Chapter 47

Guest Room – T'Soni Estate – Thessia

Inhaling deeply, the spectre let out a breath to calm her nerves. She'd been in front of a scrutinizing Council many times before, but one thing she knew for a fact was that she had trouble tightening her grip on Tevos, the asari councilor. It certainly made things easier that she was more lenient than the other two, but she also knew it was because her brain was wired to find the woman attractive. And she did. Ever since she was a child, she always found herself looking in the direction of asari over other species.

She knew that weakness could very well get her roasted in this meeting, and she knew she had to stand strong in the face of their judging eyes. They would likely not be as kind or understanding as Tevos, who had spent centuries among other species. As Liara had explained, most of the women in the conclave had spent less than a century off Thessia, some of them finding mates, some earning combat experience among the likes of the Sisterhood, a mercenary group consisting of mainly asari. That meant that they would have less of a tolerance towards other species.

As she walked through the estate in her new, revealing robes that left her stomach, sides, arms, and her upper back bare, she finally came to the door of the meeting room. There were many asari moving about like ants in an anthill outside of the room, but she quickly noticed that one of them wasn't moving at all. She stood like a sentinel outside of the door. Her soft violet eyes locked onto Shepard as soon as she was within sight, making the spectre wonder if she was solely there for her or if she had simply never seen a human in asari clothing before.

Approaching the door, the asari bowed her head. "Greetings, Spectre. The Conclave will be pleased you have arrived."

"Uhhh, thanks I guess," said the human as she bowed her head in response. But, when she moved to enter the room, the asari woman stopped her.

"Apologies, Spectre, but the Conclave has asked that I temporarily confiscate all electronic devices. These matters are considered private, so we do not wish to have them recorded," said the woman as she held up her hand.

Shepard's eyes narrowed at the woman. "You want me to hand over my omni-tool?" The door guard nodded gently, her hand still up to receive the device. Sighing to herself, Shepard reached down and began removing the device from her wrist. "I don't suppose you have a translator I can use in its place?"

"Apologies, Spectre. However, we are unaccustomed to non-asari attending these events. We were unprepared," she responded, getting a glare from the redhead.

"Fine, but just so we're clear, that thing is tamper proof. Don't toy with it or it'll explode," she growled as she handed the device over.

"We will take optimal care to make sure nobody but you touches it," said the asari as she placed it inside an empty box and locked it on the table next to her. "Please proceed inside."

Snorting, the spectre entered the room, and she felt the energy shift as soon as she did. The room was filled with asari, most of them sitting off to the side as spectators. But in the center of the room were twelve asari, thirteen counting Liara at the end of the table. And all of them had gone silent as they stared at her.

Walking around the table, Shepard ignored the stares and sat down at the seat offered by Liara. Almost immediately, Shepard's placid face nearly warped in anger as she saw three asari sitting in front of her, all of them with omni-tools on their wrists. Now she knew someone was messing with her. But she had to figure out who it was.

The tallest asari at the table nodded her head with a smile. "Nah'savo s'a Tessra, Spectre. Se'la?"

Almost immediately, Shepard figured out the game they were playing. Without her translator, she had to rely on her linguistics skills. As she formed the response together in her head, another of the asari who sat directly across from her sneered.

"Tosva 'a lavassa…" she growled, her face painted more decoratively than she had seen many asari before. Shepard recognized it as an insult, and her eyes narrowed. She had just been called ignorant, a statement that was echoed by many around the table who chuckled.

Letting out a long sigh, she finally responded. "Nah'savo s'a Jane." It took her a moment, but she finally pulled up her history of study in the language. And while she may butcher it with an accent, she would still address them in their own language. All of the asari except Liara and Tessra looked surprised at the response. "Se'la?" she asked as her eyes narrowed on the one who had just called her ignorant. Shepard's brain had fully switched over to the Alai dialect, and it was as clear to her as galactic common.

