Notes:

Amantia - lover (Thessian)

Ionúin Álainn - beautiful beloved (Gaelic)

LEAP - League of Earth Alliance Patriots

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


Premonitions and Promises

Intai'sei, Phoenix System, Argos Rho

While they were in transit from Jaëto to Intai'sei, Hackett had left a message for Shepard to call him at her earliest convenience, which she did – as soon as she received the message when they emerged from the relay in Hydra. He hadn't said much while they chatted, but he did express hope that the Dalatrasses hateful attitude towards her wouldn't create a conflict between the Alliance and the Council. "You're the one out there, Shepard, and you know your own limits better than anyone." He had smirked as he added, "Except, perhaps, Liara. Do what you need to do, Captain; last thing we need right now is a galactic incident between an Alliance Spectre and a Salarian Dalatrass. I'll trust your judgment on this... and I'll work with Ambassador Osoba to smooth things out for you with the Council. Don't worry about it."

It was early morning when they arrived at the coordinates Shepard had provided. Setting the Normandy down next to a rather small prefab structure, Joker called Shepard on the comms. "We've arrived, Captain... at whatever this is."

Shepard sat up in bed and chuckled. "Thanks, Joker. Let people know they are off duty for the next 48 hours and once Liara and I are up and out, they are welcome to use the house next to which we're parked. Everyone will have to be back aboard and ready to fly by 0800 on the 10th, so we can be at Thoreau Mesa by 0900 hours for the official welcome to Intai'sei."

"Aye Aye, Shepard."

The comm fell silent as Shepard leaned over to the other side of the bed and brushed her lips across a blue cheek. The corners of Liara's mouth edged up in a sleepy smile as her eyelids slowly slid open. "Good morning, Samantha. I assume this means we need to get up, hmmm?"

Pulling Liara's chin around so she could kiss warm blue lips, Shepard whispered, "Yeah, we do... but I'm pretty sure you'll be okay with spending a couple of quiet days here. It will give you time to catch up on Broker traffic and see what's happening out in the rest of the galaxy."

"That would be nice. I am feeling rather disconnected at the moment." Liara's forehead pinched a bit as she continued, "After all, I am the Broker... not Miranda, Oriana, or Arlyna. I've been totally reliant on them since this tour began." She turned to lie fully on her back and looked into Samantha's eyes, still seeing the shadow of what had transpired on Jaëto in the normally clear green orbs. "And what about you, Siame? Where exactly are we, and what will you be doing while I immerse myself in Broker business?"

"I'm going to be working out and thinking, Liara." Shepard sighed. "The dreams, the Salarians... Xen disappearing, our deadly unidentified vigilante..." The Spectre blinked slowly and shook her head before continuing, "I need to get all this shit sorted, instead of having it all twisting around in my mind distracting me. My soldier's sixth sense has been pretty quiet, but lately, it's been telling me I can't afford to be preoccupied with all the miscellaneous bullshit that's going on right now. There's a storm looming on the horizon, Li, and I don't want us caught out in the middle of it when it finally arrives."

Liara sat up, an expression of concern dominating her features as she replied, "That sounds serious; I've never known your intuition to be wrong, Shepard. I'll contact everyone and see if any of the teams we deployed have seen or heard anything that could send up a warning flare."

She paused for a brief moment as a look of confusion passed across her face. "And you avoided my first question. Where are we... other than somewhere on Intai'sei?"

Shepard's somber attitude vanished and she let out a light chuckle. "I was doing some training at Pinnacle Station. The commander was this dodgy old fellow who managed to survive the First Contact War with Uncle Dave... Admiral Tadius Ahern. He absolutely loved it here... loved the desert... loved the heat... He said it did his old bones good; so, he decided to retire here and had a modest prefabricated structure dropped here as a retirement home."

Shrugging, Shepard continued, "He ran a tight ship and was somewhat of a pompous ass, but he was good at what he did; the best, actually." She shook her head and laughed. "He designed a training scenario that mimicked a convoy mission which he alone survived during the war... and he made a promise to every class that ran through the Pinnacle Station; the first person who actually survived and successfully completed that mission could have his prefab. No one ever managed... until me."

"And he actually gave you his house?" Liara asked incredulously.

