A Gift from the Ancestors: Book 2

by Gambit84

The effects of John and Tali's decisions are felt across the universe. As the next generation begins their adult lives, a new threat emerges from the depths of space and time. New friends will be found as old relationships are tested The galaxy once again will find itself on the edge of annihilation with a Shepard to lead them to salvation or destruction.

6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5.

Clouds of dry dust drifted in the hot arid air of Rannoch's high deserts. The sun beat down on small group of individuals crouched behind the burnt husk of a military tank as gun fire impacted the opposite side in loud pings or into the dirt to either side of their makeshift cover sending small plumes of dust into the air where they merged with the dust already there increasing density and making visibility worse.

John Shepard sweated in his armor, the lifesaving metals and impact resistant cloth webbing were the best money could buy as far as protective gear went, however, they did little for temperature comfort. He looked over at James Vega in his heavy armor suit and envied him for a moment. Those suits while big and bulky, came standard with built in climate control. A person could take on an entire squad without breaking a literal sweat. John wiped the sweat from his face and quickly changed the thermal clip in his rifle. He preferred mobility in his armor and this fight would be over shortly anyway. Activating his omni tool, a map of the area spread out on the ground before his squad. They were in an intersection of two major roadways. Ahead of them at the end of the North running street was their objective. A four-story office building belonging to a weapons manufacturer, now occupied by a terrorist group who held hostage the staff. Their intel said that the terrorists were well trained and armed. According to thermal scans of the building, most of the hostages were in a basement room, but there were three on the top floor. They believed these to be the firm's management. Their objective had been simple enough, go in and rescue the hostages, apprehend, or eliminate the terrorists. What they found was a war zone.

The terrorist group was a small army and had taken more than just that building, they occupied a full four-square block radius and were dug in hard. Shepard's team found themselves up against a much tougher fight than they had expected, but after two hours they had cleared the city and were ready to make their final assault.

"Garrus, Kasumi, I need you to remove the sniper nests on both sides of the streets. Once cleared, set up and start taking out the ones in the main building. James, go with them and cover their backs." The three nodded and made a dash for the line of buildings on the right side of the street. A wall mounted ladder would provide them easy access to the roof upon which the snipers had set up one of their nests. From there, they would be able to take out the one on the opposite side of the street. John and the remaining squad laid down cover fire for their friends until they reached cover. Once Garrus' team were safe they resumed firing down the street to keep the terrorist's attention on them.

In less than ten minutes, John's comm beeped and Garrus announced that the snipers had been eliminated. "Our turn." John spoke to the group. "Wrex, Grunt, you will be in the center with me. This will be your favorite kind of maneuver, straight up the middle, full force and through the door. Tali, I need you to get those doors unlocked by the time we get there. Kris, keep us shielded till we approach then blast those doors open wide. I want shock and awe, so they are stunned when we breach." Everyone nodded and Grunt gave his trademark chuckle in anticipation. The clicking of weapons cocking and the subtle shifting of the five people's stances as they readied themselves to spring into action told John that they were ready. "Now."

Blue biotic light flared into a half dome in front of the team as they cleared the side of the tank, pinprick flashes immediately appearing across the surface as the terrorist rounds impacted Kris' shield. John's rifle responded in kind with a steady pop, pop, pop, as he fired in three round bursts at any target that presented. From either side of him the much louder roar of the Krogan shotguns blasting at a slower rate but hurling a much larger rounds toward their targets accompanied John's gun in a symphony of death. Behind the leading trio, Tali worked furiously on her omni tool hacking the electronic locks for the main doors to the office building. From the roof top to their right, Garrus and Kasumi continued to pick off enemy fighters as they appeared in windows while James rained gun fire down on those in the streets ahead of John's party.

The two-hundred yards of street flew by under their feet as the attackers sprinted up the street. The closer they got, the fewer impacts of enemy rounds could be seen on Kris' shield while their own guns fired less as enemies fell and did not get back up. With only a few yards to go, Tali yelled that the doors were free. Kris gave a yell and her shield collapsed into a brilliant ball of light that flew forward and smashed through the doors, breaking them free of their hinges before bursting in a blinding flash of light and furious sound, becoming an extremely powerful flash bang. John's own team had anticipated this, and ears had been covered while dark shades blocked their eyes from the powerful flash.

Immediately following the blast, the two Krogans and one human entered the building, and quickly shot the stunned terrorists who were struggling to regain their feet from where they had been thrown by the biotic blast. "Kris, Grunt, basement. Secure the hostages there. Wrex, Tali, with me upstairs. Garrus, report."

"John." Garrus voice replied through the comms. "Scans show second, and third floors are clear. The remaining targets have pulled back to the fourth with the three hostages. I count three targets. One on either side of the door and the third is standing behind the hostages. That one is likely the leader."

"Roger Garrus." John replied. "Wrex, left, I will go right. Tali, the leader is yours. Do not harm the hostage." Wrex and Tali both nodded in response then they all began to run up the stairs. As they climbed, Garrus kept running commentary on the enemy position adjustments and just as they reached the top floor, Kris reported that the basement was secured and all hostages alive and well. Pausing outside the final door, John's team took their positions. John raised the hand not holding his rifle and with three fingers extended, began to lower them in a silent countdown. Three, two, one, he gripped his rifle and yelled, "Now!" Wrex threw his body forward smashing through the wooden door as if they were paper, John on his heels. Wrex's shields flared around him as gunfire erupted from the enemy and his shotgun answered instantly dropping his target a second before John's rifled echoed and the second target fell.

Tali took a different approach and as the two men entered ahead of her, and used Wrex's massive form as a launch pad to catapult herself up and over the Krogan's back, to soar through the space in the large office's vaulted ceiling, pulling knives from her boots before extending her feet to smash into the last targets shoulder, knocking him to the floor away from the hostages with her own body coming to rest on top of his, one knife at his throat and the other at his side. With a wide grin on her face she looked at the defeated foe and said, "We win."

A loud buzzer sounded followed by a cheer from the hundreds of people in the surrounding stadium that had been watching the action. Tali jumped up from her opponent and sheathed her knives before extending her hand to pull the downed man up to his feet. John and Wrex both holstered their weapons before helping their own opponents to their feet. The defeated "terrorists" rubbed their chests where the fake rounds had hit them. They may not have been lethal, but they still stung.

"Damn Tali, a little heads up next time you are going to use my hump as a springboard. I nearly turned to shoot you. Though I always appreciate a good aerial assault." Wrex chuckled in his gruff voice as they made their way out of the building.

"Sorry Wrex." Tali responded. "I forget you are getting old and soft and that my slight weight would disturb you so much." Wrex began to respond, but John's hand suddenly slapped his chest and a warning grunt accompanied it. Wrex looked at John and saw him shaking his head. "She is setting you up Wrex."

"Aw, you took all the fun away. I wanted to make him squirm." Tali replied in a false whine. "Bacara challenged me to see if I could make him blush." John and Tali laughed while Wrex grumbled the rest of the way back into the street which was now occupied by Miranda Hannigan and Ashley Williams along with other senior officers of the Shepard Academy. Garrus, Kasumi and James were already there and Kris and Grunt along with the "hostages" were emerging from the building behind John's group.

As they all reached the waiting party, Miranda spoke, her voice carrying across the arena so all the spectators could hear as if they were on the street below. "It is my great pleasure to announce that the winners of the 2217 Shepard Academy War Games are once again, the undefeated Normandy crew!" Applause and cheering arose from the spectators as John and his team took a bow.

The War games was an end of training exercise that the graduating class participated in every year. They were given an objective midway through their final year and they had five months to plan and execute. Then, the Normandy crew, led by Admiral John Shepard and whoever he could assemble, would try to stop them. To date, they had prevented every class from winning. It was not that the classes were not capable nor prepared, it was because the games were designed for them to lose. The instructors cleared the underclassmen from the arena and the senior class was gathered in formation on the dusty street at the commands of Admiral Williams. John climbed onto a downed sky car so he could be seen by all.

"Well fought class of 17." John began and led in applause that was taken up by all the instructors and John's team. "You worked together as a team, carried out a solid strategy and fought with the skills we expect from those who graduate from this academy. Now for the bad news. You still lost." The applause died off quickly to be replaced with somber faces. "You lost. Most of your teammates were killed, others injured, and several taken captive. Your mission failed and now others will have to try to do what you could not." He let those words settle into their minds for a minute. They were not pleasant words. He did not want them to be.

Years before when the Academy started, the senior officers had tried to figure out what the graduation requirements would be. What did their cadets need to learn? What skills, what lessons and how to test those. It had taken time, but a curriculum was formed, and the culmination would be these war games; a test of all the things taught over the four years. Miranda and Garrus had taken their plan to John and Tali when it was done to ask them to look it over and provide feedback. John only said one thing: They need to learn loss.

John Shepard, the hero of the galaxy, knew loss well. His entire military career was ear marked by it. Every defining moment of his career was accompanied by losses and it was working through those that had made him successful. All great military leaders had to learn loss to succeed. If they genuinely wanted to prepare these cadets to be great officers, then they needed to teach them to overcome loss.

It had taken them some time to work out the details, but eventually they had decided that there would be one final exercise during the games during which the class would lose to John and his team. It was simple enough to execute. Garrus and Ashley would simply leak the classes plans to the Shepards who would counter what was being planned. To keep it somewhat fair, if either Ashley or Garrus were "caught" the information would stop flowing. It had happened a couple of times in the past and those fights had been virtual blood baths, testing both teams to their extremes. That had not happened today.

"You had a major fault in your strategy that ultimately led to your downfall. There was a spy among you." Eyes went wide and heads swiveled as John spoke those words. The unspoken question of who flew from face to face before the spy stepped forward.

"It was me." Garrus Vakarian stepped forward. The tall Turian General stepped forward, head held high as he met the furious glares of his charges.

"Do not get too angry at your instructor. Every year we slip a spy into the senior class to learn what their plans are so we can defeat them in these games." John held up his hands in a pacifying manner as rumbles of displeasure rose from the assembled class. "It is our final lesson for you before you leave us. Failure is real." The rumbling faded at these words and all eyes looked at him for explanation.

"I failed a lot in my career. I failed my missions. I failed my superiors. I failed my shipmates. My failures led to loses of ships, colonies, and lives. Friends and family. Each one of them weighs heavily on my still today. They are also important to my successes. I learned from them. Grew from them. Used them for motivation to do better. Failures lead to success.

