#YanSun'sRoom – January 31, 2022

December 26th. Another day of travel preparations for Yan Sun, although since coming back from a visit to the bar she's been sidetracked - windows of chatlogs with AllEyesOpen, documents on House Bar'adon and a certain runaway slave, and finally Burd's contact information all crowding her laptop screen. She's dressed in her favorite jeans and her hoodie, and the now fully concealed AI bluebox sits on the desk next to her laptop, looking

utterly harmless. Nothing to see here, officer. Her eyebrows are furrowed in thought, but as she comes to a decision she wraps one arm over the backrest of her chair, turning her head a little and speaking in the general direction of Jessica's usual spot on the bed, without actually taking her eyes off her screen. "Hey, I was thinking about something..."

Jessica is seated right where Yan Sun left her, back against the headboard in a tanktop and her pyjama pants. The TV is on, but the volume is left low as she pokes through her omni-tool, brow furrowed while she attempts to figure out how to use her new editing software. "Mmm?" she hums without bothering to look Yan Sun's way. "You are thinking? This is a first." she adds in a mutter.

Yan Sun just rolls her eyes, letting Jessica's quipping go unremarked. "When I was downstairs earlier I saw that girl that works in the kitchen. Tara?" A glance over her shoulder just to confirm Jessica remembers her. "She still has the..." she waves an index finger at her own face, a faint frown taking hold. "...the mark on her forehead."

Jessica doesn't immediately recall the girl in question, though the addition clears that right up. She gives a small shrug of her shoulders, briefly glancing Yan Sun's way. "Is only a matter of time before the wrong person sees this." she muses aloud, focus right back on her omni-tool. "Batarians do not like it when their merchandise gets away." she continues, perhaps a bit of a racist generalization, but it sounds as if that

knowledge comes from experience.

Yan Sun 's frown deepens, and her gaze falls away as she nods. "Yeah..." she says softly, sounding disturbed by the thought that that sort of thing is a fact of life out here. "I've gathered." Her eyes flick to her screen and then to Jessica. "Her... sister told me they were gonna get it taken care of, but I guess they haven't found anyone to help yet... I was thinking... do you think maybe Birdy knows how to remove or... cover something

like that up? Maybe he could help?"

Jessica listens in silence as Yan Sun speaks, focused more on her omni-tool than the conversation. At least up until Burd is mentioned. The question causes her to shift her hand to her lap, a heavier breath escaping her. "The reason they are not finding anyone to help them is because nobody is stupid enough to remove the markings for a batarian house for someone they do not even know." she explains as she looks back to Yan Sun,

assuming it's probably not for a lack of trying. "If she is finding somewhere to get it removed? Then they are probably only going to contact the house that she is running from." she continues. There's a coldness to her explanation. Certainly not the sort of thing she endorses, just more of a 'this is the way it is' air to her words. "Nobody is wanting to be on the bad side of a slaver house." There's an unspoken

implication of the sort of trouble this could potentially lay at Burd's feet. It's not like it would be difficult to remove or cover up the brand. Any mod shop that knows their shit could take care of it. But the wrong person sees it? Someone looking to make a few quick credits reports it? That's a good way to disappear in the Terminus. And most people out here know better than to take that sort of risk for a stranger.

Still, she knows Yan Sun well enough to know that she wouldn't even be bringing it up if this wasn't something that was bothering her. Her mouth contorts into a soft frown, head lulling lazily to one side as she studies Yan Sun from across the room. "...How important this is to you, kitty cat? Mmm?"

Yan Sun looks away, picking at the cuff of her hoodie as she listens. It's fraying. Jessica's words draw out a heavy sigh, but the final question makes her look back her way. "She must be terrified. Living with that." she says with a small shrug, a somber softness in her frown. Helping people, fighting injustice, it's important to her. It's what the Little Dragons were all about. What she was all about, before things went sideways and

she ran out here to get away. "I just thought... if I could help out, give them a trustworthy name..."

