Notes:

Anam Cara - Soul Friend/Mate (Gaelic)

CGC - Center for Galactic Cooperation

Ionúin Álainn - beautiful beloved (Gaelic)

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

Forward Progress

Gurji's Promise, At Large, Milky Way – 13 May 2191

Having flown Gurji's Promise away from the CGC, Kasumi Goto was overjoyed to realize the Widow Relay was already aligned with the Athena relay, thus considerably shortening the total transit time to the Asari homeworld.

Her good fortune continued; upon exiting the space/time corridor created by the paired relays, she discovered the Athena relay was at the point in its orbit around the sun that placed it at its closest approach to Thessia. Having slept hardly at all during the previous twenty-six or so hours, she was eagerly anticipating making the late-evening planet fall at the T'Soni estate, in the hope she'd be permitted to simply crawl into a bed to sleep until she felt like waking up.

As transit time from the relay to landing would take at least two hours, she leaned back in the pilot's chair and began contemplating what she'd been told by Zee-El-Ax6 – Zelanex – concerning her newly acquired ship, just before departing the CGC. Gurji's Promise had been Spectre Bau's vessel, before he… apprehended her, to hear him tell it… on the Citadel during the war. Jon undoubtedly made numerous enemies during his years as an STG agent, in addition to his time as a Council Spectre, came the thought. It's probably a safe bet there's a fair number of them that know of this ship, and may target it for revenge, thinking Jon – as an aging and now retired Spectre – is still aboard.

Zelanex had informed her that, as the new owner of the vessel, she had thirty days to change the ship's name… replace it with a new one. But what to call it? she mused. And the exterior colors. It's been flying Council Spectre colors for quite some time. She cast her mind back in time – before the Reaper invasion – even before she came across Keiji Okuda. In the early days of her career as a master thief, she'd been known as the Red Rose… thanks to her penchant for leaving a single red rose as a calling card in lieu of whatever she had stolen.

Keiji had convinced her that leaving a romantic red rose as a calling card was silly; because of her love for Keiji, she had reluctantly abandoned the practice. Since then, she had contented herself by always decorating her living quarters with a few red roses, just for old times' sake. Perhaps I should have the ship repainted in a deep shade of ultra-glossy, midnight-red, came the thought, with the name painted on the nose and tail in highlighted black.

Thinking about a new paint color had improved her mood somewhat. Now, what to name her? Maybe something that would pay homage to Bau, as well as my favorite flower. She suddenly said aloud, "Spectre's Rose!" The name had quite literally leaped into her mind, unbidden – almost as if Jon was still aboard, whispering words of encouragement in her ear. Thinking of the aging Salarian – her dear friend – brought forth fresh tears to once more fill her eyes. She swiped at them as she repeated the name aloud. "Spectre's Rose." Has a nice ring to it.

"Thank you, Jon," she said to the air around her. She now had a path forward – something on which to focus her restless energy. The ship would be sitting idle while she was visiting her favorite couple – perfect time to make the changes. Just need a ship maintenance yard and enough ground time to make it happen, she sighed.

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 13 May 2191

Samantha and Liara were waiting at the western edge of the parking apron when she cycled the airlock, opened the outer hatch and deployed the egress ramp. Even though she had just had lunch with them on the CGC, her relief at once again being on Thessia… being able to spend time in this sanctuary of peaceful calm… was seemingly boundless.

She embraced Liara and Shep, with each of them greeting her as enthusiastically as if she were truly a sister to each of them. Liara offered up a concerned smile. "I am glad you decided to take us up on our offer, Kas."

Shepard echoed Liara's sentiment, and quietly added, "I know how much you enjoy being cloaked when you're visiting, Kasumi, but…"

The perceptive thief interrupted Sam's thought. "I'll attempt to refrain from using my cloak while I'm staying here, Shep. I'm actually well aware of…" at this, she quickly glanced over her shoulder at Liara's ever-present First, before concluding with a smirk, "… Riana's encounter with a cloaked intruder at the main house in Armali, shortly after she became a commando."

Liara quickly schooled the surprised expression that washed over her features. "Outside of our inner circle here, that incident is not common knowledge." A note of amusement colored her voice as she added, "But of course that, my dear Kasumi, is why you are so good at your job."

The master thief smiled softly, her heart already feeling a bit lighter. This is where I need to be.

