A small group of drell maneuvered past the group of four effectively blocking off one of the vorcha's favorite lurking spots. The displaced vorcha sneered at them from a new lurking position. She trained her attention on them long enough to force the leader to attempt to intimidate someone else. She wondered why they bothered when they knew she suffered no qualms about killing them.

At first, she gave their race the benefit of the doubt. After a few months, she decided the benefit of doubt no longer applied to them. She tried to apply it to the individual, except every vorcha she crossed paths with turned out like the awful example she tried to avoid like the plague.

"Where's Pacyra?" Mycerra asked dully.

Her disappointment added to the anxiety she steadfastly set to the side.

She peered up at Nihlus Kryik, the savior of the galaxy and immediately understood why Pacyra – or any woman for that matter – would fall for him. Tall, handsome, scarred, and regal like, the man presented a fine picture. Peaking around the famous turian, she spotted Javik the Prothean. He truly appeared alien among aliens. She waved shortly before standing straight and facing Nihlus proudly.

"She needed to tend to business on Thessia." Nihlus answered.

"So instead of meeting my sister for the first time since the age of two years old, I meet you and the prothean?" She asked critically.

His head cocked curiously. She couldn't decode his stony facial expression.

"Where's the justicar?" She clutched her hands in front of her and put on her best professional front.

They stared at her blankly.

She sighed heavily, bowed her head, and waited.

"Justicar Florentina is dragging her feet." Nihlus answered. "And it's a pleasure to meet you."

She grimaced. "I'm not in the mood to make nice, Nihlus." She said bluntly.

"Clearly." Javik stepped forward with an air of authority she could not ignore.

Her brow lifted artfully. "We can play a hundred questions later."

"Without doubt."

She allowed herself to relax. "I'm intrigued, Javik. It's been a while since I've been genuinely intrigued. And there is the asari justicar. Right on time." She stepped to the side and motioned the justicar to pick up the pace.

Dock workers moved for the justicar. She acknowledged none of them and strode through the constantly moving crowd with confidence bordering on cockiness masked in cold detachment. The asari glanced over Mycerra once. She said nothing. Nihlus squared his shoulders and touched his fringe. Javik fell in step behind the justicar. Mycerra lead the way toward Aria's shuttle in waiting.

"How many tickets to Aero, kid?" She asked the local ticket scalper, a turian kid with a booming voice.

"Sold out, C." The kid told her.

"Keep up the hard work. You're doing a good job." She slipped him a credit chip.

He pocketed it. "Thanks, C."

"What was that about?" Nihlus asked.

"Don't worry about it." Mycerra brushed him off. "Omega business."

The justicar nipped at her heels. "I must remind you, human, that I am to enforce the law."

"Omega has one rule, and you aren't Aria. Now, if you could kindly follow me and refrain from speaking, I won't suffer the urge of wanting to shoot you." She turned away from the justicar and biotically shoved a vorcha out of the way. "Not a single word." She held up a finger in warning at all of them.

Javik leveled with her. "Your use of biotics is unquestionable. There's a disturbance in the steadiness of it."

She gave the side eye. "You don't say." Sarcasm dripped from each word.

"Why?" Javik demanded.

His bluntness took her back at first. She led them to a taxi stop and waited for the shuttle assigned to their group. She bumped shoulders with Dr. Rivvan Firan. "Doc. You look well." She smiled at him and admired the shades of green blooming across his face.

He returned the smile. "Miss Colton. How is the foot?"

"Healed perfectly. Barely have nightmares anymore, although that might be because of the therapist. Havi is perfect at her job." She patted his shoulder. "I have some spare credits to donate. Did your clinic need any supplies or do you prefer the donation directly to the clinic 'pot'?"

He chatted naively with her for another few minutes about what the clinic needed before he caught his taxi. She waved after him and checked the omni tool. The shuttle arrived before she pressed the call button and disturbed Bray. She lifted her finger away from the button in relief. She loathed speaking to Bray since the Teviot. Bray made zero effort to apologize.

