Notes:

A Grá - My Love (Gaelic)

Anam Cara - Soul Friend/Mate (Gaelic)

CGC - Center for Galactic Cooperation

Drala'fa - The ignored (Drell/Source: CDN)

Inanna - pinnacle of Asari blending, perfect unity of two spirits into one (from 'real world' Sumerian Goddess of Love, Fertility, and War)

Ionúin Álainn - beautiful beloved (Gaelic)

Kaffe - equatorial Thessian vine, seeds of which are used to produce a non-alcoholic beverage of same name, taste described as a mix of coffee and chocolate (Thessian; Source: CDN)

Le'wĕth - the soft ridges extending from beneath the rear of the scalp, merging into the back of the neck (Thessian; Source: CDN)

RRT- Rapid Response Team

Siame - "one who is all", a loved one cherished above all others (Thessian/Source: CDN)

Unexpected Allies

Rachni Hive, Chasca, Matano – 20 Sep 2190

"No one is truly free." Shepard shook her head. "Not when you look at the entire galaxy as a whole. It is a system dictated by compromise… one where you need to curb some of your ambitions in order to share resources and keep the peace. So, what exactly is your primary goal? The one thing that you want… that you desire, more than anything else?"

The queen was silent for several moments, listening to the songs of her people but, mostly, to the singular song of the Queen Mother. When that song fell silent, she answered, "To be allowed to reclaim our home-world of Suen, within our home system of Maskim Xul, in order that we may reestablish our primary colony."

"Your colony there was completely destroyed in the wars… your caverns collapsed." Liara's heart ached for the young queen as she told of the damage done to the planet. She finished with, "I am unsure there is anything left that would be worth reclaiming."

"Is that truly any different than what the other races experienced during the Reaper Wars?" The queen cocked her head slightly to the side and asked, "Did that keep anyone from rebuilding after the war?" The queen assumed a full upright posture, one full of confidence and commitment, adding, "We are no different. We can rebuild what once was, be it destroyed a year ago… or an eon. It does not matter. The Rachni can, and will, rise from the ashes of our misguided forebearers."

Liara felt humor from Shepard as the woman stated, "Hard to argue with that one, Li. We didn't exactly roll over and find new places to live, did we?"

Smiling softly, she replied, "No, we most certainly did not." Looking back to the queen, Liara drew a deep breath before replying. "It is a wonderful goal… but, again, not something with which we can assist. You will need to petition the Council…"

"No, we will not." The young queen actually interrupted her. "We have already researched this matter. No one has submitted any claims on either Suen or Kashshaptu, which means we still possess undisputed rights to our homeworld and our first travel world. Sharp is already preparing a statement of notification, not petition, of our intent to return to both worlds."

"How will that happen?" asked Liara, honestly unsure about the process. "Do you not need a queen to run the new hive? Would you leave Chasca to reclaim your homeworld?"

She and Samantha both heard the rumble they now recognized as the Rachni's indication of amusement. "No, I will remain here. The Queen Mother is already raising a new brood, who will be ready to swarm in a few more months. But the new young queen will remain behind in the established colony; the Queen Mother will move to the homeworld… as will I, when she passes. Suen will once more be the anchor for our species."

She hesitated only a moment before continuing, "The third planet, Damkianna, perhaps, will be more difficult, as our Helium 3 collectors have aged and become dysfunctional, to be replaced by others owned by various races. They filed for mining and collection rights with the Council… but, for obvious reasons, never submitted any type of claim to the Rachni. In this way, we are similar to the returning Protheans; how do those thought extinct reclaim what was theirs without creating yet another war?"

Liara actually smiled at the young queen. "Just by recognizing that as an issue, you show good judgement… an understanding that it is not a given, but a necessary negotiation. That is very promising. It will be up to the Rachni to make a reasonable argument, and to be willing to negotiate in good faith with those who have established H3 collectors there during your absence."

"In good faith?" The queen sounded… almost disgusted. The tone of her song reflected disharmony and was tinged with disbelief. "Will the Council also promise and adhere to this concept of good faith?"

"Of course, they will." Curious, Liara cocked her head and questioned, "Why would you ask such a thing?"

"Why would we ask?" The queen hunkered down into a protective position as she almost whispered, "Because the Protheans raised and bred the strongest of us to become killing machines for their armies. But we were too intelligent to be used as slaves… as battle fodder to protect Prothean lives for their wars. When we questioned this, they attempted to wipe us from existence… our first lesson in the potential of the great darkness."

