"So, this is tradition?" Brekk asked.

Dr. Shepard placed the wrapped gift on Liara's bedside table, and gave the Stunted rakir a slight smile as she looked at the medical report that he'd just handed her. "It is for us. Asari and humans, I mean. To my understanding, the rakir engage in blood fights?"

"That is for anniversaries. For birthdays, they prefer to drink a lot of ahk and then brawl until they are unconscious."

"What is the difference between these brawls and blood fights?"

"What is the difference between humans boxing, and fighting in a bar after having a few too many?" he asked. She laughed.

"Rules and formalities. I understand."

"So, for birthdays you give things as mementos," he said. Shepard, signing off on his reports, watched as he eyed the package with curiosity.

"Brekk, I've noticed something about you lately." She handed the report pad back to him, measuring.

"Oh?"

"Yes. You have taken to referring to the rakir as 'they' and not 'we'. Don't you consider yourself rakir anymore?"

"That is a curious question," he said, both amused and contemplative. "I suppose a more accurate one would be, 'did I ever?'"

"Didn't you?"

"Biologically, of course we Stunted are rakir," he said. "However, in many ways there are two entirely separate worlds between us and the others. We Stunted have our own culture, our own ceremonies, and tend to keep our own company. We have different expectations of ourselves, different goals. Since leaving Nakira and joining the Aswa 2, I am starting to see more and more that the rift between those two worlds is vaster than I imagined."

Del sat down on the edge of the bed, turning over what Brekk had said. When he and his sister, Ankah, had come aboard as part of Liara's crew nearly eight months ago, she had been surprised how fundamentally different they were. All the time she'd spent with the rakir had been with Sokka, or Sihra, watching the actions and interactions of the fertile members of the species. Though she had briefly masqueraded as a Stunted monk herself when First Contact had been made five years ago, she'd had no real interactions with one.

Brekk was naturally Stunted. Thanks to the rakir's uplifting, the Affliction had been reversed. Many Stunted males were able to be 'kickstarted' into full puberty and become fertile, and in just a few more years as those males born since became adults, their fertile numbers would be back to a healthy population. However, there were always some small percent of males who were just naturally Stunted and not Afflicted.

Del, like most, simply viewed these as a third gender among the rakir. She knew that they tended to be intellectuals, to isolate themselves into colonies or groups, but that they considered themselves to be entirely separate in a cultural respect hadn't occurred to her.

Brekk was from one of the major Houses of Healing on Nakira; a doctor. However, he was familiar solely with rakir biology, and only primitive healing techniques. While they had some simple grasp of surgery (they were familiar with trepanning to relieve swelling in the brain), in most ways they were still at the 'herbs and leeches' stage of medicine. That was surging forward in leaps and bounds now that they were part of the greater galactic community, and Brekk had come aboard to be Del's assistant. In exchange, she was teaching him everything she knew about modern medicine and alien biology.

He was picking it up quite fast, as well. Another few years, and Del suspected he might even surpass her. Primitive and barbaric culture aside, the rakir were extremely intelligent. Sihra had learned Galactic in only a few weeks. Brekk and his sister, Ankah, had done the same. Ankah had seemed content to leave it at that, but Brekk was also quickly picking up Asari, English, and two different Salarian tongues.

He had become Del's friend just as fast as he'd become her mentee. Many long evenings would find them studying together down in the medical bay; Brekk with a data pad on DNA, RNA, and microbiology; and Del with one on alien biology and common diseases.

Before she'd met Liara, she'd been a fairly sheltered geneticist. After Osco, she had determined to get another doctorate, this one in practical medicine with a focus on alien anatomy. After the death of Helen Chakwas, and not wanting to be separated from the Spectre for months at a time, she'd decided to become the new medical officer aboard the Aswa 2.

"It must be difficult," she said. Brekk shrugged.

"No more difficult, I suspect, than it is for other species mingling in other melting pots, like the Citadel. Perhaps a little less, given that most of us were raised among our fertile relatives before it became clear we were Stunted. Though, I will not lie; some of the Stunted do view the others with distaste. Their hormones make them extremely violent. On a medical level I understand it, but it can be hard to watch."

"Distaste?" Del asked. "No hatred, I hope?"

"Oh, some do hate them," he told her. "Call them catika, call them barbarians, want nothing to do with any meat headed fertile monster. Those ones loathe the idea of both the Ubuutis and the Kodra. They think the Stunted should be governing."

"They call them monsters?"

He bobbed his head. "I don't share such a view. It's arrogance, a naïve shortsightedness that I believe we are better than. When one seeks threats solely from outside themselves, he more often than not misses what poses the true danger to what he holds dear."

"What is that?"

"Us," he said. "Sometimes, it's the monster inside ourselves that is the real threat, not just what is different or 'other'. I see this in my fellow Stunted, and since leaving Nakira I see it as well in species all across the galaxy."

