Notes:

CGC - Center for Galactic Cooperation

Kaffe - equatorial Thessian vine, seeds of which are used to produce a non-alcoholic beverage of same name, taste described as a mix of coffee and chocolate (Thessian; Source: CDN)

New Arrangements

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 1 Nov 2190

"Thanks for taking time away from Sharon to walk with me, Adrien. I know your time with her is precious… short, and always too far between." Samantha smiled softly, glancing at the woman beside her. "Since we got you settled as Governor… well, Liara and I promised to drop in, but we've been so damned busy chasing after the Protheans, we've never had the chance to stop by for a visit."

"Not to worry, Shep – I completely understand." Adrien grinned. "You're a busy woman, with things to do and promises to keep."

Shepard stopped and turned to face her. "Seriously? Robert Frost?"

"Who's that?"

Shepard chuckled. "Never mind… just one of the many renowned poets from twentieth century Earth. I'll have to introduce you to his work someday… unless you're motivated enough to look it up on your own. That particular poem is 'Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening.' Pretty short and a quick read if you're curious enough to bother."

"You really are an intellectual, aren't you?" Adrien smiled and shook her head. "Strange how we can be so much the same, yet so different." She paused, a wistful expression crossing her face as she added, "I really would like to spend more time with you… and Hannah. Maybe even look at photos or vids of you growing up. You know… before Cerberus got their hands on you and modified you so much."

"It might feel a bit odd… maybe like looking at yourself in an alternate life." Sam looked pensive. "I'm not sure, if I were in your shoes, I'd want to do that. But I'm not you… and you're calling me the intellectual?" She shrugged and continued with a broad smile. "You're the exact same way, with your agrobiology and such. You've just applied your mind down different paths than I have. You have the same genes… an alternate me. It seems really bizarre when I think about it, so I try hard not to, to be honest. I simply think of you as my sister… the twin Mom didn't have."

Laughing, an expression of incredulity on her face, Adrien replied, "And you think my view of our relationship is skewed?" Shaking her head and smirking, she added, "A twin, rather than just calling me what I am… a clone." Her smile faded a bit as she continued, "I know it's weird but, thanks to the Illusive Man, it's a reality we have to deal with… and live with, although I suppose we could simply ignore it. Kind of tough to do, now that we know each other exists." She paused before asking, "What does Hannah… Mom… think of all this? I mean, it's got to be weird for her too, right?"

"I honestly don't know." Samantha shrugged. "I mean… we just kind of dropped it on her, and she took it at face value, pretty much like I did; a new reality we simply have to deal with… because the alternative is unacceptable. I really do want you in my life… and, if ever there was an eternal optimist, it's Mom. Even with all the shit that has happened in our lives, she's convinced it will all work out in the end."

"Maybe because of all the shit that's happened. It's her coping mechanism." It was Adrien's turn to shrug, adding, "Knowing what you can and cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference." She then chuckled at Samantha's new expression, following her words. "Yes, the Serenity Prayer. That one I do know."

Suddenly pensive, Samantha hesitated for several moments before finally saying, "Can I ask you some things about your past, or is it too painful? Something you have no desire to talk about?"

Without a word, Adrien walked over to one of the small groupings of large rocks along the shoreline. Picking one with a relatively flat top, she clambered up, sat down and crossed her legs one calf over the other before replying. "It's weird. Sharon asked me about a few things, and next thing I knew, I was telling her my entire freaking life story. It hurt… a lot… but when I was done, it was like that proverbial weight on my shoulders truly had been lifted."

She arched her brow and simply shifted her eyes from Shepard's to look at the next closest rock, in silent invitation. "As a Spectre, you could have killed me when you found me, before you ever knew who I was – just like you did with the rest of the clones, because of what I was – what we were – but you didn't. You Asari have that thing – that debt of life. I owe you one for that, so you can ask me whatever the hell you want, Sam."

Shepard didn't say a word as she walked over and climbed up on the nearest stone. Turning to face Adrien, she cocked her head and asked, "First off, you need to know I have never killed anyone who didn't try to kill me or someone else on my team first… and second… you see me as Asari?"

Laughing, Adrien shook her head in wonder. "Well, yeah. You are an Asari Citizen, right? You also have Asari DNA in that modded bod of yours, so why wouldn't someone consider you Asari? Just because your skin isn't blue… and you have hair on your head? I mean, if you're going to ask me questions, let's be completely candid with one another. We're both freaks of nature, Sam… actually unnatural because of what's been done to us, with neither of us giving consent. Asari and Human are just labels we use. Who determines how we define them or if how we define them is correct? New scientific discoveries change how we see the galaxy every day."

