If I give all I possess to the poorand give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient,love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,it is not easily angered,it keeps no record of wrongs.Love does not delight in evilbut rejoices with the truth.It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:3-8, Christian Bible.

Arcturus Station - Admiral Vexxu

December 31st, 2158

"For a fresh vintage, this is pretty good stuff!" Vexxu laughed, admiring the green tinged liquid in her sterile tube.

Hackett smiled and nodded. "Damn right! If there's one thing humans know how to do, it's make booze!"

"Captain, I will have you know my people are EXPERTS when it comes to making distilleries," Shala'Raan tittered, inserting a second tube of the new Home Sweet Home dextro alcohol. "We've lived on ships with nothing but algae to eat for generations! We've had to get CREATIVE when it came to making and hiding stills."

That got Vexxu to laugh as well; everything was a lot funnier after three tubes of Home. "To a new year!" she cheered, "May it be one of peace and prosperity!"

"A NEW YEAR!" everyone shouted, humans waving their own drinks and quarians holding aloft their sterile tubes.

There wasn't just Home Sweet Home, there was also Saint Dextros, Ancestors Favor, Brown and Musty, and Over and Out. Vexxu and the other quarians were making an admirable effort to try them all. The humans joked that if they tried every brand at the officers, they would die of alcohol poisoning. Which was probably true, Vexxu figured, though she hadn't seen Hackett with anything other than a mug of Buller beer in his hand. Several mugs, come to think of it.

"So, what time are we counting down to, exactly?" Vexxu asked Hackett, leaning up against him. It felt good, feeling his body heat through her suit.

He draped an arm around her and gave her a sloppy grin. "Hell if I know! But I'll drink to whatever time we are!"

"Hear, hear!" Vexxu agreed, clinking her vial up against Hackett's mug like she had seen humans doing. "To the new year. May those varren kissing bosh'tets on the Citadel ever be confounded by us!"

"Amen!"

Hackett and Vexxu both took a long pull from their drinks, and then leaned in to one another. Vexxu started to put her head toward Hackett's as if to kiss him, but they both jerked back before they were even close. Hackett looked away and Vexxu averted her eyes, and took a step back. Thankfully, Vexxu didn't think anyone had noticed, either being too drunk themselves or with other things to laugh at than two tipsy admirals.

"You know, for a moment there I thought you were going to kiss me on my vocalizer," Vexxu joked, trying to ease the tension.

Hackett gave her a slightly dopey grin. "For a moment, I thought I was too," he admitted.

Neither of them seemed to be quite sure what to make of that, and Vexxu was struggling to come up with a response when a loud cheer went up from the crowd. A huge countdown clock with the words "Apia, Samoa" on it appeared on the vid screens.

"Ten!"

"Looks like that is what we are counting down to," Hackett laughed, pointing to the clock.

"Nine!"

Glancing coyly at the other Admiral, Vexxu asked, "How do humans typically celebrate the new year?"

"Eight!"

"Oh, about how we are now. Drinks, friends, you know."

"Seven!"

"Nothing special when the clock reaches zero?"

"Six!"

"Well, sometimes lovers kiss, "Hackett admitted, "but I haven't got anyone. The job has always come first."

"Five!"

Vexxu sighed. "It's the same for me. No bondmates, no children. Never had the time."

"Four!"

"With peace breaking out, you think that could change?"

"Three!"

"Maybe, if I found the right man. What about you?"

"Two!"

"Maybe, if I found the right woman."

"One!"

For some reason, maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the general atmosphere, Vexxu stepped back up, close to Hackett. He responded, drawing her into his arms, and kissing her right on the vocalizer as they twined their arms around each other.

"ZERO!"

The image for the new year was that of Admiral Hackett and Admiral Vexxu, arms around each other, sharing a passionate kiss, shown every hour as the new year was celebrated in each time zone on Earth.

Arcturus Station - Admiral Hackett

January 3rd, 2159

"Admirals, what inspired your famous kiss? Was it spur of the moment?"