Today started off on a high for most of you. Your last day of testing. One more mission. You were prepared. You had trained, studied, and planned. You were eager and certain, confident, and enthusiastic. You were everything that could be expected, and yet, hours later you had failed. You are fortunate in that this failure is not the end. No one died. Nothing was lost. Nothing hurt more than pride. Tomorrow you will still graduate from the Shepard Academy and the day after many of you will depart for the next stage in your career. Some will stay here on Rannoch, but all will leave the Academy for full active duty somewhere. No matter where you go, what you do, you will once again come to a similar situation as you faced today and regardless of what I wish to say, some of you will face failure again. When that day comes, think back to today's harsh lesson. Remember that failure does not have to mean the end. Often, it is what leads to success."

The arena was quiet, just the soft breeze rustling through the simulated town could be heard in the silence following John's speech. While many eyes were on him, others were cast downward or into the far distance, all deep in thought at the words he said and the emotions each dealt with. They had been harsh words on top of a huge loss. Yet, even the most stubborn of the cadets saw the wisdom in them, though that did little to ease the depressing mood.

"I know I have delivered some tough words today, but not all I have to say is bad. Your instructors will give a full debrief of the exercise, but I want to say that I am proud of all of you. For four years I have watched each of you develop and grow. You have become outstanding soldiers, reliable, trustworthy, and highly skilled. Each of you will go on to become well respected leaders in your fields and strengthen any unit you are assigned to. I would stand beside any one of you in any situation. Now, try not to let the lows of today control you. Go to the debrief, freshen up and relax. Tomorrow is graduation day where we will celebrate your great achievements. Congratulations to every one of you."

"Class, attention!" Roared Ashley's voice and all there snapped to attention, straight, stiff, and unmoving with eyes focused steadily upon John Shepard. "Present arms!" Roared her voice again and arms snapped upward in precision salutes. Admiral John Shepard returned the salute with the same formality, then dropped his arm, turned, and walked away, his team following.

As they departed for the showers, he thought back on the day's events and what he had said. Over the years, he had spent most of his interactions with his namesake academy teaching the unpleasant parts of military service. Like many of the things he had done in his life, this was not something John enjoyed doing, but still took it seriously and gave it his all. The future depended upon how well they prepared today. He admitted that he was probably harsher today than he had been I the past. He had been briefed on the New Horizons message and the impending invasion. He was worried, straight up scared really and today's speech had been just as much for his own benefit as the cadets. At least he did have one ray of happiness; he had his friends.

Today had been fun for him in a lot of ways. Both Wrex and Grunt had been able to join this year, which always guaranteed a good time shooting things, and high probability something would explode. Garrus at his side again was always a comfort as he could think of no friend more loyal than that scarred Turian. James had likely needed the release as much as he himself had. John had watched for months as his friend fought with inner demons and Kasumi fretted about her husband. To see him suited up and engaged in something to take his mind off work and worries was good. Kasumi seemed to think so too as she had hardly stopped smiling at James the entire day. Kris had been like dynamite on the edge of exploding since the news of the New Horizons had reached them. She was worried, and when she became worried, she became angry. Sam was her calming influence. Not having her around was pushing Kris' ability to calm her inner rage. The biotic cadets had been both pushed to the edge of their endurance and probably given some of the best training in the academy's history.

Admittedly, he was barely better than Kris. Emotions ragged, anger and depression warring with each other for dominance, most days he just wanted to give up, despite what he showed to the world. Had it not been for Tali all these years, he may have. Tali filled him with strength. Through their bond he gained physical support, but every day she hugged him, kissed him, and reminded him of her love. Every night he held her tight in his arms as they fell asleep and often in between they found more personal and pleasurable ways of showing their affection. Tali was his source of comfort and he hers. She was no less worried than he, possibly more where their daughter was concerned but together, they presented a calm and assured front for their friends and anyone else who needed it.

"So, who is up for drinks?" Garrus asked as they entered the locker room. "We are off duty for the next day which means liberty to get shit faced. Who wants to join?" A general chorus of agreement and cheer went up with the two Krogan voices overpowering all. John had to smile at that. Indeed, it was good to have friends, especially these friends. He whispered a quick prayer to the ancestors for his daughter, their friends and all the crew of the New Horizons for their safe return. Then pulling his shirt on, he stood and announced, "First round is on me!"

Angie? Angie? Angela! The fading echoes brought Vala back to consciousness. Slowly her senses began to return to her. She was laying on something hard and soft at the same time. She could feel a gentle breeze caressing her skin and carrying with it the smells of fire and salt water with hints of…bacon? Letting out a moan, eyes flickered open to instantly close again as the bright light from Rannoch's morning sun flooded her site. Her head throbbed with an intense headache and her muscles were sore and aching as though she had just run a marathon and forgot to stretch afterwards. Slowly she began to stir from her prone position on what she now recognized as sand. From nearby she heard someone speak and then she was enveloped in two strong arms that aided her in slowly sitting up.

"Hey there, easy now. Let me help Vala." The gentle voice sounded familiar as did the Vanilla scent that filled Vala's nose as she was guided to a vertical position. Angela had her. She was okay. Vala exhaled and felt the tension drain from her shoulders with the realization that Angela was okay. Though her eyes were still closed, she could feel when Angela moved around her, and the rustling of clothing told Vala that Angela had knelt in front of her. She felt hands brush her hair away from her face and tuck it back behind her ears. Those hands gently, lovingly moved down her head and neck to rest upon Vala's sore shoulders, rubbing lightly. Vala slowly opened her eyes, letting them adjust to the bright sunlight and gasped.

Angela's face was the same face that Vala had always known and loved. Smooth, brown skin and petite mouth framed by dark black hair, currently loose and flowing in waves past her shoulders. The only difference was in her eyes which is what caught Vala's breath. Those formerly dark brown orbs encased in their narrow slits and framed in long black lashes that Vala had been jealous of, now glowed fiercely with bright blue light. Vala stared with wonder as her emotions spun within her. She was about to ask what happened when a surge of warm comfort flooded her body. Starting from deep within her, down in the same wellspring that her power flowed from, it spread outward through her body, racing down arms and legs until she felt it tingling in every extremity. It was Angela. She could feel Angela within her, filling her, completing her. They were bonded. Vala blinked and a smile spread rapidly across her face.

"I love you, Angela."

"I love you too, Vala."

Those were all the words the two women needed to say. They both understood what had happened and why. Years of angst, confusion and fear had been swept aside and amid death, love had triumphed. They had found each other, not just physically, but deeper; they had found each other's souls.

Tears streamed down Vala's face. They were together, but how did they get to Rannoch? It was Rannoch Vala now realized as her eyes cleared, and her brain began to process what her senses were trying to tell her. They were on a beach along the inner sea and judging by the position of the sun and cliffs behind her, they were not far from home. A small fire was burning nearby, and it was from this that the delicious smells of cooking bacon emanated. A few logs were laid in a circle around the fire and she could see where Angela had been sitting due to a partially filled cup resting upon a blanket that covered a portion of the log and foot prints leading to the fire and towards Vala.

Suddenly Vala jerked back from Angela and her body tensed as she saw a third person. Across the fire from where the two women sat was a Quarian male, elderly though not old, of age with her parents perhaps. His hair was short, midnight blue, much like her mother's though grey streaks highlighted it liberally. Age lines showed at the corners of his mouth and eyes, eyes that shone with the white glow of the Quarians. He was watching them and smiling as of a parent to a child who had done something for which they were immensely proud.

Angela turned to see what Vala had reacted too and upon seeing the Quarian spoke. "Ah, yes. This is going to be awkward. Vala, this is your grandfather, Rael'Zorah." Vala tore her gaze from the Quarian to look at Angela. She had to be crazy. This was impossible. Rael'Zorah was dead. He had died years before she was born fighting the Geth. She knew the story well; her parents had told it to her and her siblings often. They had also told her that they had met him again, later. Oh, no. Vala's eyes went wide, and tears threatened to fall again.

"Keelah, are we dead?"

"You are not dead." The softly spoken words came from across the campfire to the girls' ears as the Quarian stood and began to walk over to them. "You are alive, though unconscious and still on your ship. Your colleagues are looking after you. Vala, you passed out after healing Angela. The strain of using the amount of energy you expended combined with the shock of the bonding was more than your body could handle. I brought you here to let you rest and to talk."

Vala was calming as she listened to Rael speak. His words were gentle, and she could sense the truth in them. "Mom and dad told me stories of meeting you, first just dad when he was injured after the Reaper War and then both after Cerberus. I was never certain if they were true or not, though I trusted them to be so. After all, having the power of a god at our command is crazy enough, why would talking to our ancestors be any stranger?"

Rael smiled at her and then gestured for them to take seats. "Please, get comfortable. Angela has been cooking some food for you. Eat, please. You need to regain your strength." He seated himself back on his log and watched the girls resituate themselves.

Angela helped Vala to a place on her blanket before preparing a plate of the freshly cooked bacon, some biscuits and a cup of coffee and handed it to Vala. Then collected her own and took a seat next to her friend? Girl friend? Partner? She would figure that out later. They were together and there would be a later.

Vala took the food from Angela and inhaled deeply. Bacon. Was there anything better? Probably, but not to her and not right now. She picked up a piece but stopped short of taking a bite. "Grandfather." She began then paused and laughed. "Wow, that is going to take some getting used to saying." The giggles subsided and she cleared her throat. "If this is in our heads, is this food real? I mean, does eating it really matter?"

Rael looked at her for a minute before responding. "Vala, granddaughter. Does it matter if it is real? It is comfort. Comfort can heal a person as much as physical nourishment. Think of what happens here as mental, emotional, and spiritual healing. Those things that medicine cannot help. Those strips of bacon are something that you find joy and happiness in. They were prepared with love and concern by one who loves you with all her being. They are done to give you comfort in a time of pain. Put aside science for a while and believe."

She looked at Angela who smiled at her. Love reflected in that face. Those eyes, burned with care, concern and desire and Angela nodded her encouragement. "Fuck it." Vala spoke before taking a large bite of the bacon and sighing in pleasure as the delicious taste of fried pork fat filled her mouth, crispy and chewy textures blended with the smoked, salty flavors of the greasy strips. "The one battle I can never win is the one against bacon."

