Notes:

Amantia - lover (Thessian)

Cheann geallta - promised one (Gaelic)

Kaffe - equatorial Thessian vine, the seeds of which are used to produce a non-alcoholic beverage of the same name, the taste described as a mix of coffee and chocolate (Source: CDN)

LEAP - League of Earth Alliance Patriots

Siame - "one who is all", a loved one cherished above all others (Thessian/ Source: CDN)

SILC - Synthetic Intelligence Life Codes (previously known as Geth)

Full Disclosure

Omega Station, Sahrabarik, Omega Nebula

"Spirits be damned!" Nyreen stalked into her office at the Talon Headquarters and, to vent the frustration and anger she felt, kicked a small, empty storage container, vaulting it across the compartment. She had just received word of yet another 'Omega' raid, this time on a Volus colonial world in the Pylos Nebula; the city of Yila, on the planet Boro within the Satent system, had received an urgent call from the Turian defensive force in orbit around the planet to man the guns... An extremely large Omega fleet had just dropped out of the relay. Within moments, the Turian fleet stopped responding to queries, but no attack ever materialized. After an hour of waiting for the inevitable, the ground force commander finally sent up a scout vessel, only to find the entire fleet gone... assumedly captured by the invaders. Captured? By the Spirits! Turians don't simply surrender and allow themselves to be captured!

As the container bounced into the far corner of her office, a quiet "ouch" had Nyreen drawing her pistol with her right hand as her left lit with the deadly glow of a gathering warp. Kasumi quickly stepped forward and spoke, "Nyreen, it's Kas... Please don't. Inadvertently killing me would not bode well for the future of Omega." The Human took a calming breath as the blue faded from the Turian's hand and the muzzle of the pistol dropped toward the floor before being holstered.

"Are you insane? I could have killed you!"

"Which is why I stepped from the shadows... So you would know who was in the darkness before you fired upon me... rather than after you examined my corpse." Surprisingly, Kas found it within herself to grin. "Did I not tell you I would appear when you least expected it?"

"True." Nyreen laughed somewhat nervously. "But you may want to time it better... and not when I am angry and have a weapon close at hand."

"I believed our business rather urgent, so dared not delay. I've heard rumors of another attack."

"How...?" Nyreen's mandibles flared in surprise as she continued, "You're good at what you do... That's very obvious. I just received the report from one of our field agents. The bastards hit Boro, apparently with overwhelming force... The defensive fleet sent only a single missive, warning of an Omega attack before falling silent." Nyreen began pacing as she continued, thinking aloud. "The strange part is the pirates didn't attack the planet."

"Why would they?" Kasumi shrugged as she answered her own question, "They must be collecting additional space faring war craft at this point... still growing their fleet. There is nothing in the Volus settlement that they would want, since their bomber fleet is still in Sol being repaired by the SILC." Suddenly thinking of a potential lead, Kasumi blurted out, "Did your agent think to check the Nariph Relay setting? What gate did they jump to?"

Nyreen's eyes brightened at the thought and she activated her omnitool. They were both stunned two hours later when they finally received the response. "Spirits! They jumped to Omega?"

"Well... that certainly points a huge finger in this direction." Kasumi immediately contacted Bau, who activated his gray box and put the word out, but they were too late. The time lag had allowed too much traffic to cross through the Sahrabarik Relay and no one could sort out which vessels went where, seemingly a relatively equal number going to three separate locations during the applicable time slot; the Crescent Nebula, Eagle Nebula and Hawking Eta.

When Bau contacted them with the information, he simply shrugged. "It is not a concern, as the number of transits occurred in an unnaturally even distribution. It was obviously done on purpose in an attempt to keep us from tracking their final destination. We now have a record of the ships and the associated mass calculations. We will monitor future connecting gate traffic and we will find a pattern. With that pattern, we will be much closer to determining where they are hiding. It is only a matter of time before we find them."

