Fall in love with someone who tastes like adventure but looks like the calm, beautiful morning after a terrible storm – Nikita Gill

Inamorata – A woman with whom one is in love; a female lover (Italian)
Nángùn – literally, a 'southern staff' – a polished, two-meter long white wax wooden staff
Siame – "one who is all", a loved one cherished above all others (Thessian)

• VANCOUVER, BC · EARTH, SOL SYSTEM •

That evening, Buchanan and Traynor left the base for the city, intent on having a few drinks together before they were split up and re-assigned to other jobs within the Alliance. It was only a short flight by aircar to The Smiling Tiger Tavern, the one relatively bright spot on the corner of an otherwise quiet, darkened street.

Traynor led the way into the bar, finding a table in an area lit less by overhead lights than by small, tabletop candles. She wanted to simply disappear into the darkness, a place she felt fit her current mood. Despite all the work the pair had done, in spite of putting their lives in danger, General RaeLee Park had been unable—or unwilling—to persuade the higher-ups that the turian transport MSV Anixara, along with its passengers and crew, did not need to be destroyed in order to achieve the demise of Turian Hierarchy anti-human hawk Raherix Ursivus.

The conspiracy theories were many; because the ship had disappeared during FTL travel between relays, there was no debris … no bodies … no evidence! … to prove what became the final, official verdict—an explosion, most likely caused by faulty engineering. The turians had been swift to react, grounding the Anixara's sister ship MSV Arcus Pluvius in order to thoroughly, methodically inspect every aspect of the ship for anything that could possibly trigger a similar event. There was a lot at stake—not the least of which was the reputation of the turian shipyard that had designed and constructed both vessels. No stone would be left unturned in their search for answers.

Traynor tried her best to put the entire mission out of her mind as she ordered a whiskey with a splash of lime juice—Buchanan ordered Elasa, prompting Traynor to ask, "When did you develop a taste for asari drinks, Griff?"

Buchanan offered a self-conscious grin as he replied, "On Thessia. Blue people really know how to make a good beverage." After pausing to take a sip from the glass brought by the waitress, he added, "Stuff is really tasty, enough so you don't know you're getting shit-faced until you're face down on the floor." Another sip was followed by a contented sigh.

Traynor was sipping her own drink as well. Looking at Griff across the top edge of the glass, she commented, "This one actually tastes like it has some booze in it."

Griff grinned at her as he lifted his glass and tipped the rim towards her. "To what shall we drink, my friend?"

Touching the rim of her glass to his, she replied, "Exactly that! Friendship, camaraderie, having each other's backs … and being alive to enjoy it."

Buchanan echoed, "Being alive to enjoy it," before taking a large swallow of the pale green drink. As he sat his glass back down in front of him, a dark figure approached their table and asked, "Private party, or is there room for one more?"

Sammy stared hard at the person in an attempt to identify the owner of the familiar sounding voice before answering, "Depends on the identity of the one more, I suppose."

The figure pulled up a chair and sat down, pulling back the hood of her cloak as she did so. She quickly raised a hand, palm outwards with fingers up in a motion indicating stop as she pressed the back of the index finger of her other hand vertically across her pursed lips. "Name's RaeLee," the quiet voice announced. "Can I buy the next round?"

General RaeLee Park, dressed similarly to Traynor down to her hooded, dark leather cloak, had searched them out in order to have a quiet, no ranks, no bullshit conversation with the pair of special operatives. Sipping her scotch and soda, she said, "You're not the only person on this team that excels at tracking people down, Sammy. I needed to meet with you and Griff on a first-name basis, to explain the why of what happened yesterday."

Sam was more than a little surprised; the woman sitting in front of her looked nothing like the Alliance General she knew. Her hair was down in a loosely secured ponytail, and she was actually wearing makeup. "I don't think there's anything you can say that will adequately explain to me why innocents are dead, RaeLee, but I'm willing to listen," Traynor said.

Griff placed a hand on Sammy's shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze before adding in a much calmer voice, "I'm sure there must have been what seemed to be valid reasons for allowing the event to take place, RaeLee, but damned if I'm able to see them, either."

