AI - Artificial Intelligence

Anam Cara - Soul Friend/Mate (Gaelic)

Athair - Father (Gaelic; 'Atha' - Dad)

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

VI - Virtual Intelligence

Welcome to Serrice

Serrice, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 28 Mar 2192

The trip home had been uneventful, and they spent only one day at the Estate before moving to the apartment in Serrice. Under the direction of Lyessa, the commandos had prepared and stocked the apartments in preparation for their extended stay. One of the bedrooms had been modified for Michael and, before Lady Liara and Captain Shepard's arrival, Lieutenant Arlis Tasia and Commando Team 2 had settled into their spaces while Team 3 took a very deserved break and remained at the Estate. The House Chef, Leyana, had also relocated to manage the meal preparations for their stay in Serrice.

The next morning, Liara woke early, in preparation for her first commute to the university. They had decided they would arrive via two aircars instead of a single shuttle, to blend in better with the other commuters. The commandos, including Riana, wore their normal leathers instead of armor, and carried only handguns to assist their biotics, should the need arise. Even that would likely be frowned upon by the university security, but everyone on campus had been informed of the requirement and should be expecting the commandos to be carrying weapons. Fortunately, with it being a cool, early spring day, Liara's protection team also wore long jackets which concealed the pistols nicely, drawing less attention.

As they had made their way north, Liara expressed hope there would be an absence of confrontations over the next month of cooler weather, giving people a chance to get to know the commandos and become comfortable with their presence – before they traveled without jackets and, as a consequence, their handguns being displayed in plain sight. Shepard simply smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. "Hopefully, we're all worried over nothing… but we could always get House blazers and wear concealed shoulder holsters, if that would make everyone feel better. I'm sure we can find a tailor somewhere in Serrice, to get that done over the next thirty days."

Liara looked at her, only understanding the concept of a 'blazer' as Samantha called it by the vision that came through the link. "That is something I have never seen an Asari wear… though many of the Human staff at various restaurants and entertainment venues do. We can certainly look into it." She paused, her forehead wrinkling as she added, "But now, I wonder if all those Humans are actually members of security teams, with a weapon harness concealed beneath what I simply assumed is the Human version of 'semi-formal.' I truly never considered such a thing."

"It's likely a mix of both, Li. If everyone wears them, you can't always know who is security and who is not. That's kind of the idea." Shepard grinned as she looked out the window, seeing the University come into view. "We're almost there. I can see the parking lot." She gave Liara's hand a quick, comforting squeeze. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Liara laughed softly. "Knowing this is only my staff orientation period and outline submittal for our upcoming presentation, it's relatively low threat." Her quiet chuckle turned into a grin as she added, "Ask me again on your birthday… with the presentation looming the very next morning."

"And Aelia and Akrelo are still arriving on the ninth, so we have a couple of days for them to acclimate?" asked Shepard.

"Yes," she answered quickly. "And they will be arriving early morning. With all the bunk space available on Aletheia, they should be fairly well rested, using the three-day journey to shift their body clocks to the time zone here. So, we'll have two days of preparation time, a day to relax and celebrate your birthday, and then the presentation the next morning." She drew a deep breath and blew it out quickly before admitting, "Perhaps I am a bit more nervous about this than I believed."

Samantha chuckled and gave her hand one last squeeze as Riana dropped the car onto their designated staff parking space and shut it down. Popping the doors, she quickly stated, "As we discussed, Lady Liara, please let us get out and secure the area before you disembark."

"Yes, Captain Iregos," Liara smirked, continuing somewhat sarcastically, "I may be nervous about the presentation but, as you well know, I do somehow manage to stay focused under duress."

"You're right. I'm sorry," Riana chuckled. "Just being my normal, overprotective self."

"Which I do appreciate… we appreciate. Thank you," chimed in Shepard. "But everyone else is now waiting on us, so can we get out?"

"Absolutely, my dearest captain." Riana laughed again, quietly, then turned serious as she glanced around the lot. "All looks clear… and, by the way, I very much like the idea of a concealed harness underneath a lightweight, summer jacket. I think people will be less nervous around us if they can't actually see our weapons." Her glance traveled across everyone who was present as she added, "But we will have to practice with them, as our pistols will be holstered in a different location than where we are accustomed to. The few seconds spent searching for a weapon in a new position can matter."