Nyreen growled, "With the force strength they now have, time may be the one commodity which we don't have enough of."

"If Aria is willing, we can buy her that time..." Bau hesitated only a moment before continuing, "... a lot of it; providing she is willing to have a SILC war fleet orbiting her relay."

His statement was met with a stunned silence as Nyreen contemplated what he had said. She finally responded, "I have no idea how she'll respond to that... but I cannot imagine she'd accept the offer unless Spectre Shepard is present in the Nebula and personally in command."

Kasumi frowned. "That's not going to happen. You must be aware of what's happening on Earth?"

"Yes, it's all over the galactic news," Nyreen's mandibles flared in aggravation. "But that doesn't change the fact Aria won't trust the Geth without Shepard being here to keep them on a leash, and I believe you realize that."

"Yes," Kasumi sighed. "But all we can do is ask. She will likely be desperate enough to make the concession, as I would think she'd find the loss of Omega a second time even less palatable."

The face of the Queen of Omega held a frown as Nyreen stopped before her. "I have more news, Aria, but we need to move to your private offices to discuss this particular topic."

"I already know about our supposed fucking attack on Boro, so if I'm going to leave my comfortable couch, it had better be for a damned good reason, Kandros." Aria was practically glowing in anger as she leaned forward, but did not rise.

"I'm pretty sure this information is worth your time, Aria." Nyreen crossed her arms and cocked a hip, falling silent and settling in to wait Aria out.

"Athame's tits!" Aria stood and stalked around the corner where what had appeared to be a wall panel slid to the side revealing a small, private elevator. "You are so fucking irritating in your overconfidence."

Nyreen chuckled lightly. "It's only overconfidence if I'm wrong, Aria. Otherwise it's simply called poise."

Knowing she wouldn't back down, Aria glowered at the frustrating Turian as the elevator stopped; the door panel slid to the side, revealing a large, luxurious private office. As they stepped out, Aria closed her eyes as she walked, rolling her head and working her shoulders in an attempt to loosen the growing tension, before finally growling, "Alright, we're alone, so out with it. If you've got a lead on who's doing this, say so, so we can find them and gut them from their crotch to their throat. It's been quite a while since I've ripped out someone's spine... while staring them in the face."

Nyreen was preparing to buy some time until Kasumi arrived when the Human spoke, startling them both. "No names yet, but we definitely have a lead."

Lighting up her biotics, Aria spun toward the voice... only to see the shimmer of a deactivating cloak as Kasumi Goto appeared, sitting in the Asari's chair with black-clad feet up on Aria's desk. "What the fuck are you doing, Goto? Trying to get yourself killed?"

"Seems a popular question as of late." Kasumi dropped her feet and stood, bowing politely. "Apologies, Aria. I gained access to your office much faster than anticipated, so had a bit of a wait. Therefore, once we're done talking pirates, we really need to speak about your security measures. You could use a few pointers."

Aria glowered and gave Nyreen a glance that said her chief of security had trouble headed in her direction once their current business was concluded. As she turned slowly back to Kasumi, she summoned her normal calm demeanor to the fore. By the time her eyes were on the master thief, she had regained control and her voice came out silky smooth with more than a hint of demand. "What lead... and what's your best assessment?"

"After jumping to Omega, the fleet split into thirds and went three different directions; Spectre Bau is tracking the ships via their mass calculations with the hope they all consolidate at a single location. Hopefully they will return to their home base before they go on the offensive again... particularly if their next goal is Omega."

"That is not going to happen." Aria looked to Nyreen. "I assume we've gone on alert and all the defensive canons are on-line?"

"Yes, Aria." Kandros took a step closer and caught the Asari's eye. "But, as Spectre Bau pointed out in no uncertain terms, those canons didn't stop you from getting back on the station, so we need to be ready for whatever they throw at us. And we have an option..."

