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.

Kandros moved around his desk and crouched in front of Maggie, gently taking ehr face out of her hands. "I'm scared too." He confessed to her softly. "Last night... I remember telling the asari I wasn't interested, and that is all, I swear. I love you, human... All I ever wanted was to be with you, no matter the cost."

"You're the monster here, not him!" Quinn hissed, trying to shove Ardwin roughly, though she was still rather weak and it didn't exactly do much.

Maggie wanted to believe him, she truly did. Gingerly she reached out and touched his face. She didn't want to lose him. She loved him. She had since shed first seen him on that kett ship. "Then...dont hide me anymore." She whispered. "I never hid you and I never will."

"Your first job is to act as my date." Ardwin said darkly. "There's a party for for our kind tonight and you are going to be my plus one."

"I never wanted to." Kandros breathed, placing a hand over Maggie's to keep her palm against his cheek. "I just never wanted people whispering about you, about the poor turian you took pity on."

Quinn looked horrified, though did her best to hide it. Attending formal events when she was a part of the alliance had been hell. "Fine." She replied, like it was no big deal. "But I sure hope it isn't a formal party." She added, folding her arms across her chest with an almost triumphant smile, knowing the clothes she was wearing were rather dirty now and burnt in places from the pod crash.

"The poor protector of the Nexus?" Maggie asked him with a timid smile. It would take them a while to get past the night night before but it looked like they were on the way. 

"Oh don't worry. My tailor is coming to measure you for the dress you are going to wear and yes. It is a formal event." Ardwin said with a wicked grin. "It's an auction as a matter of fact."

Kandros smiled sadly and shook his head. "I'm no protector. It took you, and though I hate to admit it, your sister's team, to come rescue me. A protector should never need rescuing."

"Dress?!" Quinn balked at the idea of seeing herself in a dress, certain she would make a fool of herself. Her lavender eyes seemed to be darting about the room, assessing the situation when Ardwin mentioned the auction. She had yet to see Tyros, and the idea of this auction was making her blood run cold.

"You have been on many kett ships since then. You've saved hundreds of lives including mine. All you needed was a kick in the pants. I think that's why you keep me around." Maggie said with a sheepish grin.
Just outside the door the asari turned away and spoke to Tann in her comm. "The girl handled stress well. Can't say the same for the turian. On to the next field test then?"

"Come on then. Stop being lazy. Get up. It's going to be a big day for you." Ardwin said, suddenly extremely cheerful.

"Please don't forgive me." Kandros truly did look the more pitiful of the two. Though he could not remember doing anything with the asari, he still believed he had, and that in itself made him a horrible person.

"I highly doubt anyone will care what I'm wearing." Quinn muttered sullenly as the door opened with the arrival of Ardwin's tailor. "Surely you can get some vapid female to go with you, why does it have to be me?!"

"I'm not going to. If you want me back, Tiran Kandros, you're going to have to romance me. And everyone on this station will know it. I refuse to be a secret anymore. Are we clear?" Maggie said firmly.

"Because you're going to marry me at the auction tonight. And marriages require a dress. Wouldn't you say?" Ardwin said triumphantly.

Finally, Kandros was able to smile as he looked up at Maggie from where he still knelt before her. "Absolutely." He agreed, feeling this was hardly a punishment.

If possible, Quinn actually went a few shades paler with this news. The young woman was quick to push her disgust down, knowing there were countless women in Kadara desperate for this chance. She would simply go along with it until Ardwin got bored and she could break Tyros free. Quinn had decided this was all just some grand scheme to try and humiliate her. It wasn't going to work. "Marriages also require the bride to have guests, wouldn't you agree?" She asked with a false and sickly sweet smile.

"Good luck to you. Sir." Maggie said as she got to her feet and left his office, heading home early that day before he could make a request of her. 

"Who are you going to invite? Your kett friend? Your pathetic sister?" Ardwin mocked. "Don't make me laugh. You don't have anyone to care about You, girl."

Kandros was still smiling, even though he sat on the floor of his office. He continued to smile as he headed home for the day, deciding he would watch some human romance vids, after all... he had never had to romance a human before.

"And yet..." Quinn's lavender eyes danced with challenge as she glared up at Ardwin. "You are desperate to marry me." She finished.

The next few days were fairly quiet. She settled into a routine that she liked. She and Kesh spent alot of time on the phone, giggling like school girls and Drak teased her. She was glad to have finally found a friend besides her sister. She seemed to have gained independence and it truly made her blossom. There were many men who had begun to notice her.

"Because I know it would have pissed your father off on some level. Not because he cared about you but because he hated me." Ardwin chuckled.

Kandros seemed rather cheerful, all things considered. He didn't suspect Tann had been up to anything at all, all he knew was that Maggie didn't hate his guts and she had even given him the chance to do things right. That afternoon he happened upon her and Kesh eating lunch. "Well... That doesn't look appetising." He commented with as smirk when he saw what Maggie was eating. "Does all human food look like that?" He teased.

That right there. That was the part in all of this that hurt the most. "If you want to piss him off, Maggie is the one you should be marrying." She snapped.

"Actually this is a pyjack stew I made for kesh. Its good for Turians too if you'd like some, commander Kandros." Maggie said with a warm smile. She pushed a bowl toward him and kesh pretended to snarl. 
"You don't know how good this is." 

"I plan to work my way to her. Never fear." Ardwin nodded at this. I promised to ruin your father. Dead or alive."