General Park's mouth was set in a firm, straight line, with just the corners tipped up ever so slightly. "Both of you did an exemplary job ferreting out the method and timing of what happened, but the plan I envisioned for preventing the event was very quickly changed—by my superiors!—to a plan to allow it. On several levels, the group responsible for the event needed their assassin to succeed in order to assuage their suspicions." Park grimaced slightly as she added, "Lang was good, but he got complacent. Setting containers of deuterium in plain sight was just asking to be discovered, by us or by C-Sec."

"What about Ursivus," Griff murmured? "He was a damned anti-human agitator … believed the Relay 314 incident didn't end well for Palaven. He was the most vocal of them all, but there are still plenty of turians that would just as soon kill us as not."

"His disappearance won't completely quash the anti-human rhetoric from their home world, and our standing with the turian councilor on the Citadel won't improve either." Park looked down at her now empty glass, then looked at Traynor. "Refill?"

Traynor raised her glass over her head, catching the eye of the waitress; laying out several credit chits, Sammy requested refills all around. "Dammit, Sammy … I'm supposed to be buying," Park protested.

"Don't worry about it … it's not often we get to drink with or talk to an Alliance general as if she's a real human being," Traynor smirked, concluding with, "Kinda nice." When their drinks arrived, Sammy took a swallow of whisky, placed her upper teeth on her lower lip as she sucked air through them, cleared her throat and asked, "What of the bodies we left in and around that warehouse? C-Sec must have investigated."

"C-Sec had their hands full," RaeLee replied somberly. "Seems a datapad left under a desk triggered an explosion when an attempt was made to retrieve it …" Sammy raised an eyebrow as she glanced at Griff, mouthing a silent but sincere 'thank you' when he looked at her. "Killed two turian officers," Park continued, "injured several others and collapsed that side of the warehouse. After all that, C-Sec didn't give a rat's ass about the dead humans they found there."

Griff wanted to know, "Were they Cerberus, RaeLee?"

"That's the theory, but we haven't asked, at least not officially. Those men knew what they were getting into when they signed up. My feeling is they were expendable to Lang."

"So, you're reassigning us," Griff stated. "Will the program continue?"

Park heaved a heavy sigh at the question; she knocked back the balance of the liquid in her glass and set it on the table with a heavier hand than intended before reluctantly answering. "Due to our prior knowledge of the sabotage and destruction of the Anixara, the higher ups have decided to terminate the entire program …" after pausing at Traynor's whispered "Bullshit!", Park continued, "and wipe all the data you collected concerning that ship and Cerberus, along with Lang's connection to it all."

As Traynor started to speak, Park held up her hand for silence. "Sammy, if the turians or the council were to discover the Alliance had prior knowledge of Lang's plot to kill that fucking agitator by destroying a passenger vessel on which he was traveling, it would set our relations back to … well, worse than they were during the First Contact War. We cannot afford to let that happen.

"It would have been so damn much simpler if your superiors had allowed us to stop Lang and save that ship," Traynor whispered heatedly. "Now, it's too goddamn late to do anything but cover our asses and hope nothing leaks out!" Sammy drained her glass in a swallow and held it over her head for the waitress to see. "I'm just really glad Xiùlán wasn't with us! She'd be ashamed to wear the uniform after what your goddamned fucking superiors did to us, RaeLee."

The general had the decency, or at least the good sense, to look embarrassed. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Samantha. If it had been my decision to make, you and Buchanan would have been assigned to stop Lang's plot from succeeding, and Cerberus would have had to find some other way to assassinate Ursivus."

The waitress brought Traynor another whisky, asked Griff and RaeLee if they needed refills—they both declined—cleared the empty glasses and left. Buchanan could see that Traynor didn't need a third drink either, but couldn't think of a way to stop her that wouldn't end up with him receiving a broken arm.

Sammy downed her entire drink in a single gulp before slamming the empty glass upside down onto the table, startling Park and Buchanan. "RaeLee, I told you on Mars the Alliance uses people up, then discards them when their usefulness has come to an end, and I'm even more convinced of that today; it couldn't exist otherwise." Park started to protest, but Traynor got to her feet and motioned for the general to do the same. Moving to stand right in front of her, Traynor reached around the smaller woman and hugged her as she whispered in her ear, "You have my sympathy … and my pity, Ma'am. You're stuck in a dreadful place, doing an impossible job … all while answering to people that have their heads stuck so far up their arses they'll never see daylight again. You're a good person, RaeLee Park; I consider you a friend, but I think we're done here for the evening."

