The next couple of chapters are really a collection of vignettes as the Gallena's crew enjoys shore leave on the Citadel. A lot of character building here and I've added my twists to Garrus's and Thane's loyalty missions to better fit them into the 'Raptorverse'. Hope you're enjoying these vignettes and once again, I do read your reviews and comments even though I might not always respond to them. I also took the liberty of making up a few rules for Kapesh-Yakshi. Also, for those interested, my health is improving—the pacemaker/defibrillator seems to be working as is the new medication to control my arrythmia. Hopefully, I won't have to see the inside of a hospital again for some time.

Girls day—Satra and Samantha

"Shore leave on the Citadel!" Samantha sighed as she and her Romulan lover disembarked from their shuttle along with several other members of the Gallena crew. "There's so much here I want to show you." The lovely communications specialist said to her lover as the pair walked together, holding hands, towards the C-Sec customs area. "We've got to cruise by the Castle Arcade!" Samantha exclaimed, "I'll teach you how to play Kapesh-Yakshi."

"Kapesh-Yakshi?" Satra queried with a raised eyebrow and a twinkle in her eyes. "What is that?"

"It's an asari strategy game…kind of like chess or stratagema." Samantha explained as the pair drew closer to the customs station. "Each player has a homeworld they have to defend with ships—think of them as chess pieces. Fighters are like pawns…frigates are your knights and bishops…cruisers are equivalent to rooks…and your dreadnaught is the queen. You also have a half dozen evac shuttles. They don't have an attack, but you lose points for every one that your opponent takes."

"How do you win?"

"There are a couple of ways you can win." Samantha replied as the pair got into the rapidly forming line for customs inspection. "One of the ways is for you to succeed in getting all six shuttles 'off system' while causing your opponent greater damage. The more ships you evacuate and the less ships you lose gain you points. You also get so many points for each of your opponent's ships that you take. Another way is to take your opponent's homeworld—if you do that, you win automatically. Finally, the player who has inflicted the most damage on their opponent before the time limit expires wins."

"The game seems to reward a multitude of strategies." Satra opined as the couple advanced in the line.

"That's one of the reasons why I like it so much." Traynor replied, "Plus…the game has a mechanic that will punish a player for reckless play."

"Oh?"

The communications specialist cautioned, "You receive an electrical shock whenever you lose a piece.

"Ouch."

"Exactly. The shocks are non-lethal, of course, and you can set the intensity where they're not so strong for beginners or casual players. However, if you're playing in competition, they're strong enough to force you to weigh whether the sacrifice you're planning is worth the jolt you're going to receive. Even at the weaker settings, the shock is sufficient to make you carefully consider your course of action."

"Mmmm" Satra mused as she considered her lover's words, "That brings in a psychological variable that could be exploited by someone who knows their opponent."

Samantha confirmed, "Especially at the tournament level where the shocks can get quite…uncomfortable."

Before Satra could reply, a voice called out to them. "Do you have any weapons in your possession?"

Answering the turian manning the customs booth, Samantha replied, "No weapons. We do have communicators."

"Communications devices are permitted." The customs agent responded, raising an eyebrow at the two women's comm badges before cautioning, "We require all biotic amps be on minimal settings and any offensive combat protocols on your omnitools be disabled." After a quick scan, the C-Sec officer gave a single nod of his head, "You may proceed and have an enjoyable time on the Citadel. Next?"

"So…" Satra quipped as the pair took the lift to the Presidium. "Where do we go first?"

"How about something to eat?" Samantha replied, feeling a rumbling in her stomach. "I don't know about you, but I'm absolutely famished."

"I can go with that." Satra blushed as an audible rumble came from her tummy as well. "I think we both could go for a meal. So…what do you suggest?"

"There's a little bistro near the park." Samantha suggested, "They're supposed to have a great shrimp tempura."

"Well…what are we waiting for?" The Romulan science officer grinned, "Let's go."

A Little Shopping—Tovan, Tali, and Veril

"Are you sure I'm not intruding?" Veril, the Gallena's youthful Reman chief engineer, asked as she walked down the Presidium along with Tali and the warbird's executive officer, Tovan Kev. "I feel like…what do the humans call it? A…third wheel?"

Responding with a smile, Tovan waved off his engineer's protests, "You're not a…third wheel. If anything…" the handsome Romulan chuckled, "I'm the 'third wheel'. You two have been talking tech nonstop all the way from the docks to here."

"I'm sorry, Tovan." Tali apologized as she clung to the Romulan's arm. "We didn't mean to leave you out of the discussion. It's just that…you know…"

"We like to talk shop." Veril chuckled, feeling a little more at ease as the trio walked together down the concourse.

"You're going to have to get used to hanging out with a pair of nerds." Tali joked, her companions laughing with her.

"I think I can learn to deal with it." Tovan chuckled as the trio continued their window shopping.

"He's just strutting because he's walking between us." Veril laughed.

"Of course." Tovan bantered back, "Who wouldn't with two beautiful women on either side of him."

"Smart man." Tali laughed before commenting more thoughtfully as they entered the section of the mall dedicated to electronics and tech items. "I hope someone has the new Nexus in stock. I know we're using mostly tricorders for scanning, but, I like my omnitool."

