Alban Eiler - Druid festival of the Spring Equinox, means 'Light of the Earth' (Gaelic)

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

Janiris -Springtime fertility ritual, named for goddess Athame's guide Janiri. Marks the start of the Asari new year; frequently coincides with St Patrick's Day (Thessian; ME Wiki/CDN)

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

New Histories

Council Chambers, CGC, Widow System – 28 Jan 2193

"Oh, please!" Linron looked scathingly upon each of the Council members, with her eyes coming to rest last on Valern. "Save me from all your political rhetoric and just issue my death sentence already. My remaining life is short, and I do not care to spend my remaining days locked in a four-by-four-meter cage! I'd rather be dead, even if 'convicted' by a sham court trial."

Surprisingly, it was Valern – having been reinstated as the Salarian Councilor – who responded. "It was not a trial, it was a military tribunal for the war crimes you committed – treason being number one on the list, for the withholding of information critical to winning the Reaper War. Had we known about the Protheans, sleeping in their catacombs or not, the war's duration might have been much shorter! How many lives… Salarian lives included… could have been spared by revealing their existence? Shepard had the codes to open the stasis pods, as was evidenced by her and Doctor T'Soni's awakening of Javik on Eden Prime!"

"Oh, yes. And we all saw how well that worked out!" Linron sneered. "Whether we told you or didn't tell you would have made no difference in the war's duration and you know it. You are simply looking for someone to blame… instead of the entire Council for their intransigence, when all of you were frozen in time, with no one stepping up to assist the Humans when they asked. If you find me guilty of such inaction… then every ruler, of every species, is guilty of the same!"

"That may have been true at the beginning of the war… but as the Reaper invasion progressed, and we truly recognized the significance of it all, we shifted our position… well, 'we' being everyone but the Salarians." Tevos shifted her gaze and nodded at Jara as she added, "Shepard even managed to get the Krogan and SILC to help us, not to mention the Rachni!" She rolled her eyes as she thought about the latter, "Even if that last addition did cause quite the ruckus at the Crucible build site when their first ship arrived through the relay."

Councilor Quentius did not bother to hide his pleasure at granting Linron's wish. "As far as I'm concerned, I would be pleased to fulfill Dalatrass Linron's request." He turned cold eyes to the Salarian female as he added, "But, based on his actions at Jaëto, I believe Spectre Zoji would be more than happy to carry out your death sentence, as he did with the Yegan imposter."

Zoji's voice sounded from the audience, no one even realizing he was in attendance. "Military expediency no longer applies. Had more essential tasks to work on at the time… an urgency which no longer exists, Councilor." He stood as he was speaking, so everyone now knew from where the disembodied voice had emanated, as he continued. "However, should the Council deem such a punishment just, I would select a punishment equal to the crime. I believe the most appropriate method would be to place her in stasis in one of the Prothean pods, then terminate its power source and leave her to suffocate within."

"Goddess," uttered Tevos with a shudder. "I think you should reconsider such an act, Spectre Zoji. I believe we can be much more… civilized… about it."

The Spectre solemnly replied, "There is nothing civilized about taking a sentient life, Councilor, no matter the method… but, if that is what the Council wishes, I will make sure her death is swift, and painless."

"I disagree," responded Linron. "An uncivilized end would be to lock me away to rot to death in a dark cell in the center of this station, to never again see either the stars or the real light of day on Sur'Kesh." She met the Spectre's eyes. "If Spectre Zoji is willing to terminate me quickly, in the same manner in which he dealt with Nawa Paehee, I will accept the punishment without protest."

Zoji's eyes opened a bit wider as he commented, "Ah. Thank you, Linron, for the name of the Yegan imposter. I can now close that portion of my report. I would be agreeable to… privately… terminating your life… in whatever manner you choose."

"Why privately? Why not right here, right now, in front of all my accusers?" Linron spat. "Just get it over with!"