Sammy kissed RaeLee on the cheek, released her and casually retook her chair. Park was stunned by Sammy's passionate dismissal; it took her several moments to think of what to say. Finally, she looked at both of them, said "good night", then pulled her hood over her head, turned and quietly left.

Buchanan laid a gentle hand on Traynor's shoulder and said, "I think we should leave as well, Sammy—you have to fly to Thessia tomorrow—I don't envy you the headache you're going to have."

Sam looked at Griff for a moment before nodding in agreement. "I suppose you're right. Come on … let's find a taxi, head back to our quarters."

• LOCATION NOT KNOWN •

Michael Moser Lang paced impatiently back and forth in front of the display pad as he waited for the secure connection to be completed with Cerberus headquarters. He had received a summons from the Illusive Man for this meeting; coming from anyone else within Cerberus, Lang would have simply ignored it. Thinking back a few hours, the thought came unbidden, One simply does not ignore a request from the Illusive Man … it's a good way to end up dead. The trill of the quantum entanglement comm system coming online interrupted his thoughts; he stopped pacing to stand in the middle of the display pad.

The pixelated image in front of him resolved itself into a vision of a man sitting in a chair, legs crossed, drink in one hand and half-smoked cigarette between two fingers of the other, an unknown red sun filling the space behind him. "Mr Lang … it would appear you managed to complete your assignment of eliminating Raherix Ursivus." Taking a drag from the cigarette, the enigmatic head of Cerberus blew a cloud of smoke into the air above him before continuing. "Unfortunately, you were sloppy. A Spec-Ops unit within the Systems Alliance learned of your target and your plan … a pair of operatives was within days of saving Ursivus by preventing the destruction of the MSV Anixara; it's fortunate we have a highly-placed general that was able to override his subordinate's crusade to make the galaxy a better place for the other races … particularly the turians."

The hand holding the glass absentmindedly swirled the liquid and ice around for a moment; after taking a swallow of bourbon, the Illusive Man added, "Your carelessness has tied your actions to Cerberus, an unexpected, and most troubling development … you were paid to be discrete."

"I got the job done, despite the mercs that showed up at the warehouse."

"I had to intervene in the affairs of Alliance High Command, and that's the only reason your assignment was completed … and the only reason you are still alive." Stubbing the cigarette out in the ashtray on the arm of the chair, the man took another sip from his glass before concluding, "The favor I was granted was not inexpensive … it is a payment that will be deducted from your completion bonus."

Lang was furious. "You can't do that! We had a deal …" he sputtered.

"A deal contingent on your unaided completion of the assignment, Mr Lang." The Illusive Man's eyes seemed to bore all the way through his head to the back of Lang's skull. "Be grateful I don't feel it necessary to permanently take care of you, Mr Lang." His image faded away, leaving Lang standing on the display pad in an impotent rage. Son of a bitch! I need to disappear for a while, see if I can discover who the hell screwed me out of my payday! The angry assassin finally calmed down enough to turn and leave the QEC chamber, knowing as soon as he stepped off the pad its connection to the Illusive Man would be permanently severed. Cerberus doesn't realize who they're fucking with.

• SERRICE HOSPITAL, THESSIA · PARNITHA · ATHENA NEBULA •

Xiùlán had just returned from taking a warm bath; she'd been assisted by her therapist, Corrina Sidhu, who had carefully washed Xiùlán's left leg, propped up high and dry above the very shallow bath water. Xiùlán still blushed at having to be bathed by another—her only bathing companion up until this hospital stay had been Sammy.

Corrina was helping her get her underwear and socks on, over which she put on a clean pair of sweatpants and a short-sleeve sweatshirt. Xiùlán had just taken a seat on the edge of a chair, keeping her healing leg as straight as possible, when the door opened to admit a beaming Samantha Traynor.

