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Marked Effect (AFF Edition)	By : unrealuniverse Category: +M through R > Mass Effect Views: 22186 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Mass Effect characters, species, locations and the universal setting are owned by Bioware and not myself. Any other brand names mentioned are property of their respective owners. This work is and always will be free for anyone to read.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Chapter 11 - Marked for Leaving
26th December 2016
-----
Shiala had awoken earlier than everyone else because of the heavy rain hitting the window but not early enough to go back to sleep. With forced resignation she decides to have her first shower. It did make a change from cold and certainly got rid of any remaining grogginess. It was a bit of a pain trying to keep the plaster dry but it was worth the effort. After drying herself and putting on her clothes she headed to the kitchen. After rummaging for a couple of minutes she received a message. Breaking off the breakfast search she read the message.
Shiala,
We got your message about two individuals. This news makes me slightly uncomfortable. I would like to request that you take our guests to the seating area on deck two upon arrival and not up to the top deck until we have met. I am glad to hear you will be bringing up some cable as we are really struggling to find any that is not too damaged to use.
The latest update is the flare will hit at about 1am tomorrow morning. Be ready with the shuttle loaded by that time for pickup.
Kriana
"What is the latest news?" she heard from in the hallway before Sam rounded the corner into sight.
"How did you know I was here?" Shiala was obviously curious as to how his military skills were so good.
"The towel in the bathroom was damp but warm and you got a message about this time yesterday morning too." Sam had a smug grin on his face as he went to the freezer to pull out a couple of pizzas. "Are you going to tell me what it said Shiala?" Sam unboxed the pizzas before throwing them into the oven as Shiala realised that his explanation seemed logical.
"Pickup is going to be at about 1am tomorrow morning."
"What can we take with us?"
"I estimate that you and Kate could take fifty kilos each if I overload the drive core in the shuttle." Adastra was walking towards Sam and Shiala in the kitchen as if she had been awake for hours. "The current plan is to load twelve thousand five hundred litres of water on board as well which is already pushing the limits. Also we are going to need to get picked up in the atmosphere as the shuttles seal is broken after the landing. I sent a message earlier to Kriana about changing the plans as that amount of water will not get us very far anyway." Adastra jumped a little when her Omni-tool indicated she had a message.
Adastra,
I know the goddess smiled upon you with the last stunt that you pulled and she seems to be doing so again. You are correct in your calculations that the water you will bring up, for seven people would not cover oxygen and fuel requirements to get us to an adequate planet to resupply including our current reserves. We will ensure the water collection pumps and the plasma thruster is working with any decent cable we can find.
We will message you when we are on approach so that you can meet us whilst in decent.
Kriana
She closes her Omni-tool and ponders a moment before talking.
"My plan has been accepted. We travel to the Enlighten as it approaches earth to pick up water from the sea as the amount of water we could take up would be insufficient for seven people. It means it should be less of a problem to get yourself and Kate when she awakens to the ship." The two of them nod and Sam the goes to the oven to remove the pizza. He cuts it into slices before putting them on a large plate for everyone to have a go at.
"Pizza for breakfast. It is not strictly a typical breakfast item, unless it is cold and you are desperate, but what the hell it tastes good." The two Asari quickly took a slice from the plate.
------
The smell from the room was awful and was seemingly coming from everywhere. Making her way down the hallway she tries to breathe through her mouth as the smell is so dense it is almost edible. She walked into the kitchen to be confronted by the source of the smell. A viscous yellow coating of vomit covered a large proportion of the floor and many of the worktops in the kitchen. The smell had a strong chlorine smell as well as the note of rotting food.
On the floor she lay, covered in the same yellow fluid as everything else in the room. Forgetting about her shoes for the moment she quickly moved across to check she was ok. Barely breathing, her eyes glazed over and random muscle twitching forced her hand. Opening her Omni-tool she called for an ambulance and hoped they would arrive quickly.
------
Adastra finished the last of her tea out of the cup before she sat the cup down on the table. "Well that was certainly different, in a good way. I will be back in a bit." Sam and Shiala nodded and Adastra made her way out of the kitchen.
"Did you enjoy the pizza Shiala?"