Angela laughed at that and Rael also smiled and chuckled faintly. "Let us hope our enemies do not invent a bacon shooting gun then. You won't stand a chance." Angela joked. The laughter was good to hear and Vala felt her body relax and the aches and pains begin to fade. Rael was right, she was healing.

"Okay, okay." Vala muttered through a mouthful of bacon and biscuit. "Grandfather, you said you had things to tell us. Please, begin. I can listen and chew at the same time."

Rael nodded and began to talk. "First, let me say that I speak to both of you equally now. Yes, Angela you too. The two of you are now one. I do not mean simply bonded or married, but I mean one. You share everything, feelings, pain, the power, and life. What happens to one happens to the other. If you thought what John and Tali had was unique, you have not seen anything yet. You are more than Quarian and Human, more than the Quarian bond and more than what John and Tali have become. They are conduits, vessels used to create you. You, Vala and you Angela, are the goal. A new being of creation itself, equal to that of Rannoch and its brethren and destined to either save or possibly doom us all."

Both girls were stunned. Mouths open, bacon forgotten. Angela had taken Vala's hand and the girls were each squeezing as if that grasp was their lifeline. A sphere of purple energy, sparkling with power encompassed their joined hands. Rael flicked his eyes toward it and the girls shifted their gaze to follow. "Now close your eyes and concentrate, both of you. Think about your life, your family, home, friends, hopes, wishes, dreams and desires. Think of the water in this lake, the smell of the fire, the warmth of the sun and gentle caress of the breeze. Picture it all in your mind. Let it fill your senses until it is real. Now, open your eyes."

They did as instruct and was met with a scene of wonder. Where their hands lay locked together, a dozen purple and pink leafed Rannoch flowers in full bloom now stood proud. Vala looked at Angela in wonderment. She had never used the power like that before. She had used it to heal, to fight, to shield, but never to create life from nothing. "How is this possible? I've never seen this."

"It is the final step. What makes you special, unique. You came close before Vala. When you heal people, you recreate their damaged bodies to be healthy again."

"Yes, but that is taking what is already there and simply repairing it. I know how biology and chemistry work, what is supposed to be there and what is not. I can expand upon the remaining cells to reproduce what is needed. I have never created from nothing and I have never created life."

"No, but you were not whole before now either." Rael nodded to Angela. "Rannoch, and his kin have spent eons alone. They do not have significant others, loved ones, friends, companions. No one to share in the joys or comfort in the bad. If they were to create a new one of their kind, they wanted to make sure that that being would not suffer the same fate they had. They wanted to ensure that they would have a companion to be with them and in doing so, they could create beings powerful enough to overcome Akzunatai." Here both women looked questioning at Rael.

"But sir, I'm not special like Vala. I don't have power." Angela spoke, but as the words came out of her mouth, she felt a tingling deep inside her. She had thought it just part of the bond, but now she was unsure.

"Angela, darling, you have more power than you think. Only you have provided the calm that Vala needed growing up. Only you gave her unreserved love and trust when even her own family shunned and feared her. You have literally stopped a force of nature in her tracks with a look." Rael began moving closer to the woman who remained seated in thoughtful silence. "And now, you can do even more." Rael grabbed Angela by the arm and with a strength neither girl would have imagined he had, suddenly threw Angela through the air.

Shock flooded Angela as she soared over the fire and away from their campsite. Tumbling over and over, sand, sky, sand, sky flashing before her eyes, something within her snapped and energy flowed free within her, pushing out fear, shock, and doubt. Purple light flared around her and she came to rest on her feet. Crouched and ready to spring, sparks dancing from her fingertips, she looked much like Vala had as a young teenager in a fit of rage. Anger and confusion wrestled within her mind, yet her eyes were sharp with focus as she watched Rael standing opposite her, calmly staring back. Vala had come to her feet next to her grandfather and the energy danced around her own hands.

Angela could feel Vala's emotions. Shock and anger at her grandfather, weariness as to what would happen next and fear for what had happened to Angela. Vala was worried for her. Ever since they were kids, it had been her that worried for Vala. For what the power would do to her. What it would turn her into. She had been scared for her friend. That fear had hardened her resolve to become strong for Vala. To be the person she could trust, confide in, and know she was safe with. She had many times stood just as Vala was now, sans power, same look, same expression, same love.

Angela released the power. The light faded and the energy dissipated. She dropped to her knees and Vala was there instantly, catching her, hugging her, their lips met, and Angela sank into the comfort of that kiss. The passion, the love. Vala. They parted and Angela saw the tears on Vala's cheeks, felt the same on hers and laughed. "Well, shit Vala."

"Well, shit Angela." Vala replied laughing alongside her.

"I guess you have some teaching to do when we get back. This time you throw the rocks and I will try to blast them to dust."

"Deal. I Know a great little cove where this awesome girl once helped me out. Maybe I can take you there." Angela smiled as the memories came flooding back. "It's a date." They picked themselves up and walked together back to the fire and Rael, taking their seats again.

"I am sorry for tossing you Angela. I know that was a rude way to treat my future granddaughter-in-law, but we are running out of time and I still have a lot to tell you." Both women blushed at the title Rael had given Angela, but Angela smiled and nodded and Vala's heart soared. Seeing that they were recovered, Rael continued.

"That lake and those rocks will have to wait a while longer I'm afraid." They looked at him intently. "You cannot go home. Not for a while yet. You must stop Akzunatai and the way to do that is not on Rannoch."

"I thought that retrieving the LiThar, Fendala, Mavish and their crew was the way. That is what we came out here to do." Vala replied to Rael ominous words.

"It is, dear. Partly. You will need them, but the way back home lies on theirs first. You must have them take you back to OniThar. The way to defeat Akzunatai is at the seat of his power. No, he did not merge with a planet like Rannoch or his other siblings, but he has invested much of himself into it regardless. A being like that cannot stay in one place, exuding that much power without an anchor. Energy works with pushes and pulls and that must come from a firm source. He is not OniThar as Rannoch is Rannoch, but his power is anchored there."

"What do we do?" Angela asked while taking Vala's hand in her own.

"I do not know the details on how, but while Akzunatai and his forces are fighting on Rannoch, you must reach OniThar, find his anchor and break it. Then his power can be claimed, the LiThar freed from his control and the forces on Rannoch will have their chance to win."

"It comes to war after all." Vala stated. "We cannot stop it?" She looked with hope at Rael and was met with sadness.

"No, my dear. War is inevitable. Too much is set now in motion to simply stop and even breaking Akzunatai of his power does not guarantee victory. His army is massive. Bigger even than the Reaper fleet, though without the programmed determination. It will be a nightmare war for those fighting. I cannot foresee the outcome. Like you, I can only hope and do what I feel is right."

He fell silent and Vala pondered his words. She gazed out over the waters and let her thoughts wonder. Today had not gone how she thought it would when she had eaten breakfast that morning. Space battles, emergency surgery while under fire, using the power to save Angela's life, nearly dying, meeting her dead grandfather, bonding with her lifetime love, discovering that they are meant to save the universe and are in fact god-like beings with the power of creation literally in their hands and that to even give the people back home a chance to live, they would have to travel to the other side of the universe to rob another god-like being of his power. "Fuck, for once can't someone just say, "Surprise! We got you a puppy!""

Rael and Angela both looked at in surprise at the outburst. Then Angela started to laugh. Rael followed and soon Vala joined them. The laughter came from stress, but the result was peace. The flustered state of Vala's mind cleared. She could feel similar feelings within Angela, but there was also a steady comfort there. They were together. They would get through this like they had a lot of things in life, together.

"Thank you, grandfather." Vala walked over and hugged the elder Quarian. He returned the gesture in kind. "I will do my best to make you proud."

"We both will, grandfather." Angela had walked up to stand next to them. Rael looked at her with a smile on his face and embraced her in a hug as well.

"You already have my dears." Rael replied as a tear slid from his eye. The sky was rapidly darkening around them, the shadows from the cliffs elongating as the sun dropped to the horizon.

"Will we see you again?" Vala asked.

"I do not know dear. I hope so. I would like to meet your brother and sister one day as well. Tell your father and mother I said hi and I love you all." Rael's final words faded with the light taking the fire, beach, and water with it. Vala's consciousness quickly followed, but this time a presence was with her in the darkness. Angela.

Mavish sat in the officer's lounge bent forwards with his arms resting on his knees while Fendala rubbed the muscles in his back. Two days had passed since the battle ended. They had salvaged what they could from the debris field and remaining ship then Joker had set a course and they fled as fast as the damaged ship could manage.

The damage to New Horizons had not been as extensive as he would have thought. Most of it was superficial with a few exceptions. The communications station had been destroyed, but the comm array itself was still in place. Admiral Thibodaux had managed to get computer set up to transmit within hours. It would be some time before they could wage an attack against enemy communications, but they could at least communicate again. The other severe damage was confined to personnel. No deaths, but several people would be out of commission for weeks and many more on light duty. None of his own people had been severely injured and they had gladly stepped up to fill in the gaps.

That extra work was why he was now bent over with Fendala working hard on extremely sore muscles. He had been helping to carry, organize and store the salvaged material in the cargo bay. His species natural strength meant he could easily carry what took three-four of the others to do so. He had been told that there was a species called the Krogan that could match his strength. After learning about them and after the past two days work, he wished a few of them were here.

Fendala was not much better off and he promised her the same treatment when she was done with him. While not an actual engineer, Fendala had learned a lot helping Lieutenant Thera on the Verna-Litha and her small body made her a perfect candidate for working in the small, tight crawl spaces between decks. Without a word of complaint, Fendala had strapped her tool belt on once again and joined Thera in assisting the repairs.

Those two days had flown by in a blur of activity which was probably for the best as if it had not been for the nonstop work, he feared the crew would have sank into depression. Angela was the Admiral's daughter, and though Admiral Thibodaux kept up with her duties and performance as expected of a person with her reputation, it was plain to see she was in pain. Vala was their chief medical officer and her loss in the medical bay had the crew worried. More than that though, both women were loved and respected by the entire crew, including his own people. He had seen Shethra earlier today, but all his medic would do is shake his head in response to the unasked question.

