Notes:

Anam Cara - Soul Friend/Mate (Gaelic)

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

A Different Kind of Kin

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 2 June 2189

"Shepard." Adrien Burns offered up a tentative smile as the Spectre stepped into the site-picture of the video pick-up for the call. "It was good to hear from you… though much sooner than I anticipated. Your message was a bit cryptic, leaving me both curious and, I must say, a trifle concerned. Has something gone amiss, prompting you to call so soon?"

"Not at all. Under the circumstances, amiss is not necessarily the word I would use." Shepard paused for a moment before continuing, "Do you remember Tevos' comment about my mother not being nearly as unobservant as Councilor Valern?"

"Yes…" Adrien's eyes widened slightly, her suddenly heightened anxiety blatantly obvious to a trained observer. "Why? What has happened?"

"Relax, Adrien." Shepard smirked and explained, "Osoba gave her the mission briefing packet and, the very moment my mother opened the dossier, she knew… or, at least, suspected. She didn't even stop to call before booking a shuttle and showing up on our doorstep the next morning." Shrugging, she added, "We sat down for breakfast and talked about it, which eventually led to my call… along with my warning to her that you have a lot going on and may not call back right away."

"Oh, Hell. Does she already hate me for not getting back sooner?" Adrien's shoulders slumped. "I mean… not calling right away and not getting back to you for two whole days isn't exactly the same thing."

"Which is nothing you need to worry about, Governor." Hannah's voice rang in from the side as she entered the room, having been outside walking the gardens when the call notification reached her. "I am quite accustomed to playing second fiddle to the Shepard family's devotion to duty." Moving into visual range, she continued, "Two days is nothing compared to disappearing for nearly two years… and being back for who knows how long before I found out she was even alive." She cast a knowing glance at her daughter before returning her attention to the woman on the vid screen. "You are apparently two peas in a pod."

With that said, Hannah huffed and shook her head in disbelief. "By the Gods. Do you realize just how closely you resemble Sam?" She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and added, "… before Alchera, anyway." Her hands fumbled for the chair at the communications desk and Sam helped her move it into position as her legs seem to fail her, falling into, more than sitting down on, the chair that suddenly appeared beneath her.

"Mom?" Concerned, Samantha squatted down at her mother's side. "Are you alright?"

A wistful smile appeared on Hannah's face as she wiped away a few tears trickling down her cheeks. "I'm fine, Sam… it's just… It's like looking into the past; an alternate past, where you opted to not join the military, went to some normal school and died your hair in… in some form of rebellion against our military parenting style!" She laughed at her own words, realizing just how absurd it all sounded. "I know it's ridiculous… but look at her! Liara's right! Adrien could be your long-lost twin!"

Adrien cleared her throat, immediately drawing their attention back to the screen. "Could be… but it's very apparent to those here that I am not." She drew a deep breath before continuing, "So, where do we go from here?"

"I come meet you in person," Hannah answered immediately. "And I don't want you to concern yourself over my arrival. This so-called 'official' evaluation can wait 'til Hell freezes over for all I care. There's no existing precedent for such an action, for a sitting Councilor to demand a review of an appointed governor without cause – such as evidence of amoral conduct or criminal activity that affects the Council – which most certainly does not exist." She huffed and continued, "Dominic, quite honestly, has no authority over me whatsoever in this situation."

Hannah turned to Samantha and added, "Though, I do believe Admiral Lindholm sees the resemblance as well, Sam, and she may expect a full briefing when I get there… off the record, of course… but we'll have to wait and see on that one, I'm afraid."

Her expression suddenly shifted into one of surprised embarrassment. "Oh, by the Gods! With all the focus on Adrien, I forgot to tell you! Ines granted Dominic's request solely because I asked her to, seeing as our concernedCouncilor also included the request for extra time for you and me to spend the holiday together. Prime Minister Leiker and Admiral Lindholm decided I should have some time off… for the move resulting from my change of assignment! They are pulling me back to Sol as the newest member of the Defense Committee… along with a promotion to Vice Admiral!"

