Starlight

"What do you suppose they're getting up to out there?"

"Judging by the condition it's always in after their adventures, probably crashing the Nomad into various objects in spectacular fashion."

"You should see the look on Gil's face when they come back from something really exciting, the poor man."

"Oh, I have, and I have never been more thankful for perfect memory."

A soft laugh, and a pause. "Any word on when they might be back? Even after Meridian, Voeld is still frigid and it worries me when she's out there too long."

No response.

"Kallo? Oh!"

Suvi jumped at the sudden sensation of freezing hands on the back of her exposed neck, closely followed by an indignant "Sara!"

Sara Ryder chuckled and mercifully slid her hands down to Suvi's more padded shoulders. "Did you miss me already?" she teased, kissing the top of her head. "Grab some warm clothes and meet me in the bay, I wanna show you something."

Before Suvi could splutter out anything that would undoubtedly only embarrass herself, Sara was gone. A lingering thought told Suvi that Sara had probably planned it that way so she could come off as aloof and mysterious and really get her attention, and it was only mildly annoying how well it had worked.

"You two seriously need to find somewhere else to do… the things you two do. I prefer my bridge to be professional," Kallo sighed.

"Technically," Suvi began as she pushed herself out of her seat, "this is the Pathfinder's ship, so it's actually her bridge."

Kallo glared at her all the way out the door.

Carefully climbing down the ladder (Sara had tried to teach her how to slide down once, but one fall and dramatically heroic catch later she had decided that it was probably best to err on the side of caution), Suvi spared a quick glance upwards at "Pathfinder's Quarters" as the door automatically opened for her. Peebee had taken it upon herself to add "and Suvi's" in a bright red scrawl next to the lettering, complete with a heart dotting the "i" once it became clear that Suvi was not spending her nights in the normal crew's quarters anymore. The change naturally brought about some good-natured teasing from the rest of the crew, but the Pathfinder herself expressed that Peebee's addition was adorable and demanded that Kallo and Gil entered it into the official record of the ship's modifications during a particularly alcoholic crew dinner.

Suvi continued into the expansive room with an uncontainable smile as that memory replayed itself in her mind. Ending up at their shared wardrobe tucked away in the corner, she briefly considered her options before grabbing and donning the closest jacket and scarf, as well as a cyan beanie emblazoned with a small Ai logo that she had become very fond of after Sara pointed out how well it matched her eyes. Using a nearby mirror as reference, she pulled it on in her preferred style; just enough so that the tips of her flaming hair were still sticking out, and took a minute to look herself over.

"Doctor Anwar," SAM's robotic voice soon called out from its terminal across the room, "the Pathfinder has requested me to inform you that she desires your immediate presence in the loading bay."

"She does, does she? Were those her exact words?"

If Suvi believed that AI could hesitate, she could've sworn that SAM did by the smallest fraction of a second.

"No. Her exact words were: 'SAM, tell that minxy little Scot to stop fooling around and get her butt down here now.'"

Suvi let out a breathy laugh. "Right. On my way."

Maybe if Sara could help herself from running around the Tempest like a nutter she wouldn't feel so rushed all the time, Suvi thought as she made the short walk to the bay. She could see Sara through the observation glass, still in her armor but unarmed and looking like she was ready to run a marathon with how she was bouncing on her heels.

"Ready?" Sara asked with a bright smile as soon as the automatic door opened. However, her eyes narrowed and her head tilted slightly to the side as she regarded Suvi more closely. "Are those my clothes?"

Suvi raised an eyebrow before looking down at the blacked-out jacket and contrasting white scarf she had hastily picked out. "Oh! Whoops, I must've grabbed them on accident when I was looking around, sorry."

"Don't be, you look really cute."

"You're sweet," Suvi blushed. "So, what is it you wanted me to see?"

"Up for a walk? It's not far outside the outpost."

Suvi nodded, and Sara punched the button to open the loading ramp.

"Ryder, stop hitting that so hard!" Gil shouted from the upper deck, distracted from his conversation with Drack. "It works the same if you just press it like a normal person!"

"But my way makes it feel so much more dramatic!" Sara countered cheerily as a blast of icy air hit her exposed face. Suvi shuddered next to her.

"She's got a point, kid," Drack chuckled to Gil, who grimaced at both of them but held his tongue.

"Ready?" Sara asked again, looking back at Suvi.

"I hope this won't take too long, I'm freezing already," Suvi moaned.

Sara laughed and stuck out her hand, which Suvi gladly took. "I'd offer you my jacket but you already beat me to that. Don't worry, it'll be quick, and SAM loves giving me temperature updates so we can turn back if it starts getting bad."

Without further ado, Sara led her down the ramp and onto the snow and ice of Voeld. The sun was just beginning to set behind a far-off mountain range, leaving traces of pink and orange to glisten on the snow and streak through the sky. The cold even felt almost tolerable once they got out from under the Tempest's long shadow.

"What'd you get up to today?" Sara asked as she led the way through the outpost.

"Still trying to put together some theories on what Meridian did, exactly. New data comes in every day from the outposts, it's almost overwhelming how massive its effect was. There's still so much more out there to find, it's amazing."

"What's your favorite part about all of it?"

"There's so many things here that I never could have imagined, it's hard to pick!" Suvi said, her eyes alight with wonder. "The planets, their landscapes, Meridian's technology, the Angara's culture, even the Scourge is fascinating in its own way."

"Well, I'm mildly insulted," Sara faux-pouted.

"What?" Suvi asked, looking at her blankly. The implication hit her a second later. "Oh, you," she smiled, nudging Sara's shoulder with her own. "Stop teasing, you know how important you are to me."

