Because I know it in my bones. You are the only female I desire, the only water that will quench my thirst, the only sun that will warm my skin, the only lips that were made for mine. – Dannika Dark, Impulse
Ài – [愛 – love] (whether spoken by Xiùlán or Samantha, the meaning is 'luv')]
Inamorata – A woman with whom one is in love; a female lover (Italian)
Ø7 – An allegedly discontinued vocational code in the Systems Alliance military.
· · · · The Ø designates covert operations; the 7 refers to the highest level of proficiency.
Qíngfū or Qíngrén – [情夫 – lover]
• T'SONI ESTATE, THESSIA · PARNITHA SYSTEM, ATHENA NEBULA •
Holding the hand of my Qíngrén while standing alongside Shepard and Liara, we waited as the diplomatic shuttle from the turian hierarchy gently touched down beside the parked shuttle from the Hong Kong. As the APUs spooled down to a nearly silent standby, the main hatch hissed open to reveal a well-dressed turian standing within. Ducking his head slightly, Garrus Vakarian stepped out and ambled down the short ramp; after pausing briefly on the paved apron, he moved smartly towards the impromptu welcoming committee.
Stopping in front of Liara and Shepard, he hugged each of them in turn just as enthusiastically as if he hadn't just visited a few weeks before. When he stepped over to stand in front of Xiùlán and myself, he actually crushed my Inamorata to his chest, lifting her from her feet in an exuberant embrace. "Captain Yuan! So it was the Hong Kong I spotted in orbit," he gushed. "It's so very good to see you again!"
Xiùlán actually blushed at the turian's enthusiastically physical greeting. Standing on her feet once more, she held on to his upper arms while saying in a tight voice, "It is good to see you as well, Vakarian." She released him and stepped back slightly as he moved to stand in front of me.
"Samantha Traynor." The sound of my name, spoken in that flanging voice combined with the deep sub-harmonics, sounded as exotic in its own way as did Xiùlán's use of my nickname in Mandarin. Garrus leaned down to wrap his arms around me in an intimate embrace. "I don't give a damn why you needed to personally meet with me, Sammy." His subharmonic whisper in my ear sounded closer to that of an intimate lover than of a cherished friend. "I consider it a privilege to simply be able to enjoy your company once again."
"Thanks for coming, Garrus." As he released me, I looked up at sharp, crystal blue eyes and teased him with a snarky, "I believe you'll be more than happy with the gift I intend to give you today."
I watched in quiet satisfaction as he expressed his curiosity by dropping and flaring his mandibles. "Still as mysteriously tantalizing as ever, Sammy. I can't wait to discover what you have for me!"
I showed my teeth in a huge grin, even while sensing a bit of disapproval from Xiùlán. Can she actually be jealous of my affection for Garrus? I put the thought aside as we all trooped back into the house. Garrus was shown to his room while the rest of us entered the sun room with its corner view of the rose garden and nearby ocean shore. I'd meet privately with Garrus immediately before we had lunch, after which Oriana and Xiùlán would join me for the short flight to Serrice.
Shepard had allowed me to meet with Garrus in the same comfortable lounge in which she and I had spoken of Garrett Sutton the previous evening. I had previously told my Qíngrén she was welcome to join us, but she declined my invitation, saying she did not wish to learn anything about what the Shadow Broker might have done that could involve Garrus, or the Hierarchy.
After spending a few minutes catching each other up on our busy lives—him more so than me, since I dared not divulge too much about my life on Ahn'Kahar Station—he sat back and asked, "Okay, Sammy. Why did you want me to haul my carapace all this way from Palaven?"
"Getting right to the point … s'what I always loved about you, Garrus." I pulled a case containing an OSD out of a utility pocket on my thigh, turned it over in my hands once, then held it out to him. His eyes widened slightly when he saw MSV Anixara Reparations on the label. "Oriana Lawson and I spent a fair amount of time searching the galaxy for the contents on this device, Garrus. I think – well, I hope – that you will be well-pleased with what we accomplished."
Garrus gingerly took the OSD case from my hand; in a thoughtful tone, he asked, "What is this?"