"Nothing wrong with that." Tovan responded, "In some ways, your omnitool is actually superior to our tricorders."

"It is a most ingenious invention." Veril echoed. "A multipurpose instrument that scans, serves as a communicator, and also possesses offensive and defensive capabilities. In many ways, it's more a combination of our combat kits with the functionality of a tricorder. Very impressive."

"But it's like pretty much all of our technology…" Tali shook her head, "It's derived from what we learned from the Protheans. Very little of it is ours. It's more the product of reverse engineering than innovation."

"Don't sell yourself or your people short." Tovan gently chided, the Reman engineer adding her protestations as well.

"If anything, you took their technology and improved on it." Veril pointed out.

"Since meeting your people…" the young quarian admitted, "…I have frequently found myself wondering how different things would be if we had never discovered mass effect technology…how would we have developed?"

"I don't see any reason why you couldn't have eventually developed warp travel or something equivalent on your own." Tovan noted.

"Most of your races had some form of nuclear fusion before even discovering mass effect technology." Veril interjected, "From there, it's not that great a leap to matter-antimatter containment and warp travel."

Recognizing a familiar spot, Tali, changing the subject, enthusiastically exclaimed, pointing to an electronics shop. "We should check out the Sironis Electronics shop. I know the manager, Marab." Tali exclaimed, "He usually has good deals and, he doesn't give quarians a hard time. Unlike some of the shops here."

"Why do they still have a problem with your people?" Veril inquired, "Your geth war was four hundred of your years ago before some of the races in this universe, such as the humans, even possessed interstellar travel. "That doesn't make sense."

"People have long memories." Tali sighed, "And…don't forget, some races like the asari and krogan live a long time—a thousand years or so. There are plenty of them still around who lived at the time of the Morning War. They haven't forgiven us or forgotten that we created the geth and they're determined to make sure no one else forgets either. On top of that, because my people are migratory, they're considered to be vagrants or thieves." Sighing, Tali reluctantly admitted, "And…to be honest…some of us are. But no more than humans, turians, or anyone else."

"Believe it or not…" Tovan said in sympathy, "We know what you mean. Until we discovered New Romulus, my people were scattered after the Hobus supernova. Some of us had to do some pretty unpleasant things just to survive and remain independent of the Tal'Shiar. Indenture ourselves to work in mines…sell our bodies…

"For millennia my people were slaves of the Romulans." Veril recalled, Tovan lowering his head in shame as she spoke. "We were forced to work in the dilithium mines as well as other difficult and dangerous tasks on our homeworld. Because of that, it's left a bitter legacy between both our peoples." Seeing the downcast look on her Romulan companion's face, the young Reman quickly declared, "But we're looking forward…to heal the wounds of the past."

"I haven't heard or seen any sort of bigotry towards you or any other Remans on the ship." Tali noted as she touched her male companion's arm in a gesture of support.

"Let me know if either of you ever do run into any problems." Tovan interjected, "I promise the Subcommander and I will deal with them immediately."

"We know." Tali responded, her smile covered by her helmet's visor. "We've been treated very well by everyone on the Gallena. In a lot of ways…" Her smile grew wider as past memories intruded into her thoughts, "…I feel like I'm back on the Normandy." Chuckling, she joked, "More than once I thought I saw Shepard coming over to talk to me about life on the Flotilla and I miss Pressley."

"Tali's right." Veril agreed with a nod of her head, "We've all been treated fairly…please don't think we're complaining, Sir. And…things are better since Obisek agreed to join the colony on New Romulus. Yeah…there's still the odd asshole who hasn't gotten the message yet—but…" she smiled, "…there's not as many of them as there used to be. It's not like the Empire. The Remans stuck there are still having it rough."

"It depends on where you are and who you run into." Tali agreed as they entered the store. Spotting the salarian standing behind the counter, the young quarian called out, "Marab! There are a couple of people I want you to meet. They're friends." Placing her hands on her Romulan and Reman companions, she introduced them. "This is Centurion Kev, he's the executive officer of the Gallena, the ship I'm on now; and this is Lieutenant Veril, she's the chief engineer." Now speaking to her companions, she announced, "And this is Marab. He's the manager here and knows his tech."

"A pleasure." The salarian behind the counter smiled as he greeted his new customers, "Please feel free to browse and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask."

Coffee Break—Cilla and Liara

Not a bad spot to sit and people watch. Cilla Oudekirk thought to herself, gazing at the beings coming and going from the shops and walking down the Presidium concourse from one of the patio tables of a little bistro she found as she glanced down at her padd. A smile coming to her face as she took a sip of coffee, crinkling her nose as she mused, Wish I could say the same thing about the coffee.

"I too like to come here when I want to relax."

Momentarily startled by the gentle voice coming from behind her, Cilla turned her head, nodding slightly in recognition as she greeted the asari maiden standing before her. "Hello, Liara."

"I'm sorry if I caught you at a bad time." Liara apologized as she noticed the padd on the lieutenant commander's table, "If I'm intruding, I can…"

"No…No." Cilla answered back with a grin. "I was just going over a few things before the official opening of our interest section. Please…join me."

