Xera'Raan vas Neema, SR-2 Normandy, Medical Bay

To most people, reading medical charts was considered boring. Sure, it could be tedious, and they usually lacked a coherent narrative, but she found it relaxing. And when it was on a xeno-diverse ship like the Normandy, it got downright enjoyable. But times like this moment, it was downright riveting.

"What are the odds of having two genetically engineered super-beings on one ship?" Xera chuckled, glancing over at the human chief medical officer. One Karin Chakwas. She was tall, thin, had a very interesting accent, and a fun sense of humor. And even older, she was a strikingly handsome woman.

"Well, considering the end goal of this mission, I would think it to be a bit more than even," Chakwas smirked. "They are both fascinating subjects. Whom are you reading into?"

"Lawson," Xera shrugged lightly as she waved the datapad over her head. "She asked me to look into her immune system and allergic responses versus accidental exposure to dextro-amino acids. She says it has to do with having three dextros aboard and potential food cross contamination."

"You don't sound convinced," Chakwas raised an eyebrow.

"Hardly," Xera snorted. "Foods for Tali and me are sealed. Unless they burst or something, there is no chance of it being an issue. Besides, they, like Garrus's, are all stored in a specific, separate place. No...I think it has to do with all the time she has spent helping Garrus 'calibrate' things."

"Really, now?" Chakwas snickered. "That would explain why she didn't come to me. She probably assumed that your being new here would mean you would fall for it."

"Right?" Xera frowned slightly. "I'm almost insulted. I mean- Wait." Xera paused her skimming to go back a few pages, reading them again before turning to Chakwas. "Doc Chakwas...is this Lawson's complete medical history?"

"Karin," the doctor frowned. "Or I'm calling you Doctor Raan. And, as far as I know, why?"

"Fair enough, Karin," Xera smiled for a moment. This was a nice human. And smart. It wasn't often she got to talk shop like this. "But when Lawson asked for the check over, I figured I would do a quick DNA run, since she is engineered, I was curious how she differed."

Karin's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm guessing you found something unusual?"

"Yeah….I think so, here," leaning over, Xera passed the pad to Karin. "Look at markers thirty-two D, and twelve F. While you do that, I'm gonna check with Lawson."

Slightly concerned now, Karin took the pad and began reading as Xera opened her omnitool.

"What can I do for you, Miss Raan?" Miranda answered promptly.

"Oh, hey, I was wondering, are the medical reports we have current and complete?" Xera tilted her head and making herself sound interested and profesional. She hated being professional.

"Yes?" Miranda frowned slightly. "Why do you ask?"

"Eh, nothing too important," Xera shifted her tone to be more casual. "Just some allele mismatching. Probably something in the scanner. You mind if I get another sample?"

"Um," Miranda looked off screen for a moment before turning back and shrugging. "Sure. Come by my office. I was just going over some requisition work with Garrus anyway. Tali's shield mods are expensive and all."

"Right, right," Xera smirked, fully abusing the fact that her visor hid her features. "I'll come by in say...ten minutes?"

"Ten sounds good," Miranda smiled with a nod.

Signing off, Xera spun her chair around to look at Karin.

The human doctor's lips were pursed as she scowled back at Xera. "This...is interesting. I'm not sure how I missed it," she admitted.

Rolling her eyes, Xera waved a hand. "Probably because you are human and had no reason to look there. I'm curious in general and not being human meant I was looking with fresh eyes. Either way, I'm going to get another sample from Lawson and run it through the scanner."

"Good idea," karin nodded as she tapped the pad on the table next to her. "Maybe take it to Mordin as well. I want to get his input."

"Good ideas yourself," Xera smirked. "Now, should I actually wait ten minutes before barging in? Or should I go early and see if I can catch them doing anything exciting?"

"You're just awful!" Karin laughed shaking her head. Then, suddenly, she became extremely serious. "Go early. Always go early."

"Ha, ha!"

Garrus Vakarian, SR-2 Normandy, XO's Office

"Medical?" Garrus asked, concern clear in his voice. "Something wrong?"

"Oh, no, nothing important," Miranda smiled. But it was that kind of smile that meant 'it is important, but I'm not telling you so that things can go terribly wrong later and will probably become a huge mess of drama' type of smiles.

