Chapter 1: Sunrise

Stormbreaker Bay, Silver Coast, Thessia

The sun broke the horizon over the dark salt expanse of the ocean, a bright promise of a new day.

Elana stifled a yawn with her fist as she glowered at the sudden, inconsiderate cheer of the ochre-stained sky. She resented being out of bed so early, resented being banished to the ass-end of the estate to sit a watch over a gate that no one ever used, resented that her mother had forced her into this chore. "Just because the galaxy thinks she's some big hero doesn't mean she gets to order us around!" Elana had exploded at her mother when given the news of her new employment. "You're a matriarch, for Athame's sake!" But her mother, ever the slave to protocol and tradition, had capitulated meekly to the barely adult "Head of the House," Elana's bossy, overbearing youngest cousin, and so here she was, sentenced to this slow death of sentry duty on the coast gate in the name of 'learning the ropes on basic security protocols.'

"It's high time you started learning what it takes to run an estate," her mother had sniffed unsympathetically. "You could learn a great deal from your cousin's example."

Immersed in her sulk as she sipped at her lukewarm tea, it took Elana a few moments to realise the sensor net had tripped, and that the red light on the haptic interface flickering annoyingly in her peripheral vision was in fact an incoming ship warning. Fit of pique banished by a rush of adrenaline, she hauled herself upright in her chair and began running scans.

Systems Alliance Kodiak short-range shuttle, registry classified, the computer informed her. A landing craft from a larger vessel in orbit. The IFF registered as non-hostile, although the ident codes were shielded by myriad layers of encryption. Frowning, Elana hit the hail frequency, but the measured, patterned static of secure comms was her only response, aside from a landing clearance code a week out of date. Probably not a threat, then, but still...

Cursing, the maiden activated the defence force fields, keyed open the armoury locker, and retrieved a shotgun, a basic model that nonetheless was powerful and reliable. Priming the clip, she left the gate post and advanced cautiously toward the landing pad, where she could already see the small spacecraft beginning its landing cycle.

The livery wasn't one she recognized, not one of the Terminus merc bands, the silver and black of Omega, or the white, black and red of her cousin's private information broking firm. The shuttle was white, with a broad royal blue horizontal stripe trimmed with sky blue on its starboard side. It bore no registry number, and no insignia. Barely had it closed to within six feet of touchdown than the hatch was already swinging open, and a lone figure dropped from the still-hovering deck to the pale concrete of the landing pad. The figure, shadowed by the sun behind them, turned back to the shuttle hatch, caught the bag tossed out after them, raised a hand in salute, and the little craft began to lift again without having even set landing gear on the ground.

Elana hefted her shotgun as the figure approached, picking out details as she rounded the bend in the path from the gatehouse. Their visitor was a human female, tall and well proportioned, with a curtain of neatly kept deep red hair falling to her jawline. She was wearing a black leather jacket with reinforced shoulders and elbows, a black shirt, and khaki combat trousers with heavy black combat boots. A tactical holster strapped to her right leg carried a Phalanx heavy pistol. Her gait was balanced and economical, with the lethal grace that marked the few commandos Elana's cousin had managed to secure the services of for the estate. This human was dangerous, Elana was suddenly sure. Popping the safety and aiming the shotgun at the centre of the human's chest as she'd been taught, she tried to project confidence into her voice. "That's close enough, human. What do you want?"

The human arched one eyebrow at the challenge, then set the bag down and raised her hands slowly. "Good morning," she offered in a pleasant, husky contralto. "My name's Rachel. I was told by Dr. T'Soni that this landing pad was seldom used, and I didn't want to draw any attention to my arrival."

Elana lowered her shotgun fractionally. "Oh. You're one of Liara's agents?"

The human's expression quirked into an odd smile that lit up the green of her eyes. "I work with Dr. T'Soni, yes," she agreed. "She's expecting me."

"We'll see about that. I'll need your sidearm," Elana informed her, gesturing with the shotgun for emphasis. The human nodded carefully, pulling the pistol and handing it over butt first. "Good." She activated her omni-tool. "Now, I'll need a handshake from your omni-tool to log you onto our security network."

The human complied without complaint, and Elana confirmed she had the biometric data logged and submitted it to be synched to the house network. "All right, that's fine. The Chief will run a full identity check when we get to the house. I'll escort you in now. Come with me, please."

