Love and War

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"I swear to even the Asari goddess that when I get out of here, that lizard Kandros will wish I was an exile for what I'm gonna do to him!" Quinn Talos raged as she was unceremoniously shoved into a holding cell on the operations deck. The dark haired woman paced for time, thinking it was would all be straightened out once Tann got wind of what Kandros had done. She should have known better. As far as she believed, human's still weren't exactly favourites of the other alien species. On earth Quinn had an excellent service record within the Alliance, just as most members of her family did, but she had wanted more. She wanted to explore, to see things no human ever had, which was why she signed up for a place on the Andromeda Initiative. The only problem was, she wasn't the pathfinder, and her superiors didn't believe in security personal leaving the Nexus. As well as she performed her job, the call sign 'Cutie', thanks to her unfortunate initials, meant she wasn't exactly taken seriously. Quinn was slumped on the floor with her back against the wall now, glaring at the Turian guard outside the forcefield. She had fought her hardest for the safety of everyone on the Nexus, and this was her reward; being called a traitor and about to be dumped on some godforsaken planet with the rest of the exile scum. All because Kandros feared losing what little power he had to her. The asshole can keep it, she thought bitterly.

"Argh! Why does everyone think that?!" Quinn shouted, throwing her arms up in frustration. "I don't give a shit about his goddamn job!"

"Nothing is certain, Maggie." Kandros replied quietly. "Not now there is a kett right here. You say he wanted her to run away with him, but how do we know that? It could all be a part of his plan to get himself brought right here."

Kesh said nothing more. She turned and walked away, leaving Quinn alone with her thoughts. 

"I don't think so...you see...he rescued us from the Archon in the first place. And the way he talked to my sister...looked at her when he thought no one saw. You should talk to him yourself." Maggie all but pleaded, wondering why she was acting this way over a kett.

Every time she thought she could sink no lower, Quinn felt like the universe took that as a challenge. Not only was she once again locked up, she couldn't help Maggie, and now she had gotten a possibly innocent alien caught up in all this.

Kandros sighed heavily before finally nodding in agreement. "You truly believe he has feelings for your sister? I never thought anyone was quite foolish enough for that. But fine, I'll speak with the alien."

Maggie came to sit outside her sister's cell. She sat quietly, her hands folded in her lap. "We need to talk."

Tyros was trying not to hate the aliens who were hurting him. He tried to remind himself that these people were afraid like he was. He closed his eyes, whispering a prayer that had been in a dark part of his mind for a while. He brought it up whenever he was in pain. "Kilihira..." He breathed. He wished he knew who that was...

"About what?" Quinn asked without looking up from where she was lay down on the floor of her cell. It sounded like the headstrong young soldier had finally given up.

"That another alien female you tried to seduce?" Kandros asked as he approached the kett prisoner and heard him whisper something that sounded like a name. The turian soldier had never really paid much attention to the beliefs of other species.

"The kett that was chasing you around like a lovesick pyjack...who is he?" Maggie asked. 

"Seduce?" Tyros asked turning his head toward the turian now towering over him.

"Lovesick? I think you're seeing things." Quinn replied, again not sitting up. "That brainless idiot kidnapped me when I was trying to evade some lowlife in Kardara port."

"It has been brought to my attention that you think yourself and the human you were with are going to run away together." Kandrow replied thinly. "Or was that just your cover to get yourself brought onto the station?"

"Really?!" Maggie sounded beyond relieved. "Oh thank god. Now we can tell everyone and this whole mess can be fixed. They'll kill him and you can come back and all is solved. How lucky can we get!"

"I think nothing. She brought me here in trade." Tyros said, baring his teeth at the alien.

Quinn did finally sit up, her lavender eyes filled with horror when her sister proclaimed this. "Kill him?! That's what they're planning to do?!"

"So you simply stared at her like a lovesick boy and allowed yourself to be captured?" Kandros snorted. "You poor fool, that girl is trouble. All your infatuation has gotten you is a death sentence. And, for the record, she will be joining you. I can't run the risk of her pulling something like this again."

"He's kett, Quinn. What did you think was going to happen? Kandros isn't going to just let him go." Maggie said sadly.

