To say Jack carried a colored past was to border on facetious at best and disingenuous at worst. The man had fought a war on his own home front, seen the very planet he'd spent his youth upon turned into a machine of war, ran from his people's murderers, watched as an unfeeling government used his stolen technology to rocket themselves ever further into power, staged a violent takeover of a space station, and earned a star ship garage through blood and fire.
This, however, this was… a new battle ground that had his skin prickling and his palms sweating… He was unprepared for this, surprised and flabbergasted. Not to mention, perhaps even a little terrified, though he'd never admit it. Here he was, the survivor and dominator of countless firefights and space battles, shaking in his boots because Lix's dad was on the comms.
"Are you insane?" Jack hissed, his eyes frantically swapping between the top of his Kux'lar's head, her father's bemused face, and ensuring they were still on course. "What the fuc- I'm not- you didn't even like, ah… um…"
"Hmmmm…" The older Kux'lar was a dusty tan, the color of his scales fading with age, but his green eyes as sharp as any knife. Claws rubbed the bottom of his jaw as he hemmed and hawed, his daughter fidgeting as she smiled.
"Daaad… be nice."
"I mean," The old lizard began. "He's kinda… punkish lookin'."
"Dad!" Lix buried her muzzle under Jack's chin, hiding the purple blush that pushed between her scales. Jack, on the other hand, laughed. He couldn't help it. He laughed loud and hard, and had his eyes been organic he'd be wiping away a stray tear or two.
"That I can agree with, sir. I ai'n't very pretty to look at. Name's Geoffery but friends call me Jack."
"Akshashtak, ya can call me Aks. Soooo… ya wooed my baby girl, eh?" An embarrassed trill spilled from Lix's maw as she tried harder to phase into her mate's chest.
"Hardly sir, or Aks. She ah… she done sunk 'er claws into me." That brought a warm smile to Akshashtak's muzzle, his eyes falling to his mortified daughter.
"Is that so…"
Thus, began the long explanation of how Jack had met Lix. How she'd come stuttering and tripping into his shop, how she'd denied ever taking him on as crew, her first bowl of noodles- happily interjected by the Kux'lar herself, now well over her shame and animatedly joining the tale. How they'd survived an ambush by rival racers and made it to the Racer's Heart in one piece. How it felt to place so high in the final preliminary race… their blushes betrayed the events after, but Lix helpfully waved it away as the moment she knew she loved the Human.
"It was the best day of my life. Racing like that, finally- actually, pushing my ship to limits and… and um… knowing what l-love feels like. Real love, I mean… from my mate…" Warmth blazed in the raptor's eyes as she turned her gaze away from her father and up into Jack's mechanical orbs. Even through the cold metal she could feel him return her adoration. "Oh and then limping back-"
"In more ways than one, I bet! Geeeheeheehehe!"
"Daddy!"
"Sorry, sorry. Keep goin', this doing my old scales good." So they did, tactfully leaving out their little jaunt to the Last Stop Staryard and instead playing off her ship's new capabilities on gear swiped from the Keelhaulers instead. When finally they'd arrived at the culmination of their story, Aks simply sat back and… smiled. The silence was long but not heavy, not as Lix smiled right back at her father, her paw wandering up to gently touch the screen. "My baby girl… my little hatchling. Look at ya… one day skitterin' about in a cardboard spaceship an' the next taking on gangs and flying through asteroid rings just like ya said ya would. Oh, ya momma would be so proud- is proud. I just know it."
Heat burned in Lix's eyes, her throat clenching, as she choked back a sob and snuggled deeper into her mate's warmth. She really had made it, hadn't she? A great ship, a better crew, a supportive father… What could be better than this? It was hard to think of… well… anything. Not when Jack's sweet, sweet monkey heat was seeping into her scales and spreading like a gentle flame. Only the familiar sound of her father clearing his throat, a sound that had once upon a time had her scrambling to stand front and center, pulled the reptile from her reverie.
"Little scale, why don't ya go an' show your Pa you still know how to make a good coffee? I wanna see stars in Jack's eyes when he drinks it, ya hear?"
"Ngh… Daddy, you just want me gone so you can put him through the ringer."
"Of course!" He chuckled, grinning wide with ivory teeth, just like his daughter did. Or, more accurately, she grinned just like he did. Lix sighed but nodded, leaning to lick the Human's chin and scowl at the scratchy stubble that irritated her tongue.