Kasumi cut her off before she could finish her sentence, fearing she was going to say something akin to 'and we know you won't like it;' Kas didn't want to give Aria any excuse to say no before the entire explanation came out. "So, I have a story for you. A story of the SILC."

"Silk?" Aria's face wrinkled in confusion. "What the fuck does an expensive Earth fabric have to do with any of this?"

"SILC. Synthetic Intelligence Life Codes, previously known to you as Geth." Kasumi cocked her head like a parent would at a disobedient child as Aria began to protest. "Please, Aria. If you wish to avoid losing Omega a second time, then grant me the same respect I have tendered to you since the moment you were aware we were on the station and allow me to fully explain, without you jumping to faulty conclusions."

Aria crossed her arms to quench the biotic power threatening to erupt from her balled fists. "Fine, but make it a short story. My patience is very thin... and making me angry would be extremely dangerous to your health and wellbeing, no matter what the fuck I promised Shepard."

New Nos Astra, Illium, Tasale System, Crescent Nebula

Standing outside the Salarian owned bank, Zoë took a deep breath and released it. At least I now have an account. I can deposit creds at remote autobank locations until I empty this backpack, she thought. Time to have some lunch, take a look at the Extranet.

Zoë sauntered down the street, taking the time to look into the numerous shops she passed. She paused upon reaching a small shop offering simple lunches and dinners with several tables outside under an awning; it had just opened for the day, so there were only a few patrons inside, consisting of a lone Human and an pair of Asari, seated within. Opening the door and stepping inside drew hardly a glance from any of the three diners. A Salarian, either a waiter or possibly the owner, approached her as she paused just inside the door. "May I help you?" he asked.

"Do you have a table with an extranet terminal? I'd like to check the newsfeeds while I have a bite to eat."

"But of course… if you will please follow me?"

The Salarian led her to a small table near the rear of the café; he waited for her to be seated before handing her a menu and inquiring if she would care for a beverage.

"A glass of cold beer would be nice, thanks." As he departed to fetch the requested refreshment, she activated the tabletop terminal and began browsing the news; she was passively looking for any mention of Cerberus, as well as any stories concerning Commander Shepard or the crew of the Normandy. It didn't take her long to discover an article about Shepard's most recent appearance in the Earth city of Vancouver.

Zoë read with a morbid fascination about the explosion in the Alliance North American headquarters building at the conclusion of the ceremonies. What… or who… had caused the explosion was unclear, according to a report filed by ANN correspondent Amita Qasid; additionally, Qasid stated in her report no one in the Systems Alliance publicity department would give an accurate tally – or even an educated guess – as to how many casualties, if any, were attributable to the explosion.

Zoë studied the grainy photo of the building, its western wing completely obliterated from what must have been a considerable amount of explosives. Looks as if an experienced person, or persons, planted just enough HE to take down only that end of the building, she thought as she reread the article. Left the main structure intact. Still, I bet that blast rattled dishes all the way to the other side.

She looked up as the Salarian brought her a glass of beer. Setting it on the table beside the terminal, he asked, "Have you decided on your lunch selection?"

"I'll have a salad, house dressing on the side, and a couple of pieces of toasted bread."

The Salarian smiled as he responded, "Very well. I will be right back."

Zoë returned her attention to the terminal as she sipped on her beer. There was no other mention of the explosion, or the memorial ceremony that had concluded with a huge bang. Scrolling through the rest of the headlines, there wasn't even any of the usual Human-centric chest-thumping rhetoric that usually followed such a disaster… unless… Hello. What have we here? Under the rather innocuous title, Alliance Patriot League Recruiting New Members, was a short article by Iris Dunnigan of ANN, in which she equated the newly formed political group with the previous Humans First group known as Cerberus. Dunnigan didn't name her sources – always a bad sign – as she had in the September 2186 published article concerning Cerberus. The platform of this current group, according to Dunnigan's unnamed source, is based on a desire that Earth take a larger role in galactic affairs… to have a Human as the unquestioned leader of a new galactic ruling body.

