gives a snicker. A tired, worn out snicker, but a snicker. "Forgive you? Hell, I might have to kick your ass if you tried to salute me. Keep that shit outta here." he teases, his smile growing a bit more sincere as he steps towards Oxaris. "Though, after what happened back on that ship and what everyone's telling me, I'm not too optimistic about my chance to walk away from that scuffle... You gave those bugs one hell of

Leah gives a short, somewhat distracted nod to Zandra's words. "...Yeah." she says softly, "They do."

Ehanis was not going to break the silence left behind by Wrench's departure, but Jessica's question makes her raise her brows. "They've only gone after human colonies so far," she says, "but they also took the time to trash talk, so... anything's possible I guess." She sighs, and looks back at her. "I fucking hope they don't," she says. "They've been clearing out colonies one after the other without leaving

Oxaris gives a small, barely noticeable shift of her shoulders. "I was only doing my job, sir. Everyo- hnnggh... everyone of the second rescue team deserves praise." She flexes her talons, glancing off to the side. "And... I wanted to apologise for- for assuming command." She turns her gaze back to him, taking a moment to let the pain subside before she continues. "It's not... not proper for a new hire to step over

Jessica gives a couple of short nods, her attention obviously pulled elsewhere. "...Yeah." she says softly before falling silent. Just another reason to put Aite in her rearview mirror. A bit of surprise fills her chest at how much that bothers her suddenly. The idea of the Collectors coming to Aite. To her home. She shuffles in place a bit, planting her boots against the lower stair and leaning all the way back, hands behind

Nathan sits on the edge of a crate and lets out a tired sigh, cleaning his hands using one of his rags as he looks to the omni-tool on his left, watching something on the interface.

Jason furrows his brow, confusion settling in for a moment before he gives a shake of his head. "Fuck off with that." he says dismissively. "You don't need to apologize. You stepped up, got to work, and got us the hell out of there. Unorthodox or not, I can respect that. And a whole lot of people are alive right now because of you stepping up. Myself included." An afterthought occurs to him and he gives a dismissive shake of

Oxaris blinks a little at the curt dismissal and it causes her to part her mouth in surprise. But it quickly shuts again and she dips her head faintly in a nod. "Understood. I'm glad... I'm glad you all made it. It's a shame my weapons couldn't be... recovered. But that'll be fixable." She swallows and she looks down to her wound, grimacing. "This, though? I-... I'll need the fastest treatment possible," she says,

Jason gives a quiet: "That makes two of us." Oxaris expresses her relief at their survival. As she begins to finish up he follows her gaze, sucking a deep breath in through his nose as she speaks. He gives a quick nod. "Yeah... Of course. We'll get you to the hospital as soon as we reach Freedom Falls. Halisi will make sure everything is handled." he assures. "Unfortunately..." he continues with an apologetic tilt of his head,

Oxaris has a brief moment where the urgency on her face is replaced by panic, clear in her eyes. It's only for a micro-second before she seems back to her normal self and she offers a dip of her head. "Understood. And thank you. I'll probably need... need to speak with Halisi at some point about it." She grunts and turns her head to look at her armour, a wistful sigh coming from her. "That's going to be the...

Jason nods along as Oxaris speaks before glancing over to the heap of armor, a frown crossing his face. "That looks... expensive." he sighs. "But there's a place in town. Had my armor patched up there when I-..." his gaze falls to his hands and he trails off before bringing his attention back to the turian and forcing an unenthusiastic smile into place, "...When I needed it." he decides on, opting not to go into it. "I'll talk

Oxaris manages a forced laugh, before wincing in pain. "Expensive is putting it lightly. But thank you. I'll... speak to you later, after I've rested more... And, tell Ilyna... well, that I'm glad her daughter is back." She smiles sincerely, bobbing her head to Jason. "We could all do with the... rest though."

Jason gives a small snort, already dreading how that conversation will go over with Vasquez. But Oxaris put her life on the line for Li. The least they could do is step up and help her get her gear fixed. "You got it, Ox." he answers in response to her request. "I'm sure she'll want to talk to you herself soon enough. Hell, guessing you'll be getting a whole lot of guests soon enough. Not a person on this ship that doesn't owe

Oxaris chuckles faintly, mandibles spreading in joy. "I might take each of them up on that...". She smiles again. "Sure thing, si-... Jason." She nestles a little more into her bed before adding. "Actually, there's a spare shirt in my... possessions. You think you could get it... for me?"

Jason gives a small snicker in response to her statement and her request gets a single nod as he takes a step back. "Consider it done." he says through a smirk. He passes one last glance towards Senya before turning on his heels and starting out the door.