Jessica's gaze remains fixed to Yan Sun, her frown softening. 'Helping people' hasn't exactly been her focus for most of her life. Survival, that's what she's good at. And out here, where life is so cheap and expendable, the two are often at odds with each other. Stick your neck out for someone else and it's likely to get your head taken off. Selflessness is a luxury afforded to the indispensable. So you do what you have to in order

to survive and make sure the people close to you- your people- are taken care of. Let the rest fend for themselves. And it's worked out well for her, hasn't it? Sure, everything around her has collapsed. But she's still standing. That counts for something. Right? It has to count for something... With a flick of her thumb, the light from her omni-tool's interface goes out and she swings her legs off the side of the

bed, feet coming to rest on the floor. "...Okay." she offers quietly, attention settling on the ground in front of her for a few moments before she follows her words up with a few small nods and stands from the bed, starting towards the desk. "Let's call him."

Yan Sun 's smile is immediate, bright, and filled with warm appreciation. When Jessica comes within reach she grabs her hand, giving it a squeeze and nuzzling her arm affectionately as her free hand goes to press the call button on her laptop's interface.

Jessica gives a roll of her eyes that's diminished by the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She returns the squeeze with one of her own and slips her arm around Yan Sun, taking a position behind her chair so she can lean over one of her shoulders. Her brows furrow as she glances across the screens and quickly comes to the realization that Yan Sun was already prepared for this before even bringing it up to her, drawing a

quiet snort out of her that she doesn't bother giving context to.

The call hangs for a few moments, as so often happens given the limited infrastructure out here, but eventually it begins to ring. At first it seems like Burd might not pick up as a fourth ring sounds out. A fifth. A sixth. There doesn't seem to be any messaging service set up, either. But just as Jessica reaches out over Yan Sun's shoulder to end the call, frown etched into her features, the call is picked up. There's a few loud clanks

followed by the sound of music filling the background, loud enough that it's not being filtered out. A heavy sigh sounds out before the krogan's unmistakable voice rumbles through the speakers. "How bad is it?" he asks with distracted exasperation.

Jessica blinks a few times, confusion written across her face. "Is me, fuckface." she responds, as if that might clear things up.

Burd "I know." he grunts. Well, he assumed it was Yan Sun given the info displayed on his omni-tool, but that's neither here nor there. "Wasn't expecting to hear from you again so soon so I'm guessin' you're probably up to your neck in shit and need me to get the shovel." he continues matter-of-factly. "So? How bad is it..." he repeats, letting out another sigh before adding, "...and whaddya need from me, kid?"

Jessica frowns. "Wha-... Is not-... I am fine! I am not in any shit, Birdy!" she scoffs, sounding offended that he would even assume as much.

Burd's side of the call goes silent for a few moments as he tries to decide whether or not he believes Jessica. For as long as he's known her, he's never known a time when she wasn't in some kind of trouble. "...Okay?" he grunts, not particularly sounding convinced, "Then what is it, Jessie? I know you didn't just call me to catch up on the weather. You know I hate talking on these things." His words are punctuated by the sound of his

omni-tool shuffling.

Jessica's frown only deepens and she scrunches up her nose, tilting her head to better look at Yan Sun. "Is-... gah-..." she begins before scowling at Yan Sun, as if this exchange is her fault rather than a lifetime of dragging Burd into her problems, and indicates for Yan Sun to speak up. At least, that's probably what it means when she begins aggressively nodding at Yan Sun and then at the screen.

Yan Sun draws in a long breath and leans her head back a little against Jessica as she waits for the call to connect. She slumps a little as the signals keep going out, but when it's answered she quickly perks up. The exchange that follows between Burd and Jessica has her bringing a hand to her mouth to muffle a snicker. When she's given her less-than-subtle cue she's quick to chime in with a friendly "Hey Birdy! It's Yan Sun.", the

possibility that maybe she shouldn't be using the nickname still not having occurred to her. "Jessica is fine." she confirms. She almost adds that they're actually getting ready to leave the planet, but after a quick glance Jessica's way she decides it's not her place to divulge that particular bit of information. "I'm the one that... has a favor to ask." she confesses with hesitant, almost wincing tone of someone that knows

they're being an inconvenience.

