Parnitha was not yet above the horizon when Shepard stepped out of the shower. The zenith was still dark, and the first of the morning twilight was not visible from her western facing windows. She'd needed no alarm this morning. Even with the length of the Thessian day working against her, she had been unable to sleep in. This day held too much promise. She looked forward to returning to the Normandy, to resuming the chase for Saren. The rogue spectre was about to regain his place on the top of her priority list.

Hair dry and wrapped in a towel, she stepped back into her room. She sighed when she realized that some of the ever-helpful staff had already been in her suite while she was showering. The bed had been made, and the tea service from the night before was nowhere to be seen. The next difference she noticed was that that her uniform had been carefully laid out for her. Finally, she saw that not only had her bag been packed, but there were three additional bags arranged next to it. The new luggage was large and ornate, and dwarfed her kit in comparison. She rolled her eyes. Obviously no one had been informed of the space constraints she faced aboard the Normandy. She chuckled as she walked over to examine the new additions. Even if room weren't an issue, she could only imagine the ribbing she would receive from the human crew, commander or no, if she came on board with a mountain of baggage fit for a princess. She checked the bags to verify that her kit contained everything she had brought from the Normandy. A brief inspection confirmed her suspicions that the new luggage contained a not insignificant subset of the contents of her closet, in addition to other items.

Once dressed, she checked the breakfast lounge off her chambers for activity. She hadn't heard anyone, but she wanted to make certain that neither Liara nor anyone else might be waiting for her. The lounge was as empty as it was silent. She walked through it on her way to the main staircase as she embarked on a search for coffee.

Despite the evidence of earlier activity, Shepard encountered few individuals on her way to the first floor. None seemed tasked with intercepting her, so she merely returned the occasional greeting of "Good morning, Peeress" as she continued her quest. She crossed the main foyer on her way to where she had dined with Shiala. She passed through the dining room they had shared on her first evening in the residence, and she entered the hallway the staff had used when serving them that evening.

She hadn't proceeded much further before her selected course was validated. Both the smells of cooking and the murmur of conversation guided her to a large room that contained the kitchen, as well as what appeared to be the staff dining area.

Shiala, Denai, and a handful of other Asari were seated at one of the tables when she entered the room. Shepard recognized one as Iryra, whom had been pointed out to her on the day of Benezia's release, but whom she had never been introduced to. The others were unknown to her. Silence fell across the group as Shepard took a few steps towards them. One of the staff, a maiden, tried to move to her feet at Shepard's arrival, but was waved back to her position by Denai. With an anxious look, the maiden reluctantly retook her seat.

"Good morning Commander," Denai addressed Shepard over her cup of kaffe.

"Good morning Denai." She paused as she surveyed the room. There were several Asari scattered amongst the various tables, but she wouldn't expect any of them to have an inclination for her beverage of choice. "It is too much to hope for that there's coffee around?"

Denai put her arm out again when the same maiden tried to get up. "There is coffee Commander." She indicated in the direction of the kitchen. "The service carafes on the left are all hot beverages. Be careful, as the surface conceals a heating element. Coffee is in the red carafe. Cups, saucers, and other serviceware are just beyond. Sugar is already on the table."

Shepard continued on into the kitchen while Denai locked eyes with the agitated maiden. Shiala hid a smile at the battle of wills between Denai and Jirtea, the maiden assigned with Shepard's service that morning. She understood what Denai was doing, even though she didn't agree with it. Shepard would likely appreciate being left to her own devices, but it wouldn't help her become more open minded as far as household duties were concerned.

Shepard returned, having fulfilled her objective. Jirtea cringed as Shepard grabbed the empty seat between her and Denai, and sat down. Without a word, Denai pushed the container of sugar in the spectre's general direction, but neither handed it to her, nor moved it so close that Shepard didn't need to make an effort to reach for it. Once it was in her possession, Shepard peeled back the flexible cover, and starting scooping sugar into her coffee. Jirtea winced with each spoonful. Shepard seemed oblivious to the fact that her companions were sitting in a slightly uncomfortable silence. No established protocol included this set of circumstances, the possibility of a member of the family dining with the staff, and House T'Soni was all about protocol.