"You may know me as Raisha, Spectre," said the asari as she smiled politely. But her smile never reached her eyes, an indication that it was all for show.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Raisha. I apologize if I was a little slow to respond. My ignorant monkey brain takes some time to recall the language of another species," said the commander as she reached up and knocked on her head. Raisha now had a sour expression on her face, and the others around the conclave table looked between the pair in mild anticipation as if a fight was about to break out. "I understand the games you play, and I would humbly advise you to not play them with me."

Snorting, Raisha turned her head away as if ignoring the advice. Tessra smirked playfully as she nodded her head to Shepard. "It is always a pleasant surprise to see one as devoted as you to our culture and language."

Shepard turned to the woman and afforded her the typical asari courtesy of bowing her head. "I studied when I was a child. The language is beautiful and is worth learning."

With the unpleasantness out of the way, everyone's face was placid once more, with the exception of Liara who had a pleased grin on her face. "I am pleased to hear your compliments," said Tessra as she finally stood. Shepard's eyes widened slightly at the towering height of the asari. As she stood, all the others did as well, including Liara. Shepard stood as well, attempting to mimic their stances. "With the playfulness out of the way, I would like to welcome everyone to this meeting of the Conclave. We gather today to recognize the birth of a new voice among us, the head of House T'Soni."

"I am honored to be in your presence, Peeress Tessra. I will do my best with the position given to me by the passing of my birthgiver, Noble Benezia," said Liara as she stared at all the faces present. Shepard knew she was scanning for any faces that may jump up to lay claim to her title.

Nodding in response, Tessra continued. "To any and all here today, I offer you the chance to contest their right as Yranessa of House T'Soni. Speak now."

The room was tense as all the asari, including those in the audience seats looked around at one another, as if trying to find out who would step forward. It was a long moment of silence and intensity, and right as Tessra was about to speak again, a voice cut her off. "I would contest the noble's right!" snapped a familiar voice. Shepard's eyes widened as she looked over and saw Serraia now standing with a hardened look on her face.

Liara's expression was surprise at first. "Serraia? But…" she started, her surprise wearing off and a mask of hurt now covering her features. "Why?"

Tessra held up a hand to silence everyone. "Noble Serraia, you have recently entered your matriarch stage of life. You bring the wisdom of centuries to the table. Please tell us why you should be Yranessa."

Shepard clenched her fist as she saw Liara's broken look. She wanted to dive across the table and dropkick the asari over the balcony into the ocean. But she knew that would only make things worse for Liara, so she held herself back and just stood at attention with a piercing glare aimed at the new matriarch.

"You ask why I should be Yranessa?" snapped the asari woman as she kept her eyes locked on Liara. "For three centuries now, I have run the daily comings and goings of House T'Soni. I started here as a matron servant and worked my way up until I was steward of this household. I oversaw renovations, staff oversight, and even raising Benezia's children for them!" she snarled as she stared at Liara.

"That is a powerful response," said Tessra as she turned her head and looked at the saddened doctor. "Liara, do you have a retort?" asked the woman solemnly, her tone showing that she was taking no sides.

The maiden stared down at the table with her hands planted on them as if holding herself up. Shepard knew she was hurting inside. This was a betrayal of the hardest kind. Someone you grew up with, grew to love, turning around and running you through when you least expect it. Shepard had only felt the sting of betrayal twice, and afterwards she stopped letting herself get into these situations with people. Usually, she kept them at arms distance. But thinking about it now, she knew that the Normandy's crew and her squad were all well within that circle.

Snorting at having lost her safety, Shepard reached out and gently rubbed Liara's shoulder. Liara looked up at her and immediately the flame inside her turned into a wildfire as she saw tears streaming down from the asari's face. Even so, she still just stood still in her rage and comforted the woman. Liara turned to the others and bowed her head politely. "May I ask for a short recess? I need to… collect myself."

Tessra closed her eyes for a moment and nodded simply. "We will reconvene in ten minutes," she said as she raised her hands, then waved them as if dismissing everyone. Some of the asari rose and moved towards the doors, chatting animatedly about the development, while others sat back and opened their omni-tools to finish some work while they had downtime.

Shepard gripped Liara by the elbow and led her over towards the balcony which was free from prying ears. "Hey, are you going to be alright?" she asked in galactic common once more.