Shepard was speaking to her. "… need to move Gurji's Promise to one of the hangers on the western edge of the grounds, Kas. With your permission, I'll have Lusmeni or Luyna relocate it for you so you can relax. You appear to be rather tired… enough so, I expect you just want to crawl into bed and sleep until you wake up."

With a quiet chuckle, she responded with, "Aw, Shep… you know me so well. Maybe even a bit too well, I think."

With a knowing smile and an accepting nod, Shepard ushered her and Liara into the house, where House Steward Lyessa Raptos was waiting to greet her.

"It's our pleasure to have you here with us, Ms Goto. Would you care for a snack or beverage before I show you up to your suite?

"It's Kasumi… or Kas, Lyessa. And right this moment, I think I simply need to crawl into one of your nice, soft beds, before I fall asleep standing on my feet."

Lyessa grinned with her reply. "In that case, Kas, follow me and we'll get you settled in."

The master thief turned towards Shepard and Liara and bowed slightly. "Thank you both for inviting me to stay with you. I'll see you for breakfast in the morning." With that, she turned and followed after the House Steward. Once inside her guest quarters, she peeled off her clothes, took a quick shower, then fell into the welcoming embrace of an ultra-comfortable bed.

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 14 May 2191

As usual, Shepard rose early, grabbed a quick bite to eat, and made her way to the commando training room. Surveying the available weapons on the rack, she stopped for a moment of indecision. One of Liara's doctoral students had rekindled her interest in the sword, with Saleesha 'Savage Sal' Kessori being unusual in her choice to become a Duelist. While none of their current commandos practiced the specialty, both an Asari Sword and a monomolecular blade – the latter always bringing a harsh reminder of how dangerous the weapon could be in the hands of someone like Kai Leng – hung on the weapons rack.

Shepard had never liked fighting against the Cerberus phantoms. Obviously, none had ever cut her down, nor anyone close to her, but Kai Leng and his blade had come horribly close a couple of times… closer than Shepard would ever care to admit. Knowing she had managed to end his miserable reign of terror during their confrontation on the Citadel made it relatively easy to dismiss the memories of both Liara and Thane suffering at the point of that agent's sword.

More recently, Sal had demonstrated a number of moves during one of their workouts on Ilos and, for the first time, the Asari's artistry with the weapon had made Shepard curious about the weapon instead of angry. She huffed quietly and picked up the Asari Sword, feeling the balance and weight in her hand.

Liv's voice penetrated her thoughts. "Thinking of picking up the sword, Shepard? It would certainly add some depth to your skills…" She chuckled quietly as she added, "… but it's not like you need it."

Smiling, Shepard turned and rotated the sword slowly through a graceful arc. "Possessing skills with blades is not unheard of in Human culture. You have already met the two Asari biotics instructors I grew up with, but I may have failed to mention they also respected, and taught, Human sword forms, especially for control."

Kasumi woke to the late spring sunshine of early morning filtering into her room past the closed drapes. After an indolent stretch, she tossed the sheet and blankets back in order to start her day. First thing was to relieve her bladder, wash her hands and face, then pull fresh underclothes – panties and a camisole, if an armored mesh bodysuit could be considered as such – from her overnight case. Once these two items had been pulled on, she added her custom outerwear of lightly armored suit, boots and gloves. After brushing her short, sleep-tousled hair into some semblance of order, she pulled her ever-present cowl over her head. Upon checking her image in the mirror to ensure most of her face was deeply shadowed, she left her room and went downstairs to enjoy a quiet breakfast with Shep and Liara.

She greeted several of the commandos in passing, wishing all the while that she hadn't promised Shepard she'd make an effort to refrain from cloaking while moving about in the house. Looking around as she entered the dining hall, she did not see any sign of her hosts. Turning back, she stopped one of the approaching commandos and said, "Good morning, Huntress Veya. Have you seen Shep… um, Shepard? This morning? I promised I would join her and Liara for breakfast. Please don't tell me I missed them altogether."

"A very good morning to you as well, Kasumi. You must remember from your previous visits that when both are here at home together, Lady Liara generally rises after Shepard has been awake and running around for a bit. My guess? The captain is down in the commando training room. Shall I walk with you?"

"Thank you, Fala, but you were on your way to enjoy your own breakfast." With a slight grin, she concluded, "I know how to get there, and you have a limited amount of time to eat, so please… continue on your way."