"Uh...it's important enough that you're having the crazy quarian doctor come for a 'new sample'." Garrus made those little finger quotes he had seen humans doing. And Tali, now that he thought about it.

"Oh...right," Miranda blinked for a moment, the smile leaving her eyes, but not her face. It was more that a little...eerie. And he had gone drinking with Shepard and Wrex, together. So he knew weird and eerie. "Well...she...is into xeno-medicine, and heard that I was...engineered. So she wanted to take a look."

Garrus's eyes narrowed as he noticed her eyes darting to a pad in front of her every few words. A glance down,and a quick flick of his visor turning the text around and he knew she was glancing at Xera'Raan's personnel file. Or, Cerberus's version anyway.

"I suppose we should look over the requisition paperwork for the heavy ship armor Jacob thought up, so we can calibrate its oscillation with the reflection of the moon on Tuchankah- You're not really paying attention, are you?" Garrus chuckled as he shook his head a little. Honestly, whatever was going on, might just be worth it just to see Miranda's expression at that moment. Her eyes popped wide, her face went slack, color even drained from her face. Which was amazing! He would never get tired of seeing humans doing that.

Humans also had such weird faces, all squishy and..meaty. It stretched into such interesting expressions. There was absolutely no redeeming features for a turian, when it came to human faces. Or physically, in general. Except, Miranda had….something. And whatever it was, it was very interesting. It made him want to look at it more.

*Beep*

"Shit," Miranda gave herself a shake as her eyes snapped to the door. "Bitch is early!" Quickly, in almost the blink of an eye, Miranda turned, maybe, two degrees. Her hair dropped into position just so. She picked up a pad, tossing it to Garrus, and picked one up for herself, at the exact moment everything fell into place for 'Work Miranda'. "Come," she said calmly. Authoritatively.

Almost before the word was out of Miranda's mouth, the door opened, releasing Xera into the room.

"Hello!" Xera bounced in, medical case in hand and an overly cheerful tone in her voice. "How you guys doing? You look like you're having fun! Are you? Having fun, I mean?"

"Umm," Garrus shared a look with Miranda. "Yes?"

"Great!" Xera waved her free hand in the air as she skipped to the desk, depositing her case on the desk and opening it with a flourish. "So sorry about this little mix-up."

"Yes…" Miranda blinked, taken aback. "It's fine. Did you get any of my...requests, taken care of?"

"Oh!" Xera looked up as she brandished her sample tool. "Partially. I'm having to compare it to a baseline so I know what I'm looking at. Interestingly, the Normandy is short on standard humans. Little pinch."

A small frown wrinkled Miranda's brow as Xera pressed her tool against human's arm and triggering the device. "But you did get some?"

"Yup! I got a sample from that Gerald guy, and the guy from engineering. Don't remember his name," Xera shrugged, stowing the tool back in her case."Either way, I'm impressed by the genetic work."

"Well, Father did pay for the best," a dark look crossed Miranda's face. "For me and my sister."

Pausing for a moment, Xera actually took on a serious tone. "I heard about that. John...mmm," Xera growled quietly. "Shepard's working on it. If he's good for anything, it's pulling rescue missions."

"Heh, that's a good point," Miranda smiled weakly. "But don't let me keep you from your work."

"Sure thing!" Xera snapped back to her usual demeanor as she collected her gear and spun for the door. Then pausing in the doorway, she held up a hand. "If you're gonna play it casual, Garrus, you should probably hold the datapad right side up!"

Garrus's hand slapped over his eyes. "Sterkre….

John, SR-2 Normandy, Conference Room

"Okay knuckleheads, fall in," John yawned widely as he entered the room. He had a steaming mug of a thick, warm tea that Hestalia had introduced him to. It was his favorite, as it mixed well with honey and had as much caffeine as a mug of coffee. And didn't taste like ass the way coffee did.

"So, word I got is we're stopping at Illium?" Zaeed's raspy voice spoke up first.

"We are," Miranda confirmed, bringing up a holo of the planet. "Illium is just on the Terminus side of the border with Asari space. As such, technically, it isn't an Asari world at all, and is run by corporations, much like Novaria."

"Yeah, less snow but more assholes," Garrus snarked in. "Seriously, I've heard bad things about the place. Like, sign nothing. Laws here are designed with the corporation's interests at heart. Wrong more and you are in slavery."

