Amani chose to stay at the lab to avoid the tearful goodbye. Mycerra sat by the docks with Brom, and Bray until the Normandy cleared docking procedures. The leeches, individuals who tried to stiff arm more fees after successful docking, surrounded the loading area transforming normal congestion into gridlock.
Thankfully Tia slept through it all.
"I wonder if the council sent their emissary aboard the Normandy." Brom mused aloud.
She looked up from her storage crate she repurposed as a seat. "Maybe. I hope the council can work with Hinder. Otherwise, Omega is doomed."
"Don't jinx it." Brom ordered reflexively.
"Jinx what?" She shot back equally serious.
Brom glowered at her. She ignored him.
Harrot's latest advertisement blasted over the speakers. His magnified voice dragged over the humdrum of the going-ons of the docking area. She preferred Harrot's slow speaking over the vorcha screeching about eating people. Parasites, the entire race.
She covered Tia's ears.
Brom pointed to the split-flap display cycling the new arrivals amid the dormant vessels already docked. "Normandy, Bay 26."
Her heart skipped a beat. She clutched Tia against her breast and smiled at Brom. He begrudgingly returned the smile.
"You think Mannis will forgive me?" She asked Brom.
"You have seen his sky car, yes? He's over the moons about the color." Brom said. "Galaxy black over galaxy green was the superior choice."
She nodded in agreement.
"I think you'll be on his good side for years." Brom promised.
She cleared her throat and tried not to think about all the friends she'd leave behind. The names dogpiled in effort to stir the hurricane of mixed emotions. She kicked aside the dogpile and welcomed the detachment to the awful situation.
Bray stood off the side the entire time refusing to interact. She preferred it that way after he pulled a weapon on her at the Teviot.
"Where is Bohai?" Brom asked suspiciously.
"Last minute shopping." Mycerra answered. "A few people back on Earth wanted a grab bag."
Both Brom and Bray waited for an explanation. She explained what a grab bag was and how stupid and perfect it was for the occasion. Neither understood. She dropped the subject and checked her omni tool. Amani left three voice messages. Aria sent one email. She fought back tears and gulped air. It didn't help.
"Two for four hundred!" A turian boy selling tickets to the Aero Comedy Club walked past. "Two for four hundred! Come watch the greatest vorcha, Tallchek, tell it how it really is! Two for four hundred!"
"B!" She called out. The boy turned and waved. She pointed to Tia and signaled for him to walk elsewhere. He flashed a thumbs up and targeted an area closer to the vorcha.
The boy's voice faded away and the ambient noise of the area filtered back in. She wished she invested in earmuffs for Tia. Tia snored, happily trapped in dream land.
Bohai jogged up to them breathless. "You wouldn't believe it, Boss. Harrot tripled the prices just for me." He gasped down air.
Her brow incrementally rose. "You know Harrot hates us."
"What did we do to him?" Bohai whined.
She shrugged. "Probably Hinder being a bitch. You get everything?"
He produced the backpacks, stuffed with weapons and snacks for the road. "Plus, thermal clips." He tossed an extra sack down at his feet. She nodded in approval. "We survived, Boss."
Aside from being called boss after she asked him to not to, she enjoyed his rising spirits. "Yes. Yes, we did."
"And we'll be back for Amani."
"Yes. We will."
He put his arm around her shoulder. "We have friends willing to watch after her."
She chewed her lip, tears starting to pool at her eyelids.
"She's safe."
"Thanks, Bohai."
He tried to hug her without smothering Tia. The damn broke. She cried a silent river into his shoulder. Tia fussed; a tiny fist pressed to her breast. She sniffled and wiped the tears away with her fingers.
"You're covered, Colton." Brom assured her quietly.
She nodded, unable to speak. A finger clasped in the tiny hand, Mycerra focused on being presentable again. "So- "She cleared her throat. "Haestrom's is completed? His grab bag."
"I bought Yu one too, and I bought snacks for Diyal. He's a foodie."
"That's right. He helped the cook with Indian recipes." She recalled, the lump in throat receding. "It'll be good to help him campaign. I think."
"No. It won't. You hate politics." Bohai smiled ear to ear. "We're going home, Boss."
She tried to share in his enthusiasm. An emptiness opened within. Looking down at Tia, she grimaced. "You're going to Earth with me. I can't wait to take you to the beaches and go swimming. We'll have picnics and send Mommy all sorts of pictures and videos." Sadness colored the overall spirit.
