Notes: I realized, compliments of FF reader/reviewer Theodur, that the timeline for the last few chapters wasn't very clear, seeing as my pace shifted significantly. In the story description, I warned of time-jumps and such, but have given you no way to know when that happens. As such, I have gone back through the first few chapters and added date references, which will be included from here on out. The first 4 chapters spanned nearly 3 weeks, from 16 Jun – 5 July 2188… and then, chapters 5 and 6 were all on the 5th, and chapter 7 started with Liara waking on the morning of 6 July 2188. Chapter 8 resumes on the afternoon of that same day… Sorry for any confusion this change of pace may have caused and, rest assured, our primary couple has not ignored the death of one of their own, Molia Tressi.

Ajrakila - identified with the aspect of Athame Rala, the warrior goddess and patron of huntresses

CGC - Center for Galactic Cooperation

Ionúin Álainn - beautiful beloved (Gaelic)

LEAP - League of Earth Alliance Patriots

Nara - literally "bearer"; one who shoulders another's burden, aids others (Thessian/Source: CDN)

SILC - Synthetic Intelligence Life Codes (previously known as Geth)

XO - Executive Officer

For Better or Worse

T'Soni Country Estate, Armali Republic, Thessia – 6 Jul 2188

After a late lunch, Liara called a meeting in the commando commons area for everyone who was currently present at the Estate – together with Mozia, Aethyta, and their Team 2 commandos including Alestia Tressi, as well as the entire crew of the Knight Shade. Fala Veya, the surviving Estate Team 1 commando who had been captured along with Shepard and Molia Tressi, also attended and, looking surprisingly well, spoke first. She told her story about the capture, of the sickening feeling in her stomach as she watched Captain Shepard go down... and how, by random chance, she was the one left behind in the slave cages by Lieutenant Clarissa Garia.

"Once they took Molia away, I was very pointedly informed by a rather crude Batarian that Jona Sederis was keeping me around for the singular purpose of Shepard's follow-on torture sessions... perhaps later that same day but, more likely, the next." Her focus shifted to the Spectre as she continued, "And, if Shepard proved weak and did not survive the encounter, I would no longer be of any use to Sederis." If Samantha hadn't been closely watching the commando's eyes, she would have missed the quick flash of revulsion that preceded her next sentence. "The way he leered at me made me immediately understand there was a fate far worse than death ahead of me… and it made my blood run cold."

Her eyes shifted back to Liara and the crew of the Knight Shade. "I know I owe not only my life but also my sanity to each and every one of you." A visible tremor ran through Fala's body as she glanced at her mistress and finished, "I shudder to think what would have happened had you not followed so quickly. I owe every one of you a debt of life."

"No, Fala... you don't." The Spectre glanced around at everyone present and, knowing she was going against deeply embedded Asari culture, she continued, "Our rescue was a team effort and that's what teams do. That's what friends do." Shepard hesitated and her gaze dropped to the floor for a moment before rising again to seek Liara's approval.

Liara was somewhat taken aback when it suddenly dawned on her that Shepard was seeking permission... not from herIonúin Álainn, but in deference to Lady T'Soni. Liara smiled and nodded in approval, saying aloud, "Yes. Say what you are thinking, Captain."

With the group unsure of exactly what had just transpired between their leading couple, the brief silence was deafening until Shepard spoke softly, breaking the uneasy quiet. "I know you all feel deeply about this tradition... and I won't keep any of you from making such vows with persons you don't normally work with... outside of this house. But, within House T'Soni, we will all be working together long enough to tip those scales back and forth many times... too many to keep track of... so I want no talk of such debts." Her voice strengthened and her eyes flashed with conviction as she continued, "As captain, the ultimate responsibility for your safety... for the safety of every member of House T'Soni... is mine and mine alone." Shepard took a deep breath and blew it out as she adjusted to the weight of responsibility that settled squarely upon her shoulders with her words.

"The unfortunate truth of the matter is just how easily we were taken. It was frightening, particularly when Sederis revealed herself to me; I honestly thought I was a dead woman. This incident has demonstrated in no uncertain terms that our security procedures have to change. As both the future father to the heirs of House T'Soni and Captain of the Guard, I can't let something like this happen again. Ever. To anyone who belongs to this house."