"Sà mi! I wasn't expecting you until later in the day! It's so good to see you …" Her last words were muffled by Sam's shoulder as the woman reached around her Inamorata to embrace her and plant kisses on her brow, eyelids, bridge of her nose, cheeks, chin and neck before ending up by placing her lips on those of her lover, using them to caress Xiùlán's heart shaped mouth as softly as a rare January snow falling on Hangzhou Bay.

After several moments of simply enjoying Traynor's soft kisses, Xiùlán moved her head enough to take a breath and said, "You don't know how much I've missed that, my love."

Indicating the asari therapist, Sam snarked, "And yet, you have poor Corrina here putting your clothes on for you …"

"It's no trouble, Ms Traynor … it's my job to assist her in any way possible," Corrina protested.

Xiùlán smirked as she looked at the discomfited asari and said, "Don't take what she says about me so seriously, Corrina … she's teasing me." Her expression softened as she looked at her lover and concluded, "It's how she shows how much she loves me."

Sammy's smile was radiant as she announced, "We've got several weeks to get reacquainted, Luv. Have you talked to your parents, asked them about a visit?"

"Not yet … I thought I'd wait until I have a solid date for my discharge from physical therapy so they know when we're coming home." Xiùlán stood up, grabbed her cane and said to Corrina, "I'm ready to leave … Sà mi will walk with me over to the rehab center. We have a lot of catching up to do."

Corrina smiled. "She's good therapy for you, Ma'am. I'll pack up here, get everything moved for you. Just be careful going up or down stairs … you've lost a bit of strength in that knee."

"Thanks, Corrina … I'll be careful."

Traynor spent the rest of the morning filling Xiùlán in on her assignment to find and stop Michael Moser Lang's assassination of Raherix Ursivus, only to have Alliance High Command allow Lang's sabotage to succeed. Yuán had expressed amazement at General Park's complicity in the destruction of the MSV Anixara until Sammy assured her that Park had her hands tied. "Her bosses are to blame for the outcome, not Park … she's still a friend, Xiùlán. I'm sure she's still in our corner, even if we'll be in completely opposite jobs."

"Is that why you're here now? Your thirty-day leave doesn't start until I'm discharged from the rehab center here, does it?"

"Countdown begins when we leave here. When it's all over, you'll be assigned to the Tokyo, and I'll return to Arcturus Station," Sam replied sadly. "Won't be the same without you there."

"We both knew this time was coming, Sà mi. I had hoped we'd get a few more special assignments together, but …" she left the thought unfinished, then brightened as she changed the subject. "There's still our annual leave—we'll just make it a point to get together whenever and wherever we can manage it."

Traynor's smile didn't reach her eyes. "Lots of really lonely nights in between, Luv."

Xiùlán attempted to change the subject again. "Will I be able to see Buchanan before we go home? I need to thank him for keeping you safe." Traynor looked away in an attempt to hide her embarrassment; Xiùlán reached around and gently turned Sam back towards her. "Come on, Sà mi … there's no shame in having had a helping hand and another set of eyes keep you from harm. I'm sorry those C-Sec officers died in that blast, but I'd have been devastated if it had been you and Griff instead. He may not realize it, but I owe him a great debt, one I will probably never be able to repay … least I can do is thank him for keeping watch on your six."

Sam nodded and said, "He may still be in Vancouver when we return, but if not, I'm sure he'll let me … us … know where his new duty station will be."

"That's good." The pair had been walking in a large park between the main hospital and the rehab center; Xiùlán was enjoying Sam's company so much she hadn't paid much attention as the morning passed into the noon hour. An alarm trilled on her omnitool, indicating she had an hour before her afternoon session with Corina was to begin. "Sà mi, we need to eat lunch … I've worked up quite an appetite and I expect you have as well. Come on … the cafeteria in the rehab center has some delicious food."

Traynor grasped Yuán's arm and said, "Lead the way, Luv."

Traynor had been on Thessia for eight days, during which time Xiùlán continued to heal from her surgeries, to the point where she could perform some of her milder exercises in the gym … on a limited basis, and under Corrina Sidhu's strict supervision—"I'm not about to have all our hard work undone by a careless move on your part"—she had said before Xiùlán could make her first move.