The crowd parted in front of them.
Her gaze lifted off Tia. From under eyelashes, she spotted Nihlus Kryik, Garrus Vakarian, and Javik. She stomped on her short nerves and resolved to keep strong.
Bohai stood and held out his hand to her. She accepted the help. "See you on the ship?"
She nodded. Bohai jogged up to Garrus, then back to the backpacks at the storage crate/seat. He hurriedly grabbed everything and walked back to the Normandy with the famous reaper adviser. Tia whined. Mycerra rocked her.
"One moment." She promised the infant.
Nihlus towered over her. He stared down at her in anticipation.
"Brom, Bray, you're free to go." She smiled at Brom. She ignored Bray, still fuming over the fact he held a gun to her head. She'd hold it against him for life, honestly.
Brom lingered a moment after Bray walked away.
She smiled, one small relief in the sea regrets. They waved sadly after one another.
"I assume you have more than a child to take aboard the Normandy." Nihlus said stiffly.
She stepped aside and motioned to the crate she sat on. "Lighter than it looks. Has handles." Her voice perked up optimistically.
Javik's flat expression revealed nothing.
Nihlus grabbed one handle. Javik grabbed the other. They walked to the Normandy, past B selling tickets, and dock workers offloading imported goods. Mycerra spotted Tallyn helping. He avoided looking in her direction. The crowd continuously parted for them.
Fear or respect?
She couldn't decide.
The Normandy materialized into view like a dream come true. She exhaled. It was real. Thank the reapers, it was real!
"Your sister made cookies." Nihlus warned.
She didn't like his tone. "Burned?"
"Black pucks." Javik answered for Nihlus.
"Projectiles for target practice." Mycerra quipped.
Nihlus laughed. "She started a second batch."
Mycerra was not reassured.
They entered to the famous Liara T'Soni standing in the middle of the corridor connecting the bridge and the CIC. Hidden behind two large men and a crate, Mycerra came into view after the men cleared the corner. Liara gravitated to Tia.
"She's so small." The researcher awed.
Mycerra loosened the sling. "A month old."
"If you don't mind, may I?" Liara asked.
Mycerra didn't want to, but she handed Tia over to not upset the powerful asari. Maternal instincts made her hover. Liara held the alert baby close and gazed down at her, firmly gripped in baby fever. Javik gave Mycerra a strange look before taking the crate by both handles and relieving Nihlus to tend to more important tasks.
"I have to handle docking procedures." Nihlus excused himself.
Liara cooed over Tia some more, long enough to draw the attention of fellow crewmembers.
"If you don't mind, where's Pacyra?" Mycerra asked Liara.
"She's on the bridge. With Tannetus and Nihlus."
Mycerra held out her arms. "If you don't mind- "
Liara handed the baby over. "You'll have to apply lotion along the depth of tendrils, or they'll dry out." She advised and wiggled her fingers in front of Tia.
"Are we ready?" Javik asked Liara.
Liara placed a hand on Mycerra's arm. "We'll put your belongings by your bunk." She said with an easy smile.
Mycerra thanked them and knew she'd prime Javik for fatherhood before the journey to Earth ended. She entered the bridge incredibly aware how small it was. The pilot, Tannetus Kloss, sat in a turian sized chair gently reclined for comfort. Nihlus and Pacyra hovered over his shoulders while they coordinated departure. She seized the moment to size up her sister, a woman of striking similarities and longer hair bound in a bun. Clothed in the Alliance uniform, she presented a sharp image.
"Hi." Mycerra finally said.
Pacyra slowly turned around.
"I'm your sister." She blurted out.
Pacyra said nothing at first. Her eyes gravitated to Tia, then back to Mycerra. Color returned to her cheeks. "Hi."
"We'll be exploring." Mycerra whispered under the pilot and Nihlus executing the docking checklist for departure. She waved and turned toward the corridor leading to the CIC.
A tiny part of her panicked, emotionally flashing back to the SSV Philadelphia.
She strolled toward the CIC expecting to encounter another crew member willing to engage in conversation. Everyone focused on tasks at hand, prepping for lift off. She reached a stopping point past at the elevator and a door branching to the left. A turian guard at the door directed her to the elevator. Following the directions, she waited at the elevator awkwardly.
The door opened to Bohai and a female quarian.