"Captain..." Alestia Tressi stood slowly, realizing they had just come full circle. Shepard had once before assumed responsibility for the death of any commando under her charge, after Benezia and her personal commandos, including Daessa Tressi, had been killed on Noveria, and the Spectre had formally been named Captain of the T'Soni Guard. A somber expression on her face, Alestia started again. "Nara... You did not let the kidnapping happen and cannot blame yourself for what transpired... The blame for your capture and Molia's death falls squarely at the feet of Jona Sederis. Huntress Molia died doing what she was there to do... Whether you want to hear it or not... she died protecting you." She shook her head and held up a hand to keep Shepard from speaking. "No. That she was my sister does not change how I feel about this issue."

After briefly looking about herself at the assembled commandos, Alestia continued, "Each of us chose to take the vows of service to House T'Soni. All of us acknowledge and freely accept the risks that come along with those vows or we would not be here. There are many who have left House T'Soni for just that reason but, obviously, neither I nor my sisters fall into that category."

Fala rose to stand at Alestia's side. "I agree… and it is not any different than your conviction to your military service. Had it been necessary, I would have willingly forfeited my life to protect yours, Captain." As Shepard once more went to protest, Fala's objection was more forceful than Alestia's. "No, Captain! That is the primary function of the T'Soni Guard... and, with the evils that still exist in our galaxy, our purpose does not have the luxury of becoming merely ceremonial! Each of us recognizes the hazards and we accept the risks that come with being part of a great house. I will not allow you or your mistaken feelings of guilt to lessen the sacrifices of those we have lost for what we consider a noble cause."

Aethyta's voice rang out, hard and sure. "Agreed... but what Shepard says is also true; our procedures failed us yesterday, resulting in three of our own being taken." She paused and drew a deep breath, standing as she finished, "I honestly believe getting two of the three back was a gift from the Goddess; if Sederis had simply wanted Shepard dead, we would all be in mourning instead of preparing to celebrate a bonding. Next time, we may not be so lucky... so we have to make sure there is no next time."

The Armali Team 2 Lead, Aressa T'Saptos, had risen to stand with Aethyta. "Since the end of the Reaper War, we have relaxed too much. We have become slack and inattentive; it is time to wake up... as it has become dreadfully apparent that threats to our primaries, Lady Liara and Captain Shepard, still exist... in unknown and surprisingly multiple forms; first LEAP and now Sederis. Who knows what other darkness hides within the shadows?" Her voice had gradually picked up strength and increased in volume as she spoke. Now, she raised a fist in the air, glowing slightly of biotics as she shouted out, "We must be ready whenever and in whatever form they may come!"

Sitting on the couch with Liara's steadfast presence at her side, Shepard was overwhelmed at the sudden response to Aressa's words. Every single one of the commandos jumped to their feet and threw a fist into the air, each shouting a favorite battle cry. A single tear trickled down Liara's left cheek as she and Shepard stood with the rest of them. As the shouts died down, Liara squeezed the Spectre's hand and spoke earnestly. "Your passion is noteworthy, but as the new leaders of House T'Soni, we have not yet done anything to earn such devotion..."

She was interrupted by a rather animated objection from Livos Tanni. "Goddess, Liara! You, along with Shepard, rallied the people of the Milky Way to defeat an eons-old synthetic intelligence bent on their next cycle of galactic destruction! If saving all of us by breaking that sequence of death is not enough to warrant our devotion, I don't know what in the blue blazes would be!"

Liara and Shepard both blushed as the field of commandos before them began to laugh – from a combination of the maiden's naivety and the simple reminder that they were all lucky to be alive. Mozia stepped up and gently took their hands. "You are Liara T'Soni, head of House T'Soni, and Samantha Shepard, Spectre and Captain of the T'Soni Guard. While we need no more than that to explain why we do what we do, you are also... simply... good people. Honest, loving, devoted, sincere... and you possess the integrity and vision to make this House even greater. We all recognize it... and I am sure that deep in your hearts, you know it as well."

Shepard closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking out across the crowd. "You all give us entirely too much credit, for we are but two... two people who would have been completely unable to accomplish what we did without your help. Those accolades belong to all of us... but I can understand your intentions, so thank you."

The Estate Guard Captain, Lyria Tremi, stepped forward from the group. "I agree we need to plan a council of all the captains and team leads to decide our way forward... at some point in the very near future... but, tonight we begin the celebration of Molia's life... as well as the safe return of both Fala and Captain Shepard! There is time enough later for business."