Hackett smiled right into the camera, carefully maintaining the hand hold with Vexxu. He couldn't decide if he was happy for the attention or dreading it. At least his superiors didn't seem to mind. He had never been a very private person, but he hadn't been a media favorite either. He'd always just done the job and fought for the next rank. That was all there was for him, really. But now that he was a full Admiral, there just wasn't much of a ladder left to climb. Maybe it was time to start thinking of other things.

"Spur of the moment for me."

Vexxu nodded, giving Hackett's hand a squeeze. It was sort of nice, really, having someone at his side. Someone he could trust. Even if she did outrank him.

"It may be embarrassing for two master tacticians to admit, but neither of us really thought about it before hand. I didn't even realize how attractive I found Steven until I was already kissing him, if you can call mouth to vocalizer kissing."

The host, Anand Sachdev, smiled, flashing his brilliant white teeth for the cameras. The man's slicked back long hair and smooth style rankled Hackett, but he was willing to put up with it for the PR coup the Admiralty was predicting would come of this.

"It certainly was romantic though, wasn't it? The first time a human and quarian have reached out to each other, heart to heart."

"I wouldn't say that," Hackett interrupted. "That happened when Berga'Otorus and her crew sacrificed themselves to save the Carl Jung. We all know that story, and I don't think there is a stronger way to show love. Non-sexual love, maybe, but love all the same."

"That's right. I think quarians and humanity have been in love since 314." Vexxu agreed. "This is just happening at the micro instead of at the macro level."

"An outward display of the fire we all feel in our hearts?" Anand laughed.

Hackett shrugged. "If you want to put it that way. I don't think we want to put ourselves on display here, but a message needs to be sent."

"Absolutely. While it wouldn't do for every quarian to suddenly take a human lover, at the same time I don't think we can honorably forbid this sort of relationship," Vexxu stated. "Interspecies relationships must be allowed."

"So the two of you are lovers, then. Mind if I ask how that works?"

"Yes." Hackett and Vexxu answered at the same time, their faces and tones equally blank and deadly.

The truth was, all they'd done so far was share a few meals and spend more personal time together. How sexual contact would even work between a human and a quarian wasn't something anyone knew. Hackett wasn't even sure they were compatible in that manner, though the doctors were looking into it. If had been up to Hackett and Vexxu, their relationship would have been private and quiet. But as two of the most prominent members of the League, this was too good a chance to put the League's official stamp of approval on interspecies relationships. Besides, if things did work out between them, Hackett wouldn't mind experimenting to find out if they were compatible after all, damn the eggheads.

The interview dragged on forever, even though it only lasted about 20 minutes. Hackett and Vexxu were able to drop the twitterpaited lovers act and stop holding hands and giving each other coy glances. Admittedly, once they were out of the spotlight, they started holding hands again, but it was different, on their terms

"I don't like being forced to play the lovestuck girl," Vexxu growled as they rode the lift to the ops center.

Hackett nodded. "It doesn't suit you."

Vexxu leaned up against him, and Hackett reflexively drew her close. "Are we in love?" he asked, speaking his thoughts aloud.

"I don't know," Vexxu admitted. "I've never been in love before. But I'm willing to find out."

Hackett nodded again as they stood together, enjoying the silence. He was willing to find out himself.

Palaven Command - Saren Arterius

January 5th, 2159

"I'm sorry, it was the best I could do for you, Saren. I just don't have the clout to get you in the Specters now," Sparatus said, his mandibles drooping slightly. They were sitting in a dark corner of the officers' mess, away from prying eyes.

Saren waved away the apology. "No need to apologize, Admiral. High Command is still a bunch of fools. We should have exterminated the humans while we had the chance."

"Perhaps. Too late for that now." Sparatus sighed and looked away. "The Council took over the entire mess. Can't say I'm sorry to be out of the prison camps. Living on nothing but vegetation isn't what a turian was meant to do."

"Not to mention taking orders from suit rats and primitives," Saren growled, his subharmonics lending a threatening boom to his words.

"Exactly. It's against the natural order. These upstarts simply do not understand what sort of dangers the galaxy holds. And when we try to protect them from themselves, how do they thank us? By attacking our own bases and making our politicians look like fools."