Reaching up, Liara wiped her eyes gently with the back of her hands. "I… I never expected this. Not from her…"

"Of course you didn't," came another voice from behind them. Shepard clamped down on her anger as hard as she could as she turned to see Serraia standing there with her arms crossed. Liara turned around and looked up at the woman, her expression still broken.

"Why would you do this to her?" asked Shepard, her voice hiding none of the vitriol boiling inside of her.

"Why would I do this to her?" asked the woman as if the question was stupid. Stepping forward, she looked directly at Liara with a glare. "Because she is just like her mother."

Liara's saddened expression turned to one of shock. "My… mother?"

"That's right," snapped the asari rigidly, her annoyed expression never leaving her gorgeous features. "Three centuries I stayed in this house, helping her, guiding her, advising her, holding her. I was Benezia's driftwood in a storm, something she could hold onto when everything turned against her. But even that wasn't enough. Me shedding my blood and my tears for Benezia and this household wasn't enough for her to accept me as a peer."

"This is all because you couldn't get a raise?" asked Shepard with a dark glare on her face.

"No, Spectre. This is about selfishness and negligence. I toiled for this family for centuries and was ignored," she snapped at the human. Then she turned back to Liara, and her features softened. "But then, she had a child. An adorable little one with wings on her head."

Liara stared at the woman, looking as if she were about to break into tears again. "I… I loved you."

"And I you, Little Wing," said Serraia as she crossed her arms again. "I ignored my stagnant destiny and threw all of myself into helping you grow to be better than Benezia. I imparted wisdom into you, I showed you kindness, courtesy, humility. I taught you things that your mother never learned even in all her years of life," she said, snorting at the memory. "She always held the appearance of a wise and kind leader, but people were little more than stones on a Go board to her."

Shepard was mildly surprised that the woman knew of the human board game. It appeared the asari's fascination with Asian culture didn't just reach to religion. "So, you raised her, and then what? Waited for years for Benezia to die so you can ram a dagger into her child's back?"

Serraia glared at Shepard intensely. "You speak of things you do not know, human." Turning back to Liara, she almost looked sad. "I was happy. I had forgotten all about the neglect your mother showed those who helped her the most. My life was devoted to making you happy, making you laugh," she said with a faint smile. "Your interest in protheans even came from me giving you a book on extinct cultures. I recall after you read the book, you immediately got a shovel and began digging up your mother's flowerbed trying to discover ruins. The look on Benezia's face added centuries to my life."

Liara giggled lightly as she rubbed her eyes again. "I remember. She grounded me to my room for nearly a month."

Nodding, Serraia's smile melted into a serious look again. "I poured my life into you, Liara. But in the end, you were just like her. You discarded me, discarded this house, and you left."

Inhaling sharply, Liara bowed her head deep. "You are right, Serraia. When I left, I didn't just leave my overbearing and controlling mother. I also left you, my guardian, my protector, my teacher," said the woman as her voice quivered. "I was selfish, not in wanting to get away from her, but in leaving you without a word."

Serraia almost looked angry now. "You know that I would have left with you and gone anywhere you wanted to go! So why!?"

"I… don't know," said Liara as she rubbed her face with her hands. "Part of me didn't want you to lose everything you gained here over me. I suppose I also concocted some plan to come back and either convince my mother to raise you herself, or if I ended up taking power, doing it on my own," she said as she looked up at the woman with tear-stained eyes. "You gave me so much as I grew, I couldn't bear to see you lose all of this to follow me around brushing dirt off buried relics."

Snorting, Serraia looked over and saw that most of the asari from the conclave and the audience had returned. "I lost so much more than you realize," she said before turning her back and returning to her seat.

Shepard stepped in front of her and reached up, gripping Liara's shoulders gently as she stared into her eyes. "Hey, are you going to be alright?"

Inhaling deeply, she released her breath once more. When she spoke again, all of the sadness had left her voice. "Jane, if you were put into a situation where you knew the right thing to do, but stood to lose so much because of it, what would you do?"