"Everyone in. No stragglers." She gestured for everyone to board quickly. She stepped on last and shut the door. For double measure, she counted heads before telling the pilot to take them to the apartment she shared with Amani. She sat down finally and sighed. Placing her head in her hands, she breathed.

Three sets of eyes landed on her.

She picked apart the ponytail and raked her fingers through her hair.

"I'm starting to think you have something to hide as well." Justicar Florentina remarked.

She looked up slowly, a mutinous look in her eyes.

Fuck off, she wanted to say. Jump off a high ledge and land on a hard surface, she wanted to yell. Leave me alone, she almost said. Her lip twitched, her thoughts flying every which way.

"You don't know me, Justicar, and I wouldn't analyze me now." She sat upright and breathed evenly. "Now is an awful time."

"The truth always comes out." The justicar taunted.

Don't fall for the trap, she told herself. Don't give them what they want. They want a show. Don't be the show. Don't be the damned show, Mycerra.

"You look troubled, Miss Colton. Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" The justicar needled.

She folded her hands. "Justicar Florentina, I am trying to be nice. We all have secrets, including you. You act like you're perfect, but you're not. You wear that skintight suit and follow that strict code thinking you're better than everybody, but you're not. You think I'm afraid of you? You don't scare me. I survived the reapers. A justicar doesn't scare me. Omega doesn't scare me. YOU don't scare me. So, I'm trying to be nice. When I say leave me alone, LEAVE. ME. ALONE."

Javik pulled her back.

"You're here for Amani Ysett, not Mycerra Colton." Nihlus stepped in diplomatically. "Respect the boundaries, Justicar."

"You hold not authority over me, Spectre."

"You're on Omega." Nihlus countered. "Station of no laws."

"Except one." Mycerra stared down the justicar, no fucks left to give. "Don't fuck with Aria."

"Known galaxy wide." Nihlus chimed in helpfully.

She appreciated the support when the biotic energy flexed away harmlessly. Javik never looked away. The shuttle jolted on landing. She grabbed hold of Javik to steady herself. His light touch grounded her enough to keep her from digging herself deeper. He held her back until the justicar exited followed by Nihlus.

"Your restraint is helping you. Don't lose it." He advised gravely.

"My restraint is on thin ice, Javik. I'm not afraid of what she can do to me. I am afraid she'll take my world from me. I can't lose Amani." She said and squeezed his arm. "I can't."

"The truth must come out."

"I know. I know, Javik, but I know she's innocent. In my gut, I know what evil looks like. She thinks she's this awful person, but she's not. She's just normal. It's her mother who's twisted in the head." Mycerra whispered, voice breaking. "She's innocent."

Javik helped her off the shuttle. "This must be done."

Her chest tightened, vision blotting out.

Her hand flexed at her side instinctively.

"Someone catch her!" Hammy shouted from the sidelines, voice cracking as he sprinted across the white line toward the tower she free fell from.

In a blink of the eye, she spotted Hammy racing toward her death scene.

She jolted hard, the singularity throwing her in the opposite direction, the ground too close for comfort.

Her eyes locked with the biotic tutor's. She prepared for the biotic pull.

"Breathe." Nihlus commanded her, his face inches from hers. "I need you to breathe."

She blinked; her hands cramped. Her lip trembled. She lowered to the ground with the help of Nihlus. Hand to her chest, she forcibly stayed in the moment. The people on the sidewalk moved around them. She spotted the apartment tower not far away. An easy five-minute walk.

"Whatever happens, it's not personal. This isn't how I wanted us to meet." Nihlus pleaded with her. "This is just business."

Her heartbeat slowed. "It's a shame we're here like this, Nihlus. I agree."

"Allow me to help you to the apartment. Amani shouldn't be alone."

She didn't see how she could help Amani when she couldn't help herself.