"No," Shepard grinned, "I wouldn't take it... We argued about it, him saying he was a man of his word and me saying I was the Hero of Elysium and it was an unfair wager." Her grin faded to a sad smile. "In the end, I simply refused to sign the Deed of Transfer. So, he told me it was mine to use whenever I needed... until he retired. Only thing is, he hadn't retired yet and was killed on Pinnacle Station when the Reapers destroyed it at the start of the war. He willed the house and all the personal property in it to me." She looked up and met Liara's eyes. "Uncle Dave told me, but I forgot all about it until yesterday."

"Oh, Shepard. I am so sorry."

A playful smile danced across the captain's lips. "You'll be even more sorry when you see the place. It's out in the middle of nowhere and it's more an armory station than a house. It's nothing like Anderson's place, much less like any of the T'Soni holdings. But, it has all the essentials, including an entertainment station and a bed. Pretty sure that's all we're gonna need."


Fortis Relay, Minos Wasteland, At Large

After eight days of dedicated research, Atlas' research teams had uncovered how LEAP intended to assassinate Liara T'Soni during the Normandy's stopover on the Human colony of Horizon. An 'action' team, consisting of two snipers – one designated as the primary, the other a secondary – along with the pilots and support staff needed for a ten-day trip, had left New York City on the evening of the 6th.

Zoë had stared in disbelief at the report telling of LEAP's apparent need to send so many people for a simple assassination… perhaps they wished to avoid the loss of any more snipers in the manner of Kathryn Briggs. Having additional people providing interference in order to get their snipers away to relative safety could possibly work to their advantage; although Zoë had always managed to single-handedly get in and out of some pretty tight spots, she could see how having additional people might be an advantage.

After meeting with Jana and Angelique two hours prior to takeoff, she had found herself in a UT-47 shuttle enroute to the Charon relay; from there, she traveled to Minos Wasteland via the Serpent Nebula. Once in that system, the plan was for her to send an anonymous, audio-only message to House T'Soni, accompanied by a data file that would provide incontrovertible proof of her claims.

Zoë had quietly argued that any further delay in sending a warning – to anyone – unnecessarily placed T'Soni at greater risk; while the research teams continued their quest to learn of Miranda's whereabouts, Zoë had taken information gleaned from her meeting with Angelique Warren concerning Liara's father; Matriarch Aethyta was now living in the T'Soni townhouse in the city of Armali. Zoë had decided that anything sent to Aethyta's attention concerning the safety of Liara and Shepard would garner an immediate reaction.

Once she had sent the message and data from the vicinity of the Minos Wasteland relay, she would travel to the Crescent Nebula, there to visit Illium for a few days before making the return trip. She intended to return through the Eagle Nebula with some additional weight on board – the difference in mass would disguise the UT-47's passage back through Widow and Charon. Her shuttle would appear as one of a random flight of many, many others during the time period, making her passage through the relays virtually untraceable.

Fortunately, when she arrived at Charon, it was already aligned with the Minos Wasteland relay, allowing her to reach the Fortis system in good time. Once in a stationary position relative to that relay, she deactivated the shuttle's reciprocal transceiver identifiers, and then quickly initiated the call to Thessia. Realizing it was near midnight local time on the planet, Zoë hoped the person answering her call wouldn't be too grumpy.

Her wait proved to be a short one; Zoë had been prepared to speak to someone just awakened from sleep – but when a very alert voice immediately answered the call, she quickly realized that the T'Soni family had around the clock protection, most likely from specially trained commandos. The Asari who answered stared intently into the monitor on her console, sounding instantly suspicious at the lack of an identity code or video of the person placing the call. "You have reached T'Soni House Armali. Please identify yourself and the nature of your call immediately or I will terminate the connection."

Zoë smirked as she replied, "My identity and coordinates are masked for my own protection, Ms…?"

"Last warning!" came the curt reply. "Identify yourself and the nature of your call immediately or I …"

"Please," Zoë interrupted in turn. "Believe me when I say I must be permitted to speak with Matriarch Aethyta on an urgent matter concerning the safety of Liara T'Soni."

The Team 2 lead, Aressa T'Saptos, leaned toward the comm unit, her eyes widening only slightly at Zoë's statement. "An unidentified caller, in the middle of the night, who needs to speak with the Matriarch? And you say it's about the Lady Liara? Explain yourself."