"Wow!" Samantha popped up from her squat and hugged her mother at the unexpected news. "Congratulations! How in the galaxy could you forget to tell us something like that!"

Adrien also offered her congratulations, grinning as she watched the two women interact. Hannah looked at the vid screen and chuckled before answering wryly, "Gee, I don't know… My only excuse is that we've been rather preoccupied since Dom handed me that damned portfolio. The rather abrupt arrival of Ms Burns into our lives has been a bit of a distraction!"

"That it has." Chuckling, Samantha asked, "So, when's the promotion ceremony?"

"Not having one. It's effective the fifteenth… so, for obvious reasons, I'll be arriving at my new job after the fact… already wearing the new rank."

"I think a ceremony is needed! How about we do a virtual promotion?" Sam's eyes lit with a mischievous glee. "I'll contact Lindholm's aide, Master Chief Tyberg, and get it on her schedule!"

"I don't really think…"

Hannah never got to finish her sentence, Samantha cutting her off without a second thought. "Nope! Not your choice, Mom. This is a big deal! I mean… Wow! Vice Admiral? We're not letting that slip by without a celebration!"

Edinburgh, Scotland, Earth – 2 June 2189

Gabby and Violet had just finished picking up after lunch when someone outside her home requested entry by passing a hand through the glowing red Haptic lock on her newly installed front door. Gabby peeked out through the front window; seeing an executive-class, eight-seat aircar stopped in front of her yard with a pair of Asari standing nearby, she quickly went to welcome her visitors.

Upon unlocking and opening the door, she was greeted by a sight seen only occasionally in or around Edinburgh – an elegantly dressed Asari Matriarch, accompanied by a pair of armed commandos. Gabby quickly raised her forearms, the palms of her hands upwards in the traditional Asari greeting. "Matriarch Tralis! How wonderful to see you again. Welcome to Earth… and Edinburgh."

The Asari grinned indulgently at the Human woman standing in front of her; she briefly placed the palms of her own hands on Gabby's as she replied, "It is my pleasure to see you again, Ms Donnelly, and a privilege to be able to visit you in your home." She withdrew her hands, using them to indicate her companions in turn. "This is Huntress… and T'Sere Communications Specialist, Carli Ferria, and our Systems Support Technician, Huntress Clarissa Sheris."

Gabby bowed slightly and presented her hands to each of the specialists. Backing through her doorway, she grinned at the trio as she said, "Please… come in, and welcome to my home." Looking past them towards the aircar, she added, "Your other companions are welcome to come in as well, Matriarch… there's plenty of room for all of you."

Tralis smiled as she looked about the comfortable living room. Moving towards the couch to take a seat, she explained, "Those two commandos will patrol the perimeter of your property during our visit. Once they have completed that task, they will station themselves unobtrusively at front and back… as my security detail." With a sigh, she explained, "A person in my position is generally guarded around the clock, Gabby – even on the homeworld. The protection is generally not so obvious, especially at home, at the shipyard… but it is there, nonetheless."

Before Gabby could reply, Violet – carrying a silver serving tray laden with a teapot, cups, and saucers – entered from the kitchen, asking as she walked, "Would anyone care for a cup o' tea?"

Gabby introduced Ms Sweeney to her guests as the woman set the tray on the coffee table; she quickly explained that Violet was her live-in housekeeper and nanny. Turning towards the Matriarch, Violet surprised the Asari by holding her hands out in the traditional form, giving no clue that Gabby had coached her in the practice. She dipped her head as she said, "You are not th' first Asari ah have ever seen, but you are the first ah have spoken ta. Fàilte tae Edinburgh, Matriarch Tralis."

Gabby quickly answered the questioning look in the Matriarch's eyes, saying, "I'd be willing to bet your translator glitched on that one." With a broad grin, she said, "'Fàilte' is a Scots Gaelic word meaning 'welcome', Ma'am. Violet has lived in Edinburgh her entire life, except for some time spent in southern England during the war."