Sammy had brought their nángùns; Xiùlán busied herself with practice moves, done in slow motion at first, as if she were simply sparring with a shadow warrior. As she warmed up, she moved her upper body and arms with increasing speed while keeping her feet firmly planted, left leg back, right leg forward with knee bent, over which she held the majority of her weight. Rather than sparring with Xiùlán, Traynor exercised alongside her lover, matching her move-for-move as if she were a shadow. It was an eye-opening experience for Corrina, as she had never seen these humans work out together.

The best part of the exercises in Traynor's mind was getting to shower with her Inamorata when they had finished for the day; after Sammy washed and rinsed Xiùlán's hair, she would wash her legs and feet while Xiùlán reclined on a wide bench. Xiùlán derived immense enjoyment from simply watching the nude form of the love of her life moving about in the warm mist; the soft caresses from her hands in complete conflict with the rippling muscles in her back, shoulders and arms.

Traynor never attended to herself until she was satisfied that Xiùlán's needs had been met; she once caught Xiùlán watching her as she washed herself. "Didn't realize I was putting on a show for you …" came the snarky comment. Turning her body to face her lover, she put a fist on a hip and asked, "Am I to understand you like what you see?"

"I'm making memories of you, is all," came the reply. Suddenly feeling shy for no reason she could name, Yuán added, "I don't want to forget how you look, how you move. Your body is exquisite, Sà mi … I don't believe I have ever seen its equal."

Sam sauntered over to the bench; taking a seat beside Yuán's head, she scooched herself sideways so Xiùlán could use a thigh as a pillow. Cupping the cheek of the face looking up at her, Sammy said, "My body is your creation, my love. If it pleases you, then it is my pleasure to display it for you." Xiùlán brought her own hand up to caress Sammy's face. Sam kissed the hand and fingers before saying, "Come on … we need to dry off and get dressed for dinner before Corrina comes looking for us."

"There's always something to interfere with our pleasure," came the reply in a mock grumpy tone. "But I am hungry, so …" Sammy made sure Xiùlán had her feet solidly under her on the water-slick floor, then walked with her to get their towels, where they had great fun drying each other before they got dressed and walked back to their room.

Every other afternoon Xiùlán had aquatic therapy with Corrina—a series of exercises in which Yuán floated face up in chest-deep, warm water, with the asari supporting her head in the crook of one arm while maintaining gentle traction from the base of her skull down the full length of her spine; these were designed to alternately stretch and contract the muscles in her legs with slow, smooth movements that avoided sudden loading of her joints. It was extremely relaxing for Xiùlán, particularly when Corrina added a bit of biotics in her hands. The exercises contributed to the healing of the muscles in her thigh, particularly those injured by bullet and bone fragments, but also to the strengthening of the ligaments and tendons attached to the synthetic replacement bone in her leg.

After a session lasting an hour, she'd take a half-hour break in a deep tub of very warm water with massaging jets, after which she'd move to the swimming pool for some slow laps; Sammy would generally join her in the pool so she'd have another human for company.

On the days she didn't have aquatic therapy, Xiùlán would work out on various machines designed to strengthen the rest of her body without straining her left leg; she would also walk a circuit of the tranquil parks between the hospital and rehab buildings.

Sammy had been on the asari home world for fifteen days and was walking with Xiùlán when an incoming message from Corrina Sidhu activated both of their omnitools. "The Minister of Antiquities has sent her assistant, Maracela T'Rhyn, here from Armali; she would like to see both of you."

Xiùlán glanced at Sammy as she entered a reply for both of them: "Please inform Maracela we will be there as soon as possible. I am unable to run, and speeders are not permitted in this section of the parks." Taking Sammy's arm at the elbow, she wondered about Mara's desire to see them, saying, "It's not like I'm ready to go home, Sà mi."

Traynor said, "She must be here to visit, Luv … too soon for you to be discharged."

Xiùlán leaned over to plant a quick kiss on Sammy's cheek. "Probably just wants to make sure she can see me … see us … before I get discharged and we leave for Earth."

Sammy grimaced for a moment before answering in a thoughtful tone. "Perhaps she's going to take us to Armali to tour the museum. Thanks to that post-op infection, you actually are a few days late getting discharged from here."