"Colton, this is Tali'Zorah. Tali, this is my- "
"Boss." Mycerra filled in. "I was until Spectre Dravis recruited him. I compliment the spectre's choice." Mycerra stepped into the elevator. "I'm off to clean armor and try to nap. We can talk later if you'd like, Tali."
Tali hummed in approval. "Hopefully the little one will be as cooperative than she is now." She expressed every parent's wish.
A dark chuckle escaped the new parent.
Bohai stepped off the elevator. Tali joined him. "Deck 3. Crew quarters." He helped.
She flashed a thumbs up.
The elevator opened to a memorial wall. She stepped forward gripped in a moment of respect for the losses. Tia squirmed in her arms. She shifted Tia so they read the wall together.
Crew Quarters. She turned left and noted Starboard Observation. She turned right and noted Port Observation. She soon discovered the restrooms, crew quarters, dining hall, life support, gun battery, med lab, and Liara's personal quarters. Entering the crew quarters, she stepped back and soaked it up apprehensively.
Bunks lined up on both sides of the large yet cramped quarters. Cubicle storage in the right-hand corner almost exploded with cramped organization. Some bunks had trunks stuffed under them or situated between bunks. Neatly made beds fit the expectation she subconsciously created for military ships. She sought out her storage crate and found it at the far end by the wall.
"This is home for a few days. I hope you don't mind being cozy with Papa." She whispered to Tia.
Her energy waned at the thought of unpacking.
Her armor needed cleaned. She needed to reorganize the crate so that Tia's clothes were on top. She needed to do something other than hold her daughter and walk around. She might lose her sanity if she concentrated too hard on what she left behind on Omega. She never expected to make friends on Omega, and she didn't regret it. She didn't expect to find love, either.
Placing Tia on her lap, she carefully laid out the armor pieces on the clean bed. Familiar nicks and gouges blended. She ran her fingers over dingy pieces lost in retrospect. She mourned the loss of familiar, regardless of how hostile that 'familiar' was.
She stared at the armor dumbly for a half hour before Bohai entered. "You're looking a little lost, Boss." He interrupted her mental void.
Her head lifted, her gaze vacant.
Tia lay propped on a pillow, a blueberry happily snoring away.
"I feel lost." She admitted quietly. "Like the sails were removed and now I'm drifting. I know what will happen in four years. Four years isn't today."
He smiled at Tia. "Maybe someday I'll understand it."
"Falling in love isn't the trip everyone thinks it is." She whispered. "When Fitz broke up with Yu, it destroyed her emotional balance. Her first love, shattering her heart. But she's strong. She'll recover."
"I thought we were talking about you." Bohai whispered.
She lifted the pauldron and ran her fingertips over the dents and grooves. "What if she dies before the four years are up?" Her voice cracked.
"Aria would never let that happen."
"What if Hinder kills Aria T'Loak before then?"
"Aria's better prepared than you give her credit for."
"I want to believe that."
The door opened again. They fell silent and looked up in sync. The turian crew member half waved.
"I want to believe that." She repeated herself. "But what if? She wanted Tia. And I always told myself if I ever had a child, I'd raise that child like I wanted to be raised, not the way I was raised. Regardless of how inept and not ready I feel, I am now an acting single parent who is simultaneously in a long-distance relationship. I barely know how to be a good partner, much less a long distance one."
"It's easy." Bohai joked. "You call them every day. Send pictures, emails, texts- "
She bit her lip and rolled her eyes.
"If you love her, it's worth it, yes?" He became serious.
They looked at Tia. She gestured weakly towards her daughter. "I mean – I love Amani. I'd die for Amani. That doesn't change that I have to be more for Tia and Amani. That I have people back at Haven 1 who may not believe in me because I survived something traumatic on top of pre-existing trauma, that the Alliance at this point is only using me. That doesn't change anything about preconceptions and expectations, and somehow, I'm supposed to come out on top the perfect person. The Tiamna. How can I be anyone's Tiamna when I can barely be Mycerra Colton?"
"Who is Mycerra Colton, Boss?" He asked. "And who are you chasing – the old Mycerra Colton or the new Mycerra Colton?"
She put the pauldron down. "Me."
"'Me' is hard to find when you're unable to see through the mist. Sometimes what you need is perspective." He placed Hammy in front of her. "You don't need to be perfect. Be consistent."
Her brow raised. "I love Hammy as much as I love Tia and you, but I don't see how Hammy is going to give me perspective."