Only when the coffee was appropriately sweetened and she had taken her first long sip did Shepard look around the table.

"The residence seems quiet this morning."

Shiala answered for the group. "Liara has been meeting with many of the senior staff, giving instructions before her departure."

"Liara's awake?" Shepard was mildly surprised. She had heard nothing upstairs this morning.

"For some time Commander," Shiala continued. "She has already been served breakfast, and she has Eliata with her in her office as we speak. Liara is meeting with her to discuss the status of the contingent, and also confirming her promotion to her new role as captain of the House guard. Alaya is present to witness Eliata's oath."

The commander seemed almost petulant. "I could have done that."

Denai responded. "Liara thought it more important to let you sleep." 'Even though she knows you would never allow an opportunity to do something for her to pass,' she thought.

"I'll be fine. We talked about that last night, it's going to be a short day for both of us. Time on the Normandy will be almost 7 hours ahead of Armali by the time we take off." Shepard paused as she looked around the table, "Don't any of you need to meet with Liara?"

Denai chuckled. "Iryra already has. She was Liara's first meeting of the day. Iryra, Commander Shepard. Commander Shepard, Iryra. Shepard, you've seen Iryra even though you haven't been introduced. She's Liara's lead acolyte."

Iryra stood, and brought her hands together as she made a shallow bow in Shepard's direction. "It is an honor to meet you Peeress."

Shepard looked over at Iryra with what she hoped was a friendly expression. Iryra was a deep royal blue, with more facial tattoos than any of the other Asari at the table. "Nice to meet you Iryra." Iryra nodded her head in acknowledgment and sat back down.

No additional explanation seemed forthcoming, so Shepard continued "That's all?" She looked at Denai and Shiala specifically, "No one else has to meet with Liara?"

Denai grinned at Shepard. "Shiala leaves this evening to return to Feros, she's done everything she came here to do." She finished her kaffe for effect, "And I report to you." She paused again. "Did you need something?"

Shepard met Denai's gaze, wondering if she was being challenged. The matron's body was relaxed, and there seemed to be nothing in her facial expression but legitimate curiosity. 'I did ask for them to stop doting on me. I'd be kind of an ass if I'm upset that they did.' She pushed away from the table. "All I need right now is a warmup on this coffee." She started in the direction of the kitchen.

"Commander!" Denai called out.

Shepard turned, "Yes?"

"I'm empty too. Refill? Any of the white carafes." Denai didn't turn around, but held her mug up over her head.

Shepard paused. "Sure." She took the offered mug before resuming her journey to the kitchen.

Shiala just shook her head. Iryra, Jirtea, and the remaining three maidens all looked at Denai incredulously. Jirtea's eyes in particular were so wide that it appeared she might never blink again.

Denai just looked blandly back at them all. "What? Did any of you need some too?"

Jirtea looked like she was ready to cry.

Denai sighed. "Oh go ahead. Shepard's probably hungry too. Just don't do anything for her that it looks like she wants to do herself."

The maiden bolted from the table.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Liara was feeling rushed. There were so many details to attend to! Despite her admonition to Shepard about allowing others to assist, the spectre had far more experience at delegating than she did. She needed to learn to trust her staff well enough to not continually follow up. Iryra would help with that, she was certain. She would have to, after all.

She had provided final instructions for all of her department heads. There was almost nothing left that could be done in the scant time she had remaining. In any rate, it would take many months to get up to speed on all of the intricacies of managing a Great House. She would have to content herself with continuing her work from the Normandy. It was time to leave Benezia's office - no her office - to say her remaining goodbyes before joining Shepard. She closed her eyes for a moment to shut out the room. It still felt surreal to her to be the one sitting behind the desk. From the tone of the meetings she'd had this morning, she had seemed to be the only one with difficulty adjusting.