"Because punishment for your treasonous acts does not merit such a high level of attention, with your sentence being carried out in a public forum. No matter how rare it is to receive a sentence of death from the Council, you still deserve to die in the same manner as you committed your crimes… in secret and hidden in the shadows."

That very evening, Shepard and Liara joined Rae and Sha'ira for dinner in the Councilor's apartment, with Dalatrass Linron's summary execution order dominating the early conversation. No matter how rare, Linron actually welcomed the solution, her final words being, "If I am to die for treason, be it for treason to the Council rather than against my own people. While those remaining bend so eagerly to the will of the Council in order to continue receiving material support and financial aid, I always believed the Salarian Union would forever stand on its own, never dependent on others, for anything!"

Linron had then met Zoji's eyes, neither one of them blinking as she stated, "Now, I am done listening to the weak and tiresome Council justifications that insult my intelligence. The Salarian Union is in a sad state with the surrender of their autonomy, and I do not care to live long enough to see the repercussions of that single act. So, get it over with and save me from the prolonged misery of watching the independence of the Salarian Union of old die so quickly." She had then turned to her guard, a simple nod of her head telling him to remove her from the session so she could meet her end.

Breaking the pall that had settled over the quartet, Sha'ira looked at Liara. "Enough of Linron. Do you mind if I completely change the subject and ask a rather personal question, regarding the two of you and the status of your relationship?"

Liara glanced at Shepard, each baffled by what they both thought to be an odd request. With only a puzzled shrug from her Siame, Liara met Sha'ira's eyes and replied, "We have no secrets from you… from either of you… so, yes, of course… you can ask us anything you want to, Sha'ira."

"Thank you, Liara. I do want to say you can always decline to answer once you hear the question. That is always an option, to anything I may ever ask of you." She paused only a moment, her brow wrinkling as she tried to frame the question. "You were separated completely from Shepard for over three months, correct?"

"Not completely, no." Liara looked at the former Consort in confusion. "We messaged one another frequently and spoke over vid every chance we got… which was at the very least once a week. Why would you ask?"

"I am curious about your link… and Inanna." Sha'ira paused only a moment before continuing, "You could not possibly have reached one another over such a vast distance, could you?"

Shepard actually chuckled, thinking that was Sha'ira's main point, as she responded for Liara. "Not a chance. Even chatting from Earth to Mars was difficult and tiring. We can't jump systems, no matter how well rested both of us are."

Sha'ira simply nodded at the woman in recognition of her answer, then refocused on Liara. "And yet, you suffered no ill-effects?" Seeing the confused look on the younger Asari's face, she added bluntly, "You did not suffer from soul sickness of any kind, any time during Shepard's prolonged absence? Not even near the end of her trip?"

Liara sat back, blinking repeatedly as she contemplated the question. "Goddess… I did not… and I didn't even think about it! How can that be?"

"It is true, then." Sha'ira stared at the couple, unsure as to which one of the two she should focus on, her gaze finally landing on Shepard. "Inanna is a rare enough thing there were only tales of it… no one who possessed it was currently alive – until the two of you came along. Because of that, we know little of the actual boundaries, as previous occurrences were not well documented."

Shepard's brow wrinkled for a moment, then she asked, "So all the concern about soul-sickness, shared with me by Aethyta during the bonding preparations?"

"May actually mean absolutely nothing for the two of you!" Sha'ira sat back in her chair, dumbfounded. "The symptoms you suffered while waiting for the relays to be repaired after the war may have been caused by your deep concern for Liara… by not knowing if she was dead or alive. If I remember the story correctly, Aethyta wasn't helping you with soul sickness… but was tempering your energy usage while you slept, while your subconscious searched for Liara through the link over such vast distances. Aethyta was keeping you from burning yourself out through eezo depletion… which is not related to soul sickness in any way. Never in a million years has such a thing been recorded into our history. Both of you must be careful with whom you share this data. Shepard's physiology is already unique enough… if people found out about this as well? I don't even want to consider the ramifications to your privacy!"