They all spent the evening together in the commando commons in remembrance of Molia's life, swapping memories of the events that had comprised her life, combined with the bonds of love and friendship which told the more complete story of a commando who had been with the T'Soni family for more than two hundred years. As evening turned to night, the commandos worked together to prepare Molia's body for burial. The doctors had labored to close the wounds and repair the commando's appearance as best they could, but the trauma Molia had gone through remained evident in spite of all their effort; everyone was relieved when the cleansing was finished and her broken body was mostly covered by the funereal robes.

T'Soni Country Estate, Armali Republic, Thessia – 7 Jul 2188

As the calendar rolled to the next day, their vigil started immediately after midnight and, as a group, the commandos began the Song of the Journey, also known as the mourning chant, to protect the soul of the deceased from the darkness. When the sun finally started to creep above the horizon, everyone but Alestia fell silent, leaving it to her to complete the final verse on her own, invoking the three aspects of Athame she most closely associated with her deceased sister. Her voice choked with grief, Alestia completed the chant, invoking Tylani, for Molia's good humor and endless forgiveness, Artarva for her love of debate and the sharing of ideas, and Rala, the warrior aspect who was always invoked for huntresses.

The commandos sat in reverent silence until the sun was fully revealed above the horizon; then, the Priestess of Athame began to speak. "It is now, upon the winds of the dawn's light, that the soul of Huntress Molia Tressi, loyal comrade and sister-in-arms of House T'Soni, may begin her journey across the seas to join with the Goddess." She looked to Alestia as she continued, "It is time to offer your sister to the Goddess Athame. Have you selected your bearers?"

"I have." Her voice trembling, Alestia turned to the leader of Molia's commando team, Lieutenant Cyenia Axeuss. "As is our tradition, the majority of the bearers will be from my sister's squad from the Estate." Her voice broke as she continued, "Without Molly, there are five remaining; I will be the sixth and take the lead position on the right. Her captain, Lyria Tremi, will serve as the detail commander."

As soon as they were identified, the commandos moved immediately to their respective positions and stood at ease, awaiting the priestess, who would lead the procession, along with Lady Liara, to the awaiting ship. With a reassuring squeeze of her hand from Shepard, Liara walked forward and took her place. As soon as Liara and the priestess stopped side-by-side, Lyria softly commanded, "Ready, lift." Each member called upon their biotics and the bier holding Molia's body lifted smoothly from the ground. Again, Lyria spoke. "Ready, step."

The procession slowly made its way to the dock, where Liara stepped aside, tears streaming silently down her face as she offered a final salute to loyal Huntress Molia Tressi. The bier passed her by and the commandos placed it upon the funeral barge, the priestess leading the way and halting just past the point where the team turned and placed the bier onto its stand. Along with the entirety of T'Soni House gathering at her back, Liara stood on the end of the pier and watched the barge travel purposefully away from its berth as Shepard moved to her side and slipped a warm hand into hers, squeezing it gently in support.

As the barge pulled away, the priestess prayed quietly over the deceased, time passing slowly as the barge made sluggish headway against the stiff morning breeze. As they approached the apogee of the long oval route from the pier, the priestess paused in her communal prayers, gathering the full attention of all those aboard when she cleared her throat and began her prayer in earnest. "May Molia's soul find blissful rest and be filled with the everlasting peace of Athame as her body returns to the sea to restart the cycle of life. May the spirit of Athame Ajrakila, the patron of huntresses, travel across the waves to take her soul under her protection. We ask Ajrakila to take her across a calm sea and a blissful ocean, to fill her everlasting soul with joy as our sister finds her way to the light of the white sun."

With a final nod from the priestess, indicating it was time for her final farewell, Alestia's hand fell to the actuator level and pushed it down. As the bier slowly tipped up and Molia's body began its slide from the barge to disappear beneath the waves, unchecked tears streamed from her face as Alestia choked out, "Find your comfort in the embrace of the Goddess, my dear Molly. You will be missed here."

Normandy SR2, Phoenix Massing, At Large – 8 Jul 2188

The Normandy had been loitering in the Far Rim since assigned the Quarian mission by the Council... and had turned up virtually nothing. Once Ashley had received the communiqué from Shepard, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt she had wasted her time monitoring the relay at Dholen. With Len'Dazza's data confirming Admirals Daro'Xen vas Moreh's and Han'Gerrel vas Neema's plans to take some kind of action to re-shackle the 'Geth,' it made perfect sense the rogue Quarians would wish to hide within monitoring distance of the SILC home system, The Sea of Storms. Knowing now that both the Neema and Moreh – along with the several dozen or so ships that had joined them – were all within the Chomos System, Commander, and Council Spectre, Ashley Williams was preparing the Normandy to conduct a critical stealth reconnaissance mission in The Phoenix Massing.