After her server returned with her salad and toast, she used her fork to pick up a bit of the leafy vegetables, which she dipped in the small cup of dressing before placing it her mouth. Chewing slowly, she thought about what she had been reading. This group sounds like all the worst aspects of Cerberus and the old Terra Firma Party combined. I wonder…

As she ate her salad and toast, she looked for links to Dunnigan's article; without entering any key words to assist her search – she didn't want a public terminal recording entries regarding her search history – she was having less success than she'd hoped. Guess I'll have to perform a more active search once I'm on my ship and away from this place.

Her lunch finished, she downed her glass of beer, shut down the terminal, then rose and walked to the counter, where she inquired, "How much?"

The Salarian held out a datapad displaying the price of her lunch; instead of using her newly acquired bank account to transfer an exact amount to the café's account, she pulled out a crisp, hundred-credit note, enough to pay for her meal with a bit left over for a small gratuity. She smiled at the Salarian as he said, "Thanks for dining with us today." Stepping outside, she glanced at her chrono before setting off for her rented aircar, sitting in a side alley a kilometer away. She intended to return it to the rental agency, after which she would go to a different company to rent another; she hoped that changing companies would throw Warren off her trail.

Angelique Warren ran her hand over her short-cropped hair in frustration as she waited for her ship's comm system to make the connection with Jana. She and Tim had tracked Maya all the way to a damned apartment in New Nos Astra, only for the trail to go cold once they'd entered and searched the rooms. She was feeling more discouraged now than at any time during her hunt for the elusive assassin.

"Angel!" Jana's image had finally appeared on the monitor. "It's good to hear from you at last… What news do you have on your hunt?"

"I won't lie, Jana… I am really beginning to feel we are on a hopeless crusade. Maya's gone to ground on this damned planet… totally disappeared! We were within meters of catching up with her, I just know it."

If Jana was disappointed, she didn't allow it to color her expression or her voice as she said, "Tell me what happened, Angel… Let's figure this out together."

Warren told of how she and Tim had found Maya's ship in a long-term storage lot in New Nos Astra, after which they'd tracked her movements to an apartment near a warehouse district. "She had the approaches peppered with tiny cameras to monitor for anyone getting close… My guess is she bolted when she saw us walking towards her front door." Angelique ran her hand over her head again as she added, "We were close, Jana… so damned close. She's abandoned her ship… wiped the VI so clean you'd think it was up for sale in a damned shipyard, and now she has an entire planet in which to hide. Is there any place you can think of… any clues you can give us as to where we need to search next? I am totally out of ideas."

Jana frowned for a moment as she looked down at a display just out of sight of the camera feed. Returning her gaze to the camera, neutral expression firmly in place, she said, "I'll need to check our old databases for clues as to where she may have gone, Angel. One thing I can guarantee… by now, her appearance will be totally different from the one by which you'd recognize her. She has the time and I'm sure she has the funds to totally change her looks and her clothing. I would expect you could walk right past her on a street during a sunny day and never recognize her."

Warren was not happy to hear this bit of bad news. "If you have anything encouraging to tell me, now would be a good time to share it."

"Go back to the apartment she rented, Angel… It was paid for with credits from the Illusive Man, so you may as well make use of it. You'll both be more comfortable than you'd be staying on your ship. I'll send a text to your omnitools when I have some new information for you."

"You think she's still down here, Jana? Honestly?"

"I'd be willing to bet big money she's still there," Jana replied with a small grin. "You did a great job… tracking her to Illium was a really nice bit of detective work. Give me some time to learn what resources may be available to her there."

"How long?" Warren didn't care for the idea of having to cool her heels with no way to assist in the search.

"It could be a few days, Angel. Illium is a big planet… even with all the destruction from the war, there are a lot of places within New Nos Astra that Maya could be hiding while she's busy changing how she looks."