Smiling up at a suddenly uncomfortable Violet, Matriarch Tralis feathered her hands across the offered palms. "Thank you for your eloquent welcome, Ms Sweeney… and yes, I would very much enjoy a cup of tea." Glancing at her companions in turn, she asked, "Carli? Clarissa?"

They each answered with an enthusiastic, "Yes, please," as Violet, reassured by this exotic alien, poured a cup for each in-turn, starting with the Matriarch and ending with Gabby. "If any of ye need anything else, please jus' give a holler. I'll be in the kitchen."

Taking a seat in her rocking chair, now placed with its back to the window so she could face her three guests, Gabby took a sip of the aromatic beverage before adding to Violet's admission. "I daresay there are few, if any, people living nearby who have been personally visited by an Asari Matriarch. I hope you won't be offended if any of my neighbors stare. Truth be known, none of them are used to anyone living in this house at all; it's been empty since Kenneth's parents died and, as you well know, I just moved in yesterday." Eyes slightly glassy at the memory, she added, "Kenneth and I had planned to live here after we left the Alliance. Without him here, I guess that makes me a stranger as well."

The Matriarch answered with a slight shrug, replying, "With the war, it seems many are… dislocated… Gabby; many find themselves strangers in a strange place." A smile crossed her face as she continued, "But this is your home now, and if I'm any judge of character, they'll learn to appreciate and love you, just as we at T'Sere did after we met you."

"I suppose you're right," said Gabby, with an impish grin. "So… If my Human eagerness isn't too inappropriate, I'm ready to get started… at least with our plan of attack, so I know what to expect and what we plan to accomplish while you're here."

Tralis' smile broadened, developing into a laugh at the young woman's impetuousness. Recalling their first conversation at T'Sere, she answered jokingly, "You Humans are always in such a hurry… go, go, go!" Giving her head just a couple of shakes, she continued, "But, as much as I would enjoy just sitting and visiting for a bit, you are correct. We do need to begin… Matriarch Sashia wants me back home as soon as possible… so little time for pleasantries during the day." Her eyes twinkled and she grinned, adding, "But… after work hours? That's a different story!"

With that said, the Matriarch got straight to the point of their visit, beginning with an explanation of what her team needed to accomplish. "First, the systems technicians will be inspecting and testing all the specialized equipment that was installed, in order to ensure everything is operating as designed. While Carli and Clarissa are so engaged, I wish to personally inspect the security modifications that have been made to your home, Ms Donnelly, in order to ensure everything – the materials used and the care taken during the installations – have been done to your satisfaction. I will also demonstrate how to utilize certain features built into the system, which I very much doubt you are yet aware of."

Gabby nodded her head twice during Tralis' summary and, once the Matriarch fell silent, replied, "Sounds good, Matriarch… plus, that will give me a chance to, at the very least, give you a quick tour of my home." Taking a sip of tea, she replied, "Violet and I did some dusting and cleaning as we put all the clothes and my personal gear away yesterday; it seemed to us that the contractors did an amazing job of cleaning and picking up after themselves when they were done. Their care and attention to detail is commendable."

"Your words gladden my heart, Gabby." Tralis sipped tea from her cup, then smiled, secretly pleased at this Human's praise. "Matriarch Sashia will be appreciative as well." With a brief sigh, she continued. "Once the systems check out, Carli and Clarissa will show you how all the equipment works, then certify that you are able to easily access both your new workstation and the communications interface, so you can transfer data securely and effortlessly between here and T'Sere's systems on Thessia."

Gabby showed her teeth in a grin. "I hope to show them I'm a quick learner, Matriarch. Not that I don't appreciate your company – I do, very much! – but I'm sure your absence at the shipyard is being noticed."

