Planet Zar: Nexus

⦿ This universe was fascinating. Spemomac had never seen such diversity despite all their long years traversing outposts in the fringes of the Terminus System. The busiest sectors of the Citadel itself were drab streams of tedium compared to the utter chaos of the Nexus. Despite leaving behind their home (countless children and lovers, now lost to time and distance), Spemomac bristled with euphoric joy.This was what they'd always wanted to experience.

⦿ Docking Sails Between Stars in Zar's orbit had been a simple choice. Between the planet itself, its many habitable moons, and the pair of space stations that rivaled any colony Spemomac had overseen, the location offered plenty of opportunities for the travelers that had accompanied Spemomac. The Sails Between Stars remained large enough to house anyone who wished to remain onboard, outfitted for that exact purpose, but those that wanted to make their living elsewhere had a plethora of choices.

⦿ And it offered Spemomac the opportunity to explore and experience without travelling too far from their own duties. They ached to see what the rest of this strange new universe contained, but people relied on them, and their entry into the Nexus was still so fresh. Patience, for now.

⦿ Some exploring couldn't be avoided, though.

⦿ "You don't go anywhere without Miros." Iselexon bristled angry deep-purple, stretching their tentacles to their full height.

⦿ Spemomac glimmered amused pink. "Does this one ever?"

⦿ Miros, for his part, remained quiet - but smiling - only a few feet off, pretending to admire the outward hull of the "Furoxi", a small transport vessel.

⦿ "This one would much rather you take a full security detail-"

⦿ "That hardly seems diplomatic."

⦿ "But this one understands that you're a stubborn rockfish that won't."

⦿ Spemomac waved a tentacle dismissively. "Miros can handle it."

⦿ "Miros can handle a few krogan with a grudge, but this one would like to remind their abhorrent sibling that dragons appear to be many orders of magnitude larger than a krogan."

⦿ "More like a thresher maw," added Miros, gaze fixed on the ship.

⦿ "This one has faith you could handle a thresher maw, little shadow," said Spemomac, purely for the joy of seeing Iselexon's body light up with rage and indignation.

⦿ Miros, always willing to play along, added. "Perhaps a small one." He flipped his knitting needles from his back pocket and mimed a stabbing motion.

⦿ Iselexon bloomed with furious flashes of red-black light, sputtering.

⦿ "Syl'Neriss seems to be a largely peaceful planet and this one is ready for a quiet island getaway," said Spemomac. "Paperwork can be terribly taxing."

⦿ "The Luran ocean looked beautiful in the vids," said Miros, finally turning to join the siblings, knitting needles tucked away and hands politely clasped behind his back. "Lantessama Isle in particular has lots of beaches."

⦿ Iselexon bristled. "This one isn't unintelligent. Lantessama is where the dragons are. Spemomac, if you return with a dragon this one will be-"

⦿ "Participating fully in Nexus culture and improving diplomatic relationships," said Spemomac, glimmering delight.

⦿ Miros' smile didn't waver, but a tightness tugged the corner of his eyes, his position shifted to rigid formality. Did Miros also disapprove of the thought of a dragon? Spemomac tamped down the mote of worry, it wouldn't do to let Iselexon know anything was untoward. They'd speak once they were in private.

⦿ "Now boarding transport vessel 'Furoxi', headed to Syl'Neriss!" an announcement garbled over the intercomms.

⦿ Iselexon slunk forward and rested a heavy tentacle on Spemomac's body, their bioluminesence stuttering between concern and fondness. Spemomac glittered back, hopeful and humorous, and glided away with Miros a faithful shadow at their side. Iselexon would always be overprotective and Spemomac would always do what they pleased, to the end of both their days.

⦿ Lantessama was as beautiful as the vids promised, lush and green with miles of welcoming, soft beaches. Miros forewent his boots in favor of curling his toes in the warm sand, admiring the rolling blue of quiet oceans. It was much different than Kahje, and not only because the land here was organic and green rather than silver spires of artificial metal encasing the delicate drell population like a gilded cage. The sun kissed his skin with golden embrace. Miros closed his eyes and leaned into it.

⦿ It was almost pleasure enough to make him pretend he could forget.