"I am not sure that it is as you said a breakfast item but yes, it was good." Sam smiled as the quietness of the kitchen, excluding the fridge which seemed to deliberately hum in protest to silence, gave Sam time to wonder where Adastra had gone.
"Do you think Adastra is drawn to technology as she seems to have taken quite a liking to the jet engine in the basement?"
"I have no idea although I know she likes anything that is well engineered or a bit out of the ordinary."
"Argh my head. It feels like it has exploded!" Kate shouted as she awoke, making Sam and Shiala jump slightly.
"I think someone is finally awake." Sam quietly says to Shiala before shouting through to the living room. "It is not a dream and I did warn you about going to sleep Kate. Just to warn you it is tomorrow now." Sam got up from the table and walked to the sofa taking a seat beside Kate.
"Keep your smug voice down, I'm never doing that again." Kate muttered in a slightly grumpy manner.
"I bet you £100 that you do. I'll be right back." Sam felt like that was a very safe bet.
"You are on." Kate said as Sam got up to leave the room. She feels someone else carefully sit down on the sofa.
"I am sorry that you have suffered. You did do well though and it will be easier next time." Shiala was attempting to be as comforting as she could.
"Why is everyone so confident that there will be a next time?" Shiala wondered if the irritation was from the headache or the fact she has been asleep nearly fifteen hours and feels like she may have missed something.
"There are a few things you have yet to find out. You are not in a fit state to find out at the moment though. Sorry Kate." Kate looked a little annoyed at Shiala who could only try her best to stay positive.
-----
Adastra had enjoyed the first warm shower in a fortnight. It had been cold showers only on-board the Enlighten since the core discharge took out most of the electrical systems and the smaller plasma thrusters. Just as she got around to drying her feet Sam came tearing into the bathroom. He stopped as if he had hit a brick wall that was just inside the doorway. Luckily she was facing away from the door but Sam still took a second to admire her wonderfully curved body before guilt took over.
Adastra's left side was extensively covered in turquoise blue markings with it being nearly a full block colour near her waist. The further from that point the less the markings covered her natural blue. It was also odd in that it looked like the markings missed some parts that were "hidden" from the source as if it was paint spatter that had painted the markings. Examples of parts missed that Sam could see were the inside of the left leg and the right side of the right leg. Sam guessed that if you looked at her from the right side you wouldn't see many markings at all.
Sam quickly turned around, "Sorry. I apologise, I thought you were in the basement." Adastra quickly covered up with the large white towel and turned around to see Sam heading out of the door.
"Sam." He stopped where he was but didn't turn. It would be more embarrassing to show his face at the moment given the prickling sensation his cheeks had. "It is my fault." With that he felt a gentle hand settle on his left shoulder. Cautiously turning his head he soon saw Adastra who had a warm smile and an unmissable lilac hue to her face, matching his red face well.
"Well this has certainly been embarrassing. Can you tell me when you are done?"
"I will and you have no idea." Sam turned around and left the bathroom to lean against the wall a couple of metres away from the door.
"What could be more embarrassing than walking into a naked alien that you've only known for two days?" Sam mumbled to himself as he tried to process what Adastra meant by 'you have no idea?'. He just hoped that it did not make meeting her in the future awkward. It was not too much longer before Adastra appeared from the doorway. "So it's safe to go to the loo now?" Sam gave Adastra a forced smile. She nodded in response and Sam made his way past her into the bathroom.
------
Sam got a shock when he got out of the bathroom and nearly walked into Adastra who was standing where he had been just two minutes ago. "Are you keeping an eye on me or something?" A tinge of lilac reappeared on her face.
"No, I just wanted to talk with you somewhere quiet." Sam looked confused.
"Here?" Adastra looked around as if she could see if there was anyone hiding behind any of the walls. She started talking in a subdued voice.
"No one has seen my body in over one hundred and thirty years. I have been unhappy with it my whole life." Sam seemed a little confused at that comment as she certainly didn't look ugly in any way.
"Why are you unhappy with it?" The sad expression on her face gave away that it hurt her but there were no tears.
"As you no doubt saw..."
"I didn't mean to," Sam blurted out, his face turning red with the renewed memory. Adastra just held her hand up and gave a short smile to quieten him.