"True enough," Shepard grinned. "As for the debt of life, not killing you does not equate to saving your ass. As far as I'm concerned, even if I was a Spectre, killing you 'just because' would have been an act of murder, so you don't owe me anything for that, Adrien. Don't even think it… and it certainly doesn't give me the right to pry into your personal life. So, if I ever ask something you don't want to answer, just say so."

"I'll give you the first one, but the second? You do have a right to ask me stuff. I mean, I'm either your clone or your sister… doesn't really matter which and, in a way, I guess that's not an 'or' kind of thing. We are very obviously genetically linked… so, as a biologist, I would say I'm both. You have double the reason to be able to ask me about my life. So… ask away… Sis."

"Yeah. You can try to explain that however you want… it's still weird." Shepard's expression and abrupt response had Adrien laughing so hard she almost fell from her rock perch.

"So, apparently, you are still hesitant to… how you see it, anyway… intrude into my private life, so I'll just tell you some stuff I didn't include during our initial meeting." Adrien took a deep breath and crossed her legs at the ankles, balancing on the top of the rock and trying to get comfortable. "The first time I realized I wasn't the only clone in the group was when Shepard – the other, self-proclaimed, actually trying to take your name, Shepard – yanked off her helmet in frustration and threw it at someone across the arena, after one of the others beat her, relatively early in a match."

Adrien shook her head at the memory and stared down at the rock as she continued. "I now know we must have been immediately gassed… but when I woke up after that, I wondered if it had actually happened, or if I had just dreamt that the bitch had actually been taken down a peg. But I had twisted my ankle in the match, and they generally throw everyone into a healing bed for full-body repair. Somehow, I got skipped. I believe, since it was so early in the match and they were in a hurry to simply make it all go away, they assumed I hadn't been injured… but I knew, the very moment I put weight on my foot, that none of what had happened was a dream."

Samantha stared at her for a long moment before quietly asking, "How could they make an entire day disappear? And why, if it was a dream, would you put your own face to the enemy?"

"Well, we didn't exactly have access to a calendar… and they certainly didn't give us any days off or any such shit, to know what day of the week it was." She shrugged and continued, "I think they purposely slept us until the next morning, then woke us all up at 0500, all to pretend the day before never happened so they could lie to all of us – everyone who was brave enough to ask, anyway. I'll never forget what my individual trainer told me when I inquired about the incident.

Adrien's face held a frown as she recalled the lies her trainer told her, repeating the words as close to verbatim as her memory would allow. 'I know every one of you must hate whoever sits in the number 1 position because, no matter who it is, they're better than you… and they get better food, better treatment… a nicer room. But you? You have always been your own worst enemy; afraid to win and be hated, afraid to lose and be punished. I've never seen you as the competitive type… you have always been happy to remain obscure, buried in the middle of the pack. But this change gives me hope for you. Just wait until my training puts you in first place… then you'll be singing a different tune and having different dreams… much better ones, I guarantee it.'

Meeting Shepard's eyes again, she continued, "What she didn't realize, because I had never told a soul until I met you and Liara, was that I had those memories of my awakening… of being a tank-bred. I knew I wasn't what people thought of as a normal human being… and because of what happened, I suddenly learned I wasn't alone in that."

"But you didn't know if it was just the two of you, or the entire group; at least not then. And… the numbers weren't fixed." Shepard was nodding in understanding. "It was a constant reminder of your rank order… and, I imagine, the privileges that went along with the better ranking. Your motivation to get better at what you did."

"Exactly. Normally, once we were healed in our med-bed, we all had individual match reviews, where we were either rewarded or punished for our performance during the contest." Her brow knit as she looked down at the rock she sat upon, continuing, "But, after that match? It was like it never happened; there was no bed visit, no review. Since we weren't supposed to talk to one another, we couldn't compare our experiences, so I pretended to believe their version of events."

Adrien huffed out a sigh. "The only one I felt sorry for was the girl who beat number one. She, too, was told it was a dream, and so got absolutely nothing for her victory. If she had insisted, she would have received a beating, and she knew it." Adrien finally looked back up, meeting Shepard's eyes. "I didn't care about the benefits of a better ranking. I cared about the pain I experienced when I was first out of the match. After the first time, I never wanted to repeat it…"

"Shit." Shepard's brow wrinkled with angst. "Once you all figured out how to communicate without getting caught… that had to be tough… knowing your win would cost the person next to you that pain."