Zoë could understand the distrust this Asari – most likely a commando, based on her leathers – would have of an unnamed caller, but she simply had to get through to her. "I need you to trust me on this, and there is precious little time," she stated in a calm voice. "Please… allow me to speak with the Matriarch. I can assure you she needs the information I have. Please…"

Aressa hated waking Aethyta for no good reason, but this caller, despite masking her identity and location, sounded quite sincere. She grimaced as she reluctantly acquiesced, "Very well. Please stand by… I will wake the Matriarch so you may speak with her." The Asari touched a control in front of her to place the console on standby while she went to Aethyta's quarters.

Zoë watched her chronometer increment the minutes as she waited patiently; after six minutes, a different face appeared on the communications console. Zoë saw the scowl just before the matriarch issued an extremely irritated greeting. "Goddess be damned! Who in the fucking blue blazes do you think you are, anonymously waking everyone in the middle of the damned night with a threat to my daughter?"

Zoë smiled; the greeting might have blistered her ears if she hadn't heard it all before, in what seemed like another life. Despite not being able to see her face, she felt certain Aethyta would hear the smile in her voice as she replied, "Matriarch Aethyta, I can assure you I am not the one threatening your daughter. Quite the contrary... and you have my sincere apologies for the late hour of this call, as well as the necessity of masking my identity and location, but I possess extremely time-sensitive information that you need... and you're the only one I could locate who I know will be able to act on it in time." Pausing for a moment, she continued when Aethyta waited quietly, her scowl remaining firmly in place. "I expect you were made privy to the details of the assassination attempt on your daughter at Alliance Northwestern Headquarters in Vancouver?" She couched the statement as a question and waited for a response.

"Damned straight I was given the details; now here you are, telling my team leader this call concerns Liara… so skip the damned small talk and tell me what you know before I lose all my patience and cut the connection."

"Matriarch, please… two minutes, that's all I ask. The organization you know as LEAP is planning to assassinate Liara T'Soni during the scheduled ceremonies on the colony world of Horizon; our information is reliable and points to a long-range attempt on the 15th."

Aethyta's eyes narrowed menacingly and she glared at the blank screen. Thinking quickly, she said, "What information... and why in the name of the Goddess should I trust you?"

"There's little time for explanations, Matriarch. I'm sending you a file that contains all the information to prove that your daughter and Captain Shepard will be in grave danger on Horizon. LEAP is sending two experts in long-range rifle kills… they can expect a follow-on shot from a different quadrant after the first shot's been taken."

Zoë checked her chronometer before saying, "Please, if you do nothing else, pass the data on to Miranda Lawson… Tell her you spoke with a person who knows the woman she… and Jude… encountered on Horizon, just before their elevator ride to meet Henry Lawson." Zoë knew Miranda would recognize the reference to their meeting and would say as much to the Matriarch. "The data file I am sending contains all the information my group has been able to uncover in a short span of time, Matriarch. Please… There won't be a second chance at this. Do what's needed in order to ensure their safety." Without waiting for a reply, Zoë cut the connection.


Aletheia, T'Sere Shipyard, Thessia

It had been a long day, working with the supply department to identify and purchase the final gear they needed to completely furnish the Broker's new Corvette class ship. While awaiting the arrival of the final purchases, Judea Voni would be busy conducting the final flight trials. Mumbling, "I've got it, Miri," she sat up in their shared berth, sleepily reached for and grabbed her robe, shoved her arms through the sleeves and rose to pad barefoot to the communication compartment, where a low-pitched, warbling trill was seeking attention. Sitting down in front of the secure terminal, she switched it from 'standby' to 'active', which silenced the alarm.

Seeing the ident code for House Armali, she quickly touched the 'accept' control on the haptic interface and gazed with some surprise at the screen when the scowling visage of Matriarch Aethyta appeared before her. Before she could even offer a greeting, Aethyta's gruff voice cut through the late night-early morning quiet of the ship. "Goddess be damned, Jude. Is everyone on that ship asleep? I've been sitting here half the damned night waiting for someone to answer me!"

Jude quickly looked at the elapsed-time indicator, noting the incoming time registered as less than two minutes prior to the time she had answered. "I hardly think you've been waiting that long, Aethyta," she yawned. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

The cantankerous matriarch snorted, saying, "Hanging around that Human has made you soft, Judea. If anyone on that ship should be awake, it's her pilot."

