A New Mass Effect Fic: Sound of Silence

Sound of Silence is another Saren/Nihlus story from the time just before The Candidate. It tells about Saren’s days of loneliness aboard the Virial after driving Nihlus away in an outburst of anger.

I wrote this a long time ago, but the feeling that it’s unfinished kept plaguing me, making me go back and question each scene, each word, a thousand times. I wanted it to be perfect, to speak perfectly in Saren’s voice, the voice I hear so clearly in your writing, dear MA, but know I can never reproduce. This one is entirely for you: both inspired by and dedicated to.

Image: Anjian @ DeviantArt

The Guide

When I look up at the night sky–
Well, there are trees, of course.  Mountains and clouds
And city lights
It’s not ideal.
But I can pretend I see, say, Vega, from the sidewalk just across the street–
And dozens of other nameless stars–
Nameless to me, I mean.
I have no doubt you could call them to you
If you wanted, you could call them to you like cats
Each name a warm and furry picture in your mind
(False color, if you were feeling frivolous.)
And they would answer, meekly, a purr or plaintive meow
As they twined their silken tails around your feet.

Continue reading The Guide