Notes:

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

Old Memories and New Truths

Oasia, Ilos, Refuge – 27 Mar 2191

When Liara arrived at the research site the next morning, everyone was positively buzzing. Both the Prothean science lead, Arick, and the first female, Aelia, along with the SILC lead, Prime Vidan, were already onsite. Aelia, much to Liara's surprise, immediately approached her and gave her a welcoming hug.

"It is so good to have you and the full team back with us, Liara!" Aelia chuckled quietly, a grin creeping onto the normally serious Prothean's lips. "Of course, Rasha beat you here by at least an hour… even though I am sure you had an appointed time to meet here."

Liara, surprised by the hug, smiled happily at the warm welcome and returned the embrace. "I am not surprised in the slightest. When it comes to preparatory work, Rasha makes sure she is always at least one step ahead of me… if not ten or twenty."

"Yes, I can see that," Aelia nodded. "But that is also the sign of a good leader… the ability to pick the right people with those kinds of skills. People you can both trust and who have a good work ethic. No matter the era, that is a commonality between all peoples of all times, not just the current age." She suddenly laughed. "But here I am prattling on about leadership, when I am very sure what you honestly want to do is hear about our progress on the Zeioph statues! Come!"

They chatted as they walked, Liara asking about how the Prothean colony was faring, learning that the majority of the housing structures were now complete, and they had begun work on what Aelia referred to as the trademarks of advanced societies – the social aspects of building a new home. "The spaceport is nearly complete… so, soon enough, you will be moving the Aletheia to an actually parking ramp! Also, both the school and social center are about halfway done, and the SILC have just begun work on our future trade center." At that, she chuckled. "We have no idea yet what the inside will look like, or what we will trade other than technology… but we do know we will need administrative offices, at the very least. We are also thinking of linking it to the Embassy compound… seeing as it will be Council members with whom we will be trading."

At that, Shepard chuckled. As the attention turned in her direction, she shrugged. "Well, there is always Aria T'Loak, in the Terminus. Believe it or not, she has moved into more… shall we say… legitimate businesses, since the end of the war. Her Turian lover and Chief of Security, Nyreen Kandros, is doing an amazing job at keeping her more on the straight and narrow. Aria's near-death experience radically changed her perspective, making her realize she could not count solely on her cutthroats and thieves to protect her." After only a brief moment she added, "Oh! And there's the Raloi! Still an independent race who went into hiding during the war. They did such a good job going off-network, the Council hasn't located them yet."

Putting a damper on the happy mood, Jorè quickly commented, "Or, the Reapers found them anyway, and wiped them from existence. Being so young to spaceflight, they likely did not have the technology they needed to survive the war."

"Goddess." Liara suddenly felt queasy – and somewhat angry – at the thought of an entire race being obliterated from the current timeline. "I'll contact Tevos and ask if anything is being done, or if they are still unable to spare the assets needed for an attempt to locate them." Her eyes went to Samantha as she continued, "The last time the Raloi were mentioned to us, the Council wanted us to go on the hunt for them, saying they didn't have the capacity, neither ships nor personnel, with all the rebuilding that still needed to be completed."

"With things beginning to happen at the dig site, you already have enough on your plate, Li." Shepard was nodding as she continued, "I'll give Tevos a call to see what the status is… but first, I'll ask Legion if the SILC have any sightings on record, since the war, of potential unidentified ships that may have been Raloi." She sighed unhappily. "Assuming they did survive the war, we'll locate them… both for the Council and for our own peace of mind. Worst case would be that they managed to hide from the Reapers, only to get wiped out by that damned avian virus concocted by Cerberus, all because we didn't get them the antidote in time."

"Goddess. That's even worse, Shepard." Liara's steps slowed for a moment as she contemplated what Samantha had said, only to quickly resume her previous pace as she added, "Please confer with Legion and Tevos as soon as possible, Sam."

She changed her mind and stopped again, reaching out to link hands with Samantha for a brief moment. The woman immediately felt the unease building in Liara's mind and answered. "It wasn't our doing, Liara. We were tired and couldn't even begin to think about leaving Thessia when they asked us to take on that mission. Now? Now we have time to breathe, and we've been reminded, so I'll find out what's going on. We have assets who can help, and I will offer up our… indirect… services to the Council, as my place is here, with you."