Judea felt sure Aethyta was teasing, but couldn't detect a single hint of amusement in her tone or facial expression, so responded with, "My apologies, Matriarch. What may I do for you?"

"Cut that fucking matriarch shit, Judea Voni!" A tiny smile turned the corners of Aethyta's lips upwards. "I actually called to speak with Miranda," she intoned. "I need her to vouch for an anonymous contact who says Liara is once again a target of that damned Humans-first group called LEAP." Aethyta's attention was diverted by someone approaching from behind Judea. "Ah, Miranda… good. This will save me from having to repeat all this Pyjak-shit to you, so listen up. I received a message from someone – voice sounded female, probably a Human, but who knows – anyway, this person claimed to know who you… and Jude… encountered on Horizon, just before your elevator ride up to Henry Lawson's office to get Ori back. Does that make any sense to either of you?"

Miranda had walked up behind her lover and gently placed her hands on a pair of strong shoulders. "That person," she huffed, "was Maya Brooks. The person who contacted you… did you record the conversation?"

"We record all our incoming calls." Aethyta nodded once as she continued, "She said both Liara and Shepard will be in danger when they land on Horizon on the 16th… If this warning is to be believed, a pair of snipers will attempt to murder my Little Wing… or Shepard, or Goddess only knows... perhaps both of them, during the welcome ceremony." Aethyta paused for several moments as she looked down while she made several keystrokes at her terminal. A soft chime sounded from Judea's terminal as the Matriarch continued, "I just sent the audio record of everything this… informant… said during our brief conversation, along with the data file she provided me. There was no video and the identity of the vessel and the transmission location were all shielded. Perhaps you'll have better luck identifying this person than I did, but what really matters is getting a warning to the Normandy… the only reason I was contacted was because your location and your ship's ident-code is unknown, Miranda."

Miranda nodded her head. "We'll review the data and contact them as soon after as possible, Aethyta. If the data proves legitimate, once Shepard is aware of the threat, I can't imagine anyone being successful in carrying out their plans."

Aethyta nodded, saying, "Then I won't keep you any longer. Keep me advised on this, both of you. Those two barely made it through the damned war, especially Shepard. I pity the person foolish enough to send assassins in an attempt to take the life of either my girl or her promised. Take care." With that, the Matriarch terminated the connection, leaving Miri and Jude in the now quiet comms compartment.

Judea rose from her chair to turn and embrace Miranda. "This? On the heels of the Salarian business? It seems to me the entire galaxy is out to destroy whatever happiness Shepard and Liara have found with each other."

Miranda pressed her lips against those of her lover before responding, "Then it's up to us to make sure the entire galaxy doesn't succeed in this attempt… or any attempt." Miri kissed the Asari again before releasing her. "We need to listen to that recording; I have a feeling I know who sent it, but I need to hear her voice. Once we confirm the sender, we'll contact the Normandy and speak with Shepard. Then, we can sit and have some breakfast while we figure out what to do next."


Intai'sei, Phoenix System, Argos Rho

Shepard was once again sleeping peacefully, the nightmare forest having receded from her dreams as time and effort had helped her prioritize their goals in regard to the many things going wrong with their attempts to bring a lasting peace to the galaxy. She woke up gradually to a voice intruding on a pleasant dream of an endless white sand beach washed by a gentle surf. The voice called her a third time, breaking through her sleeping mind and bringing her to full wakefulness. "Captain Shepard."

Samantha looked at the chrono next to the bed – 0453 – and groaned inwardly. What in the hell was so damned important it wouldn't keep for a couple more hours? "Yes, Edi?"

"Captain, Miranda Lawson needs to speak with you on a matter of great urgency. I asked… She strongly believes it should not wait until you board the Normandy for our trip to Thoreau Mesa."

Shepard made a mental note to add clairvoyance to the list of Edi's capabilities. "I'll be back to the ship as soon as I get dressed, Edi."

"Thank you, Shepard. I'll meet you at the entrance to the Broker's office."

The Spectre had hoped to avoid disturbing her promised – a hope that was dashed when a sleepy voice murmured, "What's the problem, Siame?

Shepard first planted a kiss on a pebbled forehead before easing herself away from Liara, a task made more difficult for having to disentangle her legs from those of the Asari. "No problem, Blue. Miranda needs to speak with me. I'll be back before my side of the bed can go cold."