"It's not slavery," Xera chuckled. "It's Indentured Servitude. But seriously, don't sign stuff. It's a trap many quarians fall into during their Pilgrimages."

"It's also full of rich, pampered assholes," John added, before looking at Grunt and Jack. "Which is why you two are staying on the ship until we need to break stuff."

"Pff, whatever," Jack spun her middle finger in the air.

"I like breaking stuff, Grunt nodded with an overly serious look on his face.

"Anyway, first thing we are doing is making contact with Liara T'Soni. She was a member of my ground crew on my first rodeo, and now she is an information broker. She should have leads on where we can find the last two dossiers I have to recruit for this madcap adventure," John took a pull from his mug before setting it down and looking over his team. "Liara should also be able to give us inel on our first priority mission. Some bad people are moving on Miranda's sister, and we are shutting them down. Miranda?"

*ahem* Miranda cleared her throat uncomfortably. "It's not a secret that I was genetically engineered…"

"You don't exactly let us forget it, Cheerleader," Jack smirked.

"Anyway," Miranda shot Jack a glare, but seemed to ignore the biotic's comment. "I wasn't the first version he made, just the one that didn't fail in some way. And I wasn't the last, there was a backup. And that was my twin sister Orianna. I say twin, because we are genetically identical, but she was grown after I was. I think my father noticed my hesitations and planned ahead. When I was approached by the Illusive Man, he promised he could get me out and find a place to hide my sister."

"That's one way to ensure loyalty," Zaeed grunted. "But then this Illusive Prick seems like that kind of fuck job."

"Yes, well," Miranda looked at the table for a moment before blinking away the beginnings of tears. "Somehow my father has gotten a lead as to her location. She is an amazing girl. She was given to a good family. I've arranged to get them off Illium under the guise of a job transfer. So, with luck, I just need to keep an eye on them until they get off world."

"Like that ever works," Xera chuckled, her hands behind her head. "Nothing has been easy this whole trip, and I've only been on the Normandy for one full mission."

"Which is why we are organizing now," John cut in. "I'm going down with Garrus and Tali to see Liara. Miranda, you take Jacob and Zaeed, see if you can get casual eyes on Oriana."

"Sounds good, Shepard," Miranda traded a look with her teammates.

"I'm leaving Jack and Grunt here, but I want you on standby for when shit goes sideways," John looked to his terror-twins. "I'm also leaving Xera here for emergency drops."

"Sweet!" Grunt wrapped his fist on the table. "Didn't really want to go down there with nothing to punch anyway."

"Yeah, weird siding with the turtle, but I'm on his side," Jack nodded as she leaned back in her chair. "Besides, it'll give me and the shrimp to get some...alone time…"

"Flattery with get you in my suit everytime," Xera giggled, giving the convict a wink.

"Anyway," John continued. "Kasumi, I want you to...well, just be you. See what you can dig up and find. I'll pass you a copy of the dosieres and what I have of Miranda's family situation. Seek and destroy!"

"Aye, aye, Cap'n," Kasumi saluted with a sly grin.

"Right, you got your jobs. Gear up and be ready, we should be hitting Illium atmo in about two hours," John picked up his mug and gave the team a small wave with it as he turned and headed out. He was going to need more than one tea if he was going to be any sort of coherent animal.

Tali, Illium Docks

"Incoming," Garrus said quietly as he, John and Tali made their way, alone, down the gangway.

Just before the Normandy entered Illium's atmosphere, the two drop shuttles disembarked to land at separate docks, all the better to spread out the teams for their individual missions.

But now, the three of them were being met by an asari with an unnaturally happy smile. And four armed security mechs.

"Hello! And welcome to Illium!" the well dressed woman stopped around twenty feet from the team and bowed slightly.

"Do you normally greet people weapons drawn?" John raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Oh, of course not!" the woman laughed. "But you do have a bit of a reputation Commander, and it's better to be safe."

"She's got a point," Tali nudged John with her elbow. "I'm not convinced we have ever had a shore landing that didn't end up with people being shot. Or blown up."

"Usually you, Boss," Garrus snickered as John rolled his eyes.

"Ignoring tweedle dee and tweedle dum, what can I do for you, miss…" John smiled politely, if slightly pained, at the asari.