"Bank codes and account numbers, for what I believe to be a sufficient sum of credits to compensate the Hierarchy for the loss of the Anixara, Garrus." I sat beside him on one of the chair arms. "You and Primarch Victus will have to endorse every withdrawal together … neither of you have sole access." He opened his mouth to ask why when I stopped him. "If either of you had singular access to those funds, it might be possible—however unlikely—that someone could force one of you to withdraw funds. My aim was to make it a bit more difficult to get at those creds."
"How much, Sammy?" His piercing stare was a bit unnerving. "And where did it all come from?"
I rose and paced a few times to and fro before stopping to stand with my back against the field stones on one side of the fireplace; I crossed my arms under my chest with my hands cupping my elbows and sighed, "That's really the best part, Garrus … the creds were supplied by Cerberus." At his instant expression of shocked bewilderment, I added, "S'only right, don't you think? The Illusive Man ordered the hit on Raherix Ursivus, and you know collateral damage or deaths—especially alien deaths—were completely beneath his consideration. As to how and where we obtained those creds, it's best that you do not know … safer for Oriana, and for me."
"Does this contain the negotiated amount agreed to by General Park?"
"General Park has absolutely no knowledge that we did this, Garrus … none! I intend to meet with her on my way back home, and … well, there's also some unpleasant business in Vancouver that requires my personal attention. As for the total, I believe there's a bit more than specified in your agreement … enough that I feel the Primarch should be satisfied. You'll find the creds in several interest bearing accounts at the government owned bank in Cipritine; since it's classified as a special project fund, most of the officials there are blissfully unaware of the new deposit."
Garrus spent several minutes silently contemplating all I had shared with him as his attention flickered between me and the OSD he was holding; his next question surprised me. "You said 'on your way back home', Sammy. I wonder … can you tell me where home is for you these days?"
I chuckled. "That's something I am most definitely unable to share with you, Garrus … I'm sorry. I haven't even shared that info with my Inamorata."
"Really? … Xiùlán doesn't know where your new home is? That's … difficult to believe."
With a slight huff, I answered, "Why should it be hard to believe, Garrus? I can assure you, having to be so damned secretive all the time isn't something I enjoy. Hell, I even have to shield my vessel's ID whenever I travel through the relays, in order to discourage any tracking of my movements."
He placed the OSD in an interior pocket of his jacket as he queried, "So, what are you doing this afternoon? Going to stick around for a bit?"
"I'll be flying to Serrice with Oriana … she'll be getting an upgraded omnitool; Xiùlán will be accompanying me as well, as she also needs an upgrade … but we'll be returning for the evening so we can all sit down together for dinner. I need to have a discussion with Liara, and I want Ori to have more time to visit with Miranda."
Garrus focused his acute gaze on my wrist for a moment before commenting, "Your bracelet does look slightly different than the one I remember from before, Sammy. Is it an upgraded model?"
With a smirk, I admitted, "It is, and unlike my previous omni, this one cannot be removed; there's a miniscule amount of eezo in the band, similar to an asari bonding bracelet. Activating it caused the entire band to shrink in diameter, just enough so that it cannot be slid off over my hand."
"Spirits! Why would you want that, Sammy?"
"It needs to be in close contact with my skin at all times." I made sure he could see I wasn't using my free hand for activation while mentally sending a text to the omnitool on his wrist. His mandibles dropped in amazement upon seeing the near ultraviolet glow of my omnitool's self-activation; he then started slightly as his own omnitool lit up in receipt of my short text.
After reading the greeting I had sent, he focused back on my face and, with a touch of awe coloring his sub-harmonics, asked, "Since when did you learn our written language, Samantha?"
I laughed in delight. "Built in auto-translator for the text function, Garrus. I can think what I need to say in Galactic, and it will send to the recipient in their native language. The really great thing about this tool is that in addition to being keyed to my DNA, making it useless to anyone else, it's electronically linked to my nervous system, thanks to Shepard's choice to end the war."
Garrus's look of surprise became one of amazement. "How is that even possible, Sammy?"