They walked along the path back toward the headland in silence. When they reached the gatehouse on the cliff top, the alien female turned to look out over the expanse of the ocean rolling toward the towering quartzite cliffs that gave this stretch of coastline its name. The rising sun struck sparkles on the waves and the rocks, making the whole vista shimmer with dancing silver. "Beautiful view," the human remarked laconically.

"The Silver Coast has long been considered one of Thessia's greatest natural treasures," Elana informed her guest stiffly as she deactivated the force field.

"I can see why," the human nodded. "Those cliffs are really something. Christ, they go down forever. Nice place to have your country retreat."

"Stormbreaker Bay was the original seat of House T'Soni. My family have lived here for generations," Elana admitted, then she scowled as she realised she'd said too much. This human could be anyone. If she was lying about being one of Liara's agents, if she was here to cause trouble, Elana had just pointed out her own value as a hostage. Swinging the shotgun back up, she jerked her head at the alien. "Move along. We don't have time to dawdle."

The human shrugged and resumed walking two paces in front of Elana, bag slung over her shoulder, free hand shoved into her pocket. They followed the path up over the low rise of the headland, the house and formal gardens coming into view as they crested the small hill. The human stopped again, mouth dropping open slightly at the size of the house, or possibly, at the dozens of tents arrayed neatly across the carefully tended lawns. "Jesus, this place is huge!" she exclaimed. "She never let on," the human added cryptically as she turned to Elana. "Those tents - they're for refugees?"

"Yes," Elana confirmed. "When the Reapers came, many people fled the cities, hoping to find refuge where there were fewer towns and villages. We're far from any city here, but word gets around, and since the day of the victory, more and more people have found their way to the estate, seeking food and shelter. We do what we can, but the house is no longer big enough to accommodate them all. When winter comes, I don't know what we're going to do."

"Do you have everything you need?" the human asked, and Elana could hear genuine concern in the question. This human definitely wasn't like most of Liara's agents.

"We could always use more food, more medicine," Elana admitted. "The supply networks aren't getting us enough to cater for everyone adequately. Everyone's eating for now, but there's no buffer. If the next shipment doesn't arrive, we'll all be going hungry."

"Maybe we can do something about that," the human murmured softly. Elana frowned at her.

"I don't see how it's your concern. Come on, I need to take you to the Chief."

Elana let her charge lead the way into the entrance foyer, the human staring wide-eyed at the grand, marble-sheathed reception area with its sweeping double staircase and the immense chandelier falling in curtains of crystal droplets from the high ceiling. "Woah," the woman breathed, after letting out a long, low whistle that echoed off the polished walls.

"Where in the name of Athame's sacred azure have you been?" The gravelly voice boomed from the far corner of the room, loaded with exasperation, and Elana cringed as Matriarch Aethyta strode out into the reception hall with Captain Shiala at her heel. Opening her mouth to defend her actions in bringing the agent to the house, the young asari looked accusingly at the human, and forgot what she wanted to say as the alien female laughed, setting her bag down before starting forward with open arms, not at all intimidated by the Matriarch's wrath.

"I got tied up on Palaven for a few days longer than I wanted. And I did call ahead to say so."

Aethyta swept the human into a rough hug. "Yeah? Well, whatever message you sent didn't get through. She's been insufferable for the past week. You need to get up there and get all uncivilized. And I'd think of a better excuse than that if I were you - admitting you're late because you went drinking with Vakarian will probably get you a lashing, and not the kinky kind you might enjoy either."

A faint blush coloured the human's cheeks at Aethyta's comments, and Elana grinned at the innuendo, but the human's voice was level and controlled as she replied. "It happens to be the truth. It's a long story. Besides, Garrus is on Rannoch building the great dextro-lifeform love-nest with Tali. And there was only one drinking session involved, but I can't exactly turn down invitations from Primarch Victus, now can I?" She cocked her head to regard the green-skinned security chief. "Is she really mad, Shiala, or is Daddy here just getting her kicks for the day?"

The battle-scarred commando captain chuckled. "No, she's not really mad. Worried, perhaps, but communications here are always patchy, and she's used to better. She's been working long hours, late into the night, trying to improve things for the refugees we've taken in. And being separated from one's bondmate is always unsettling - she's not used to that either."