"I think they knew we were talking." Adrien closed her eyes tightly, forcing away the tears that threatened to form at the memories. "I think they used it as a teaching tool… to force us to learn how to disassociate from others, to not feel remorse, sympathy or sorrow. To simply do what we were told to do… the things they said simply needed to be done, no matter the cost." When Adrien opened her eyes again, her gaze had a cold distance to it. "Friends didn't matter. We couldn't afford to have them. They were a distraction, a weakness, a flaw in the perfection of performance."

"So, you had to distance yourself from everyone… anyone you could have possibly called sisters became reminders of the pain. You absolutely hated that, didn't you?" asked Shepard.

"With every fiber of my being, Sam." Adrien uncrossed her legs and slipped down from the rock. Standing once more, she said, "It's getting late, and all of those things no longer matter." She smiled and looked back toward the house. "Now? I have a family. I have friends. I even have a partner who does everything within her power to make me happy and feel loved. The past may have shaped me, but I refuse to let it influence who I will become. I have confidence in and hope for my future." She cocked her head slightly to the side, squinting into the setting sun as she added, "You and Liara gave everyone that… a future… and gave me that, twice over. Thank you."

Shepard simply huffed quietly and slid down off her own rock, crooking her elbow, which Adrien looked at and smiled, hooking her own arm through as they made their way back to the house in companionable silence, arriving in time for the sunset prayer that would end the holiday.

Council Flats, CGC, Widow System – 2 Nov 2190

"Showing up at my home to ask for favors seems to be becoming a habit… only this time you brought reinforcements." Tevos didn't quite frown, but the foursome all got the feeling she wasn't pleased with the proposition laid before her.

Not giving anyone else a chance to answer, Aethyta immediately growled, "That's because it's my damned idea, Councilor, and I wasn't exactly sure what kind of reception I'd get from the Council – or how far in the future it would happen… and that's assuming I could ever get an audience with that lot."

"Well, you do have a reputation that precedes you…" Tevos cast her a cool eye. "… and with an attitude like that, you won't get very far at all… including with me, Matriarch Aethyta." She drew her fingers across her brow as her glance shifted to Sam and Liara. "And, I will say, the only reason I am even entertaining such a request is because you let Aethyta bring this proposition forward, instead of you. What we are speaking of is nothing out of the ordinary for her. She has always been a proponent of greater Asari involvement in galactic affairs."

Trying to temper Tevos' reaction, Sha'ira added, "Even more to the point, the type of policing functions you speak of existed before the war, but the galaxy at large lost most of the people who previously served in those positions… and we have yet to rebuild their ranks." She shook her head, eyes cast downward in sorrow. "For obvious reasons, people are hesitant to jump into situations that will put them at risk. I don't blame them! They somehow manage to survive the Reaper War, only to take the chance of getting killed by some – relatively speaking – local, small-time criminal thug? How ignoble an ending would that be? The war may be over, but our citizens – who are accustomed to seeing those around them living a thousand years – have seen mortality… their own impermanence… and remain afraid."

Sha'ira brought her eyes back up, a sudden intensity shining within. "So, I have a question." Her gaze focused on Shepard as she spoke. "You left the Spectres because of the risk to your crew – mostly composed of the members of House T'Soni – and to support Liara in her archaeology career, and yet, on the very day she will be seeing her dream of finding the Protheans fulfilled, something has changed…" She paused, a thought nudging the back of her mind, compelling her to continue. "You could have simply asked for reinstatement in the Spectres and handled this yourself… but you have not, so I feel there is more to your request than wanting to reduce the level of crime. Is there a more personal motive compelling you to bring this to our attention?"

Liara sighed but held a taciturn smile on her face as she answered for the couple. "Your instincts and insight serve you well, as always, Sha'ira." She looked at Shepard only briefly before continuing, explaining about the relationship between Captain Tanni and the wilderness guide, Carlina V'Zanto.

Tevos reacted immediately. "By the Goddess! I would have never made that connection! Zan! Short for V'Zanto!" She stopped and shook her head. "But I cannot imagine you not having done a complete background check to assess her suitability, and wouldn't let her within a lightyear of Livos if she didn't pass that examination… so, why do the actions of her family matter now, assuming she no longer has any association with their operations or business transactions?"

Before Liara could say another word, Aethyta brusquely interrupted. "Because her mother, Clarinda, kidnapped Zan's previous amantia, tried to use her to blackmail Zan into returning to the family, and destroyed any chance they had at a relationship in the process."