They had completed the relay jump from Dholen to Tassrah and the Normandy was now in stealth mode, traveling at FTL through the Tassrah System, on its way to the Sea of Storms. After a brief stopover at Haratar Station – referred to as Heretic Station by Legion prior to the Reaper War – their mission would finally begin in earnest.

Ashley was sitting at the desk in her office loft on deck one and planning her next move when the entry request chime at the hatch intruded on her thoughts. With a heavy sigh, she keyed in the unlocking sequence as she said, "Enter." Turning in her seat to greet whoever had come up to see her, she smiled in recognition as she stood to greet her visitors. "Engineer Daniels. Dr Chakwas. What brings you two up here this morning?"

Ash could see Gabby was worried about… something. Question is... What the Hell requires the presence of Karin Chakwas? With the slightest bit of a worried frown in her expression, she added, "Are you not feeling well, Ms Daniels?"

Gabby glanced fleetingly up at Ashley before turning to look at the doctor. Karin cleared her throat before replying softly, "Ms Daniels is… pregnant, Commander. It's actually my fault... I'm afraid I wasn't as diligent at monitoring her contraceptive implant as I should have been; as a result, this young lady has quite successfully conceived a child with Kenneth Donnelly."

Ashley's dark eyes flashed in surprise; she knew that shipboard romances occasionally ended with pregnancies – she just never imagined it happening on the Normandy. Pinching her temples between thumb and fingers, she asked, "I assume this is a welcome development and you plan on keeping the child, Ms Daniels?"

Gabby actually blushed, a phenomenon Ashley had rarely, if ever, witnessed; of more surprise, it was apparent Gabby had lost the ability to speak coherently. "We… that is, ah… Ken and I were celebrating solstice and… oh, damn." She covered her face with both hands as tears began running down her cheeks, the slight shaking of her shoulders betraying the fragility of her emotional control.

Karin wrapped an arm around the sobbing woman's back and arms while looking at Ashley. "They had no intention of getting pregnant at this time, but I have spoken with Gabby and Ken and they do want to keep the baby."

Ashley was completely flabbergasted. "So, what happens now, Ms Daniels? You do realize I cannot be responsible for a pregnant woman on the Normandy, especially with the possibility we'll be involved in hostile action against the Quarian rebels. I'm going to have to transfer you off to a shore station." Touching the activation tab in her ear-mounted comm unit, she said, "Engineer Donnelly, please report to the captain's office."

Karin hadn't had much experience dealing with Williams as the ship's captain; as an XO, she had always been very by-the-book, so really had no expectation the Spectre would behave any differently now. In less than 90 seconds, the entry request chime sounded.

Ashley keyed the hatch open to reveal an extremely worried looking Ken Donnelly. "You wanted tae see me, Ma'am?"

"Front and center, Mister Donnelly." Ashley waited as the nervous engineer quickly moved to stand on the other side of Gabby. Even though she hadn't commanded it, Donnelly came to attention in front of her; without preliminaries, Williams inclined her head momentarily towards Gabby as she growled, "Just what the Hell were you thinking, Mister?"

She didn't expect him to answer, but he tried, in spite of the fact his brogue thickened in direct proportion to his increasing state of agitation. "Ma'am, if ye'r speaking aboot Gabby 'n' me, ah hae na excuse fur mah actions other than ah love 'er so. Ah know a've jeopardized this ship's mission... 'n' placed ye in an untenable position."

At that point, Chakwas interrupted. "Now just one minute!" Her agitated gaze moved rapidly between Donnelly and their relatively new captain and she practically growled, "I will not let this young man shoulder the blame for a malfunctioning implant! They are by no means the only people serving on this ship to indulge in sexual intercourse... they're just the most unlucky of the bunch by having a defective contraceptive implant."

Karin's challenging gaze locked squarely onto the eyes of the Normandy's captain – and the Spectre immediately understood the accusation behind the doctor's stare. Ashley was not exactly a shining example of abstaining from enjoying the physical pleasures of being with a man and, no matter how discrete she and Andreas Falk had been, the good doctor was apparently quite aware of their encounters.