"You want to be a cold-hearted bitch who works for yourself, fine. You want to be a bleeding heart who works for the greater good, fine. Be consistent. Be firm." He lifted the shotgun and held it out to her. "What would Hammy approve of?"
"You mean what would Amani approve of?" She countered hesitantly.
He shoved the shotgun into her hands. "Whoever means the world to you, what would they approve of?"
She checked the modded shotgun for any deficiencies. "Maybe I am seeing the mist. It doesn't change the fact Hinder might kill Aria and Amani will be stuck on Omega. That Tia may never know her mother. Four years is a long time, Bohai."
"That's why Hammy is you best friend." Bohai winked. He kissed Tia's forehead. "I don't think I'm parent material. You are."
She laughed at him. "You do you, Bohai."
"Right. So, no chicks from Omega." Bohai joked.
She jerked her thumb toward the door. "Go ahead. I know you need to tend to other things. But uh, say I need to go on a killing spree?" She gestured between them.
His head rocked back and forth in mock thought. Then he winked.
The crew member awkwardly exited the crew quarters. Bohai followed him. Mycerra picked up the pauldron with fresh motivation. She smiled at Tia. She still faced the emptiness within, yearned for Amani to be next to her, and reached for what she knew she earned and not yet received. It haunted her like a ghost, a ghost that wouldn't leave until four years passed and reapers willing, Amani left Omega and successfully landed on Earth.
She dragged herself to the dining hall during typical dining hours. She made herself a quick toasted sandwich while Liara babysat Tia at the dining table. "Yes, Javik?" She asked in slight annoyance.
The prothean hovered. It annoyed her that a prothean wanted to know more about her than her own sister, someone she had yet to share two words in person with outside their introduction earlier that day. Talking via calls was not a proper substitute for forming a true relationship. She needed to look her sister in the eye and talk without reservations.
"You are annoyed."
"It's not you. My nerves are short. Leaving behind someone you love will do that to a person." She announced sincerely. "But if you have questions, I have nothing better to do that take pictures of the grandtastic Liara T'Soni with Tia and send them to Amani. Maybe ask for an autograph later so Tia will have a keepsake."
He leaned on the countertop and stared a hole through her. "You are different than your sister."
"We had two drastically different lives. Same parents. Well, 'parents'. Some days I wish they gave me up at birth to an orphanage. I stood a better chance at a life in an orphanage than at their hands." She plated her food. "She went to the nice boarding school, family vacations every summer, introductions to people who helped her rise in rank, and just…unlimited support from our genetic donors. Me on the other hand – I couldn't do anything right. No summer vacations for Mycerra. 'Join the Alliance, Mycerra, and we'll be the proudest parents ever.'"
She hard rolled her eyes.
Javik's presence tingled against her biotics. When she looked up, his eyes peered through her. She waved her hand in front of his face. "Normandy to Javik."
His hand caught her wrist and released it. "Different is not wrong. Different is different."
"You're really weird right now, Javik. Are you sure you don't want something?" She asked critically.
"A name to the face, Colton." He deflected.
"Just remember the first name is Mycerra, not Pacyra." She reminded him and quickly scrubbed the pan. She joined Liara at the table with her cooled sandwich. "Your man is weird." She said to Liara.
Liara glanced in Javik's direction. "He is mine." She glowed.
"As long as you love him that's all that matters." Mycerra smiled and ate her sandwich before anyone else interrupted. "He's a pleasant sort of weird. The kind of weird you can live around."
"How so?" Liara asked curiously.
Mycerra shrugged. "I don't know. There's…maybe it's me, but I can see the soldier in him retiring and letting the man take over. I can't explain it. It's what I liked about General Deltano. There was the soldier and then there was the man. I met both, and I learned to appreciate both. It's just a feeling I get about certain people. Mr. Wallace was like that too, and he never joined the military. Man ran a tight ship at his winery."
"Do you think he is adapting well to peace?" Liara questioned and rattled a toy above Tia's face. Tia gazed up at the toy and Liara.
They turned their attention to the prothean entering the med lab.
Mycerra chewed her food slowly and mulled the answer over. "I think he's trying." She answered honestly. "When war is all you know, it'll take time to adjust. The man needs leeway, but he's on the path."
Was she on the right path too? She wanted to be on the right path. Amani called her aggressive. Aggression is how she managed to the present. Aggression saved her. Did she need to always be aggressive? No. Did it help? Yes.
Liara placed the toy on the table. "And you?"