The lounge door slid open and Captain Lin Verel entered the room with Ambassador Neela Voln. Mavish observed the Salarian as he nodded to the two LiThar before walking to the sideboard to make himself plate of food and a drink. The Captain was showing the same signs of wear and fatigue as the rest of the crew; something that gave him credit in Mavish's opinion. He always believed that an officer should share the same conditions as his crew if he were to be a good leader and Verel had proven to be a good leader. Not only was he willing to get his hands dirty working side by side with the crew, he also knew how to lead and when to let others step up. He was the commander of the ship and made sure no one forgot that, but he also listened and deferred to his subordinates when dealing with their area of expertise. That was often a hard practice for senior officers to learn, but for those that did, the resulting effects on the crew were extraordinary.

Ambassador Voln was a presence not to be ignored. They had spent many hours with her both in official capacity and casually as getting to know the LiThar was in fact her job and she executed her job enthusiastically. Mavish admitted that he was truly fascinated by the Asari people, particularly their long-life spans. Voln, he had learned was known as a Matriarch of her people, a person of great respect and after many long and in-depth talks with her, he understood why she was held in such high esteem.

Verel and Voln approached the table where Mavish and Fendala sat, asking if they could join them. Mavish nodded in agreement and the two sat and started to eat their meals. Minutes of silence passed as Fendala continued to work the kinks out of Mavish's back and the others ate. Fendala finished her work and lowered herself into a chair next to Mavish who took her hand in his, thumb rubbing the fur there in gentle, caressing strokes while looking into her eyes. Fendala stared back, both LiThar smiling, sharing a moment of peace, silent, but filled with words that needed not to be said.

"May I ask something Commander, Ambassador?" Voln broke the silence and the LiThar turned their attention to her, Mavish indicating to continue. "When this war is over, assuming we win that is, what do you think the LiThar will do?"

Mavish remained silent for a few moments before finally answering. "Honestly, I do not know Ambassador. I doubt any of us really know. We have always said that we would go back to our real lives when free, but what are those? We have been enslaved for so long that we do not have culture, history or a society that is not a part of Akzunatai's empire. We do not even have true historians that can say for certainty who or what we were before his arrival beyond the stories that have been passed down through the generations. I guess it is safe to say that we will start over. Discover who we can become on our own and where we fit in, not only on OniThar, but in the galaxy as well."

"Do you think your people will want to be a part of a galactic community? I would think that they would be more focused on reestablishing their home world." Voln questioned the LiThar after he finished speaking.

"Well yes, I suppose that we will be largely focused on the developments on OniThar, but I also feel that we will be interested in the larger scene as well. What little we know of our history tells us that we were not an inferior species prior to Akzunatai's arrival. What has been taught to us is that we were capable of space travel and the greater sciences than those we had employed. We had chosen not to do so as we feared what awaited us. It was believed that by staying where we were would keep us safe by not attracting unwanted attention. We were obviously wrong.

Now, whether that is factually true or just a lesson taught by our wise ones on how to live in Akzunatai's world has been debated countless times over. Likely, there is some truth to it, but I do not know. Regardless, if we win our freedom, we will not let ourselves fall again. That will mean being active on a galactic scale and to do that, we will need allies."

Voln nodded in response to Mavish's statement. "That is good Commander, and nothing less than what I would have expected to hear from you. As I am sure you have guessed, you touched upon the very purpose of my visit. We have only received one response from our Council since we informed them that we had found you. Naturally, they want to know if you are interested in becoming a part of our community. Captain Verel, Admiral Thibodaux and I have discussed it at length many times since and have decided that it was time to bring you both into the conversation.

To start, I do not expect, nor truly do I want an answer from you now. We do not know each other well enough for decisions of that magnitude. While we all get along and have found cohesion here, this is an extenuating circumstance. We are both far from home, alone, and fighting for survival. We pull together or perish. While I have no doubt that you are profoundly good people, I have no evidence to the contrary, it is unfair to judge only upon a sample. The same can be said in reverse about us. You have only met a tiny sampling of our people and to my shame, I must admit, not all of those back home are of the same morals as those aboard this vessel. Many far from it. Instead, I bring it up for you to start thinking about your future and that of your people. When this is over, I have a feeling that the six of you are going to have hugely important roles to play in shaping the future of the LiThar. We want to help you do that if you will have us."

"I thank you for your offer Ambassador." Fendala responded. "You are correct in all you have said regarding decision making at this time. However, I will add that we all have bad elements within our societies. Many of my people fully support Akzunatai and would immediately have turned anyone of us into his guards had they caught us. Breaking Akzunatai's hold over us will take more than simply defeating him. Something else our histories teach us is that we were warriors. Highly skilled fighters who defended their planet to a near standstill against Akzunatai in the beginning. It was only the threat of complete destruction of the planet itself that force the surrender. Captain, as you well know, warriors do not become great through peace. It takes fighting to become good at fighting. Before Akzunatai we must have fought someone, and that someone must have been each other.

We all have our faults. That is true no matter who you are, or where you are. Alliances are not made between only those with no faults, neither are friendships. I like to think that we have become friends, Neela, Lin. I know I care just as much about your crew as our own and the actions of you and your own people reflect those sentiments back towards us. I have a gut feeling that we will need each other as allies and more importantly as friends before this is over."

"If I may interject?" Mavish spoke and all three looked at him. "We have no government, no Council, no true leaders. At best we have our elders and wise ones, but they are not an organized system. Other than a few others, our people are not even aware we are out here. You say we will likely be instrumental in decision making when we return, I fear that we will be the leadership when we return. While I agree with caution, generally it is a wise course of action, I believe that we will need an alliance with you long before we have anyone back home to discuss it with or approve it.

I need to discuss this further with Fendala and my crew, but…" He looked at Fendala, exchanging a silent communication. She smiled and gave a slight nod. "I do believe we will be accepting your alliance and look forward to a prosperous future with you." Mavish and Fendala both stood and extended their hands. Voln and Verel mirrored their actions, grasping hands and shaking them. Mavish waited until they departed before turning back to Fendala. "Well, that is that I guess."

"I think it is great. The truth is we will need their help to reclaim our world. Our people know nothing about governing let alone interacting with other species as anything other than servitors. Also, let us be real in that we may have once been fighters, but not anymore. We will need protection, so we do not fall victim to another enemy. It will be good to have friends and mentors. People to guide us and aide us."

"Do you not fear them becoming our new masters?"

"The possibility is there I admit, but I do not think that will be the case. Their council, as well as all their major races disapproves of slavery. While they suffer from the practice, it is not condoned and is constantly hunted down and stopped. As for the shadier aspects of control and influence, again I do not believe this will take place. They are too far away to effectively enforce their rule. It takes far too long to travel between our worlds and communications weeks. Besides, I feel that they genuinely want to help us."

"As do I. It is still nice to hear another say the same though." Mavish smiled at her. He meant the words, but mostly just enjoyed listening to Fendala talk. Over the years they had spent together, he had come to find comfort in talking and listening to Fendala. She was a constant companion; someone he could trust and in turn trusted him. He had been a military scientist his entire life. Raised to be part of Akzunatai's test fleet, he was given much of the same training as his regular troops and expected to perform as one of them. Akzunatai did not believe in wasting resources. Not that he cared for the LiThar people, but he did care for his ships and equipment which meant ensuring they were kept safe and out of enemy hands. To do that, he made sure that those who operated them were trained to keep them safe. It was a hard life and one not given to outside relationships. Love, family, and kids had not been part of Mavish's life. Not till now. His gaze never left her face as they sat in the lounge, eyes locked with one another.

Fendala watched Mavish's body language, facial expressions and saw the uncertainty in his eyes. She knew what he wanted. She wanted it too. Their relationship had been building over the years, starting with just sitting and talking over a drink, to making time to be together a priority during their days. The time spent on the New Horizons had only accelerated what was already there as they had more free time without the stress of survival weighing them down. A surge of emotion rolled through her tiny body. Enough playing. Fendala spoke to herself and slowly stood.

Mavish watched her begin to rise and felt sadness creep in as he thought that he had missed another chance, but those thoughts slammed to a stop and his eyes widened in surprise at Fendala's next move. As she continued to rise, her arms raised above her head, torso arched pushing her chest outward with an intake of breath and stretched. Her lithe body, silhouetted by the glow of computers behind her, showing every curve and line to its maximum effect. With half lidded eyes, she turned her head and looked straight at him, giving him a look promising his every desire before turning and slowly, seductively moving her body as her tail flicked in his direction, began to leave the room.

"Mavish." Fendala spoke as she paused her movements though kept her back to him. "Our wise women tell us girls when we are young a tale of our people and where we come from. They say that in the beginning, if two LiThar wanted to mate and start a family, the male had to prove he was an equal to the female. They would give chase through the forest where the female made her home. If the male genuinely wanted her, he would have spent time not only conditioning himself, but studying her, her habits, her territory, so that he would know as much as he could about her. She would do the same about him. The outcome of the chase, whether she escaped, or he caught her mattered little, it was the effort put into it that counted.

Unfortunately, we do not have our forests today. We do however have nearly two hundred feet of corridor between here and my quarters, which by the way, since I am considered an ambassador for my people, I occupy alone. For privacy. I suggest you grab a bottle of that wine on the shelf and let us see what you have learned over the past few years." Fendala winked at him then launched herself through the open lounge door, rounded the corner and took off down the corridor.

Mavish had not been blind and was not slow. He had been stunned at her actions at first but read the signals as clear as day. He had watched as her seductive movements failed to conceal the tightening of her muscles, extremely well-shaped muscles he observed, as well as the slight lean towards the door. The flirtatious tones in her voice sealed the deal and he had prepared himself to spring. As she finished speaking, he saw the subtle shifting in her stance and was already moving before she had left the room.

Grabbing the first bottle his hand touched, he was out the lounge door only a couple of steps behind her. Down the corridor they raced, laughing, and dodging a few surprised crew members. Just out of reach ahead of him, Fendala made one final turn and reached the door controls for her quarters. The doors slid open as Mavish's suddenly airborne form tackled her from behind sending them both tumbling, locked together into the darkened room. The doors slid shut as they wrestled on the floor, neither gaining the upper hand, the bottle of wine rolling away in the confusion. Mavish, felt a shift in Fendala's body and he used it to leverage himself on top of her. He would have made the pin, but Fendala's mouth suddenly closed on his.

The kiss broke his concentration. Their tongues danced, and their breath increased. His hands that had been holding her arms released and moved to her waist, pulling her tight against him, mashing her breasts into his chest, all thoughts of the chase wiped from his mind. The kiss lingered, desire raged through him, then he was flat on his back. Pinned.