"Good luck." Slithering like a snake, she left the boys to their rituals and made her way down the lift to the galley. At the very least, she could honor Aks' request and make a bomb ass cup of coffee. Back on the bridge, Jack split his attention between keeping his eyes on their route and looking the old Kux'lar in the eyes. It wasn't a staring contest before a beat down just… a weighing measure. He understood, this was Aks' daughter after all, and he was sitting here poised to take her. Any father worth their salt would do their due diligence.
"Ya know son…" Jack felt a twinge in his chest at the monicker but held his tongue. "If my baby girl had shown me a picture of ya, all blushin' and twitterpated like, I'd have said you look like trouble."
"Hah, I'd agree. If'n I had a daughter I'd keep 'er far away from me."
"So why should I let my Lix anywhere near ya?" Jack sat back, pondering the fair question. There was no accusation in Aks's tone, no anger, only genuine curiosity. Why… should Lix feel safe with him? At any given time there was a chance the council could discover his Sevran status which would paint not just a target on her back, but Skrunkles too. It wasn't uncommon for people to vanish while in dock or to mysteriously become space debris just to keep a secret. More had been done for lesser offenses after all… So what guarantees did he have? What did he bring to the table? That he was… good at killing people before they killed him? That he was nice and under the radar- which wasn't even true? Surely the drones from the Last Stop Staryard had them recorded well. Not that Aks even knew he was an enemy of the state… still… Lix had chose him. There had been resistance to be sure but… in the end, Lix had worn him down and cracked him open like a shellfish.
It had been her choice.
"I don't really know how to answer that in a way that would satisfy a father," Jack said slowly… carefully. "But… Lix dug her claws into me an' didn't let go. I can't really explain it… there's things I used to do that I just… won't now." Jack shrugged, flicking a few switches and pressing several buttons, if only to occupy his racing mind. "She ai'n't changed me… or, naw that ai'n't exactly right… she made me want to be better not for her but for myself. Or… it is for her but me too an'… ah shit-"
"I get it, son." Aks chuckled, waving a claw before he settled on staring at the Human. A weight had been lifted from his eyes. Jack felt as if he'd been judged and found not exceptional yet not wanting either. He was… well, he wasn't sure how Aks felt about him, but the old lizard hadn't told him to stay away from his daughter yet.
Small victories.
"I felt much the same way with Olks, ah, Lix's mother…" A far-off memory danced behind the muted greens of Aks's eyes, the older man drifting away to another time for a moment. "A star she was, shinin' and perfect. Just like her daughter… scales polish the same way an' all that. Now I don't approve… completely… she's gonna want eggs someday, lil' Kux'lar of her own. Ya know it, I know it. An' ya can't give 'em to her. Not naturally. That a point I don't rightly support, ya bein' Human, but… if'n you who my baby chooses I'll hold in my grumbling. At least where she can't hear."
"She uh… mentioned a surgery… or somethin'… I could take to fix that?" Jack started strong yet trailed off weak as Aks shoulders slumped.
"That surgery no joke son. Ahhhh… that's y'alls business." Those same eyes sharpened, fixed back on the Human with a vengeance. "Now, y'all tell me about yaself for a bit."
***
"Hmmmhmmmhm! Doodoodoodadadoo! Super wheaaat!" Lix shook her hips, tapped her paws, and wagged her tail as she watched the dark liquid fall from the single burner in the Gerthtrude's galley into a… less than clean pot. Coffee was something Jack drank a little too much and he made it clear his pot was not to be cleaned often and his mug never cleaned ever. For… some horrid reason. "And vat grown meat! Add a lil' water and then some heat, it's Meelk!" Her dance continued, haunches and hips swinging to and fro in the privacy of the galley where no one could see. Maybe her mate, if he was watching the cameras, which would be fine she supposed. With a final grin to said ceiling mounted camera, and a after giving it a… view… Lix poured two steaming mugs of trash quality coffee, turning her own mug of tar colored life-giving liquid a sandy tan with enough artificial sweetener and creamer as to mutate the beverage into hot chocolate. Jack's only required two creams, no sugar, to enhance the flavor of the roast supposedly. Lix still stood by her claim that all coffee tasted the same, that being of burnt water.