Shepard then added, "Not to mention that when Zan first tried to get out of the family business, her loving mother beat her nearly to death, then put her into one of their prototype racing cars and remotely flew it into the side of a mountain, in an attempt to finish the job while making it look like an accident. Somehow, Zan survived. She was lucky to still be alive… and was then brought back to a state of mental wellbeing by none other than Matriarch Marisha."

That caught Sha'ira's attention. "Which explains her unequivocal dedication to Marisha and House S'Vatyne… and the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall together." She looked at Rae as she continued her explanation. "Zan is likely very afraid to commit to any type of relationship so long as her mother still lives and possesses such power and influence. Therein lies the personal motivation for House T'Soni; the piece you are missing to make this all fit together in that beautiful head of yours."

Rae was quiet for several moments… long enough for Shepard to add, "And events like this are exactly why I needed to get out of the Spectres. I know that sounds odd, but there are too many things going on in the galaxy happening to close friends I made during the war… and they were constantly causing conflicts of interest for me."

Shepard let out a heavy sigh and stared at the floor. "I couldn't deal with the temptation to use the powers granted me as a Spectre for personal gain… or for that of my friends… so I had to leave one or the other behind. Obviously, I chose Liara and House T'Soni over the Spectres." She looked back up and reached over to take Liara's hand, finishing, "Then, Liv and Zan came to us, asking for Liara's blessing. We were at odds on how to deal with it until Aethyta offered up her solution. We knew, right then, we had to bring the idea to you… because we were too close to the issue."

Tevos closed her eyes and dropped her head to her chest, remaining silent as she processed everything she had just been told. Eventually, she drew a deep breath and looked at the circle of friends around her. "And so, you come here and shift this conundrum to me, Samantha; quite unfairly, I do believe. You experience this internal conflict, but then use our friendship to cause the same within me – having to make a choice as to whether I bring this issue to the Council or not – and wondering if… no, wondering how much my personal involvement with you and Liara, as friends instead of a Councilor and her Spectre, influences my decision."

"Gods," whispered Shepard, the realization hitting her squarely between her eyes. "You're right. I am so sorry, Tevos." She shook her head, feeling a bit disgusted with herself at having shoved her personal conflict onto her friend. "I didn't think that through, particularly regarding how it would impact you. I'm being a rather self-absorbed asshole here, aren't I?"

"You have given up more than many in your youth, Samantha, so I forgive you." Tevos' eyes turned to Shepard without hesitation, a glimmer of kindness and understanding returning to her gaze. "I have yet to die for any cause, as you have, and I have no intention of ever making any such sacrifice. But I do have more left to give – a voice of reason amongst the chaos of the Council. I feel the junior members still require my support and my vote, as least until they gain full membership privileges. After that happens, I may very well reconsider… but not until I am absolutely certain they have a voice that will be heard."

Sha'ira smiled and gripped her hand. "And I will remain at your side through it all, Rae; your sounding board and confidant, for as long as you need and desire me."

"So, where does that leave us regarding my proposal?" Aethyta leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Do you see the benefits to the Asari and the galaxy in general, ridding us of some of the bad actors that are plaguing our recovery efforts?"

"As much as I may have protested the way it was brought to me, I do, actually." Rae smiled softly at the aging matriarch. "Leave your data with me, Theta, and I will speak with the Krogan and Turian Councilors as soon as the Prothean issue settles down a bit. Once I get a feel for their level of support, I will know better how to approach the remainder of the Council."

She paused and shifted her glance to the young couple. "I also get the feeling that this is what was looming yesterday, somewhat explaining why you missed breakfast. I have to wonder why you waited until today to bring this to me. I could tell something was wrong."

Liara had listened quietly to the conversation until then, but she turned to Tevos and responded, "I do apologize, Rae. Just as we could tell something was bothering you when you showed up late for the party, we should have realized the opposite was true, and repaid your courtesy of explanation by telling you what was going on with us, regarding the concerns raised by Liv and Zan's desire to bond."

Surprisingly, it was Sha'ira who answered. "Not necessarily. In our case, you asked, and we answered. Even though we felt something was amiss, we never asked, because we were trying to follow our own advice and let people enjoy the rest of the day in the company of friends. It was very possibly your last day home for who knows how long, and we did not want to intrude upon your limited time with family. It was, at the time, no business of ours."

Aethyta smirked, replying, "Until I opened my mouth and decided to ask the whole of the galaxy to help us with our problem."