"On three." Nihlus lifted her up on the count of two.

The walk to the apartment – death row as far as her sanity was concerned – dragged out for eternity. Hyper aware of the justicar's attention on her and her panic attack, the stress stacked up in a blink. Amani noticed the state of distress immediately, tried to address it, and promptly met Justicar Florentina. Aria T'Loak showed up a half hour later, and the apartment, regardless of size, felt crowded.

They moved the lab chair across from Amani's seat on the couch. The justicar blocked out everyone out. Javik placed both hands on Mycerra's shoulders to keep her from interfering. For extra measure, Nihlus stood behind Amani. Mycerra stood off-center and faced Amani. Amani trembled.

"She's eight months pregnant. Is it really the best time?" Mycerra complained. "Why is no one using their head? She could go into labor from the stress- "

"Enough, Colton." Aria's quiet tone sent shivers down her spine.

"She's eight months pregnant. I'm sure the justicar order could understand holding off on questioning her?" Mycerra pushed. "If she goes into labor, it's too early. Tia will suffer- "

"She will not go into labor." Justicar Florentina looked up from her seat three feet from Amani. "We will be mind melding in short intervals."

Aria nodded once and discreetly gestured for Mycerra to stop protesting. Javik pressed with more strength on her shoulders. She rolled her neck, clenched her hands, and pursed her lips. Her chest rose and fell in short intervals. Amani looked shyly under her eyelashes. Mycerra wanted to hide her away from the justicars and the galaxy and keep her safe at all costs. All she had to do was murder everyone in the room and leave Omega with Amani and Tia.

Easy.

She already wanted Aria to suffer for making her life miserable on Omega. Justicars followed an extreme code that needed reworked. Taking out the prothean would be regrettable. Killing Nihlus might cross a line, but…she could convince him to look the other way? Both him and the Prothean?

Javik cleared his throat and glared at her.

"What?" She asked.

"Don't." Javik ordered.

"Excuse me?" Confusion gripped her.

He shook his head ominously.

What the hell?

She looked forward again, the fingers pinching her shoulder painfully. Amani's gaze locked with the justicar's. Mycerra started a timer on her omni tool. Aria and Nihlus watched her closely the entire time.

"The only person I'd backstab is Hinder." She announced to them. "I'm not about to backstab a Justicar. Besides, Javik's trying to crush my shoulders right now. I couldn't effectively stab the justicar if I wanted to." She explained dully.

"You should take a walk." Aria advised.

She shook her head. "I promised I'd be by her side the entire time. I'm not leaving this apartment. Over my dead body."

"For once, take into consideration the amount of damage your mouth is costing you." Aria argued. Her hand twitched and edged toward her pistol.

Mycerra stared pointedly at the hand hovering over the pistol handle. "Aria, with all due respect, I made a promise and I'm keeping it. That's what I do. That's who I am. She's also pregnant with our daughter. I have a RIGHT to be here."

Biotic energy clouded Aria's hand.

Nihlus stepped in. "Ladies, ladies…not the place. Settle it in the arena."

"Make it a match." Aria agreed coolly.

Mycerra's jaw locked. "Why not." Mycerra agreed.

Nihlus motioned for Aria to remove her hand away from the pistol. Javik loosened his grip on Mycerra. She jerked out of it with biotic force and sat down in the kitchen, eyes from afar on Amani. Crossing her arms over her chest, she kicked back and plotted how to best Aria in combat. Javik never once turned his attention from Mycerra, gradually finding no excuse for relocating closer to her to cramp her space.

"You want to play a hundred questions; I have free time." She filled the tense void helpfully.

He claimed the other half of the booth and lounged. "In my cycle, that tone would earn one lashings."

"It's not your cycle, is it?" She challenged.

"You are mated to the one accused of a grave crime."

"We're not married by asari or human standards." Mycerra stopped him. "Nor by Omega standards."

Javik mentally tail spun. "I meant you shared an intimacy with the asari."