Upon entering the surprisingly busy commando training room Kasumi immediately caught sight of Shepard; she was speaking with Guard Captain Livos Tanni while holding… was that a sword? Realizing her special boots made her footfalls inaudible in this busy environment, she coughed and cleared her throat when she got close so as not to surprise the woman – especially as she was holding an Asari Sword – while managing to overhear the last part of Shep's statement concerning her biotics instructors.

As Shepard turned to acknowledge her, Kas offered further explanation from the unique perspective of her own heritage. "Those forms of which you speak are largely based on Japanese fighting styles, from the age of the Samurai. The two-hand grip Katana was their primary power weapon but, if the battle required close-in, hand-to-hand combat, they would utilize the single-hand Wakizashi, a weapon that is a much closer analogy of the Asari Sword. The practice of military sword fighting is known as Kenjutsu; a discipline that is still taught to all our young people, beginning as soon as they are able to comfortably hold a practice sword."

"Well, good morning to you, Kas!" Shepard grinned at the master thief, saying, "I thought you'd be sleeping in," as she pulled the sword back and reversed her grip, so the blade pointed to the floor. "Does that include you? Being trained in… Kenjutsu?"

She grinned, "It does, although it's been quite some time since I've been able to indulge in that particular pastime." With a slight smirk playing along her expressive mouth, she asked, "Any particular reason you're thinking of taking up the sword, Shep?"

"Saleesha Kessori, one of the doctorial students assigned to the dig as part of her university course work. During the war, she used her skills as a skyball player to become a commando – one with an extremely rare set of offensive and defensive combat skills – a Duelist."

"And she survived battle with the Reapers?" Her surprise echoed through her voice. "That's absolutely amazing, Shep! With the exception of that wretched Kai Leng and the Cerberus Phantoms, I have never heard of anyone in this day and age who excelled with a sword." She grinned enigmatically. "Are you considering taking lessons? If so, I can procure a few items during my vacation on Earth."

"A few items?"

"Practice swords, made of bamboo." Seeing Shepard's increased interest, she added, "Padded vests, hand guards or gloves… that sort of thing. I can even provide some basic instruction, if you wish. An entirely new skillset for you to master. You'll have fun, if my instincts are correct!"

Shepard set the Asari sword back in its place on the weapons rack. Grinning at the young woman standing beside her, she tapped her temple and stated, "Liara just informed me she is awake and ready to join us. Let's go find her… sit down for a proper breakfast and maybe talk a bit more about this."

Having returned to the dining hall, Shepard, accompanied by Kasumi, quickly spotted her Anam Cara seated at a table placed in front of the far wall. They each made their food selections from the many buffet offerings, then moved to the table, where Samantha took her seat beside Liara; Kasumi said, "Morning, Liara," as she took a seat across from the pair.

Liara grinned at the woman. "Good morning, Kas. I trust you slept well." She paused to sip some Kaffe from her mug, then asked in a tone reflecting her natural curiosity, "Do you ever go about without your hood, or armored suit, Kas?"

Kasumi's smile was enigmatic, at best. "I would just as soon walk around dressed only in my birthday suit. My clothes? The cowl over my head? All part of my identity… my self-image is completely tied to my choice of outerwear." The smile grew slightly in intensity. "Having said all that, I will confide that last night I slept wearing only said birthday suit. It was a rare luxury."

Shepard shook her head at this revelation. "I'm not sure, Kas, but I almost think that was TMI."

Kasumi chuckled softly, then began eating. After taking a couple of bites of mixed fruit, she sipped Kaffe from her own mug before commenting, "Outside of Keiji, with whom I was… romantically intimate, I have only allowed one other person the privilege of seeing my uncovered face and head."

Shepard pinned the master thief with her gaze. "If I were to guess, I'd say the lucky person was Jondum Bau." Kasumi's instant expression of surprise was all the confirmation the woman needed. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Kasumi. I know you had grown quite close." She fell silent, uncertain of what else she could say.

Liara took the opportunity to speak up. "Have you given any thought as to what you'll do next?"

"I want to travel to Earth… Japan, procure some Samurai influenced equipment, see if I can locate my grandmother, but only after I make some modifications to my new ship," she replied, almost as if to herself. "I've decided to have it completely repainted, and I need to contact the agency in charge of ship registrations. Zelanex told me I have thirty days in which to rename it."