Liara rolled over and took note of the time. "An urgent call from Miranda at this hour?" She groaned and swung her legs off the bed as she sat up. "I'll pack our things and follow you over. Might as well be prepared for departure... My guess is her news will make it impossible for us to get back to sleep."

In a voice filled with resignation, Shepard replied, "You're probably right." She had pulled only a pair of sweatpants and an old N7 branded tee-shirt over her nude body; reconsidering her options, she stripped as she walked to the shower. In less than ten minutes, she was properly dressed and on her way out the door. She paused only to give Liara a quick kiss. "Love you... and I'll see you when you get over there."


Edi met her as she walked around the port side of the elevator tower towards the Broker office. "Miranda sounded rather distressed, Captain, but she told me she only wanted to relate what she learned once, and she would rather wait until you arrived."

Shepard cocked an eyebrow at the synthetic woman as she responded with, "Sounds like someone has died, Edi." She opened the hatch and entered the office as quietly as she could, aware that Sammi and Riana were asleep on the other side of the forward partition. Taking a seat at the secure comms terminal, she entered her personal code and returned the call. The image of a sleep-tousled mane of black hair and a pair of bleary eyes confirmed to Samantha that Miranda had been jolted out of her bed only a bit earlier. "Miranda. What's up?"

Miranda quickly shared with Shepard, along with Liara via the link, all she had been told by the matriarch just a short time ago. When she had finished, Miranda added, "Along with the data, Aethyta sent a copy of the recording she made of the informant's warning. I've analyzed her voice pattern using every different method I can think of and the only conclusion I can reach is that you and I both know this person's identity." She pinched her temples between the thumb and middle finger of her right hand for a moment, prompting Judea, who had been hovering in the background, to come up behind the Human and begin massaging her neck and shoulders.

Given that Miranda thought the information was urgent enough to drag her butt out of bed before 0500 hours, Shepard growled, "Gods be damned, Miri, just spit it out! Or don't I want to know?"

"No, you do not, because I am still having a difficult time believing she's changed the direction of her life," Miranda responded quietly, still hesitating to say the name aloud as she dropped her eyes to stare at the desktop.

Judea leaned down, placing her mouth next to Miranda's ear to whisper, "Let it go, Amantia. People can change... You did." Placing a gentle kiss on a suddenly flushed cheek, she stood back up and continued to massage a silent Miranda's neck and shoulders as she turned to Shepard. "Miri and I believe the person that sent the warning… was known as Maya Brooks."

Shepard sat in stunned silence for several moments, trying to make sense of what she'd just learned. When she finally found her voice, she croaked out, "You're sure… beyond any doubt?"

Miranda finally looked up to meet Shepard's gaze. "The voice-print matches records I have of her, but Shepard, here's the thing. Maya Brooks is simply... gone. As is Captain Channing and Hope Lilium... even Rasa. I've looked everywhere; after helping you on the Citadel, that woman simply disappeared... along with all of her aliases. Every last one that could be tied to her have been purged from every single database I know how to access. The woman no longer exists."

She paused to release a deep sigh and shook her head. "Even knowing her history and having the Broker records to verify her existence, I'm not sure we could convince anyone she ever actually existed. Of all things, the historical records were actually readjusted to the truth. A female named Brooks, given name unknown – who was working for the Shadow Broker in 2161 – died from a gunshot wound near the docks on an asteroid orbiting Themis, apparently at the hand of a child laborer named Maya. This child adopted the surname Brooks when she left the asteroid aboard Brooks' ship. I have absolutely no idea what new name… what new identity… the woman known to us as Maya Brooks has taken."

"Gods be damned, Miranda." Samantha was the one speaking, but both she and Liara were struggling to wrap their joined minds around the news. "A former top Cerberus assassin, a woman that damn near killed Aunt Karin during at attempt to kill me on the Citadel before eliminating Udina from the gene pool… has simply vanished into thin air? How can we trust she has honestly turned her life around… for the better? What if this is just some ploy to gain our trust? To get close to us?"