She returned to her full height as she continued, "Then the Reapers came… obliterating the Protheans and giving us our first taste of the sour yellow note. But once they believed they had achieved their goals, they retreated back to their dark space and left us to our own once again. This state remained a constant for eons… until the Salarians arrived, and we learned of FTL travel. Unfortunately, we knew only what we had learned from the Protheans, so sought to expand our domain, unknowing and ignorant of the concepts of galactic community and cooperation… or the existence of the Council of Three."

"I assume you are referring to the Asari, the Salarians and the Turians?"

"Yes. But then came the Krogan, who became the newest weapons of the Council, much as we had been used for nothing more than tools for Prothean dominance… only the Krogan had no Reaper arrival to save them. So, once their mission was believed complete, your Council turned on them, much as the Protheans had turned on us. Therefore, we are left to wonder if we must prepare once again for such a turn."

The queen made a bit of a growling noise, indicating her displeasure at the topic. "Why we ask is because of this pattern of deceit! We are not so naïve as to believe this is something that could never happen again. Even with the Reapers at your throats, the Salarian Dalatrass still desired that the Krogan be subdued, if not eradicated from the galaxy! With the Department of Religion within the Illuminated Primacy under intense scrutiny, the Hanar continue to keep the Drell locked in compact. Now, you are actively seeking the Prothean return; the exact same Protheans who attempted our eradication fifty millennia ago. General Javik held firm in his hatred of all synthetic life forms, so I have to wonder. Do these Prothean scientists still harbor thoughts of returning the Rachni to oblivion?"

"Goddess." Liara looked at Shepard, whose eyes were also a bit wider than normal, both she and Liara being more than a bit surprised at the expanse of the queen's knowledge regarding galactic politics. "Even I will admit to having underestimated your political acumen and potential… and, for that, I apologize from the bottom of my heart."

"There is no apology necessary… for, even with that underestimation, you have treated fairly… more than fairly… with us." The queen reached out with both of her tentacles, laying one on each of them; with this contact, Liara and Samantha each felt a comfortable, warming hum running through their bodies. "You must remember that our queens carry the Rachni genetic memory. Each of us is hatched with the knowledge of what has transpired before… and we have witnessed, firsthand, the political machinations of this time. This time was different, however, as we now possess interstellar flight capabilities; the Reapers would be our destroyers, rather than our saviors. In the end, if we are to be honest, we had no choice other than to fight at your sides."

She paused as she withdrew her tentacles and folded them back along her sides. "But we willingly acknowledge… after our race was saved by the Shepard, twice… the choice was not as difficult as it could have otherwise been."

Hearing Shepard's answer clear as a bell through the link, and knowing the Rachni queen heard it as well, Liara voiced it aloud. "With all things considered, we agree to your terms. We will assist you in your pleas to the Council. We have no vote, but we do have friends on the Council… including the Krogan."

Noting the queen's surprise, Liara explained further. "No. It is not that I expect resistance from them. Quite the opposite, actually. I think that once we explain what you just told us… your two races should be natural allies, not enemies. You have experienced the same type of uncivilized treatment and ill use from the leading races of your time; you have shared the experience of being used for purposes detrimental to your own well-being, without the courtesy of being asked if you were willing to make that sacrifice. That is the difference between then and now. In this generation, Shepard made sure you were given the right to choose the side with which you would fight."

"If you are willing to promise this, then we also agree to your terms." The queen dipped down in acceptance. "We will immediately begin to assist in your search for the Protheans, with nothing more than your word to help us in our endeavor to return to our home worlds. In contrast, neither the question of ambassadorship nor of honorary hive membership has any urgency and can wait until both of these issues are resolved to our satisfaction. Neither offer will be rescinded, and you may answer in your own time… be it now or in a hundred years; the choice is yours."

Aletheia, Chasca, Matano – 21 Sep 2190

"When we started this conversation, I honestly thought you had either lost your mind or you were trying to pull off the greatest joke you have ever attempted, Shepard." Jara nearly roared with laughter. "Never in a million years would I have imagined hearing the words 'A Krogan and Rachni compact' strung together in a single sentence… in earnest. Never."