"Thank you." The asari archaeologist responded with a smile of her own as she sat down on the chair opposite Cilla, placing her cup down on the table before her. "So…how's it looking…the interest section I mean."

"Both Andrew and Tamov are getting situated." Cilla replied, "For now, we're sharing space with the Elcor and Volus ambassadors."

"I remember them." Liara chuckled, "The elcor ambassador was very cordial, but the volus…"

"Was a pain in the ass." The willowy Dutch Starfleet officer snorted, "That's part of the reason I'm here now. I had to wind down a little after dealing with him."

"Oh?"

Cilla laughed, "I nearly lost it a time or two. Let me tell you all about it…"

"Please." Liara smiled as she settled back in her chair and sipped her tea. "I could use a good laugh."

Earlier in the day…

"My apologies, but due to lack of space, I'm afraid we're going to have to put you with the Volus and Elcor delegations for now." Councilor Tevos apologized as she, accompanied by Executor Pallin, the turian head of C-Sec, escorted the Council's Romulan and Federation guests.

"That's fine." Cilla replied with a grin, "We don't need much room and we're happy to share. Our plans are to just to keep a small staff here anyway. Really, the interest section is intended to allow us to maintain closer contact with the Council and serve as a source of information for those curious about us."

"Sharing space will also allow us to get to know our new neighbors better." Andrew Gladstone, the newly assigned Federation consul pro-temp, responded with a smile.

Legate Tamov, the Romulan Republic representative chimed in, adding her voice. "We look forward to getting better acquainted."

"And I look forward to the opportunity to learn more about your peoples." Tevos responded with a grin as Executor Pallin pointed to a door with the emblem of the Systems Alliance emblazoned next to it.

Addressing Cilla and the delegates, the taciturn turian security chief declared, "The human ambassador is located here if you have any problems. He handles anything having to do with humans or your Systems Alliance."

"The Federation is not affiliated with the Systems Alliance in any way…" Cilla corrected with a tactful smile as Councilor Tevos reminded the Executor of their earlier meeting.

"You're forgetting, Executor, the humans in the Federation are special. They are not part of the Systems Alliance."

"My apologies." Pallin stiffly acknowledged, "This is new for a lot of us—myself included."

"That's quite all right." The willowy blonde diplomatically replied, "The confusion is understandable. That's one of the reasons we are establishing these interest sections—to help clear up any uncertainty regarding us."

Opening the door, Tevos ushered in her guests, calling out to the two ambassadors currently in residence. "Ambassador Calyn…Ambassador Korlack…please allow me to introduce you to Legate Tamov of the Romulan Republic and Consul Gladstone of the United Federation of Planets. I am sure that you've seen the vidcasts of their arrival on the extra-net."

"Surprised." The elcor ambassador exclaimed, expressing his astonishment at the Federation representative being human, "I thought humans were already represented on the Council. Concerned curiosity. Why are humans getting more than one delegation?"

"The answer's obvious, Calyn." The volus ambassador grumbled between wheezes, "The Earth-clan seeks even more power than it already has."

"I assure you…" Gladstone replied in a placating voice, "The human members of the Federation are in no way affiliated politically with the Systems Alliance. The Federation is comprised of a great many species, all possessing equal rights under our Charter which I will be happy to share with you."

"Human obfuscation." Korlack sniffed derisively as the elcor politely chided him.

"Friendly reminder." The elcor interrupted, "Not all humans belong to the Alliance, Din. There are many independent colonies in the Traverse as you well know."

"Then explain why the Alliance put an anti-ship cannon on Fehl Prime, another one on Horizon, and have a missile battery on Franklin." The volus ambassador retorted. "The Alliance is militarizing the Traverse as a prelude to annexation."

"Neither the Federation nor the Republic have anything to do with those colonies." Cilla smoothly riposted, "While we are allied with the Council and the Systems Alliance, we are ethically forbidden from interfering in their...or your…internal affairs for that matter…by Starfleet General Order Number One."

"And the Romulan Republic has agreed in principal to abide by that Federation mandate as well." Tamov added.

"So you say." Korlack bit back, his wheezing resembling a sneer more than anything else.

"Stern rebuke." The elcor ambassador interrupted, addressing his colleague. "The Federation and Romulan Republic have only just arrived. It is only fair that they be judged by their actions and not the actions of others."

Quickly intervening, Councilor Tevos cleared her throat. "I think it might be a good idea for us to retire now…there is much to do before the official opening of your legations."

"Good idea." Gladstone replied with a nod of his head. "Both Tamov and I need to prepare. We thank you both for your hospitality and for escorting us."

"Thank you also, Lieutenant Commander." Tamov added with a smile, "We'll see you later at the opening."

Apollo Café—Liara and Cilla

"Korlack gave Shepard a difficult time too." Liara recalled, "Ashley told me the story—I was still trapped in that bubble on Therum at the time it happened."

"What happened?"

"Shepard did a favor for the Consort…Shiala. You know of her?"

"Not really." The Dutch Starfleet officer replied, shaking her head. "I've heard her name mentioned and that she exerts a fair amount of informal influence as what amounts to being a high priced escort, but that's about it."