"Absolutely right," echoed Shepard. "So, we should each get two blazers. A practice one, which will be just a plain blazer, and a second one, all done up with the House T'Soni standard markings and colors." She looked at Liara. "Sound good?"

"Yes. We'll speak with Livos about getting them on order. She has everyone's measurements, so they can be custom tailored to each member of the guard. Everyone will get them, since we'll be rotating teams, just as we did on Ilos." She smiled, adding, "Including you and I… perhaps with a little step up from the standard version to denote our standing? You do, after all, look very handsome in a suit, Shepard."

"Oh, great." Shepard sighed and shook her head. "Now you went and made me blush, T'Soni!"

University of Serrice, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 28 Mar 2192

The dean looked at them from across the table, a wide, happy smile on her face. "This all sounds excellent! I very much look forward to my initial meeting with Aelia and Akrelo. Both of them certainly sound like wonderful ambassadors for their respective races. Not that I want to rush things, but I cannot wait until the ninth is upon us and I get to meet them in person! Having the honor of being the first university to host both a Prothean and a Batarian envoy for your presentation will be absolutely wonderful! I have always believed Serrice to be one of the best universities in the Asari republic, but to do something so groundbreaking as this?" She paused; her smile still radiant as she shook her head in wonder. "It is going to be positively wonderful! We cannot thank you enough for making this all happen, Liara."

"Let us hope it all turns out well." Liara smiled softly. "What surprises me most is that you have no objection to us doing an open-air question and answer period, outside of the lecture hall. Obviously, our commando teams will be very visibly present, to dissuade any protestors, but it is still a risk. Are you absolutely positive University Security is amenable to such?"

"Honestly? I did not give them an option to protest." Tevany grinned. "I simply informed them we had already reserved the park and that the event is on the schedule for… now, how did I phrase it?" She paused only a moment before concluding, "A semi-casual luncheon with an open conversation period, where all the morning presenters will speak with the guests and answer suitable questions." She nodded at the couple. "And, of course, we will pre-announce that you will decline to answer any questions you feel unsuitable or intrusive to your personal life. They will be made to understand they will be on their best behavior or be escorted from the premises."

"Thank you," replied Shepard. "Hopefully, it won't be an issue and we can all enjoy a nice lunch."

The dean's face became hard as stone as she countered, "Trust me. We will make sure of it."

University of Serrice, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 12 Apr 2192

After getting over her initial nervousness, Liara rolled through her presentation like a pro. Shepard couldn't help but grin as the Asari stormed back and forth across the stage, her hands waving about in her enthusiasm. It reminded Shepard of the first months she had known the young archaeologist, sharing their joint interests in history, even as their current galaxy threatened to collapse around them.

After her initial introduction regarding her interest in the Protheans, Samantha joined her on stage to discuss and share their trip across Ilos while pursuing Saren. They spoke of the architecture, the urgent trip through the vast catacombs, and their one and only meeting with the Prothean VI, Vigil. Both Liara and Shepard expressed regret that they didn't have more time to learn about the Chief Researcher, Ksad Ishan, whose personality was the model for the VI. Liara then paused and smiled. "As fate would have it, we later met yet another construct who, as it turned out, was fully functional and known by the name of Chadrak Murne. Let me just say our conversation was… enlightening… and we learned quite a bit about the Prothean culture from our contact with him." She very purposefully left out the fact that Chadrak was an AI, not knowing the position of those in the audience regarding the creation of yet more synthetic life, beyond the SILC.

Liara then glanced off to the side, confirming their first guest was ready and waiting. Looking back to the audience, she smiled softly. "And now, without further ado, I have the honor of introducing the first of the two guests we have with us today. Please give a warm welcome…" Liara beckoned to the person waiting off stage as she continued, "… to Aelia Dethan, First Female of the Prothean people!" Her words caused a cacophony of excited babbling to roll through the audience, most clapping, some even standing, though Liara didn't know if it was to honor Aelia or simply get a better view of the first Prothean they had ever seen in person. What surprised them even more was Aelia immediately thanking them all for coming to see her – her words in perfect galactic standard.