Liara could hardly believe what was happening. They had relayed the queen's request for reclaiming their homeworld, to which Jara had no objections, other than the complete and utter destruction the Krogan had wrought upon the planet. "They must be nuts to think there is anything at all worth salvaging there."

Shepard had countered with a much better point than anything Liara could have thought of, by simply recalling something the Urdnot Clan Chief had told her. "And Tuchanka's any different? Wrex once told me that Tuchanka might be a nuclear wasteland… but it was his, and he wasn't going to let anyone take that away from the Krogan. Why should you expect the Rachni to feel any different when it comes to their own planet?"

Jara immediately fell silent for several moments before finally responding, "You're absolutely correct, Shepard. It was theirs, and they want it back. If they are serious about being allies in our common cause, I suppose we can support that." She grinned before adding, "Well, I can support that. Now, all you need to do is convince Wrex and Bakara… and then they need to convince the Krogan people. Wrex has asked a lot of the clans, but this? This will be a tough sell."

"Tougher than boots on Palaven for the Reaper War?"

At that Jara laughed. "I suppose you've got me there. Who would have thought that possible before you came on the scene? Not me, that's for sure!" Shaking her head in disbelief, Jara continued, "I'll do what you ask and talk to Sharp, then Wrex, to see where we are. If all that works out, Sharp and I will go see Tevos as soon as we can get on her schedule, to see what she thinks. I imagine you should be expecting a call from her in a couple of days, but we'll see. That's all I can promise at this point."

"And that's all we can ask." Liara nodded in acceptance, a smile on her face. "Thank you, Jara."

As the screen went black, she turned to Shepard, a mix of emotions filling the link as Sam asked, "You sure we want to get in the middle of this?"

Liara chuckled and stepped into Shepard's arms, wrapping her own around the woman's waist. "No. I'm hoping we set the wheels in motion and then get out of the way before we get run over. Can you even imagine what the combined force of the Krogan and Rachni could bring to bear?"

"Absolutely… so I sure hope we're right on this one, T'Soni." Shepard smirked, fully confident in their alliance with the Krogan… Wrex and Bakara, in particular. "Though I don't envy either of us for our next conversation."

"Wrex." Liara's one-word answer said it all.

"Yup. He questioned me every time the issue of saving the Rachni came up… he sure as all hell is going to question this one."

"But we have pretty solid evidence on our side this time, because of those successes." Liara hugged her tight. "So, let's take some time to celebrate Alban Elfed with the crew, before it completely passes us by, and worry about the rest once we hear back from Rae."

"That sounds like a wonderful plan." Shepard smiled. "If the seeds we have planted over the past year or so yield us a crop of peace and cooperation between the Krogan and the Rachni? What more could we ask?"

Aletheia, Chasca, Matano – 21 Sep 2190

Their peaceful celebration was not uninterrupted, as they had hoped. Instead, they received a rather… tempestuous call from Urdnot Wrex. "Are you fucking crazy, Shepard?" he shouted, almost loud enough to be heard from Tuchanka without the aid of the communications system. "And you, Liara. I thought better of you… that you'd be able to talk her out of such nonsense. The Rachni? Allies? And you dare to call yourself Krogan!"

Shepard leaned back and crossed her arms, simply glaring at the Battlemaster as they heard Bakara in the background. "Now, don't be rude, Wrex. Give them a chance to explain… after all, they did manage to cure the Genophage. That has to count for something."

"They did not! Mordin did!"

"Now you're just being stubborn and foolish, Wrex! Do you honestly think that would have happened in time without Shepard's intervention? Without her pulling Mordin from Omega? Without her telling the Dalatrass to play along or risk being alienated from the war effort, with Sur'Kesh being left to defend itself? Without Shepard, I would not be here and the Krogan would still be dying." As she stepped into the view, Bakara's voice took on a chill neither Liara nor Shepard had ever heard from the calm and level-headed female Krogan. "So, do shut up and let them speak before I cut off your quads, one… painful… one… at a time."

Bakara then turned to the screen with a smile. "Now. I do believe you were about to explain your reasoning behind this rather… unconventional… alliance?"