Mavish blinked in stunned silence. The kiss broke and Fendala sat on his chest, panting heavily, and smiling down at him. "I think I won Commander." She spoke in a soft voice, through heavy breathing. "I think I will accept your proposal though. You definitely earned it, though I do have one condition." Mavish raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Fendala raised a hand to the zipper on her jumpsuit and slowly lowered it, exposing her furry body, the cleavage between her breasts, and tight muscled stomach before shrugging her shoulders and letting the garment fall to her waist. "You still owe me that massage."

Mavish grinned fiercely and with an ease that Fendala did not expect, flipped their position so he now straddled her, this time trapping her arms at her sides under his legs and with a steady voice that masked his own heavy breathing replied. "Anything my darling."

Shethra and Thera had leapt aside as Fendala flew past them with Mavish right on her heals. They were beginning their shifts, his in medical and hers down in engineering when they were nearly bowled over by the racing bodies. They both stood stunned and watched as Fendala paused to open her door and the commander flew to tackle her from behind. Both lifted their faces, small noses working furiously, then turned to look at each other and smiled. The scent in the air was one of LiThar sexual pheromones so strong that Shethra almost coughed.

"About time." Thera spoke as Fendala's door slid closed. "I was starting to think we were going to have to shove them at each other before much longer." Shethra chuckled in response. Taking Thera's hand in his own, they resumed walking to their stations.

"I guess we can finally tell them about us without feeling bad. I was tired of hiding it from everyone." Shethra and Thera had been friends before they had left OniThar as he was the medic assigned to the experimental division and she their top engineer. He had spent many hours talking to her over reports of her team's injuries and a few times her own. They had become good friends, but that was dangerous to let be known on OniThar, so they did not act upon it. When the mission came up, they both looked forward to getting away, not only for their people, but selfishly for themselves. They soon realized though that being trapped within a small vessel with four others not only did not provide much in the way of privacy, it also placed a lot of restrictions on personal freedoms. Discipline needed to be maintained and jealousy was an easy disruptor of discipline. So, they decided to keep their secret for a while longer. As the journey went on and the years passed, they noticed the deepening relationship between Mavish and Fendala. Thera had tried on multiple occasions to get Fendala to talk about it but failed. Fendala also knew the problems that could arise with personal relationships on small vessels and refused to act, or even acknowledge what was forming between her and Mavish. After arriving aboard the New Horizons, it became easier to be together, but still, they wanted to wait. They were not certain if it was yet the right time to reveal their relationship. They had also noticed the tension building between Mavish and Fendala and decided that maybe it would be best to let them lead by example in this area.

"I wonder if we can get our own room also. I find it fun sneaking off to those quiet, empty corners, and this ship has a lot of those! But it would be nice to share a bed together overnight." Thera replied. They came to the lift and shared a quick hug and kiss before Thera boarded for the engineering deck and Shethra continued to medical.

The medical bay was quiet today as he entered and looked around. Only Vala and Angela remained on the beds. The rest of the crew had been released to their quarters, though a few were still on bed rest, especially engineer Xal'Mallo, but the worst was over for them. Lieutenant Katarina Sokolov was finishing her shift noted and nodded to him as he entered before turning back to her notes as he signed for his shift.

"Good morning." She began in her usual cheerful voice, with just a hint of sleep creeping in. "Fairly quiet night. I had to set a dislocated shoulder and wrap a bruised rib from the security team. Apparently, Meela and Nelis were fighting over a boy, and no one will explain exactly what happened. Meela's arm was popped from her socket and Nelis ended up with a large black and blue spot the size of a dinner plate over an incredibly sore rib." She shook her head and handed her completed report to Shethra. "I've seen those two sparing in practice and I swear, they are both lucky they didn't kill each other. They are both incredible fighters. I hope they can work this out without further injury."

Shethra took the report, scanned it briefly and set it aside. "Have you told any of their commanders?" She shook her head in response before replying. "Didn't need to. Commander Lexandrius was the one who brought them in. Said he would handle this foolishness himself." Shethra grimaced at those words. Lexandrius was a nice person, but he was also a tough Commander and would not tolerate that behavior. Likely, their punishment would be far worse than the injuries they now sported.

"What of our Chief and Comms officer?" Shethra asked changing the subject. He knew Admiral Thibodaux would be in shortly on her morning rounds and he wanted to be ready with the latest developments.

"Stable. Vitals look good, great really. If I did not know better, I would say they were simply sleeping. I am hopeful that they will wake soon, but there really is no way of knowing for certain. I have investigated some ways to possibly wake them ourselves. I left the information in the office and gave a copy to Seamus to read as well. Let us know what you think. I do not want to bring it up to the Admiral unless we are all in agreement and understand what would happen, risks and all."

"Agreed. I will look at it after her visit unless something comes up. Anything else?" Katarina told him that was all, and they said goodbye. She departed and Shethra moved to stand over the two prone women. He read the monitor readout over both of their heads before performing a few basic checks of their vitals, then diming the room lights, he headed towards the office to finish settling in for the day. He had barely taken more than a few steps when a voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Shethra, water."

The data pad dropped to the deck as Shethra spun on his paws, jumped, and landed next to Vala as she was trying to sit up, straining against the straps securing her in place. A few quick motions of his hands and the restraints released. He slid an arm under her back and gently helped her into a sitting position before racing to the nearby sink and filling a glass with water. He handed it to Vala then again spun around as Angela too began to stir. He repeated the same actions with the human before activating his equipment to begin scanning the women. As the computer went to work, he activated his comm. "Admiral Thibodaux, Captain Verel, please report to medical immediately."

Samantha had just begun her shift and was finishing turnover from Verel in the C.I.C. This was the third day since their battle and was to be the day they sent their report to the waiting Council. They had held off in sending it in hopes that Vala and Angela would awaken. She did not want to send a report back to Kris or the Shepard's that their child was injured. With the time it took to get messages to them, they would be worried sick while they waited for an update. Still, her duty compelled her to send one today. She had delayed too long, and the Council needed to be alerted to the latest developments.

Verel finished reporting on the overnight developments and Sam went through the relief protocols and assumed command for the day. She looked around at the C.I.C. and pride washed through her. The room still bore signs of the battle with scorch marks from the fires on the support structures and a few of the non-critical computer consoles still inoperable, but most of the room had been restored to prebattle status. The one exception drove a stake through her heart, the ruins of the communications terminal.

The debris had been largely cleared up, but the surrounding console supports, chair brackets and decking were blackened where the fire had been the hottest. The remaining terminal had a large black hole where the controls once glowed. From inside that hole spilled wires like the intestines of a gutted creature. Repairs were underway and communications had been restored at a backup terminal, but the site was a constant reminder of her daughter, unconscious and injured down in the med bay.

"Admiral Thibodaux, Captain Verel, please report to medical immediately."

Samantha froze, her eyes widened, and she whipped her head to see Verel stop mid-motion on his way to the lift, quickly spinning around to meet her gaze. Only a few seconds passed in stunned silence before Samantha was moving. "On our way Lieutenant. Captain Moreau, you have command." The words barely out of her mouth before the lift doors slid shut.

The ride down which only took a few moments felt a lifetime to Samantha. What was wrong? Did she wake? Did she get worse? Her mind was racing through scenarios as she cursed the lift's speed. When they stopped and the doors parted, Samantha was through the opening and sprinting down the corridor, Verel on her heels crying "Make way!" to any crew in their path. Slamming her hand onto the door controls, the medical bay came into view and Samantha slid to a halt. At the far end of the room, Shethra stood between the two sitting women, going over data on his pad. Both Vala and Angela were upright and alternating between taking sips of water and answering the LiThar doctor's questions.

"Angela!" The name came out of Samantha's mouth in an exclamation of relief, a greeting, and a prayer of thanks. Crossing the room with large strides, Sam wrapped her arms around her daughter in a bone crushing embrace, causing Angela to drop her cup and spilling water on the floor.

"Mom. Mom!" Angela tried to speak as her mother's fierce hug crushed her lungs. "Mom, I'm okay, but I won't be if you keep squeezing me like this!" Samantha let out a small laugh and released her daughter. Tears were falling from her eyes leaning wet trails down her cheeks to fall on the bed. She smiled at Angela, at a loss for words then turned to look at Vala. She moved to the Quarians bed and hugged Vala with no less intensity than she had Angela and whispered, "Thank you, for saving my girl."

Vala's own lungs were now undergoing the same crushing force that Angela's had, but she managed to croak out a few words in reply. "Of course, Sam. I love Angela."

Samantha loosened her hug so she could lean back from Vala and look at her face. Vala's familiar features came into focus, light purple skin still smooth with youth yet showing faint lines at the corners of eyes and mouth gave the young woman maturity beyond her age. Framed by long midnight blue hair that had become disheveled, hanging loose and casting shadows around the edges of her face, giving the impression Vala was watching from within a hood, her bright eyes glowed and captured Sam's attention.

Vala had always had mesmerizing eyes for those who could stand to meet her gaze. From birth they glowed a bright white, as did all Quarians, but unique to Vala, within those glowing orbs swam dozens of blue specs. Those specs, ever in motion, captivated some and made others queasy. Their speed would change, increasing in tempo as her emotions heightened and would become a furious swarm when she used her power. They had been a mystery to all as no Quarian had knowledge of this phenomenon. Now those eyes had become solid blue orbs glowing in matching intensity as those now on the face of her daughter. They had become bonded.

Sam knew about the bonding through John and Tali. She knew what it meant, and part of her was jumping with happiness for them both. They had always been best of friends and Sam and Kris had always suspected that they had been even more. Kris was certain that she had once interrupted a make-out session when they were teenagers, but neither brought it up to the girls. They loved Vala as if she were one of their own daughters just as the Shepards loved Angela and her older brother Kyle.

Still, Samantha also feared what this meant for Angela. Vala was special. Something… beyond, was the best word she could think to describe her, and that meant they would never have a normal life. Kris was like that in a way, though not to Vala's extent, and Sam knew how challenging Kris could be at times.

"I love her Sam. I love Angela with everything I am. You are right to fear as a mother should, but I swear, I will not allow harm to find her." Vala had read the thoughts and emotions playing in Sam's mind. She knew what the older woman was going through and respected her for it. Loved her for it in fact. Samantha was a good person, practically family and now, technically she was.