She then looked to Liara. "And if you are ever queried on the topic, you must deflect, or simply lie. Make claims of feeling ill… or, at the very least, depressed or sluggish… if Shepard is ever away from you for more than three or four months. Otherwise, you may fall under intense scrutiny, both out of jealousy… and possibly out of a desire to find the miracle cure to soul sickness. In our history, people have been kidnapped for less."

"Well… to say I was depressed certainly wouldn't be that far from the truth," Liara replied, shrugging. "I hate it when we are separated."

"But, if you truly believe that is a risk, we'll simply make sure we're never separated for that long again," Shepard interjected as she looked to Liara and continued, "Next time something like this happens, I just say no… or, if it truly is that important, you take a leave of absence from Serrice and come with me."

"I can't do that, Samantha!" Liara looked at her in surprise.

"Of course you can!" Shepard grinned. "Sal will be finishing up by the end of March… and starting preparations for her thesis presentation. Once she's done with that, she'll be working for you. Having you as an instructor and mentor makes her a perfect, short-term fill-in. You just need to speak with Dean Tevany… tell her how difficult this was for you, with me being gone so long. You shouldn't need to go into details. If soul-sickness is so common amongst the Asari, she should make that assumption on her own, without you actually having to lie to her."

Shepard saw the look of doubt on Liara's face and added, "You were the Shadow Broker, for Gods' sake. If you can do that, you can get through a conversation with the Dean. Besides… Sal doesn't need to step in right away, so you have plenty of time to prep her." Shepard smiled lovingly and reached over to take Liara's hand. "I know you can do this, Li. We can do this… and it sure as Hell beats the possible alternatives if Sha'ira is right about this."

The woman's touch was comforting. Even with their link, a physical touch still significantly enhanced their connection. In this case, Samantha's faith and confidence in her flooded through, making Liara smile and respond, "Of course, you're right. We will do whatever is necessary to keep our family together… and out from under the scientific microscopes that would suddenly want to invade our lives."

Liara then looked at Sha'ira. "Thank you for asking… and for the warning. I honestly hadn't thought about the lack of symptoms, nor the repercussions if people found out. I would like to believe we would be left alone to our privacy, but our experiences from the war say otherwise."

Sha'ira nodded, then looked embarrassed as she asked, "I would like a personal favor, however… that you allow me to record my own personal observations. I will leave them with you, to not be published in any way until both of you have left this physical realm… but I do not want the knowledge lost forever, as has apparently happened in the past." She looked down at the table, adding, "I will very much understand if you choose to decline… and it will not affect our relationship in any way."

"That is hopefully many years in the future… and who knows what can happen between now and then." Liara nodded thoughtfully, staring at nothing while she briefly considered the request. "Of course, I trust your discretion, completely… so will agree to you doing so. Though, when they are released could potentially depend on Michael… and exactly which of Shepard's traits he manifests as he ages into adulthood. I would not want him to undergo such scrutiny either. But, with that said, if he does not show any link capabilities, to whom should I bequeath the records? Certainly not the Consorts!"

"Most definitely not, and your concern over Michael is noted and agreed to." Sha'ira smiled softly, a sheen of unshed tears in her eyes. "Provided he does not manifest any form of link ability, I would think to pass the documentation to the Department of Antiquities as, I would hope, by the time it happens we will be matriarchs and they can go into the records as Matriarchal Writings, giving the memoirs more credence. And thank you, Liara. Your agreement is an amazing gift I doubt I will ever be able to repay."

Liara smiled and met her friend's appreciative gaze. "That's good because gifts are not meant to be repaid. They are freely given, out of our care and consideration for those we love."

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 17 Mar 2193

Liara's class took their final exam on the twelfth of March, enabling her to grade them and get final grades turned in well before the 20 March deadline, so they actually made it home in plenty of time for their combined spring holidays of St Patrick's Day, Alban Eiler and Janiris. It also made Samantha Traynor happy, as the entire T'Soni clan was able to be home – but more specifically, Riana, Liara's First and the love of Sammi's life.