Even knowing Jara had most likely gone through the list, Liara drew a deep breath and calmly went through the entire argument again, based on their discussion with the young queen. "I know you don't believe it, but if you are willing to take a fresh look at the new Rachni, you could not possibly ask for a better ally with more common ground. Yes, you were asked to destroy them… but, to whose benefit and to what end? What did the Rachni War ever gain you, except a worthy enemy to kill and, eventually, the Genophage as payment? That is no longer the future nor the legacy of the Krogan people! Your new future is unfolding as we speak… regaining the dignity of your people… rebuilding your magnificent cities and recapturing your pre-nuclear history… from before the time where you turned against your own and nearly destroyed your homeworld! Honestly… what more could you possibly ask for than this chance at a do-over, Wrex? Tell me!"

Wrex sat, looking rather grumpy for a moment at being called out by a pipsqueak, 100-year-old, Asari maiden. "Fine."

"Fine? That's it?" Shepard raised an eyebrow. "You had the gall to call Liara's heritage into question... and, seemingly, our successful completions of our Rites of Passage – which included killing our Thresher Maws – to become members of Clan Urdnot. And all you can say is fine?"

All it took was a glare from Bakara for him to huff and continue. "Alright! Yes, I take back everything I just said. You are both Urdnot… and Liara is most definitely Krogan… but the Rachni, Shepard? You know what you're asking?"

"Of course, we know what we're asking, Wrex! And do you honestly think the clans will reject an alliance with the second-most powerful warrior race in the galaxy? Hell… the Rachni turned the Turians into whimpering sycophants… so the Council was forced to come to you. Do you think they ever wanted to become indebted to the Krogan? As far as the Council was concerned, you were a last resort. In comparison, the Rachni suffered under the Protheans the same way you suffered under the Council, so you have some pretty solid common ground. What more could you ask of an ally?" She huffed out a laugh as she added, "Other than they be the most kick-ass couple in the galaxy, like Liara and me."

At that, Wrex actually cracked a smile. "Alright, Shepard, you've made your point. I just have one condition."

"And what would that be, Wrex?"

"You and Liara need to be here when we… or, better yet, you… make the pitch to the other clan leaders at the Hollows." Wrex shrugged. "You and Bakara, side-by-side, can make the declaration, however you best see fit."

"Will they accept that, not coming directly from the Overlord?"

"They will… because I'll be sitting on the stage behind you, watching over your head and glowering at any who voice objections. They will be made to understand that if they persist, they will feel the wrath of the united clans."

"United clans?" questioned Liara.

"Oh, yes," answered Bakara. "While Jara has been working on relationships with the Council, I have been working on uniting the females of various clans." She gave Wrex a withering gaze. "If the Clan Chiefs know what's good for them, they will pay rapt attention to your words… which is why Wrex wants me to make the announcement, and not him. With the curing of the Genophage, there is great power in the female voice… the power of whose names will carry forward to the next generation of Krogan. With most of us fertile once more, this is no longer a matter of chance, but of choice; choice by the females as to with whom they will bear children."

Shepard whistled quietly through her teeth. "Ouch. That's a low blow."

"But an effective one," replied Bakara. "Sometimes, the males don't understand anything less direct. When all else fails, threatening the future of their name… and their clan… normally gets us their undivided attention. In this way, the females are generally able to curb the males' self-destructive nature and encourage compliance."

"So," began Liara, "you need to speak first with the females… before this clan gathering at the Hollows, true?"

"Yes… and, for that, you and Shepard should also be present. It helps the cause that you are both females." Looking specifically at Liara, Bakara smiled softly. "And, before you correct me, we do realize you are mono-gendered… but, to be blunt, you have tits and bear children, so everyone else in the galaxy sees you as female. That is simple fact, and not meant as a slight toward your beliefs and self-description regarding the Asari race."

Liara nodded, "We are aware of that… interpretation… and have long ago discarded any thoughts of argument, as we know they generally fall on deaf ears. No offense taken, Bakara."

"So, it's decided," boomed Wrex. "When can you get here?"

Liara glanced at Samantha, quickly exchanging their thoughts and coming to a conclusion. Looking back to the Krogan duo, Liara stated, "We had planned on being home in time to celebrate Samhain on the first of November, but this issue is more pressing. As such, we will wrap things up here and speak to the queen one last time to give her an update, departing as soon as possible thereafter."

She focused on Bakara as she continued, "We think you should set up a meeting with the females sometime during the first week of October. That should give us plenty of time to get to Tuchanka and strategize exactly how we want to approach this first meeting. Assuming all goes well, we can then work with the females to determine the content of our announcement… how to best word it, to deliver the Rachni offer to the independent clan chiefs."