Shepard glanced around the small group as she said, "So, I will be taking my leave. Enjoy your day in the ruins and I will do my best to catch up with all of you before the morning is gone. For now, however, it seems I have more pressing work to do." Looking back with a smile for Liara, she gave the Asari's hand one last squeeze before releasing her. "Love you, Blue. Tell Rasha and the team 'hello' for me."

Liara drew a deep, calming breath before answering, "I will… and thank you, Siame."

"Always my pleasure to serve, Doctor. Gotta run." Shepard cast her one last smile along with a nod and turned away, moving quickly in the direction of the Aletheia.

Liara stood silent for a long moment, causing Aelia to slide over to her side. "She is correct, you know. You saved the entire galaxy… the Raloi were the business of the Council, not yours. But I also have full faith in your choice of partner. If the Raloi are to be found, Shepard will do it. She will quite literally go to the ends of the galaxy for you. This I know."

Liara blinked, momentarily closing her eyes and dipping her chin. Then, she squared her shoulders and met the eyes of her new friend with a smile on her lips. "I know that, too, but thank you for the reminder. Let us continue on; we have ruins to investigate!"

The rest of the walk was done in quiet contemplation until they turned the last corner and Rasha caught site of the approaching group. She practically jumped for joy, calling out, "Look sharp, everyone! The boss is back in town!"

Liara could hear some of them chuckling as they ceased what they were doing in order to welcome her back to Ilos. Surprisingly, it was Tyson, not Rasha, who spoke first. "Liara! Good to see you, as we most certainly need your expertise! We broke into a new section just a couple of days ago and, from what little we're able to see from the entry hole, believe it holds items quite different than anything else we've yet seen here. Because of the breakthrough on the statues, we're thinking they could be Zeioph instead of Inusannon, as they appear to be made of the same material as the statues in the lower plaza."

"Have you not yet entered?" Liara let her eyes wander over the group, seeing multiple heads shaking, so asked quizzically, "Why not? Certainly, you wouldn't be waiting for my return, with such an exciting discovery just beyond your fingertips!"

Laughing, Tyson responded, "We haven't entered because the SILC stabilization team hasn't cleared the area yet. When we first broke through, I noticed some of the supports looked rather sketchy, so called them in to make sure it was safe, before venturing inside. My guess was correct, and they are constructing shoring as we speak. They think the first room will be available by end of day."

Rasha was nodding in agreement and added, "But, we do have some zoomed still images that we took through the hole… and I would swear I've seen some of those artifacts someplace before, at least something close to them. I just don't remember where, and it's driving me mad! That's where you come in! Your memory is sooo much better than mine when it comes to that."

Excited by the newly discovered space, Liara lit her omnitool and peered into the rather large space, her light not penetrating nearly deep enough to satisfy her curiosity. "It is rather large… and you don't believe this isn't connected to any of the other facilities?"

Tyson shook his head. "Not based on the layout of the other structures… but, for obvious reasons, we haven't penetrated into the depths to see just where it goes. Who knows what tunnels may branch off, deeper in?"

Sensing Liara's frustration with the dim lighting, Rasha slid up beside her. "Here… this will help." She reached in through the gaping hole and located a switch box they had placed conveniently just inside the structure. It operated a rather large lighting stand and, as Rasha flipped it on, it lit up a significantly large amount of the space within, making Liara gasp in surprise.

"Goddess! I see what you mean about the artifacts looking similar to things we've already seen… though, I think saying they resemble the statues might be a bit of a stretch." Liara was focused now, looking at the vast treasure of artifacts within. "This is glorious… and I still cannot see the far wall! I assume you took a complete scan and recorded the positioning of all the artifacts, prior to the SILC entry?"

"Of course, Doctor." Rasha grinned, sensing the shift in Liara's demeanor to full-on professional. "Besides. The SILC team is well versed in our processes, so they do their own recordings and scans as they traverse the area, sending it all to the Consensus in real-time. They, in turn, automatically update our catalog and download all the images to our local database for our perusal and study… all within moments. It's truly amazing!" The Drell grinned. "Easiest excavation study I've ever been a part of!"