Mandibles twitching in amusement, Saren chuckled. "Not that the politicians need any help with that. Anyway, I still thank you Admiral. Getting me this appointment as the batarian ambassador's head of security opens up a great many options."

Furtively glancing around, Sparatus leaned in close. "Yes. You've heard the rumors?"

"The ones concerning funding batarian expansion?" Saren whispered.

"Yes. The traverse isn't governed by any treaties, and the wording of the agreement between the Council and the League only pertains to worlds already settled. If the batarians can settle a wide enough swath, it would cut off the League's expansion in that direction indefinitely."

The two turians shared a wicked grin, their mandibles splayed in pleasure. Saren leaned back and chuckled. "If I can help negotiate that... Well, perhaps Specter status won't elude me forever."

"True. And there are those of us who would be willing to help the batarians in that regard. If you were to gently steer them in the direction of focusing their slaving operations on the humans and quarians, that would make several highly placed individuals very happy. Powerful people."

Saren nodded, understanding. "Don't worry. I think I know just what to do..."

Khar'Shan, Glorious Hall of Heroes of the People - Balak Mrevar

January 21st, 2159

"You buy any of the bullshit the talking heads are slinging around?" Balak asked, taking a deep draw from his cigarette. It was made from the leaves of the btri plant, and was one of the few products that the batarians managed to export. Lately though, it had taken a hit from the human's tobacco smokes. Yet another reason to hate the humans.

Nominally Balak was head of security for Under Minister Veerg, though his real job was to spy on the Under Minister for the Over Minister. Presently he was spying on his turian counterpart. Whatever. Balak couldn't wait to get off Khar'Shan and back into the thick of things. Maybe leading slaving parties in the Terminus. Get him a nice asari, or maybe one of those exotic species, like a human or quarian. Might be fun for a while.

"If you can read through dung, it has potential. Might even be room for some of your tactics, Blackheart," the turian, Saren was his name, answered.

Balak felt his pulse speed up slightly. "Don't know what you're talking about." That was what his mouth said, for the audio recorders. But he nodded for the turian to continue, flicking his cigarette butt away.

"We both know that the humans and quarians are a serious threat to galactic peace. Look at the Bill they presented. That was clearly designed to create division between the batarians and their brothers on the Council," Saren said, spreading his talons wide.

Grinning, Balak nodded. This turian could speak the batarians' language. "True. What do you think should be done about it?"

"Well, perhaps if a few small, discreet raids were to hit the human colonies, slow down their progress, drive them back a bit. I think that's something we could all get behind."

"And the Council would turn a blind side to this?"

"Why should they care? If a few members of the proletariat were to rise up against their oppressors, why should the Council try to stop them?"

"Privateers are not cheap to fund," Balak mused aloud. "More than revolutionary spirit is needed."

"Talk to your masters. Then come find me. I'm sure we can find enough spirit to keep you going." With that, Saren turned and walked away.

Lighting up another cigarette, Balak made his way to the Over Minister's office. This could be very lucrative, if he played his cards right. Not to mention fun. There was nothing like a good raid to get the blood pumping.

Vancouver, Earth - Tali'Zorah

February 11th, 2159

The world was sleeping under a white blanket, and Tali was eager to get out there and pull the blanket off.

"Snow!" Tali exclaimed as her mommy put on her jacket. "Snow!"

"Yes Tali, snow," Mommy agreed, zipping up her purple jacket with the sparklies on it.

"Tali, we should make a snowman!" Amby cheered, struggling to get on her mittens.

Tali nodded enthusiastically. She usually did when big sister suggested things, because Tali wanted to be just like Amby. Big sister was very smart, and could do all sorts of amazing things. Amby was bigger and smarter than Tali, and knew lots of words. Sometimes when Tali didn't know a word, Amby was able to help her find it.

"Snowmin!" Tali agreed, and as soon as mommy had the door open the two girls raced squealing out into the cold midafternoon light. The light went bye-bye very early, and there wasn't much time to play, but Tali enjoyed every minute of it that there was. Before she got started though, Tali noticed smoke puffing out in front of big sister's face.