An intrigued Shepard cocked her head a bit to one side as Liara asked the question that was in both of their minds. "Any idea what the name will be?"

"Spectre's Rose." Receiving no comments from either of her hosts, she went on to explain, "In homage to Jon, and to my own early career history, when I was known as the Red Rose."

Liara reached a hand across the table to the master thief. "We can take care of renaming your ship from here. I'll have Sammi set you up in our secure communications compartment. All you'll need to provide is the ship's current name and registration number. With the title transfer still fresh, it should be a simple matter for the authorities to accommodate your wishes."

Kasumi clasped the Asari's hand as she replied, "That would be wonderful, Liara. And that will give me a chance to visit with Sammi, as well! I had almost forgotten she resigned from the Navy to follow Riana here." She nodded while adding, "The record-keeping authority can apply the updated name to the ship's new registration through the comm buoys, and Gurji's Promise will cease to exist."

Shepard chuckled. "That's true – the name will be officially retired, never to be used again. As for having your ship repainted… I believe that's a very good call, Kas. Landing at some ports in a vessel that appears to be sponsored by the Galactic Council could lead to unwanted attention by port authorities… or other, less savory types. I'll make a couple of calls… see if I can get that set up for you." Even if she hadn't answered, the instant look of gratitude on the portion of Kasumi's face she could see caused Sam's heart to momentarily clench.

"That's so sweet of you, Shep!" Splitting her attention between the two people sitting across from her, she added, "Donovan Hock's brutal murder of Keiji nearly ripped my heart out." Directing her gaze to the retired Spectre, she said, "Your assistance in my retrieval of Keiji's greybox went a long way to furthering my emotional healing, but until you introduced me to Jondum Bau, I could never see myself enjoying regular companionship with another person, ever." Her expressive mouth somehow managed to convey a hint of melancholy.

Liara, still clutching one of the master thief's hands, gave it a little squeeze of reassurance. "If you never again travel with a companion, Kas, I want you to realize you will always have a family, here at the estate." She shot a quick glance at her bondmate before adding, "To that end, we currently have an opening for a full-time security advisor, with duties to be split between here and our townhouse in Armali."

Before Kasumi could reply, Samantha interrupted them by getting to her feet. Picking up the now empty trays, she sent a suggestion to Liara through the link, {Perhaps you should take this discussion to the office.} even as she spoke to their guest. "If you'll excuse me, I'll take care of these trays, then go see what I can do about getting Gurji's Promise into a paint shop."

Liara replied, {Excellent idea, Siame.} as she released the warm hand she'd been holding. "Come on, Kas… let's go to my office so we can more comfortably continue our discussion in private."

"Perfect," she said. "Just let me grab a mug of hot tea."

The Asari held out an arm in invitation with her reply. "Don't bother, Kas. There will be a tea service already in there, along with a tray full of fruits and one of crackers and cookies." She placed an arm around Kasumi's lower back and began moving towards the central door. After a short walk down the main hall, she ushered her guest ahead of her into the expansive office. Indicating the long table along the far wall, she said, "Why not fix some tea for yourself, Kas, then come sit with me by the windows."

After asking the Asari if she could bring her something – to which Liara declined – Kasumi proceeded to pour a measure of fresh, hot tea into a medium-sized mug, added a touch of Chandra, placed a couple of sweetbreads on a small dish, then carried tea and snacks over to the pair of comfortable chairs Liara had chosen for their chat.

Setting her mug and dish on the table between them, the master thief curled up in the comfy armchair, legs drawn up and folded beneath her. Liara's instant thought upon witnessing this was of a small animal… one she had only ever seen in vids – a domesticated feline native to Shepard's former homeworld, commonly known as a house cat.

Kasumi sipped her tea with relish, then said, "I will admit, Liara… I am intrigued by your job offer. It sounds like a job tailor-made for a Japanese girl with a penchant for kleptomania." With a small giggle, she added, "Since you gave up your position as the galaxy's apex information broker, would I actually be working for Barla Von?" She paused, then continued in a near whisper. "Please don't take this the wrong way, Liara, but I'm not looking for charity… and my dear grandmother would have my ass for actually saying such a thing to you!" Inclining her head slightly, she solemnly added, "That sounded quite insensitive, even to me… I apologize for even thinking that of you!"