"I know. It was my fault for not locking the door." Adastra took a deep breath. "Asari do not naturally have markings anywhere other than on their face Sam. It is a rare condition that used to have a probability of two or three in a generation, but since Asari have been mating with other species, it has become more common. I was told that there were eight other Asari known to have this condition when I was a child." Adastra paused, not for effect, but because of the story opening up old wounds. "You have no idea how much you get verbally and even in some cases physically abused just for having a bit of colouration on your hands." She looked at the back of her hands, but mostly her left, as a couple of tears began to roll down her face. "I hope you can see why I have avoided showing anyone my body if my hands caused that much of a problem."
Sam moved forward to give Adastra a hug. "I can only guess at the ridicule. I personally think that the markings on your body looked wonderful Adastra. You certainly should not have to be ashamed of yourself." Sam broke off the hug leaving Adastra free to wipe her tears away.
"Thank you for understanding and the kind words Sam. They really mean a lot." Adastra seemed a little happier now after having the talk.
"No problem. Are you good to head back and see if Kate is alive yet?" Adastra nodded before forcing a warm smile through her dampened face.
-----
"I wonder where Sam has got to as it has been twenty five minutes since he left." Kate was now sat up on the sofa and not squinting but the headache was still making sudden movements really annoying.
"Is it not obvious?" Shiala clearly saw something that Kate was missing.
"I seem to be missing a lot still." Kate gave Shiala a look as if to remind her that she was holding back. Shiala biotically lifted the tea cup from the table. Kate's jaw dropped but no words appeared.
"Sorry I was away so long. Shiala are you holding the cup up for a refill?" Sam looked towards Kate and found her surprised expression amusing.
"If you would not mind I would indeed like a refill Sam."
"Would you like anything Kate?"
"A tea would be good." Kate said as she seemed fixated by the floating cup. Sam plucked the cup out of the air before heading to the kitchen. This confused Kate even more as it clearly was not a trick.
"So you can lift anything?"
"Within reason." Adastra said as she placed herself into the chair opposite, her cheeks still showing the signs of earlier tears.
"What happened between you and Sam? You seem upset." Adastra let a bit of a smile slip to Kate but could do nothing to cover the purple colouring that appeared on her face.
"Sam..."
"Don't say anything about that Adastra; they'll get the wrong idea." Sam shouted through cutting Adastra off mid sentence.
"We had a talk and it was a little personal but it was nothing more." Shiala's smile reappeared with that explanation.
"Fair enough, could someone now explain to me why everyone is confident that I will connect with another Asari?" The memory gave Kate's headache a renewed vengeance.
"It has two uses, as far as I have been told anyway. The first is a simple form for information exchange." Sam talking as he placed the tray of cups down on a fold out table. "The second I hope I don't have to spell out." He looked to Kate and it was obvious she still had not processed all the information about the Asari.
"Kate, we are mono-gendered. How do you think we reproduce?" Shiala said, dropping the bomb that Sam was unwilling to but still getting the same expected response of a gasp before the full realisation dawned.
"Ewwww, so I had sex with you?" Kate screwed her face up and felt a little used.
"No. This would be why I did not bring it up. It is difficult to explain as it is the same process essentially but just at a much simpler level. How the goddess do you know about this Sam as... Oh." Shiala realised that she had not told him but he had melded twice afterwards. She just laughed a little.
"Is that a hint Adastra?" Sam smiled a little at his joke.
"No, no, why did you even..." Adastra blurted out before she realised that between that and what happened in the bathroom it could have been intended as much. Sam let out a laugh as Adastra turned a deep shade of purple from the embarrassment. Sam quickly moved to get a stool from the kitchen to try and hide the red tinge that had begun to form on his face. Shiala looked at Adastra with a knowing smile. "Shiala, please stop. I know you know."
"Sorry Adastra."
"So you and Sam are what, best friends?" Kate asked as she looked towards Adastra and her purple tinged face.
"I would say we are acquaintances at the moment Kate." Kate certainly did not look convinced as Sam came back with the stool to sit beside Adastra looking a little embarrassed as well.
"I would say friends Kate but I think there is some cultural difference in the meanings." Adastra nodded in agreement as she gave Sam a small smile.
"Either way, I am not going to connect again. It was awful." Kate flatly announced just to make sure no one had any doubts as to where she stood on the subject.