Pausing at the lift, and praying to whatever Gods might listen, Lix tilted her head to present her ear holes to the ominous space above. No shouting, yelling, swearing, stuttering, or yelling… that was a good sign, right? She didn't know much about how males communicated. Wasn't it through grunts and gestures? What more was her papa gonna say besides 'hurt my baby girl and I'll skin ya'? Would they talk about beer? Sports? Grilling? Oh, maybe they'd talk about the races! That'd be neat!
In reality, Lix's heart was a hammerin'. Worry over whether or not her father and mate were getting along ate at her like a ravenous parasite. Family was a package deal for her and she didn't have much family left. Guilt spiked at her, squiggling from her chest down to the base of her tail. Just like calling Aks sooner, she should have made that fact clear to Jack well before they'd bumped nasties in the No Safety Measures, and surely before their second round in the Stripped Bolt. Now, the Human was emotionally committed before she'd laid out all her needs, wants, and desires. That… hadn't been very… mature of her. She'd have to make it up to him, and a perfect cup of coffee was as good a place to start as any.
With renewed confidence, Lix returned to the bridge to find the men in her life conversing quietly yet amicably, to her great relief. That was a good sign, at least.
"Here ya go," She purred, gently handing Jack his steaming mug. Nodding his thanks, the mechanic took a long, quiet sip, smiling his approval. One that was reflected by Aks.
"Good! A mate needs to know how to provide! I hope this walking multi-tool can repay the favor?"
"He cooks like he fixes things." Lix sipped her coffee.
"Oh?" Her father tilted his head.
"Yeah, it tastes like it was bathed in engine oil."
"Oi!" Jack protested, pulling the cheeky Kux'lar into his lap. She didn't resist. "I'll have ya know there's about three things I can cook. Ya just ask me to make shit I ai'n't never heard of."
"Microwaving Meelk doesn't count as cooking, love."
"Yuh-huh. Gettin' the timin' down is crucial. The instructions call for sixty seconds but I'm so good at it, I can swing fifty-eight."
Aks gentle chuckles wafted across the comms like a spring rain, the older Kux'lar shaking his head.
"I'll let you two go, lot's of prep on my end for the big party tomorrow. Good luck, lil' scale. I'll be rootin' for ya! Love ya bunches. And remember, if he dies…"
"Take his shop, I remember the opportunity lesson. Love ya bunches too, daddy!" A goofy smile crossed Lix's muzzle as the comms panel went dark, the sound of her father's dulcet tones replaced by the Gerthtrude's rumbling drive. Stars set the backdrop of the cockpit's viewport as conversation faded to gentle silence. A million candle lights dancing in the black sea of cosmic void uncaring… perhaps… unknowing of the strife and victories, peace and failures of the mortals struggling beneath them. Slowly, like cold molasses, the still growing city connected by space elevators and shuttles slid away, Jack's eyes lingering on the hulking form of the Racer's Heart like smoldering embers. Hate seeded the depths of his pupils, even with the soothing balm of his mate in his lap to ease the burn of past betrayal. Lix knew it wasn't the massive, taunting fuselage or the powerful antimatter engine growling within… Jack's eyes were for the gorgeous announcer living in luxury in her hallowed halls. Lix understood of course… or… she didn't… how could she? The very one who was the cause of your people's downfall and your home being destroyed and conquered, now a household name and a face you could see every day on the holotube? Lix couldn't imagine… Gently, her claws reached to pull his gaze down to her gleaming orbs. "Hey, no thinking about other gals when you're holding me."
It had meant to be a joke but… the ember still burned. It had been there when she'd told him no more chemical grenades… it had been there when he'd slipped them into the Last Stop Staryard… it had been there when Taran had died…
"Sorry… distracti-"
"None of that now. We're a 'Roid Racing crew. Everything you need is right here."
"I can't just forg-"
"Everything you need," Lix pressed her lips to her Human's, humming satisfaction when he returned the gesture. "Is right here. Okay? I'm right here." Jack was silent for a moment, licking his lips to scrape the remaining vestiges of her taste…
"Fine… fine… you're right here."
***
Yulpa wasn't the first planet Jack had ever landed on, but it had been quite some time. Calculating a stable orbit for approach, orbiting the vast orb of green and azure for proper angle… it was all something his navigation computer could do, but actually piloting the fat vessel through atmo was another thing entirely. He didn't even want to think about how much fuel he was burning to keep her aloft… Touch down left the man panting as if he'd gone on a sprint, hastily checking ship systems while his Kux'lar did the same.