Taken aback at the question, Shepard gave her a playful smirk. "Doctor T'Soni, are you asking me a question you already knew the answer to?"

Giggling lightly, the asari nodded. "I thought so," she said as she pressed her head to the spectre's own gently before walking towards her seat. Shepard turned and followed her, more worried about the young asari than before. She wasn't entirely sure of her thought process on the matter at hand, but she knew she was about to find out.

Sitting once more, it looked as if everyone had finally gathered back into the hall. Once the tall asari made sure everyone was in place, she stood again and looked towards Serraia. The matriarch stood and placed herself at the opposite end of the table to Liara. Then Tessra looked towards Liara, who stood as well and began speaking in Alai, causing Shepard's mind to switch back over. "We reconvene where we left off. I hope the time you took was enough to give your mind peace."

Nodding gently, Liara looked forward as determined as ever. "Never in my life has my vision been clearer."

"Good! Then you may continue. I believe it was your retort, Yranessa," said Tessra as she stepped back to remove herself from their conversation.

Breathing heavily, Liara cleared her mind and stared at her matron with a serious look. "Nothing I do from here on out will ever be able to repay you for the kindness and love you showed me as a child, and even as a grown adult. I will forever be grateful and will forever attempt to pay you back for your kindness," she said as she bowed her head.

Serraia donned an annoyed expression at her speech. "Words are hollow, Liara."

Lifting her head again, Liara had a look of laser focus directed towards the matriarch. "I know. That is why I am conceding my right as Yranessa to you, Serraia."

The entire room burst into gasps of surprise and horror. Shepard smirked as she looked around the room at all the wide-eyed asari. Even Serraia had a look of horror on her face. "You what!?" she asked incredulously.

Turning to Tessra, who was also stunned into silence, Liara spoke loud and clear. "Peeress, please announce it as it was spoken. I concede my right to House T'Soni over to Noble Serraia."

"But… you can't!" shouted Serraia from across the table.

Shepard eyed her curiously, wondering why she was so outraged. It confused her until she finally saw the look of desperation on her face. At that moment, she knew this entire thing was for show. Serraia never intended to take Liara's title. She was doing this as an act. She intended to use this moment as a lesson for Liara, to show her how betrayed she had felt when the maiden had left. She never expected Liara to actually give up her seat.

"I'm afraid I can, Noble Serraia," said the doctor as she turned to Tessra again. Her stern glare snapped the woman out of her stupor.

The tall, hooded asari raised her hands to silence everyone. It was like a spell in action to see all the voices mute almost immediately as she raised her heavenly blue hands in the air. "Yranessa T'Soni has conceded their right to the T'Soni Estate and House T'Soni over to Noble Serraia. Do I hear any objections?"

"I object!" shouted Serraia as she slammed her palm down on the table. Glaring across the table at the maiden, she shouted, "What are you doing!?"

Bowing her head slightly, Liara smiled at her. "The right thing."

"I'm afraid you cannot object to their concession after contesting them," said Tessra firmly as she stared at the matriarch.

"Then I withdraw my contest!" said Serraia desperately as she stared at the woman.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that. They have conceded, which makes you Yranessa," said Tessra with a shrug of her robed shoulders. "If you like, you can relieve yourself of the title, and those present can decide who it should go to. But you can't withdraw your contest after it has been won."

Serraia looked from Tessra back over to Liara, who shook her head silently. Finally, she raised her hands into clenched fists and slammed them on the table with a loud roar. The room went silent for a long moment as Serraia glared at the table. "What have I done?" she asked miserably.

"Do we have any more voices to be heard?" asked Tessra as she projected her own voice over the room. Raisha leaned forward and looked as if she was going to contest as well, but she locked eyes with Shepard and stopped immediately. The heated glare given by the spectre silenced her, making her sit back with a huff. After another long moment of silence, Tessra turned to Serraia, who was now looking away from the table entirely and off into the distance. "Yranessa, please let the Conclave know if you have any concerns or requests to make," said the tall asari before she turned to the others. "The Conclave is dismissed from this gathering!" she shouted before sitting back down.