Shaking her head in disagreement, Xiùlán replied, "She would have been kept apprised of my status by Dr Shakia, Sà mi. I would imagine the Matriarch has an opportunity to show us the antiquities right now … such an opportunity may not present itself again until after we leave Thessia. Anyway, we'll know in a few minutes."

Upon rounding the final turn in the pathway and entering the main building, they discovered Corrina nervously waiting for them in the lobby. "Mistress T'Rhyn is waiting in the conference room down the hall from your room, Ms Yuán. I told her you would be right up."

"Thank you, Corrina." Xiùlán led Sammy to the elevator; after the brief ride, they walked past Xiùlán's room to the large conference room to greet Maracela T'Rhyn. "Mara!" Holding her hands out palms up, Xiùlán continued, "How wonderful to see you again. What brings you to Serrice?"

Placing her own hands on Xiùlán's, she replied, "Matriarch Elesia sent me here on a variety of errands, not the least of which was to meet with you in person in order to personally evaluate the progress of your rehabilitation so I may report back to her." Stepping back a pace to take a better look, she added, "The Goddess has blessed you, Xiùlán. Your pace of healing seems extraordinary, given the traumatic injury you suffered."

Xiùlán looked down at the bare skin of her thigh; she was wearing a pair of standard duty pants with the legs cut off so the still healing skin grafts wouldn't get chaffed by the fabric. "I suppose there is truth to what you say … I myself think the healing is progressing at too slow a pace."

After greeting Traynor, Mara looked from one to the other as she offered a further explanation for her visit. "My Mistress requested that I remind you both of her invitation for a private tour of the museum in Armali." Mara held up a hand before either woman could protest the special treatment. "You need to see what your mission accomplished for the asari people," she concluded. "I'm going now to speak with Dr Shakia, remind her to send word to us concerning your release from treatment here."

Xiùlán glanced at Sammy as she sighed, "Okay … and please, thank her for both of us."

Maracela smiled as she responded, "I will be sure to relay the message, but truthfully, it is we who are offering thanks to you. I look forward to seeing you both in Armali."

Xiùlán had been discharged from the rehab center by Dr Shakia, who had declared her leg was as close to a hundred percent as could be hoped; there would always be a bit of discomfort associated with the replacement of her shattered thigh bone, but the doctor reasoned that Xiùlán's condition—whose daily morning regimen of Tai Chi, coupled with the sparring exercises she enjoyed with Sammy—would continue to improve over time.

She had been given a complete copy of her medical records since her arrival on Thessia; Alliance doctors would be able to see exactly what had been done to save her leg, including Traynor's first-aid efforts before their extraction from Cartagena Station.

Traynor was walking beside her Inamorata in the spacious park between the Serrice hospital and its rehabilitation center; they were enjoying their last evening together before going to the hotel room that had been reserved for their last night on Thessia. Sam couldn't help herself as she pointed out that Xiùlán wasn't even using the cane she was carrying.

Looking at the object she was holding in some surprise, she replied, "I guess you're correct, Sà mi … truthfully, I haven't felt the need to use it. My leg seems to have healed quite nicely, and is moving and supporting my weight without complaint."

"I'm so happy for you, Luv!" A devious smile gradually grew as she added, "We really should find a staff for you—something similar to your nángùn—so you'll always be armed."

Xiùlán smiled back. "Hoping to keep me at least two meters from an assailant, Sà mi?"

"That's the general idea, Luv." They strolled along in companionable silence for several more minutes before reaching the entrance to the rehab center. Upon entering the main lobby, they encountered Dr Shakia, who had walked over from the hospital to say her final farewells to the pair.

"Ms Yuán … Ms Traynor … Goddess only knows when we may be blessed to see each other once again." She offered her hands in friendship, only to have them ignored as first Xiùlán, then Sammy, slipped in between the asari's arms to offer their own interpretation of friendship—a heartfelt hug.

"I can never thank you enough for all you and the people in this hospital have done to see me made whole again," Xiùlán said softly. "You have my gratitude, Dr Shakia, as well as my friendship."

Traynor tearfully echoed Xiùlán's comments. "You have made the seemingly impossible a reality, for which I will be forever grateful." Sammy kissed a blue cheek as she released the flustered doctor.