With the first holiday falling on a Sunday, the guests had time to arrive and settle in on Saturday, making for no last-minute arrivals. That group included all their customary guests, with one special addition – Liara's newest friend and fellow professor – Alayna. Liara made the necessary introductions, ensuring Alayna would have access to those she wanted to speak with regarding her rewrite of the curriculum for the Contemporary History class she taught at Serrice University.

Leading by example, as she always did, Fleet Admiral Ines Lindholm was the first to sit down with the eager professor. Little did Alayna realize how much of a surprise she was in for, until the very first person Ines complimented was a man by the name of Jack Harper, The Illusive Man himself.

The Admiral shook her head at the expected surprise on the part of the professor. "I know, I know… him being on my list is likely a huge surprise… but let me tell you, with everything wrong about The Illusive Man and Cerberus' ideals, Jack Harper got one thing right; he somehow knew that Samantha Shepard was key to winning the upcoming war. When the Alliance did nothing after the Normandy SR-1 disappeared over Alchera, the Illusive Man stepped in to save her… when it was glaringly obvious no other organization in the galaxy had either the capability or desire to do so. If not for that act… along with him building a new ship for her during the two years Shepard spent in a medical coma while Cerberus put her back together. Without even realizing it, we would have lost the war before it even began!"

"You're kidding!" Alayna stared at Ines in disbelief.

"I wish I was, because I hate admitting the Alliance leadership was a bunch of assholes at the time… but they were. The politicians were crooked… just look at Udina to see the evidence of that, with him being in Harper's pocket… and, other than David Anderson, the military leadership had their damned heads stuck in the sand, not wanting to believe Samantha and Liara's dire warnings. Even Admiral Steven Hackett didn't truly believe the Reapers existed… right up until they showed up on the galaxy's proverbial doorstep in Kite's Nest. By then, it was almost too late!"

Ines shook her head in disgust and continued, "Having no idea the Reaper arrival was imminent, he sent Shepard to Bahak – the heart of the Hegemony – on a 'special mission' to extract an operative, who was a personal friend of Hackett's. The operative had been caught and was sitting in a Batarian prison, but somehow managed to send a short, vague message about finding proof of the Reapers' impending arrival, so Hackett sent Shepard to break her out and confirm the operative's info. He also had the audacity to give her explicit instructions to take no ground team support and wear no Alliance markings. He sent Shepard into that prison alone, all because he didn't want the Batarians to know it was an Alliance op, as if the Batarians wouldn't recognize Shepard the moment they saw her!"

Ines scoffed in disgust, continuing, "As it turned out, by the time Shepard arrived, Hackett's friend had already been exposed to Reaper tech and was indoctrinated, so Shepard ended up killing her, anyway… and then had to destroy the relay in the Bahak system just as the Reapers began arriving. They blew the relay as they escaped, to keep the Reapers from being able to jump throughout the galaxy within days. With that single act, Shepard managed to gain us a bit of an advanced warning – about six months additional time – to prepare for the Reapers. You won't see any of those events recorded anywhere, I can guaran-damn-tee you of that!"

"But they arrested Shepard and placed her in custody for what they considered an act of terrorism! How could they do that? To anyone?" Alayna stared at the admiral, expecting an explanation, which she immediately received.

"Yup, they did, but only to avoid a war with the Batarians. It was a shitty political move to keep the Batarians at bay while we attempted to prepare for what was headed our way. But all those damned secrets? The Council refused to believe the story about what was really going on, thinking it just a cover story to keep the Alliance out of trouble, so they kept ignoring us and, for the sake of peace with the Hegemony, let the Alliance hang a Council Spectre out to twist in the wind."