Shepard continued, "And, we think it best those words come from you, Bakara. We can be there as arbiters of the agreement… and, acting as members of Clan Urdnot, be ready and willing to take any counteroffer that may be made back to the Rachni. However, we would prefer that any counters get discussed between Jara and Sharp, as the appointed representatives to the Council, to make any agreement officially binding."

"Do you trust Jara enough to let her hold this discussion with Sharp and make these decisions independently, keeping what is best for the Krogan foremost in her mind?" Bakara asked Wrex.

Surprisingly fast, Wrex answered, "I do, else she wouldn't have been put forward as our councilor. She has done well by us… with the Huli, getting our first ever Spectre… holding her own in every one of the Council discussions and debates." He shrugged and added, "She has given me no reason to doubt her loyalty or her judgment. So, if the Clan Chiefs agree, I would be both happy and relieved, assuming she is willing to take on the task."

Shepard chuckled. "Because that means you won't have to travel to the CGC and deal with the Council on their turf?"

Wrex flexed his shoulders and flashed her a grin. "You are the sister I never had, Shepard. I never thought a Human would ever understand me so well, end up Clan Urdnot and one of my best friends and battle mates… not until I met you. I most certainly never would have thought to declare anyone not Krogan as family, as I have with you and Liara. There's a reason you two led the coalition against the Reapers." He paused to give them both a nod of approval. "So, having said that, I have to believe this agreement with the Rachni is a good thing for us, because I have never trusted anyone else with my life and my future the way I trust you."

Liara felt a nearly overwhelming sense of appreciation… gratitude… and love swell from Shepard, and she had to agree as she felt tears come to her eyes. "Thank you, Wrex… from both of us, from the bottom of our hearts. You obviously know we feel the same way about you and Bakara."

"Well, shit, Liara." Huffed Wrex. "Don't go all soft and mushy on me now. You'll ruin your Krogan image."

"Wrex!" Bakara gave him a light punch on the shoulder, a soft smirk on her Krogan lips. "Thank you, Liara. We've taken enough of your time, especially considering that you will soon be on your way here. Travel safe… and send us a message when you're on your way."

"Thank you, Bakara, and we'll see you soon."

As the screen went black, Liara turned and stepped into Shepard's arms. "I guess we're doing this, aren't we?"

Smiling, Shepard brushed her lips softly against Liara's temple, answering, "Yes, I suppose we are."

As Shepard's fingers trailed up her neck to feather softly across the base of her Le'wĕth, Liara felt a tremble of anticipation pass through her core. "Tides, Siame!" Liara drew a shuddering breath. "You keep doing that and you'll have something to take care of before we head back to the queen!"

"Who can wait until the morning, anyway. It's almost dinner time." Shepard accented her words with another hand sliding up from Liara's waist to softly massage the folds in the Asari's lower back.

"By the Goddess!" Feeling daring, Liara spun Shepard and pushed her back against the communications console, placing a crushing kiss on welcoming lips, finally leaving Shepard gasping for air as a thigh pressed suggestively into her crotch.

"Fighting fire with fire, T'Soni?" whispered Samantha. "We need to head to our room…"

"Too late for that, Captain." Liara pressed her thigh tighter and said, "Glyph. Secure the comm center and go to privacy mode until further notice."

"Understood, Doctor."

Shepard heard the door lock engage only a fraction of a second before the glowing blue orb vanished from sight. "Aren't you the bold one, today?"

Liara growled quietly as Shepard's fingers expertly located yet another spot. "Everything I learned, I learned from you, Samantha, so you have no one to blame but yourself."

Aletheia, Milky Way, At Large – 22 Sep 2190

The next day, after a quick visit to the queen to explain their hasty departure, they were on their way, hopping through various clusters enroute to Tuchanka. Liara spent much of her time on the Broker terminal, conversing with Miri and Judea about the information they were currently collecting… which basically consisted of anything that could help the negotiations between, first, Bakara and the Clan Chiefs, and then Jara and Sharp. The only guidance they had decided on for the search was that it be neutral, meaning information from and against both sides would be gathered. So armed, they would be prepared to argue for the compact, no matter what blocks either side decided to throw their way.