The human shivered slightly. "Yeah, tell me about it. OK, clearly I have work to do - where is she?"

Aethyta pointed up the left side of the main staircase. "First floor, left hand side are her personal apartments. As far as I know the biometric recognition should be primed." The matriarch grinned lecherously. "Bedroom's the last door on the right. And I know the walls are soundproofed - best investment in home improvement Benezia and I ever made."

The human winked at Aethyta as she retrieved her belongings, then she skirted around the two older asari and started up the left-hand staircase two at a time. "Wow," Aethyta leered, "someone's got it bad. And hey, Rachel?"

The human halted at the top of the stairs, shoulders tensed with sudden frustration. "What, Aethyta?"

"Welcome home, babe."

"Thanks." Rachel looked back down at Elana. "By the way, Shiala, you might want to teach the kid there about the need for backup, and, more importantly, how to carry a shotgun. I'm amazed we made it up to the house without me being perforated. Now, if you'll excuse me," she grinned a lopsided, insouciant grin, "duty calls..." And with that, she was gone through the doors into Liara's personal apartment.

"Who the hell does that human think she is?" Elana snarled hotly, affronted by the assessment of her skills. She might not be a commando, but she knew how to use a shotgun well enough. "I don't care if she's Liara's lover, she can't…" she trailed off in horror, staring at Aethyta in disbelief as the human's identity fell into place in her mind. "Oh Goddess."

Aethyta snorted with contemptuous amusement. "There we go. Took you long enough. Yes, Elana, that human thinks she's Commander Shepard, Saviour of the Galaxy, Council Spectre, and general all-round kick-ass war hero, so if she's of the opinion that you need to work on your shotgun skills, kid, you'd be well advised to listen."

Elana's cheeks flamed with sudden embarrassment as she buried her face in her hands. "Is it too early to want to start drinking?" she asked plaintively.

Aethyta chuckled. "Never, kid. Never."

oOoOo

Commander Rachel Shepard closed the antique door to the apartments and walked quickly down the carpeted hallway to the last door on the right, marvelling at the opulence of her surroundings. Somehow, even though Liara described this as an estate, I didn't imagine it'd be anything like this. At another time, she might have been intimidated by the trappings of her bondmate's considerable wealth, but right now the only thing she was able to focus on was her growing awareness of the asari's presence. Ever since she'd come into view of the house, the dormant link to Liara, tucked away in the depths of her mind, had been clamouring for attention, becoming more and more insistent as the distance closed. Right now, she could tell her bondmate was sleeping. Easing the bedroom door open carefully, she slipped quietly into the room, taking care to close the door just as softly, then stood still for a moment to take in the view. The large, airy, white-walled room was illuminated gently by the dawn light seeping in through the large windows that commanded most of the wall to her left. Pale net curtains screened the room from the outside world, but the heavy blackout curtains remained tied neatly back. Liara disliked total darkness, always preferring a nightlight be left on aboard the Normandy. The centre of the room was commanded by a large bed on a raised dais, flanked by two nightstands. The bedclothes were pure white, wrapped lovingly around the naked body of the asari sleeping beneath them.

Shepard bent and unstrapped her boots, sliding them off and tucking her socks into them. Shucking off her jacket and trousers to drop them carelessly beside her footwear, she padded across the carpeted blue expanse of floor to the dais, stepped up and sat on the side of the bed.

The view from here was much better, she decided, drinking in the sight of Liara's familiar but breathtaking beauty, the dappling of silver and white along her crest-line, the fine eyebrow markings, the soft dusting of freckles across her delicate nose and high-boned cheeks, the dark, full lips parted slightly with the deep, even breathing of sleep. Shepard could not resist touching, reaching out to lay her palm lightly against the smooth skin of Liara's cheek. Unconsciously, Liara nuzzled into the touch, and Shepard leaned in to place a soft kiss on her bondmate's temple before standing, rounding the bed and sliding carefully in behind Liara. If she needed sleep, Shepard was loath to wake her, so she settled herself, draping one arm carefully across the silken expanse of Liara's abdomen and drawing the asari back against her, spooning in close. Liara sighed and shifted back against Shepard, and the human dropped a light kiss at the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

"Rachel?" Liara's sleep-choked voice murmured.