She walked through the therapy breathing exercises they were assigned and marginally lowered her stress level. Why was she the one freaking out when it was Amani who was accused of a horrendous crime? What the hell was wrong with her?

"The galaxy is aware that your sister married Nihlus Kyrik." Javik broached the sensitive subject lightly. "Pictures are circulating across the galaxy- "

"I saw pictures of her – "She waffled between 'parents' and 'genetic donors' in emotional confliction. She uncrossed her arms. "I know what she looks like, alright."

"Your defensiveness is unnecessary."

"This- "She gestured to the event taking place in the apartment. "-is unnecessary. But who am I? Not like I matter, right?"

She mattered. No matter what the world said, she mattered. Her promises mattered.

She started to hate that word. Matter. Verb. To matter. Defined as 'to be of importance.' Surely there was a better word than 'matter.'

Who am I but someone cursed to suffer at the whims of the galaxy? She thought. Try as hard as I might, claw my way up with hope as my sails, and I inevitably fall back to the bottom of the cruel, heartless well.

A hand brushed hers.

She looked up, Javik less than a foot from her, his face close to her. His four eyes searched her face for an unknown. "The darkness has no hold on that which refuses to acknowledge it." He said softly.

She leaned into the brush of hands, running her fingertips along his bare forearm. Smooth, soft skin, softer than a turians, harder than an asari, human or salarian. Drier than a drell's. Biotic energy played oddly along his skin and when her biotics touched his, they danced as old acquaintances on two different paths.

"I know." She said and pulled her hand back again. "It doesn't mean I don't have thoughts time to time."

"You're allowing yourself to drown in the dark abyss when you should be rising above it. Soaring above it."

"Why do you care?" She asked him. "You're just a dusty prothean from another culture, another galaxy of affairs."

Javik returned to his side of the booth. "The council thinks you're an asset or a threat."

"Do they? I'll be sure to send them my resume after all of this." She motioned to the events in the room. "No one's going to elect me mayor. The crazy survivor of the Reapers and Omega. Too broken. Better force her to undergo testing because she might 'snap'." She scoffed. "And yet none of those whiny little bitches had to deal with half of what I've dealt with. But I'm the one who's a threat? I'm the unstable one? Right, right."

The room quieted.

"Oh, eat your heart out, Aria. I regret the day I stepped foot on the SSV Philadelphia. Should have let people at Haven 1 die. At least then I would have never set foot on your precious Omega." She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a small switch blade. Picking at her fingernails, she wallowed in the self-pity and bitterness. "Fuck this galaxy and everyone in it. The only people that matter to me are Amani and Tia."

"It pains me to observe your spiral." Javik remarked plainly.

She lifted her gaze, held the blade away from her body. "I respect you have suffered. I respect you have outlived your people. But do not – do not judge me for the bullshit others inflict on me."

"Anger will not solve your obstacles." Javik advised. "It is rarely simple, and I do not judge."

She returned to picking at her nails and occasionally glancing over at the justicar and Amani. She checked the timer on her omni tool. Ten minutes passed. If she stayed angry for the rest of the night, she'd wake up with a headache and she didn't' want to go to bed angry. She wanted to go to bed with happy, wholesome thoughts.

Placing the switchblade back into her pocket, she noticed Nihlus visually tracked each movement. She sarcastically half waved before leaving the booth for a drink in the refrigerator. Purposefully taking her sweet, sweet time rooting through the contents of the shelves, she wondered if she dropped a pin if it would be heard. She wondered what the therapist would say when they attended their appointment. She wondered if this was all one big evaluation by the council. She wondered a lot of things before she picked out the tea-lime juice Amani introduced her to a month ago.

"We'll be back tomorrow morning." Justicar Florentina cut the silence, her voice full of authority and booming. "It'd be wise if you were to…remove yourself from the distressing environment if you are unable to contain yourself."

She scoffed. "No." She put the juice away and slammed the refrigerator door.