She spoke mostly of the fear her people had felt, being so reduced in numbers, particularly when the time came for their initial meeting with the leaders of the new galaxy in which they had awoken. "We were awed when Captain Shepard and Doctor T'Soni agreed to meet with us, in person, particularly after we learned of Javik's actions." She smiled and glanced at Shepard as she continued, "But quickly learned they were honest, open, and trustworthy. Much more so than we believed possible after all they had been through. We cannot thank them enough for everything they have done to help the Prothean people recover… both our lives and our dignity."

She glanced to the side to see Akrelo standing nervously in the wings. "And now, I would like you to give as warm a welcome to our next guest as you did to me. He came to us in the same manner we came to Captain Shepard and Doctor T'Soni… full of fear and trepidation… but has much to offer our people during our period of rebuilding and, I sincerely believe, beyond. It is an arrangement of mutual benefit, where we hope to learn much from one another as we face the demons of separate histories as a united front. Please welcome our Batarian ambassador, Akrelo Ferank!"

Even though it had been clearly stated in the program description and reinforced during the opening statement by Dean Tevany, there were still boos and other harsh comments emerging from the audience. Shepard strode to the front of the stage and placed her hands on her hips as she began, "Hey. You were told of this… and were told that disparaging comments would not be tolerated. No race represented here today can claim to be innocent. Some Batarians were slavers, yes… but so were… so are… the Eclipse… which, as you all know very well, consists primarily of Asari."

She paused for effect as her angry eyes swept the audience. "The same can be said of the Human-led group, the Blue Suns, or the Blood Pack! So, silence your protests or the offenders will be removed from the lecture hall before we continue. This is not the forum for such remarks."

Shepard shook her head and looked down at the stage as she resumed. "A singular person is not the race… no matter what race we speak of. Most members of any given group are simply people who are trying to live their lives… to make a living… parents, artisans, construction laborers, teachers… a list that could go on forever. There are no exceptions so, before you condemn the Batarian who stands in front of you, condemn me… the Butcher of Bahak… for killing over 300,000 innocents to close a relay and buy the rest of the galaxy the time we needed to find the plans for the weapon that would finally defeat the Reapers." Even though it had been all over the news during Shepard's protective custody period, her blunt admission still drew gasps from the audience… but she had most definitely made her point.

She scoffed and continued, "Look into your own heart and think about the things you did to survive the war. Can you tell me you are completely innocent? If you are… then you are likely not one who is making any of the horrid comments I'm hearing… and I envy you for not having to dirty your conscience by doing anything during the war you regretted. So… be respectful, or Security will escort you from the premises. Understand this behavior is not up for debate."

Shepard fell silent, her eyes darting around the crowd, locating and staring down dissenters. After a long pause, she huffed, "That's what I thought." She glanced back over her shoulder and nodded to Ferank, motioning him forward to stand at her side. "Now… I will repeat some of First Dethan's words. Please, kindly welcome my friend and associate, the Batarian Ambassador to the Prothean people, Mr Akrelo Ferank!" She clapped her hands as Akrelo moved hesitantly forward, then reached out to shake his hand as he arrived at the front of the stage.

"Thank you, Captain… for doing what you always do best; defending the innocent from the biases and hatred which have ruled our galaxy for too long. One would think that if the war was to teach us anything, it was that all of us must be united as one to survive the events that truly challenge us." He shook his head as he looked out upon the audience, somewhat unexpectedly silent as he continued, "Perhaps it is not well known, but if not for the Quarians, the Drell could once again be facing annihilation. Without the Salarian scientists, the Elcor would be looking at extinction…"

He paused and looked directly at Shepard for his next comment. "Without your support, the Krogan would still be afflicted with the Genophage…" His gaze then shifted back to the audience as he finished, "And, without the help of the Protheans, my people would be facing our own withering obliteration as our gene pool disintegrated because of our lack of genetic diversity. There simply aren't enough of us of breeding age to sustain our population… but Prothean technology can help us… just as we can help them secure and rebuild their world." He smiled at Aelia and shook her hand as he finished, "I cannot thank you enough for the opportunities you have opened to my people."