"Shhhh. Sleep, Li. I'm here," Shepard soothed, stroking the asari's stomach placatingly and sending a pulse of warm reassurance across their bond. "I'll be here when you wake."

"Mmm..." Liara's breathing dropped back into a regular cadence, and Shepard smiled as she closed her eyes and relaxed, breathing in the familiar, comforting scent of her bondmate. She was on shore leave. A little nap was perfectly permissible...

oOoOo

Liara woke gradually, naturally, absent the need for an alarm clock or, worse, Glyph's incessant nagging. Her world was a cosy, safe cocoon, sheets nested around her, a strong arm draped around her midriff, the heat of a body at her back… With the latter realization, the asari snapped into full wakefulness. She had gone to bed alone. The sensation of protective warmth did not dissipate, and Liara smiled as she craned her neck to look back over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of auburn hair.

Rachel.

Finally. Over the last week, as the deadline for Shepard's arrival had come and gone, Liara had tried not to be concerned, but the lengthening silence coupled with the already itchy sensation of being beyond the range of mental contact with her bondmate had made her edgy. Not knowing was an all too unpleasant reminder of the time she'd already spent without Shepard. She's here now, Liara chastised herself, shifting onto her back. Over-analyze your insecurities later. Reaching over, the asari stroked her thumb across her bondmate's silk-soft lips. "Rachel?"

Shepard stirred, green eyes fluttering open, and a lazy smile spread across her face as she focused on Liara. "Hi there, beautiful," she murmured. "How'd you sleep?"

"Better for you being here," Liara admitted. "I was worried." Mentally, she kicked herself as the confession slipped out; bad enough that Shepard would be able to feel it without her verbalizing the emotion so soon. "Goddess, I'm sorry, I..."

"Shhh, it's OK," Shepard assured her, her warm palm smoothing a broad, comforting circle over Liara's stomach. "I know. I should be the one apologizing. The mission on Palaven went a little sideways, and took longer than I thought it would. I did try to call, but your Dad said no message came through."

"The comms relay is unreliable. Something to do with the transmitter." Liara let out a breath and shivered as Shepard's touch meandered up to her breast and became something much less soothing. "I haven't had a chance to, oh... go out and look at it - there's been, ah... so much else to attend to."

"I'll get Adams and Donnelly down to take a look at it for you," Shepard offered, fingers finding Liara's nipple and pinching it gently. "Push some buttons, so to speak."

Liara groaned, partly from arousal, partly from exasperation at the pun. "Rachel, for the love of Athame..." She cut off as Shepard leaned in and kissed her, tongue tangling with hers to silence her physically. Liara grinned into the kiss, and opened her link to Shepard's mind a little more, gasping as her bondmate's love and steadily kindling passion washed over her in a heated wave, augmenting the coiling tension in her own belly.

Hi there. Shepard's mental voice was tinged with amusement.

Hello to you too.

So, your Dad said I should come up here and get you laid. Was she wrong?

Oh Goddess. Really?

Really. And since you seem reluctant to actually answer my question, I guess I have to find out for myself. Shepard's hand ran tantalisingly down Liara's body, her fingers dipping into the damp heat between Liara's legs, skating provocatively over the sensitive nub at the top of her azure, causing her to arch up into the human's touch with a gasp as her arousal spiked. Oh, babe, no need to say it. C'mere.

Liara sighed in contentment as the warm, muscled weight of Shepard's torso settled comfortably atop her own, the human gently insinuating one leg between her thighs. As Shepard leaned down over her, the chain holding her dog tags and wedding ring slipped from the open neck of her black button-down shirt to dangle between them. Liara raised her left hand, tapping the band of her own ring against Shepard's as she closed her fingers around the chain and drew her bondmate down into a sensuous, scalding kiss.

"Mmm," Shepard moaned softly as Liara buried her fingers in her human's soft, thick hair, pulling her closer. God, I missed you.

I can tell. Liara could feel Rachel's need for her, building, burning. Locking her bondmate's mouth with another kiss, she let her hands roam, running her fingers over the well-defined, sculpted lines of Shepard's shoulders, and down the taut, cabled muscles of her back. Shepard shifted her weight slightly to one side, freeing her right hand from the need to support her, and cupped Liara's left breast again, squeezing gently, and it was Liara's turn to moan at the pleasure of her lover's touch. Breaking the kiss, she stared up into Shepard's rapidly darkening, intense green eyes. "You're wearing far too much, my love," the asari teased. "I want to feel your skin against mine." She used their bond to send a vivid image of just what she wanted Shepard to do to her, skin to skin, and the human shivered.