In a voice brimming with barely contained impatience, Ashley met the doctor's gaze and continued, "Just so we're clear, whether it was intentional or not doesn't alter the situation, so I will repeat what I just said to Ms Daniels… for Mr Donnelly's benefit. First of all, there is no way in the galaxy I will be responsible for a pregnant woman on this ship, particularly given the possibility of upcoming hostile action against the Quarian rebels. If Ms Daniels doesn't opt for a medical discharge from the Alliance, I will transfer her off the Normandy to a shore station... no matter how the pregnancy happened or whatever the cause." She placed her fists on her hips as her focus shifted to Ken, adding, "As for you, Mr Donnelly, I still need an engineer with your knowledge of the Normandy's systems, so you will not be released to accompany Ms Daniels."

"If ye please, Ma'am… ah hae a few friends assigned tae shore facilities on Earth; any o' them would jump at a chance tae serve on this ship." Donnelly knew he was on shaky ground with Spectre Williams, but plowed ahead anyway adding, "But b'fore ye make any big changes, we'd like ye tae marry us, Ma'am!"

Gabby's jaw dropped in astonishment as she turned to stare at Kenneth; Ashley's mouth also fell open for a moment at his shocking request. Shifting her attention between the two of them, she finally zeroed in on Gabby as the embarrassed woman placed her left hand, fingers spread wide against her collarbones; Ashley instantly recognized the beautiful ring gracing the third finger of the woman's hand… Kenneth had proposed to her during the ship-wide St. Patty's Day party while the Normandy was still on its 'Victory Tour', before he became just one more victim of Matriarch Aethyta's rather enthusiastic bar-tending skills.

Having regained a bit of control over her emotions, Gabby offered, "Ma'am, you'll be flying the Normandy to Thessia for Captain Shepard's bonding with Liara T'Soni – that's just over a month from now. Until that time... I can still do my job, Dr Chakwas can insure I'm taking care of my health, and it would give me time to make some arrangements. If you will allow it, I'd like to stay on the ship until we hit Thessia. From there, I can catch a shuttle back to Earth or…" she raised her hands up to shoulder level before dropping them to her sides. "I'd like to stay in the Alliance, Ma'am, at least until my baby…" she paused, glanced at Donnelly and corrected herself. "… our baby… is born. Then we'll see what our options are."

"The Alliance does not forbid having children, Gabby, and there are any number of programs for new mothers and proper child care... including infants... so staying in the Alliance won't be a problem if that's what you truly wish to do." Karin gave Gabby one last squeeze to offer emotional support and smiled at the engineer before finally dropping her arm to face Ashley. Raising a brow, she addressed her captain. "Spectre Williams, if you choose to perform the ceremony... and do it soon enough… no one on board will be any the wiser concerning Gabby's little stowaway… she's physically fit and it's very early in the pregnancy, so I highly doubt she'll be showing… even when we reach Thessia. Speak with Admiral Hackett… I'll be happy to stand with you when you make the call."

Ashley hadn't been lying about needing Donnelly on the ship and it truly pained her that Gabby would have to be discharged or transferred to shore duty, but she needed time to think before she could respond to their unexpected requests. "Damn it. You two return to your posts – and not a word to anyone. I need to consider the facts and have a proposed plan in my head before I contact Admiral Hackett. After I finish my conversation with him, I'll let you know what we've come up with as our way forward."

"Pregnant!? How in Hell…"

Ashley faked a cough and quickly clamped a hand across her mouth in an attempt to keep the Admiral from witnessing the unintentional smirk at his aborted question. She glanced at Karin, and then frowned at the admiral's image in front of them. "Sir... Donnelly and Daniels intend to marry… they've been engaged since March… and, while I realize that fact doesn't excuse their behavior..."

Karin took the opportunity to interrupt, adding, "Admiral, much of the blame rests with me. I wasn't as diligent as I should have been, and failed to discover Ms Daniels' contraception implant had stopped working."

"Be that as it may, Doctor… Commander…" came the growling response. "A pregnancy on an Alliance frigate wouldn't be tolerated; as you're captain of a Spectre vessel, Ms Williams, how you choose to deal with the situation is entirely up to you." Hackett stroked his chin for a moment before continuing. "But please keep in mind that Donnelly and Daniels are still members of the Alliance Navy, so it wouldn't be out of the question for me to… request… that you facilitate their transfers off your ship as soon as possible."