"It is a fair exchange, with both of our peoples benefiting from the arrangement, Akrelo. Now…" Aelia smiled and paused while her eyes traveled across the audience. "Shall we tell the story of how we met and all we have accomplished together?"

"Absolutely," Akrelo chuckled. "Let me begin with the rather strange and unexpected communication I received from the savior of the galaxy…"

Amazingly, once Akrelo got started, those in the audience paid rapt attention to the story he, Shepard, and Aelia wove. As they wrapped up, Dean Tevany returned to the stage to thank them, yet again, for the presentation. As she concluded, she turned to the audience. "So, as that completes the formal portion of the presentation… and I see the hands raising with questions, but those must wait. We are hosting a closed luncheon where questions may be asked of our presenters. As you were informed when you came in, please limit questions to the presentation material and respect the privacy of our lecturers. If you want to attend the luncheon, please exit through the west doors and follow the signs. If not, please exit through the rear, the same way you came in this morning. Thank you very much for your attendance and your attention." With that, she turned to her group with a smile. "Shall we lead the way?"

The crowd was amazingly well behaved, asking many questions regarding the material they had received, particularly interested in the Prothean breeding program and how that was progressing. Aelia was happy to share their successes, but also willing to explain their learning process over the failures, along with the improvements they had made along the way. She glanced often at Akrelo, mentioning they had a lot more to learn, working now with the Batarian genomes with which their scientists were less familiar. "But, as we persevered for our own people, we will do the same for the Batarians. Their race shall not go extinct. This we promise."

Having opened the door with their discussion of Ilos and their race against time, Liara and Shepard both knew they would likely get questions regarding the war, most of which they answered. Some were simply too personal – or too emotionally entangled with terrible memories – they simply declined to respond. The one question they hadn't anticipated caught them both by surprise and they paused to stare at one another for a moment as they communicated via the link before her Anam Cara gave a nod to Shepard to go ahead.

"Well, yes… as a matter of fact, Michael is my blood son… and Liara is his father."

The man who had asked the question didn't let it go, following up with, "Obviously, Doctor T'Soni can't father a Human child… so you're dodging the question. Who is the child's biological father?"

Shepard drew a deep breath and held a hand up, stopping Tevany from interrupting. "First off, such a thing is none of your business, but I know there are likely many people wondering the exact same thing, so let me make it all perfectly clear." She glanced at Liara again, feeling the angst building in the Asari from the memories Shepard's explanation would bring. Even so, Liara also drew a deep breath and nodded again for her to continue, but not before sliding over and taking the Human's hand in her own.

"After the destruction of the Normandy SR-1, with me still aboard, my body was wrecked. I spent two years in a coma, during which, I also lost some… shall we say, essential equipment… to ever bear a child of my own. At the same time, while my uterus was irreparable, the ova within me were still viable, and someone thought to preserve them in a stasis container, much as the Protheans have done with many from their long-dead population."

She paused, offering Liara a comforting smile as she continued. "Those two-plus years were absolute hell for Doctor T'Soni, not knowing if I was going to survive or not… Human colonies being harvested by the Collectors, the Reaper War looming. The galaxy had moved on, thinking me dead… or, at the very least, no longer of any use… and the surviving Normandy crew were all reassigned to various assignments throughout the Alliance Navy."

She stopped, her smile widening as she continued, "Obviously, all those in charge were terribly wrong and grossly underestimated my staying power… and, somehow, everyone still with us today made their way through. Then, once the war was over and we had settled into our new, peacetime lives, Liara and I talked about children…"

Here, she paused again and chuckled as Liara blushed, knowing exactly what Samantha was going to say next. Shepard simply shrugged and grinned sheepishly as she admitted, "We talked about birthing our own commando team." Laughing at the expressions she saw in the crowd, she added, "Yup. Exactly! Most commando teams are six-person squads… which means four kids, at a minimum… six if we ever plan to retire."