"It is called melding Kate and if you are that confident do you want to increase the bet then? I didn't want to take advantage of you too much so I kept it reasonable to begin with." Kate pulled a face to Sam as if she had just eaten a lemon. Sam thought it would perhaps be a good idea to attempt to change the topic. "Oh, Kate. You won't know about when we are leaving will you?"
"I do as Shiala told me while you were away with Adastra." The two of them slightly blush again. "What the hell happened anyway as you both look guilty and embarrassed?"
"Sorry Kate. You will probably find out eventually but not now." Sam thought that he would probably die of embarrassment if he did. Kate turned to look at Adastra who just kept her mouth shut. Once the silence was again approaching awkward levels Sam intervened. "I could really do with getting some stuff packed then if we are leaving tonight."
"I will help you Sam." Shiala just could not resist laughing a little as the two of them left the room.
"Could you explain Shiala?" Kate kept her voice down in case they were still fairly close.
"There is... an understanding, between them Kate. I thought it was obvious." Shiala wondered whether it was truly they were meant to be together or whether it was just good friends.
"I figured that out what about the other thing?"
"Maybe she accidently saw Sam with nothing on?" Shiala could not imagine the opposite ever occurring without Sam looking miserable, which he certainly did not. Kate seemed a little surprised at that thought before smiling and nodding. That theory fitting with the amount of embarrassment the two of them were showing.
-----
Sam makes a couple of journeys to the shuttle with his stuff since it was now dark. On his last run he took Adastra with him. He arrived back at the house half an hour after setting off with Adastra to pick up Shiala and Kate to get Kate's things.
"Are you two good to go?" Sam said as he was just entering the house through the front door. Kate and Shiala got up after nodding and everyone left the house with Sam locking up behind. The three of them join Adastra who had waited patiently in the car before Sam pulled the car out of the drive to head towards Kate's house.
Kate lived in a nearby village which was about six miles away by road in the opposite direction to the shuttle. The journey wasn't that long although the water from the thawed snow and rain earlier that day had started to become ice in places.
"Given your enthusiasm all afternoon you sound like you are getting cold feat." Shiala noticed that Kate's body language was expressing a tense nervousness.
"I am a little. I think it is the fear of the unknown more than anything else." Kate looked out of the window over the dark fields as they travelled towards her house.
"You do remember that you don't have to do this and you can leave." Shiala said before having to duck down below the window line as a car travelling in the opposite direction passed.
"I'm up for this."
"Are you still up for upping the stakes on the no melding bet?" Sam at least got a small laugh from Shiala.
"I think £100 would be plenty if you are both so confident of the outcome".
-----
"Do I need a towel?" Kate seemed in a slight panic as she seemed to ask if she needed everything trivial in the house. The car outside was already nearly full of what Sam and Shiala thought were necessities, plus a good number of books Kate wanted to take. It had up until this point taken the three of them nearly three hours to pack everything.
"You do remember hitchhikers guide to the galaxy don't you?" Sam was not going to let the first opportunity for a good comeback other than the usual no response go to waste.
"Kate, we really need to leave as we cannot miss the flare otherwise there is no way we will be able to avoid being seen." Shiala knew from the bit of reading she did two days ago that the planet was rather well observed using satellites and radar.
"But what if I need this?" Kate pointed to the toaster.
"I'm sure if a species has mastered space travel then I'm sure they have a method of making toast Kate. I know it feels like a rush but we really should go." Kate pulled a frown but knew Sam was right, she could not delay them. The three of them left the house and got in to the car. Kate looked at the house through the window as they drove away, a slight wateriness beginning to form in her eyes.
"Kate I hope you do not feel forced into coming with us if being here means that much to you." Kate sniffed a little.
"I do not feel forced. I just feel a little sad that it could be the end of me seeing Earth. My family and friends will be none the wiser where I have gone."
"Kate if you need to you can leave a message. You cannot mention us or where you have gone though."
"Shit. There is going to be a police investigation and everything. Shiala, can you think of a way to keep yourselves hidden and for the police not to spend months searching everywhere?"
"Well I have already solved them finding us with modified bacteria Sam. In a couple of days both of your houses will contain no DNA or any other identifying mark. It might be a bit weird that there is none of your DNA but it is essential they do not know anything about us. The best thing to do is leave a note to say you are fine and safe."