"Well…" Liara explained, "You are correct in that she does possess a great deal of influence. Her clients include highly placed members of several Citadel species' militaries and diplomatic corps as well as heads of several corporations. As for her being a 'high priced escort', that also is not a completely invalid assumption. But…her services go far beyond sexual favors…"

"In some ways like geishas in Japan or highly placed mistresses in 18th century Europe such as Madame de Pompadour." Cilla noted thoughtfully. "That makes sense."

"Exactly." Liara nodded her head as she further explained, "She is very careful not to misuse that power and it has earned her a great deal of respect."

"So…what was Shepard's tie in?" Cilla asked as she added cream and sugar to her coffee and stirred.

"The Consort asked for her help in resolving a…delicate…issue involving a retired turian general."

"I think I see where this is going…" Cilla interjected with a slight grin.

"Precisely." Liara primly nodded her head. "According to Ashley, the general was spreading rumors about the Consort and an elcor diplomat. Now, I don't think Shiala cared about her name being dragged through the mud, but the diplomat was another matter entirely. You see, elcor are very conservative. Had word of this gone back to his homeworld…"

"He'd have been disgraced."

"Right. So, Jane discreetly handled the situation…"

"How?"

The lovely asari giggled, "She chewed the general's ass out and told him to…how did Ashley phrase it? Man up?"

Cilla laughed, "That's the expression. I've used it a time or two myself. So…what happened with Korlack?"

"Much the same thing that happened with you." Liara replied, "He complained about how the humans were getting better treatment than his people or the elcor—that the Alliance had its own embassy quarters while they had to share…and so on and so forth…you get the picture."

Nodding her head, the willowy blonde replied, "Yeah. But…while I'm loathe to admit it…in a way, I can see where he's coming from. I've been reading as much as I can about the different races in this universe and their histories—which, admittedly, isn't as much as I'd like—there's just so much information."

"Now you know how I feel when I study your universe." Liara gently teased, getting a warm chuckle in return from the normally taciturn Starfleet officer. "There's just so much that's different and yet, also, the same."

"Anyway, from what I've learned…" Cilla continued, "…the entire economic system Citadel space is based on was put together by the volus, is it not?"

"True." Liara acknowledged.

"And the Systems Alliance are relative newcomers here—right?"

"Again correct. However, membership on the Council is based on ability to contribute." Liara replied, playing devil's advocate. "While yes, the volus do make an important economic contribution, they don't really play a major role in any political or cultural sense. Added to that, they're not truly an independent entity. They're a protectorate of the turians, relying heavily on them for military aid and protection for their ships and colonies. That, I think, more than anything else is what's keeping the volus off the Council."

"What about the elcor?" Cilla queried, "From what I've gathered, they have a stable and peaceful society and a thriving artistic culture. Why aren't they on the Council?"

"The same reason the volus aren't. Their military contribution is minimal. Unfortunately…" the lovely asari dejectedly shook her head as she confessed, "…to a large extent, Council membership is based on the ability to make a strong military contribution and the humans easily possess the third…maybe even second behind the turians…largest military in Council space."

"I see." Cilla nodded her head in understanding, "It's a shame. I have a feeling some of the other races like the volus…elcor…hanar…quarians…and even the krogan could make a valuable contribution if given the chance."

"Oh…I absolutely agree." Liara acknowledged as she pondered the Starfleet officer's words before resuming the conversation, "I don't know about you…" she grinned, "…but I think I've had my fill of diplomacy and shop talk for now. You don't mind if we switch to something else, do you?"

"Not at all." Cilla replied as she freshened her coffee. "I think I've had enough of Korlack and talking business as well. What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't want to sound like I'm prying, but I guess I am." Liara gingerly observed, "I don't see too much of you outside duty hours…"

"Oh…it's okay. You're not prying." The lovely Dutch woman said as she shifted slightly in her seat. I guess you could say I'm something of an introvert. I tend to keep to myself when I'm off duty."

"I'm sorry." Liara apologized, "I am intruding."

"No." Cilla interjected, shaking her head, "You're not. It just that, growing up, I tended to get along with books better than I did people, and that carried over into adulthood." Her lips turning up in a sarcastic grin, she whispered conspiratorially, "In case you hadn't heard it yet, my nickname's the Ice Queen."

"I have heard some crewmembers use that phrase whenever your name is mentioned..." Liara delicately responded, "I'm not sure why. You seem to be a warm…albeit quiet and withdrawn…individual."

Shrugging her shoulders, Cilla replied, "I don't mind the nickname. I'm actually kind of proud of it. I worked hard to earn it, and it's come in handy a few times—usually when I have to deal with obnoxious people like Korlack."

"I can see where having a reputation like that would be useful in those situations." Liara chuckled.

"I guess I get it from my parents." Cilla explained as she stirred her coffee. "Mother taught philosophy back on Earth and loved to read. And Father…he was an artist. A very good one."

"I never knew my father." Liara admitted, "As for my mother…"

"I'm sorry. I forgot. Forgive my rudeness." Cilla apologized, "If you don't want to talk about her..."

"That's all right." The beautiful asari replied with a warm, yet also sad, smile. "I've come to terms with my mother and her role in what happened. I prefer to remember Benezia as she was before Saren entered the picture. As a matriarch, she was highly respected as a counselor and advisor and was rather influential in asari politics. She was also something of a philosopher and had an artistic streak—kind of like your parents." Her lips turning up in a grin, Liara quipped, So…my turn. If I might ask, what did you do before you came on the Gallena?"