Tralis returned Gabby's grin. Finishing her tea, she set the cup and saucer on the tray and stood up. "So… after you show these two," indicating her tech specialists with a wave, "where the primary systems hub was installed… we could get started on that tour of your home, Ms Donnelly?"

Gabby had risen to her feet as well. Answering, "Of course. My pleasure. Please excuse me for a few moments." She led Carli and Clarissa into what had once been a spare room behind the kitchen. The few items of furniture within had been removed and placed in temporary storage, and an electrician had installed the heavy-duty cabling needed to power the connected servers and main design computer, along with the rather compact transceiver that would enable Gabby to communicate with the T'Sere offices on the Asari homeworld.

Once the specialists began working on the equipment, Gabby returned to the living room, to see the Matriarch inspecting her new front door. Tralis was impressed with the quality of the materials used and care of installation, leading Gabby to observe, "Your security firm did a wonderful job, Ma'am.

The Asari next turned her attention to the large front window. "I know this doesn't appear to have been replaced, Gabby, but I can assure you it has state of the art security features." So saying, she activated her omnitool, sending an additional control function to the Human's omnitool. As soon as the download to Gabby's device finished, Tralis, having left her own tool active, entered a command into the interface; this caused the entire surface of the glass to darken slightly. Additionally, a tiny orange light came on in a lower corner.

"It doesn't appear to have changed much," Gabby remarked. "Had I not been focused on the window I very much doubt I would have even noticed the change except for that little light. What did you do?"

"Not seeing any difference from this side is the point, really, but I utilized my omnitool to initiate its privacy mode. Along with all the rest of the windows, it's a limited production, triple-pane design that incorporates a special panel between inner and outer, which is capable of blocking both sound and electronic transmissions." The Matriarch activated her own omnitool a second time to demonstrate as she continued, "You can change it from translucent to opaque bronze – or back – in less than a few seconds. The indicator lamp can only be seen from inside – as a silent reminder that you have privacy mode active."

Gabby's eyes widened slightly in understanding as she replied, "So, I will always be able to see out, but…"

"From the outside looking in, the windows will be completely opaque," Tralis chuckled. "Neighbors… or industrial spies, will only see a bronze tinted reflection of the scenery in front of the window. Anyone attempting to learn what you are doing in here will no doubt be extremely disappointed."

"That's amazing!" Gabby grinned like a child in a candy shop. "I mean, I know about jamming and disruptive frequency techniques… but to somehow fit that into the windows and actually have an effective system? How does it work?"

Tralis laughed at her reaction and smiled as she answered, "Honestly, I don't know the specifics, but I do know all the windows work together, along with controllers placed in various other locations… like the basement and attic… to create a networked barrier around the workspace; which, in this case, is your entire home. The opacity of the windows is merely to prevent direct observation… and the light in the corner is only to remind you the system is active."

"Extraordinary." Gabby walked closer to the window and opened her omnitool, running a scan.

Tralis, who assumed Gabby was attempting to operate the system, asked in a surprised voice, "Do you need some help learning to operate the system? I assumed it to be rather intuitive…"

Gabby chuckled. "No, Matriarch, I'm fine. I was verifying the network doesn't produce any interior radiation that could be harmful to my children." She deactivated the privacy barrier as she added, "And, thankfully, it does not; it's been very well designed. Thank you, again."

"It is my pleasure, Gabby, and I assure you all of T'Sere's actions are in the best interest of all involved… including our extended families. The Asari are a very social people… and, because of that, relationships are important to us." She gave the woman a broad smile and asked, "So… with our business concluded, how about the rest of that tour?"

After seeing the bedrooms and bath upstairs, Gabby had shown Tralis the backyard, where the groundcover was in bloom and the trees were leafing out. The Asari drew in a deep breath of air before quietly observing, "I can smell the ocean, Gabby. This seems like a wonderful place in which to live and raise your children." Shading her eyes with a flattened hand, she added, "The antenna on the roof is the only visual clue that this house contains anything out of the ordinary."