"Synthesis, Garrus … remember? Every organic being in the galaxy has synthetic nanoparticles circulating in their bloodstream." I made a 'V' with two fingers and pointed to my eyes, adding, "The sparks of light in our eyes are a by-product of Rachaél's choice. Serrice Council managed to develop an interface that takes advantage of the synthetic bits circulating within us. I can activate this omnitool with speed of thought …" I held my arm out and sent a command, causing the tool to activate in combat mode. "… and instantly have a weapon ready for use."
Garrus shook his head as I deactivated the tool. "That's quite an improvement from having to manually activate it, Sammy. Is this why you're going there with Oriana and Xiùlán?"
I nodded. "Xiùlán expressed an interest in obtaining an upgraded tool similar to mine. We each were presented with high-end Serrice omnitools during our Ø7 training in 2179. This one is a replacement for my original omnitool – the improvements made since war's end cannot be applied to previously manufactured tools." I huffed slightly and added, "Real shame, that. I think they're worth every last credit Serrice charges for them, but the damn things do cost a small fortune!"
He rose from his chair and held out a hand for me, which I took after a moment's hesitation. "Let's go have a spot of lunch, Sammy." Before opening the door to leave, he stopped and turned to face me. Cocking his head, he pierced me with sharpshooter blue eyes as he said, "Samantha, besides Rachaél Shepard, you are the most intriguing human I have ever encountered. That you were able to secure compensation for the loss of the Anixara is something I never could have anticipated."
I placed a hand on his chest as I replied. "The search you and Liara undertook for Rachaél's clones had beneficial side effects, Garrus. All the records Liara downloaded from Cronos Station—from the time Jack Harper started Cerberus to the time he abandoned the place—are still stored within Iringù-Eßizkur's memory core, including the financials. Only a minimal amount of research was required to uncover the data on accounts from which we could clandestinely transfer funds."
Garrus leaned close and gently placed his chin atop my head in what I believed to be a display of his love for me. "Thank you, Samantha, from me personally, and on behalf of the Hierarchy. You have done a huge favor for the turian people … one which I will never forget." He drew back as he opened the door and, taking the hand I had placed on his chest, led the way to the dining hall.
• SERRICE COUNCIL MANUFACTURING, SERRICE · THESSIA •
I experienced a fleeting touch of déjà vu as I entered the grand visitor center inside Serrice Council Manufacturing; accompanied by my Inamorata and Oriana Lawson, we had traveled in the Hong Kong's shuttlecraft on the short flight along the continent's southern coast to the city of Serrice.
Much to Xiùlán's amusement, Oriana nervously held my hand as we strolled up to the reception desk. The asari sitting on the other side actually recognized me from my previous visit, asking, "Samantha? … Samantha Traynor?" As I stopped right in front of her, she nodded excitedly, saying, "It is you! How are you doing?" Glancing at Xiùlán and Oriana in turn, she asked, "What may we do for you today, Ms Traynor?"
I placed my arms around both companions as I answered, "My friends have traveled here with me to acquire replacement omnitools. If you would be so kind as to tell Mallene Calis I have arrived?"
"Of course, Ms Traynor." She used a hand to wave us towards a group of comfortable looking chairs, adding, "Please, have a seat. She should be right out."
The receptionist was as good as her word … less than five minutes had passed when the sound of quiet footsteps coming up from behind was preceded by a familiar voice calling out, "Samantha Traynor … welcome back to Serrice Council Manufacturing!" She swept gracefully around our group of chairs as I stood and turned to greet her.
"Mallene Calis!" I slipped my arms beneath her outstretched forearms and embraced her in a hug. Releasing her, I turned towards my friends and said, "You remember Captain Yuán Xiùlán?"
"Indeed I do, Sammy!" She warmly greeted Xiùlán in the traditional manner, then turned towards Ori as I introduced her in turn. "Ms Lawson … it is very nice to meet you." Turning back towards me, she stated, "So, you've requested that Ms Yuán and Ms Lawson each be fitted with new omnitools." She inspected the bracelet on Xiùlán's wrist, then inspected Ori's.
With a broad smile, she addressed both of them. "Please, backup your data and ancillary applications while you accompany me to my office. Once there, I'll set things in motion for you." As we set off, Xiùlán walked beside Mallene as she continued to speak, saying, "I trust your model ten has performed well these past several years. I never would have guessed in 2179 that I would be seeing you again. So much has happened during the intervening years!"