Everyone stood and began milling around the room chatting animatedly about the occurrences that had happened moments before. Shepard stood up and leaned in towards Liara. "Should we talk to her? She looks pretty down," said the spectre as she spied the almost destitute matriarch.

"No. Let her come to terms with it. And if she has any questions, then she will know where to find us," said Liara as she hooked her arm around Jane's muscular bicep. "Come, let's get some fresh air," she offered, leading the redhead away from everyone else and out of the room entirely.

Laysia Zen Garden – T'Soni Estate – Thessia

"So, I don't have to do anything?" asked Shepard curiously.

"No. You can simply walk behind me as a watcher. Watchers are the protectors for those in the procession," she said with a gentle smile.

Shepard's eyebrow shot up at the statement. "Protectors? How crazy do asari funerals get that you'd need a protector?"

"You'd be amazed, Jane," said the doctor as she clenched Shepard's hands. "Now, they're coming soon. So, I must prepare. Just please… try not to stare too hard."

"No promises," said Shepard, getting a chuckle from the asari. Finally, Liara released her hands and moved towards the middle of the garden. She had been loaned an asari Naitara blade that resembled a Chinese Jian sword for this specific moment, where she would be following Liara through the garden. Together they would join a procession with singers and torch bearers that would march the entire way to the edge of the water to release Benezia's body into the ocean.

At first, Shepard thought it odd that they would just put a body into the ocean. But then she thought about how much land humans wasted by sealing bodies into non-biodegradable caskets and stuffing them into the ground. Not to mention Thiessia was 90% ocean as opposed to the 71% of Earth. So, she supposed she couldn't really blame them. At least in the ocean, their bodies would be put back into the cycle of the planet.

Despite Liara's warning, Shepard looked her up and down. She wore white, which was apparently the asari's color of mourning. To them it was the color of purity, of their sun, of the soul. And it showed, as the lovely doctor wore a rather revealing dress that was pure white. Her wrists were tied with long bands of silky cloth. Her chest was wrapped in the same material, leaving her stomach showing. The cloth moved down along her skin until it wrapped around her waist, and then hung down both in front and back between her legs, making her resemble belly dancers back on Earth.

But the asari woman also wore a hood that covered her entire crest. The entire ensemble was inlaid with the same strange crystals that decorated the sword she held. To say the least, she looked gorgeous. Even in the darkness of the zen garden, she looked as if she were a goddess in the moonlight of Thessia's dark sky. Suddenly, her biotics lit, covering her from head to toe. Shepard's eyes widened as she saw the crystals that had been inlaid into the dress start to glow as the biotic aura graced the cloth. From behind her, the spectre heard the sound of marching. That meant they were bringing Benezia forth, which meant that they should start moving as well.

Behind her, four guides held aloft flaming torches in formation. Inside the torch formation were four more asari, all of whom were painted just a tad shy from Councilor Tevos. That meant whoever they were, they were important. Perhaps they knew Benezia, or maybe the matriarch had sisters that Liara hadn't told her about. Either way, they were serious players, and their faces told this well as they carried a simple stretcher bearing a completely nude Benezia on it. Her body had been painted similar to asari faces, with long curving, white lines gracing her features like tiger stripes.

Shepard began marching forward just as Liara moved. But instead of walking or marching, the doctor was stepping oddly from side to side as she proceeded. It was odd at first with her biotics lit, but then it made more sense as the woman began spinning. Shepard's mouth opened in awe as the shy, nerdy little doctor that they rescued from Therum changed into a moon goddess dancing as if she had danced her entire existence. Her moves were as smooth as water, though some of that may have been the long cloths flowing around her with every movement. Either way, she was enraptured in the biotic dance as they all moved forward.

She marched, gripping her blade, and wondering if she'd even have to use it. The procession continued through the garden until Shepard's ears picked up singing. It was the most angelic thing she had ever heard. One after the other, dozens of siren-like voices sang. The words had to be ancient by asari standards, because Shepard knew none of them. But they were soothing, almost eerily so. It was as if a choir of angels had flown down to lead them off.