"Oh, God," Shepard muttered.

"Goddess," Liara corrected slyly.

"Yeah. You are." Shepard grinned and lowered her mouth to Liara's neck, nipping and kissing her way down to Liara's right breast, drawing the nipple gently into her mouth and sucking at it lightly while her right hand drifted down, fingertips trailing playfully over the ridged scars across Liara's abdomen. Shepard hated those scars, she knew, hated the reminder of how close she'd come to losing Liara at the ardat-yakshi monastery, but teasing the sensitive skin surrounding them never failed to provoke Liara's delight, and she shuddered at the human's caress.

"Goddess... " it was Liara's turn to appeal to the heavens as Shepard's deft touch awoke nerves and sensations dulled by four weeks spent away from her bondmate's provocative hands and mouth. Flexing her hips, she rolled them over so that she ended up atop Shepard, sitting astride the human and unbuttoning her shirt. Working quickly, she opened the garment and pulled it apart, baring Shepard's torso, then reached around to unfasten the closure of her bra. Shepard shook her clothes clear, leaned up on her elbows, looking deep into Liara's eyes, then pulled her into another searing kiss, fingers stroking the folds at the back of her neck. Liara felt Rachel's mind open, reached out in joyful rejoinder, and her perceptions tilted, shifting as they blended with her human mate's in an automatic, all-consuming union. Time stopped; individuality became fluid, ephemeral. She felt her own hands ghosting down her body, the echo of her fingers hooking in the thin material of Shepard's underwear and slipping that final garment down the soldier's long, toned legs, and then even that distinctiveness faded. Skin slid against skin, biotic energy sparked and danced, muscles flexed, fingers and lips and tongues caressed and teased and tasted. Please... please touch me. Neither lover could identify which of them entered the other, only that the pleasure was overwhelming. Oh, please... don't stop.

Completion caught them together, and for a long moment afterwards they remained locked together in the bliss of their shared awareness, but eventually, the physical world began to reassert itself. Liara became aware that she had collapsed bonelessly atop her bondmate, pinning Shepard to the bed, her hand still buried between the human's thighs. Rachel was looking up at her with fond amusement. "Quite comfortable?" she enquired, squirming slightly as Liara gently withdrew her fingers from the sheath of her sex.

"Mmm, completely," Liara agreed as Shepard's arms wrapped around her lower back. She folded her own arms across Shepard's chest and rested her chin on her hands. "So what happened on Palaven?"

Shepard grimaced. "There were more of them than we realised, and they were dug in deep. They'd set up a base in a detention centre, and it was fortified to the hilt. James got his ass shot - literally - doing recon, which upped the ante a bit, and in the end we had to dig them out one at a time and it took forever." Shepard's hands drifted sensuously up and down Liara's back as she spoke.

"But James is OK?"

"Yeah, he's fine. Embarrassed, but fine. The others won't be letting him live it down in a hurry. Anyway, it's done with and hopefully that'll be the last of them for a while." Shepard sighed softly. "And besides, I don't really want to talk about work. We're on shore leave, and I'm thinking we have much better ways to pass the time."

"Oh, absolutely." Liara tried for an innocent tone. "There are some wonderful walking trails in the woods to the north, and of course the paths along the cliffs, and the beach - the fresh air and exercise would be invigorating. And the library houses an extensive collection of scholarly works, many of which I'm sure you'd find fascinating."

"There's plenty I find fascinating right here," Shepard countered, eyes sparkling with mirth as she dragged her fingers up Liara's spine to stroke her neck folds. "Much more interesting than some dusty old books. Shall I show you what I mean?"

Liara's breath hitched as her bondmate rolled them so that she was flat on her back with Shepard looming above her possessively. "By all means," she whispered, nerves humming with anticipation as her lover looked her up and down with hungry eyes.

Shepard smiled wickedly, and the image she sent across their shared awareness slipped every catch on Liara's control. Reaching up, she pulled Rachel back into her embrace, body and mind, and passion swept reality away.