Admiral Charles Shaw saluted the crowd before he followed Hackett off stage. The Admirals funneled in to a back hallway behind the stage and Shaw took a moment to himself. He scolded himself for showing emotion during his speech but the loss of his sons was a wound that hadn't even begun to heal and he suspected it never would.

A harsh gravely voice caught his attention. "Admiral Shaw." Hackett greeted him making Shaw turn around. Hackett extended his hand and Shaw shook it. "Hell of a speech you just gave."

"Thank you, Sir."

"I've been told the Navy is putting your name forward as their candidate for the council seat."

Shaw smiled. "So I hear. It's an honor to even be considered."

"I wanted to tell you personally that I think it's the right call. You've served the navy with admirable courage and dedication and I have no doubts you will continue to serve humanity on the council. Anderson would be proud." Hackett clearly didn't recognize the late Donnell Udina as a councilor like so many others.

"I appreciate that. Really I do. And I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all you've done for humanity. I don't think the Navy could have found a better leader. If you ask me, you got us through the war, sir." Shaw said sincerely. He truly admired the man deeply.

"Commander Shepard got us through the war." he saluted Shaw and Charles returned the favor before watching Hackett disappear down the hallway.

Shaw reached in his pocket and retrieved the old holo. The same holo he'd gazed at every day since he first laid eyes on a Reaper. The image materialized and he smiled sorrowfully at his sons in miniature on his palm. They're all in uniform, caps in hand and shoulder to shoulder, he's positioned between his two boys and despite the formal nature of the image they're all smiling warmly. He shuts the holo when he hears a smooth male voice call out to him.

"Evening, Ace." the man says from behind him. Shaw turns and finds a tall man wearing an Alliance uniform that's slightly too small for him.

"Evening..." He looks to the name on the man's bdus. "Corporal Simmons."

The man advanced with a grin on his face. "I was hoping you and I could have a little chat, Admiral."

"What about?"

Suddenly a female voice sounds out from behind him. "You could start with the asari." The short haired woman says with her arms crossed.

"Asari?" Shaw asks.

"Then maybe you can move on to why you want dear Admiral Hackett dead." Victor said.

"I-I'm afraid I don't have any idea what either of you are talking about."

"Cut the bullshit." Jill demanded. "Why the fuck are you doing business with the asari? And why the fuck are they threatening us?"

"My god. You're them aren't you."

Victor chuckled. "Duh."

Shaw swallowed hard. "I thought I made it clear I wanted no part in this."

"Sure. No part. Except for that little detail about you hiring us. So you better tell us what the hell is going on." Jill spat.

"We can talk, just not here."

Victor gripped the Admiral's shoulder tightly. "Well I guess you better show us to where we can talk before I lose my temper."

Shaw directed them to a small back room where nobody could hear or disturb them. "What are you two thinking doing it here?" Shaw asked.

Jill arched an eyebrow. "Oh is that not convenient for you? I must have forgotten that I gave a flying fuck."

Victor crossed his arms. "You better start talking and I better like what I hear. Why does an Alliance Admiral like yourself want Hackett gone? Looking to put yourself on top after some creative leadership restructuring?"

"It isn't like that. I wish there was another way. But I don't have a choice." Shaw said.

"Who's the asari and why does she know who we are?" Jill demanded.

Shaw's heart jumped. "Are you sure it was an asari?"

"Uh yeah I'm pretty sure." Jill said.

"What did she say to you?"

"Just your typical threaten to flay us alive and make me eat my own dick." Victor said.

The Admiral sighed. "She's an associate of a Matriarch..." Shaw's sentence was cut short when the door to the backroom was blasted open by biotics making both the assassins draw their pistols but they lowered them out of fear of who they were aiming at when they recognized the figure.

"Speak another word, Shaw and it will be your last." Ereyla said with biotic energy crackling around her.

"Oh shit." Shaw said fearfully. "Why are you here?"

"Because you were about to say something very stupid." Ereyla said she didn't bother waiting for Shaw to ask how she knew. "Did you really think I wouldn't be monitoring you? She keeps a short leash on all her pets." she had placed the bug on Shaw when the asari first met him last week and already she had to intervene to stop him from fucking things up. Ereyla chuckled and gazed at the three terrified faces in front of her. "Humans, you're all so naive. I find it both pathetic and nauseating."

"Who are we talking about?" Jill asked with a slightly trembling voice.

"Shut up assassin. I'll deal with you two in a moment." Ereyla grabbed Shaw and dragged him out of the back room so they could be alone. "I don't need to remind you who you're dealing with."

"I'm aware."

"And if you want her to fulfill her end of the arrangement you know you have to behave and do what you're told." Ereyla reminded him.

"I know! I am! She can't back out now. I've put too much into this. She has to do what she promised me."

"She doesn't have to do anything. Especially for a human. But the Matriarch will keep her end of the bargain so long as you keep yours. And that includes following the rules. And what is rule one, Shaw?"

"I never mention her name." Shaw muttered.

"You NEVER mention her name." Ereyla repeated and released the human. "Go back out there and pretend this never happened and I might just do the same."