The apparently impatient man started speaking again and Shepard glared at him and cut him off by stating, "I know that still hasn't answered your question, but if you would be quiet and let me finish my explanation, you might learn the answer you seek. First of all, personal questions like that were very clearly placed off-limits and I could have simply ignored you, or had you removed… but I chose to not go that route. Second, given the very personal nature of the question, you should at least grant me the courtesy of letting me finish what I was saying."

Shepard didn't know who she was – his wife, a work associate, or just a friend – but the woman who was with him poked him hard in the ribs with her elbow, also giving him a glare as she grumbled something under her breath.

"Apparently your companion agrees with me," Shepard chided as she raised a brow. "So, as I was saying…" Shepard then looked away, letting her eyes wander the rest of the audience as she continued, "Eventually, we were approached by a private firm who had come into possession of the ova in question… and, to make a long story short, Michael is the result. I honestly do not know who the father is, nor does it matter. What I do care about is that I have a son, whom I love very much. The male sperm was a blind selection from available donors, all identifying traits removed other than specific trait markers, such as for skin tone, hair and eye color, and the like."

She paused and took a breath as another question came to her mind. "Neither do I know who the surrogate mother was. What I do know is a legally licensed adoption agency handled the end-process and, once complete, the records were not sealed for privacy. Other than the final, necessary, legal certificates, they were destroyed… simply because we all know prying eyes and minds never rest. Only two records were kept… his Human birth certificate, where I am listed as Michael's mother, with genetic verification to prove it, and the father officially recorded as unknown. Then, there is the Asari adoption certification… upon which Doctor T'Soni is legally appointed as Michael's adoptive father. Now, with all of that rather personal information revealed, I am done explaining and our question-and-answer period is over."

The dean immediately stepped in, having already signaled Campus Security to set the prearranged cordon so Liara and Shepard, along with their commandos, could depart the area without incident. She also took over crowd management, stepping up to the audio enhancer. "I'm sorry this has terminated a bit earlier than anticipated, but…" She paused only briefly to glare at the man who had violated the 'no personal questions' policy before finishing, "… things like this can happen in open forums. In case you do not already know this, Doctor T'Soni is now a standing professor here and will be teaching archaeology beginning with the next semester. Between now and then, she will be holding office hours so, if you have questions…" As she continued, Tevany's speech slowed as she placed heavy emphasis on her words regarding the subjects open for discussion with Liara. "… pertaining to her research or work with the Protheans…" She then returned to normal speech as she concluded, "… you may submit a request for time on her calendar through our normal university appointment system. As a matter of procedure, the request will be reviewed for validity before being passed to Doctor T'Soni. As she is not required to speak with anyone outside her class rosters, she will then review the request on her own. Only then will you be notified of acceptance or denial of the request. If approved, you will receive a one-time code to access the system for scheduling purposes. This concludes today's presentation so, thank you for coming, and enjoy the rest of your day."

T'Soni Apartments, Serrice, Thessia – 12 Apr 2192

While the presentation had gone wonderfully, the day had still been emotionally exhausting, so all the members of House T'Soni were more than ready to retreat to the privacy of their new 'home-away-from-home.' In typical Benezia fashion, the apartments where they were living were not only spacious, but also had the bonus of a private, express elevator with only one stop – the top floor of the building, which contained a combination of luxury suites that could easily house the leading couple, two commando teams and a full support staff. Surprisingly, being on the outskirts of the city, the building had somehow survived the war with relatively minor damage; easily repaired and brought back up to standard.

The moment Liara and Shepard stepped in the door, they heard Dayna Axessi exclaim, "Oh, thank the Goddess!" The couple looked at one another, Liara looking a bit worried, Shepard simply shrugging as she said, "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out and deal with it."

Only moments later, Dayna walked around the corner, a fussy, squirming Michael in her arms. She very promptly walked directly to Shepard and shoved the boy into her arms. "I am so glad you have come home early! This boy has been nothing but a fidgety bug since the moment he woke up and realized you weren't here! He threw half his breakfast across the dining room, has dumped over at least three potted plants about the house, I've had to change his diaper four times in the past two hours, and he is absolutely refusing to eat lunch. Now, he's your problem. I quit!"

