After the faux Eezo poisoning incident Shepard chose to cancel any remaining activities for the night. The Salarians with help from a Quarian or two managed to rig up a mini blood purifier for Erane Yeul and the groups biotics who got the worst of it. Armelsta stayed behind at the Ursa Major with his charge; saying she needed to sleep and 'decompress from today's happenings'. Dr. Chakwas confirmed that little else was necessary do to the floatstone's relative impurity as a salt compound. Bed rest and clean water is all the girl required.
Thebe apologized profusely. She wanted to make it up to everyone by giving them a tour of the Clan Icon hall. Most wanted to turn in for the night and were led to the castle's guest rooms by Orian's assistant. At the moment only Shepard, Miranda, Kalius, D'aris and Nura took the Queen up on her offer.
This hall was smaller and less gaudy. Filled with statues of Raloi from centuries past. War heroes, peace brokers and inventors were most prominently displayed in museum nooks containing timely backdrops. The darker corners housed cautionary displays of villains and madmen.
"Here we have the infamous Ganyuma of Yadan. He was born a crafter, but when his home town came under attack this once simple chef took up arms and aided the militia in their defense." A stone carving showed him firing a trio of handguns while piercing a enemy with a sword. "Ganyuma rose to a high rank in the Yadan military as both a master strategist and brutal combatant. He claimed war to be the greatest of arts. Unfortunately after the war ended his need to continue this art form did not. He started a cult that harassed nearby countries for over a decade. Ganyuma was located, captured and put to death by the Yadan council after orchestrating a nerve gas bombing in clear opposition to the ban on indiscriminate weapons. Sadly descendants of his cult still see bloodshed as high art. The atomic bombing of Jebuk were their handiwork."
Alhena offered a stern smile. "That will be all for tonig-"
"Not yet. They are to see the royal section." Thebe interrupted.
"My Queen, you can not truly mean this! Showing it to anyone not of royal blood is sacrilege."
Orian perked up at his sister's annoyance. "Mother agrees with me that our guests are to be exempt from such laws as they may possess information pertaining to what we know about the ancient ones."
Nura chuckled. "You mean the protheans. Their the ones that built your towers. Anything those four-eyes leave behind are seriously valuable. Hell, just a half demolished observation post in the human's system got them a council ambassador."
Thebe walked forward to the hall's end and depressed a series of knots in the wood paneling. Stone ground as a section of wall pulled back then slid aside. The hidden room held several odd technological objects. liquid orbs, floating metal shards and large crystals that balanced on needle like points. At the back stood five distinct works of art. First was a cave painting of some creature resembling a lobster stepping out from a triangle with wavy lines underneath. Second were pictographs of a winged person inside an oval made of hexagons. Next was a wooden idol of a four armed bug with clockwork all around. Then a stone statue of a long limbed reptile which hung from the ceiling. Last, a tapestry showing a green gun wielding humanoid with four eyes and an elongated carapace covered head.
"Well that last one is Prothean, but the others..." Shepard was at a loss for why they had so many different aliens.
Queen Thebe took position in front and waved her hand from left to right. "Yadan, Ragnal, Dwara, Vukoma, Jebuk. Centuries ago we believed them to be lost castes who sacrificed themselves to give us knowledge. Each one had a star named after them which play greatly into our culture. During the last royal line when we began to truly invest in astronomy, a few scientists proposed that these being may have been not of this world." She sighed deeply. "They were put to death for blasphemy, and their research burned. All that is left you see here; locked away from the people 'For their own piece of mind' as my great grandfather once said."
Shepard knew the question would raise some eyebrows but she had to know. "May I take a few scans? I have a friend that specialises in ancient civilizations." She received a confused look from the Queen.
Orian clarified the request for his mother. "Scanning allows them to record numerous forms of data from an item."
"Only if you can guarantee that no damage will come from the act."
"Commander Shepard please refrain from using any high energy wavelengths as they may age the dyes." When the Spectre's omnitool activated Alhena's sword arm rose to her back. "It's just a tool dear sister. From all I have learned this last day I can promise you that if the Starlings wished to destroy us, they could have done so from their spaceship long ago." He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Shepard pulled up the T'soni suite and set it to low power. After Sovereign's defeat Liara managed to obtain multiple grants for setting up a long term archaeology base on Ilos. She became a recognizable name among Asari scholars for her discoveries. Serrice Council took notice and made her a deal for an advanced analysis program. Fans of orange waved over the artifacts and cataloged each in near perfect digital replicas.
"Commander Shepard, I mentioned a deal earlier. The clan leaders are prepared to offer you our world's full cooperation in this 'Uplifting' program. Yet as Queen I can not allow myself to be bought with honeyed words and trinkets; wonderful though they may be. We Raloi have a tradition to ensure lasting friendships. Both individuals perform a task deemed equal to one another. If you take my son to these most holy stars so he may leave offerings and let him safely explore to his heart's content." Thebe stood tall and proud with a slight blush. "Then I shall take you as my husband."