"I know," Gabby agreed. "Carli told me everything will be encrypted in both directions. Even though I won't be sending or receiving military secrets, I truly doubt anyone intent on spying on me will have any success." She hadn't quite finished speaking when her omnitool lit up; it was a message from Violet, telling her there were a pair of babies impatiently waiting for their brunch. Smiling apologetically at Tralis, she said, "It seems to be feeding time again… so, I need to go inside."

"Of course!" Smiling indulgently, Tralis indicated that Gabby should lead the way.

Her tour of the house and grounds complete, the Matriarch sat and talked with the young mom as she rocked back and forth, nursing an extremely hungry Belle.

As the baby girl drank her fill, Gabby expressed her amazement at the care being lavished on her by T'Sere; upon hearing her comments, the Asari had chuckled kindly as she held a dozing Malcolm to her chest. "My dear child, don't you realize? You have become a valued member of the design team employed by T'Sere Shipwrights. As such, you are now considered a member of Sashia's family, just as if you had been born to it. Matriarch T'Sere cares about her employees every bit as much as if they were relations by blood."

"But I've hardly even begun to perform design work for you," came the protest.

Tralis chuckled again. "Gabriella, please… take a deep breath… relax. Your ability to integrate increasingly advanced FTL drive systems into our ship designs, especially those created by Judea Voni, will propel T'Sere Shipwrights well into the future. I foresee nothing but success for you with our company. We are most fortunate to have you in our family."

She hugged an increasingly unhappy Malcolm to her ample bosom. "Shush, baby. Your mother is right here." Handing the little boy off to Gabby – who had placed a dozing Belle in her crib – she stood and, after a slight stretch, said, "It's getting close to dinner time… we should probably be off, so all of us can sit down to a decent dinner."

"I assume I'll see you all back here… first thing in the morning?" Gabby asked.

The Matriarch gave her an apologetic smile. "I have some other work I need to do, but Carli and Clarissa will be back here in the morning after breakfast, Gabby. Now that the systems have been fully checked out and fine-tuned, they will first demonstrate the use of each… and then shadow you as you learn to access the computer and continue the design work you began on Thessia." She gently placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Please… remain seated. We will see ourselves out." Looking down, she gazed into the soft brown eyes peering up at her. "I have no doubt that, by the end of our few days here, you will be operating the equipment as if you were born to it… and, of course, I will drop in again before we return to Thessia."

Gabby smiled as she replied softly, "I really appreciate all you have done for me… and everything you are continuing to do… to get me set up so I can work for you, here, from my home. It truly is a dream come true."

Cliffside, Gellix, Arrae System – 5 June 2189

An unusually nervous Adrien Burns stood on the ramp to the landing pad as one of the two Knight Shade Fleet Orison class shuttles settled onto the tarmac. As the core spooled down, Adrien admired the Asari vessel, an FTL-capable diplomatic transport armed only for defense. Its smooth curves reminded her of the Asari people – sexy in design but packed with a defensive power which Adrien believed to parallel the Asari preference for diplomacy.

With its ten-person capacity, the Gellix Co-Governor wasn't the least bit surprised when every member of the six-commando team disembarked first, immediately followed by the Spectre, Doctor T'Soni, Riana… and, finally, Admiral Hannah Shepard. It seemed as though Adrien could hear her own heartbeat in her ears as the commandos split to the sides and the main trio walked forward, the smiles on their faces doing little to ease the woman's anxiety. Shepard stepped up first, quickly shaking her hand as she said, "Good to see you again, Adrien." Turning slightly sideways, she grinned and added, "It is my pleasure to introduce you to my mother, Hannah."

The informality, obviously done purposefully in an effort to calm the young woman's nerves, still surprised Adrien… so she remained silent just a moment too long. Hannah stepped forward and stuck out her hand. "Good to meet you in person, Ms Burns. I've been looking forward to this since Sam told me your story." She paused but, seeing that Adrien still seemed a bit tongue-tied and wasn't yet ready to speak, continued in order to avoid an awkward silence. "Which, I have to admit, is an intriguing one. In an attempt to help you relax a bit, I will swear to you I have come here with an open mind… so, let's get to know one another, shall we?"