Xiùlán grinned as she replied, "Including my stay in the university hospital in 2181." At the instant look of surprised curiosity, she continued, "Sammy and I were working undercover to retrieve an object from the early days of asari exploration. I was severely injured …" she looked at me as she lovingly concluded, "… and Sammy saved my life. I spent several months under the care of Doctor Luria Shakia, after a team of orthopedic doctors replaced the shattered bone in my left thigh with a carbon fiber reinforced titanium composite."
"By the Goddess, Captain! That's amazing!" She focused on Xiùlán's legs as she walked alongside us, observing, "Looks as if nothing ever happened to you."
With a chuckle, my Qíngrén replied, "You haven't seen the skin of my bare leg … still a number of scars … from the bullet, and from Sammy's efforts to save me from radiation poisoning."
Even though I was slightly embarrassed at having Mallene learn a bit about our exploits before the war, I grinned at the asari as she turned toward me. "If I may ask, what was the object you were sent to recover?"
"A figurine of Janiri, approximately 40 centimeters high, carved from a single piece of Bolan wood. Matriarch Elesia T'Keeri, the Minister of Antiquities, told us it had been made between 2800 and 3100 years ago, and was most likely in the possession of Matriarch Dilinaga during a major portion of her travels."
Mallene abruptly stopped walking as she gently placed a hand on my upper arm. "From the Age of Exploration!? You … and Captain Yuán? … recovered that figurine?"
"Along with Griffen Buchanan," I added. "It had been stolen by a batarian pirate after its original recovery in 2180."
"Humans? Working for the Asari Republics?" She gazed in apparent astonishment at first me, then Xiùlán. "My apologies to both of you. I visited the Armali Palace Art Gallery just before the Reaper invasion. Seeing that figurine for the first time and being able to read some of Matriarch Dilinaga's writings from her voyage was awe inspiring."
"Why should you apologize to us, Mallene?" I asked. "I don't understand."
The asari's face darkened slightly. "Please." She indicated a nearby door. "Come into my office. I'd like a chance to sit for a few minutes." She quickly opened the door and ushered us into her work space; upon closing the door, she stepped over to a small storage cabinet. "Would you care for a refreshment? Ms Lawson? Captain?"
While Xiùlán and Ori politely declined, I said, "A small glass of Elasa would be most welcome." After pouring a glass for me and one for herself, Mallene took a sip, then looked at me.
"That humans would go on a clandestine mission to recover an asari artifact was … well, is … unprecedented, Ms Traynor … Sammy." After another sip from her glass, she took a deep breath and continued. "Were you permitted to tour the gallery?" At a nod of assent from myself and my Qíngrén, she continued, "Then you're aware there are no indications of who recovered all the pieces on exhibit. That figurine of Janiri … absolutely priceless, Sammy, yet you, Xiùlán and Mr Buchanan recovered it from the abyss, in what I can only assume was at great peril to your lives."
By this time, the asari was sitting behind her desk; she finished the last of her Elasa and, with her forearms on the polished wood surface, cupped her hands around the empty glass. With a deep sigh, she glanced at each of us in turn as she spoke softly. "I would expect the Serrice omnitools you used on that mission contributed to your success. Now that I know of your involvement, I would like to place your originals on display in our lobby; I already have yours, Sammy, and Xiùlán's will be replaced with one similar to your current model, so I will have that one as well."
Thinking back to the level of secrecy surrounded our assignment back then, Xiùlán suggested, "Before you do that, we should probably speak with the official we reported to for that mission, Mallene. It was top secret back then, and the details of what we did have still not been released."
I added, "At the very least, omit our names and species from the display. I don't see the harm in allowing potential clients to view a pair of historic Serrice Omnitools, as long as their original owners are not identified." I added, "Our interference cost the Blue Suns a fortune … which is the main reason our involvement in the recovery of that artifact was never publicized; even today, were the Suns to learn the details of that mission, our lives would still be at risk."
Mallene nodded her understanding. "Your secret is safe with me, Ms Traynor … Captain Yuán. Now, let's see about getting you and Ms Lawson fitted with replacements. Am I to presume the Alliance Navy is responsible for your replacement, Captain?" Receiving an affirmative reply from Xiùlán, she turned to me and asked, "And you will be taking responsibility for the purchase of Ms Lawson's new Omnitool?"