"Thank you, Rasha." After letting her eyes wander slowly over what she could see from the break in the wall that served as their entry into the ancient underground world, Liara switched the lights off and stepped back. She crossed her arms, brow knit in thought for a moment, before she finally gave her head a very slow shake. "You are correct in having seen something very similar… but I can't quite place it, either. I think, perhaps, it could be from the images of the Zeioph crypts on Armeni? I will need to go back and look through my files, see if I can find them."

While Liara and Rasha had been conversing, Tyson had been speaking with the SILC lead and had news to deliver, so he broke into Liara's reverie. "If you are interested in doing so… Prime Vidan says the first section is now cleared for entry, but we are not to cross the barricade at the end of the main room. Apparently, there is a connecting passage on the far side."

Liara's eyes instantly lit with excitement. "Seriously?"

Tyson chuckled. "Yes, Liara… I would never dream of teasing you about such a thing." He was walking over as he spoke and reached around the edge of the opening to flip the lighting switch back into the on position, once again illuminating the interior of the cavernous space. "After you, Doctor."

Activating her omnitool once more, Liara opened the recording function. "This is Doctor Liara T'Soni; the date is 27 March 2191. The location is a newly discovered underground ruin on Ilos, just outside the city of Oasia; coordinates geo-locked with this recording." She carefully stepped in through the opening, her eyes wide with wonder. "Goddess, but this is ancient!"

Aletheia, Oasia, Ilos – 27 Mar 2191

As soon as she stepped away from the group, Shepard had immediately contacted Legion, who immediately changed direction to meet her at the hatchway. "What do you need, Shepard? What sort of emergency could have arisen in the short time since we spoke?"

"The subject of the Raloi came up, rather unexpectedly. But it reminded Liara and me of a request from the Council, to which we answered 'no,' that we locate them and reinvite them to come visit the Council. The Raloi's original visit was disrupted by the arrival of the Reapers… causing them to immediately depart the Citadel and disappear into the vastness of space." Shepard paused and shook her head. "At the end of the conflict, everything was chaos. Too much going on, too many relief efforts being made for member races of the Council… both old and new… and any thought of locating the Raloi got lost in the shuffle. After things settled down quite a bit, the Council asked Liara and I to go on the hunt, but we turned them down. We were still working on our personal recovery and establishing our new 'normal.' Now, we have to question if the Raloi even survived, or if the Reapers deemed them a threat and wiped them from existence."

"And, assuming they did survive, you would like our assistance in locating them."

Shepard chuckled at the lack of a question. "You assume correctly… or, at the very least, mostly so. I don't know that we want you to go on an active hunt, but we have pictures and basic specifications on their ships, so I was wondering if you could scan your data base for any potential sightings of Raloi-style ships, just enough to give us a general bearing on the direction to even begin our search." Shepard shrugged. "I have no idea how they would react to a mechanical, AI race who, last they knew, was an enemy… or at least an undesirable… to the Council. No insult intended."

"None taken, as it is a logical potential reaction. Should we find any clues, who would physically conduct this search? You and Doctor T'Soni, aboard the Aletheia?" Legion turned to face her more directly. "Should the Raloi react as hostiles, while having defensive weaponry, the Aletheia is not a warship."

"I haven't gotten that far in the planning process yet." Shepard's lips were pressed together in a straight line. "As I said, it just came up, so locating them is our first priority. We'll figure out the rest once we have some idea as to where they may have retreated. Once I know if the SILC are willing to help us in the search, my next call will be to Councilor Tevos, to ask if the Council has taken any action since Liara and I turned them down."

"Understood, Captain." Legion fell silent, his lights dimming and flashing for a period of time before he spoke again. "The Consensus agrees to take on this task and has had sightings of numerous unidentified craft since the end of the war. We can confirm if any are potentially of Raloi design once you provide the specifications for the ships of which you speak. We can send scouts, which could survey from a distance and not pose any threat to the Raloi. If they came seeking an alliance, we believe a solitary, small scout would not raise fear of hostile action."

"We can certainly hope that is the case." Shepard turned and started walking toward the communications room. "Care to stand in on the call?"

"With the councilor?" Legion paused only a moment before adding, "I am unsure if that is appropriate."

"Why not?" Shepard shrugged. "You're a known ally, and the SILC are now members of the Council. I see no reason to exclude you if the Consensus agrees to assist in the search. I assume when you arrived at your decision to help, that Councilor Huulik was part of the Consensus?"