The corners of Ashley's mouth turned up ever so slightly as she responded, "Understood, Sir, and I've already informed Engineer Daniels that I'll be looking for a new assignment for her. I seriously thought about booting Donnelly off the ship as well, but since the number of skilled personnel currently working in main engineering is barely adequate, even for a frigate, I really cannot afford to lose both of them. They both want to remain in the Alliance, which wouldn't be an issue if Ms Daniels was reassigned ashore. And then, to top it all off… well, Mr Donnelly asked me to marry them, Sir, as soon as it can be arranged."

Hackett's expression changed to reflect a bit of hope that Ashley had already thought of a way to get past an unfortunate situation. "Okay, Commander… lay it out for me."

Williams glanced at Karin before squaring her shoulders and gazing straight at the old sailor's image. "Sir, we're due to arrive at Thessia in the late afternoon of August fourteenth... for Shepard and T'Soni's bonding ceremony on the fifteenth. Ms Daniels' pregnancy will be only eight weeks along and Doctor Chakwas is positive her condition will not yet be readily apparent. As such, I propose that Engineer Daniels continues in her current position until after we depart Thessia. We have to travel through the Widow System anyway, so we can easily drop her off at the CGC, where she could easily secure transportation to the location of her new assignment."

Ashley paused, realizing that Gabby's next posting would depend on an Alliance shore facility being willing to employ an engineer needing six weeks of maternity leave in less than a year's time. "That said, Admiral, I could certainly use your help in finding a base that needs her… all I need is the name or names of who I need to contact. Mr Donnelly has informed me he knows a number of highly qualified propulsion engineers that would love to deploy on the Normandy, so the month or so lead time should be enough for me to find and evaluate her replacement."

Hackett actually smiled. "You'll have the names and base locations by the end of the day, Commander. Take a look at Donnelly's replacement candidates for Ms Daniels… I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt any are her equal when it comes to her knowledge of propulsion theory." Waving his hand, he signed off with, "Good luck, Commander Williams. We'll talk soon."

"Gabby. Ken. It would be my honor to officiate at your wedding. However…" Spectre Williams paused and drew a deep breath to ready herself for the upcoming conversation before continuing in a serious tone. "I'd be willing to bet neither of you have given any thought as to where you're gonna stay for the short duration of Gabby's remaining time on the Normandy." Ash could feel the flush creeping up her neck as she thought about what being married would mean to young newlyweds on a ship as small as a frigate.

Ken, in fact, actually had given the matter some careful thought. "Ma'am, if ah kin? Th' lee support compartment on deck three is aye outfitted as a guest quarters… thir's a bed, a couch, a couple o' tables 'n' desk, 'n' a wardrobe. It hasn't bin used by a'body since Lieutenant Commander Falk visited yer during our stop in Rio on Earth."

Ash had memories… very fond memories… of Andreas' stay on the Normandy, but that had only been for a couple of days. Nodding at Donnelly, she replied, "Normally I'd deny your suggestion without a second thought, but…" Ash looked at Gabby as she continued, "… after your marriage is official, it will probably be the best solution for the short term." Returning her gaze to Kenneth, she concluded, "Just don't get too comfortable in there, Mr Donnelly; your old berth will be waiting for you once we drop Gabby at the CGC."

Knight Shade, Widow Relay, at Large – 13 Jul 2188

A week had passed since the kidnapping and the revamped House T'Soni security procedures now ensured neither Liara nor Shepard departed the Estate grounds without a full six-person commando team as escort. As such, when they emerged from the Widow Relay, Lusmeni Thoni, formerly of the Armali Strike Force and now Liara's personal pilot, used the provided contact protocols to get in touch with the SILC ship that was supposed to be awaiting them. A robotic voice answered promptly. "SILC Freighter Rahtimaksu. Greetings. We have your cargo and are prepared for transfer. We have downloaded all other cargo and are currently in a stationary hold position near the relay; coordinates are being transmitted."

Shepard was standing on the Bridge of the Knight Shade, behind Thoni and the copilot, Daxa Rusim, so Lusmeni glanced back, asking, "That's a bit irregular, isn't it, Captain?"

"Absolutely, but so is our cargo. It's probably a good idea for us to dock inside the freighter, so we can transfer our cargo out of sight of potential prying eyes on the CGC... but give me a minute to verify." Shepard tapped a quick message into her omnitool and waited only seconds for the reply. Looking at Thoni, she grinned. "Legion says it's legit, so let's jump in the shuttle, pick up our packages and get back home."