"Of course," I affirmed.
Rising from her chair, she moved around her desk and opened the door. "Please follow me … I'll escort you to Matron Luria T'Gabri's lab."
• T'SONI ESTATE, THESSIA · PARNITHA SYSTEM, ATHENA NEBULA •
Although we could have spent the evening in Liara's modest apartment in Serrice, I chose to return to the T'Soni estate, mainly so Oriana could spend her time on Thessia visiting with her sister, but also so I could spend more time visiting with Garrus and Liara.
We all had dinner together, then enjoyed after-dinner beverages as we conversed – Garrus with Xiùlán, Rachaél and Liara with me, and the Lawson sisters by themselves; a short time was spent in uncomfortable silence after Ori had shared all she'd experienced at Serrice Industries. Fortunately, the very perceptive Lady of the House quickly joined the pair and soon had them both sharing—and laughing over—what had been embarrassing episodes in their lives before and during the war.
Rachaél had been explaining how she intended to take Garrett Sutton into custody when I noticed Xiùlán and Garrus rise from their chairs; both began walking towards me and Shepard. With a slight nod of my head, I indicated the imminent interruption in order to allow Rachaél time to finish what she was saying to me. Xiùlán stopped in front of me and looked at Rachaél as she asked, "May I borrow Ms Traynor, Spectre?"
The woman smirked as she replied, "But of course, Captain." Looking up at Garrus standing in front of her, she added, "It'll give me more time to speak in confidence with this big turian."
Garrus chortled as he took the chair I vacated to join Xiùlán, who hooked my arm with hers and led me outside into the deepening twilight of a cloudless evening. Without preamble, she said, "After we have my new omnitool and leave Serrice Industries, I'd like to visit the city for a bit … perhaps we can discover if Doctor Shakia survived the war … maybe even visit Farnia T'Rhyn."
The mention of the jewelry store owner got my full attention. "Any particular reason for visiting T'Rhyn's Jewelry, Ai?"
Xiùlán's slight grin was enigmatic, at best. "No reason, really … although I've always wanted to see the shop where you discovered the gold and platinum bracelet gifted to me by the sisters T'Rhyn."
I nodded and smiled at the memory. "That actually sounds smashing, my love … and I too would very much like to visit with Farnia T'Rhyn once more."
Xiùlán chuckled. "Since we have to bring Oriana along, would you object to having Miranda accompany us? I'm sure those two have mended each other's injured feelings, and I really want Miri to have as much time with her sister as possible before we all have to return to work."
I kissed her cheek. "You are such a complete softie, Xiùlán!" She ducked her head for a few moments as we strolled the dimly-lit pathway; I replied to her question as she lifted her head and focused her attention closely on me. "Of course she can come with us." I sighed as I glanced at the indigo sky. "We'll need to leave early so we can arrive when they open the visitor center. Guess we should head back to the house so we can go to bed."
• SERRICE COUNCIL MANUFACTURING, SERRICE · THESSIA •
Xiùlán, Oriana and Miranda had accompanied me in my shuttle for the early morning trip back to Serrice Industries; upon entering the visitor center, Ori and Xiùlán were escorted to Matron T'Gabri's lab. As Miranda hadn't seen the process before, she was allowed to accompany her sister for her fitting and testing procedure.
As both women had already had the diameter of their wrists measured for their replacement omnitools, the matron needed only a few minutes to secure Xiùlán's and Oriana's new bracelets in the receptacles that would allow transfer of their saved files and applications—and in Xiùlán's case, the specialized weapons applications—that each of their old omnitools had possessed. As had been the case with my own omnitool, the transfer progressed quickly.
After settling their new bracelets on their wrists and confirming the new omnitool's synchronizations with their nervous systems, each of them had quietly listened as Luria explained the next step in the process – shrinking the bracelet to a comfortably snug fit on their wrists. Ori seemed a bit nervous about this aspect of receiving her new device, so decided to allow Xiùlán to precede her.