"You think that will work Shiala?"
"I have no idea Kate. Humans cannot be allowed to know about us yet which makes saying you have left to go to another planet voluntarily very difficult to explain. I hope you can understand."
"Do you mind if I called my parents?" Sam pulled the car into a small clearing in the undergrowth near to the shuttle to help keep things discrete. There were not many passers by as it was now ten twenty one at night on Boxing Day and the roads were beginning to get extremely icy.
"Kate if you do, one of us will have to be there with you. If you mention anything about where you are going or about us or how we got here we will have to kill you. Do you understand?" Kate nodded before pulling her phone from her pocket. A knot of guilt and anxiety built in her gut as she called the number.
"Hello."
"Hi Dad."
"Oh, Hello Kate. How has your Christmas been without us?"
"You know it can never be the same unless you are there." 'Awwww' Sam thought to himself. "How has yours been?"
"A little stressful as we had to make plans at the last minute. We managed to get a reservation at the Shalestone Inn however which was nice. Did you have to change your plans?"
"I did as eating alone was just not going to feel right. I did however end up having a rather enlightening Christmas with a work colleague which was different."
"That sounds nice Kate. It wasn't that Tim you were with though was it?"
"No dad, I know you did not like him. Anyway this is going to be the most shocking and weird phone call you will ever have."
"Are you ok Kate?"
"I am Dad. I am just saying that as I wish to be as honest as I can be with you and hopefully Mum in a few minutes."
"I can get her now if you wish, she is just upstairs."
"You can but I need to say that this could be the last time I am able to speak to you again."
"Why Kate?"
"I am leaving to go somewhere and I will be unable to make communication with others there. I just need you to understand that I am leaving of my own free will as it may look a little strange."
"Leaving to go where Kate."
"I unfortunately cannot answer that. I hope you understand but this is a once in a lifetime chance that myself and the work colleague I mentioned have been offered."
"So this is a secret, like some kind of government thing?"
"Not exactly, the only problem being is that I will be unable to contact you, possibly ever again." It was obvious from Kate's expression that she was hurting inside.
"Did you say you were going with a work colleague?"
"Yes Dad."
"Is he there with you now?"
"Yes."
"Could I talk to him?" Kate held out the phone to Sam.
"Hello."
"Are you the work colleague who works with Kate?"
"I am indeed. My name is Sam Barnes."
"Will Kate be safe Sam?"
"I would make sure of it and I am sure we will both be treated well. I just want you to know neither of us are taking this decision lightly. We just want everyone to understand it is of our own free will. It is however something that is very difficult for us to pass up."
"Could you pass me back to Kate?"
"Sure." Sam gave the phone back to a saddened Kate.
"Hi."
"Are you being threatened Kate as you sound in a difficult position."
"No Dad, we have the option not to do this if we wish. This opportunity is almost like us inventing the internet; it is literally that big of an opportunity. The price we pay is we will no long be able to be in contact with anyone. I feel so torn but it feels right for me to take it. I hope you do not feel insulted that I am thinking about myself more than you."
"Do you think you would be happy with your choice Kate?"
"I would think so Dad as the possibilities are nearly limitless. I just wanted to tell you and Mum to know that I am out there somewhere."
"I should get your mother Kate but if this is goodbye then I hope you make us both proud and you keep yourself safe."
"I will always to that Dad."
"Thank you Kate and I will be thinking of you."
"As will I Dad."
'Louise, Kate wishes to talk to you' Kate heard her Dad say on the phone before she hears it being handed over. "Hello Kate. I hope you have had a good Christmas without us. I hear that it was white on Christmas day where you are."
"It was but it was not quite the same as our usual Christmases together. I would have preferred us to be together but I have had a good Christmas."
"I am pleased to hear that Kate as your Father has been worried about you not calling."
"I apologise for that but I was not in a situation I could do so."
"Were the phones not working where you are due to the flare?"
"No. Myself and a work colleague have been offered a sort of secret job where outside contact is practically impossible. This call is merely allowed as a courtesy. It is however a once in a lifetime opportunity. It does however mean that we will be unable to contact each other."
"How long will this be for Kate?"