Liara's instant expression of surprise was just as quickly replaced with one of caring indulgence. "The security advisor position is an actual job, Kasumi… here, with House T'Soni… not the Broker... and one for which I believe you would be a perfect fit." She paused for a moment to think about her words before continuing. "Quite frankly, I would have employed you as a Broker agent, had I not left that position, but we are very purposefully distancing ourselves from the network." Gazing intently at the woman seated next to her, she added, "Thinking about the skills you would bring to such a situation, the arrangement could even be part-time, Kas, should you not want to take a fulltime position…" she paused for emphasis, "but I want you to know… it is a genuine offer. The résuméfor the last infiltrator Shepard hired consisted of her showing up and knocking on our front door without being detected by any of our perimeter sweep teams."

"Oh! That's… rather surprising… and definitely not a good thing." Kasumi grabbed the last remaining cookie, took a bite and chewed as she considered what she'd just been told. She then followed up with several sips from her mug before looking at the Asari from under her hood and replying, "If it's okay, I'd like to think about it for a bit – at least until I've returned from my visit to Earth." She took another sip of tea, then continued, "Don't get me wrong, Liara. It really is a sweet offer… only honest offer I've had, actually, since I've always been an independent agent. Still, I want to take my time, really weigh all my options."

Unnoticed by Kasumi, Shepard had quietly entered the room and was fixing a cup of coffee for herself. Upon hearing Kasumi mention weighing her options, Shepard surprised her a bit when she jokingly asked, "How many options do you have, Kas?"

Liara, of course, knew Shepard had come in because of their link. With a snarky grin directed at Kasumi, she offered a reply for her guest. "Quite a few, actually."

"In that case, I don't think I want to know what they are." Shepard brought her mug of coffee over and eased herself down into the third chair. "I contacted T'Sere Shipwrights on your behalf, Kas. As a manufacturer of custom designed space vessels, they obviously have an excellent paint shop, but…" she paused to glance at a datapad. "… they won't be able to start on it for at least a week… maybe ten days. I sent them a copy of the ship's hull dimensions along with a photo so they could see what's involved. Matriarch Tralis assures me that once they begin, the job will be complete in two weeks, so…"

"At least three weeks before I can travel to Earth, then," Kas said softly. She nibbled on a cookie and downed the rest of her tea as she pondered what to do; she started to respond when Shepard continued, "I also spoke with T'Sere's newly appointed lead design engineer. You know her, Kas… Judea Voni. She's sharing an executive apartment with Miranda Lawson, located on the factory's grounds."

"Miranda! I wondered where she got off to. But what does that have to do with me?"

"Are you kidding?" Shepard was grinning from ear-to-ear. "Kas, they both want a visit from you! They have an empty guest bedroom with its own bathroom, which they're offering for the duration, if you wish – they want you to spend some time there. The downtime while your ship is being repainted will be the perfect opportunity for the three of you to get together and catch up… go out on the town, have some fun! Serrice is just a short flight up the coast from T'Sere… and Dassus just a short flight south. Lots of places to go, things to do, people to see."

"And I'd be able to more easily monitor T'Sere's progress on my ship…" she frowned slightly as she voiced her next thought, "… while the two of you fly back to Ilos. When will you return?"

Shepard glanced at her bondmate as she answered, "Well, as it stands at the moment, we're planning to leave here on the 18th… and won't be home again until the end of October. Then, we're here for the entire holiday season, starting with our annual Samhaincelebration on the first of November…" Shepard reached a hand over to lovingly grasp a blue hand as she continued, "…and staying for the duration, until yet another new year is upon us."

"Wow… you'll be here for a whole two months!" Kasumi chuckled and could not refrain from commenting on the couple's positively adorable behavior. She gently shook her head and, with her characteristic bluntness, continued, "You two are so besotted with each other, it's a wonder either of you can accomplish anything outside of your bedroom!"

"Kasumi Goto!" Liara exclaimed, as her face took on a deeper shade of blue; seeing this caused Kas to break out in honest laughter. Liara, after looking at her Siame – who could only offer up her lopsided grin – ruefully shook her head in seeming disbelief that Kas could say such a thing. She got to her feet, offered her hand to the snarky woman and said, "Come on. I'll take you to our comms area and ask Sammi if she can help you get the name changed on your ship."