"I served for a while under Captain Christopher Hobson on the Perseus—that's an Intrepid class starship." Her lips turning up in a warm smile, the normally shy Starfleet officer fondly reminisced about her former captain. "Before we disappeared down the rabbit hole and ended up here, I heard that he had gotten a new ship—one of the new intelligence cruisers."

"Sounds like an interesting man." Liara commented, "What was serving on his ship like? Was it similar to life on the Gallena?"

The Dutch Starfleet officer responded with a chuckle, "Not at all. Captain Hobson is a stickler for proper dress—Odyssey pattern uniforms…and you better be sure to zip up your jacket. But please…don't get the idea that he was some sort of martinet. He took interest in his crew and our welfare. He doesn't like showing emotion, although he has very strong feelings on a lot of things. I remember someone saying that he could out-Vulcan a Vulcan." Chuckling, she leaned over and whispered, "I guess you could say I modeled myself somewhat off him. Our nicknames are even similar. His crew and fellow officers call him the Iceman because nothing…and I mean nothing…rattles him. He's always the picture of coolness. I admire that about him. He also turned me on to classical literature and even more philosophy—Marcus Aurelius…Cicero…St. Augustine…Moses Maimonides…Ibn Rashid…when we weren't playing bridge, that is."

"Bridge?"

"It's a card game." Cilla responded with a gentle laugh, "It was the ship's unofficial card game. We had tournaments and leagues, and the Captain offered regular classes on the game."

"Oh…" Liara exclaimed, "Like poker."

Laughing gently, the Dutch Starfleet officer answered back, "Not quite…" After a long explanation frequently broken up by Liara as she asked clarifying questions, Cilla quipped, "I hope I haven't completely confused you."

"On the contrary." Liara smiled, "The game impresses me as one possessing a great deal of subtlety and strategy. I'd like to learn how to play. Perhaps you could teach me?"

"Sure." Cilla replied, "I usually play with Satra and Samantha. Unfortunately, we haven't had much luck getting a fourth hand on regular basis, so we've had to rely on the computer, but a computer isn't the same as a live person. Why don't you join us the next time we get together."

"Thanks." Liara responded with a warm grin. "I look forward to it."

On the Boardwalk—Rodek and Cortes

Observing with concern his friend, Cortes, as the human, with a disconsolate look on his face, watched the ships going to and fro from the docks, Rodek approached. "Are you all right, Esteban?"

Heaving a sigh, the shuttle pilot shook his head, "No, Rodek. I'm not. I just found out…you remember Robert, my husband?"

"Yes. You said he was assigned to…what was the name of the colony? Ferris Fields?"

"Yeah." Cortes affirmed, lowering his head. "Remember me telling you that I hadn't heard from him for some time?"

Nodding his head, the Romulan engineer replied, "Yes."

Sighing, Steve confessed, "I got word when we docked. Robert was killed in action—by Cerberus."

"Elements!" Rodek gasped, "I'm…I'm sorry."

"The relief force also found some recordings that he had made that the Cerberus commandos didn't destroy." Cortes declared with a grimace. "One of the recordings was a vid of the attack." Pausing for a moment to catch his breath, Steve sobbed, "They were led by Shepard's clone."

"And the other?"

"A message…from Robert." Cortes replied, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I'll play it for you…"

"If you're sure…" Rodek responded, giving the grieving man next to him a chance to rethink his decision.

"I'm sure."

"If you hear this, Steve…promise me one thing. I love you…but I know you. Don't let me be an anchor dragging you down. When you're ready, find someone. Move on. Please…do it for me."

"He loved you…" Rodek consoled.

"And I loved him." Cortes tearfully replied as the recording ended.

"It's not easy to let go." Rodek confessed, "I still haven't and it's been months since I last heard from my husband."

"How do you…"

"Cope?" The Romulan engineer sighed, "How many times have you seen me not working on one thing or another?"

"Almost never." Steve answered back, "So…you just keep busy."

"Yes."

"Does it help?"

"Sometimes…for a while." Rodek confessed, "But later…when I'm alone or I see his image or something of his…"

"It comes back." Steve finished, lowering his head.

Nodding in response, Rodek took a deep breath and exhaled, "It does." A wry chuckle escaping, the Romulan remarked in only a half-joking manner, "Maybe I should see the new counselor."

Smiling for the first time, Steve bantered back, "Tell her to save a place for me."

"I will." Rodek smiled back as an asari freighter docked, "Until then, would you mind some company?"

"Not at all." Cortes responded, pointing to an Alliance ship exiting the docking area, "That's the Pensacola. I served aboard her during my first tour. Great ship…good crew…lousy food."

Solana and Vega

"I know this bar in Tayseri Ward…" Vega quipped as he walked side by side with Solana, the Romulan security chief, "It's a Marine hangout…wanna go…first round's on me."

"Why not?" The Romulan woman grinned, "You owe me a round anyway after our last bout."

"No fair…you cheated." Vega bantered back, "You used that Vulcan move on me."