"I know you do Vala." Sam replied and looked at Angela who had been watching the entire time. "I'm incredibly happy for both of you, and yes, I am worried. That is my job as your mother after all." That last comment was emphasized with a look at Angela. "I am going to have one hell of a report back to the Council and an even harder one to write to your other mother, who will be pissed she is not here, but also will be overjoyed for you both. Expect a slap upside your heads though when we return." Samantha smiled at both girls and the tension broke. Soft laughs filled the room and more tears welled in all three women's eyes.

Shethra and Verel had quietly stepped back a few paces to give privacy to the family, now rejoined the group and more hugs were exchanged. The crew really had become a family over the years spent together and the LiThar too had become part of that family. For the past couple of days, that family had been fighting for two of their members, and now were whole once more.

"It is good to see you both awake and healing well." Verel began. "I can also see that there is more to this story than a simple recovery from your injuries." Vala and Angela looked at each other and blushed lightly. "No need to say anything. I need no explanations. I am familiar with the Quarian bonding, or at least as familiar as any non-Quarian can be. Congratulations I suppose are in order so please, consider this mine." He smiled at the women and bowed to them both.

"Thank you, Captain." Vala replied. Then she took a deep breath and looked at both him and Samantha. "I wish we had time to celebrate, but I fear we have more to say about our experience and what is left is not all good news."

"It can wait Vala. You and Angela need to get cleaned up and eat something. We can talk later." Samantha was thinking as a mother and Vala knew it. So did Angela who interrupted.

"No, Admiral. We need to talk now." Samantha felt like she had been slapped. For Angela to call her Admiral meant that this was serious.

"Very well." She replied "Shethra, could you please give us the room." The medic nodded and turned to leave, but Vala's voice stopped him.

"No Shethra. You should be here too. We will need to tell everyone eventually anyway, but this does concern your people greatly so I'm glad one of you are here now." She waited while they pulled chairs over the beds and made themselves comfortable, then they told their story.

The following day Vala Shepard and Angela Thibodaux found themselves in front of the entire crew, basking in the warmth of their congratulations at the announcement of their bonding. For some of them it had been a long time coming, and for all, it was a cause for celebration. The past years had been hard and the last few days even more so, and the news that Vala and Angela had joined was akin to fresh air after suffocating. They took it in joyously, letting the stress and weariness fall from their minds.

Vala, mostly felt embarrassed as did Angela who was flushed red with the attention. They stood together, holding hands, and let the emotions of the crew flow over them. Happiness, joy, love, things that had been absent of late and would be needed in earnest in the days to come. Angela sensed the sudden turn in Vala's thinking and squeezed her hand reassuringly. It was time. Vala blew out her breath and caught Sam's eye. She nodded and Sam's smile faltered before she began to quiet the room.

"Okay, okay. There will be plenty of time to continue the celebrations. Unfortunately, time presses on us and there is another reason we are gathered." Sam's steady voice brought the last of the celebratory noise to a close. The crew watched their Admiral with rapt attention, curiosity and worry in their thoughts. "We are not going home. We are going to OniThar."

Looking over the edge of the cliff behind his house, John could see the entire Val'Shan valley spread out before him like a quilt with squares of farmland bordered by dirt roads and aqueducts on either side of the river Solom Azhana. In the middle of the valley, the river split and diverted around a teardrop shaped island before merging back together to continue its journey North to the great inland sea, Ril Azhana. Upon that island was the capital city Val'Shan, the first city founded on Rannoch after the war and now the heart of both the Quarian and Geth people. A little of twenty miles from where he stood, the sprawling complex of government buildings could be seen gleaming in the morning sun. Built from former live ships, the main structure was made of the great sphere that had once housed the Quarian civilians aboard the Bilmoth. Extending from the sphere like hundreds of limbs, struts, catwalks and bridges connected the main building to landing pads, nearby structures and the ground itself with several arching over the river on both sides to allow access from any point in the Valley. North of the city the Solom Azhana traveled through more farmland for nearly one-hundred more miles before reaching the lake, though the last thirty of those mile were primarily swampland where the river again split, though this time into dozens of fingers creating a marshy delta. Before those waters reached the swamps, it passed by one other point of interest: the Shepard Academy.

John Shepard's namesake academy had grown from its early days as an advanced training military school to a full-scale military institution. Still functioning primarily as a training facility, the experimental division had blossomed into one of the most advanced facilities in the galaxy thanks in large part to agreements worked between Admirals Thibodaux, and Hannigan along with the Rannoch government and the Salarian STG unit. Allied teams of Turians and Krogan, Humans and Asari had joined to strengthen both the facility and the planet and to maintain the interspecies relationships that had formed during the Reaper War. As a result, the Academy had turned into a highly fortified base of operations and protection for Val'Shan.

For nearly thirty years, John had stood on this cliff and watched the valley below. A random collection of metal patio furniture had been moved here years before by himself and Tali. Simple things, mesh chairs and small, round tables, usually occupied with a couple of drinks while Tali and John sat quietly, were sun faded with rust showing on the edges. The furniture looked like John felt; strong though aged and frayed at the edges. This was where he often came when he needed to put his life into perspective. It was often easy to forget that he was Rannoch's protector, he and Tali together, but when he was reminded, it was often in a harsh way that sent him here to clear his thoughts.

John's cheek still burned where Kris had slapped him and hour ago. Honestly, it was a milder reaction than he had expected from the woman and nothing he would not recover from. What hurt more was watching her collapse into Tali's arms in tears afterwards. Those heart wrenching cries still rang in his ears.

They had gathered in his house for dinner. Miranda had told him that a message had come from the New Horizons with mixed news. Kasumi and James, Garrus and Ashley, Miranda and Felicia, Kris, John and Tali along with both Hanna and Krios with their spouses had gathered and shared dinner, caught up on what was going on in each other's lives and then listened as Miranda read the message. The successful integration of the LiThar was cause for celebration, and the attack had them all feeling sick with worry, but Vala and Angela's bonding had put them all on the brink. The joy of the news combined with the frustration, anger, and sadness that they were not there to share in it became tinder waiting for a spark. Miranda read the last part of the message, that they were going to OniThar instead of coming home and that it was up to Vala and Angela to break Akzunatai's hold on hi power, and Kris lost control. She screamed and raged, cursing John, the Alliance, Akzunatai and threatened pain in ways that had them all sitting wide eyed and somewhat scared. John had tried to comfort her, and Kris spun, backhanding him hard enough to send him reeling back to the couch before she let out a final scream and collapsed into Tali's arms sobbing.

John exchanged a hurt look with Tali. She could feel his pain for Kris, combined with worry for his friends and most especially their daughter. Tali did not need the bond to know what John was experiencing. She was feeling it too. Still, sometimes helping meant doing nothing and she flicked her eyes to the door. John understood and walked out.

As he had all those times before when his thoughts troubled him, John stared out over the landscape of the planet he had come to love and call home. It was not long until he found himself with company. The others had watched the exchange between Kris and John with silence. These outbursts, though rare anymore, were familiar yet, when Kris struck John, and he had turned and left, they felt uncomfortable. Once her head had cleared, Kris felt horrible. Rising from her knees, she led the group outside and over to where they could see him standing.

"John, I'm sorry." Kris began. "I'm not mad at you. Not really. I just want my wife home. I want my daughter home. I want to hug them and congratulate Vala and Angela and give them shit for not letting us be there. I don't want another fucking war. Believe it or not, I am tired of fighting all the time. I just want my family back and peace."

"Nothing to forgive Kris." John responded turning to face the woman. He took a step forward and embraced her in a tight hug. "I miss them too and want them home. Like you, my whole life has been fighting. These past years have been heaven for me, and I do not want it to change." He released the hug and took her chin his hands, gently lifting her face so he could meet her eyes before continuing in a much louder voice so all of them could hear him clearly. "I've learned too well though that change comes regardless of our wishes. Heaven is only blessed if we continue to ensure it stays that way. We live for ourselves, but we also live for others. Our friends, our families. Neighbors and strangers. Those of us with the abilities must bear the burden for those who cannot, for if we do nothing, then we risk losing everything."

John took a minute to look around at his friends and family. Somber faces all around. Many were looking not at him but at the ground, or off into the distance, listening to him talk but their minds elsewhere. He understood. His own thoughts were not fully here either, but far away with his daughter. "Vala and the New Horizons are beyond our aid for now. Nothing more than prayers and thoughts can we send their way. We have to place our trust in them to do what they can just as they are relying on us to protect their home, so it is waiting for them to return."

"Dad," Krios spoke up. "Do you think Vala can do it? Can she stop Akzunatai? I know she is a good healer, but this is far beyond that. I worry she is in over her head." He looked at his father and John could read the concern in his eyes. That same doubt was echoed around the group as John looked at them all in turn. He sighed and entered a command in his omni tool.

"Krios, I know that you and Vala have started talking again, but I also know there is a lot she has not shared with you, or many people for that matter. I am going to show you all a video that Kris sent me a few years back. This was footage taken during a sparring practice between her and Vala not long into Vala's time with the Retrievers." John pressed the final command and a holographic image appeared in the enter of their group. In that image was Kris and Vala at the Retrievers' training room. They watched; mouths open in wonder as the two women fought. The speed in which they moved, the control of biotic and mystical power and the firework explosions that were created when those powers met. The sheer physical strength and incredible agility that each displayed when they came together in a blur of movement was awe-inspiring. Arms and legs working in perfect movement to attack and defend created a beautiful choreography of deadly movement. The fight reached its climax, as their powers met, the women struggled, Kris attempted a final gambit, and the fight ended with Commander Chavolin calling a draw as Vala was pinned beneath Kris, but held a knife tight to Kris' throat.

The image faded and the group remained silent. They were stunned with what they had seen. Kris was undoubtably one of the best biotic warriors in the galaxy. What the woman could do with biotics left Asari matriarchs dumbfounded and defied common knowledge. They knew though that Kris had been made, experimented upon, and turned into what she was by Cerberus. Vala's abilities were unnatural. Unknown. She had been born this way. It was within her DNA and that DNA was new to the galaxy. Biotics had become something that the galaxy was comfortable with, or at least accepted. What Vala, and the Shepards could do was something else and it scared them.