"Come on, Jana… What could she change, really? She has a pretty face with dark skin on an athlete's body, dark eyes and black hair. She wears armor like it's a second skin and she's always armed."

Jana chuckled. "She's a chameleon, Angel… always has been. She passed herself off as a boy until she hit puberty." Jana laughed lightly as she added, "Body she has now, she'd never be able to convince anyone she's a man."

Angelique shook her head. "Not seeing the humor here, Jana. I'm tired of the chase. Is there any way we can get a message to her, something that would make her agreeable to a meet in some public place?"

Jana could see Warren was in no mood for jocularity. "Angel, if I thought that method had the slightest chance of succeeding, I'd certainly attempt it. She's not going to agree to any meeting where she cannot control the situation. It would have to be done in a way that would give her a secondary path with multiple avenues in which to escape."

Jana paused to think for a few seconds before continuing. "When you were at her ship – the one she parked and abandoned – I'll guarantee she saw you there, with Tim, so knows what both of you look like. In the meantime, she has changed her identity and is in the process of changing her appearance… it wouldn't surprise me if she employed some sort of chemical bleaching process to lighten her skin several shades.

Warren finally chuckled. "Okay, Jana. We'll go back to the apartment, cool our heels for a bit. If you can figure out a way for us to meet her that doesn't get us killed in the process, I'll go for it. Let me know as soon as you have anything, no matter how tenuous."

"I'll start digging, Angel."

Alliance Headquarters, Vancouver, Earth

The two admirals had been waiting less than ten minutes when they were notified an Asari corvette, the Liberation, had entered Earth's atmosphere and would arrive in the next few minutes. Hannah chuckled as she looked over at Admiral Hackett. "You look like you've just been assigned to shovel garbage on an Elcor refuse hauler, Steven."

Hackett chuckled and squared his shoulders as the sleek warship, visible vortices of moisture-laden air condensing along the trailing edges of her 'wings', slid into view through the clouds in the distance. "That's because I'm not sure if she's going to come out ready to shake hands or shoot me, Hannah. Especially when we tell her we won't be going to the Normandy for at least an hour."

Hannah had no reason to ask who he was referring to; she knew. "No need to worry about that. Samantha told me they had a good chat yesterday and that Aethyta is expecting a full briefing. However, while she and Matriarch Mozia are with us, two full commando teams led by Captain Nayla Axoni will be establishing a defensive perimeter around the Normandy's docking berth."

Hackett raised his eyebrows. "That could cause problems on an Alliance facility."

"Samantha thought so as well, so we're to instruct the commandos to accompany the matriarchs to the Headquarters, where Ashley Williams, as both the investigating Spectre and the Normandy's XO, will meet them and escort them directly to the ship's berth. Once there, she'll introduce them to the Alliance security detail." Hannah shrugged. "Given the non-Human sentiment that gave rise to this event, Samantha felt it logical for the commandos to stay with the matriarchs until they were safely out of the public eye."

"Good thing I trust the commander." As the Liberation settled nearly noiselessly into the dock before them, Hackett sighed, "Not like I have time to make adjustments to the plan at this point, even if I wanted to." He put a smile on his face and stepped forward to meet the arriving Asari as they disembarked.

Aethyta growled something about damned Human politics, to which Mozia laughed and replied, "Like the Asari are any better? At least the Humans actually do something about it, rather than discuss it for a century before taking action."

Barking out a harsh laugh, Aethyta relaxed slightly and walked directly over to Admiral Shepard to envelop the surprised officer in a warm hug. "Thank you for keeping us apprised, Hannah. I appreciate your candor and straight-up style of information exchange. It's obvious where Shepard gets her military bearing." She paused and held a hand back, inviting Mozia to step forward and join the group. "Now, I'd like to introduce you, in person, to the House T'Soni Executor, Matriarch Mozia T'Sessi."