With Xiùlán's forearm resting in the scanner, Ori and Miranda watched with great interest as the asari activated the machine; the only visible reaction was that of the new bracelet, which ever-so-slowly contracted in response to the stimulation being applied to its eezo core.
Luria carefully inspected the results, ensuring the bracelet was still positioned correctly, pointing out that Xiùlán's wrist was much like mine, in that it wasn't perfectly concentric. She would be able to rotate the bracelet on her wrist, but it would normally remain oriented with the small, bio-sensitive cabochon on top. The asari's final act was to ensure that Xiùlán could easily slip the tip of her index finger at any point between the band and her skin.
After repeating the entire process with Oriana—whose slimmer wrist required a smaller bracelet—Luria assisted her in uploading all her previously saved applications and data, while Xiùlán, having experienced the replacement process in early 2179, was left to deal with the conversion procedure—with some assistance from me—on her own.
It was immediately obvious my Qíngrén was attuned to her new device on a nearly instinctual level … she quickly proved quite adept at effortlessly switching between its computer functions and the imbedded combat tools. As for sending messages, she confirmed for herself one limitation of her new omnitool … a limitation shared by omnitools from every other manufacturer: it could neither translate Mandarin-to-Galactic—or the native language of any other species—or Galactic-to-Mandarin. She explained, "If I want to send a message to my parents, or to you, I have to 'think' it in Galactic."
I smirked, "Just send me 'I love you!' [我愛你!] … I've learned how to read that."
She chuckled as she replied, "I can do that, wo de ài." [我的愛 – my love]
Xiùlán's expression grew serious as she thoughtfully added, "I should set you up with a tutorial, Sammy. You could learn to speak and understand Mandarin at your own pace, whenever you have a bit of downtime."
With a slight frown, I flicked my eyes towards Oriana as I cautioned, "Downtime is not something I have in any great abundance, Ai. Most of each waking minute is devoted to data inquiries of every conceivable kind."
Xiùlán had caught my glance at a blissfully unaware Oriana, thus realizing I had yet to share my intentions to leave Ahn'Kahar Station and my friends behind. With an imperceptible nod of her head, she replied, "I think I'll set it up for you anyway … perhaps in one of the servers within Iringù-Eßizkur. You're generally just sitting idle when you're traveling, are you not?"
I groaned, "Can't be working all the time, Ai! My brain needs an occasional bit of rest and a reboot, but … go ahead. May as well be using the one or two free minutes I manage to allow myself during each day."
She answered with a quick laugh. "That's the spirit, Sà mi!"
Shaking my head slightly at her enthusiasm, I thought, Hell! I'll probably have nothing else to do once I leave the station. Maybe I finally can learn her native tongue.
• AT LARGE, CITY OF SERRICE · THESSIA •
We parked the UT-47 in the small craft area at the nearby spaceport, then rented a speeder to travel the few klicks to the university hospital and nearby shopping area. Once there, we split up … Miranda and Oriana wanted to visit the shops, while Xiùlán walked with me over to the hospital.
Upon entering the building, I asked the receptionist if Doctor Luria Shakia was still practicing here, and if so, was she in the building; I was thrilled to discover she was still a resident doctor. Upon learning our names, the receptionist's eyes went wide with recognition. "Your visit honors us. Please have a seat …" she indicated a nearby row of chairs, "… while I attempt to locate Doctor Shakia. I'll ask her to meet you here."
Before moving to sit, I asked, "How do you know of us, Ma'am? We haven't been here since 2182."
An enigmatic smile preceded her short explanation as she studied Xiùlán. "Ms Yuán had major surgery here … it was a notable event. Prior to her hospitalization, few of our staff had ever seen a human … at least, not up close, and none had ever performed surgery on a member of your race. Our students continue to learn about human physiology … in part … because of Ms Yuán."
With a completely innocent expression, I asked, "Except for the blue skin, we're pretty much alike, are we not?"
She grinned in reply. "Mostly. The main difference is we do not require bio-amps in order to utilize our biotic abilities, and our food is not good for you … at least, not on a long term basis."
Xiùlán commented, "Actually, we had no problems with the food during our stay."