"Oh, my apologies!" The asari smiled with another small bow. "My name is Careena, and I work for the Nos Astra Docking facilities. I am here to inform you that all administration and docking fees are being covered by Liara T'Soni. And, as a personal favor, I would like to mention that she would love to speak with you. Her offices are just across the trading floor, one level up."

"Huh," John shared a quick look between Garrus, and Tali. "Well, that's convenient. I was planning to see her anyway."

"Wonderful!" Careena smiled widely. I will inform her you are on your way!"

A Few Minutes Later

"That wasn't creepy at all," Tali muttered as the small group worked their way through the trading floor, where fortunes were being won and lost.

"Oh, I don't know," Garrus shrugged as he half turned to allow a rather irritated looking volus push past him. "Seeing such a thin veneer of civility over such a seething mass of thresher dung kinda makes you appreciate how straight forward Omega is."

Shaking her head, Tali just sighed. "The Migrant Fleet isn't allowed within a certain distance of Illium. When I left the Fleet for my Pilgrimage, Nos Astra was my pod's first stop. Within a day, Jerakal'Pranna nar Grelmak earned almost enough money on the trading floor to buy a new ship as his Gift."

"Hell, that sounds kind of amazing," Garrus's brow plates lifted. "But for some reason I assume the story doesn't have a happy ending."

"Yeah, no," Tali snorted. "At the last minute he made a couple of bad deals and lost everything. Including the money he had borrowed to start the whole thing. He ended up with an indentured servitude contract. If he manages to avoid penalties, he should be able to work his debt off in about fifteen standard years."

"No sentient should ever be in slavery," John frowned. Tali could feel the anger within him. And then, for a split second, it was like she could see a small colony. It burned in the twilight. There was a small of burned flesh, and the laugh of…

"Tali!" John half yelled as he gripped her arm, half holding her up as she stumbled. "Are you alright?"

"I...yes, yes," Tali looked herself over once as she stood up. She even ran a quick diagnostic through her HUD. "Sorry, got distracted for a moment."

John frowned at her for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Last thing we need is for you to accidently kick somebody and end up owing them the Normandy drive core."

"They would have to pry it from my cold, dead bulkheads," Edi spoke up through the comms.

There was a short pause as John raised an eyebrow at Tali before Edi spoke again. "That was also a joke."

"Yes, Edi, I gathered," John smirked. "You are getting better there."

"...Thank you, Commander," Edi almost sounded...embarrassed?

"Oh, my Blue Rose of Illium. Let your roots grow deep into the hot soil of Tuchanka…." an booming voice carried over the crowd as John opened his mouth to speak.

"Let our scorching sun, and sleeting rain turn your supple beauty into strength…"

"Boss...I...I gotta know…" Garrus smirked like a little kid as he pushed his way through the small crowd that gathered.

Following Garrus, Tali and John pushed through to see a horribly blushing asari woman working a store counter. She was turned away from the krogan that stood close to twenty feet away, spouting rather...well….horrible poetry.

"For if our love is to survive, it must grow thorns to peirce that hand of any that would uproot it…."

Tali felt the amusement bubble up in John as an idea clicked into his head. "John…" she started, her fingertips gripping his belt. "What are you going to do… You have that look again…."

"Tali, I'm surprised at you," John fought a clearly losing battle to keep the grin off his face. "How could you see such love being professed if such a way, and not be moved to help?"

"Right, Boss," Garrus deadpanned. "And which side are you going to help?"

Letting the grin spread across his face, John gripped Tali's hand in his as he started for the store. "Easy Garrus. I'll help the side that needs help."

At John's touch, Tali felt that little jolt of electricity. She felt the burst of joy from her soul that her other half was with her.

Still, however, she saw the looks they were given. She heard the little whispers from the crowd.

"Suit rat." "She must have something on him." "Probably a scam."

Inhaling, Tali released John's hand, letting herself drop a step behind him as she fiddled with a strap on her suit, trying to hide her actions. But it was the little stab of pain in her heart that she felt from John when she let go, that cut her.

John, Illium Trade Floor

"Hello! Welcome to Memories of Illium, my name is Ereba, how may I help you," Ereba gave John a tight smile, while doing her best to seem professional.

"Blue Rose of Illium, you have blossomed in a tower of glass and plastic."

"You seem to have an admirer?" John raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you need something done about it?"

