Chapter Text
PROLOGUE – Chapter 1
2152 - Alliance science team investigating a Prothean city on the inhabited planet of Antibaar.
“Amanda, you need rest. You can’t stay down here all night,” Brad said tiredly. Every night he had to remind her to sleep. He didn’t know why he did it; he wasn’t getting paid to babysit her, after all. His only job was to protect the team while they excavated the prothean ruins. He worked for the Alliance, however, and so he was forced to argue with the most stubborn woman he’d ever met. Some days he wanted to strangle her and others he wanted to kick her ass.
“We need to get these tests done as they have to be shipped out tomorrow. And I have to get things ready for the meeting in the morning,” Amanda muttered, glaring at Brad. She still didn’t understand why the Alliance insisted that the soldier accompany them on this mission. She had a good team and they were dedicated to their jobs. They hadn’t found any of the dangers the Alliance had been concerned about, and therefore she had no use for Brad.
“Dr. Shepard, I insist that you return to the camp,” Brad ordered, making sure his voice was cold and commanding. This woman annoyed him like no other. She never listened to him and thought she was his boss. He couldn’t say much, however, since she was in charge of the dig site.
“That’s not happening until I am done here,” she snarled, turning her back to the man. She took another scan of the stasis pod they’d located in the ruins earlier in the day. She couldn’t believe the results that she was receiving. It made no sense. In fact, it should be impossible. Her scans indicated that there was a living prothean inside the stasis pod, but that race had been extinct for nearly 50,000 years.
She dodged the incoming hand that made to grab her arm. Without thinking she turned into Brad and brought up her fist; connecting squarely with his nose. “I am staying and that is final!” she bit out coldly. Her eyes narrowed into lethal slits, clearly warning him not to push his luck.
“Fine. I’ll leave you here on your own and head back to the camp,” he growled before storming away. He gave her one last scowl and glanced at the pod with a shake of his head. He couldn’t believe the gall of the woman. She was impossible.
She released a sigh of relief when he departed. She finally had the silence she needed to concentrate on her work. She wanted all her readings to be done before the day crew returned in the morning for their shift. Besides, she was far too excited to go to bed at this point. She knew she would only pace her room, wanting to return as soon as she could. She once more gaped at the readings. A living prothean… It just didn’t seem possible. She couldn’t wait to release the being from the stasis pod and inform the Alliance of their miraculous find. She didn’t care about the fame. The knowledge they would receive from the prothean was the only reward that mattered. She couldn’t wait to learn from the ancient race and share with them all that she knew, as well.
~ooooooooooooo~
The explosion still rang in her ears and her head hurt. She lay on the ground where she had been thrown and looked around desperately. Her team lay dead not far away. Brad’s sightless eyes were open wide. Blood trickled from his mouth, making her skin crawl. She still couldn’t determine what had gone wrong. Her team had been deciding what to do with that stasis pod when a loud explosion shook the room. Rocks fell from the roof and people screamed in fear and pain. The rumbling settled, and her dead teammates lay all around her. She and the stasis pod were the only things that remained unharmed. She wondered if they’d tripped some kind of protection device in the ruins or if they had been the victims of sabotage. She didn’t know and it scared her. Just the thought that it could have been sabotage made her ire rise.
She stared at that pod, still wondering how she’d survived. She didn’t understand how it was possible; the explosion should have taken her life. Instead she now lay on the ground, staring stupidly at the pod. The lid was broken and a gaping hole had developed in the case. She could see the prothean and fear ran through her. Elation soon followed - a living, breathing prothean lay right in front of her. His face was still frozen from the prolonged stasis. She wondered if he would live, and what would happen if he did.
She was trapped on this planet. She was pretty sure that the explosion had ruined their communications console. She rose from the ground and slowly approached the stasis pod, kneeling down beside it. She lightly touched the prothean and a rapid series of images began spinning through her mind. As she struggled to make sense of the pictures, the world around her slowly faded to black…
Amanda’s eyes slowly opened, her skin flushed with warmth for the first time since she’d arrive on Antibaar. She warily glanced around, noticing that this area of the ruins wasn’t as dilapidated as the location in which they’d found the pod. Her senses came alert when she felt movement nearby and she glanced around nervously. Fear raced through her as she realized that she had no gun with which to protect herself.
She swallowed thickly as the sounds of movement came closer. She gazed up into the eyes of the prothean. He had four eyes, with two pupils in each, and he was staring down at her intently. His clothing seemed more comfortable than functional, and showed no signs of being armored. She couldn’t look away from his direct stare. He seemed to be viewing her very soul. She wasn’t sure what to do or if she was safe with this alien. While the Alliance had a rudimentary understanding of prothean technology, most of their culture remained a mystery.