"For your own well-being."

"Amani, do you want me to be absent during the next session?" She asked the sullen asari.

Amani shook her head. "She stays." Amani whispered.

Nihlus put his hand on Amani's shoulder. "Mycerra Colton stays." He ordered the justicar.

The justicar read the apartment and decided against further argument. Javik volunteered to escort the justicar back to the Normandy-SR2. Aria lingered, exchanged a few words with Nihlus about the situation of the galaxy 'unofficially' and questioned the council's level of sanity indirectly. After Aria left, Amani locked the apartment door.

"They say Nihlus Kryik is a reasonable man." Amani deadpanned. "They say Nihlus Kryik can be trusted."

"Don't look at me. I don't control her." Mycerra said to Nihlus appealing to her for assistance. "I learned months ago that crazy asari chemists are more interesting than any man in charge. Never know what direction they'll veer off to."

Amani's gaze drifted to Mycerra sipping juice. A small spark of the Amani within peeked through.

"Amani, unlock the door for poor Nihlus there. I'm going to call Bohai. We're going to watch a movie. Say 'fuck it' to everything. Where it falls, it falls."

"I'm picking the movie." Amani volunteered vindictively.

Mycerra stepped forward, placed a chaste kiss on Amani's cheek, and walked Nihlus to the door. Amani called Bohai.

Nihlus grabbed her arm before the door closed. "You're in a dark place, I know, but we're here for you. We care about you, and we want to help. You have to open that door for us." He said.

She half smiled. "I don't know who you think you are, Nihlus, but you aren't my therapist. Havi is a hundred times more intense than you. This is my family. My life. And my problem. I appreciate that you think you care, but let's be honest – if you weren't married to my sister, I'd be a nobody to you and you'd be somewhere else on council business. You don't care. You want to care. Goodnight, Nihlus." She closed the door and locked it.

"Bohai is on his way over." Amani informed her. She sighed.

Mycerra turned and pulled the woman into her arms. "I don't care what the verdict is. You're mine and that's what matters."

"A neat and orderly laboratory is unlikely. It is, after all, so much a place of false starts and multiple attempts." Amani mumbled. "We are born so we can die. We create hypotheses and think we're gathering evidence that will support it. We learn that's not the case once it's too late."

"What's your movie pick?" She asked seriously.

Amani ran her hand along Mycerra's side and back. "Have you heard of Wicked Grace? It's a murder movie about an ardat-yakshi that hunts justicars. A justicar wins in the end, but I can always pretend it was a dream ending." She smirked.

"I love it."

Honestly, Mycerra couldn't have picked a better palette cleanser to the bitterness born within.

"I'll make popcorn." Mycerra volunteered.

Amani withdrew from her arms and tangled her fingers in Mycerra's hair. Leaning heavily on Mycerra, she laughed. Weakly at first. "I always knew they'd never stop looking. Wanting the scapegoat. The reapers could never completely hide the history of Geric's failed drug practices and the early trial periods. I thought, at first, I was guilty by association, but then time helped me understand. Time helped me accept I was the victim of someone else's schemes. I was so stupid then. So, so – "

Mycerra kissed her.

They both laughed.

"If I'm stupid, and you're stupid, maybe Bohai will be the smart one." Amani compromised in rising spirits.

Mycerra placed both hands on the Amani's belly. "Let's hope Tia is smarter." She said solemnly.

Bohai popped in with alcoholic beverages for himself and sweet treats. Wicked Grace led them into another, much cheesier movie to lighten the mood. Reality hit hard, too hard the following morning. Bohai sat with Mycerra in the kitchen. Aria sat next to Amani, and Nihlus guarded the door with Javik. Justicar Florentina worked quietly, efficiently.

"Boss, you're a little pale."

"Better days, Bohai, better days." Mycerra said glumly.

He followed the direction of her gaze. "Tallyn's talking to me again. Him and Wilmak."