"I'm ready for roots." She whispered. "Roots and a family. A career. Someone I can be imperfect around and know they won't run away."
"The perfect relationship." Liara swooned.
They nodded in agreement.
"Does the name Toman Namas mean anything to you?" Mycerra asked randomly.
Liara shook her head.
Mycerra buried the Toman Namas mystery for another day and lived in the moment. They talked about Liara's research into the prothean culture and architecture. Nihlus and Garrus joined them at the end of the first chapter on architecture and 'saved' Mycerra by dragging her into a conversation about future plans. She embraced the support and mourned the loss of Amani. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a small voice nagged.
She pushed it away under the excuse of excess paranoia.
Her gut over reacted. Why else would she notice Javik smelled earthy and 'stomped' around? That Liara exuded sexiness without trying and subtly used that to achieve what she wanted from fellow crew members? That Garrus and Nihlus overcompensated for the messed-up situation by laughing a little too loud?
And on that note, why wouldn't the crew look her in the eye?
The building mystery occupied her the next day. The crew accepted her presence on the Normandy as a given, greeting her when she passed them. Tannetus made small talk on the bridge with her when she stopped in to talk to him about Craid. The ship medic, a salarian by the name of Odlin Appan, ran scans and blood tests as a 'precautionary measure' and offered to listen to her complain and rant if she wished to use him as a 'therapist'. She declined gently and expressed appreciation with a simple pat on the shoulder.
At lunch, Mycerra finally won over her sister's curiosity.
Pacyra sat across from Mycerra.
The dining area quieted.
Mycerra pretended it didn't.
She ate her food slowly.
"This is strange, isn't it? Two sisters, orphans, who can't exchange two words without a world of difference preventing them from saying hello without resentment." Pacyra broke the ice. "Hi. Again."
Mycerra stared at the hand as if it were diseased. "Hi." She half waved in response.
"When I received your emails about you wanting to contact me, I was excited. I didn't think someone with your disabilities would survive the war. I'm glad you did."
"My disabilities?" Mycerra asked carefully.
Pacyra backtracked. "I merely meant with your abilities needing to be under constant surveillance so you can train them effectively, the war with the reapers must've been difficult."
Mycerra noted the casually lounging Garrus Vakarian by the kitchen area, Javik blatantly eavesdropping by the med bay, and Nihlus Kryik at the opposite end of the table. She resisted the urge to call them all out.
"You could say that." She played along. "Having a disability and all."
"I don't mean to insult you. Mom always said you needed the doctors to keep it from overwhelming you. Your biotics never flowed right." Pacyra explained patiently.
Mycerra shook her head. "Hobalt's program is the last place a biotic should be."
"So, your biotics- "
"They're broken. They're not as broken as our parents made them out to be to you." She pulsed biotics through her right hand. "Perfectly usable. L3 implant. Bio amp needed replaced after the reapers. Burned out but I heard that's a common issue with the asari too."
"I feel stupid."
"Don't worry. We're all a little stupid these days. I have an infant, zero parenting skills, and no solid plans once I return to Haven 1. Left behind a woman I love, my right hand is eloping into a military agreement with STG, and I'm not sure how much support I have at Haven 1 since I've been gone a year. So. Lots to catch up on." She critically stared down each man conveniently forming a protective circle before returning to her food.
"It sounds like you'll need help at Haven 1." Pacyra glanced over at Nihlus and signaled under the table everything was okay. "Heard about the work you did there in the early days. General Deltano put in the good word twice over."
Mycerra's guarded expression twitched.
"The turians introduced turian sagas to movie night. It's a hit with most of the people."
She ate while Pacyra nervously rambled on.
"And the commando, Vasa R'ila, she said you have a great rapport with the kids. Teachers, not so much."
"Miss Vilko needed to remove the stick from her ass." Mycerra cut in. "And the nerve of everyone to bitch about the movie selection without telling me about it to my face. So naturally, I disregard what Miss Vilko has to say about anything outside of education. Baby proofing everything won't fix people. Moving forward does."
"Moving forward with tact." Pacyra modified. "Although I'm sure she overreacted."
"Alien Invaders 1. Tame parody. By all accounts, a harmless movie." Sarcasm oozed liberally.
"But after the reapers attacked?"
"As if things could have been worse?" Mycerra challenged. "A funny, lighthearted movie. It's all it was."
Javik returned to the engineering level.
Pacyra shook her head. "Some people are sensitive."