As they marched forward, the singers appeared in the firelight and began moving with them, about a dozen on each side, all wearing white robes and what looked like masks that covered their eyes. The spectre turned from them and continued watching Liara's flowing dance. Her arms swung around in circles, the biotic aura moving around her body like the flow of a river. She looked amazing, like a small dancer hovering in a drop of water. The sight was well beyond anything Shepard had ever seen.

The procession continued for minutes longer as stone walkways turned into the sand of the beach where the waves lapped at the shore. Thessia had two moons, one large one in the distance and one smaller one that was closer, creating the illusion that the smallest was bigger. Both of the bright moons shined with the light of their white dwarf star and cast a pale green glow on the asari marching towards the ocean. Finally, they stopped. Liara's dance wound down until she was standing straight again, staring at the ocean. The singing continued as those carrying the ceremonial cot brought Benezia forth and laid her next to her daughter. Much to Shepard's surprise, Serraia also moved forward, now wearing similar white robes to Liara and herself.

The matriarch stepped up to Liara as the four guides and torch bearers laid Benezia between them. Together, they leaned down and lifted her naked form. Then, with very precise steps, the two moved towards the ocean. As soon as their feet touched the water, the choir singing stopped, and only the waves of the ocean lapping at the sand could be heard.

Finally, they were both waist deep in the water when they released Benezia's body. Her body drifted momentarily, the waves lapping at the luminous paint on her naked form. Then, she began to sink, her glowing body drifting off into the waves to be taken by the ocean, never to be seen again.

Shepard watched as the two asari standing in the water faced each other, both looking as if they had suffered centuries of despair before Serraia leaned in and placed her forehead against Liara's. The doctor returned the gesture, and finally the pair broke their stoic stances and hugged each other tightly, both of them now sobbing again.

Shepard sighed heavily and turned away, leaving the pair to their grieving as she tucked the blade away.

Liara's Bedroom – T'Soni Estate – Thessia

"Why did you do it?" asked Serraia's voice from the door as Liara looked through her old things.

She had come back to see if anything in the room held enough sentiment to take with her. She ignored the artwork entirely. As much as she loved the paintings of prothean civilizations and ruins, they were all replicas and could easily be replaced. The trinkets on the table, however, had not only been put retrieved and gifted to her by the matron, but they also put them together. Reaching down, she picked up one of them that looked like a small relay and smiled. "You must know why," she finally responded as she held the small trinket and turned to the other woman. "I was at a crossroads, as I said in the Conclave meeting. I could never repay your kindness and your love, but I intended to try."

Sighing, the matriarch stepped inside and rubbed her face in frustration. "Little Wing…" she started but closed her eyes. "Liara, you do not have to try and pay me back for those things."

"I know I don't," said the doctor as she smiled gently. "But I also could not deny that you are the smartest, most caring and motivated person I know," she said as she took a step closer to her former guardian. "You've run this estate for years. My mother, she was wrong to deny you partnership. When she left Thessia on this fool's errand to try and steer Saren away from his path of destruction, you were still here taking care of things the best you could without any direction from the Yranessa of the estate," she said as her sad smile grew.

Sighing gently, Serraia walked over and sat on the small bed as she buried her face in her hands, not caring that her facial paint was smearing. "Liara… I thank you for the compliments, but you are the rightful heir to the estate. Please, come with me to talk to Tessra. I'm sure she could…" said the asari, but Liara cut her off.

"What gives me this right?" asked the younger woman, her voice almost snippy. "I was born to a mother who happened to be wealthy and powerful?" she asked as she now stood over the sitting woman. "Am I the rightful heir because my mother wanted me to be? Or perhaps I am the rightful heir because you think I am better suited than you, who has been the foundation of this house since you arrived?"

Serraia gave a small smile at the compliment she received. "You know why, Liara."

The maiden shook her head and placed both of her hands on the side of the woman's face. Serraia sighed gently at the affection as she stared up at the younger woman. "No," she said firmly, her face a mask of seriousness. "I do not abide these rules you've placed on me, just like I did not abide the rules my mother placed on me. I am not the rightful heir simply because I was lucky enough to be born to Benezia," she said as her face softened. "You are a leader. You know the people, you know the place, you even know the business contracts. You know everything about this place," she said as she sat down next to Serraia. "This house couldn't have asked for a better leader."