Finally finding her resolve within the tumult of emotions, Adrien squared her shoulders and reached out to shake the elder Shepard's hand. "It's good to meet you, Admiral. Welcome to Cliffside." She glanced at Samantha, who was nodding in obvious approval of the new name for the station, before turning back and continuing, "And I will say that this is all a bit unexpected… unsettling even, to say the least. We're headed into territory I never thought possible; not in my wildest dreams." She swallowed the lump in her throat and blurted out, "And it scares the living Hell out of me, truth be told."

Hannah smiled and couldn't keep in the chuckle that formed with the admission. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh, but I understand… completely. I felt the same way when I first saw your picture. I was so shocked by the image, I had no idea which way to turn… so did the only thing I could think of – go visit my daughter and ask her directly."

"And I most certainly appreciate that," Adrien responded. "I can't imagine what would have happened if you had voiced your suspicions to Councilor Osoba. For whatever reason, he wasn't exactly thrilled with my appearance… or Brek's." She glanced at Samantha as she added, "Quite honestly, we expected the Turians to be the ones complaining about the arrangement… not Osoba… so we were caught a bit off-guard."

"So were we all," Hannah answered. Grasping her upper arms, she hugged herself as she commented, "I'm getting a bit chilled, standing out here in the wind, so how about we move our conversation inside… starting with a tour and a brief history of your time here? It will give us a chance to chat about less… personal… issues, as an ice-breaker."

"That's an excellent suggestion, Admiral." Relaxing a tiny bit, Adrien managed a smile. "Right this way, if you will."

Following an extensive tour, where even Samantha and Liara saw places they hadn't seen on their first visit, the group retired to Adrien's personal quarters. As they arranged themselves comfortably in the living room, Adrien explained, "We assume these belonged to the original station commander and, as the newly appointed station administrator, our group insisted I take the space for myself." Adrien shook her head. "Earnest had refused them, declaring it much too spacious for a single person… but they wouldn't listen to me when I attempted to voice the exact same objection." She let out a sigh. "I'm still not quite sure what I did to earn such trust and admiration in such a short period of time, but Earnest was more than ready to relinquish his somewhat brief leadership role to me."

"Didn't have anything to do with your combat prowess keeping them all alive during the first few pirate attacks?" Samantha grinned. "From what I hear, they all owe you their lives; none of them were trained soldiers… and you pulled that ragtag group together into a cohesive fighting unit. That's no small feat."

"It was simply a matter of survival!" groaned Adrien. "No one else was stepping up to do it… and I certainly wasn't willing to lay down and die. Not after all I'd done and gone through to escape the Illusive Man! If we were going to survive, we needed a united front."

"And you provided it," commented Liara. "Yet you wonder why they follow you?" She glanced at her siame and smiled softly. "In times of crisis, we all gravitate toward the natural leaders… because we want to survive. Sometimes, that leader fails you and everyone suffers the consequences… but when they don't? They are tagged with the label of hero… with the expectation they are the only one who can lead them to victory." Her smile faltered as she added, "And Sam and I fully understand how that can be both an accolade and a curse at the same time."

Adrien's expression cleared as she listened to the Asari, who didn't speak all that much but, when she did, it was generally to make a salient point. It finally dawned on her that the Asari was speaking from personal experience… that both Shepard and Liara were also reluctant leaders, thrust into positions neither had sought, yet had dealt with magnificently. "Yes, I imagine you do. Though, I admit to finding my own position quite tenable… being mostly a recovery effort after the war…" Her eyes moving between the three persons before her, she added, "I cannot even begin to imagine the choices you were forced to make… nor do I want you to have to explain them to me. What's done is done, so let us look to our future."