Overall, sitting on the couch with Samantha at her side, Liara felt simply… content. Shepard was reviewing the House Status of Forces, as she called it – the state of everyone's training, the readiness of the commandos' weapons and gear – while Liara was evaluating the latest financial report from Matriarch Mozia. Quite honestly, she thought, things couldn't be going better… except, perhaps, her actual archaeological career.

That thought, trickling across the link, made Shepard stop and smile. "We do have a tendency to get distracted from that goal, don't we?" She set her datapad down and placed a warm hand supportively on Liara's thigh. "This is a quick one, I hope. We'll get this done, still be back on Thessia in time for the holidays to spend time with Mom and Aethyta, then, get back to our search… just as we have laid out on our schedule."

"I know," answered Liara. "But I don't honestly care when we do what, so long as you are at my side."

"Through it all, T'Soni." Shepard gave the supple thigh under her hand a gentle squeeze. "Don't even begin to think otherwise… which, I know is too late because you already have. But there is no way I'm staying at the Estate to help get this next year's training schedule laid out. Aethyta and the House Captains have that well in hand. Quite literally, they've done it for hundreds of years… they don't need me stepping into the middle."

Her hand came up, gently turning Liara's chin so she could place a soft kiss on waiting blue lips. "My place is here, at your side, wherever you may point us."

Liara huffed a small laugh, adding, "It just seems that with our current fame…" She paused and waived the datapad around in the air, "… and fortune apparently, based on this latest financial report, we never get to honestly do what we want, Sam. We are always helping others achieve their dreams, while neglecting our own. Am I just being greedy… wanting to do something for ourselves for a change?"

"Absolutely not, Blue." Shepard paused for a moment, a concerned look crossing her face. "Suddenly, I feel compelled to ask this question… Why, exactly, are we looking for the Protheans anymore, Liara? I mean… honestly; I thought we were looking for them because you wanted to but, if that's not the case…"

Shepard didn't finish the sentence, able to sense Liara's consternation over that very question. Drawing a deep breath, followed immediately by a heavy sigh, Liara shrugged. "I honestly don't know anymore. I think, at the beginning, I felt guilty about Javik. I needed to know that I hadn't killed the last Prothean… the last link to the civilization that so changed ours."

She set the datapad gently onto the small table to her side of the love seat, then reached over to take Samantha's hand. "Now that we know a group survived, that obviously no longer applies, so I think, perhaps, that's the problem. I don't know if I have any other motivation strong enough to keep traveling the stars like we are now. Just how long do I plan on dragging everyone around the galaxy for a personal dream I no longer feel very strongly about?"

"You're the only one who can answer that question, Li. But, if you can honestly say you no longer dream about being able to interview a live Prothean scientist…"

Liara felt her face grow warm, remembering how excited she had been about having Javik – a real live Prothean! – aboard the Normandy. His brusque attitude, along with his insistence the rest of them were all 'primitives,' had quickly cooled her enthusiasm. Then, his attack on Legion… followed by the incident with Shepard… Well, no need to dwell on how that had turned out.

"I must admit, I am concerned about how their attitudes, should they prove to be more like Javik than I care to experience…"

She didn't get to finish her thought before Shepard interrupted her. "And what if they aren't, Liara? Are you seriously willing to miss your one chance of fulfilling a nearly lifelong dream, just on the fear they may all be jerks like Javik?" Shepard shook her head and gave Liara's hand a squeeze. "You have never been one to make a decision based on fear, and I think you'd regret making that particular decision now, for the rest of your life."

Liara closed her eyes from the penetrating emerald gaze, but it didn't work; not with the link and her ability to feel everything Shepard was emoting. Opening them again, she met the steadfast gaze of the other half of her soul. "Of course, you are correct, Samantha. I would never forgive myself for missing such an opportunity. I forfeited time I could have spent with my mother because of a childish grudge, I don't care to ever suffer another lost opportunity over my inability to control my emotions."

Shepard gave her hand another squeeze. "The good thing about the entire enterprise is there are no commitments. We're doing this for you so, at any time, should you change your mind, it's simple enough to change our destination right along with it." Her voice dropped as she continued, "And, as I've already told you, anytime you need to go home, just to be home… sleep in our bed, bury your toes in the sand on the beach… whatever; we'll go. No need to justify it for any reason other than you just want to go home. It's nice just to know that option is always available to you… to us."