"Exactly my point. Perhaps it is Prime Huulik who should be on the call."

Shepard stared at the SILC unit for a moment. "Geez, Legion. Not only are you sounding more organic every time we speak, but you're also apparently learning the nuances of politics." She then chuckled quietly, continuing, "While I applaud the first, the second? I advise staying as far away from politics as you can."

"Why do you think I want Prime Huulik on the call, Shepard?" The strange pitch of Legion's tone spoke volumes, and Shepard, laughing, could hardly believe what she had just heard, especially when he continued, "I learned from the best in the galaxy, though I will admit I have yet to entertain the option of hanging up on the Council… but I need to be speaking with them before I can accomplish that particular feat, so I may reconsider."

Shepard was unable to stop the laughter which overcame her ability to speak for the few moments following Legion's statement. "By the Gods, Legion! Wait until I relay this conversation to Liara! We will, quite apparently, have much to exchange tonight once both of us are back in our quarters." Shaking her head, she turned and walked toward the comm room. "Come on. We still need to make that call."

After getting both councilors on the connection, it was actually Prime Huulik who explained their proposal, but even Shepard was surprised at the response they got to a question posed by Raesia, which was, "So, you are willing to do this at no charge? I understand the data has already been collected, and you are merely searching a database… but you do realize information has a value, do you not?"

"Yes, we do," responded Huulik. "But so does friendship, and this matter causes great consternation and concern within Doctor T'Soni, as well as Shepard. Even though they would likely deny it, they both feel partially responsible for the fate of the Raloi."

Tevos, for once, actually looked surprised by an answer, as it was actually a possibility she had never considered. "What? Shepard? Is this true?"

Here, Huulik cast his gaze in Shepard's direction, speaking without pause to keep her from denying it. "From your body language during the conversation with Legion, the Consensus deduced you feel guilty about Humanity's role in the possible demise of the Raloi, due to the delivery of the avian virus by the Human splinter group, Cerberus. As such, you feel a strong sense of responsibility to personally deliver the cure you found in a Cerberus lab, in order to right this wrong made by Humanity. You also demonstrated no small measure of regret over the delay that has resulted, by not accepting the task when the Council first asked it of you, no matter how sound your reasons to originally decline. So, we do this for you and Liara, Shepard. Not for the Council, nor for the Raloi. We do this as… friends… and friends do not charge one another a fee for providing aid that should be freely given."

Even Tevos paled slightly at the words, the ring of truth too strong to deny. "Goddess, Shepard. I am so sorry. The Council never should have asked that of you… not after everything we had demanded of you during the war. That guilt does not belong on your shoulders… it never did, and it never will! You and Liara did more for this galaxy than anyone else, always driving the fight forward, even when some… Goddess forgive us… even when most races tried to dismiss your pleas every step of the way!" Tevos sighed heavily. "Even some of the senior leadership among the Asari knew what you needed… and still withheld critical data needed to win the war. Because of your efforts, it was only 'almost' too late… and it 'almost' cost you your life. I am ashamed to say the SILC appear better friends to you than any of the rest of us."

Shepard's face took on a slight smile and, had they been in the same room, she would have reached out and grasped Raesia's hand, saying as much as she continued to explain. "Do not lump yourself in with those others, Rae. You supported me long before most… including the Human leadership who put me in that position to begin with. They liked the idea of a Human Spectre, but they never liked me. Even someone as genuine as David Anderson failed to make the grade so, at the time, I was their only shot at getting someone into the position."

She held up her hand to halt the protest she knew would come from Tevos. "Yes, I know. I fully realize Anderson's… failure… was a result of Saren's sabotage. Which, we also know, was to eliminate David as a Spectre candidate, because Saren knew he was onto him. Somehow, Uncle Dave knew that Saren was dirty. He just couldn't prove it before Saren eliminated him from contention to become the first Human Spectre."

Tevos nodded in agreement. "Yes, he had to make sure David never got the assets… nor the entitlements… of a Spectre. From the beginning, Saren knew David was a force to be reckoned with and that, somehow, he would get the truth out, ruining Saren before his plan could come to fruition." Raesia actually smiled softly at the memory of Councilor David Anderson. "In the end, though, I believe David ended up exactly where he was supposed to be for us to win our wars; all three of them. I don't know if I could have swayed the Council on as many decisions as I did… not without David at my side."