Somewhat startled, Samantha wrapped her arms around the squirming bundle as she asked, "Has he really been that bad?"

Dayna didn't even dignify the question with a verbal answer, simply glaring at Samantha as she huffed and turned to stalk quickly out of the living room.

Liara couldn't help but chuckle at the expression on her bondmate's face, still not quite over the surprise of having the young boy thrust into her arms within seconds of walking through the door. The Asari's quiet laugh broke the spell and Samantha gave her a wry grin as she commented, "Apparently, like mother, like son, huh? You got a good laugh or two out of my mother's stories of my antics as a child. Hope you're still laughing when this one turns out to be too much like his mum for his own good!"

"Oh, I don't know about that." Liara smiled softly and ran her hand gently down the young boy's back. "I think you turned out pretty well. I imagine he'll turn out just as good… maybe better."

"If it's better, it will be due to your influence, not mine!" Samantha's focus turned to the little boy in her arms as she said, "Now, let's go see what you're supposed to be eating for lunch and get this all sorted, shall we?"

It was roughly twenty minutes later when Sam emerged from the kitchen, a grin on her face. Liara, sitting on the couch and working on her omnitool, raised a brow. "You seem awfully content for having been exiled to the kitchen to deal with a problematic child."

"That's because I didn't try to force-feed him." Shepard shrugged and placed Mike down between her feet, letting him hang onto her for support. He stood there, rock-solid, like he'd just walked into the room on his own two feet, as Samantha explained, "I got us a couple of fresh plates, chopped everything up really tiny… including my own food… and we ate with our hands, one little bite at a time. Us eating the same thing, the same way… well, it just worked." She chuckled. "We did have to wash our hands and get a clean shirt on him after that experiment, but… he ate, and that's what's important."

Sam looked down and smiled. "Huh, Mr Mike. You were hungry enough… you just wanted to do it on your own. Now… you ready to walk across the floor to Atha?"

Michael turned his head to look over at Liara and giggled. "Wah Atta!"

"Alright, then! Let's walk to Atha." Shepard quickly leaned down to grab Michael's hands with her own and smiled. "Okay, little man… remember, only one foot comes off the ground at a time, else I'm actually carrying you, instead of you walking!"

As she watched from the couch, the love Liara felt for her Siame in that moment was nearly overwhelming, so she simply shut down her omnitool to observe their progress. She couldn't help but to lean back in the seat and smile at Sam's incredible patience as the duo slowly made their way across the floor. Every few steps, Michael picked both feet up and simply hung there like a little chimpanzee, Sam's firm, yet gentle, grip keeping him from falling. Michael's legs got tired quickly, though, and his feet would soon return to the ground so they could resume his mother-aided progress.

As they got closer to the couch, Liara sat up and leaned forward a little bit, putting her hands out, ready to catch. She silently observed that Michael could almost stand on his own but wasn't quite there yet. No, she told herself. He can stand on his own… he just hasn't yet figured out how to pick up only one of his feet and move it forward to complete a step without falling over.

Hearing her thought through the link, Samantha gave her an adoring smile. "He just has to find his balance… That's likely a few months out yet but watch out once he does! I almost dread the day, because if he really is like me, once he starts running, he's never gonna stop!"

With Liara's waiting hands as encouragement, Michael shook his hands free of Samantha's hold and lunged forward, shouting, "Atta!" Sam couldn't help but grin at the Asari as Liara reacted quickly, scooping him up and into her arms.

"What a good boy! You walked all the way over here!" She looked up at a smiling Samantha and asked, "So, what's next? We have a couple of free hours to spend with Mike we most certainly hadn't planned on."

Shepard chuckled and plopped down on the couch next to Liara. "Well, seeing as Dayna has rebelled and quit on us for the day, it seems we're stuck with him so, I say we put one of his shows on, and we all cuddle in on the couch until he falls asleep for his afternoon nap."

After their exciting and tiring morning, Liara simply looked at Samantha with a loving smile and answered quietly, "I think that sounds like a positively wonderful idea."