Alayna's eyes sought out the semi-retired Spectre as she said, "It's no wonder Shepard stayed with Cerberus…"

Ines immediately cut her off. "Shepard didn't stay with Cerberus, because that assumes she was working for them in the first place. Did you know she actually came in? Turned herself over to the Council, and they tossed her out like yesterday's trash? Councilors Tevos and Anderson made a compromise with the others; they would allow her to operate in a Cerberus vessel to do what she needed to do, so long as she didn't operate in Council Space until they called for her. How's that for a load of crap?" Ines chuckled. "But Shepard? She was okay with that, because that meant she didn't have to play politics with either the Alliance or the Council anymore. She stole that ship away from Cerberus and did what she needed to do to prepare us for the damned war! She's a goddamned hero… and has sacrificed more than most people will ever realize!"

Even with the recording, Alayna was too busy taking notes and making sure she didn't miss anything, to stop and ask any more questions, so the Admiral just kept on speaking. "Even after the war started, Hackett continued to ask for special favors. He had Shepard running every which way, back and forth across the galaxy."

Ines shook her head at the memories, then advised, "Next one you need to speak with is Doctor Karin Chakwas. She was the medical commander on the Normandy… both the SR-1 and -2. Don't know how many times she requested downtime for Shepard and her crew… never got it. Not once, until Karin flat out called Hackett on his shit and told him unless he stopped calling Shepard for all his damned 'special missions,' Samantha was going to crack and not survive to see the part of the war when we would need her most – the fight for Earth. She put it in Shepard's permanent medical record, stating that if anyone survived to read the history, it was Hackett's negligence in taking care of his best troop that cost us the war."

"By the Goddess! Was it truly that bad?" Alayna's eyes once more went to Shepard – the woman, the warrior, the legend. "She was breaking?"

"Hell, yes, she was breaking! She was exhausted, running on fumes, as it were, and having nightmares about becoming indoctrinated with all her contact with Reapers and Reaper equipment." Ines paused and pointed across the room at Liara as she added, "And that Asari right there is the one who kept that woman together. So, if you want to know what makes their bond so strong? You just look at what they went through, together, to keep us all in the game."

Ines shrugged, adding, "All you need for proof of what I'm telling you is to look at where Sam's loyalties are now. She's separated from the Alliance and renounced her Human citizenship to become an Asari citizen. She's living on Thessia, and she's even an ex-Spectre… well, a semi-retired Spectre… which is unheard of. Goes to show that only so much can be asked of any one person, no matter who it is."

Ines suddenly stopped speaking and looked at her empty glass. "And that's all you get from me… at least for now. I'm off to visit Aethyta for a refill." She gave the professor a knowing look. "Care to join me, while you mull over that whole bucket of shit I just dumped on you?"

Alayna drew a shaky breath, considering all the info she had just received in so short a time. She was no longer confident in the University's acceptance of a syllabus rewrite, so had to think about how she was even going to approach it – especially if all the other races had pretty much the same thing to say about the conduct of the war. She shook her head and gave the admiral a thankful smile. "Appreciate the offer but based on this, I think I need to be stone-cold sober when I speak with anyone else here… and all I have is this weekend."

"Come on. Relax for a bit and have a drink with me. A single holiday weekend isn't going to be nearly enough time to do what you need to do." Ines smiled. "You should make only casual contacts here, then enjoy what's left of the party with a plan to do some traveling over your summer break to complete the actual data collection. I can help you put together the list of people you really need to interview who aren't here. I'll even call them for you, to let them know you'll be contacting them about a meeting."

Alayna looked at the Alliance senior officer, an earnest smile of appreciation on her face, as she replied, "You've got yourself a deal, Admiral."

"I'm on vacation… so, it's Ines, if you don't mind."

Alayna finally smiled in return and chuckled, "You've got yourself a deal… Ines."