"There were times even I wondered how she did it… and how she remained sane through it all." Hannah reached over and gently gripped Samantha's bicep. "But we're Shepards and it's simply something we just… do." Casting her attention to Adrien, she shrugged and added with a smile, "Apparently, it's a trait you share. I've always believed our strong devotion to duty was in our genes… a trait actually coded in our DNA... and you, Adrien, are living proof that I just may be right."

Adrien stared at the woman in mute surprise as Samantha started to chuckle. After a moment, the Spectre responded, "Really, Mom? Are you seriously going to lay the duty-before-self speech on Adrien? Now? Geez… you barely know the poor woman… and you just labeled her a Shepard!"

Hannah blushed slightly. "I suppose I did, didn't I? How can I help it? She obviously is one of us, whether she carries the name or not." Looking once more at Adrien, she continued, "And your story says it all. Many under the Illusive Man's tutorage simply did what they needed to do to survive… including killing their own classmates. But you? You led a rebellion, constantly working against him behind the scenes until you gained your freedom."

"As did so many others, most of whom have been lost to the winds of war..." Adrien looked at Shepard as she continued, "… or taken a bad turn and gained the attention of their betters."

Hannah thought she heard something of resentment in Adrien's tone, so asked, "Do you blame Samantha for the deaths of your… sisters… in arms?"

"Absolutely not. I blame myself for not taking care of them myself, once I realized they had no morals, no guiding code of ethics… and it was neither their choice nor their fault, so they could never change." Adrien looked at Hannah, adding, "The more time I spent with my… sisters… the more blatantly obvious it became to me that they were created without a single spark of kindness anywhere in their souls. I blame myself… for letting them kill so many… for not stopping them when I had the chance." She huffed, "I am not the leader the people here believe me to be… I'm a fraud, plain and simple."

"Adrien?" Samantha waited until the woman met her eyes before she asked, "Did you tell Earnest and the others that same story?"

"Yes… I did, but it made no difference in their opinion, obviously, or I wouldn't be here now."

"Gods be damned." Shepard was shaking her head, yet smiling at the same time, as a rather poignant thought traveled through the link from her Anam Cara. She continued speaking to Adrien but glanced at Liara as she repeated the thought aloud. "You even assume unearned guilt, just like I used to do." Her gaze shifted back to the alternate version of herself as she offered, "We can probably help you with that… I've already been through that self-blame game and learned how to give it up, with the acknowledgement we are all victims of circumstance and one person can only do so much… before it breaks them."

It was late evening, and everyone involved was obviously getting tired, the conversation starting to come in halting bursts, wedged between periods of silent contemplation that grew longer with each round. Finally, Adrien stood and stretched. "It has been a long… and incredible day." She smiled softly, amazingly comfortable around these people she had basically just met yet felt as though she had known for a lifetime.

"I know you have your VIP shuttle, but a 10-pax vessel – at capacity – must be crowded… so I would be happy to provide you rooms in the guest area. It really is no trouble at all… and I would hope you don't plan on making the trip back to Thessia at this late hour? You can spend the night comfortably and get an early jump off in the morning… right after breakfast."

"Thank you for the offer, Adrien." Hannah stood with her and smiled in return before glancing at Sam and Liara, snuggled comfortably together on a small couch. "I, for one, would be happy to accept your offer, but am captive to the decision of my transporters."

Samantha yawned and stretched, pulling her arm from behind Liara. Sitting forward on the couch, she looked up at Adrien and her mother, the family resemblance more obvious every time she looked. "As you command, Admiral. Adrien's right… the shuttle isn't exactly spacious, and certainly doesn't offer much in the way of privacy, except for the VIP cabin. I would also like to visit Brek before we head back to Thessia, so staying here sounds like a pretty good idea."

She stood, offering her hand to Liara to help her up off the couch as well. "So, we'd be happy to take you up on your offer, Governor."

Adrien laughed quietly. "Oh, so formal… especially after all we've discussed today." Her expression converted to a sheepish grin as she added, "Who am I to turn family from my door?"