Kas quickly took her empty mug and saucer to the beverage counter, then rejoined the still blushing Liara, surprising her with an earnest embrace. With her mouth next to the Asari's ear, she whispered, "Don't ever lose that innocent outlook on your love life, Liara. It's just one of the many things that make you so special to so many." With a quick kiss on a warm, blue cheek, she released her, only to loop an arm through T'Soni's while saying, "Lead the way, Doctor!"

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 17 May 2191

Surprising even herself, Liara's face was graced with a light smile as she glanced around at the unusually large collection of commandos and staff surrounding the beautifully carved marble torch that was the centerpiece of her mother's memorial. For the first time since Benezia's passing eight years prior, Mozia and Aethyta had requested a formal ceremony. Words had been spoken by every commando who had been a part of House T'Soni while Benezia was alive, each remarking on what the matriarch had meant to them, both personally and professionally.

Most of the comments brought tears to Liara's eyes, every single one of them having a personal story of how her mother had assisted them through one hardship or another in their life. It was very obvious Benezia had been a caring individual, one who always placed the wellness of her staff and the house above her own individual needs. In a way, it was the memorial they had never conducted because of the demands of war.

It was also evident Benezia had made great sacrifices in her personal life, to include all the times she had disappointed Liara by not being with her for important events in her life. Liara still felt shame by the fact she couldn't forget how angry her mother had made her, even though she now understood the primary reasons behind most of those absences. Liara still found it extremely difficult to weigh the logic of the why against the emotions surrounding the way she felt.

Shepard sensed her dilemma and slid to her side, gently wrapping a comforting arm around her waist, helping to keep the smile on Liara's lips. {Those are natural, normal emotions, Anam Cara. Don't let them ruin the good memories you have of your mother… your times in the gardens, your walks in the park. Everything she did was to keep you safe from harm. No matter what else she may have not done, she loved you very much, Liara. Don't ever forget that.}

Liara dipped her head briefly, her blue eyes still glistening with tears that no longer fell. Her faltering smile reasserted itself on her lips as she lifted her chin and responded aloud. "Thank you, Siame. While I know all that to be true, it does not hurt to have it voiced aloud as a solid reminder for all to hear. Everyone here misses her greatly; her wise council, her caring hand when something went amiss…"

Her voice faltered and a single tear slipped down Liara's cheek, Shepard's thumb coming up to wipe it gently to the side as a voice, belonging to the House Armali steward, sounded from the side. "No matter where she was or what was going on, Lady Benezia always had her hand firmly on the tiller of this House, Lady Liara."

Aratiana Axeuss smiled softly as she continued, "She kept us on the straight and narrow, ensured we never strayed from the path of righteousness and grace. She was a true leader… a great principal for a great house, and she always believed in you as her successor. She spoke to Lyessa and me often, in confidence, regarding your rearing – the importance of you gaining confidence in yourself, in your house. She once told us that while she did good things… she also knew, one day, you would replace her and go beyond anything she had ever achieved. She had spoken to a seer and had a vague knowledge that something awful was coming. She also knew you would be greater than she had ever hoped to be, and that it was our task to make sure you achieved your destiny, that you never became a victim of either her detractors or the great war to come."

With the seriousness of the statement, Aratiana surprised everyone by chuckling as she shook her head. "She demanded we be your protectors… but she completely failed to see that was not who we were destined to be. We were not meant to be your shield, but your army, as you took the fight to the greatest enemy our galaxy has ever seen… and destroyed an unbeatable foe."

She paused and glanced around the clearing at all those gathered together for the ceremony. "So now, we do something we once did for Lady Benezia… because it is House T'Soni tradition, because it is long past due… and because you have earned it."

Liara watched in absolute, dumbfounded silence as every member of House T'Soni began to drop down to one knee before her, Aratiana included. The Steward closed her eyes and solemnly continued, "We pledge our loyalty and our service to you, Lady Liara. We will support you and yours for as long as our hearts beat with the tides. No matter where the winds may take us, we will willingly sail at your side."

She turned her head to glance at Shepard, only to discover she, too, was kneeling at her side. Samantha gave her a wink, her approving smile echoing the sentiments coming through the link. {You are Lady Liara of House T'Soni, and I agree with them, Ionúin Álainn. There is no refuting that you have earned the loyalty of every single person present here, today… me included.}