"I honestly have no idea unfortunately Mum. I wish I knew as I will miss you both." Kate let a tear loose now.
"When do you begin the job Kate as it would be good to meet you for the last time?"
"I have already begun Mum. I am sorry...I feel awful for leaving you and Dad like this. I would have liked to have seen you before I left. I do promise to get in contact with you as soon as I can do so again however."
"Your Dad and I would welcome that Kate as you would probably have at least a story or two to tell even if you are limited with what you can say. I do hope that you enjoy your new job Kate as I know you have occasionally found work difficult in the past."
"Thank you Mum. I will always be thinking of you."
"As will I Kate."
"I unfortunately have to say goodbye now. Could you say goodbye to Dad for me as well?"
"I will Kate. Goodbye and I hope to hear from you again when you can."
"Bye Mum." Kate hung up the phone before bursting into tears.
"I can only say that the feeling you have now will never really leave you Kate. You just need to know that it was for the best." Shiala got out of the car and began to take stuff to the shuttle as Sam leaned over to put an arm around Kate. "Kate you have passed the hardest part. If you want to see other planets we need to leave soon." Sam knew how hard this was to take but he also knew she had to dig deep for now.
------
Packing the shuttle did not take too long after Sam had helped Kate feel a little happier. They were ready for the Enlighten to call at half eleven. There really was not much space in the shuttle after all the goods were packed in. A sardine can would have been a very apt description. Adastra entered first to get to the flight controls, followed by Sam then Kate and finally Shiala. The forty five minute wait seemed to last hours as no one wanted to mention anything in case it upset Kate.
"Shuttle this is the ASL-Enlighten. Please depart and travel to the indicated position." The voice was severely distorted and masked by static but it was still just about audible.
"Enlighten, I will do my best but given the minor damage to the flight controls I may have to provide a new pickup point."
"Understood. I hope to see you all shortly, Enlighten Out."
"Everyone hold on." With that Adastra launched the shuttle out of the undergrowth and used the mass effect core to lift the shuttle upwards making very little sound. Two minutes later they were going through the clouds and levelling off, Adastra using the thrusters on low for positioning and to keep their profile as small as possible.
"That's nice," was all Kate could manage to say as they punched through cloud cover, surrounded by the iridescence from the flare. Sam thought 'it's a bit more than nice' but he knew it was the best she could manage at the moment.
"ASL Enlighten, I can get the shuttle to the co-ordinates. ETA three minutes."
"Shuttle bay two will be open for you, Enlighten out." Adastra seemed to be doing an awful lot more work than the ship was currently performing. The shuttle soon turned ninety degrees, inertia keeping the shuttle going towards the Enlighten. Adastra sat back with the feeling of a job well done.
"If everyone looks out of a starboard window they will see the Enlighten." Sam and Kate moved to the window, both of then squinting to see a lump of metal with a slight blue tinge to it. "I am sorry it doesn't look much as the paint blistered after the attack when we were getting away." Adastra said from the pilots seat as it was difficult to move among all the goods. "I would advise everyone to get a seat now though." Thirty seconds later the ship turned so it was facing away from the Enlighten and the thruster restarted.
"Adastra this is Fosanta, you have to be having a laugh." Fosanta was obviously able to see the approaching shuttle out of a window.
"We were approaching too quickly and I didn't want to take out the Enlighten. If you tell me your drift that would be nice as I cannot see where the bay is."
"Goddess... Drift is one one eight metres in front of the point".
"I have done this once before Fosanta. My instructor was not pleased though as I miscalculated slightly and damaged the shuttle. It was only a scrape but it was the principle more than anything." Adastra was now only using the thrusters for positioning as the shuttle just scratched the docking bay pillar as it entered the bay. Adastra turned off the mass effect core and the shuttle dropped onto the ship's floor.
"Fosanta, we have landed. I did not damage anything valuable." The smile on Adastra's face was a bit silly as the docking bay door started to close and the internal lights turned on to provide lighting. A thud was felt as the hull door locked shut. "You are clear to exit. Kriana and Emala are waiting for you on deck two."
"I will see you shortly." Adastra closed the communications and locked the control systems. "Time to leave everyone." Shiala got the hint and stood up before pushing the shuttle door open allowing the four of them to escape the packed can into the large, almost empty docking bay.