"Miranda changed, Shepard… a transformation to which you were a witness. She managed to get away from Harper," Judea said softly. "Why is it so difficult to believe someone else could do the same? I saw Maya's face and heard her words at Sanctuary; it seems even back then our mystery woman had already started down the road to a change of heart... to redemption… long before she killed the Illusive Man on the Citadel." Judea bent down to place a kiss on Miranda's forehead. Looking at Shepard's image yet again, she added, "Even then, Maya was trying to get away from Cerberus… away from Jack Harper. And while neither you nor Miranda may be quite ready to give her a pass, on that day I was completely convinced of her sincerity."

"Okay." Shepard scrubbed her face with her hands before continuing, "Let's forget about Maya Brooks, or Rasa, for now. For whatever reason and whether or not we wish to trust the information, she's provided us with a warning concerning another potential attempt on Doctor T'Soni' life. I'll be damned if we ignore it and allow any harm to come to Liara."

Miranda nodded as she said, "I agree completely, Shepard, and we'll get everyone working on this. We won't rest until those responsible are dead."

"Get some sleep, Miranda… you as well, Judea. Thank you for calling me. Let me know if you uncover any more info."

"I will, Shepard," Miranda answered as she attempted to stifle a yawn. "Good luck on Horizon."

"I have a feeling the odds have been tilted much more in our favor… thank you… both of you."

Liara had entered the room and was standing beside Edi, out of view of the video pick-up, as the screen went to black at the end of the call. Shepard rose from the chair and turned toward them as she said, "Edi. We need to see what the ceremony venue on Horizon looks like before we arrive. I want the locations of potential sniper nests all around whatever stage they've set up – include any raised vantage points out to 10,000 meters."

Liara stood in mute silence as the AI responded, "It will be done immediately, Captain," before turning and leaving the office, headed toward the computer core behind the Med Bay.

Shepard opened her arms, inviting Liara to slip into their strong comfort. The Asari tucked in and whispered, "Who is doing this, Shepard? What have I ever done to them?"

"I don't know, Li, but you can be damned sure we're going to figure it out and end the threat." The Spectre wrapped her arms tightly around her Ionúin Álainn. "We've survived the Reapers. I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone take you from me now."


Destiny Ascension, Widow System, Serpent Nebula

Councilor Valern was nervous as the others entered the room. The Krogan, Urdnot Jara, stared hard at the Salarian and her lip curled up in distaste as she concentrated on simply walking by and not throttling the skinny little Pyjak. Quentius had been shocked at the report and stalked into the temporary council room with his mandibles twitching in irritation. As the newest arrivals joined the others for their first session with the potential for a punitive decision before the Galactic Council, the mood was all-around somber and edgy. Once the entire group was assembled, Tevos stood and addressed the group.

"This special session was called at the behest of Ambassador Osoba and Spectre Shepard." She glanced around the table as she asked, "Is there anyone here who did not receive and review the special packet from Spectre Shepard this morning?" The angry looks that passed around the table, mostly directed at Councilor Valern, did not go unnoticed, so she pressed on quickly. "Alright then; we all know why we are here. Ambassador Osoba?"

Osoba nodded in acceptance and stood slowly. "I admit, the Human race is a relative newcomer to the Council, but I cannot believe that such disrespect directed toward a Council Spectre – of any race – would be considered acceptable. That it has been so widespread throughout the Salarian homeworlds is a disgrace, both on the Council level toward one of our Spectres and on the personal level, toward one who worked so hard and sacrificed so much to ensure our victory over the Reapers." His gaze traveled the table, much as Tevos had done, as he now asked, "Is there anyone here who disagrees with that statement?"

Of course, Valern had to stand and offer a protest. "Please. It is not widespread through the Salarian populous... It is simply a voice of disapproval. The Dalatrasses against then Commander Shepard for her unreasoned curing of the Genophage..."

He didn't get to finish before Jara roared and stood, leaning menacingly over the table. "Unreasoned? You worthless Pyjak! You stole our females! You weren't searching for a cure... you were looking for ways to extend the Genophage, because your people knew our genetics were on the way to overcoming it... cure or no cure!"

Valern looked affronted and he rose to the challenge. "That is pure conjecture and categorically untrue!"

Din Korlack, the Volus representative, drew a deep breath through his respirator and chuckled. "Seriously, Valern? Do you honestly expect any of us to believe that? Dalatrass Linron offered Shepard a bribe to sabotage the cure once Mordin Solus created it. A cure is the last thing the Salarians wanted!"