⦿ Why did Spemomac need a dragon when they had him? They're connection make not have been telepathic and Miros' abilities were limited to the mundane, but Miros was there, always. Had he not proven his loyalty? His love? Was the worry of Miros' mortality spurring Spemomac to search for a replacement while Miros was still there? All the options made his heart ache and his throat close like Kepral's. Spemomac had been fascinated with dragons the moment they met one. Indefinable by their variation, but with little exception capable of forming a telepathic bond. A companion for life to share one's thoughts with, forever and always.

⦿ Miros couldn't compete with that.

⦿ "What's wrong, my boy?"

⦿ Miros opened his eyes to the sight of Spemomac hovering over him, their body glittering yellow pinpricks of concern. The beach was empty apart from tiny winged lizards, so Spemomac had dropped the formal third-person vocab of their race.

⦿ "Why would something be wrong?"

⦿ "You've been positively moping since I mentioned Syl'Neriss."Spemomac cupped his cheek. "You've never been jealous before."

⦿ Miros ducked his head, heart hammering. "I'm not jealous of anything."

⦿ "You most certainly are, Little Shadow, and we should discuss it."

⦿ Miros wanted to ask a thousand questions, burst out his anger and his fear, then crawl back inside himself to nurse his wounds. But he did none of those things because it wasn't his place, and despite his own hurt, Miros loathed the thought of causing Spemomac distress.

⦿ "You're not being replaced," said Spemomac, echoing the sentiment with vociferous bioluminescence. "Just as I have enough love in me for you and Iselexon and all my many children, I have enough to share with a dragon. What are you afraid of?"

⦿ Miros didn't know, which was half the issue. Spemomac had lovers and romances that followed them for decades, family ties with unbreakable bonds, children they would lay their life down for. And Miros, bound by the compact, and something entirely different from all those relationships. And perhaps that was the problem, the uniqueness of their bond.

⦿ "What if you don't need me anymore, once you have a dragon?" Miros stared at the sand, unwilling to see the emotions lighting up Spemomac's body. "Someone that could follow you into places I can't?"

⦿ "And you'd remain capable of following me into places wholly inaccessible to any dragon. I will always need you, Little Shadow, and I will always love you. What have I done to make you doubt me?"

⦿ The words pierced Miros worse than any bullet. He sprang to his feet and closed the distance between them, stretching his hands up to reach Spemomac's belly. "I don't doubt you, I could never."

⦿ But he did, or he wouldn't be so worried about Spemomac standing for a clutch. This was the most terrified he'd been since Rough Tide and these feelings were worthless. Spemomac was undeserving of them. Miros wanted to ball them up and toss them into the sea, turn it into driftwood and send it far away from them.

⦿ "I think I've made you far too reliant on me for company," said Spemomac. "Perhaps we should look into finding an appropriate clutch for you to stand at as well."

⦿ Miros hadn't even considered the possibility. His duty would always be to Spemomac and raising a dragon would take considerable time and attention, but... but there was appeal to that. Of sharing his mind with someone else, a constant companion even if they weren't physically near. Could Miros love a dragon bond and Spemomac as fiercely as he needed to?

⦿ He would never, ever be lonely again, if he had one.

⦿ "But perhaps not this particular clutch," said Spemomac, brightly. "It's distinctly aquatic in nature and that won't suit you."

⦿ Miros already took enough risks exposing himself to moisture and Kepral's. "No, maybe not."

⦿ "Something more capable of fighting, perhaps. A partner to help you keep me safe."

⦿ "This clutch isn't?" Almost every dragon Miros had seen had been huge, armed with teeth and claws and wings and atrocious amounts of spikes. With breath weapons capable of redning flesh from his bones without ever closing the distance between them. Something like that working security on Spemomac would be fantastic.

⦿ What sort of dragon didn't have an arsenal of weapons?

⦿ "Oh, certainly not," said Spemomac, finally turning back to the ocean with a pleased twinkle. "Coral dragons appear much more attuned to loving and caring than fighting."

⦿ Miros scrambled to follow Spemomac, snatching up his boots as he went. "I thought they could get quite large? Isn't that what the dossier says?"

⦿ Spemomac brimmed with joy. "Size doesn't indicate fighting ability, Little Shadow, you should know that. I hope you don't mind taking on an extra charge to protect."

⦿ Miros ducked his head, letting a smile tug at his lips. "Of course not."

⦿ Maybe this would be just fine after all.