Burd's wince at the nickname goes unseen, but the throaty sigh that accompanies it is heard. Still, he doesn't correct her. It's his own fault for having let it go unchecked when they met. "Well, whaddya know. Miracles do happen." he mutters in response to Yan Sun's assurance that Jessica isn't in any trouble, which gets a loud scoff out of the woman being discussed. "Go on." he responds to the woman's confession, the thumping music in

the background doing little to obscure his deep, krogan voice.

Jessica shifts, the arm draped around Yan Sun slipping further until she's gripping Yan Sun's opposite shoulder with her hand. "Is-... maybe something that you should be alone for..." she adds.

Burd lets out another frustrated grunt. "Stay here. I'll be back." he says. It's not until a second voice, a bit muffled by distance, sounds out that it's clear Burd wasn't speaking to Jessica and Yan Sun. "How long ya gonna be?" asks the muffled voice of a man. "How long am I-... What, you got better places to be?!" Burd growls back in frustration, sounding further away from his omni-tool than before. Silence. "Didn't think

so. So shut the fuck up and stay right here." he orders. "Ronin! Get the kid a beer! Somethin' to take the edge off!" the krogan shouts, but the response that comes is a little too muffled to be made out. For a few moments, the grating sound of the krogan's hand rubbing against his omni-tool's mic can be heard but, thankfully, it soon stops and the music that was booming in the background is reduced to a low throb with only an

intermittent presence. "Okay. I'm alone. Now what in the fuck are you trying to drag me into?" he asks, sounding more exasperated than worried.

Yan Sun holds her tongue as Jessica cuts in, waiting for the go-ahead from Burd. "I know someone that needs help getting rid of some... tattoos." A brief glance Jessica's way, sucking on her lip a little, and then she elaborates: "...batarian slave tattoos."

Burd remains silent for a few moments, a throaty sigh eventually emanating out of him. "I'm guessin' their owner didn't just forget to remove their markings when they granted this friend of yours their freedom, huh?" he snorts sarcastically.

Jessica remains quiet, her presence felt as she leans a bit heavier against Yan Sun from behind.

Yan Sun 's thumb strokes idly across the knuckles of the hand she's still holding onto. Burd's response makes her wince slightly. "Not exactly..." she confirms.

Burd draws in a heavy breath, "Of course not..." Silence once more takes hold as he considers the situation. "Shit, kid. You're askin' for a whole lot, ya know that?"

Yan Sun lets out a sigh. It's pretty obvious that the risks involved with something like this hadn't occurred to her before bringing it up to Jessica. "I'm sorry. I know." she says, voice quiet. She sucks in her lips, looking down at her keyboard. "Nobody'd have to know, she could come in quietly... and I'm sure her sister can pay. She's a sweet person, she shouldn't have to spend her whole life hiding or looking over her shoulder."

Burd lets out a sigh of his own. "...Nobody should." he agrees in little more than a throaty growl. "Make no mistake, I've got no love for slavers. And we've had more than our share of slaver troubles out here..." he starts, Jessica's expression hardening to a frown as she nods along with the krogan, some history undoubtedly buried in his words, "...But I also know better than to go out of my way to piss 'em off. If I do this and word

gets out? I'm gonna have a line of runaways comin' to me. And you can bet your ass that a whole bunch of four-eyed pyjaks will be followin'." he explains, sounding very much as if he just turned her request down. But soon another sigh slips out, "...Which is why, if I'm doin' this, then I'm gonna need some more to go on. Like whose shit list I'm about to end up on. You got a name for me? An organization? A house?"

Jessica seems to realize Burd's request might be taken as a red flag given their conversation prior to calling. Probably sounds like he's digging for info. Trying to figure out who to reach out to. Who to contact. Runaway slaves usually have bounties, after all. And if it was anyone else on the other side of this call, the warning lights would be going off in her head, too. But she knows Burd. Knows his history. Knows who he is. She

glances Yan Sun's way, offering an encouraging nod of her head to let her know it's safe to share the details.