"What?! You bastard! This wasn't her fault! I kidnapped her! She fought me all the way!" Tyros roared, fighting his restrains for the first time in days.

"Your boyfriend is the cause of all of this!" Quinn suddenly roared. "He was probably the one who attacked our shuttle in the first place!" She added.

"Ah, yes... Fought you, is that what we're calling it now?" Kandros purred. "Sorry, but you don't know her like I do. Quinn Talos does not simply 'get kidnapped', you were no more than a pawn in her game."

"Quinn calm down. You know Kandros wouldn't do that. Why are you getting so upset? It's just a worthless kett."

"We are done. I've told you the truth, alien. There is nothing more to say. Your human is innocent. I kidnapped the two woman to bring home to my people. The broken one to study...the other to exhault. Do what you must. We are done here."

"Wouldn't do that? you mean like he wouldn't make false accusations against me to get me exiled, just to permanently get into you pants?" Quinn asked coolly. "Face it, princess, he isn't the charmer you think he is."

"Indeed." Kandros agreed. "Don't worry, I'll make certain you have a first class view of Quinn's execution as a kett collaborator."

Maggie could feel her chest getting tight. She was fighting to keep her cool and remain level headed about this but there were so many people telling her different things, she no longer knew what to believe. "Quinn...please...Kandros Is good...so are you...i don't know what's happening..." She gasped out.

"You hurt her and I swear by Kalihira herself that I will end you and everyone you love." Tyros snarled, flexing his claws toward Kandros. "I will make you wish you were dead long before I send you to meet the goddess."

"Kandros is a self centred asshole." Quinn corrected. "I never would have come between you, and I never wanted his job. Not that it matters... He is so terrified of losing what he has, he can't see it's already too late." she breathed. "You agree with him, don't you? You think Tyros should be put to death, simply for being kett." Quinn didn't realise it was possibly the first time she had referred to Tyros by name since being brought back tot he Nexus.

Kandros smirked slightly in amusement. "The kett have a goddess?" He mused. "No matter, blind devotion to a woman you hardly know will not spare either of you."

"You didn't see the way Kandros looked when I found him on that ship. What those kett had done to him." Maggie whispered, remembering that night all too clearly. "He nearly died in agony and I doubt he was the only one that did. I can't imagine losing him. They deserve their fate...all of them..." 

"It will certainly not spare that little blonde. I hope her death brings you great pain. I can hasten it if you like...your scent...it was all over her..." tyros snarled.

"I never thought i would be ashamed to call you my sister." Quinn finally breathed, genuine sorrow in her lavender eyes. "You will condemn a man to death not for his actions, but those of his species. I think you should go now, I've got nothing more to say to you." The younger girl lay down once more, this time turning her back to the front of her cell.

"From in there? I hardly think so." Kandros sneered, blissfully unaware that death was no longer needed to keep the sisters apart. "The humans have a curious tradition of granting condemned prisoners a last request. But we are not human, so any chance you had to save her is gone."

"You been ashamed of me since you were born and probably hated me longer." Maggie whispered, getting up and leaving the cell block. It would be a long time before anyone saw her again. Kandros would find her breathing mask but not his lover.

"We shall see." Tyros hissed, still baring his teeth. "Be in your way Now, turian. Your problems are only just beginning."

Quinn screamed at the top of her lungs once Maggie had left, tossing around what few objects were in the cell with her. She loathed Kandros more than she thought possible in that moment. She blamed him for everything, and in her death Maggie would be the one to suffer without her vaccine.

"Enjoy your last moments, kett. It wont be long before I will have my vengeance, and I do so hope you suffer long before death finds you." Kandros purred as he walked away.

Though it caused her body to burn and her lungs to collapse, Maggie ran. She didn't know where she was going or if she would ever get there. The truth of his her sister felt about her had finally hit her head on. Images of their childhood. The way her sister had often looked at her. Her father had just said it was Quinn, her sullen nature. She'd never dreamed it was because the younger girl hated her. 
Maggie was lost now, unable to get past the truth. Everything she'd known was a lie. And if that was true then that meant...Everything She knew now must be too. What a fool she was. Why hadn't they let her die when she'd asked them to? Why keep her alive when no one wanted her?