The grin lessened slightly as the young matron admitted, "Doctor Shakia had Tellurian foods shipped here from the Citadel, which were then mixed with equal quantities of our native foods. Our intent was to prevent you from suffering any side effects that might have resulted from ingesting high concentrations of eezo … which, as you must know, has no ill effects on human biotics, but can cause problems for those without the mutation."
Nodding my understanding, I followed Xiùlán to the waiting area and sat beside her, where I voiced my opinion concerning how uncomfortable the chairs were. Of some surprise, my snarky comment about them to Xiùlán was countered by a vaguely familiar voice from behind us.
"They are meant to be uncomfortable, Samantha Traynor. It discourages people from sitting here for hours on end, waiting for news—good or bad—about their loved ones."
Xiùlán and I rose as one and turned to see Doctor Luria Shakia, fists on her hips with her weight back on one foot; her huge grin belied her rather grim comment about the chairs. Xiùlán spoke first. "Doctor Shakia!" She moved quickly past the chairs and, ignoring the outstretched forearms, once again offered the good doctor her own interpretation of friendship – a heartfelt hug. "It is so good to see you again after so much time!"
The flustered doctor returned Xiùlán's embrace, then pulled back slightly to look into her eyes. "You look well, Ms Yuán." Glancing at me, she added in a slightly questioning tone, "And it would appear that Ms Traynor is still your companion?"
Xiùlán smirked as she replied, "She is, although these days we see much less of each other than I would like." At the questioning look she received, Xiùlán added, "Sammy left the Alliance Navy for work in the private sector, soon after I was promoted to the rank of captain."
She split her attention between us, saying, "Do you have time for lunch? I would really enjoy hearing about your lives since your departure before the war."
"We can certainly visit with you, but it's a bit early for lunch," I replied. "Salads, perhaps?"
We spent nearly two hours visiting with Doctor Shakia in the private physician's section of the hospital dining room; we had eaten very little, as we planned to rejoin Ori and Miranda in the shopping district for a possible lunch.
Much as she had when we had previously taken our leave of her, she teared up. "Goddess watch over you," she said in a tight voice. "It has been a pleasure for me to sit and speak with you today … please, come back soon. I will always make time to visit with either one of you, or both together."
After embracing both of us, she silently turned and disappeared back inside the facility; Xiùlán's only comment was, "Infinitely better to simply visit with the good doctor. I couldn't have asked for better care as her patient, but I really wouldn't care to repeat the experience." She showed her teeth in a grin while asking me, "Where should we go next?"
I grinned. Having already sent a text to Oriana, I said, "Let's meet the Lawson sisters for lunch, then visit Farnia T'Rhyn."
She grabbed my hand and we began walking through the quiet park on the northern side of the hospital, rehab center and university campus. This part of Serrice lent itself admirably to taking a peaceful stroll; it actually surprised me when we drifted out of the cool shade onto a wide pedestrian walkway. Calling up the city map on my omnitool, I set a route that would take us to the same café that Maracela T'Rhyn had taken Griff and me during Xiùlán's stay in the hospital, and sent the location to Oriana and Miranda.
As before, I entertained myself by looking into the windows of the various shops we passed as we ambled along the broad esplanade; I also made a point of ignoring the stares from the maidens—college students, if I were to guess—we encountered along the way. I couldn't fault the asari for merely being curious about us … particularly Xiùlán; her long and shiny raven-black hair, exotic—for a human—facial features, and 186 Cm tall frame drew an incredible amount of covert attention. Even though I believed myself rather ordinary by comparison, I also drew a lot of attention, no doubt thanks to my beautiful companion.
We were within about 175 meters or so of the café when Xiùlán first caught sight of Miranda, then Oriana … both women were standing outside, waiting to make sure they had arrived at the correct location before entering. I mentally sent a text through my omnitool, telling Oriana to go inside; after a moment or two, they both complied, disappearing into the small café.
We found them standing together when we entered; Miranda was speaking with the owner, whom I recognized from my 2181 visit with Buchanan and Maracela. This asari, whose name I had never learned, perked up visibly when I came through the door; grinning shyly, she said, "We were never formerly introduced when you graced my humble café before the war. I can count on one hand the number of humans that have visited since I opened this place; you, and an extremely large human male are among those." Her hands came out, palms upwards. "My name is Rinnala T'Dora. I am honored to once again welcome you to my humble establishment."