This surprised her less than it might have after going through her mother's records. Benezia had been working closely with Saren for over a decade, with her absences from the estate during that time becoming longer and more frequent. It was the proficiency of the administrators selected by her mother that had allowed the House to continue to flourish even during her mother's inattention to T'Soni affairs. Those administrators seemed more than happy to have a T'Soni hand involved in the interests of the House again, even an inexperienced one such as hers. For not the first time, she vowed to do better by her people than her mother had at the end.

Her contemplation was interrupted by a soft beep. The last of the data she needed was copied. She slipped the final OSD into a pocket, collected the datapad she had been making notes on, and strode out of the office. Alaya followed in a watchful silence.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Shepard was already at the entryway of the residence by the time Liara had finished saying goodbyes. She appeared to have been there for at least a small amount of time, but was talking quietly with Denai while Iryra and Shiala looked on. The commander turned her way once Liara drew close. The spectre seemed in good spirits, and appeared neither hurried nor impatient, just attentive. She nodded to the maiden, signaling her readiness to depart. Liara nodded in return. She had done all she could here, it was time to get back to the Normandy.

Shepard bent over and picked up her kit, slinging the strap over her shoulder. After she did so, three members of the staff rushed to collect her remaining bags, one of them having to reseal the bag before picking it up.

"You can take those back to my bedroom," said Shepard not unkindly when the trio turned to her expectantly. "I appreciate the gesture, but there isn't room for that many personal effects on a warship. I have everything I'll need right here." She patted the bag hanging against her hip.

She turned to Liara expectantly.

Liara had also collected her bag that Shepard had brought for her from the Normandy, but unlike Shepard, she had planned to allow the rest of her luggage to accompany her.

She looked crestfallen as her eyes appraised the bags held by the staff who were circled around her. "The commander is correct, of course. Please return these items to my chambers. Where we are going, we will need to travel light." She sighed as she stepped over to join Shepard.

Shepard nodded approvingly before turning and starting towards the skycar with Liara at her side. Once they were inside, Eliata took off and the vehicle quickly disappeared, heading East into the morning sky.

Shiala tilted her head towards Denai. "What did she take while you were talking?"

"From the luggage?"

"Yes, I couldn't see."

"She removed the box containing the T'Soni sigil and placed it in her shoulder bag."

"That's... surprising. Anything else?"

"The blue slippers."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

The closer they got to the port, the more impatient Shepard seemed to get. She remained glued to the window from the moment Armali came into view, and was visibly fidgeting by the time the skycar set down not far from the ship. She practically bounded from the car as soon as the doors unlatched, only pausing when she realized that Liara wasn't still beside her. Still, once the maiden was also out of the car, the commander set a brisk pace to the hardstand, making a beeline for the mobile stairs that had been affixed to the portside docking hatch.

Once through decontamination, Liara followed Shepard into the cockpit. She was surprised to see Chief Williams in the co-pilot chair. Both she and Joker gave the commander their full attention, having had plenty of warning due to the decontamination cycle.

As usual, Joker was first first to speak. "Welcome aboard Commander, or do you prefer 'Peeress' now?"

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "You're welcome to call me 'Peeress' when you write to me from your posting piloting shuttles on the Terra - Luna run. Ensign."

Joker decided that it was prudent to abandon that line of discussion. "Yes Commander."

Shepard seemed to consider her point made. "Are we on track for our departure slot? Do we have a current flight plan? How long to the relay? I want to get to Virmire as quickly as possible."

"Departure is still on track for 09:95 local, or about 20 minutes from now. We'll be at the relay about 4 hours after that." Joker waited for the response on that claim.

Shepard tried to decide if this was another of the flight lieutenant's attempts at humor. "Four hours? That's flank speed the entire way. Are you planning on starting a war, or just getting arrested?"