The asari coughed to clear the knot that had appeared in her throat. "I never had any dealings with humans before meeting you two and Operations Chief Buchanan; I certainly never expected that our parting would bring me such a combination of sadness and joy. It is a privilege for me to know you … both of you." After a brief pause to collect her composure, she continued. "Now, your transportation has all been arranged … by the time you collect your things from your room and return here, a shuttle will be waiting outside to take you to your overnight accommodations." With a smile and nod of her head, the doctor slowly turned and departed, afraid to say anything else, lest she burst into tears.

Xiùlán and Sammy watched her for a few moments, then turned as one to go back to Xiùlán's room one last time.

After a similar scene played out with Physical Therapist Corrina Sidhu in the passageway outside Xiùlán's room, the pair made their way back to the lobby, with Traynor carrying the heaviest of Xiùlán' packs to keep her from somehow overstressing her still healing leg. As promised by Dr Shakia, an obviously luxurious asari shuttle, gleaming paint reflecting the many glowing lights in the park, was sitting quietly near the doors.

The entry hatch opened as they approached; Xiùlán glanced at Samantha with a questioning look, to be met with a shoulder shrug. As they cautiously stepped up into the shuttle, a dim light illuminated the face of another friend. "Matriarch Elesia! How very good to see you!" Xiùlán held her hands out to the Antiquities Minister in greeting; Samantha set their packs down as she offered her own greeting to the Minister before asking, "What brings you here from Armali, Matriarch?"

Elesia's smile was radiant. Addressing Xiùlán first, she practically gushed, "It is good to see you again … both of you! And the Goddess surely has smiled on you, Ms Yuán. If I had not seen the extent of your injuries with my own eyes, I would find it difficult to believe you could be up and around so soon!" Turning her attention to Sammy, she said, "I really must apologize for this unexpected visit, Ms Traynor, but I simply could not allow Mara to have all the fun."

Splitting her attention between the pair, she continued, "You do remember that I promised you a tour of the Palace Art Gallery before your departure." Indicating the empty seats with a graceful wave of her hand, she continued, "Please, be seated … it is only a short flight to Armali." As they each took a seat—the craft's chairs felt more like richly upholstered luxury lounge recliners than a shuttle's passenger chairs—the unseen pilot closed the hatch and brought the shuttle to life while Elesia continued speaking. "I will lead you on a private tour, after which you will be my guests for a late dinner and overnight stay at my villa. In the morning, you will be taken to the spaceport in plenty of time for your flight back to Earth."

Xiùlán and Sam looked at each other for a moment before returning their gaze to the Matriarch. "Sounds like a wonderful evening, Minister," Xiùlán replied as Sam nodded enthusiastically.

• ARMALI PALACE ART GALLERY · THESSIA •

Sammy and Xiùlán were a bit awestruck by the number of ancient exhibits in the museum, an emotion that did not go unnoticed by their esteemed tour guide. "Asari history stretches back for millennia," Elesia remarked as she turned a corner to enter another wing of the rather large building. "I did not mean to imply that the antiquities we have here were all from the golden age of exploration."

Just as the humans had been amazed at the number of exhibits in the museum halls they had just been through, they were equally amazed at the distinct dearth of exhibits in the smaller area before them. Traynor asked, "If there are so many objects here that date back to truly ancient times, Matriarch, then why are there no more than a relative handful in this part of the museum?"

"A number of the exhibits in this wing belonged to the six—the Matriarchs that managed to return from their voyages into the void. The rest, including the figurine so adeptly recovered by you two, belonged to Matriarch Dilinaga." Elesia continued to talk as she walked up to a display case housing a number of brittle-looking pieces of paper. "Her writings were only recently released from the Thessia Guildhall, possibly because several more were recently recovered by Septivus Vulpez, the turian that originally recovered the Janiri figurine."

Traynor looked in awe at the ancient pages, each a chronological record of Matriarch Dilinaga's travels through what had been the batarian controlled sector of the galaxy.

"Long way from home," Traynor mused. "Even with the relays, travel through the systems must have taken a long time."

The matriarch nodded in agreement. "Ships of that era were not nearly as efficient as those currently produced, Sammy. Remember also, a number of the planets visited by our travelers are located in systems that are virtual dead-ends, such as Gemini Sigma, Artemis Tau, Maroon Sea and the Armstrong Nebula; one must reverse direction to leave each one. It makes for seemingly time-consuming travel."