"No smoke!" Tali pouted, because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't blow puffs of smoke like Amby.

Amby laughed and patted Tali's head. "That's because you have the special clothes! Lucky! They keep you warm."

"Luck!" Tali agreed, and set about trying to help Amby build a snowman. She laughed and cheered. Even when she fell down on a slippery spot she was still having fun. Life was good, at least for one little quarian and her family.

Vancouver, Earth - Rael'Zorah

"Well, I suppose I'll have to get used to this stuff at some point," Rael laughed, rubbing the scraper across his windshield. There was an automatic defroster, be he wasn't patient enough to wait for it to work.

"The downside to living in atmosphere," Phillip agreed, working his own scraper on the passenger side.

Rael had learned how to drive a human ground car quickly, and he vastly preferred being in control of where he was going to letting someone else take the wheel. A holdover from when he was captain of his own ship. Sometimes he missed those days.

Nodding in satisfaction at his work, Rael hopped back inside. "But the benefits outweigh the downsides I think. Kleeah sent me a pic of the girls playing in the snow today. Never could have done that aboard ship."

"Yep." Phillip agreed, leaning back in his chair as Rael pulled the car out of the parking garage. "Sort of nice having solid ground around when you're raising a family. Especially at the rate you and Kleeah are making them. House will get too small for all of us pretty quick here."

That made Rael laugh. Even with a new baby girl and a boy on the way, the house was still exorbitantly large by quarian standards. He was getting used to having that much space.

"I'm sure we can manage. With the new baby in the picture, I have it on good authority we've been bumped up to the top of the list for independent housing."

Phillip grinned and nodded. "Good for you! You've certainly earned it, what with your work on integrating human and quarian tactics in space. I especially liked what you did with cruiser doctrine."

Sighing, Rael merged onto the freeway. "True. Sometimes I wish I was still a captain on my own ship instead of piloting a desk. But first we needed translators, then we needed someone who understood doctrine. I doubt I'll ever have my own ship again."

"That means a lot to your people, doesn't it? Being captain of a ship. That's why so many people come to you for advice or defer to you, even though you're technically a commander now."

"Once a captain, always a captain. Even if I did lose my ship."

"Maybe you lost ship," Phillip agreed, "but I think we all gained a whole lot more. No one will ever forget the Belari. It's our contract of brotherhood."

Zael smiled faintly. "A price paid in blood."

They rode the rest of the way home in silence as their headlights shone on the wet snow.

I wish you could have seen this, Berga. Rael thought to himself. You would have loved it.

Syndey, Earth - Daro'Xen

March 19th, 2159

"Watcha doin'?"

Xen glared up from her workstation at the girl hanging from the ceiling. Damnable child. How she managed to hold on to those cables with her feet Xen would never figure out.

"Science."

"What kind?" Miranda Lawson asked, doing her best to look serious, even though her hair was falling into her mouth.

"The kind that could kill you if you do not leave me to my work," Xen snapped.

"Cool!" Flipping around, Miranda gently glided to the floor on a biotic cushion. She was a prodigy in that regard, having been engineered for it. Henry's little bosh'tet nuisance was forever getting into Xen's lab whenever the girl's father brought her in to run his latest tests on her.

Doing her best to ignore the child, Xen kept working on her latest creation. This would surely be the key to her people's salvation!

"They look like little pollywogs," Miranda observed, having clambered on a workstation behind Xen to peer over her shoulder.

"They are far more advanced than that," Xen sniffed. "They are biomechanical symobiotes that will be able to act as a supplemental immune system."

"So they're little pollywogs to keep you from getting sick," Miranda mused, her large brown eyes glowing with excitement. "Would that boost the qurarian immune system sufficiently to prevent anaphylactic shock upon exposure to non-indigenous micro-organisms and contaminates?"

The girl said the entire sentence with crisp, clear diction, no stumbles or pauses. Xen turned around to stare at MIranda, who was now wearing the most innocent look the Cerberus researcher had ever seen. Having practiced that on her own parents, Xen wasn't fooled at all.