She shook her head quickly, cutting off the morbid thoughts regarding how it ended for her friend, before continuing, "But none of these things matter now, nor influence how we handle the task at hand, other than for me to say you should not be carrying any guilt whatsoever regarding the Raloi, Shepard… neither you nor Liara! I also believe that, should we locate them, and amends need to be made, that is for the Earth leaders to do, not you. They allowed the problem to rise, Cerberus to grow, unchecked. You found the avian virus cure… and then put an end to the organization that created it. You never gave up and we are all in your debt for that… even the Raloi, a race who likely doesn't even know who you are."

"So… what am I doing to help… and what if the Council or even the Earth leadership asks me to be their representative?"

Tevos laughed softly at both the question and the expression on the Human woman's face before answering, "Absolutely nothing, my dear, except going back to Liara and telling her not to worry about it. The Raloi wouldn't ask, because they don't know you… and do not forget, you are now an Asari citizen, my friend, and demands from Earth hold no sway. You tell Liara that Councilor Tevos and Prime Huulik will bring both the issue and the proposed plan to the Council, merely as a notification, not for discussion or approval. As for the Raloi, may the Goddess grant they be alive and well somewhere in the galaxy, and that they will be located soon, so negotiations may begin anew."

Tevos nodded, more to herself as an affirmation than anything else, and continued, "We will provide them aid, in any and all forms they may require, to include the cure for the avian virus, should they still require it. This, as your friend Rae, I swear to you. If the SILC can offer their personal guarantee of service, I can swear my personal support right beside them."

Shepard actually blushed slightly as she answered. "Thank you, Rae… and Huulik? Please thank the Consensus, from both Liara and I, for your assistance in this matter but, more importantly, for your friendship… that means more to me than all the promises in the galaxy."

"We are no different than the other beings of the galaxy, Shepard. We truly owe you our very existence. The only difference is that the SILC will never forget."

Shepard smiled. "That's a mighty big difference, Huulik."

"Understood, Shepard. Perhaps better than you realize." Huulik paused for just a moment, conferring with the Consensus. "You should also know, just so it is not a secret, that you have a… tender… among you. Just as great fleets require tenders to maintain their individual ships, so do friendships. As Glyph is now part of your crew, you will never be alone, no matter where you are in the galaxy. Should you require aid, perhaps before you even realize it, the SILC will be on their way to assist you. Consider us a remote extension to the Personal Guard."

"That's…" Shepard pursed her lips for a moment before continuing, "… almost scary."

Tevos smiled and let out a quiet chuckle. "From your perspective, perhaps. From mine? I am actually relieved, knowing you and knowing the trouble that always seems to find you!" She directed her gaze to Huulik. "But, while this chat has been both educational and entertaining, I do have work to do; scans to locate and data to forward to you, Councilor. Your aid in the Raloi matter is greatly appreciated."

"It is our honor to serve, Raesia." Returning his attention to Shepard, he added, "We will speak again soon, I hope, with news of a satisfactory search." Not waiting for any response, the screen went black.

Shepard stared at the blank screen for moment in surprise at the abruptness of the termination, mumbling to herself with a bit of a smile on her lips. "They're getting better, but I guess they don't quite have all the social niceties down pat just yet." She turned, knowing Liara would be thrilled to hear the news, but headed out to find Glyph, first. She needed to have a chat with their newly acquired SILC tender, as Huulik phrased it, regarding what was – and more to the point, what was not – appropriate to pass on to the SILC Consensus, regarding what went on between the members of House T'Soni, both internal and external, to the House.

Oasia, Ilos, Refuge – 27 Mar 2191

When Shepard made her way back to the research site, only Fayna Sheya, the sniper from the estate's second team, was present. She smiled and spoke softly, as was her way. "Lady Liara and the team received clearance to enter the main chamber, Captain. I was asked to remain here as rear guard… and to inform any who may come to find her that she has gone inside and will get back to them once she emerges and has had time to sort her notes from the day." Fayna's smile widened as she stepped to the side and waved her through, adding, "You have accompanied her before on dig sites and know the rules, so I am fairly certain you are an exception to that rule, Captain Shepard."