Eyes turned to look at Kris who was smiling at the memory. She had worked with Vala a lot to help the young girl control her power. She had done it the only way she knew how, through fighting. Kris' training had secretly molded Vala into one hell of a fighter and Vala had done her best to keep that secret hidden. Fighting was not her, not what she wanted to be. She was a healer, but Kris had taught her words that she had heard many years before: "Lots of ways to help people. Sometimes heal patients; sometimes execute dangerous people. Either way helps." Kris had known that Vala's life would not be a sheltered one in a hospital simply healing the sick. She may not want to be a fighter, but Vala would not hesitate to do so if it helped. Kris met the gazes of her friends and saw the questions written in their eyes. "Vala can handle herself. I trained her myself when she was a teenager and into her adult years when I could. I helped her develop and control her power. She is a threat, but not to us. May their gods help whoever tries to fuck with her or her family though."

"This was years ago. Since then, she has grown in power and, thanks to Kris, has the skill to control it. She has come into her maturity. Krios, your sister is more than we are, and I owe you all a deeper explanation and confession. Your mother and I made an agreement with Rannoch, not the planet, Rannoch the being. A god-like being whose species has been in existence since the beginning of the universe as we know it. They may well be the original species. They are made of the stuff of creation itself and have been at war with one another since the start. They are not gods though. They are not omnipotent nor omniscient and most do not want dominance over others. Akzunatai does however and he is the reason for their war.

Beings like Rannoch do not have a physical form. Instead, they have infused themselves into the very planet itself and through it, create life. They can subtly influence and manipulate life, which is how species like the Asari gained biotic superiority or the Quarian's bonding ability. Others are more aggressive, look at the Krogan and the hostile environment of Tuchanka for an example. Those beings created a species for defense, a people bred for war, but allowed to go their own way. Whichever path these beings of creation chose, the goal for them was the same, to hide and stay protected from Akzunatai.

Power has limits, and they soon found theirs. Most were fine within their limits, but Akzunatai wanted more. He began to slaughter his siblings when he could find them, attempting to gain their power. He was not successful. Creation had imposed a limit to how much power they could possess. Akzunatai refused to accept that limitation and continue his conquests. He enslaved, destroyed, and spread his influence as far as he could. Instead of investing his power into a planet, or single species as many of his brethren had, he spread himself thin across his dominion. He had no choice if he wanted to maintain absolute control. Without his constant presence, those on the fringes and ignored would in time, break free of his control. Eventually, he realized that he was reaching the end of how far he could extend his powers.

Akzunatai paused in his conquests, holding his armies within the radius in which he could maintain control while sending out independent scouting teams to search for the others. His siblings used the lull in the war to better secure their own positions. It was during this time that some of them began to realize that they needed not only guardians, but someone that could take the offensive. It was too late for them, however. Having fused themselves with their chosen planets, to separate would mean the death of that planet and all the living creatures that they had used their power to create. They needed offspring. To do so though would require leaving themselves vulnerable for years.

Rannoch's brethren cannot reproduce as we understand it. It requires a surrogate. This is where I am Tali came in. At the end of the Reaper War, when I blew up the Citadel and destroyed the Reapers, I went to, well for lack of a better word, the Quarian afterlife. Why there and not human? Simplest explanation is that I had more connection and belief in the Quarian ancestors than I had in any human based religion. It was there that I met Rannoch, via a proxy, Rael'Zorah, Tali's father, your grandfather Krios. It was he that told me who he was, and their history. He then gave me choices. I had earned my place in the afterlife among the ancestors. I could go to it, be happy and that would be it. I could go back, be alive and be with Tali and that would again be all. Then he gave me a third choice. Much the same as the second, I would go back and live, my life would be as I wanted it, but I would become something a bit more. I would become Rannoch's guardian. He would share his power with me and through me, with Tali. Together since we were bonded as he designed in the early Nthula-Dom, we would keep him safe, keep the planet safe as well as those who called it home. It would be through us that he would have a child.

You see, his species is not DNA based like ours. Instead, they are energy. More specifically, they are the energy. The power that my family can use, is Rannoch. Vala though, is something different. When Rannoch shared his power with us, our children were infused with that power. Unlike Tali and myself who are tied to Rannoch, she is her own entity. A new species."

"You said all of your children are this way." Ron Earp, Hanna's husband interrupted. "Why are Hanna and Krios so different then?"

John looked at the young man for a moment. He liked Ron. A human, Alliance soldier who Hanna had met while on leave visiting Earth a few years back. They had connected and became fast friends, staying in contact over the years and then managed to get assigned to a joint species ship patrolling an Asari colony. They began dating and went to Krios wedding together, and a week later he had proposed marriage. Their engagement was four months and then they were wed on the Citadel. That was almost a year ago now.

Ron was like John at that age, an up and coming Marine with hard earned experience in the field and commendations from his superiors. He would likely command his own vessel soon and would have no trouble finding a crew willing to serve under him. Much like Hanna, he had little use for biotics or "special abilities", instead preferring the physical approach. He reminded John a lot of James actually, just smaller. He stood with his arm around Hanna's shoulders, an embrace that showed not only the love he felt for her, but protection. His eyes were alert and muscles tense. He did not know what the threat was, yet his stance spoke volumes to John. Ron was ready to defend his wife. John approved. Dropping his eyes briefly to Hanna's face, he nearly laughed. Hanna was just as alert as Ron. If a battle broke out right then, those two would have each other's backs, both thinking they were protecting the other and both acting as a perfect partner in support. Even had it not been for the tell-tale blue glow of the bond in their eyes, he would have known they were meant for each other. Pride swelled within him.

"Hanna and Krios both carry the power, but no, they are not the same as Vala. As I said, the power is Rannoch, a piece of him, much like we give a part of ourselves in DNA to procreate, so too did Rannoch. That spark, I guess we could call it, resides in each of my children, but only in Vala did it find what it needed to mature. This is not a failing on you Krios, nor you Hanna. It does not belittle either of you in the least, nor does it mean that Vala is better, only that she and Rannoch's spark were compatible in a way that you and Hanna were not. See, Rannoch is a nurturer, a caregiver. His existence has been one of giving to others, encouraging their development, and protecting them in turn. Krios, you wanted distance from the military. That life never appealed to you. You are a creative person, someone interested in the arts, history and being a family man. You are the reason people like Hanna fight. Hanna, you are the ideal marine and officer. Tough, smart, and determined. Strict on discipline yet fair and able to relax among your troops. Those under your command respect you, but more importantly, they love you. You are going to make one hell of a captain soon and in time, an admiral truly worthy of the title. Vala shares a similar spirit with Rannoch. Helping others was always her passion. From bringing home injured animals to saving lives as a medic, she gives of herself always and rarely acts selfishly, often even when she should. She also tends to be shy, aloof, and hesitant to partake in social activities. Her personality most closely matches to Rannoch's.

I think the other main factor was simply that Vala accepted Rannoch into her being. She did not know what it meant at nine years old, but it resonated deep inside her that it was a good thing. Neither of you did this. I do not hold that against you. Both of you were severely injured that day in London and the power was a frightening thing. It scared your mother and I that day as well. In truth, there are a lot of days I wish I had taken another option myself and did not have it in my life. The fact that you were offered the powers of the universe and turned them down, speaks volumes to your character and your honor.

Still, Vala accepted it into her life and gave it what was needed to evolve, allowing it to merge with her very soul. In doing so, she is becoming something beyond a human or quarian, she is becoming something new. The first of her kind. With her bond to Angela, I fear evolution may have taken yet another step towards that new species. Remember, Rannoch created the Nthula-Dom, and the bonding for this very reason. A single being of the power cannot possess more of the power than any other single being. Vala and Angela are two individuals who act as one. They can possess double. It was a gamble on Rannoch's part. An all-or-nothing gambit that has moved into the final round. I believe this coming war is what Rannoch and his kind were preparing for. The final move in a contest that has stretched out since the dawn of time.

So, can Vala do what she has said she was going to do? I do not know. What I do know is that right now, her, Angela, and our other friends and family on that ship are our only hope. I fear for them. I fear for us. I fear that my daughter is destined to either be our savior or our destroyer and above all, I fear that the next time I see her, she will no longer be my Vala."

John fell silent as tears started to fall from his eyes. Krios and Tali moved quickly to embrace him. They too worried for Vala. For Tali, it was as a mother with the same views as John. Krios though found himself wracked with guilt. What his father had said was true, he had been afraid of the power and rejected it. Perhaps not as strongly as Hanna had; she all but denied its existence, but for years he had tried to ignore it and that had put him more on Hanna's side in arguments. It was not till later in his life, after they had gone their own ways that he had begun to reexamine his beliefs. He had hoped that it had not been too late to repair his relationship with his sister when they had begun those early, cautious communications. When she had agreed to have dinner that day before she left on this mission, it was a great step in the right direction, but he knew that she was still hurt and while they had left with hugs and a good feeling, the rift was still there. Now he feared that rift. What if she needed them? What if what she needed was support from her siblings but would be unable to reach them? His parents worked in tandem with the power when they needed extra support. Would Vala need him and Hanna?

From the corner of his eye, Krios saw Hanna rise and walk away from the group. She moved slowly, eyes downcast and unfocused. Her only indication she was aware of her surroundings happened when she first began to leave. Ron had moved to go with her, but she put her hand on his shoulder and whispered for him to stay. Past the house and the flower gardens that ringed it she walked, continuing down the path leading to the shuttle landings and further to the clearing beyond where the statue of her parents stood. The statue, solid stone from one of Rannoch's quarries, displayed John and Tali Shepard as they stood in defiance of Cerberus years ago. Scaled up twice the size of her actual parents, they towered over the high desert landscape. Hanna paid it no more mind than she had anything else as she walked. Standing next to the statue's base, she could see in one direction the high desert that she had played in as a child. Rocks of reds, yellows and browns in striated colors rose in the random formations, often with straggly brush and trees emerging from crevices, fighting for life. In another direction, she could see the Val'Shan valley. Lush, fertile fields that were the lifeblood of her people, and the great capital city of Val'Shan in the middle, the heart. Swinging her gaze, brought the great sea, Ril Azhana to view in the distance. Memories of sailing on those waters as a child with her family rushed through her mind. Those early years before the power, before everything began to fall apart. When Vala was her twin sister and they were the same.