"Only partially true," replied Rae, a small smile finding its way onto her lips. "The post-war increase in crime is a galactic problem that you have brought to us, not just House T'Soni's. I have to wonder at the self-absorption in our own lives, that it takes the desires of a single couple to finally push us to take action that is overdue." She shook her head. "We Asari love to sit back, helping to guide the galaxy with our thousand-year life experiences… yet sometimes ignore that the galaxy is made up of many other races; people with lives and families whose very fabric of their existence is influenced by those decisions, and not always immediately beneficial with their shorter lifespans. In that way, I completely understand how we could be seen as very self-serving by anyone other than, possibly, the Krogan."

"But," countered Sha'ira, "this proposed action of removing the power brokers of the criminal underground? How could that not be to everyone's benefit?" A quick shrug preceded, "Everyone except the criminals, anyway. If it were me, I would most certainly vote to take such action."

"Agreed," answered Rae. "However, I see a lot of discussion that will need to precede any actual operations. No matter how much they see the need, governments will want to be compensated for the risks they will take and, potentially, any losses they may suffer. This will not be only a Council action, but a Council negotiation. It will be neither quick nor soon."

"We realize that," answered Aethyta. "As long as it gets done… because it's important. We've neglected the colonies for a long time… even before the war. We encourage them to go out there, find resources, set up farms and mining facilities… and then leave them to their own devices when the pirates and slavers come calling." She shrugged. "It's just plain wrong."

"I know it is, which is why I am agreeing to bring you forward to the first council meeting after the Prothean situation is resolved." Rae looked the aging matriarch in the eye as she added, "I promise you this so, when I call, you need to be ready."

"I'm always ready, Councilor." Aethyta gave a nod. "Just like when the Reapers came knocking. I've never been one to step back and dodge a battle I feel needs fighting."

At that, Rae laughed. "That's the truest thing I've ever heard you say, Aethyta!" Shifting her gaze to Shepard and Liara, she let out a sigh. "As for you two, I need to ask a favor of my own."

"Anything, Rae," answered Shepard. "I can't count the number of times I've asked for something… and you've always managed to deliver. What is it?"

"From this point forward, if you have business – of any type – to discuss with the Asari Councilor, please make an appointment at my office through Dalis." Here, her eyes shifted to Mozia and back before she continued, "And have the House Regent, as House T'Soni's senior representative, come to discuss it with me. Obviously, you may come with her, as subject matter experts, should that apply to the situation, but I need to separate business from pleasure, if we are to remain the close friends we are now."

She smiled softly and reached across the table, grasping a hand of both Liara and Sam, to take the sting out of her words. "The friendship between us is much too dear to me; I do not care to have it compromised in any way… but it is difficult to be both your Councilor and your friend, without bias, so something must change. This is the only way I can see to do this."

Liara immediately looked at Mozia, the question in her eyes not needing to be voiced as Mozia nodded in agreement. "It is how it should be, Liara; just as when you were fighting the war alongside Shepard, I ran the House in your name. Until you reach your Matriarchy… or at least become a senior Matron… which is a good number of years away yet, you should not be burdened with running a great house. It is what you pay me to do… and I love my service to House T'Soni."

Though not asked, Aethyta growled, "Agreed. Just as Shepard withdrew as House Captain to be with you, you need to cede to Matriarch Mozia as the Regent, until you reach your majority." She chuckled quietly and added, "Most definitely not because you can't do it, but Goddess be damned, you need to fucking enjoy your maiden life before you get dragged into the political pyjak shit of running a House like ours!"

Mozia, aghast, uttered only one word, "Thyta!"

"Well, it's true!" responded the unapologetic matriarch. "She always puts too much pressure on herself and it's not fair. First, she had to live up to Benezia's expectations, then she went and ran off with Shepard to become one of the heroes of the fucking galaxy! It's time for her to stop doing all that for everyone else and do something completely for herself… be it archaeology or going to S'Vatyne and staying for a year, being pampered and catered too, every damned day!"

"Oh, Goddess," groaned Liara. "Enough, Dad. I get the point."

"Do you?" questioned Aethyta, her gaze very direct and challenging, and sounding every bit a devoted father concerned about her daughter.

"Yes, I do." Looking at Rae and Sha'ira, she smiled. "I promise you…" She glanced at Samantha, having been immediately pinged via the link, and started again. "We promise you, that we will never, ever bring business to your personal residence again, Councilor Tevos. If we come here, to your and Sha'ira's home, Rae, we come to visit, as friends."