Groaning, Serraia shook her head. "You are as stubborn as ever," she growled, getting a giggle from Liara. But she knew she would get nowhere by denying her. "What will you do then?"

Inhaling slowly, Liara let out her breath and smiled. "I will continue to do what I have been doing. I will go with the Spectre to find Saren, and I will use my knowledge and capabilities to help her in any way possible."

"Oh, knowledge, is it?" asked Serraia with a coy smile.

Liara looked at her curiously. "What is it you speak of?"

"Do not think, Little Wing, that all I did was serve you when you were at the table," said the woman as she turned and leaned back against the headboard of the bed. "I have many years of experience behind me, Liara. And I may not be a mother yet, but I still share their instincts."

Liara made a small pouting face as she turned away. "I have no idea what you speak of," she growled at the woman.

Chuckling, Serraia leaned forward and reached her hand up to gently brush over Liara's crest. Immediately, the maiden calmed. "You do not have to hide your feelings from me, Little Wing. I see how you look at her. I see how your body immediately turns in her direction when she approaches. I see a smile more genuine than I've ever seen on your face before as you talk to her," she said as her hand slid down to stroke Liara's cheek. "You are not this Spectre's prothean expert. You are in love."

The doctor sighed heavily and closed her eyes. "I thought that would have been obvious from me bringing her along. But everyone immediately assumed that I was trying to threaten those who would contest my title," she said as she rested her chin on her fist.

"Well, I saw everything. I know better," said the woman as her hand now rested on Liara's shoulder. "Please do me a favor…"

Liara looked up at her curiously. "Anything."

"If you have a human wedding, please invite me. I've heard they can get wild," said the woman with a playful grin.

Liara giggled gently and nodded. "I will," she said as she kept her gaze on Serraia. "And… I wish for this gap between us to be closed." Her hands gently began tracing patterns on her bare leg. "As I said, I did not wish to buy off your love. I know that I could never do that. But I also don't want what we have to end here."

"Ha! Right! After the fast one you just pulled on me?" said the woman as she playfully shoved Liara. "You're a business partner at the minimum. And administrator at the most," said the woman as she took Liara's hands. "You may have given me the title, but I will always see this as a partnership. So, whenever you're done doing whatever it is you're doing up in space with your sayna-"

"She is not my sayna!" snapped Liara in embarrassment. She turned away, facing the window briefly. "At least, not yet."

"Trust me, I see it in you two. You're going to go far together," said Serraia reassuringly. "Now, I'd like you to properly introduce me to her this time. Without my secrets and you pulling the rug out from under me," she said with a smirk.

Balcony – T'Soni Estate – Thessia

Shepard continued to sit outside and stare up at the two moons above her. No matter how many times she saw them up close, she would never grow tired of staring at them, whether from Earth, Thessia, or other words. Moons were one of her favorite things in the galaxy. They were so relaxing and glorious as they shined in the night sky.

She even found her eyes getting heavy lidded as she lay back in the chair, finally back in her own clothing. It was almost hypnotizing to her to see the stars and the moons above with the sea breeze gently caressing her skin and hair. However, awoke again as she heard someone open the door to the balcony. Turning her head, she saw Liara exit, also back in her Normandy clothes. This time, she had Serraia following her.

Spinning in the chair, she took her crossed feet off the balcony railing and planted them on the ground. "Hey there!" she greeted the maiden, who smiled at her. Then her eyes shifted to Serraia, and they were less than enthused. "Hi."

"Jane, you've already met Lady Serraia," said Liara as she stepped aside.

"We've… met," said the spectre as she stood up out of respect for the woman.

"I want to apologize, Spectre. The last time we met, I kept most of myself hidden from you for obvious reasons. I was hoping we could start again," she said as she stared into Shepard's green eyes. The spectre turned and looked at Liara who nodded to her.