Memories of her childhood flooded Hanna's mind. Her and Vala playing with toys on the porch of the house, swimming in the pool, tending flowers in the gardens with their mom, playing hide and seek with Krios, teasing him and tormenting him as only older sister could. The love they had for each other had been second only to the love their parents had for them. They had been happy. A house full of laughter and smiles. Even when they were sad, or got into trouble, which was frequent she admitted, they did not remain upset for long. Her mom and dad had been quick to forgive, if not to forget, and while they had made sure she and her siblings learned their lessons, they were not overly stern, unless the situation called for an extreme response.

It had all changed that day in London. Unconsciously, Hanna moved her hand to rub her shoulder where she had been shot. Even now, nearly twenty years later it still pained her sometimes. Her hip as well where a second shot had taken her. Her memories from that day were foggy. Random images of her father's face in shock, flashes of the park as she was carried to safety, a strange sensation of the power flooding though her body as her mother had tried to heal her and intense heat mixed with the sounds of screams. Her mind had been too stunned to process all that was happening when it happened and it was only through years of therapy and talking to others that were there that she now had a grasp on what all had took place. As a child though, she had simply been scared.

Pain. Death. Terror. That was what she had come to associate the power with. All power. Regardless if it was what her family wielded, biotics or other, she had come to distrust it. Fear it. While she trusted Kris, loved her as an aunt, she had seen vids of what Kris had done that day, and admitted to harboring a certain level of distrust and fear about her biotics. Now she had learned that Vala was even more powerful. That she was imbued with power that could rival creation itself. She shuddered at the thought.

For the last few years Krios had been trying to get her to talk with Vala and end the animosity. She had tried a few times with some success. She loved her sister, cared about her, but she hated the power and no matter how hard she tried to put it aside, the power was always there. Hanna had fought her way to her position. Nothing but hard work, sacrifice and dedication had brought her to where she was today. She did not have the power to boost her abilities or make her stand out. She had only herself and she was good. Yet, every command, every assignment and everyone she encountered asked about Vala. In school, it was because Vala was the weird sister. The loner, the one the other kids avoided and made fun of. That was not the attention Hanna wanted so she paid it no mind. Once they had both enlisted though, it became different. Suddenly they were competitors in a highly competitive environment. The one bright spot was that they had gone separate ways with Vala signing up under the Alliance medical program while Hanna went into the Quarian marines.

Hanna's advancement through the Quarian military had been fast and well deserved. She earned top marks in all her classes as well as the loyalty of her fellow marines. None of it was easy. She refused to take easy routes, often setting herself up to fail by choosing options that were considered no-win situations. It was not unusual for her to win anyway. Many of her instructors called her stubborn and headstrong, but none would deny her determination or skill nor her intelligence. She was also an excellent teacher, mentor, and partner, taking time to ensure that those she worked with understood what they were doing, be it a tactical maneuver or a ball game. She was a leader, a teacher, and a friend. She was tough on those around her, but she was respectful of them also.

She had grown into her own person. Someone she was proud of. Someone those around her were proud of. A name that was known not as the daughter of the famous John and Tali Shepard, but as "that badass Quarian". She was an exemplary marine, a proud member of the Quarian military. Yet, no matter what she did, Vala was always there. Every time Hanna had reached a new achievement, a new rank, received an award, Vala was not far behind. An entire galaxy worth of space between them could not separate their intertwined fates.

It was infuriating to Hanna that she could not escape Vala. No, they were not directly competing against each other. Their chosen paths in military life, in addition to the fact that they served in entirely separate militaries, ensured that they were never in direct competition for advancement, assignment or recognition. Yet, to Hanna at least, she felt as though Vala was always there and always just a step ahead. When she had made Lieutenant, she had called home to tell her mom and dad. They told her that Vala had also been promoted. After an award ceremony where she had received the Quarian Navy's medal for heroism when she had led her squad to safety after being shot down on a planet controlled by a Batarian slaver cell, she found herself watching another ceremony where an Asari diplomat was thanking the Retrievers for their timely rescue of her and her family. Front and center was Vala and a Drell woman receiving distinguished service medals by that diplomat. Her animosity grew deeper with each passing year. Then Krios stepped in.

Her younger brother had mostly been on Hanna's side after the London incident. He had been injured though not nearly as bad as she herself had, taking mostly superficial injuries. Krios had become scared of the power as she had, and she used that fear to her advantage. Having learned where Vala and Angela would sneak off too and that Vala would play with her power there, she waited till an opportunity presented itself. On a day when Vala was especially upset, Hanna had grabbed Krios and they silently followed Vala to her cove. Hiding in the bushes, they watched wide-eyed and open mouthed as Vala hurled bolts of power from her hands, yelling in rage and frustration. The energy in the bolts left scorch marks on the grass and sand, caused steam to rise on the water's surface then exploded in showers in water and light as it impacted the sea. Angela was there as well. She would toss rocks high into the air over the sea where Vala would blast them into sand. They watched as Vala did this again, and again, and again, till Angela ran out of rocks and Vala's voice grew hoarse from screaming. Hanna looked at Krios and saw in his eyes, terror. That was she had needed. From then on, Krios' loyalty was hers. Hanna would protect him from Vala. Vala would be outcast from her siblings.

After she had left for the marines, that grip had weakened. Truthfully, it had begun to slip years before. As Krios grew up, he began to think for himself and see things with opened eyes. John and Tali Shepard did not raise fools for children. Hanna knew that what she had done with Krios and Vala's relationship had been wrong. Part of her was happy to hear they were reconciling but every time Krios talked to her about it, she clamed up again and the old anger returned. She was not ready. Then came the aliens. A once in a lifetime opportunity. The assignment to make first contact with a new species. She had been hopeful she would be considered. Vala got it. Not only did she get the assignment but also the promotion and position as chief medical officer, one of the most powerful positions on a ship. She had been furious. Refused to talk to anyone about her sister, or even the mission till after they had departed. She had cooled eventually, professionalism taking over personal attitudes and as the months went by with Vala beyond communication, Hanna returned to herself.

Now it was happening again. Her life had been wonderful these past couple of years. She had married a man that she loved more than she thought she was capable of. Reached new personal and professional goals, was up for promotion to full Commander and rumor was she may be getting her first ship command with that promotion. She was nearing the peak of the mountain she had spent her life climbing, but instead of people talking about her, Vala was again front and center. This time she was being compared to a god and Hanna was a side note.

Hanna clenched her fists, felt her body become tense, tilted her head back and screamed. A raw, near animalistic howl of emotion poured from her mouth. Every fiber in her body adding to the intensity. Her back arched as the sound intensified, hair tumbling free from the bun she had pinned it in to hang loose towards the ground. The scream came to an end and Hanna straightened then dropped to a crouch. She released her boots, kicking them free to stand bare footed on the rocky soil. She flexed her toes, the claws extending and digging furrows into the dirt. Without looking at the group of people watching her, she sprang forward into a sprint, dust and small rocks flying from under her feet as they pushed against the ground and quickly disappeared behind rick formations in the distance.

Ron Earp, Hanna's husband had been watching from the distance with his in-laws. He was torn between wanting to go to her side to be there and comfort her and knowing that she needed her space. When she let loose that scream, he had leapt forward only to be restrained by John. He struggled against his father-in-law for a minute till John's glowing blue eyes met his own. Suddenly he understood. Calming his own mind, he felt for his bond with Hanna. It was still a weird sensation for him, one he was not certain he would grow used to, but he loved his wife and that was what mattered. He felt her turmoil instantly and could sense that she wanted to be alone. Sighing, he let the connection go and nodded to John. The older man gave him a sad smile in return before putting his arm around his shoulder and guiding him to a chair with the others. Hanna had to work this out on her own. They would be here when she was ready.

Hanna's powerful legs carried her across the Rannoch surface with incredible speed. Running had always been her way of unwinding. She loved the feeling, the rhythmic breathing, muscles working to move her legs in long strides that ate up the miles of rocky landscape and the quiet solitude of going places where no others ventured. Her whole life she had explored Rannoch far beyond the edges of civilization. She loved discovering places that most Quarians had never seen, finding the ruins of long lost Quarian settlements from before their exile or natural wonders that were not on the map. The Quarians had not spread fast with most choosing to stay within a small radius of the new major cities and even more choosing to remain as spacers or colonists, resettling old outposts throughout the reclaimed Quarian space.

Today she ran not thinking about any of that. The landscape flew past her, mile after mile blurring past unnoticed. She ran directionless, just moving to clear her thoughts. Hours passed and the miles fell away. It was not until the sun began to set that she finally came to halt. She had been running along a river, far to the East of the Solom Azhana. If it had a name, she did not know it. The river was barely large enough to deserve that name in her opinion until these last two miles where it suddenly began to widen and increase in volume as many other small tributaries merged together, rushing over the rocks in white water rapids to the edge of the cliff she had now stopped upon. There, the waters tumbled down a fifty-foot drop into a pool, churning and rolling ever deeper before swirling away to flow ever calmer down a twisting stream into through the hidden valley below.

The valley truly was hidden she observed. Narrow, only a couple miles across, the upper rim was crowned with rugged and sharp, impassable peaks of brown and grey rocks covered in the twisted, thorny bushes that grew wild on the upper desert. Where she stood, the river provided plenty of water and a forest had grown wild on both sides of the river creating a beltway of wooded land that screened the waterfall's entrance to the valley. The only entrance she could see. The two arms of the mountains stretched far into the distance till they formed a bowl around a small lake. The valley floor was a mixture of forests and fields grown wild and random as nature selected. The site took her breath away with its beauty.

She sat upon a rock, legs dangling over the edge next to the waterfall where the mists coated her skin in a refreshing coat of cold water. There she watched the evening shadows lengthen in the valley below, the mountains causing dusk to settle hours earlier than it would on the high desert. With deep breaths, she relaxed and silently let the day flow away. Quiet, peaceful, and alone. It had been some time since she had been able to get away like this. She made a note to try to do so more often.

Movement on the valley floor below caught her eye. Squinting into the shadows below, she saw an animal moving towards the edge of the pool at the base of the waterfall. It walked on four legs, long a lean, moving with a powerful grace of a hunter, dark fur making it one with the deepening shadows. She had never seen this animal before. Interest peaked, she swung her legs up onto the ledge, spun around, and extended her head and shoulders over the side. Her movement sent loose rocks tumbling down the rocky cliff face, noisy but drowned out by the roar of the waterfall. At least she thought it was. The creature at the pool whipped its head to stare directly at her and they both froze. Hanna's eyes were wide, and she uttered just one word, "Keelah!"