"What about them?" Shaw asked.

Ereyla sighed. "I'll deal with them. Go!"

Shaw scurried away and Ereyla walked back in to the back room to find Victor and Jill frozen with fear. "Y-You better tell us what the fuck this is about." Victor said.

Ereyla raised one finger. "First, you never make demands of me." She raised a second finger. "Second, you will never try to speak to Admiral Charles Shaw again or mention his asari contacts to anyone." She raised a third finger. "And lastly, if Admiral Hackett is not dead in the next two hours it won't matter where you hide or how far you run. I will find you and I will feed you each others severed body parts until one of you finally expires. Then the survivor will be rewarded with a bullet. Are we understood?" Victor just nodded while Jill was frozen with fear. "Good. Better get to work."

"Time to get to work!" Jack shouted as she clinked together her glass with Liara's water.

"Tell me again, what exactly are we doing?" Liara asked meekly.

Jack pointed to Kaidan from where we still sat alone at their table a few yards away from where Jack and Liara stood at the bar. "Alenko needs to get over that british bitch so we're going to help the poor bastard."

"And how do we do that?"

"By helping him get laid." Jack said like it should have been obvious.

"Laid?" Liara wasn't familiar with the human term.

Jack narrowed her eyes and informed Liara of the words meaning by thrusting her pelvis forward. Liara's eyes widened. "Oh! Yes...laid. That will make him feel better?"

"When does sex not make you feel better?"

"I suppose you have a point." Liara admitted. "How do we go about this?"

Jack shrugged and sipped on her drink. "Haven't really done it before but it couldn't be that hard." the convict looked to her right and saw a woman ordering a drink and Jack tapped on her shoulder.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked. She was attractive and not in uniform which indicated she was a civilian. That was good; Alenko would protest to hooking up with anyone in the navy. He was too much of a boyscout to break regs on fraternization.

Jack pointed to Kaidan. "See that guy?"

The woman looked at Kaidan sitting alone at their table. "Yeah?"

"Wanna fuck him?"

The woman recoiled. "What?! You're disgusting." she took her drink and scurried away.

When Jack looked back to Liara the asari was laughing. "Oh lets see you do better, Blue!"

Liara smirked. "Very well." she strolled over to an attractive red head woman sitting alone at a table and gingerly tapped on her should. "Mind if I join you?"

The woman smiled. "No please do."

Liara sat down next to the stranger. "Attending tonight's event alone?"

"Yes." she admitted.

Liara pointed to Kaidan. "See that man?"

The woman arched an eyebrow. "I do."

"He is a very good friend of mine and he is also attending alone."

"Oh, well I guess he's pretty cute."

Liara had never personally found Male humans all that appealing. Certainly not as much as the species' women but she was delighted to hear the woman found Kaidan attractive. "I am sure he would be an excellent male to be laid by."

The red haired woman's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"Did I say it wrong?" Liara flinched. "What I meant to say is you would enjoy love making with him."

The woman narrowed her eyes and stared at the strange pregnant asari next to her. "What the hell?"

"Oh! Um no what I actually meant to say is that I think you two will be very happy together."

The woman chuckled. "Are we getting married?"

"Would you like to?" Liara asked surprised.

The woman laughed, got up from her seat and left Liara sitting by herself. Jack jumped in to the departed woman's seat. "That was rather rude." Liara said.

Jack laughed. "Fuck, Liara. That was painful."

"What did I do wrong?"

"We're trying to get him pussy, not a bride."

"I'm afraid we don't seem to be very good at this."

Jack sighed. "No shit."

Out of the blue Miranda and Shepard emerged from the crowd and approached the table. Liara beamed a smile at her bondmate. "Hello, Shepard. Anything to report?"

"Yeah. Miranda's really good at dancing and we need to talk." Jane helped the asari to her feet and lead her away from Jack and Miranda.

"You danced with the Commander?" Jack asked her lover.

"I'm not sure i'd call it that. Her foot work was atrocious." Miranda answered.

"Since when do you dance, Cheerleader?"

"I always have." She fibbed as she took a seat.

"Why don't you dance with me? I fucking love dancing."

Miranda crossed her arms and attempted to change the topic. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"I guess." Jack said. "Why are you changing the subject? Miranda, don't jerk me around. What's going on? You and Shepard disappear for an hour so you can dance together?"

Miranda looked around. "We're doing something for Liara. Shepard needed my help because Liara is pregnant. It's nothing to worry about." Lawson sensed Jack's paranoia creeping in to her and hoped that admission of truth would calm her down.

"What kinda something? That Shadow Broker crap?"

"Yes."

"Why the hell am I being left out of this?" Jack sounded genuinely hurt.

Miranda began to think of her response but it wasn't necessary when Kaidan Alenko sat down at the table. "When did we move tables?" He asked before he turned to Miranda. "Hey I saw you and Shepard out there dancing! You looked great. For a second there you almost made it looked like she could dance." Kaidan only added fuel to the fire and Jack was looking even more pissed.