"And where, exactly, did you learn how to say that?" Xen demanded. "Do you even know what it means?"

"Um, I think it means you're making little robots that will keep quarians from getting sick when they take their suits off."

"And do you know why?"

"Cause you go into anaphylactic shock when you do?"

"And what is anaphylactic shock?"

Grinning impishly, Miranda shrugged. "Dunno, I just learned how to say the words from reading some of the reports I stole when I hacked daddy's home workstation. But I think it might mean you get really sick."

"How did you hack your father's security?" Xen demanded. If a ten year old could bypass the best defenses Cerberus could create, they were in serious trouble.

Miranda blushed and looked down. "Well, I didn't really hack it. He just left it on when he went potty."

Despite herself, Xen laughed. Miranda reminded her of herself too much. "Pull up a chair. Let me show you how to run the analyzer on these samples. If you're going to be here, you might as well be useful."

"Yes!" Miranda cheered, and quickly scooted over a chair, stacking a few books on top of it so she could reach the workstation.

The girl was a surprisingly quick study, and before long she was expertly running the analyzer. It wasn't really necessary; Xen could automate the process, but it did keep the girl occupied and out of the way. Just as she was starting to enjoy the child's company, Xen heard Henry calling for his daughter in the hall.

"You know, if I can hear your father calling for you, I believe you can as well," Xen casually remarked as she handed the girl another sample.

"Duh. But this is fun. Daddy can find me later. Plus, I'm helping him with his project. He can't get mad at me for that."

"Hmmm. Come with me. I need to dissect some of the hosting bodies to see how the nanite production nodes are bonding to the quarian lymphatic system."

"Will there be blood?"

"Lots."

"Awesome!"

Quite some time later, Henry Lawson found his daughter and Xen up to their elbows in dissected flash-grown organs, his daughter in a hazmat suit that was about ten sizes too large, having the time of her life. Xen waved casually to him through the security glass, holding up the tiny nanite nodule she had just removed in a pair of tweezers.

"Why hello Director. Your daughter has such a passion for science! I've been showing her how to harvest the nodules from flash-grown tissues. She's actually got a 7% higher success rate of retrieval then that last intern you gave me."

"Daddy look, a quarian's spleen!" Miranda squealed, holding up the still steaming organ.

"Daughter. Chief Researcher Xen." Henry said, studying them carefully. "This is where you've been hiding from me?"

"We're not hiding,." Miranda declared, and Xen stifled her laughter at the way rubber arms on Miranda's suit flopped when she tried to cross her arms over her chest. "If we were hiding, we wouldn't be doing it in an area clearly visible from the security cameras."

"Someone hacked the security cameras to show a repeating loop in this sector. It took us nearly an hour to straighten it out," Henry drawled.

"Oh my, how dreadful," Xen gasped in mock horror. "Who could have done such a thing?"

Henry quirked an eyebrow. "I have some ideas."

"Aww, come on dad," Miranda whined, sensing her father's irritation. "Hanging out with Xen is way cooler than those boring tutors. I'm learning science!"

"I somehow doubt that dissecting live organs is a healthy pastime for a growing lady."

Xen waved a finger at the director. "Ah, but when I was Miranda's age, I would take apart electronics and dissect my toys. Am I not a lady?"

"You are an incredible woman, Xen," Henry answered, a half smile touching his lips.

"See Miranda," Xen said in a stage whisper, leaning toward the young human. "This is what males do when you ask them a question they don't want to answer. He avoided it without giving me either an affirmative or a negative. He did not insult me directly by stating I was not a lady, but he did not acknowledge I was a lady, thereby avoiding the topic."

Miranda nodded seriously. "I know. He does that all the time when I ask for a later bed time or a pony."

Fighting to keep a straight face, even though Henry couldn't possibly see behind her mask, Xen gravely nodded to the girl. "Exactly. This is why you need a lady around. To teach you these things."