I slid my palms across hers, then introduced her to Xiùlán, Miranda and Oriana. "I have fond memories of my lunch here with Maracela T'Rhyn and Griffin Buchanan, so thought I would treat these three to lunch while we're in the city."
"I am happy that you memories of lunch here are pleasant ones." She picked up four menus—printed on heavy cardstock rather than being presented on small datapads—and led us into the main dining area. As had happened when I had eaten here previously, all the conversations going on around us seemed to lessen in volume as the college students studied the remarkable—for this place—sight of four human females being escorted to a centrally located table. We took our seats, then glanced around quickly as Rinnala set the menus down for us.
As we quietly sat back to study our menus, our attentive host spoke in a low voice. "Pay no attention to these young maidens. You and your friends are more than welcome here." Rinnala looked at each of us as she added, "I will return shortly to take your orders."
Miranda and Oriana chattered quietly back and forth as they looked through the meal options. The pair had each worked up quite an appetite, whereas Xiùlán and I had each eaten a small salad during our visit with Doctor Shakia. Still, the asari version of fish and chips looked quite appetizing.
When Rinnala returned to take our orders, Miri and Ori ordered a cup of soup and a sandwich each; I ordered the fish and chips for myself and my Qíngrén. With a nod of agreement from Oriana, I requested a mug each of a fine asari beer to help wash it all down.
We parted company with Ori and Miri after our meals; they were going to explore the area some more, while we were going to T'Rhyn's Jewelry, where we hoped to visit with Farnia T'Rhyn. The distance to her shop was not far, but at our leisurely pace, 35 minutes had elapsed by the time we entered the store. Xiùlán whispered, "This is where my bracelet came from?"
I nodded as Farnia approached us with a happy grin on her face. "Samantha Traynor!? It really is you!" She bypassed my outstretched forearms to embrace me in a firm hug; releasing me, she turned to my Inamorata and gently brushed her palms in greeting, then turned back towards me. "It's so wonderful to see you again, and to finally meet your Amantia, but what brings you here after all this time, Ms Traynor?"
I chuckled at the formality. "It's 'Sammy', remember? And we had some business to take care of here in Serrice, but left a bit of time to see the sights … visit a couple of people, including you. I am so glad the effects of the war seemed to have passed you by. How are you … and your sister?"
Her happy expression clouded somewhat as she replied, "Recovery from the Reaper attacks was difficult, but Mara is doing well, as am I."
We each spent twenty to twenty-five minutes speaking about friends and family, until Farnia said, "And I really must thank you for sending Spectre Shepard and Lady T'Soni to see me for their bonding bracelets. Such a lovely couple … how are they doing?"
"They're both well. We've been staying with them at their home outside Armali City." With a glance at Xiùlán, I added, "I just wanted to stop in so you could meet my Amantia, since she wasn't able to accompany me when last I visited."
"Has it really been such a long time?" Reaching out, Farnia grasped one of my hands while taking one of Xiùlán's. "I am so happy you made the time to stop in to see me, Sammy … if only for a few minutes. It means more to me than you know to learn you haven't forgotten me, or Maracela."
"Mara told us just before we left Thessia that we were ai'a me, Farnia … trusted friends and allies. She said she would always remember her human sisters." I pulled the asari in for an intimate hug and whispered, "Neither of us have forgotten our asari sisters, Farnia T'Rhyn … nor will we." I kissed her full on the mouth, then pushed back slightly and reached up between us to place her hand, fingers intertwined with mine, against my chest. Looking deeply into her eyes, I breathed, "I will carry your memory in my heart for the rest of my life, Farnia. May the Goddess bless and protect you."
I eased back, allowing Xiùlán to take my place. Tears were trickling down a pair of blue cheeks as Xiùlán whispered beside her ear, "Fēicháng ganxiè nín de zhōudào liwù, [非常感謝您的周到禮物] Farnia T'Rhyn." Xiùlán answered the puzzled look she received with a slight chuckle, explaining, "It's Mandarin … my native language on Earth. It means 'Thank you very much for your thoughtful gift'." Kissing a damp cheek, she added, "I will treasure it to the end of my days."