Tyros watched the turian as he walked away, already snapping his wrists and slipping them out of the restraints. He had to fix this. He had to give Quinn he freedom like he promised.

Maggie was found by one of the asari medical staff on her way to the airlock. The sapphire skinned alien gasped when she stumbled across the human barely able to catch her breath. "Child, whatever is the matter?" She breathed, gently helping Maggie to sit against the wall whilst simultaneously scanning her for any obvious injury.

Quinn was sat amongst the mess she had made of her cell, staring down at her bloodies knuckles from where she had taken to simply punching the wall. Physical pain was always a welcome relief from her secret heartache of being no more than a lab rat.

"H4769." Maggie gasped out. "Her mother had told her that one day she'd have to tell someone the disease code and severity. And when she did... "Stage 4." Her back hurt. Her lungs had stopped working altogether. It wouldn't be long now. 

"Kandros!" The new second in command was running as fast as he could, his gun already drawn. It didn't seem to matter to the turian that he was causing a panic. "The kett disappeared!"

The asari's pale blue eyes grew wide, instantly understanding how bad this truly was. She was quickly on the comm requesting assistance once she had the patient through the airlock. "It's going to be okay." She assured Maggie once she had regained her composure. "I came here for a challenge, and it would seem you found me." She added, hoping to keep Maggie focused as she hoisted the younger woman to her feet.

"What do you mean 'disappeared'? I was just there, he was restrained!" Kandros insisted. "A hostile alien cannot simply DISAPPEAR!"

"No..no..." Maggie shook her head. "Let me go...only contagious after death... I will take care of it...space..." She fought the woman as best she could. Doing a terrible job. "DNR."

"He stood in the center of the room like he was praying and then just disappeared." The turian showed his superior the vid. 
Tyros did exactly that, once again whispering a prayer to Kalihira before the lights flickered and he was gone from the room.

"Then I had better not let you die, don't you agree?" The asari replied gently. "I can't have you crossing to another galaxy just to die, now can I?"

"Kalihira..." Kandros echoed that word. "He was breathing that name when I spoke to him. Why does it feel like I should know what it means?"

"Yes...die..." Maggie's lips were turning blue and the fight was leaving her. "No one...wants me..."

"That's the drell goddess of the sea I believe." The turian answered. "Weird that a kett would know it. I heard Shepherd's drell assassin prayed to her before he would kill someone."

The asari had dragged Maggie through the airlock and was helping the medical staff waiting on the other side load her onto a stretcher. "Do not let her go!" She barked. "The second she stops breathing we can do nothing further, do you hear me?!" Clearly the doctor was not giving up without a fight.

Assassin. The word suddenly filled Kandros with dread as he recalled one vital part of his conversation with the prisoner. "Maggie..." Suddenly he was sprinting through the hallway in search of his lover.

Maggie dreamed of the night she found Kandros. She hasn't been sick then. She'd been fairly well. Shed left her sister and the others behind and followed a strange trail of blue blood. 
That's when she'd found him, the turian who'd begged her to kill him. "Why would I do that? You're going to be a hero soon. A brave and amazing hero. Don't you want that?"

Tyros appeared outside Quinn's cell, slamming together the heads of the guards who stood there. "We need to go." He said without looking at the woman behind the mass effect field. "Now."

"What do you mean she's not stable?" Kandros's voice was booming through the med bay, shouting at the doctors to wake Maggie up.
"Please, she's been kept off her meds for too long, it's a miracle she's even alive!" The asari told Kandros firmly. "Your shouting wont help anything!"

Quinn was on her feet, watching Tyros through the field. "You should run, while you can." She told him in a soft tone that was rare for her.

"Get away from me, filthy human!" Kandros had shouted. He'd tried clawing at her, snarling and threatening to take her to the spirits with him. Maggie had laughed at him and pulled him to his feet as best she could. "Are your spirits as handsome as you? I might want to take you up on that."

"Where am I going to go?" Tyros asked her. "And what is a cookie? There are many things I want to ask you. But I cannot do it if you are in there."