-----
Sam and Kate stood behind Shiala and Adastra in the lift as they travelled up to deck two. The lift stopped and they walked out towards the seating area where Kriana and Emala were waiting for them. Kriana stood up and moved towards them as they saw the group approach.
"You will both be fine and there is no reason to be scared. Just remember that she cannot speak English." Adastra whispered to both of them. "Kriana, it is good to see you. I hope you do not mind if I leave to help Fosanta on the collection."
"No, go ahead Adastra."
"Kriana this is Kate and Sam." Shiala pointed to each of them as she said their names. "They call themselves humans. Both of them should be able to understand you, but as you know our language is difficult to learn".
"Greetings Kate, Sam. Welcome on-board the ASL-Enlighten. I am Kriana, the captain. The quiet one on the seating is my daughter Emala."
"Thank you for this opportunity Kriana." Sam tried his best with the pronunciation of his words but he still struggled. A smile appeared on Kriana's face as she tried to stifle a laugh.
"It is not me you should thank Sam. It was down to Shiala to state whether it was a good idea or not." A smile came to Shiala's face as Sam nodded and Kate gave her a hug. "I unfortunately need to oversee other things. Shiala and Emala will help you both settle in." The three of them nodded and Kriana left heading towards the lift. "Emala, could you help Kate while I help Sam?"
"Ok." Emala seemed unsure as to what to make of the aliens. They looked really similar to the Asari excluding the skin colour and the different stuff on their head. The four of them made their way back down to the shuttle in the slow lift with Emala staying an extra step away from the two aliens. Kate handed one of her boxes to Emala before picking up a second. The two of them proceeded to just stand there outside the shuttle. Sam and Shiala were inside the shuttle getting the cable reels out when Sam spotted the two lemons.
"Did you put those two together deliberately?" Sam kept his voice down as he was aware it would be amplified a little by the shuttle.
"Yes, Kate needs to make an effort to speak in our language." Sam nodded before rolling the first of the reels out of the shuttle. Shiala gives her reel a shove with a biotic field to get it rolling. Both of them rolled past the sitting ducks and squeezed into the lift to go down to engineering.
"Kate, you do not have to be scared of mispronunciation." Emala finally broke the silence which had long since become awkward.
"Where from?" Kate seemed happy enough with her word choice but they were not quite the right ones.
"To, you meant where to." Emala smiled at the gaff wondering how difficult it would be to learn an entirely foreign language. "Follow me." Both of them made their way to the lift and they waited quietly for it to come back up from engineering. They both got in when it arrived and made their way up one deck.
"What kind of room would you like? We have two larger double rooms and a single that are available for you to use." Emala asked as the two of them exited the lift and began to walk past room after room down the corridor.
"Could I see both?" Kate asked in a very deliberate manner while trying this time to get her words right.
"Of course." Emala smiled before she opened the door to the single room. "The single room has a small desk and a reasonable amount of storage along with a sink." Kate walked in and looked around. It was basic but had a good amount of space for work or anything else.
"The double?"
"This way." Emala opened the next door down the corridor before gesturing the human to enter. "This double has a larger bed but less storage space given that you get a private shower." Kate made her way to have a look at the shower in the opposite corner to the door.
"There is another?" Emala nodded and showed Kate the next door along.
"This room has no shower but more storage space than the other room." Kate thought the extra storage space was desperately needed given that she had brought more items that could not be stored in engineering.
"This one please." She was happy enough with the decision even though the privacy of a personal shower would have been nice. She placed the box she had been carrying down on the floor in the corner; Emala did the same with hers before the two of them begin to make their way back towards the lift.
----
To Sam the choice of room was obvious. Since most of his junk had found a home down in engineering it was just pure floor space that he needed. The private shower was a nice addition given he was the only male onboard. It was not long before both Kate and Sam had taken all their stuff off the shuttle and had it packed away.
"Thank you Emala." Kate said as she brought the last box into the room and put it down before looking towards Kate sat on the side of the bed.
"No.." Emala got launched towards Kate knocking her flat onto the bed. She seemed to flounder a little while lying on top of Kate struggling to work out what best to do.