"Am I really being double-teamed by my head researcher and my daughter?" Henry demanded, putting a hand over his mouth. But not quickly enough to disguise the wide grin on his face.

"Oh fine, you win this round, Henry." Xen grumped. "Come, Miranda. We'll have to see if he'll take us out to dinner. That's the proper thing for a man to do when he's insulted a lady."

"I don't bloody believe this," Henry muttered, shaking his head.

"I want to go to the Captain's Glass," Miranda declared. "They have dextro fish, and I like their cheesecake."

"I haven't agreed to anything!" The director protested, but the way he said it told Xen he was actually pleased with this turn of events. Normally he disapproved of Miranda doing anything against his will, but there was an unmistakable look of pride on the man's face as Miranda carefully deposited her harvested spleen into the processer and skipped into the decon chamber. And was that a glint of lust in his eye when he regarded Xen herself?

Smirking behind her mask, Xen put a little something extra into her hips as she stepped into the shower of disinfectant. If she could bond with the man's child, perhaps she could insert herself more directly into his life. Preferential funding was always a bonus, and one of the best ways to do that according to the human fiction she had read was getting your superior to sleep with you. Xen was mostly asexual herself, having nothing more than passing scientific interest in romance or physical relationships, but her pragmatic side could see the benefits.

Besides, Miranda wasn't a half bad lab assistant.

Digeris Fleet Base, Flavus Vakarian

June 4th, 2160

"Tell me Lieutenant, what do you think of Idle Knife?" Captain Gravus asked, peering at Flavus over a data slate.

After a moment to search his memory, Flavus asked, "The exchange program sir?"

"The same. What is your opinion on the matter?"

Trying to read the Captain was an exercise in futility, so Flavus gave up after only a few moments. "Honestly sir? I think it's a damn good idea. Spirits know our tactical doctrine on the ground is as stagnant as our tactical doctrine in the void was three years ago. The stunts the League pulled on occupied worlds... I would like to learn more of this 'asymmetrical warfare' they ramble on about."

"Yes. It certainly seemed to work for them on Shanxi. And on Terra Nova," Gravus mused, his eyes dropping back down to his slate. "And how do you feel about leaguers in general?"

"I can't say I like them sir, but I respect them. The quarians are smart and clever, always able to rig up some trick or find a way to give themselves an edge where they should have had a disadvantage. The humans are tenacious and adaptable and never seem to do things the same way twice. Even if something doesn't work for a leaguer, they remember it. It appears they even believe that maybe next time it will work. We could learn from them. That's why I think Idle Knife is a good idea."

"Hmmm." Gravus glanced back up, his mandibles twitching in something approaching amusement. "Then I'm attaching your name to this."

"Sir?"

"Recommending your inclusion in the program. It's going to be right here at Digeris command you know, and on Shanxi. Bit of an insult, that."

Flavus felt his heart speed up. "But you have to be at least a First Lieutenant for recommendation in that program, or a specialist with at least 5 years of experience in your current job."

"Well then, it's a good thing I put you in for that promotion as well, Second Lieutenant."

"Sir! Yes sir!"

Gravus spread his mandibles in an open grin. "You're smart Vakarian. And empathetic. It's too bad you gave up on being C-Sec. My sister is a sergeant on the Citadel, and you remind me of her. I think it likely that command will approve your promotion and transfer. I hate to lose one of my best officers, but the needs of the Hierarchy come before those of a lowly cruiser captain."

"Thank you sir, I won't let you down."

"No, Lieutenant, you won't. I think the titans have great things in store for you. May the storm mother strengthen you. Dismissed."

Practically prancing out of the CO's cabin, Flavus headed down to the mess to send a message to his wife. The pay increase and prestige of the promotion was good news for both of them. It wasn't easy to raise a family alone, but Leeniran had his sister nearby who was willing to help out with the hatchlings. The thought of the extra pips on his uniform was more than just prestige though. He was being fast tracked by Gravus, and perhaps in a few more years he could have a ship of his own. With the entire ladder of the Hierarchy before him to climb, Flavus couldn't help but feel that the galaxy was his varren steak.