She smiled toward him.

"Crazy chick asked me out for drinks again. I told her no. Inos doesn't pay as well as merc work, but it's so hard finding merc work that isn't 'kill this person, kill that person'." He tapped the tabletop wit his nails. "Oh, I talked to Yu. The captain had a talk with the crew. They're being really, really, really nice to her now."

She shook her head in disgust. "They'll get their just rewards in the end." She promised him darkly. "Our actions catch up with us in the end. Never fails."

"I think they called that karma." Bohai teased.

She half smiled. "Doesn't matter what you call it."

"How deep are we in?" Bohai asked seriously.

She shrugged. "You? You're a baby. Innocent. You have a chance to climb out. Me? I've killed one too many people who didn't directly earn it. I'll have to earn my way out to the sunshine. But you? You're fine." She flashed him the okay gesture.

"The hole is not that deep." Bohai insisted. "A few feet tops."

She laughed. "I'm not that innocent, Bohai."

"Who is?" He asked philosophically. "You look at history, at leaders, and each one of them is flawed. Heroes? Flawed. Often, if you believe writers, tragically. The wrong choice for the right reason. Cold calculations. Save a million here by sacrificing a hundred thousand there. Commander Shepard, Primarch Victus, Garrus Vakarian, Spectre Kryik, Admiral Hackett, Admiral Anderson. All of them are decent people. Especially when you compare them to certain people, but they made choices on a bigger scale. You're too much in your head. You bounce around too much from sensitive soul to invulnerable protector. It's annoying."

She leaned forward in slow motion.

"I think it's because you weren't hugged enough as a child." Bohai joked.

She folded her hands on the tabletop and stared a hole through his forehead. He mistakenly looked up and recoiled from the intense concentration.

"Sorry, Boss."

She cleared her throat. "It's fine. You're right. I need to find me." She traced her name on the tabletop. She glanced wistfully toward Amani. Aria appeared helpless, tormented by the no physical contact rule. "That may take a while." She admitted.

He copied her hunched position. "Take time off. Divorce yourself from Hammy. Keep going to therapy. Raise Tia. After that, see where you land." He laid out a solid plan.

"Co-dependency is a hell of a drug." Mycerra whispered. "But it's a wonderful safety net when you have the barest of threads."

"A dangerous one." Bohai recognized the struggle, commiserated. "We're not alone anymore."

She snuck a glance toward Amani, ignored everything around her love, and allowed herself one last lifeline of co-dependency. Afterall, Amani nurtured and carried their daughter for eight months. They were going to live long, fruitful lives together. She hoped.

"I thought we agreed to drop the boss thing." She said half-heartedly.

"Eh, bad habits are hard to break." He matched her energy. "Heroes are flawed, but they're heroes for a reason."

She leaned back. "You need better heroes."

He nodded in agreement. "Co-dependency is a hell of a drug. And a safety net for the barest threads." He repeated after her. "I could name a dozen others who are in the same vicious loop as us."

Her gaze lingered on Amani. "Amani and I were talking. If anything ever happened to us. We were hoping you would look after Tia, keep her out of trouble? You got the shoe in with Spectre Dravis." She cleared her throat and the emotion with it. The limited success concealed most of her frustration. "You have time- "

"Without a doubt. Count on it." Bohai promised.

"I was going to say that you had time to dwell on the answer- "

"I don't need time. You're a friend. Friends have each other's backs." He announced as if it were irrefutable fact, a matter of nature's law. "You always had my back."

They turned their attention to Nihlus and Javik sizing them up.

"Could arrange a misdirect for them." Bohai volunteered.

She shook her head. "Meh. They're pawns in Geric's schemes. Innocent. If you really want to lead someone through the grimy catacombs of Omega, you're better off targeting one of Hinder's goons. Someone who deserves it."

"Does it add half a foot to our karma grave?" Bohai whispered.

She pinched her fingers together. "Maybe."