“Lay still,” he ordered. “Your mind is still healing, trying to process the images it saw.” His voice was deep with a duel-toned, gravelly quality. She swallowed once more, this time for a very different reason. That voice washed over her, soothing her.
“What happened?” she asked quietly.
“It seems that your mind is not developed enough to handle the thought processes of the prothean people. You are still a primitive race,” he answered, his voice thick with superiority. Her eyes narrowed, the tone of his voice irritating her.
“Then it was your job as the superior race to figure that out before trying to lobotomize my brain,” Amanda replied disdainfully.
“I was not the one touching a strange alien while he was comatose,” the stranger stated.
“How is it that I understand you?” Amanda asked in awe. “I was certain that the protheans had their own language.”
“We do, but we have ways to understand your primitive language,” he said with a smirk. She scowled at him and let out a frustrated growl.
She watched as his eyes widened. Something like mirth covered his features for a moment before falling once more behind a stoic mask. Slowly she sat up, her eyes never leaving the alien’s. “So, since we are stuck here, what do I call you?” Amanda asked, trying to keep the uncertainty out of her voice.
“I am known as Aaran. I am a Prothean High Councilor. At least I once was. I take it that I am the only one who survived the Reaper attack in the stasis pods?” he asked, sadness entering his eyes as he gazed around at the crumbling buildings. The knowledge that there were no other survivors was apparent in his eyes. She didn’t need to answer - he already knew.
“What do you mean by the Reaper attack?” Amanda asked, watching him curiously. She had never heard of the Reapers. She hoped she never met them, herself. If they could wipe out the protheans then they could easily destroy her own people.
“They are a species that lives within dark space,” Aaran explained. “They invade our worlds every 50,000 years and eradicate all advanced life. Our seat of power was the first to be attacked. Those on the Citadel had no warning when they came. To my knowledge we had understanding that this could happen. A new Council was quickly set up – my predecessors. They were hidden here. As the first century following the invasion passed, I took my place among the Council as High Councilor. We had a full population here - scientists, warriors, artists, and many more. Antibaar was one the last places of refuge for my people. Eden Prime was the very last. During my time the bunker on Eden Prime was finally completed. I’m not sure what happened there. I was sent into stasis before we heard any news.” His face a mask of sadness, he turned and walked away.
Amanda had a very hard time swallowing what she had just been told, but it didn’t matter. They needed to find a way off this planet, back to civilization. All races would need to meet this alien. She needed to get him out of here and to a science lab where the proper people could question him. If he was as high standing within his people as he indicated, they could learn a lot from him. Maybe all their questions would be answered.
~oooooooooo~
Six months passed and they still didn’t have a signal strong enough to contact any nearby ships. She learnt a lot about prothean culture and she liked none of it. As far as she was concerned they were bullies. She wasn’t sure what to make of the man with whom she shared her days. He seemed so sure of himself and his superiority complex drove her insane most of the time. She didn’t know how many times they argued, or how often he would speak in his native language just to piss her off. She was beginning to understand why his people were now extinct.
She couldn’t understand why he purposely tried to piss her off. When he watched her, it reminded her of a predator watching its prey. She found that amusing. She should have been scared, but she wasn’t. She couldn’t explain why she wasn’t nor was she going to dwell on it.
Aaran’s people, she discovered, were warriors, trained at a young age to fight. It didn’t matter what position they held in life, they still needed to know how to fight. She found that out when he took her hunting for food. It wasn’t a long trip; even with the primitive weapon he made, he’d quickly killed and skinned the food. She saw the animals he killed and worried about the area they had made their home. What if these creatures were the smallest versions of the native wildlife? She didn’t want to find out if they came in bigger sizes; at least not first hand. She was a scientist, not a warrior. She’d never held or fired a gun and that wasn’t about to change. But it didn’t matter. He could do the hunting.
~oooooooooooooooo~
Another month went by with no contact. The radio had been working for a couple of weeks, but it seemed that no one was listening. During their time together, Amanda discovered the reason that Aaran taunted her so frequently. His actions were part of the prothean courting rituals. He liked to say that he needed to rebuild his race and she was the only female near enough to participate. She didn’t think it was even possible, but her mind screamed at her to take him up on the offer. She thought about it a few times, but never did anything to instigate a confrontation. She wanted him – there was no denying it. His dominating mannerisms exuded a raw sexuality. He challenged her, calling to a primitive part of her psyche. The only thing keeping her away was his insistence that they reproduce. That part she didn’t want.
They’d been alone for several months when she finally accepted his offer. After all, he had been celibate for nearly fifty thousand years, and she was desperately attracted to him. She didn’t see anything wrong with bedding him, though she knew they would never have a long-term relationship.