Samantha gave a little smile, nodding in recognition of her statement, but didn't budge. Instead, she asked about 'Justice,' the name Fayna had given to her sniper rifle. "You know, I've always wondered about how you got your sniper rifle. A top-of-the-line Armax Punisher, with all the bells and whistles? Even a baseline model is tough to find."

"It is one of the very few good things that came out of my childhood." The commando's smile faded. "I don't speak of my youth easily, but you have obviously earned my trust… and that of every commando in House T'Soni… so I will tell you." With Shepard at her side, she felt more relaxed, knowing that if anyone came by, while they may question her over their right to entry, they most certainly would not question Shepard. "I believe you already know I was orphaned, compliments of a Batarian raid on Teukria, when they came for the proceeds of the mines there."

She paused and drew a deep breath, while Shepard nodded in agreement and replied, "Yes. I've heard your story; how you never got adopted and went to a state-sponsored commando school, paying back your debt with service in the Anerzesa Guard."

"Yes… only coming to House T'Soni after Matriarch Benezia discovered my innate talent with a long rifle." Fayna's smile actually returned as she thought of that day. "She paid off the balance of my school debt and immediately offered to purchase a Rosenkov Volkov for me, as a replacement for my older weapon. The Volkov certainly has a lot more kick, but it is not as accurate and, as you know, for a sniper, it is all about accuracy."

Shepard nodded. "True, but I sense that is not the reason you turned her down."

"Very astute, Captain… it is not." Fayna's brow pinched, and she paused a moment – contemplating just how much she could tell the woman standing before her – before continuing. "When I was rescued from Teukria, a Turian soldier seemed to take a personal interest in me but, not of much surprise, he was a soldier and had no mate. If he had been allowed to, he would have adopted me right then, but he could not. The Asari wanted to place me with someone who understood biotics… and how they manifest in young ones. Without this knowledge, raising an untrained biotic can be dangerous, for anyone. By the time I finished my biotics training, I was no longer in need of a parent, so it did not matter. In the end, it was probably better, I suppose, or I would have lost two sets of parents, as he was killed in 2157… during the Relay 314 incident… the siege of Shanxi."

"Oh, Gods." Shepard's eyes opened a bit wider in her surprise. "I am surprised you're not one of those Asari who hate all Humans for the 'warrior aggressiveness' assigned to our species."

Before Shepard finished her statement, Fayna was already shaking her head and responded, "No. I realize the Asari are different… but don't Humans have an old saying about the pot calling the kettle black? Salarians use their spies, Krogan I don't need to even speak of, as they nearly bombed their own planet into nuclear oblivion, and the Turians have no right to declare another species as warmongers, given their entire society is structured around the military… and they attacked you first. The Humans only acted in self-defense."

Fayna shrugged and shook her head. "The only reason people call others names like that is because they are frightened. No one at or near the top of any hierarchy likes major or unexpected changes. They threaten to upend the status quo and those in power may not keep their relative positions. And, when you are at the top, there is only one direction to go… down."

"So… this Turian soldier. He may not have been family, but he turned into a friend, didn't he?" Shepard cocked her head as she asked, "So… did he gift the rifle to you?"

"In a way, yes." Without thinking about it, Fayna ran her hand down the length of the barrel she could reach, the rifle being docked on the right-hand side of her backplate. "His family passed it to me only grudgingly. They had hoped to keep it in the family, as it was his prized possession – and worth a lot of creds – but they had no real say in the matter. It was in his military locker, along with the rest of his possessions recovered from the field of battle, and he had left behind written disposition instructions to be carried out in the event of his death. The only honorable thing for them to do was to follow the instructions and deliver the rifle to me."

"I'm surprised they did it anyway." Shepard shrugged as she added, "I mean, honestly… Who would have known?"

"Marcus was a good Turian, and his family chose the honorable route… not only delivering the rifle to me but doing so personally." She suddenly smiled. "He had never told them how he met me, or that he was a mentor to me. They came with questions, needing to understand why he would gift such a precious thing to some unknown Asari. They had no idea he was the one who taught me to shoot all those years ago… on this very rifle."