Yan Sun slumps in her seat as Burd speaks, shoulders dropping as it starts to seem like he's saying no, but when it becomes clear that's not the case she straightens up. The hesitant look on her face is cleared away with a quick glance towards Jessica. "House Baradon." Wealthy. Known to do business in the Terminus, although they have no presence on Aite. "They have... some kind of succession crisis going on. So... probably not very

organized?" she adds in an attempt to assuage any worries. She doesn't add that she's pretty sure said succession crisis relates directly to events surrounding the person that needs help judging by the information she's gathered.

Burd repeats the name aloud, "Bar'adon." It doesn't ring any bells, but that doesn't mean much. He's certainly not on the up-and-up regarding batarian houses. But at least it's not a known quantity operating nearby. That's a good sign. "...And this girl, you vouch for her, Jessie?" he asks, seeking council from a more familiar- a more trusted- voice. "I ain't lookin' to get burned for doin' the right thing. So I need to know that once

this is done, she'll keep this shit to herself."

Jessica glances back to Yan Sun, sucking in her lips. Leah isn't amongst her favorite people but, truth be told, that's not particularly credited to anything Leah has personally done to her. It's just her entire demeanor! She's always so... annoying! And the fact that she's so close to Nathan puts plenty of strikes against her. After a moment's consideration, she gives a few shallow nods. "I do." she offers quietly. "I-... work with

her sister." she continues, deciding to use Yan Sun's choice of words to describe Leah. "She will not fuck you over."

Yan Sun looks to Jessica as she's addressed, meeting her gaze. Her endorsement brings out a small smile, and she gives Jessica's hand a squeeze. "Does that mean you'll do it?" she asks, attention going back to the laptop, smile coloring her voice.

Burd draws in another heavy, irritated breath. "Self-righteous terrorists. Washed up gangsters. Ego driven businessmen. Fuck it, why not add slavers to the list of people that want me dead?" he grunts. "Go ahead and give 'em my contact info."

Jessica's smile finally resurfaces, and she gives Yan Sun a little bit of a squeeze. "Mmm. You are getting soft, Birdy." she taunts.

Yan Sun 's smile widens, and she almost bounces a little in her seat. Success! "Thank you Birdy! I owe you one!" she exclaims, leaning a little against Jessica.

Burd grunts something that goes untranslated at Jessica's teasing. Yan Sun's words garner a snort out of him. "Uh huh. Well, one day the tables are gonna turn and I'll be the one callin' in favors. I'm keepin' a runnin' tab. So we'll see how much all you assholes are thankin' me then." he threatens.

Jessica's smile grows at Yan Sun's excitement, leaning a bit heavier against her in turn and tightening her grip around her, the krogan's words drawing a snicker from her. "Mmm. And when you do? I will be there, Birdy." she says, the promise coming out a little quieter than intended, causing her to clear her throat right after.

Burd remains silent for a few moments before replying. "I know ya will, kid." he says. His tone is surprisingly sincere. Confident. Laced with just the smallest sign of weariness. It's a confidence in Jessica's character that not many people who know her seem to have. Sure, the people at the Gorge care about Jessica. Even love her. That much is plain to see. But they're all still just along for the ride. For her ride, unpredictable

as it may be. But Burd has been there since she was just a kid. He knows her as well as anyone. Knows how vicious she can be. How cruel she can be. She's a menace, no doubt about it. But he also knows how loyal she is to those that she considers family. And she does consider him family. It's not something that she needs to say, they've been through far too much for him to ever need to question that. And that knife cuts both ways.

"You two shitbricks stay out of trouble."

Yan Sun 's smile tempers into something softer as she listens to Jessica and Burd's exchange, but the final addition draws out a snort. "We will." she promises softly.

Jessica offers a hum of affirmation, sounding far less convincing than Yan Sun. As the call ends, she slumps a bit against Yan Sun, tilting her head ever so slightly to study the side of her face, the call having left a soft smile on her lips. After a moment, she pokes her tongue out, jabbing it against the rim of Yan Sun's ear in a concentrated effort to be annoying.

Yan Sun lets out an "Esch!", head ducking away from Jessica and hand reaching up to swat at her.

Jessica cackles, using her grip around Yan Sun in an attempt at pulling her back even as she's pushed away.

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