A chair squeaked. Justicar Florentina marked the end of her session. "Aria, a moment." She requested.

Amani tried to stand up, wobbled, and sat back down. Mycerra 'appeared' at Amani's side, a biotic blur. Amani laid her head on Mycerra's shoulder. Bohai joined Nihlus and Javik at the door. Two of the galaxy's most recognized heroes squared off with the youngling Wei Bohai. He asked them about Calun Dravis and shared a few details about his day job on Omega and the type of people he met so far.

The justicar and Aria disappeared into the bathroom and reappeared minutes later. Aria started to look her age, especially in the eyes. The justicar announced she completed the mind meld for the day and would return tomorrow for the last investigative session.

Bohai stayed behind after everyone else vacated the apartment.

"I must work late tonight. If you need anything- "

"We'll be fine." Amani lied and forced a smile. She cradled her belly. "Enjoy your day, Bohai."

He saluted them.

The silence of the apartment attacked them.

"I want you off this station at the earliest convenience after Tia is born. Do you understand?" Amani demanded of her loyal lover.

Mycerra hugged her close. "If it is your will, I am obliged to obey."

Amani shivered hard. "If anything happens to me before I end my contract with Aria, I want you to keep living. I want you to promise me that, Cerra."

"On my heart." Mycerra solemnly swore.

The third and last investigative session spanned fifteen minutes. Justice Florentina faced Mycerra first and announced Amani innocent of the crimes she stood accused of.

"The justicars will report to the council that this matter is closed." Florentina informed Aria next.

Mycerra wasted no time in sitting next to Amani and wrapping her up in a lap blanket. Amani shivered and shrunk into Mycerra's arms.

Aria cleared her throat. "I'd like that in writing before you leave. We can finish business in my apartment."

Florentina followed Aria out of the apartment. Javik followed the asari. Nihlus stayed with Mycerra and Amani. He moved the chair back to the lab set up and sat on the opposite side of Amani. He fiddled with his hands.

"I'm not dead." Amani announced for Nihlus. "I'm tired."

"It wasn't personal."

"I know." Amani sat upright and leaned back on the couch. She wrapped the blanket around herself. "If it was personal, you wouldn't be breathing right now." She gave Nihlus a dark look.

Mycerra beamed with pride. "Isn't she gorgeous?" Mycerra crooned.

Seeing the trap for what it was, Nihlus selected Plan B. "We're family. I'd like to believe we're on good terms with each other?" He swallowed hard, his tones rising and falling within the same sentence.

"But of course." Mycerra said sweetly. "Families are allowed to have tense moments, yes?"

He edged away from them. "We'll hold a new confirmation ceremony after Amani is free to join us on Earth."

Amani leaned toward him. "I'd be delighted to attend."

He edged away another inch. "Delighted to hear that." He said cautiously. "I'm sorry that Pacyra couldn't be here to make this a true family reunion. She wanted to meet you in person. Important council business prevented that."

Mycerra cleared her throat. "I'm sure it was really, really, really important."

"World altering." Amani added on.

"You have a new lease on life, Ms. Ysett. Don't waste it." Nihlus bowed his head to both and hastily excused himself from their passive-aggressive attention.

They watched the door silently. Laying back on the couch side by side, they stared up at the ceiling. Tia protested the peace by turning in the womb. They almost believed the quiet would last. An explosive echo disrupted the lull.

Amani lazily touched Mycerra's arm. "Hinder or third party?"

"Could be Hinder induced." Mycerra offered.

"Oh, Omega, don't spoil us." Amani sang and conducted an orchestra. "Dangle that string of hope and drop the floor from underneath us."

Mycerra laughed.

"Oh, Omega! Omeggggaaaa."

"Belt those vocals, gorgeous." Mycerra cuddled with her.

Amani relaxed, biotics playing along her skin. "Four more years and we'll be free to start that mercenary company."

Four more years.

Four more years and they could build their true life together.

Four more years.