With a wide smile on her face, Hannah immediately held her hands out, palms up, in greeting. "Welcome to Earth, Matriarch. It is my pleasure to finally meet you face-to-face, rather than via a vid screen."

"Please. It's Mozia. It may be we have only spoken over a great distance, but we are already friends, Hannah Shepard. Such formality is not necessary unless you desire it." She laid her hands atop Hannah's and, though she did not initiate an uninvited meld, Hannah felt a tingle and a feeling of warmth and comfort pass through her.

Her eyes widened and she dipped her head in acknowledgement of their unexpected bond. "Thank you, Mozia. I truly appreciate your friendship and trust." She withdrew her hands slowly and turned to the man beside her. "Now, Mozia... Aethyta. It is my pleasure to introduce Fleet Admiral Steven Hackett."

"Matriarchs, it's an honor to meet you. My only wish would be that it could have been one day later, as originally planned and under better circumstances." Hackett stuck his hand out, first to Mozia and then Aethyta, shaking hands with them as he continued, "If you don't mind, I don't care to discuss our business out here in public, so we'll move immediately to the Headquarters. Spectre Ashley Williams is already waiting there, so she can bring your commandos to the Normandy once you are secure inside. I also have a detail on standby to take us to the ship after our business is concluded."

Mozia nodded in acceptance and responded, "Thank you, Admiral, but I do have one requirement." Hackett remained expectantly silent, which the matriarch took as a sign to continue, "While the commando teams go with Spectre Williams, Captain Nayla Axoni will accompany us; she is our personal guard and we go nowhere without her. It is custom."

"Of course," Hackett answered. "And it's no problem." His lips turned up into a smile. "I also know that it is common for Asari teams to work as a three-person unit, so you have your triad should something go awry." He chuckled at the answering expressions on the blue faces before him. "But don't worry. I'm a military man and I take no affront at your caution... On the contrary, I quite appreciate it."

Mozia smiled in return and glanced at Hannah. "I begin to see why Shepard speaks highly of this man. Shall we proceed?"

They moved quickly from the docks into the headquarters building, the commando teams leaving with Williams as the smaller group of four made their way inside and moved directly to the briefing room. Once in the secure area, the door was shut and Hackett began speaking. "First off, I sincerely apologize for such a thing happening under our watch. All I can say is that, thanks to Shepard's remarkable reflexes, Liara did not get counted among the casualties of that damned attack."

He pulled up the graphic put together by the investigative team and displayed it on the briefing table as he continued. Pointing to the detention block, the graphic dropped altitude until it displayed the basement support columns. "Shaped-charge plastic explosives were strapped at the very top of these six independent columns, totally destroying this one section of the detainment area." The graphic shifted slowly upward to show the individual cells. Pointing out one cell in particular, he explained, "This room contained a dissenter by the name of Josiah Pickett. He was the man who leaked the classified information to the reporter at Shepard's first speech. He hadn't uttered a single word since his arrest and confinement."

Aethyta whistled quietly and commented. "Someone seriously wanted to make sure it stayed that way, didn't they."

"Yes." Hackett expanded the graphic again, to show the entire building in reference to the stage. "The multiple, simultaneous explosions collapsed this whole wing, leaving us with twelve total dead. Pickett, of course, along with two other prisoners and nine Alliance military police assigned to the detention department."

Mozia frowned, "I am sorry for your losses, Admiral. That is a horrible method to accomplish a single assassination... but how does this link to Liara?"

"She was a designated secondary target. The bombing served two purposes; first, to kill Pickett, and next, to serve as a distraction for the attempt on Liara." Hackett looked up from the display to look at the three Asari. "You know the Normandy team is extremely good at what they do, so the assassin probably realized if the team was focused, there was no way she would succeed. So, the organization responsible apparently tagged the attempt on her life along with the plan for the bombing." His eyes focused on Aethyta as he continued. "It's not the first time someone has tried to kill Liara... so they are more than aware she's an extremely hard target."