Xiùlán slowly approached the exhibit in the very center of the room – the 40 centimeter high figurine of Janiri, standing on top of a polished crystalline cylinder, the circular base of which rotated extremely slowly; it stood under a clear dome for protection and was lit by several spot lights mounted in the ceiling. Four engraved gold plates describing the artifact were mounted on separate posts installed around the central pedestal, with the posts linked by gold chains to prevent visitors from drawing too close.

Traynor walked up to join Xiùlán and remarked, "The display doesn't begin to tell of the difficulties encountered by those that retrieved it from the abyss, eh, Luv?"

Xiùlán looked at her companion with a grim smile. "Not even close." Returning her gaze to the figurine, she added, "I wonder how many other artifacts from that era are missing, whether lost to theft or piracy … how many are sitting in people's private collections."

Elesia walked up to join the humans, responding to Xiùlán's musings. "More than I care to think about … It's amazing to me that people would be so selfish as to deny others an opportunity to share in our history." Shaking her head as if to erase the thoughts of stolen artifacts, she said, "If you are done looking at the displays, we can leave for my home. It's not far, and I must admit to being a bit hungry."

Traynor smiled in reply. "Lead the way, Matriarch."

Matriarch Elesia was as good as her word—Xiùlán and Sammy enjoyed a sumptuous dinner at her country estate, where they were treated like royalty. Maracela T'Rhyn was there as well; the next morning, she pulled Samantha aside as soon as everyone was done with brunch.

"Sammy, I have something I wish to give you, and before you say anything, please know that I believe you are one of the nicest people I have ever met." Mara dropped her eyes for a moment, the deepening color in her cheeks the only sign she was uncomfortable with what she was about to do. "I had hoped to accompany you to the spaceport, but after thinking about it, decided I would have a better chance of having you alone for a few moments before you left the estate."

Traynor was mystified by Maracela's behavior and her words. "Mara, what on Earth … er, what on Thessia … are you talking about?"

A blue hand reached for and took one of Samantha's hands as Mara attempted to explain. "You remember the day I took you and … Operations Chief Buchanan … on a sight-seeing walk near the hospital? You were looking at jewelry inside my sister's shop."

Traynor stared hard into a pair of emerald green eyes. "I do remember … Farnia was kind enough to show me an exquisite bracelet I wanted to give to Xiùlán." Sam was beginning to realize what Maracela was speaking about. "Oh, Mara … what did you …?"

With her free hand, Mara brought out a small, gaily wrapped box in the shape of a cube. "I want you to have this, Sammy, to give to Xiùlán. You don't have to tell her it's from me and my sister … simply tell her you bought it for her."

"Mara!" Sam was totally taken aback. "I cannot lie to Xiùlán … even for the best of reasons! And this is really too much … it's much too expensive!" Sam was going to refuse to take the box until she saw the hurt in the asari's eyes.

"I am sorry, Samantha. I have offended you. Please, forgive my … lack of understanding concerning humans. I did not know …" Mara closed her eyes as she clutched the box to her chest.

Sam reached up with her free hand and placed a finger on Mara's lips to quiet her. When she opened her eyes to look at the human, Sammy said softly, "Mara, it is I that must beg your pardon. I have misjudged you … badly." Removing her finger, she continued, "A gift, freely given in friendship, is not to be taken lightly. But if you truly wish to do this, it must be you that presents it to Xiùlán, not me. You do realize I cannot give this to her as if it was purchased by me?"

Mara brushed a tear from her eye as she grinned at Sammy, her good spirits restored. "You are an exceptional person, Samantha Traynor … a credit to your race. I can see why Xiùlán looks upon you with such devotion in her eyes. Few are those that can earn a love that intense. Cherish every moment you have with her."

With a smile that lit her entire face, Sammy replied, "I do, Mara … every day of my life." She reached around the asari, embracing her in a heartfelt hug of friendship and sisterhood. Releasing her, she took a step back and said, "Now, let's go find Xiùlán. I want to see her face when she opens her gift from the sisters T'Rhyn."