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – Wednesday, 20 Mar 2193

Riana Iregos had been so busy these past several months, she had almost – almost being the key word – forgotten the birthday of the woman she loved so much, she sometimes thought she was going to burst at the seams from the intensity of those feelings. Tomorrow would be Sammi's 35th birthday, an integral part of what was an annual, quadruple celebration in Riana's mind. The party had begun on the 17th when many of the guests had arrived for the Saint Patrick's Day fest, and most stayed for the extended weekend because House T'Soni would also celebrate Alban Eiler and Janiris – and everyone present recognized that House T'Soni knew how to throw a party. This year, however, Riana had plans for Sammi's birthday that didn't involve either of the last two celebrations. While she would somewhat regret missing the House celebrations, being alone with Sammi for a couple of days would more than make up for it.

To that end – and knowing her Captain would be at Liara's side through the weekend – she had requested three-and-a-half days off in order to prepare a special birthday present for her Breá Ber'ah; a two-and-a-half day stay at the remote campsite situated by the northwest notch of Lake Altera, a large, crystal blue body of water surrounded by a dense forest, just a few klicks from the northwest corner of the estate's boundary. She needed today to prepare – to transport food, beverages, and associated paraphernalia to the cabin; she also needed to energize the heaters of the nearby hot tub, as she intended for her and Sammi to enjoy a good, long soak in the eezo-heated waters. There was also the matter of the fire pit several meters from the water's edge; Riana intended to ensure there was plenty of dry wood in the storage bin, so all she needed to do was light the fire and unroll the blankets on the sand for a cozy evening of stargazing.

It would give her and Traynor some much needed time to decompress – to truly relax and reconnect with each other. Riana had been with Sammi only sporadically since the start of the Salarian conflict, a condition of her employment she accepted as inevitable. It was the first time since the end of the Reaper war that Shepard had been away from home for so long, those circumstances forcing the Vanguard to double down on her job of keeping Lady Liara safe, mostly by never letting her out of her sight any time she was outside the house. While they were within any of the T'Soni properties, they had the luxury of excellent physical security but even when sleeping, Riana and Sammi's suite was only a few short steps down the hall from Liara's.

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – Thursday, 21 Mar 2193

The dawn of a new day – the first day of spring – was just peeking past the drapes when Riana, secure in the knowledge she didn't have to immediately leap out of bed to get her day started, slowly slid her eyelids open. Her heart clenched in utter joy at the sight that greeted her; Sammi – her promised – lying on her side facing her, lips turned in a tiny smile, still blissfully asleep.

Riana, longing to caress the thoughts of her lover, tentatively reached out with her mind; sensing that Sammi was still dreaming, she started to withdraw, only to hear a whispered invitation. "Good morning, Ri. Join with me?"

Riana gently probed the entry point for Traynor's mind; upon receiving an enthusiastic welcome, she eased into Sammi's consciousness. {Happy birthday, my love! How did you sleep?}

{The same way I sleep every night when enveloped by your arms and your love – it's as if I'm in the embrace of the goddess.} As she pushed her own thoughts of love and devotion back to her promised, Sammi slid her eyelids open just enough to see a pair of golden-brown eyes gazing back at her. Moving her head and body slightly, she pressed her lips against the succulent blue lips in front of her. {I love you, Riana. Sleeping with you makes me happy in so many ways.} Sammi ended the kiss as she added, {Thank you for the birthday wish.} With a smirk of joy gradually spreading across her face, she added, {I just know you have something planned for us to do today, otherwise Lady Liara wouldn't have given me today as a personal holiday. So, what are we gonna be doing?}

The Asari placed a quick kiss on Traynor's lips while answering, {Soon as you're ready, we're going on an excursion.} She pictured the place in her mind, so Sammi could see the small cabin through her memories, with its outside hot tub enclosure and the pristine blue lake, surrounded by a dense forest in the northwest corner of the estate. {We'll have a couple of days and nights there, by ourselves, no one else around. It's my birthday gift for you…} She giggled softly as she added, {… with the blessing of my Mistress, who granted my request for a couple of days off to relax.}

Sammi giggled in return as she concluded, {Well then, why don't you release me so I can start getting ready to go?} She planted a sweet little kiss on the tip of a blue nose. {I really have to pee, just so you know.} Riana grinned. {Sounds like a good plan, my Breá Ber'ah.} then gently withdrew from her lover's mind. Untangling herself from Riana's embrace, the woman slid out from under the covers and stood, stretched her arms towards the ceiling, then started strolling towards their bathroom.