With those words, she purposely reached behind to stroke the barrel of her weapon of choice. "The reasons behind his decision… how he taught me to protect myself and why he wanted me to have it suddenly made sense to them, and we parted on friendly terms. They still call me on occasion… usually on the anniversary of his death. It is not the same as having Marcus in my life, but I enjoy the stories they tell of his many exploits after we parted." She suddenly huffed out a quiet laugh. "You know… in all my years with House T'Soni, I have never told anyone other than Matriarch Benezia that story, Shepard. Thank you, for asking… and for listening."

"I am honored by your willingness to share it with me, Fay." Shepard smiled softly. "I appreciate the trust you have shown me, to share something so personal."

"There will be no secrets in House T'Soni." Fayna chuckled quietly. "Is that not our personal motto? With that telling, I believe I may have given up my last secret, so the honor is mine."

Dagnes, Bonler, Kepler System – 29 Mar 2191

The past few months had been particularly busy, with long hours, but it had been worth every second spent to make sure everything was perfect. The only moment the technician had questioned what they were doing was during their last visit from that annoying, self-righteous Drell, Jona Thean. Even then, once the event had played out in its entirety, she was happy to stay where she was, even more trusted and nearly guaranteed employment for the lifetime that remained for the Salarian doctor.

Jona had strode in unannounced, and barely gave her a glance as she tried to stop him from blasting through the door into the laboratory. She rose quickly, trying to insert herself in his way. "Wait! The doctor is right in the middle of a critical process and is to not be disturbed! You'll…"

She didn't get to finish, as Jona spun quickly, a hard fist catching her on the side of the head and throwing her to the ground. "Stay out of my way, worm, or you'll die today as well… just as the doctor is about to." He stood over the assistant, who was shaking in fear, sneering at her. "You're a pitiful piece of flesh. I am surprised that piece of shit doctor has tolerated your incompetence for as long as he has! Of course, with his tainted reputation from all those illegal experiments he likes to do, he probably couldn't actually hire a real assistant, so he had to make do with whoever was desperate enough to work for him."

He made as if he was going to strike her again, and laughed as she cringed in fear. "I hope you have saved your creds, because there will be no more money headed your way from the likes of him. I have received my last payment, so now I am going to give him his… a slice across his throat that will leave him breathing his own blood!"

The assistant blanched white as the purist snow and prayed he didn't kill her right then. He did not, simply scoffing at her fear before turning toward the door to enter the laboratory. As soon as he took the few steps toward the door and tapped the panel for entry, she reached into her pocket, found the cylindrical device she had hoped to never use, flipped the cap and depressed a button.

Inside the lab, an emergency indicator light flashed on the panel where the doctor was working. Without hesitation, the Salarian reached up and flipped a switch, then turned to see why his assistant had initiated the lab's emergency protocol.

What he saw when the door slid open positively infuriated him. That impossibly difficult Drell walked straight into the lab's entrapment compartment without thinking about what he had done. Instead of spraying the decontamination fog, as was the normal procedure, the isolation compartment sealed itself with special shielding while an additional containment system dropped down within the standard compartment and locked itself to the floor.

The doctor simply stood there for a long moment wondering what the Drell was planning, prompting Jona to speak, once he realized the containment was not opening as it usually did following the decontamination process. "My last payment was a bit short, Doctor. I am here to collect what is due me."

The Salarian opened the communications system to the outer lab, asking, "Are you alright out there?"

Now, knowing the assassin was contained, the assistant slowly pulled herself together and stood, carefully walking over to the communications speaker outside the inner lab. A bruise already forming on the side of her face, she answered softly, moving her jaw as little as possible. "I believe he may have fractured my cheek, but it's nothing you cannot repair, Doctor. But you should know, he intends to kill you… and, assuming I was still here, likely planned to kill me on his way back out again."

"Ah. Of course." The Salarian shrugged. "Well, do not fear. None of that is going to transpire. Not today. If we had more time, I would gradually siphon the air from the chamber and let him die slowly… but you need treatment. I imagine you must be in a good deal of pain… pain which I do not care to prolong when, as you said, I can easily fix the cause. Though… you must indulge me for at least a couple of minutes."

"That is not a problem, Doctor. I must admit… I want to see justice served, as well, so please… do continue." She carefully moved back to the viewing window to watch, making sure to take gentle steps so as to not jar any part of her aching body.