Joker feigned disinterest by examining his fingernails. "That's what you get when you have a dignitary on board. We don't even have to maintain contact with traffic control once we leave close orbit. Everything in system is going to be kept out of our way so long as we stick to our flight plan, and I filed an aggressive flight plan. As aggressive as possible, actually."

Shepard seemed skeptical. "It's nice that they're going to this much trouble for me and all, but..."

Joker interrupted. "Not you Commander; her." He indicated Liara, whose look told them both that she'd known who he'd meant all along.

Liara sighed before answering Shepard's questioning look. "I am the head of a Great House, Shepard. That does not mean a great deal outside of the Republics, but inside, particularly in the Parnitha system, my position could be considered equivalent to a head of state."

Chief Williams let out an exasperated sigh. "It just keeps getting better."

Shepard gave the chief an annoyed look. "Stow it Chief. If I can shave 14 hours off our transit time because Liara has contacts, then I'll happily take it. You should do the same."

Williams looked like another comment was forthcoming, but the expression on Shepard's face told her that it wouldn't be welcome. She mentally filed the comment away as one more item to discuss with the commander after the mission. The commander might want to dance afterwards, but that was fine. Best to keep these things out in the open - that's what was best for the unit.

Confident that there was no more discussion to be had, Shepard addressed the room. "Chief, Doctor, briefing will be at nineteen thirty. Pass the word. Joker, get Captain Anderson on comm. I need to find out if there is any new intelligence on Saren that would be a higher priority than Virmire." She waited for a response. When there wasn't one, she turned and started for the comm room.

Liara watched her depart. 'Doctor?'

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Liara entered the medbay on her way to her lab. She intended to unpack and change before the briefing, but her mind was on other things. She was so distracted that she almost panicked when Dr. Chakwas drew her into a tight hug.

"It's so good to see you my dear. I'm glad you're still with us."

Liara gave the doctor an ironic smile. "Of course I am still with you. Where else would I go?"

Chakwas chucked. "Where else indeed? Last I checked you had a little place down by the ocean..."

"Benezia has left House T'Soni with much to atone for. Saren has to be stopped." Liara seemed to want to continue, but didn't.

Chakwas took a step back, but still left her hands on the maiden. "That's all there is? You're only here to make amends for your mother's transgressions?"

Liara's response was dispassionate. "What else would there be?"

"I can think of at least one thing my dear." Chakwas led the maiden to a chair and sat her down. "What happened?"

Liara looked away. "Nothing has 'happened' Karin."

Chakwas sat back in her chair. "Of course nothing has happened. You and Shepard certainly haven't been on vid for the last four days trying to outdo each other in how much support you each can provide."

"And it meant nothing Karin. As soon as we were back on board I was 'Doctor T'Soni' again, and she has barely given me a second glance."

Chakwas suppressed a smile. "You are on a military ship my dear. She has to maintain some semblance of discipline and protocol. I'm sure she'd like nothing more than to be open about how she feels, but she probably doesn't think it's appropriate."

Liara was exasperated. "Even if you are correct, what will allow her to acknowledge those kinds of feelings? I thought she was, I mean that we were, that perhaps..."

"That things would be different now?"

"YES!"

Karin took the maiden's hand. "They are different my dear, even if you have difficulty convincing yourself of that. It's not in Shepard's nature to be overt about this kind of thing. It's easier for her to take a bullet for someone than for her to be open about how she feels. You need to give her time."

"That is what I am afraid of Karin. What if we do not have time?"

A/N: Assumptions here include:
FemShep/Liara (Not yet LI, but the clock is ticking)
Later ME1 - after Suspicions and Omissions
After Noveria, before Virmire

Shepard is:
Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

Finally done here. Well, maybe. No varren were harmed in the writing of this fan fiction.

To be followed by:

"Discovery" - a post Virmire one shot.

"Connections" - pre / post Ilos short - 2 or 3 chapters. We all know what happens there.

"Fragments" - Picking up the end of ME1, and through ME2.

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.