"Enough." Tevos spoke the single word as Valern attempted to rebut Korlack's statement. As the table erupted into argument, the Asari stood and banged a flattened hand on the table, aided by a small biotic pulse. The effect was something akin to a small sonic boom traveling outward from the point of impact, certainly more than enough to ensure she recaptured everyone's attention. "I said enough!"

As the room settled and the surprised participants retook their seats, Tevos' voice was glacial as she glared at Valern. "It matters not if the Dalatrasses' actions are not the will or wish of the Salarian people. The behavior of those Dalatrasses alone, as the ruling heads of state representing the Salarian Union, toward a Spectre, as the legal representative of the Galactic Council, is grounds for punitive action."

As the enforcers of Galactic Law, the Turian Councilor, Quentius rose abruptly from his chair and took over. "Whether or not the infraction happened is not a matter of debate; the vid files produced by Captain Shepard and her crew are clear. The true question is what level of sanctions are we going to put in place against the Salarians... and for how long?"

"I told them this would happen." Valern melted into his seat, his shoulders slumped and head hung low. "I warned them that the Council was almost unanimous on this issue, and that Captain Shepard and the Normandy traveled with all of our blessings. They were simply too angry to listen." His head came up as he glanced imploringly around the table at his fellow councilors. "I place the Salarian Union at your mercy and ask only that you consider the effects that will cascade down through the general populations of the affected planets."

Tevos sighed into the suddenly quiet room. Facing Osoba, she began, "Ambassador. As the representative of the primary aggrieved party, have you reviewed the appropriate tables of recommended punitive actions regarding the various levels of injury?"

"I have, Councilor Tevos." The Human nodded and stood once again. "And I will state for the record that I agree with Valern... that these acts were not necessarily the will of the general Salarian public, but of a few disgruntled Dalatrass elites. Given that consideration, I will not seek the more... severe... punishments that are available in the appropriate category. Instead, I would be content with only two conditions." His gaze shifted to Valern. "First, I would ask that each of the subject Dalatrasses be made to pay one percent of their gross annual earnings over the next year, with a variance on the designated recipient. Instead of being paid directly to Spectre Shepard, she desires the money go to the Galactic Council's Orphaned Children's Fund."

"Does anyone have any questions or objections?" Met with silence, Tevos nodded and looked around the table. "Then it appears we are ready to vote on the first condition." Seeing as many of them had already discussed the issue and come to agreement before they ever entered the Council Chamber, it was no surprise when the first motion passed.

Impatient, Jara spoke as soon as the first vote was tallied. "And what of your second condition, Ambassador Osoba?"

Having sat down for the vote, Osoba drew a deep breath and stood up yet again. "I realize that not all of the Dalatrasses have committed the same actions as those of the few... but neither were their voices raised in protest against them. That failure, in and of itself, demonstrates an unacceptable level of tolerance, possibly even to the point of approval, of such blatant violations of civil rights and common decency. My second, and final, condition is a standard punishment for a major infraction of Galactic Civil Law... That the Salarian Union, for the period of one-half of the next solar year, based upon that of their homeworld, Pranas, and starting immediately at the conclusion of these proceedings, loses their right to cast any and all votes regarding Council affairs on any issue, unless a new vote is taken – before that time expires – regarding their reinstatement as a voting member. My hope is that, if there is a 'next time,' they will be more apt to weigh in against such civil disobedience and disrespect... in order to correct their own, before intervention on the part of the entire Council becomes necessary."

Once more, Tevos asked, "Does anyone have any questions or objections?"

As a matter of course, Valern stood... but the words that came from his mouth surprised them all. "The silence tells me that everyone is ready to vote on this issue. This will likely be my last chance to speak before all of you, so I will take this opportunity to speak my conscience. I will not apologize for the actions of the Dalatrasses." He raised a hand to quiet the discontented rumblings around the table as he continued, "That is for them to either do themselves... or not. I, for one, am in agreement with the Council and would like to open the vote... with an 'aye,' in favor of the voting sanctions."

The entire room fell deathly quiet in their shock as the Salarian Councilor continued in the silence, "The circle of Dalatrasses currently holding the majority of the power throughout the Salarian Union have run roughshod over their citizens for the last decade, gaining wealth and influence on the backs of their populace. Perhaps this will provide the necessary spark to enable changes within the Union... and provide a new level of self-government by the Salarian people."