"Then this discussion is over, which is perfectly fine by me." Rae smiled and stood, moving around the table to give both Liara and Samantha a loving hug. "Come. Let us put this aside for the future, have some lunch, and enjoy some Kaffe on the patio while we talk about this afternoon's meeting with your Protheans."

"You sure that's not a violation of the agreement we just made, Rae?" asked a smirking Shepard.

"Definitely not." Laughing, Rae swatted at her arm. "This is a celebration, amongst friends, of the wonderful accomplishment of our new Rachni friends, for actually locating the remaining, living Protheans, and to discuss the exciting joint future we hope to share with them!"

Záhrada S'Vatyne Resort, Sanves, Athena Nebula – 2 Nov 2190

Marisha was so surprised by the announcement, she was momentarily speechless. When it finally did sink in, she launched herself from the chair behind her desk, quite literally running around it to crash into Zan and envelop the guide in an enthusiastic hug. "By the Goddess! That is absolutely wonderful news!" She shifted and did the same to Livos, adding, "I am so happy for you both!"

After a moment, she turned back to Zan. "And what is that sad expression all about? Certainly, this has to be a happy day, does it not?"

Giving a reticent smile to Liv, Zan turned to Marisha. "You truly are like a mother to me… and it pains me that being with Livos means I need to leave the resort… and you."

Marisha reached out with both hands; taking Zan's in hers, she spoke softly. "Don't be silly. I have expected this day to come since the two of you first got together… and do not think you will escape me so easily." She laughed joyfully at the sudden expression of concern on Zan's face. "Of course, I will release you to House T'Soni… but I will still be in your life for at least another two centuries… longer, should the Goddess will it. You say you see me as a mother… well, I see you as a daughter, Zan, and successful children grow up and move on with their own lives. It is the natural way of things, and I am so happy you found someone like Liv to do that with, as I know how much she loves you and how devoted she is to you. I could ask for nothing better for one of my many children."

"Thank you, Matriarch," smiled Livos. "That is a most generous position, and I thank you for your graciousness." She looked lovingly at Zan as she continued, "I never thought I would find someone to so capture my heart, where I could possibly be forced to choose between love or my career. I find it humbling that Zan is willing to make that sacrifice for me."

Zan took Livos' hand, grinning as she stated, "I can be a guide for the House T'Soni Nature Preserve easier than you can be Captain of the Guard for House S'Vatyne… as the House T'Soni position is new, and therefore vacant. Unlike the S'Vatyne Captain's chair, which is occupied by the Matriarch's blood daughter, and heir to the House."

"Yes, yes!" Laughed the impatient matriarch, waving away the conversation. "More importantly, when can we begin planning this wonderful event? I see no promise bracelets yet, and have heard no announcements from House T'Soni…"

The expression on Zan's face fell, and she hung her head as she responded to the question. "About that. There are some… complications… we need to speak of first, so you are aware of everything that happened following our discussion with Lady Liara and Captain Shepard…"

Following the long and discomforting account of how Zan felt regarding her birth mother and her fears of the potential for reprisals against both Houses, then Liara and Shepard's initial reactions, only to be tempered by Matriarchs Mozia and Aethyta's additional guidance, Zan finally fell silent. She was surprised that Marisha had remained quiet during the entire explanation, not asking a single question.

Only after Zan concluded, did the Matriarch respond. "Well. It seems to me as though House T'Soni has everything well in hand, and I trust Councilor Tevos to handle this situation with her normal aplomb. However, this also means that we can take no action on this announcement at all; at least, not yet." She held a sad smile on her face as she continued, "This makes me sad, as this should be a joyous day of celebration, but that will have to wait until we can make the formal announcement of the joining of our Houses."

"Joining of Houses?" Zan asked. "But…"

"There are no 'buts,' Zan." Marisha gave her a hard stare. "You are a member of House S'Vatyne, and I will not have that disputed by anyone, especially you. It does not matter that you are not of my blood. As a matter of fact, I would be more than happy to go to the Matriarchal Council and petition for a formal name change, accepting you as a third daughter, should you desire." She shook her head in self-derision. "My only wish is that I had truly understood, or that you had told me exactly how you felt about our… arrangement… sooner, and this could have already been rectified."

A huge grin crossed the matriarch's face as she stood tall and squared her shoulders. "I would be honored to have you carry the name of S'Vatyne. And that, my dear, is not something that needs to wait on the Galactic Council. If you say yes, it would be my privilege to write and submit that petition of adoption this very day."