"What?" Ereba looked confused then surprised. "Oh! No! No, it's...it's fine." With a sigh, Ereba let the exhaustion wash over her face. "We've been seeing each other for a while. Char is a wonderful guy. It's just…"

John put a gentle smile on his face as he tilted his head slightly. "Just?" he prompted.

Letting out a breath, Ereba shrugged slightly. "Well, it's just, we have gotten a little more serious. Children came up recently, and he said he would love them no matter what color they were."

"Sounds like a dedicated male to me," John nodded. "You seem to be a bit hesitant."

"I..well…" Ereba frowned and looked down at the counter as she fidgeted. "What...what if he just is with me because he can have children? What if it isn't because he actually cares? Maybe I'm just a way around the Genophage to him?"

"But beauty under glass is untested and weak."

Glancing over at Char, then back to Ereba, he shrugged. "Well, he seems to be crazy for you. I mean, he's spouting really, really bad poetry at you."

With another blush, Ereba giggled into her hands. "He did something like this when he first asked me out. It's...adorable!"

"So...listen, you also care for him a great deal. And you either trust him, and you know what to do. Or you don't trust him, and you still have your answer," John looked at her seriously. "Just don't let the feelings of other people dictate your heart." At the last, John glanced back at Tali with a small smile.

Ereba's eyes widened slightly as she glanced between John and Tali, as she bit her lip. Then she looked down again, letting out a long breath. "You're right. I do love him. I'm just letting my self doubts get in the way." Looking back up, Ereba took John's hand for a moment with a grateful nod. "Thank you very much. Look...it isn't much, but I can give you my employee discount at the shop. I'll...I'll go talk to him."

As the three member team made their way up the stairs toward Liara's office, Garrus clapped John on the shoulder with a chuckle. "Look at Mister Smooth," the turian gave him a little shake. "Not content with saving the galaxy, you also want to help repopulate it."

"Eh," John shrugged, doing his best to keep up a cheerful front, even as Tali walked silently behind the pair. "That is the kind of thing this is all for Garrus. If there isn't love, hope in this galaxy, what exactly is the point?"

Garrus had no answer for him. Instead, he just looked ahead, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

"Greetings, my name is Nyxeris, and I am Miss T'Soni's assistant. Do you have an appointment?" The asari seated behind the desk gave a business-like smile as John walked into the small room.

"No, I do not," John admitted. "But Liara will want to see us."

Nyxeris scowled slightly as one of her hands dipped below her desk. "Sir, if you don't have an appointment, I'm afraid I will have to ask you to leave."

"Wait, wait, wait," Garrus sighed as he stepped in front of John. "I'm sorry for my friend here, he's been dead until recently, and has kinda forgotten how words work. What he meant to say, is that Liara and I are good friends. Could you please mention that the dashing rogue, Garrus Vakarian, and company are here?"

"What?" Nyxeris's eyes widened as she looked between the three people. "Oh! My! I'm so sorry! You're Commander Shepard! You...you are much earlier than I expected."

"You were expecting me?" John scowled slightly as Nyxeris twitched ever so slightly. In fact, if he wasn't so used to asari body language, he probably would have missed it.

"Yes, Miss T'Soni said to let you go right in when you arrived," Nyxeris covered with a weak smile as she gestured to the door.

John looked at the asari for a moment before nodding. Turning to the door, John looked at two of his greatest friends in the galaxy. Hopefully, Liara would still be one of them.

As the doors opened, they stepped into a well furnished office. The view from the window overlooked the sales floor, as they had been told, but it also had an amazing view of the city of Nos Astra itself.

Standing in front of the window, facing out, Liara stood. She held her omnitool's comm to her ear as she held up her other hand, index finger raised.

"I expect you to pay promptly, Mister Kellor. Have you ever faced a squad of asari commando's," Liara's voice was cold and sharp as a blade as she spoke the words her mother had spoken to them, not so long ago. "Few humans have. Yes. Yes, thank you Mister Kellor."

As her omnitool turned off, Liara spun around to face John. She looked...the same. Even the wide warm smile that spread across Liara's face as she quickly crossed the room, and took John into her arms, hugging him tightly. Then, stepping back ever so slightly, she raised up on her toes, kissing him.

From behind, Tali snarled deeply….

Turian Lexicon

Sterkre- Turian for a piece of shit.