"Sorry about that, everyone, the sea, is a bit rough." Fosanta announced over the ships intercom as she and Adastra were having a little trouble. Emala eventually got off the human, the bright purple hue her face had taken on clearly showed her embarrassment.
"I am deeply sorry about that Kate." With that she very nearly ran out of the room. Sam was just coming out of the shared toilets next to the lift as Emala was approaching. He saw the embarrassment on her face but decided not to ask about it.
"Emala, would it be ok if I went to meet the other Asari onboard?" She said nothing but waved Sam into the lift. Kriana saw her daughter first when they got to the top deck.
"Oh Emala what happened?" She looked up to see Sam stood a distance behind Emala. "We will talk later." Emala nodded before moving to the back of the deck to sit on a seat out of the way. "What could I help you with?" There was a slightly accusing tone to Kriana's voice.
"I wished to meet Fosanta before going to bed." Sam did not seem to get the accusation which clearly riled the Asari.
"You could not wait?" The question sounded more like a statement.
"I know nothing about what happened with Emala. She was like that when I got in the lift. Could I at least say hello to Fosanta?" Kriana saw no hint of a lie from the human and so gestured him through to the bridge before she walked over to talk to Emala.
"Hello Fosanta, I am Sam. I just came to introduce myself."
"It is good to meet you Sam. Kriana gives everyone a hard time so do not let her get to you. Also you need to work on pronouncing your words." With that she cracked a small smile before getting back to work.
"Thank you for that advice. I should see you both in the morning if I do not get seasick before then."
"No problem. Have a pleasant night Sam."
"Hold on a second Sam." Adastra hastily input various things into the console. "Done. I will join you. Fosanta just execute program EX15 when we are full, it will take care of everything. Have a good night."
"Sleep well Adastra." Fosanta waved over her shoulder as Sam and Adastra left. Both of them looked at Emala who was also heading towards the lift. She looked a little shaken but otherwise seemed fine. The three of them stepped into the lift and the doors closed.
"You nearly got Sam into trouble there, would you like to share what happened?" Adastra was obviously taking advantage of the enclosed space and the speed of the lift.
"Not really, it was an accident."
"You saw Kate naked?" Sam did not intend to say that but it just blurted out. The memory of seeing Adastra naked in the bathroom was burned into his brain. As was the embarrassment which was quite similar to what Emala looked like.
"Oh, no. No nothing like that." Emala suddenly a bit flustered. "Why would you say that anyway?" The other two lift occupants blushed simultaneously then looked at each other and laughed.
"I can only say that you looked about as embarrassed as I looked." Sam did not disclose who he saw but he thought it was obvious.
"Turn that embarrassment into something good, I would see if she wants to talk." Adastra was obviously giving opposing advice to what Kriana had given the torn expression on Emala's face. At that point the doors opened and the two of them walked around Emala who was seemingly stuck on pause. She stood there until the doors started to close and she then quickly moved out of the lift. She looked down the corridor after exiting the lift to watch Adastra and Sam putting a hand around each others shoulders. "Why do I want to know what happened on the planet?" She said quietly to herself as she sat down on one of the seats to decide what to do next.
-----
"Which room did you take Sam?"
"The double room with the shower. The extra space and private shower swung it for me over the single." With that Adastra looked disappointed which did not evade Sam's attention. "What is wrong with that Adastra?"
"I was using the shower in that room instead of the communal one as, well, you know."
"You can still use it if you wish as long as I am not asleep or using it." Adastra stopped outside her room.
"I appreciate you understanding. Have a good night Sam."
"Night Adastra." Adastra gave Sam a smile before going through the door into her room and Sam shortly thereafter doing the same into his own.
------
Emala yawned as she walked towards her room, deciding it would be best to get some sleep after the difficult evening. She checked Kate's room to see if she would be willing to talk but the door was currently locked. "I will have a chat tomorrow," she mused to herself before she entered her own room.
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Notes.
There are certainly a few interesting points in this chapter. As a warning, the odd section early on will make no sense at all for many chapters. It does have a reason why it is included here though.
We now know where the title of the story comes from, thanks to Adastra's slip-up. Next up is day one on-board the Enlighten.
Reading reviews is always nice whether they are critiquing the story or singing its praises. There is plenty more to come yet so keep checking back for more.
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Marked Effect (AFF Edition)