"That is very wise," Del said, giving him a smile before she looked at her chrono. "I would love to discuss this further, as well as some more of these cultural differences, Brekk. Tomorrow, if you have time?"

"Of course," he said with a bit of a knowing smile. "I shall get out of your hair, let you and the Captain be alone. Have a pleasant evening, Lilah."

"You as well."

He departed, and she rose, removing her lab coat and putting it away, before stretching her back a little. She'd spent most of the afternoon hunched over the newest wave of genetic samples that Tali had shipped to them, and it hadn't done her back any favors. Taking off her shoes, she turned on some light music, then opened Liara's small drink service. She poured herself some champagne, then added a small shot from the bottle of pris para for Liara.

Shepard had tried the pris para once, and only once. She suspected very few non-asari made it much further than that. It was like putting hydrochloric acid in her mouth.

She'd just let her hair down out of its tie when the door opened, and Liara entered. The asari's brows immediately lifted.

"I was expecting to have to go to the medibay sometime after eleven hundred and insist you get some rest," she said to Del as she came over. "Did Tali's new samples not come in today?"

"They came," Del said, smiling as she put her arms around the Spectre's waist. "Brekk and I have been going over them all day, but it's a special occasion. Even shiny new genetic samples couldn't keep me away."

"Special occasion?" Liara asked.

"Yes. Special occasion," Del said, slipping away from her and picking up the present on the side table. "Even though someone who shall not be named was extremely thorough in redacting the information off of all her confidential and not so confidential files."

Liara looked at the package in Del's hand, her expression simultaneously touched and exasperated. "Where did I miss it?" she asked. "Council records? C-Sec authorization forms?"

"Nah. As I said, you were really thorough. I had to rely on all my deviousness to find out."

"How did you?"

"I called your sister." She beamed, holding the gift out. "You kept it from me for five years, Li, but in the end my unrivaled cunning was too much for you."

Liara took the package, unwrapping the book. Her look softened as she passed her fingers over the cover, the edges of the embossed pages, then turned it over and read the title.

"The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R Tolkien."

Del grinned. "Happy One Hundredth and Eleventy-First birthday, Liara."

"Why do you say it like that?" Li asked with a confused smile. Del laughed.

"Just…read the book. You'll find out."

Liara looked at the book again, and as Del watched her, she was reminded of a time shortly after they'd met.

They were on Phederaal, hiding in a sub-oceanic city from Osco's attempts to kill Del. Tali, recovering from Osco's genetic plague that had killed nearly her entire species, was experiencing being out of her enviro-suit for the first time. Shepard, recovering herself from radiation burns to kill the plague in her own systems, was watching the young quarian's delight with mixed emotions when she had been joined on a park bench by Liara.

Shepard had asked what Liara did for fun, what she found interesting, outside the world of being a Spectre. Liara had confided that she enjoyed reading. Though her tastes seemed to run more toward biographies or ancient histories, Del thought she'd appreciate the The Lord of the Rings.

The look she'd had on her face then when she'd admitted she liked reading was mirrored now as she regarded the present, carefully flicking through the pages. As if suddenly remembering Del was there, she looked upward at the doctor.

"What?" she asked, softly.

"Nothing," Del replied with a smile. "Art appreciation."

Liara's smirk was wry as she closed the book. "I see. Thank you for the gift, Merah."

"You're welcome." She wrapped her arms around Liara's waist again. "And now that I know your birthday, you can expect many more. Including at least four I've been hanging on to for your previous birthdays."

Liara leaned over just enough to set the book on the bedside table, then put her own arms around Shepard. Their foreheads rested together a moment, before Liara spoke again.

"So, you spoke with Vivek?"

"I did, as you asked."

"I did not ask you to get my birthday from her," Liara teased.

"Nah, I did that all on my own," Del smiled. "She and Nora are eager to attend the ceremony…as soon as we set a date. And a location."

"Yes. Something we still need to discuss."

"You're not having second thoughts?"

"Never," Liara said, straightening enough to look Shepard in the eye. "However it seems the parade of exo-alien tech is eternal. Five years. I've lost count of how many artifacts we have already located and dismantled."

"I know," Shepard said, touching Liara's cheek. "Seems like every time either of us gets a chance to breathe for five minutes the Council is pinging us and we have to rush off again. I know Spectres don't get vacations, but it's frustrating at times."

"Yes," Liara said. "It would be nice to spend more than five minutes with you without that com lighting up and…"

The com lit up, and the voice of the Aswa's pilot filled the air.

{Captain? We have a priority one communication coming in.}

Shepard and Liara stared at each other for a beat in surprise, before Del whispered, "If this happens again, I'm doing a brain scan on you. I want to see if I can pinpoint what 'psychic' looks like."

Liara gave her a dry look, but addressed the com. "Tell the Council that-"

{It's not the Council, it's Admiral Zorah. She says it's urgent.}

"Tali?" Now Del was concerned. Liara stepped back a pace, all business now.