Thoni quickly found herself flying the Knight Shade's shuttle with both Lady Liara and Spectre Shepard aboard, along with the six members of the maiden's personal guard, heading toward a rendezvous with the SILC ship. The shuttle slid easily into the nearly empty cargo bay of the freighter; peering out the forward viewscreen, Shepard and Thoni couldn't help but notice the large Prime platform standing off to the side. Shepard waited patiently as Livos popped the hatch and deployed her team; once the all safe call was given, Shepard and Liara disembarked and walked immediately to the Prime. "Legion?"

"Affirmative, Shepard Spectre."

Shepard's expression twisted in consternation. "It's still weird to think about how you can jump into any available platform... and be almost anywhere on a moment's notice."

"Understood, Shepard Spectre, but I am confident you will adapt within acceptable time parameters."

The captain laughed and clasped hands with the towering SILC. "It's good to see you, Legion; I miss having you around. If you ever get bored, my offer to join us on the Knight Shade remains open."

"We do not experience boredom, Shepard Spectre, but I will retain your offer in memory for future consideration, should such ever occur. Of more immediate concern is the safe transfer of our Quarian cargo, his personal possessions and food stuffs..." Legion paused briefly before saying something totally unexpected. "... and then get you back underway before we are detected. The Consensus has provided warning this vessel was followed out of the Ma-at system, but after multiple relay jumps and intra-system FTL travel throughout the Far Rim, Phoenix Massing, and Caleston Rift, I am confident we have evaded the Quarian rebel reconnaissance vehicle. However, this does not mean it is not actively searching and could reacquire its target, the Rahtimaksu, at any time. Time is of the essence."

As they spoke, an anti-grav lift coasted up with a number of crates, driven by a Quarian Marine who deftly vaulted from the platform to land on his feet and snap a smart salute aimed at Shepard. "Len'Dazza at your service, Spectre. I did not expect you to come here to greet me in person, Captain; I'm honored."

Shepard returned the salute and motioned toward the stack of gear Dazza had brought along. "I know I said you could bring whatever you wanted with you, but circumstances on Thessia have changed since we last spoke. We ended up coming with a six-member squad, so prioritize your cargo and we'll load what we have space for onboard. I'm pretty sure not all of that will fit... and, unfortunately, we're operating under a severe time constraint, so you don't have time to sort anything. I'm sorry."

"Can do easy, Spectre," Len shrugged. He moved immediately to the crates and pointed out two large ones. "Those are my personalized weapons and armor, so they definitely must come." He then pointed to a couple of duffle bags sitting on top of the stack as he said, "And these two hold my clothes and personal gear, so they come. The rest are Quarian rations and miscellaneous stuff that's relatively easy to replace... and it's in no particular order... so we'll simply load to capacity and leave the rest. Sound good?"

Shepard nodded at Len'Dazza then turned and looked again at Legion. "I certainly understand if you can't do it but, if it's at all possible, please set aside what we leave behind... At some point in the near future, I'll contact you with a materials list and you can slip this in with the rest of what we order. You can make the run to Thessia and drop it all off at the Estate."

"That would be acceptable, Shepard Spectre." While the cargo was loaded, Legion inquired about the seemingly large number of commandos accompanying the Spectre, which limited the storage within the shuttle. Upon being told of the recent events on Thessia, he responded, "If you require my services, you simply need ask and I will make myself available."

Shepard smiled at her synthetic friend. "We're good, Legion, but thanks for the offer. As I already mentioned, I'd love to have you, but you have your own life now... so, until you run out of other things to keep you busy, I'll only call if we honestly need the back-up."

Legion started to respond and then paused for a moment, the lights on his chassis indicating communications with the Consensus. Inclining his head slightly, he said, "I have just been informed the relay is realigning to receive a vessel arriving from the Minos Wasteland; an irregular connection to be sure, yet suspiciously, the relay from which we arrived. You should depart now and dock at the CGC to avoid suspicion. You have eight minutes, thirty-two seconds before the relay opens for their arrival."

"Appreciate the heads-up." Shepard stretched out her hand and rapped her knuckles on the lower edge of the Prime's chest plate. "Whatever the circumstances, it's always good to see you in person, Legion."

"I am always… pleased… to see you as well, Shepard Spectre. Travel safely."

Shepard turned, calling out. "Time to go... Now!" She jogged back to the shuttle as she added, "You heard Legion... Everyone load up... and Thoni... launch as soon as the hatch is closed."