"As long as you're kissing me more than you're kissing rocks, I'm happy."

"Oh aren't you funny," Suvi giggled despite herself. "Maybe if my lips weren't frozen I'd show you right now how much I could kiss you."

Sara's eyes went wide. "I'm remembering that for later. SAM, make sure I remember that!" Suvi laughed in earnest, and moved a half-step closer to Ryder as they continued outside the outpost. Sara seemed to be leading them to what looked like a large, hilly rock formation with a flat, plateaued top.

"It's right up there," Sara said, pointing at the top of the formation once they reached its base. "We could climb, or…."

Suvi looked up, considering the option. It was only about twenty feet to the top, but the rock was icy and very steep. "Or what?" she asked, noticing Sara had trailed off.

Something hit the back of her legs and shoulders and frigid wind was suddenly whipping across her face. She let out a surprised shriek as she ascended through the twilight air thanks to Sara's jump-jets and the bridal carry she currently had her in, instinctively clutching around her neck for support and hanging on for dear life.

"Or that," Sara finished smugly as she landed gently at the top of the plateau.

"You…!" Suvi spluttered, relaxing her grip around her neck but not letting go. Sara only smiled down at her, making a clear effort to hold back laughter. Instead, it was Suvi who broke down into a fit of giggles. "You really know how to get a girl excited, don't you?"

"I like to think it is one of my many talents, Doctor Anwar," Sara said smoothly. Suvi's breath was hot on her face as they gazed at one another, and were her own lips not horribly chapped she would've leaned down and kissed her right there. By the look on her face, Suvi was thinking the exact same thing.

After a long moment spent lost in each other, Sara finally broke eye contact and quirked her head upwards, wordlessly telling Suvi to look. And look she did.

Her jaw dropped.

In front of them was a vast field of icy blue, crystalline flowers sprouting through the snow and ice of the plateau. The orange glow of the setting sun cast its light perfectly through each glassy petal, imprinting the flower's image onto the snow below it and creating a maze of beauty on the untouched snow. It was like looking at stained glass from the churches back home, except they were two million light-years away and nature was the sculptor.

Suvi gently slipped out of Sara's arms and took a couple of steps forward. "Oh my gosh, Sara. It's so beautiful… I don't know what to say."

"I suppose this might help with your Meridian theories," Sara joked, moving up to be next to Suvi before adopting a more serious tone. "You spend so much time on the ship analyzing all the data that comes in, which I know you like, but I worry that you're not seeing enough of the other side of it – the real beauty like this – that our new home has to show us. So I wanted to-"

She was silenced by Suvi's finger on her lips.

"Love… this is perfect."

She leaned forward to kiss her Pathfinder. Both of their lips were chapped and numb, and it was sloppy because they couldn't feel a thing, but so raw and passionate that neither of them cared.

Sara was the first to break away, but they kept hugging for more reasons that just sharing warmth. "So was it worth the cold?"

Suvi's eyes darkened as she donned a confident grin. "Absolutely."

Sara gulped. What she would give to be back in their room with the door locked right now….

She would have to settle, at least for now. "I have SAM's full scans of the flowers for later, for a bit of light reading. I thought the analysis could use more of a human touch, and it seemed right up your alley."

"Perfect," Suvi repeated, her eyes still twinkling and not moving from their gaze on her.

Sara bit her lip. "So, let's, uh, head back. Right now."

Taking care to step over the pieces of armor and clothing that had been less-than-ceremoniously removed immediately after their return to their shared room, Sara, now in a loose tank top and shorts, dabbed at her hair with a towel.

"We really need to get our own shower installed in here. Peebee was in there with me and kept giving me that look."

Suvi, relaxing on her side in bed and now wearing shorts and a t-shirt embroidered with a paw print in place of a heart for the phrase I (heart) dogs, barely looked up from her datapad. "If you weren't so loud then she might have less of an idea of what we were doing."

A light blush crept up Sara's cheeks. "Well, maybe if you weren't so good I wouldn't have to be."

Suvi looked up at her and winked. "Not a chance, love."

Sara's laugh was quickly overtaken by a yawn as she threw away her towel and crawled in next to Suvi, snuggling her head comfortably into her chest. "I'm exhausted."

"Thank you," Suvi said with a faint grin.

Sara laughed again. "I think I'm rubbing off on you." She paused as Suvi looked down at her with a growing smile. "Don't say it, too easy."

Suvi giggled breathily as she looked back at her datapad, which was currently displaying the chemical composition of the crystal flowers. "Tonight was amazing, all of it. Thank you for taking me out there and showing me everything."

"Anytime," Sara responded faintly. "Goodnight, Suvi."

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Suvi whispered, kissing her still-damp hair.

A while later, with an arm wrapped around Sara's back and the soft sensation of her steady breath upon her chest, Suvi finally shut off her datapad for the night with a yawn. Her mind was still swimming with everything she had learned, but drowsiness was finally getting the better of her. She absently stroked Sara's hair and kissed it a few more times, silently thanking God for bringing them together.

However, ever the academic, one more question popped into her that she wanted answered before cuddling up to Sara for the night.

"SAM," she whispered, hoping not to wake her partner.

Thankfully, it appeared that the AI had tact programmed in there somewhere, as it replied just as quietly. "Yes, Doctor Anwar?"

"Is Sara dreaming right now?"

"Her current neurological patterns indicate that she is."

"Can you tell what it's about through her implant?"

"Yes."

"So? What is it?" Suvi asked eagerly.

"You."