D'aris burst into laughter
"M-mother, Shepard is a female human. You can tell from the shape of her chest." Orian looked mortified.
The Queen put on a pair of spectacles she hid in her gown and moved to the Commander's side. "Oh, now I see. My sincerest apology. I did not notice your mammary glands."
The Matriarch now hung off Nura's shoulder and feudally gasped for breath while Shep struggled with her urge to pummel the blue woman.
"No matter. Once you cross the boundary of species, gender means little." Thebe was not discouraged by this sudden change.
Shep desperately needed a way to let the Queen down lightly "I think that as a representative of the Council such an arrangement would be a conflict of interest. I also spend most of my time on dangerous assignments all over the galaxy. Perhaps there's something else you can do?"
An awkward silence grew as Thebe tried hard to think of some action equal to becoming co-ruler of Turvess. "Bring my son back and I shall with my own four hands mine enough floatstone to fill your shuttle."
D'aris went silent and Miranda made a face like she just saw an Elcor do a backflip. Even the stoic Kalius gave a whistle.
Shepard just stared at the regal avian. She wasn't a greedy woman, but she was vengeful. The amount of credits that much Eezo would sell for plus her Spectre status, could fund a galaxy wide search for those sons of bitches that killed nearly all her crew a year ago. "You have a deal."
"Splendid!" Thebe popped back to her happy-go-lucky self and shook the Commander's hand with all of her's. "Dumpling please head upstairs and start packing. You'll need leggings, your good sandals; the comfortable ones not the cute ones-actually take both."
"Mother?"
"Lots of tunics; nothing with holes! Gloves to keep your hands warm-Oh your winter things of course; I think you told me once that space was very cold."
"Mother."
"As a matter of fact take your swim clothes; one of the Starling guards told me most Asari worlds have wonderful beaches. Not the shear ones though; I don't want some random blue hussy getting tempted to do that mating touch hypnosis thing on you."
"Thebe!"
The Queen snapped out of her mother-hen spiel. "I may not be quite Ahlena's equal in self-reliance, but I am certainly capable of packing my own travel bag. I also believe Matriarch D'aris deserves an apology for your previous statement."
"No. She's got a point, but mating takes way more than a simple touch." She gave Orian a once over and grinned.
"Well then I guess you'll just need something to defend yourself with. Sweetheart please hand your little brother Sigil."
The robust bird looked at her mother like she had been asked to prance nude through the castle. "What?! No! I will not relinquish our clan's royal weapon just so my layabout of a brother can do nothing with it as he galivants through the heavens. It would leave us open to attacks from others."
"That is not something you have to worry about dear. I have already decried an executive order to the clan leaders. There will be no wars until the Council representatives have left Turvess under punishment of execution." Alhena was as taken aback by the comment as the none Raloi. "This is the most important event in history. I shall allow nothing to jeopardize our future."
"Rulers only get one executive order in a lifetime. It only lasts a few months, but is strictly inforced and can not be overruled." Orian explained.
The warrior reluctantly loosened a buckle on her scabbard's strap before handing it over. "Don't hurt yourself with it, ok shrimp." She helped the smaller avian fasten the nearly equal sized blade on his hip. "You still remember how to adjust it right?"
Orian carefully drew the wide sword. Strangely enough it resembled a mass relay; complete with a hollow fuller and a large metal-ringed glowing blue gemstone at the blade's base. Its tines colored gold with tarnished silver cross-guard and pommel. He lifted the weapon like it weighed nothing and examined the many intricate lines on the blade.
Kalius took a closer look. "Those are blood-etchings correct? Raloi are vanabins. That means their blood is yellow, toxic and slightly more acidic than earth's what-do-you-call-them. Limons? Each marking represents the first kill of the owner."
"This blade has been used by every royal family member in our clan for thousands of years." The Prince elaborated as he twisted a few section of the sword's gemstone ring then pulling its pommel. The handle extended while the blade collapsed into a smaller version of itself. With an adjustment of the scabbard everything fit right into place.
Nura pointed at the weapon with a smile. "Yep that's Prothean tech; they built the mass relays and that looks a lot like one of them." Shepard decided to let the gravelly voiced woman stay in ignorance; jumping on her Reaper soapbox would accomplish nothing anymore.
"Mind if I take a couple swings with it kid?" The Krogan asked with a surprising amount of politeness.
"It can not be wielded by any but a gifted member of Vukoma." Orian said handing over the sword tip down. The instant he let go Nura was pulled over as the blade dug an inch into the solid stone floor. Try as she might the mighty reptile could do no more than wiggle the sword in its spot.