"We're all good… ooh… gravity feels weird. It's a bit… eck…" Lix shook her powerful digitigrade legs, hopping on the balls of her paws as she adjusted to the pull of a planet. It wasn't painful per say, just weird.
"Slightly higher than Koorka Station but only just, surprised ya can even feel it." Jack rose with a stretch, watching ground crews fiddle about his ship through the cockpit window. The landing pad was small for the Gerthtrude, her nose hanging over dirt and grass to gaze at massive trees that reached towards the cloudy heavens like the fingers of a titan. Several other landing pads held vessels much smaller, sleeker, and… admittedly sexier. Though, the mechanic would never say as much out loud where the Gerthtrude could hear him. But a dog could bark from the porch, right? Even he recognized some of them. Other pro racers with several leagues under their helmets, ones that wouldn't just give Lix a run for her Roarks, but would push her to the very brink of her skill.
"Come on, come on! Jack, I haven't been planet side since I left home!"
"Me neither."
Lix flinched, sorrow crossing her features as she went to her mate to wrap his torso in a scaly hug.
"Ah, I didn't mean it like that." Jack chuckled, lifting her off the deck for a moment before leading the misty-eyed lizard to the lift. Words died on her tongue as she opened her maw to say… something… but what could one say to ease the loss of another's home? Anything she could say, at least anything that came to mind right now, just felt empty… hollow… Jack's metal hand landing atop her head stole her from her melancholy, forcing a smile across her face that displayed rows of ivory fangs that nipped at his fingers. "Oi! You'll hurt your teeth."
"Then you better not let me get those wriggly digits, huh?"
"How about you focus on keepin' us from lookin' like fools, yeah?" Jack smiled, chuckling as the Kux'lar glued herself to his side, uncaring of who saw. She was never one to play the political game that surrounded the races, more keen on honing her skills instead. Sure, she'd have to expand her horizons soon, but that didn't mean she'd have to hide her love from the galaxy either. Kux'lar's were a proud race, and she was proud of her Human. He was an infamous catch, a real big name from a massive space station and bad boy to boot. Pride swelled in her bosom like a fisherman with a fat catch. Yes, Jack was her Human, her mate, and he could beat up yours. It was childish, to be sure, but she was allowed a little childishness after the week she'd had. Jaws snapped on empty air once more as the Gerthtrude's emotionless announcement system warned them of equalizing pressure. Lix worked her jaws while Jack forced himself to yawn, their respective auditory systems popping as the small airlock hissed and groaned.
"Be advised," The droning voice continued. "To report for your administered immunity boosters during off boarding."
"Thanks Gerthy, lockdown for anyone but Lix an' me." With that, the airlock door laboriously swung on well-oiled hinges to reveal a short yet tired looking man waiting for them. Clutched in his hand were two dull gray jet injectors, both swirling with liquid. Jack grimaced but planet side immuno-boosters weren't anything new. In fact, they were downright necessary if one was to get anything done on a new planet without risking the sniffles. Back when he was drifting after the fall of Sevran, he'd probably taken dozens… Lix held no such reservations, padding forward to offer the man her neck which was wordlessly injected. Jack took his own air gun, pressing the nozzle to his skin himself. Like he was going to let some random guy jam liquid in him like that…
"Welcome Captain Lixistruzsias," The man rasped, retrieving his equipment. His voice was scratchy from use, most likely repeating the incoming speech for more racers and their crews than he cared for. "To Yulpa. This will be the Asteroid Racing Leagues first staging ground for circuit one. Please," Waving a hand, he indicated the nearby steel building guarded by rough looking mercenaries. "Restrict your time to the designated areas as Yulpa's wildlife isn't friendly to visitors. The walkways are clearly marked and travel between habitats is expedited by shuttle. My name is Alonso, and I'd be pleased to answer any questions you have." A practiced smile stretched across Alonso's face, one that didn't reach his tired eyes or even the bags that hung beneath them.
"I have some, yeah." Lix smiled, toothy and wide, in what she hoped looked friendly. "Where is the check in, the main building I suppose?" She pointed with her nose at the nearby facility, its three stories reflecting the overhead sun.