"Have to be ready for anything." Solana joked back, "Besides, you got me the last time. Tell you what…you buy the first round, I'll buy the second. Deal?"

"Deal!" James laughed as the pair entered the bar. "If we're lucky, some of the jarheads from my old unit will be there."

"Where did you serve before joining us?" Solana inquired as the pair sat at the bar and ordered their drinks.

Spying a group of humans sitting by themselves drinking, James muttered under his breath, "Terra Firma assholes."

"Say again?" Solana asked as she took notice that a few of the humans were giving her dirty looks.

"Bastards at that table." Vega replied, "They're with Terra Firma."

"The human xenophobe party?" Solana inquired as the turian bartender handed them their drinks. "The ones staring at me?"

"Yeah." James affirmed with a scowl. "They're not going to mess with us though. They know they'll get their asses kicked if they do." Ordering another drink, the marine grinned in an effort to break the tension, "So…what were you asking about earlier?"

"Oh…" Solana exclaimed, "I was just wondering where you served before coming on board the Gallena."

"I was stationed on Fehl Prime for a while." Vega recalled with pride, "Delta Squad. Under Captain Toni. Tough…smart…you remind me a little of her."

"Really?" The Romulan woman smiled back, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing."

"Good thing." James affirmed, the pair both did their best to ignore the commotion in the background as the Terra Firma table began to get a little more rowdy. "I've seen you with your people. You don't cut 'em any slack, but you've also always got their back. That's Captain Toni all over."

"What about the rest of your squad?" Solana asked as the Terra Firma table got even louder.

James began ticking off names. "Essex was our biotic. Asshole, but he was good at his job. He just likes to show off. That gets him trouble sometimes and one of us has to bail him out. But…" Vega laughed, "…then after that, we'll be neck deep in shit and he'll pull something out of his ass and save all our hides."

Laughing, Solana quipped, "I think every outfit has one of those. One moment you want to kill them…the next kiss them."

"Well I don't know if I'd kiss him…" Vega chuckled, "But I did buy him a drink after he saved my ass one time."

As Vega recounted his tale, Solana laughed, "He sounds like a real…what's the human expression…character? So…who else was on your squad?"

"Kamille was our assault specialist." Vega replied with a fond grin, "Essex had a thing for her even though she didn't feel the same. You see, she's involved with our shuttle pilot, Mason."

"Something like that could cause issues." Solana noted, "Did it cause problems for your squad?"

"Not really." James responded, shaking his head. "Even though Mason could be a bit of a hothead at times and Essex did have a tendency to push too far, Kamille was able to keep them from killing each other and, Captain Toni was cool with it as long as it didn't affect unit operations—which it never did."

Taking a swig of beer, Vega felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning about, he at once recognized a familiar face. "Milque! Hey man! I was just tellin' my friend over here about Delta Squad. Milque's the team sniper." Vega explained, "Could drop his mark from a mile away. Milque…" James gestured at the Romulan seated next to him, "This is Solana. She's the security chief on the ship I'm assigned to now and holy hell in unarmed combat. Knows at least ten ways to put a man down without working up a sweat. Pull up a stool and join us. First round's on me."

"You haven't heard…have you, James?" Milque asked as he sat down on the stool on Vega's other side.

"Heard what?" Vega replied, "A lot of shit's been going down recently."

"I just got word myself." The sniper replied, "I was back home on leave when it happened."

"When what happened?" James asked. Seeing the downcast expression on his former teammate's face, Vega signaled for the bartender to get everyone a drink. "Here…drink this and tell me what went down."

Tossing down the whisky in one gulp, Milque heaved a sigh. "Fehl Prime was attacked."

"Attacked by who?" Vega exclaimed, "The Collectors?"

"Yeah." The Delta Squad marksman confirmed. "They're all gone…all of them. The Captain…Essex…Kamille…Nicky…Mason…them and the others."

"Shit." Vega murmured as Solana placed a hand on his shoulder in a supportive gesture.

"There's more." Milque muttered as the bartender brought out more drinks. "You remember Ruiz and his team?"

"Yeah." Vega replied, "Good people. Last I heard they were assigned to guard that archaeologist."

"Dr. Treeya." Milque nodded, "Yeah. They were attacked too and wiped out."

"Fucking Collectors." James grumbled as his old friend dejectedly shook his head.

"It wasn't the Collectors." The sniper growled, "I saw the surviving security cam footage. Remember Captain Myers?"

"Yeah. I remember him." Vega nodded his head in recognition. "He was leader of Team Foxtrot."

"Right." Milque again nodded his head before taking another drink. "He pulled some strings and got me the clearance to see the footage. It was a human commando team—Cerberus by the look of 'em. And they were commanded by that clone of Shepard's."

"Shit." Vega growled, "That's three we owe her. Kaidan…Esteban's husband…now this. You know…" James exclaimed as he tossed down his drink, "I'm going to enjoy bringing that cheap copy down along with all her Cerberus pals."

"Count me in when you do." Solana replied as she downed her drink.

"Me too." Milque interjected. "She's responsible for killing some good people."

"You'll be the first to know once we find her." James vowed as the Terra Firma goons found a new target, a pair of salarians who had just entered the bar. "Shit." Vega swore as he saw the gang making its way towards the salarians. "Assholes found their marks."