"It is. Just knowing we have an escape hatch… because that's what it honestly is… makes anything that tends to annoy me that much more tolerable. Simply knowing it is our mission, not done on the bequest of someone else, so we can retreat to our ship and pick a new destination any time? It certainly does provide a sense of freedom when I look at it that way. And you must know you can do that as well, Siame. Just say the word and we'll head home. I can't say it would be a no questions asked proposition… because if something is bothering you, I'd like to know."

It was Liara's turn to squeeze the hand in hers. "Promise me you'll not keep secrets if that is the case? There have been too many times when you kept things from me… and yes, I realize that, too, goes both ways. We made a pact of no more secrets; we must keep that promise to one another, yes?"

"Absolutely." Samantha gave her a beaming smile. "I doubt either of us could do so anymore, anyway, as open as we are to one another now… and I don't care to experiment on that front. I have every intention of keeping that promise, Liara. No secrets between us makes life a whole lot easier, if you ask me."

"Thank you, Samantha." Liara smiled coyly. "So, what should we do for the rest of our three-day journey? Any ideas?"

Shepard broke out in laughter, grinning ear-to-ear. "Oh, I'm sure we can think of something to occupy our time, T'Soni."

Dagnes, Bonler, Kepler System – 24 Sep 2190

The analyst practically crept into the room, trying hard to avoid disturbing her employer from his work, wanting to wait patiently until he decided to take a break, all to no avail.

"Don't creep about! If you're here to tell me something, spit it out and get on with your work." He scoffed at the lab tech derisively. "I've been waiting weeks for the results of one simple assignment and do not understand your inability to provide the gene sequencing for even a single compatible donor!"

"But that's why I'm here, Doctor. I finally managed to get into the databases and found one. Found a few, actually, but one of them seems so much better…"

She didn't get to finish her sentence as the researcher rudely cut her off. "Don't care about the specifics, let me see your results!"

She moved quickly to his side, thrusting her research at him. "They are listed in priority order, of what I feel is most-to-least compatible."

"Yes, yes," he grunted. "Let me be the judge of that." He snatched the data pad from her hand and started scanning quickly through the data. "Excellent work. You've earned your salary today… and the bonus I promised for a quality candidate. Now, get out, find Jonathan, and have him here within the hour. He has work to do."

The tech moved quickly, practically running from the room. As soon as the door closed behind her, she brought up her omnitool and placed a call. When the man answered, she blurted out, "He wants you here, now. I've found a potential donor…"

"About damned time. I was getting bored doing all these base chores. Of course, I shouldn't complain… that doctor's throw-aways have paid pretty handsomely on the black markets."

The tech's eyes flew open wide in both fear and surprise. "You wouldn't dare! He'll have your hide if he ever finds out!"

"Unless someone points it out to him, he'll never know. He's very singularly focused on his work… no distractions. He doesn't see anything beyond his analytical and medical equipment." The man laughed. "He never steps out of the room… everything he needs is brought in for him. Hell… he even sleeps on one of the medical beds in the back and showers in the decon station."

"Do I want to know how you even know that? You're… like… never here."

"I'm always here, girl. You just don't see me… but it's my job to know things, to find and learn things other people can't… and you can't do that by being… visible."

"So can I tell him you're on your way?"

Just then the door opened, and he strode in, his confident, self-satisfied gait grating on her nerves just as it always did. Pompous ass-wiper.

"No need. I'll tell him myself." With that, he acted as she no longer existed, simply walking to the lab and stepping through the door like he didn't have a care in the world.

The doctor looked at the door with a scowl, pleasantly surprised to see the Drell stepping through and not the incompetently slow Human female. "I appreciate your promptness. If only all my employees had the same work ethic, I would be much happier."

"What do you need, Sir?"

The Salarian handed the Drell, Jona Thean, the information. "There are three names on this datapad. Find them, erase them from existence, and bring them here. If doing so in a timely fashion is not possible, then arrange for accidents, but take at least four full vials of blood from each and bring it all to me. They are listed in priority order."

"Understood, Sir. You'll have your first samples within the week."

"Thank you, Jonathan."

"My pleasure, Doctor." With that, the Drell simply smiled and walked away. One of these days, you'll actually learn my name… when this Drala'fa slits your damned throat. Someday, but not today. First, I get my payment.