"You are correct madam, check in for all racers is held in the main facility where you can also be assigned a room for tonight and attend a briefing, banquet, and media session tonight while your ships are fueled and prepped."
"The latter won't be necessary." Jack intercepted, crossing his arms. "The No Safety be ready to go, I already took care o' her."
"Of course, sir. I am delighted the Captain chose such a dedicated mechanic." Alonso nodded, once and shallow, in Jack's general direction.
"My crew is allowed use of the facilities, surely?" Lix tilted her head inquisitively, her tail reaching to curl around Jack's calf. "I'd hate to make him sleep in his ship."
"Perish the thought! Though, crew will be respectfully requested to retire from the banquet hall for the duration of the media session."
"Ngh," Consternation filled the Kux'lar, but perhaps it was for the best. Giving Jack a galactic platform where multiple quintillions could possibly hear his… Jackyness… was most likely a recipe for Meelk flavored disaster. Especially considering… if there was a media function, Glorious Angela was most likely going to be present… that was something Lix hadn't prepared for. A swift mental kick had her scowling, something that drew sweat down Alonso's face. Still, it was most lik-… no, it absolutely was for the best to keep Jack as far from the traitorous woman as possible. For more reasons than one, but most importantly, Lix was hoping the man would leave that horrible chapter of his life behind and focus on his new burgeoning love with her. It was a tall ask, and one she'd make many contentions for, but one she'd still ask of him. Hard didn't even begin to describe what it would probably feel like, but he was more than her crew now, Jacky was her mate, and that came with some responsibilities on her part. "Makes sense, I suppose. You've been a great help."
"It is my pleasure." Alonso bowed deeply before hurrying away under the scrutiny of Jack's mechanical eyes.
"Quit glaring," A dull thud rang through the air as Lix whacked the man with her tail. "It's rude."
"Nah. My eyes are picking up more hardware in that guy than a microwave." Lix chortled at that, not surprised in the least.
"Quit staring at other men's hardware, still… I bet most of the servants are sporting some state of the art implants…" The duo trailed off as the Kux'lar strode forward and took a breath, on that stretched her chest. Releasing the air with a shudder and a wiggle, Lix dipped her head and once again inhaled. This was air. Real air, not some recycled oxygen scrubbed by machines and filtered through who knew what. No, this was good old Oh-Two and nitrogen and who knew what else! From trees and plants and bushes and probably phytoplankton in the oceans! This was real and thick and heavy and she could feel it move around her.
"Ah, yeah. Ai'n't nothin' quite like atmo." Jack joined her, breathing in deep, as if pulling a surrounding bubble into his lungs. It felt full, as if going from frozen dinners to a real cooked meal. Filling and satisfying and refreshing. Both felt lightheaded and woozy, their blood injected with hyper concentrated oxygen and their hearts pumping with new vigor. Jack had nearly forgotten what it had felt like.
Lix however, never forgot the sensation. How the air felt around her, on her scales… how it whirled around her tail when she whipped the appendage back and forth. Taking a third deep breath, the Kux'lar reared her scaly head back and roared. A screech heard for a mile, Lix pushed the air away like a physical being, her maw split in a wide, happy grin as her mind felt as if it were floating.
This felt good, so so good. She didn't care if there were some fools relaxing somewhere now wondering who just died, she felt great!
"Has ya communion wit' the spirits been successful?" Jack asked, crossing his arms with a shit eating grin. It was amusing to watch the Kux'lar's antics. Amusing and… kinda hot.
"It has," Lix said, bopping her haunches to a beat only she could hear. "And they said we're gonna win tomorrow. Top seven- no, five! Heck, anything past thirty-third place gets us to the next circuit but who wants to be all the way back there?"
"Someone who's new to the League?" Jack lowered his head and rolled his fists in what was probably the worst jig Yulpa had ever seen, but it was behind his mate who was apparently having a mental episode, so the man hardly gave a damn. Lix cut hard, sashaying her hips so as to come up beside the boogying Human. Eventually their dance led them past the ambivalent guards and into the facility proper where a laughing Lix leaned upon her Human to enjoy the sights within. Servants of every shape and size scurried to and fro about a massive open concept foyer carrying trays of refreshments and finger foods while crews mingled about their racers. Numbering the standard forty teams, Lix felt stars dance in her eyes as she recognized idols from her childhood. Of course, there was the twenty new qualifiers, but scattered among them were twenty returning champions from previous Leagues, here to test the mettle of the new generation and challenge- no, dare them to knock them from their pedestal. Many were the very same faces she'd met in the lounge aboard the Racer's Heart before the preliminary race, while others were opponents she had flown against during said race.