Lake Altera Campsite – Thursday, 21 Mar 2193

Parnitha, the Thessian sun, having descended below the tree-tops to the west, had seemingly set the forest ablaze with its yellow-orange light; the crystal-clear waters of the lake, ruffled by the evening breeze, reflected dancing fragments of that same light. Sammi, thoroughly enjoying the display while standing hand-in-hand beside her promised, sighed, "It's beautiful, my darling. I'm glad you brought me out here. The light shining and dancing through all the trees is like a painting that hasn't had time to dry."

"I've never heard it described in that manner, Sammi. Now that you have described it as such, I can see what you mean. It really is quite lovely." It had been so long, Riana had forgotten what seeing the lakeside sunset for the first time had been like, and Sammi's comments made her smile with the memory. She gently squeezed the hand she was holding as she added, "The temperature is falling. Let's go back inside and have our supper… then, we can enjoy some birthday cake."

Traynor nodded as she replied, "Sounds like a capitol idea, my love." She turned and tugged on the blue hand she was holding. "And I'll brew some Kaffe for us," she said, and began walking slowly towards the cabin as she concluded, "… to have with our cake!"

Unlike star gazing on Traynor's home world – with the bright light from its one moon, flooding the night sky several evenings every month making dimmer stars difficult to see – Thessia's evening sky was generally the deep obsidian of outer space, accompanied at times by hints of the wispy clouds of gas that formed the nebula.

Tonight, Riana and Sammi lay on a pair of blankets placed on the warm sands of the beach. With a blazing wood fire at their backs, Riana pointed out different stars and a few bright galaxies showing above the southwestern tree line. When her lover pointed out Thessia's sister planet, Piares, Sammi asked, "Are any of the system's other planets visible?"

Riana turned her head; after scanning the northwestern sky for a few moments, she pointed to another brilliant pinpoint of light. "There's the gas giant Janiri… the reddish tint gives it away. If you want to rise before the sun in the morning, I can show you Kurinth, which also appears in our evening sky. It's incredibly bright, so much so it can actually cast noticeable shadows." With a chuckle, she added, "It was named for a goddess of war and hunting; many hunters and warriors were most grateful for the blessing of her light when forced to operate after sunset."

"It's funny," the woman said, then stopped speaking, quite literally staring off into space.

Traynor's pause prompted her lover to ask, "What's funny, Sammi?"

With a sigh, Traynor explained, "As often as I've flown in any of the ships in which Spectre Shepard or Lady Liara were traveling, I cannot recall ever seeing any of Parnitha's planets from a viewport during a trip to or from the relay."

Riana chuckled. "That's because you're either working or sleeping." Looking at her promised, she added, "You need to hitch a ride with Judea next time she has a ship to test fly. She generally stays in-system… flying out to the relay and back. If she'll allow you to ride in the co-pilot's chair, you'd be able to view the planets firsthand." Reaching over, she caressed Sammi's cheek while applying a quick kiss to a willing mouth. "Come on… let's go inside. I'm ready to crawl off to bed with my promised."

Traynor returned the kiss before answering, "I almost thought you meant for us to be sleeping out here… even though the first day of spring is usually blessed with a cold rain the following morning."

"No thank you. Not when we have a perfectly good cabin tent with a real bed!" Riana got to her feet, reached down and assisted Sammi up from the beach. "Grab the blankets… I'll douse the fire." Within a few minutes, they were inside, getting ready for bed, where Sammi surprised the Vanguard with a tight hug. "I had a wonderful day, Ri… and it made for an absolutely wonderful birthday present. Thank you."