Miranda rose to her feet and kissed Jack's forehead. "I have to go. Love you."

Jack glared at her before her expression softened. "Love you too." The convict waited for her girlfriend to slip back in to the crowd before she turned to Kaidan. "Alenko."

"What's up, Jack?"

"Finding you a girl is gonna have to wait."

"Oh no." Kaidan said sarcastically.

"We need to figure out what the cheerleader and Shepard are up to." Kaidan didn't reply and Jack looked over to find him staring at a woman across the room. "You know that girl?"

"Yeah..." He said in disbelief. "It's Rahna."

Jack's eyes widened when she recognized the name from many of Kaidan's Jump Zero stories. "Oh shit."

Shepard and Liara found a place where they could speak in private. The baby stirred inside the Broker and made Liara wince. "Another kick?" Shepard asked.

"Yes." Liara rasped with her hand pressed against her belly.

"Are you okay?"

Liara nodded. "Fine. but she's been getting worse about that."

"Do we need to go to the hospital?"

The asari shook her head. "I'm alright, Shepard. Tell me what's happening."

"Miranda is going to get Shaw alone by seducing him. Once we get him away from everyone else we'll slip the OSD on to him."

"And how do you plan on the data being discovered? Simply planting the OSD will do us no good unless it's discovered."

"I was thinking I'd somehow lift the device off of him in public view after Miranda plants it on him. Then i'd look for an excuse to go through the files where someone like Hackett could see Shaw's true colors. The device will be seen coming from him and the truth will be out."

"And nobody is going to second guess when Commander Shepard pulls incriminating evidence right off of him."

"My reputation might work in our favor for once."

Liara smiled. "Very clever my love."

"It's far from bullet proof but I think me and Miranda can handle it." Jane said. "How are you and Jack getting along?"

"Quite well actually. She's been trying to have us assist Kaidan in quote getting laid." Liara said.

Shepard chuckled. "I see. Have fun with that." She roped her arm around the asari's waist and began to walk her back to the table when a fast walking asari nearly crashed in to them. "Excuse us." Shepard said.

Then Liara saw the darker skinned asari's face. "By the Goddess! Ereyla!" Liara cried with a huge smile spread across her face and she immediately wrapped her arms around Ereyla in an excited hug.

Ereyla grinned and chuckled warmly. "Liara T'Soni? What is the daughter of Matriarch Benezia doing here?" she said after they separated.

"Me? What are you doing here?" Liara asked.

Ereyla smirked. "Just some business for the Matriarchs back home." her eyes sunk to Liara's belly. "Goddess, you're pregnant!"

"Indeed."Liara rubbed her belly. "It's been far too long, Ereyla." Liara's eyes widened. "Where are my manners? Shepard this is my old friend Ereyla. Ereyla, this is my bondmate Shepard."

Ereyla shook Jane's hand firmly. Perhaps too firmly. "A pleasure to meet you, Shepard." she said with a steel in her voice that wasn't present when she spoke to Liara.

Shepard was trying to keep up with all this. Liara hardly mentioned any of her childhood friends and Jane had just assumed she didn't have any. "The pleasure is mine. So how exactly do you two know each other?"

"Ereyla works for my mother's oldest friend."

Ereyla nodded. "I still remember when you were in diapers, Liara!"

Liara giggled. "And how is Matriarch Aquilla?"

"She is well."

"Please send her my best regards. I don't think i've seen her since my mother's funeral."

"I shall. Aquilla will be most pleased to hear you are doing so well."

"Who's Matriarch Aquilla?" Shepard asked her wife.

"My mother's closest friend. She's who Ereyla works for."

"Guilty." Ereyla said with a grin and shot a cold stare at Jane. "It is interesting you bonded with a human, Liara."

"Oh?" Jane let out.

Ereyla ignored Shepard. "I suppose I always pictured you with an asari like your mother." Suddenly Ereyla's omni-tool buzzed. "You must excuse me, Liara. I have matters to attend to. But it was very good to see you again after all these years. Do take care of yourself."

"And you, Ereyla." Liara said and watched Ereyla walk away.

Jane narrowed her eyes. "Liara, why haven't I heard of Ereyla until now?"

"Have I not mentioned her before?"

"Not that I know if." Shepard answered.

"Ereyla is my best and oldest friend. She looked after me when I was just a child when my mother and Aquilla would work together. I suppose it has been some time since we were last together. Perhaps even before you and I met."

"I'm not sure I trust that woman." Shepard couldn't put her finger on it but something about the asari gave her the creeps.

"Don't be silly, Shepard." Liara said. "She's harmless enough."

"And this Matriarch?"

Liara arched an eyebrow. "Matriarch Aquilla. What about her, love?"

"You know her well?"

Liara smiled. "She's like family."

Notes- Old Matriarch Aquilla. Did you forget about her? For those of you unfamiliar with the Matriarch I suggest you read my series "The Veiled Asari" so you can have an idea of the type of person Liara considers "Family". Well we're approaching the end of this story which means things are going to start heating up! Would love to hear predictions and thoughts on Matriarch Aquilla and Liara in the reviews.