The Drell sneered, "Just what do you think you are going to do? You're no STG agent… and I will get out of here eventually. No cell has yet been built that can contain me. I have escaped from far worse situations."

"You have absolutely no idea how bad your current… situation… is, you foolish idiot." The doctor's voice was flat and cold. "Do you not realize you are in a decontamination chamber? One purposely designed to capture and contain the most virulent of the known diseases – and test subjects – within the known galaxy?"

Seeing the Drell's eyes, the doctor clasped his hands together in front of himself and flashed a smile. "Ah, yes. Understanding begins to dawn. You see, Jona, every organism that exists has a weakness. It is simply a matter of knowing what that weakness is and how it can be exploited to destroy it. Drell have many… and I would love to simply contain you within until you died… slowly and painfully… perhaps from Kepral's syndrome or some other disease… of which I have many samples to choose from, right here in my lab. I could also freeze you with liquid nitrogen and watch you shatter into a thousand pieces with only the slightest of taps… or I could incinerate the flesh off your bones. So many choices!"

Jona started to shift nervously on his feet, beginning to examine the small room, concentrating on potential weaknesses of the containment area.

"Tsk, tsk." The doctor actually flashed him a smile. "Did you honestly believe I would be so naive as to not have contingency plans for situations exactly like this? Fortunately for you, I have medical care to provide…" He paused and waved a hand to indicate the Human in the reception area. "… to my very valuable assistant, who you rather wastefully chose to injure on your way in. All that did was secure your quick death, as I now have more pressing issues to deal with than an impetuous Drell who has always believed himself to be better and more worthy than any of those he lowered himself to serve."

The doctor looked to the viewing window, only to see the assistant nod slowly, as if giving him final approval to do what needed to be done. "The cleanest, but definitely not the least painful, is fire." He looked back at the Drell and asked, "Have you ever been burned, Jona? I find it necessary to give you your final life lesson. Fire, in the form of a rather potent, burning chemical mixture… hurts. But don't worry too much; the pain won't last long."

Unheard by those outside of the soundproof containment area, Jona screamed and thrashed about, as the doctor tapped the controls on the panel, raining ignited fuel down upon the former assassin.

It was over relatively quickly, the floor in the chamber opening and dropping what remained of Jona Thean into the grinders of the contaminated waste disposal system, followed by an automated cleansing protocol. Once the system completed the full cycle and the light went green, the specialty containment pod rose, quietly disappearing into its hiding place within the ceiling. The doctor beckoned the assistant with a wave of his hand. "Come, my dear. Let's get your injuries fixed up, get you back in action. I was going to invite you in this afternoon, anyway, to stand witness to our final zygote creation. Once that is complete, we will nurture it very carefully for a couple of months, letting it grow to a size that can be successfully implanted into our artificial womb."

As she walked gingerly in through the doorway, he moved to intercept her, tapping her neck with a pain-relieving hypospray. "You did extremely well, today. Remaining calm and keeping your wits about you under rather… shall we simply say, stressful, conditions? You should be very proud of what we have accomplished and who you have become. Should you desire to remain in my employ, even after we complete our current project, I would be extremely pleased to keep you on my staff."

He held up a hand. "Do not reply, yet. Let us repair that reptilian beast's damage first. It will allow you to answer without pain and give you time to think about my proposal."

Without a word, she carefully climbed onto the indicated medical bed. As she did so, the doctor continued. "You are honorable, trustworthy, and dependable. And, just so you know, none of my previous employees were ever granted the option to stay… but you? You are no simple laboratory technician. You bring excellent skills, and I will immediately promote you to full pathologist assistant. So, should you decide to stay on, your pay would also increase significantly, to be commensurate with your new position and responsibilities."

She reached up and caught his arm as he leaned over her to initiate the damage scan. She whispered softly, barely moving her lips. "I accept, Doctor. So, fix my cheek right… because you're going to be looking at your work for a long time to come."

"That is good news, indeed." He flashed her a smile. "I must say, your quick decision brings me great satisfaction… Deborah."

"You have never once called me by my given name." She gave his arm a gentle squeeze. "But should you care to continue doing so, I would be… pleased."

"Excellent." He placed a second hypo against her neck. "I will be here when you wake."