"Yeah. And look what happened that time," Aethyta growled. "Shadow Broker forces fucking destroyed half of downtown Nos Astra trying to get to her... and they still failed." She suddenly smiled. "That's my girl!"

Hackett nodded, "Yes. And we've come to rely on her remarkable talents; she and Shepard are nearly unstoppable when they are together."

"So who is responsible for all of this, Admiral? Cerberus?" An expression of disgust on her face, Mozia's eyes scanned over the visual depiction of the damage wrought by a single assassin.

"It's a group called LEAP – The League of Earth Alliance Patriots – and yes, there is a very good chance their membership contains remnants of what was once Cerberus. Their basic goal is to put Humankind at the top of the food chain... and at the top of the new Galactic Council. They sent a woman named Kathryn Briggs, a highly trained rifleman who earned rifle expert badges in each of the three years prior to her discharge from the Alliance Marines. As a covert assassin, Briggs excelled at accurate, long range kill-shots of up to 680 meters. Amongst other skills, she was also trained in the placement and detonation of explosives... in particular, molded polymer-infused high explosives. After she left the Alliance, she went off the grid."

"Off... the grid?" Mozia looked at him in confusion.

"Sorry. Dropped out of sight." Hackett shook his head. "No public banking transactions, no known address or travel registries... no anything. She simply vanished."

"How is that possible?"

Aethyta looked at Mozia and answered her question with a sigh. "With a lot of experience and a bit of help. It's not too difficult for short periods of time, especially in the aftermath of the Reaper War. But, the longer it goes, the more you need a support network." Her focus shifted to Hackett. "So, what you're saying is she's likely been in the employ of this... LEAP... for a decent period of time."

"Yes." Hackett's expression suddenly turned hard. "But, rest assured, her... employment... was terminated the same evening of the attack, violently." He adjusted the three-dimensional image hovering over the table. "This is the building she took the shot from... and, due largely to Spectre William's rapid response, the same building in which she died. I'll spare you the details; just suffice it to say our team came away with a lot of information and only minor injuries."

"Yes... Riana sent us a secure message yesterday evening that told us as much." Aethyta scowled as she continued. "What I want to know is where in the blue blazes a Human assassin got her hands on a semi-auto Acolyte Heavy Pistol with Phasic Rounds?"

"Good question." If Hackett was surprised, he didn't show it as he calmly shut down the display and looked at the matriarchs before continuing, "We've asked Vanguard Iregos to look into it... but I'm afraid we may not like the answer."

Aethyta growled, "Only thing I can think of is some desperate Asari Resistance member sold the technology. It was developed during the damned war! It hasn't had time to leave Thessia through normal commercial channels... at least none that existed before the war... so that means it was sold on the black market."

"Aethyta!" Mozia gasped, "Do you truly wish to insinuate one of our commandos committed treason and sold a regulated weapon to off-worlders?"

Aethyta cocked her head as she scoffed, "One of ours? As in a T'Soni commando? No." She then shrugged and continued, "But some poor sap certainly did; of that, there is no doubt."

For the first time since entering the room, Hannah spoke up. "And we'll leave that discovery to the experts." She glanced at her chrono. "In the meantime, we need to head over to the Normandy. I'll continue to provide you with any significant updates, and also arrange to get you a full copy of the final investigative report once it's complete."

Mozia simply nodded and dipped her head in thanks, but Aethyta growled, "Good. And once we learn how such a weapon departed Thessia, we'll make sure whoever is responsible will never be in a position to commit treason again." She shook herself and looped her arm through Mozia's before looking to Hackett. "Thanks for the information, Admiral... and I know who to ask if we think of any more questions." She raised her free hand and indicated the doorway through which they had entered nearly an hour before. "I do believe you said something about having an escort on tap to get us to the Normandy? I'm more than ready to go see my girl."