The night started like any other, with a furious argument. In the heat of the moment, she lost her temper and struck him. As soon as her fist hit home she regretted it; not because of his reaction, but because she’d lost control and attacked another living being. His reaction wasn’t what she expected. He growled low in his throat and began stalking her move for move. His actions called to a primitive part of her body that most humans hadn’t tapped into for thousands of years. They stalked each other, matching step for step. Then flesh met flesh, her mouth seeking his. His hands were on her body, reading her desire for him. They came together roughly; a heated mixture of teeth and nails that left no room for finesse. Their bodies did the talking and they allowed it. She hadn’t thought it would be possible with their physical differences. Never had she been happier to be wrong.
That night she discovered the joy of primal urges. She didn’t hold back - she clawed, bit and screamed her pleasure. He touched something deep within her, something no one had ever touched before. She couldn’t tear her gaze from his as she met him thrust for thrust. Her back bowed when she felt him reach his own peak. His eyes never left hers, even as he lost himself to his own pleasure. They stayed that way for a long time, locked together in a blissful embrace.
He didn’t say a word as they moved apart. She was surprised when he took a seat beside her as she lay on her bed, almost like he was guarding her. Lightly she reached out and touched his lower back, curious to see if this area was as hard as most of his body. It wasn’t. It was leathery and supple. She was startled when she heard him begin to softly purr. Hesitantly she looked up and saw that he was watching her intently.
She sat up slowly, unsure of how he’d react to her actions. His customs were so different from that of humans. They were more primal, like that of the turian race.
His purring grew louder as she rested her head against his hard shoulder. She wished that she could make the same sounds to show her pleasure, but humans weren’t made for that. Then she realized that he already knew. She was touching him, so he knew everything that she was thinking. That fact helped her relax, but it also made her blush. Her thoughts were turning toward their recent activities - wanting more.
~oooooooooooooooo~
Another month went by without any contact from the Alliance. She was beginning to get concerned. She no longer wanted the scientists to get their hands on Aaran. They’d become lovers. Every night they would go to bed and allow their desires to rule them. Against all better judgment, she knew she was falling in love with him. It seemed so impossible – the man of her dreams turned out to be an alien from an ancient race.
She stared up at the now familiar sky, waiting for her lover to come back. Her gaze snapped to the radio as it crackled for a moment. Then she heard the first human voice she’d encountered in many months. Fear and elation filled her as she rushed to the radio.
“Amanda Shepard, is that you?” It took her only a moment to recognize the caller. It was the pilot that originally flew them to the planet.
“Yes, where are you?” she asked hastily.
“Three days out. Picking you up at our original coordinates,” he told her. She didn’t even know how to get there from her current location. She had been unconscious when Aaran moved her from the site of the explosion.
“Roger that. See you in three days’ time,” she said before cutting the communication. Now fear had her in its grip. What was she supposed to do with Aaran?
~oooooooooooooo~
In the end it didn’t matter. Aaran had taken her to the landing coordinates, but he lost his life in the process. A thresher maw broke through the crust of the ground, blocking their path. Aaran ran toward it, giving her time to get away. She ran, trying to keep them in sight. She watched in horror as the thresher maw snagged him in its mouth. He didn’t scream, and she saw a flash of silver as he took his own life. She turned away as the gigantic beast swallowed him. It was over.
She reached the landing zone as the shuttled landed. With sad eyes she told them what happened to the team, and about the thresher maw. She saw the sympathy in their eyes as they loaded her onboard the shuttle. She didn’t tell them about Aaran, or the seven months they’d shared.
She leaned her head against the cold metal of the shuttle as they flew away. She couldn’t bring herself to look at the disappearing planet. As far as anyone knew, the mission was a failure. But it gave her a new perspective on life and something to hold onto - a memory that she would never forget.
~ooooooooooooooo~
8 months later
She smiled down at the small girl in her arms. She had vibrant green eyes, with midnight black hair and dark skin. The child watched her intently, reminding Amanda of the man who was her father. She looked nothing like him and none of the things she loved about him where there. She looked like most of humanity and no one would ever know that she was the offspring of a prothean and a human.
But she knew that was a lie. There was something of Aaran within her child. She could touch her daughter’s bare skin and flashes of images would come to her; not as potent as Aaron’s, but still strong enough that it was disorienting. They said she was a unique human - gifted. The doctors suggested that she be sent to a specialized school when she was four or five years of age. There was no way she was going to allow that.
A few weeks later Amanda handed in her resignation to the Alliance and left earth for another destination far away. Somewhere she could start fresh, where her daughter wouldn’t be in danger. She stared at the bundle in her arms and smiled. “You are special, my Aaran,” she whispered softly as she boarded the ship that would take her to Mindoir.