Huffing, the woman nodded. "Look, I know you had your reasons to be angry, but I don't like what you did to Liara in there. I don't like that you tried to make a public spectacle in order to get back at her," she said, and Serraia bowed her head.

"I know, Shepard. It was childish of me to scheme like this. And I wish to apologize for including you in that as well," she said as she looked back up at her.

"As long as Liara loves you, I'm at least required to be on good terms. So, fine. Let's do this," she said as she stood straight. Serraia reached forward and grabbed her hips, and Shepard did the same. The pair of them planted their foreheads together, and once more Shepard felt a rush of emotions from the woman. But unlike last time, this wasn't a stream. It was a collapsing dam. She felt everything, anger, sadness, loneliness, depression, and then joy, happiness, love, affection, and contentment. It was them that she felt as if a warm glow had enveloped her. Looking up at the woman, she found her smiling with contentment.

"You are special, Jane. Not just to the galaxy, but to Liara. You have a great destiny ahead of you, both of you do," said Serraia as she released Shepard. As soon as she let go, the spectre plopped down in her seat, almost stunned. She had felt every emotion the woman had experienced from Liara's birth, all the way to her leaving. It was only slightly overwhelming, but at the same time she found herself understanding entirely.

"Jane, are you well?" asked Liara curiously.

"Yeah…" said the redhead with a grin. "Sorry, I just kinda spaced out there."

"I hope in the future, we can continue as partners rather than adversaries. This home, this estate, will always have a place for both of you. You have my word on this," she said as she gave a much more formal bow than usual.

It made Shepard slightly uncomfortable to be hammed up this much, but she just nodded. "I… we appreciate it," responded Shepard as she stood next to Liara.

"Now, if there's anything you need before you two leave tomorrow, let me know. In the meantime, I have a lot of business to take care of," she said as she aimed a playful glare at Liara.

When she was gone, Shepard turned to the asari and eyed her curiously. "So… I guess you guys made up then?"

Smiling serenely, Liara nodded. "We have an understanding now."

"Glad to hear it," said Shepard as she gazed at the woman. "I do have to say, Ms. T'Soni, you not being a rich, fabulous yranessa anymore sure is a bummer!"

Liara looked over at Shepard for a moment, her eyes wide. But when she saw the smile, she snorted and looked out over the balcony. "I suppose that means you'll have to find a richer asari. Perhaps she will take my place on the Normandy, help you sleep at night, and assist you with prothean findings." Shepard laughed loudly at the response, making Liara smile more.

Standing up, Shepard spun Liara around, causing her to gasp in surprise before gripping her hips gently. After a moment, the asari reached forward and returned the affection. Their foreheads rested together as the redhead stared at her with confidence. "Never."

CODEX ENTRIES

Nah'savo s'a…| Translation | Asari Alai
Asari Alai is a language filled with stop and flowing letters common to only one other species in the galaxy, humans. Their compatibility with language was startling when it was first discovered. This greeting translates as, "You may know me as," implying that the person is giving you their current name. Asari names commonly change over the course of their lives, so this greeting is appropriate.

Se'la? | Translation | Asari Alai
This word is the equivalent of a human asking, "And you?" It can be used in many situations, whether asking someone for their opinion on something, or asking someone to reciprocate an offering of names.

Tosva 'a lavassa | Translation | Asari Alai
If an asari ever offers this gesture in your direction, be assured she is not speaking highly of you. The Tosva is a yak-like animal native to Thessia that is slow to move, but powerful. However, in asari society, it is common practice to call people perceived as stupid "Tosva brains." This word is synonymous with ignorance in Asari Alai.

Naitara Blade | Weapon | Asari
A blade created millennia ago and used to harness the asari's innate biotic abilities. Though commonly used for ceremonial purposes, many on Thessia and asari colony worlds are still taught to use them. The blade, straight and double-sided, is commonly made of titanium and inlaid with yvalice crystals. The sheath itself is made almost entirely of the crystal substance. Historically, an asari using the weapon would use both the blade and sheath as weapons, the blade to cut and impale, and the sheath to enhance biotic melee attacks.