Normandy SR-2, Alliance Docks, Vancouver

When they arrived at the docks, the Normandy cargo ramp was open, surrounded by a large arc of alert guardians. Pairs of commandos had been matched with an Alliance Marine, resulting in a security team of 18 arrayed in a protective line across both the dock access and the exposed ramp leading up into the Normandy. At the top of the ramp, Aethyta and Mozia saw a welcome sight. Shepard and Liara stood side-by-side, smiling broadly at the arriving couple and their escort of six additional Alliance soldiers.

Liara was glowing with happiness at seeing her father and Mozia together. Now that she was over the surprise of their announcement, she was positively delighted over what she considered a rather unexpected union. "Goddess. They actually do look very happy together, don't they?"

Shepard smiled and squeezed the Asari's hand before releasing it as they began to walk down the ramp to greet their guests. After Liara was thoroughly hugged by the two new arrivals, Aethyta stood stiffly and stared at the commander. Liara looked at the expression on her father's face with concern, a single word expressing the worry she felt. "Dad?"

Mozia grasped her hand and smiled, whispering quietly, "It's alright, Liara."

Aethyta gave them a quick glance before returning her attention to the Human, her voice deep and gravelly as she spoke. "Shepard. I know I've given you a lot of grief over shit that has happened in the past, but this one? This attempt on Liara's life tops them all." She stepped forward and stuck her hand out, Human style, and drew a deep breath before finishing, "Thank you, Shepard. From the bottom of a grateful father's heart, thank you for saving my daughter."

Astounded, Shepard stared at the offered hand for a moment before a gentle, humor-filled prod through the link broke through her surprise. She reached out, clasped Aethyta's forearm tightly and drew the Asari closer to her as she whispered, "Of course, Matriarch. You must certainly realize how much Liara means to me. On my honor, you know damned well that if it came down to it, I would offer my life, without hesitation, in her defense."

Normally, the Asari would have chastised the use of her title, but this was a solemn moment as Shepard pledged her life to Liara's protection. Aethyta had seen the pained expression that crossed Liara's face with the commander's statement and ignored it, staying focused and squeezing the commander's arm in return. "Let us hope that never becomes necessary, Shepard, as such a sacrifice would most certainly break my Little Wing's heart."

Hannah's face held the same pained expression as she also replied, "And mine... along with any number of your friends, Sam. We need to ensure it never comes to that."

Shepard smiled apologetically and looked into Liara's sad blue eyes; the Asari knew the full truth of Samantha's statement and nodded once before adding, "I concur; to save me, only to have you gone from my life is an unacceptable outcome, Siame. That has happened once before and my life spiraled quickly downward. I don't care to ever repeat the experience in my lifetime."

Shepard looked to be on the verge of tears, but she maintained her bearing as she dropped Aethyta's arm and returned to the side of her cheann geallta. "Nor do I, Liara. So how about we stop talking about the 'what ifs' and move inside to the loft, where we can all sit and chat, get caught up with everyone, and discuss what we are all here to celebrate?"

Mozia stepped between her amantia and the admiral, linking her arms with those of both Aethyta and Hannah. "That is a most excellent idea, Commander. Perhaps we could also arrange for some snacks? We had lunch aboard the Liberation shortly after we departed Thessia but, if I remember correctly, it is a number of hours yet before your next meal... Assuming both of you have already eaten your breakfast?"

The mood shifted and Shepard chuckled. "You assume correctly, Mozia. Riana has a Kaffe press aboard and we also have a fairly wide selection of both Earth and Thessian teas. With both Liara and I being biotics, we have a tendency to keep a number of snacks available in our quarters..." She glanced at Aethyta as she continued, "And any number of alcoholic beverages are available in the crew lounge."

Liara gasped in surprise, "It's barely seven in the morning!"

Aethyta, however, let out a raucous laugh. "By your time-clock, Liara. As for me, that's the best damned offer I've received all day. Thanks, Shepard!"