The stars dancing in the 'Roid Racer's eyes burst into supernovas as she laid them upon a tall Human woman in a tight-fitting yellow flight suit, the number eight emblazoned across the back.
Helena Navonich…
Lix's paws were on the move before she even knew what she was doing, before she knew what she was going to say! That is… until she stepped on someone's discarded trash.
Oh wait, it was just Mo'Ona.
"Ack, L-Lix!" The little rat, lizard, bug man hopped on one paw as he shook the pain from the other, smiling up happily at his partner in crime. "Goods to sees yous!" A sound somewhere between a scoff, a disgusted hack, and a reluctantly happy sigh caught in Lix's throat as the Hux threw himself around her leg, hugging tight. "Skrunkles was worrieds youds got caughts by that lawyers. Ews."
"Nah, Jack fast talked him while I got the No Safety out… or… more like slow talked him."
"Geehee… Jack goods with his words."
"Are we talkin' about the same Jack?"
"Ohs!" Skrunkles leaned around Lix's scaly ankle with an eager smile, one that sparked a flame of protective jealousy in the raptor he was holding onto. "Where is Jacks?"
"He's righ-… here…" Jack was not right here, nor was he over there, or anywhere Lix could see as she turned a circle, taking the confused Hux with her all the while. What she did see, was Glorious Angela upon a raised platform at the end of the room with a microphone in her dainty hand.
"Fuck."
***
Jack was a man who had made many choices in life, and abandoning his significant other wasn't… one he was unfamiliar with. The moment he'd seen Glorious Angela, and felt the raging heat of murder boiling beneath his skin, he'd decided an expeditious retreat was the best course of action. The guards didn't notice his absconding path from the facility, they may have been rough looking but they were lacking in skill, nor his winding path into the supposedly deadly forest. It didn't matter, in fact a vicious beast to put down might be just what his temper needed. Dancing with Lix had been supposed to be just the silly and pointless thing to balm the festering desire to snap the damn traitor's neck, a boiling need he'd felt ever since he'd laid eyes on the Racer's Heart, but it had helped none. No, it had been best to make tracks.
Lix would understand.
Surely…
Instead, Yulpa would provide the solace he craved. Wind and fresh air and a cool breeze…
It reminded him of home, of Sevran. It, too, had been host to towering trees and expansive forests, only the leaves had been ferns instead of pines, but still… Jack hadn't felt dirt crunch under boot since he'd been forced to flee. No, every planet he'd been to after had been hyper industrialized metal cityscapes… he hadn't felt sand or the bark of a tree or the grasping branches of a bush or… or the wind through the branches… he'd realized…
It sounded like ocean waves…
Sighing, Jack twirled and bodily flopped back into the reaching grass, letting his woes pull him down like a lead weight… like his alloy arms… They felt weightless, at least upon his shoulder anchors. No, they bore a different heft. Jack hated them. Hated them like he hated his old customers and the upstarts down in the Vents. He hated them like he hated the Council and their feckless goons that flocked to them by the tens of thousands to work for an extra Roark than the rest of them and then act like it made them better than everyone else. Hated them like the Racer's Heart and Glorious Angela who lived safe and content and fed within its halls.
The bitch, she'd traded a hard war with the potential for independence for a gilded cage swathed in silk.
Sighing, Jack turned his fake eyes to the canopy… to the rays of sunlight piercing the leaves like a God's sewing needle… his ears to the waves that crashed through the gently bending boughs and the chitter of the supposedly deadly critters far off in the deeper woods. Beneath him, his mechanical fingers dug into the loam, sifting deeper in search of moist soil to bury his nails into- something to feel, that cool sensation of dirt and water that would encompass his fingertips and leave dark streaks across his pants when he cleaned them of the forest floor's muck…
He couldn't feel a thing…
Jack hated his arms…
Jack hated them…
Keep going, love the direction this is going.
I have faith in ya ;)
Oh wait, it was just Mo'Ona.
...
Sad.
...
The ending's tight as well. Also, yes; Jack should get an upgrade to his cybernetics, get some nerve endings.