"Should I contact C-Sec?" Solana asked as the thugs encircled the hapless salarians, teasing and harassing them.

"Won't get here in time." James replied as he got off his stool. "I gotta take out the trash. You two wanna help?"

"Why not? Solana responded with an icy grin. "I could use another workout."

"What about you Milque? Wanna rough up some assholes?"

"Yeah." The marine sniper nodded his head, "Got nothing better to do."

"All right." Vega's lips turned up in an evil grin as the bartender began to tap on his omnitool. Let's teach those bastards some manners."

"Please leave us alone." The salarian male pleaded as the female next to him cringed. "We haven't done anything to you."

"Why are you doing this?" The female sobbed as her companion held her closer.

Walking up to the leader and tapping him on his shoulder, Vega sneered at the bully. "Yeah, asshole. Why are you picking on them?"

"Because the veruul is too afraid to try that with someone his own size." Solana smirked, throwing down her challenge.

"I've seen their kind before…" Milque interjected with a scowl. "Big noise, but when the real shooting starts, they're hiding somewhere under a rock."

"Look boys…" The bully cackled as he pointed at Solana, "There's a new freak in the zoo."

"Only this one has pointy ears." Another goon quipped, "Think she's a space elf."

"I think you should apologize to my friend and these fine people." Vega smirked, as Solana signaled for the two salarians to get behind them. "And then I think you should get the hell outta here while you can still walk out."

"You gonna make us?" The bully sneered.

"Thought you'd never say that." Vega grinned as he threw the first punch, hitting the tough square in the jaw as Solana, moving swiftly, brought another one down with a Romulan martial arts hold and throw.

"Smooth moves." Milque quipped as he tripped up another bully.

After a short, but sweet beatdown, Vega smirked as he and his companions looked down on the bullies lying on the floor. "Not much of a workout, were they, Solana?"

"I've gotten more of a workout sparring with pakleds." The Romulan joked as four C-Sec officers strode into the bar.

"No good deed…" Milque joked as the senior C-Sec officer approached the trio.

"Did you three do all this?" The turian in charge demanded, making a sweeping gesture at the bullies on the floor and the broken chairs and tables.

"We had help." Vega inclined his head at the moaning bullies all suffering from bumps, bruises, and contusions.

"They started it." Solana replied, "We finished it."

"Officers?" The salarian spoke up as he and his companion came forward, "They're not at fault. We are…we should not have come here."

"Hey, man!" Vega objected, "You and your girl had every right to be here. Those assholes had no business messing with you."

"Hey, Norel!" The C-Sec officer called out to the bartender. "Wanna tell me what really happened here?"

"I got no problem with them." The bartender interjected, gesturing at Vega and his companions, "So long as they pay their tab and share of the damages, I'm okay with not pressing charges on them."

"We can do that." Solana vowed, Vega and Milque both nodding their heads in agreement.

"Seems only right." Milque agreed.

"And as for those…" the bartender sneered as he looked down on the bullies, "…as far as I'm concerned, you can throw the book at 'em."

"Works for me." The sergeant answered back as his men quickly cuffed and took away the beaten goons. Turning his attention to Solana and her companions, he growled. "On the record, I have to warn you that if I see any of you causing any more trouble, I'll run you in. Off the record….nice work." Turning to the bartender, the sergeant quipped, "Their drinks are on me and the boys. I've been wanting to run Gustaf and his gang in for some time, but no one would press charges."

"Sure thing, Castus." The bartender grinned as he turned his attention to Vega and his friends, "So…what'll you have? Booze is on the house the rest of the night."

Satra and Samantha—Shepard Memorial Gardens-Presidium

"It's pretty." Satra said as she and her lover walked together, hand-in-hand. "It reminds me a little of Risa. What's the name of this park again?"

"They used to just call it Presidium North." Samantha replied, "But, after the death of Commander Shepard, they renamed it the Shepard Memorial Gardens in tribute to her."

"That's a thoughtful gesture." Satra responded as the pair approached a statue of a human woman wearing N7 armor, helmet cradled under her arm. Approaching the statue, the Romulan science officer read aloud the engraved inscription at its base.

"In memory of Commander Jane Shepard, Systems Alliance. She gave all so that all might live."

"I wish I could have met her." Samantha said as she bowed her head.

"She was a hero." Turning about, the pair nodded their heads in greeting as a man and woman with toddler approached. "We met Commander Shepard a couple of years ago." The man said as he looked up at the statue.

"We were at our wits end." The woman interjected as she gently calmed her now crying child, hugging him close. "My husband…Jacob…had just recently died of a rare heart condition, and I was carrying Jake Jr. at the time. I was scared because I'd heard that my husband's condition might be passed on to my son.."

"We were arguing over what sort of treatments he should get." The man declared. "I thought Rebekah should get the condition corrected through in-utero gene therapy."

"And I told Michael that I'd read reports on the extranet that said that the gene therapy could be dangerous." Rebekah remarked. "I was scared to death."

"And I was pretty stressed out about it too." Michael admitted. "We both wanted what was best for little Jake, but we couldn't make up our minds what to do."

"We were arguing about it…" Rebekah recalled with a winsome smile on her face, "…and I guess we were pretty loud at the time."