"Of course, patch her through in here immediately. Thank you, Shrive."

Light shimmered from the hologram projectors. Cast in yellow and gold light, the quarian appeared before them.

When Osco's PMD plague had hit the quarian fleet, it had decimated their population down to about four hundred members. It had wiped out every member of the Conclave, every member of the Admiralty board. With many of the four hundred related, there was not enough genetic diversity left for a viable population without gross inbreeding.

Fortunately for the quarians, the PMD acted differently on their biology than it had on the humans Osco had targeted in her first dispersal. While most were killed, a handful were immune. The rest that fell ill, including Tali, all ended up genetically improving in leaps and bounds. They not only no longer needed their enviro-suits, they had gained strengths and abilities far above what they had previously possessed. Changes in their muscle fibers led them to becoming as physically strong as the rakir and the krogan. Changes in nerve conduction made them incredibly fast. They were resistant to all forms of disease, all cancers, all negative genetic mutations across the board. They didn't age any more, didn't suffer from replication degradation of their DNA during cell mitosis. Out of the four hundred odd survivors, nearly three hundred of them had been so perfected they were nearly a different species.

They still lived fully shipboard lives, though out of choice now than necessity. Their once vast Migrant Fleet had been reduced to only four vessels: the Chayym, which had been one of their liveships and still grew their food; the Idenna, the Cyniad, and the Bavea.

Tali'Zorah and Deefa'Raan – Tali's best friend and a marine - were now the sole Admirals of the Fleet. Tali commanded the Chayym, handling the sciences, research, and logistics aspects of their people. Deefa'Raan, commanded the Idenna and took care of all military matters.

Del had been working with Tali and quarian genetics to not only find a way to help those who still had to live in their suits to try and get out of them, but to find ways to allow them to breed among a smaller number without gross genetic complication. Del would have been happy to do it regardless, as she considered Tali a good friend, but she still bore some sense of guilt that she hadn't been able to stop Osco in time to prevent the near genocide of their entire species.

Now, before them in hologrammatic form, the quarian seemed on edge, her brows knit with nervous concern.

"Tali, are you all right?" Del asked.

"Yes, I am fine," Tali told her. "The Flotilla, such as it is, remains as well as can be. Though I am a little concerned. Something odd has come up. I was going to reach out to the Council but I thought, speaking to you first might be wiser. They have been gracious to us but part of me doesn't want to test their patience. They are more likely to listen to you, Liara."

"What is going on, Tali?" Liara asked, folding her arms as her brows knit.

"It sounds so strange to say, but we have…we have been getting a signal from the geth."

"The geth?" Del asked, stunned.

"Yes. We have confirmed it. No one's heard a single bleep from the geth since the Morning War, and now suddenly they're reaching out."

"You have spoken to them?" Liara asked, and Tali shook her head.

"No, it's not a communication, and that's part of what's concerning me. It's a distress call, an SOS, but not on general bands. They sent it to us, specifically."

"Sounds like a trap," Liara told her. "They have to know what happened five years ago, with Osco. Could they be hoping to lure the last few quarians in, wanting to eliminate you?"

"That was Deefa's first thought too, but I don't believe that's the case. They haven't made any aggressive moves toward us in over three hundred years. I would think if they're of the mind to wipe us out completely, they would have tried before now. Maybe not when we were still millions strong, but any time in the last five years, at least. And why would they try and lure us into a trap? We only have the four ships; three aren't even combat vessels. I mean, they have weapons but we wouldn't stand a chance in a pitched battle with even a pair of cruisers. They could send a single dreadnaught and its compliment of fighters out of the Veil to hit us, and it'd be over in minutes."

"That is true," Liara touched her chin, thoughtful. "You are planning to investigate?"

"Keelah knows I want to," Tali said. "The signal is coming from Rannoch herself. To go back into the Veil? Maybe have a chance to see the homeworld, even if we can't touch it? But I can't let my personal feelings endanger what's left of my people."

"Even if the geth are being genuine, and have no hostile intentions, it remains that they're sending a distress signal," Del said to Liara, the asari already nodding.

"Yes. They sent that signal for a reason. What would threaten the geth enough to send a distress call? Whether it is bluff or genuine, the risk is too great for the four quarian ships on their own."

"One. If we do go in there, it'll be just the Idenna. I'm hoping the Council will send us backup ships, a stronger force," Tali said. "And I was hoping the Aswa would be among them. Del, Liara; I know that you don't always believe it, but the only reason any quarians are even still breathing is because of you two. I know that I wouldn't be, for certain. You have done so much for us. It feels almost greedy to ask again, but - "

"We will be there," Liara told her. "I will put in an official requestion with Tevos as well, but whether or not the Council agrees, we will at least rendezvous with the Fleet and help you decide next steps; we will be there."

"Thank you," Tali said, with a breath of relief. "With your help we'll get this sorted in no time. Whatever is happening, there's no way it can be any worse than Osco and her exo-alien tech, right?"