Kandros wasn't exactly known for trying new things when it came to food. "I...uh... Already ate." He managed to blurt. "But maybe next time, huh?" He added with a smile.

"Good luck getting onto the Nexus, asshole." Quinn sneered, her mask of indifference back in place. Just get the sham wedding over with. The Boshtet has to sleep sometime. She told herself silently. Then find Tyros.

Maggie tried her hardest not to look disappointed, tucking the bowl back into the bag she'd brought. "It's ok. Kesh doesn't like it either." She whispered. 

"Actually, she'll come to me. I have nothing to worry about there. You on the other hand." Ardwin said with a laugh.

It was too late, Kandros had seen that look, and reached for Maggie's bag. Neglecting to ask her permission he pulled the bowl back out and pulled the lid off. A moment later he was wolfing down the stew right where he stood. The commander was soon howling and hopping from foot to foot having not paused to think the stew may actually still be piping hot.

"Trust me, I would never willingly come to you if my life depended on it." Quinn snorted.

Maggie got to her feet, feeling more humiliated than ever. She grabbed her glass and held it out to her former lover, apologizing softly.

"You're doing it now, aren't you?" Ardwin reminded her. He stepped around her as the tailor worked. He was clearly enjoying every second of this.

Kanfros drained the whole glass, then rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry... It really was good, I just... Didn't think it would still be so hot." He replied, his burnt tongue making him talk a little strangely, which was probably amusing Kesh no end.

"I hardly think blackmail makes someone a willing participant." Quinn snapped, flinching a little when the tailor prodded her slightly.

Kesh was on the floor, kicking her feet and laughing so hard her sides hurt. 
Maggie stood beside her, tucking strands of her behind her ears. She was blushing deeply. "I'm sorry." She breathed.

"It does when your pet's life is on the line." Ardwin said patting the tailor on the shoulder. "Now stay calm or he'll stab you and that fabric is rather expensive..."

"For what? I shouldn't have been so eager." Kandros replied, blissfully unaware he was even talking differently. The commander glanced down at Kesh, wondering what was so funny. ""Huh... guess it's a girl thing..." He mused out loud.

Quinn was still holding Ardwin's gaze when she purposefully squirmed, causing the tailor to slice into the fabric with the laser tool he was using. She then proceeded to once again smile sweetly.

At this even Maggie broke down, dissolving into helpless giggles. The two women clung to each other, nearly crying as they laughed at Kandros. It didn't seem to matter that they were not the same species.
They had no idea that not far away Tann was watching the whole thing with a hateful sneer.

Ardwin simply smiled, waiting a few moments before touching his omni tool. The growl of anger and pain from the next room was unmistakable. "I can play that game too." The merc purred.

"What? What did I say?" Kandros asked innocently, though he was trying his best not to smile to, glad that Maggie sounded so happy. "Wait,I have something on my suit, don't I?" He added, stunning round and round trying to see the back of his uniform.

"Enough!" Quinn shouted, stepping away from the tailor to grab Ardwin's arm and pull on it to keep him from touching his mini tool again. "You win... I'll do whatever you want." She whispered.

Maggie's laughter had several people stopping to look, smiles on their faces. The little blonde was gasping for breath now but in a good way. 

"You're kidding right?" Ardwin stared down at the slender fingers holding tightly to his arm. "You've really got something for that kett don't you?"

Kandros stopping spinning round when he realised he was what Maggie was laughing at. "Oh sure, make fun of the commander, underling." He remarked with a playful smirk.

"What? No!" Quinn insisted, her wide lavender eyes staring up at Ardwin. "I owe him my life, that's all."

Maggie finally managed to catch her breath, falling back in her chair. "What am I going to do with you, sir?" She asked him.
"We need to lock him up before he hurts himself...worse." Kesh said, bringing on a fresh set of snickers from the two of them.

"No one owes a kett their life." Ardwin scoffed. "Don't get to fool me girl."

"Oh I agree." Kandros confirmed. "Perhaps Miss Talos should take me away and punish me?" He suggested with a playful wink.

"I don't care what you believe, it doesn't change the fact that it's the truth." Quinn replied firmly. "What does it matter to you anyway?" She couldn't forget the kiss Tyros had stolen from her, or more correctly, the things she has seen in the brief moment's their lips met.

"If only I knew you better." Maggie said with a playful sigh of her own. "If you two will excuse me...I have to complete a physical so I can join the investigation team..." the slender blonde got to her feet and hugged Kesh, pausing in front of Kandros. "Sorry about the food..."

"It matters because it's the way it's disgusting." Ardwin snapped. "Your mother was disgusting. So in love with Quarians. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that you and your sister are somehow part...makes me want to throw up just thinking it..." he added with a sneer.

Kandros could still feel the distance between them, but tried his best to smile at Maggie any way. "Maybe I could take you out for dinner tonight? To make up for my idiot behaviour?"

"Well now, why marry someone who physically disgusts you?" Quinn shot back. "And for another thing, even if Maggie and I were part quarian, that would mean your revenge against the man you think is our father is pointless." Quinn didn't exactly feel the need to defend her mother, after all, the elder woman had sat by and allowed the experiments on her youngest child.

"I'd like that." Maggie said, glancing at Kesh. The krogan gave her a nod and smiled. "When will you pick me up?"

"Which father do you think I'm talking about?" Ardwin askedreaching out to slide his fingers down the front of her gown.