"We were screaming our heads off." Michael laughed.

"I guess all the shouting and screaming got Shepard's attention because she came up to us and wanted to know what we were fighting about."

"My first impulse was to tell her to mind her own business." Michael admitted, "But…there was something about her…the look that she gave us…"

"It was one of genuine concern and compassion." Rebekah declared with a sad smile. "I felt like she was really worried about us and wanted to help. So…" she chuckled as she recalled the memory, "…I unloaded on her."

"We talked about how worried and scared we were over Little Jake." Michael confessed as Samantha and Satra quietly listened. "She then told us that, while she couldn't decide for us—that it was our call to make—that we should do what we thought was best for the baby and then set us up an appointment with her ship's doctor."

"Dr. Chakwas was great." Rebekah exclaimed as Michael interjected, further clarifying.

"She explained everything to us—the pros and cons about the new gene therapy and then the advantages and disadvantages of the alternatives and helped us come to a solution."

"Jake's doing much better now after we decided on the therapy." Rebekah grinned, "And we owe it all to Commander Shepard. She didn't tell us what to do…which was what we thought we wanted at the time."

"But she did point us in the direction of someone who could help us." Michael pointed out, further pondering, "I wonder what happened with Dr. Chakwas? When we heard that the Normandy was destroyed and Shepard killed, we thought…"

"Dr. Chakwas is fine." Samantha interjected in a reassuring voice.

"She's assigned to our ship now." Satra added with a smile. "If you'd like, we could tell her that you asked about her and let her know how things turned out with your son."

"Yes." Both Michael and Rebekah exclaimed in relief on hearing the good news, "If you would please. And don't forget to tell her Hi from Little Jake too."

"We'll be sure to pass on the word." Samantha smiled as the other couple departed with their little boy. Looking up at the statue, the lovely communications officer mused, "Why is it that heroes like her have to die while scum like the Illusive Man live and prosper?"

"The universe has a way of balancing itself out, love." Satra consoled as she squeezed her companion's hand. Spying a yellow flower growing at the base of the statue, the Romulan woman knelt down, "See? It's beautiful. What is this flower? I don't recognize it."

"That's an asari daybloom." Samantha answered back with a smile as she carefully plucked the flower and gave it to her Romulan companion, kissing her on the lips, "It's considered a token of affection when given from one lover to another."

Taking the flower, Satra sniffed it and smiled. "Some humans…along with other races…believe that the spirits of those who have passed on sometimes remain to serve as protectors."

"Guardian angels." Samantha replied with a gentle nod of her head.

"Perhaps this flower was given to us by her spirit…to tell us that she's still looking after us and keeping us safe." Satra remarked as she brushed a tear from her lover's cheek.

Her lips turned up in a sad smile, Samantha responded, giving her girlfriend a tender kiss on the lips. "Thank you."

Tali, Veril, and Tovan

"You've got the newest model Savant!" Tali exclaimed with glee as she eyed the omnitool on display. "Is it everything they say it is, Marab?"

"Even better." The salarian store manager replied. "Not only does it process data faster than its closest competitor, the Polaris, it also has a larger shield capacity buffer and recharge ability. Not to mention increased medigel capacity and recharge. Not even top of the line classified SPECTRE gear can match it."

"I've just gotta have one of those." Tali pleaded as she looked up at the smiling Romulan executive officer. "Please, Tovan! Pretty please? I'll give you a sneak peek of the new holodeck program I've been working on…" The young quarian tempted, her voice tone taking on a playful air.

"We can write it off as engineering supplies." Veril interjected, adding her entreaties to that of her fellow engineer.

Laughing merrily, Tovan responded with a nod of his head. "All right. I know when I've been beaten." Taking out his padd, the Romulan officer grinned, "I've authorized the transaction." Turning to the salarian, he announced, "The credits should have transferred to your account by now."

Nodding his head in satisfaction as he activated his omnitool, Marab grinned, "Thank you for your purchase. Always a pleasure doing business with you, Tali."

"You know this is my favorite shop on the Citadel." The young quarian bantered back. "So, how's business been otherwise?"

"Good." Marab replied, "I'm getting a steady stream of customers now with the rebuilding still going on in the wards and the economy picking back up again. The new models are bringing in a lot of people wanting to upgrade their tools. Can't complain."

"We'll be sure to refer anyone we meet your way." Tovan declared before turning to his companions, "I don't know about the two of you, but I'm feeling hungry."

"I could go with a meal." Veril concurred as Tali chimed in.

"There's a café on the floor above us that serves both levo and dextro foods…"

"Sounds good." Tovan grinned, "Lead the way."

"Oh…one other thing…" The salarian shop owner called out, "I almost forgot about it. If you see a volus wandering around looking for his credit chit, send him to me. He dropped it on the floor a few hours ago. Although why he's even bothering with a credit chit is beyond me. Most of my customers transfer funds for their purchase direct from their 'tools."

"You'd think everyone would nowadays." Tali sighed, the salesclerk vigorously nodding his head in agreement.

"We'll keep an eye out for him." Tovan promised as the trio left the shop. "So…" he grinned as he took the young quarian by her hand, "Where's this restaurant?"