"You're right. Some people are. Others aren't." Mycerra decided to not push the issue. What did she win by picking fights? "Look, clearly there's a lot to talk about. And all this- "She motioned to Garrus and Nihlus. "-is overkill. Ask your questions, Pacyra."
"I have so many."
"Whatever comes to mind." Mycerra helped. "Dr. T'Soni volunteered to tell Tia all about the Protheans."
Nihlus and Garrus stayed.
"Where were you after Hobalt's?"
"Working. Dead end jobs. Ending up pulling a babysitting gig for a rich kid. Not a bad gig, but the kid needed a leash. I wonder if Mr. Wallace survived the reapers."
"Where? What cities?"
"Kid traveled everywhere. I took one week a year off. Bonus from the boss. Lonely on a beach is not something to strive for." Although she'd kill to be on that beach with Tia, toes in the water and ass in the sand.
"Lonely on a beach? You had time for a beach? You're lucky."
Mycerra's jaw worked back and forth. "Pacyra, not that I don't appreciate this moment for what it is, but I'd appreciate it more if I had time to process and manage everything in a more private manner. I have an email daisy chain of daily reports dating back months up to a year to catch up on for Haven 1. I must respond to emails from everyone and their mother. Unless you're going to make that list more manageable, I have work to do."
She carried the empty tray and utensils to the kitchen and washed them.
"I wouldn't mind watching my niece." Pacyra followed her.
"I think she's in good hands with Bohai and Dr. T'Soni." Mycerra said. "Besides, I'm sure the Alliance will be happy to receive your report on the damaged Mycerra Colton."
"That's not- "
"I'm not stupid, Pacyra. They sent you because they thought I'd let my guard down. They thought I'd debrief them on the Omega bullshit when they abandoned us on Omega while they played politics on the Citadel. Well, I'm not playing along with their bullshit games. I refuse to." She placed the clean tray and utensils in the drying rack. "Have a good day."
Pacyra sputtered. "It-It's not like-like that."
"It's exactly like that." Mycerra countered darkly. "Nobody cares until the Council cares."
Pacyra stomped hard minutes after Mycerra abandoned the crew quarters deck. "That's not how it was supposed to go." She seethed.
"Give it time. Give it space." Garrus coached.
"And lower your expectations." Nihlus joined her, a limp from the war. "You're strangers."
She ran her hand through her hair. "It's not fair, Nihlus. I didn't do anything wrong."
"Of course, you did. You're the favored child, the one who they loved. That's your crime. As Garrus said, give it time and space. We're here for you and we know you'll find a way to mend the gap." He touched her hair affectionately.
She placed her hand against his carapace. "Dinner later?"
"My cabin." He confirmed affectionately.
Mycerra stormed in on Dr. T'Soni reading reports to Tia. She leaned in the doorway and yearned for Amani.
"Who's that in the doorway?" Dr. T'Soni turned Tia to face the doorway. "Is that Mommy?"
"Amani and I agreed to call me her father. Less confusion." She told Liara. "We have a lot of cuddles and bedtime stories together. With the comm buoys fixed, Amani and I planned on raising her together long distance until Amani leaves Omega. After she joins me on Earth, I don't know."
Liara nodded. "It's funny how important time is."
"I know everyone's supportive of Pacyra, and I'm sure she's a nice person, but I'd appreciate if everyone stopped encouraging her to fix it. The Alliance wants me to go undergo an examination to ensure I'm not crazy."
"We're concerned." Liara put on her best neutral tone.
"I understand that. I know what I've survived is enough to give anyone pause but- "
"I will talk to her." Liara promised. "I will talk to everyone and tell them to give you personal space. It must be hard being separated from the person you care about."
Mycerra tried to not think about it.
"With Spectre privileges, we can circumvent it."
"It's the Alliance." Mycerra sighed. "And the Alliance gets what it wants."
"We have someone better than the Alliance. We have Javik." Liara said optimistically. "He can read right through you. Provide a better report than any Alliance personnel."
She frowned. "If it means one less officer and the Alliance not taking the credit, I'm fine with that. Do you mind if we do that now? Or soon? After Tia is asleep."
"I'm sure Javik has nothing better to do." Liara handed Tia over. "She was a pleasure."
"She reminds me of Amani." Mycerra stared into her daughter's eyes and pressed their foreheads together.
Liara picked up her data pad again. "I'll warn Javik to wait for you tonight."
"Thank you." Mycerra whispered.