Chapter 40

Val'Eda – Hagalaz

"It's amazing to me how we're sitting on enough information to start a thousand different wars, cause a coup in any star system in the galaxy, and essentially put every species in Citadel Space back to the stone age; and yet it's so ungodly boring here," said Ash as she huffed in annoyance.

"You could always walk around the ship. I mean, it mostly consists of systems meant to store energy and fly, but it's better than sitting around here," said the thief as she continued typing on the computer terminal in front of her.

Ash had no clue how the woman was able to process incoming requests and sort through information at the speed she was. A small, helpful drone had come out of the back room after the entire conflict had ended, yet the woman seemed to only use him as a search function for certain bits of information. "You seem comfortable here."

"I'm a thief. I made my entire living off of stealing things and selling the stuff I didn't keep for myself. This is hardly different," said Kasumi as she turned and smirked at the woman. "Who knows? Maybe if Liara is looking for help, I can stay here with her."

"Honestly, she seems to have her head on straight. Not sure if she'll need the extra hands," said the spectre before her eyes caught the nearby door opening. Her eyes widened as she saw the salarian from the Normandy walk into the large room. "How the hell did you get here?"

"Got off Normandy early. Thought I'd take a look around the ship. Normandy left without me," he said in a rapid clip before turning his gaze down to the drone that was circling around his knees.

"Do you need assistance, Shadow Broker?" asked the drone monotonously.

Kasumi giggled before waving the salarian off. "Ignore it. The old Shadow Broker was the only one on the ship besides prisoners. He didn't program it with any parameters, so it just calls anyone that moves Shadow Broker."

"Understood," said the salarian doctor as he stepped past the drone. "Ship fascinating. Fully self-sustaining. Lightning fuels ship core, ship core runs VI to pilot ship, keeps ship directly in storm, storm never ends. If left alone, would last until lightning rods sustained too much damage to absorb new energy. Five hundred years before likely occurrence."

"I guess that was the point," said Ash as she leaned back in the seat. "The Shadow Broker kept their mind on the business, so he had the ship built to be self-sustaining."

"Indeed. Specialized focus. Ship handles its own maintenance. Separate VI for cleaning, getting rid of debris, fixing degrading components. A marvel of modern technology," said the salarian as he eyed Kasumi. "Handling broker information?"

"Liara had something very important she needed to show Shepard, so they headed to Thessia. I'm filling in for her until they get back," said the thief with a grin. "Did you need something?"

"Was curious if new Shadow Broker and spectre would allow us access to broker network. Could use information," said Mordin as he stepped up to the terminal.

"It depends on the information, really," said Ash with a shrug. "You're former STG, so you know there's a lot of stuff on there you don't need… and probably don't want to know. If it pertains to you in particular, I don't think either of them would have an issue."

"Suppose should make request plain," said the doctor as he cleared his throat. "Did Shepard tell you about work with STG?"

"Of course not," said Kasumi curiously.

"Probably for the better," he said as Ash noticed him become very stoic. "STG geneticist, former assistant named Maelon Heplorn. He disappeared recently. Was hoping there was info on his location."

"I might need a bit more than that," said Kasumi as she began her scrub through the information. "Do you think he's missing?"

"Unsure. Lots of rumors, unsubstantiated, but worrying. Quit Special Tasks Group special ops he was assigned to. Was last seen heading into Aralakh System beyond krogan DMZ," said the salarian as he looked down and blinked slowly. "Not a safe place for former STG."

"Do you think the krogan would harm him?" asked Ash as Kasumi began to type away on her terminal.

"Unsure. Krogan not very fond of salarians. On Citadel, krogan likely to do little more than glare, jeering, insults. But on Tuchanka, many krogan clans still hold grudge against all salarians, all turians for genophage," he said as he looked to Kasumi worriedly.

"I can't say I blame them," said Ash, getting a stern stare from the doctor.

"Understand distaste with genophage. Barbaric method, but necessary to stop all-out war with galaxy," said the scientist as he shook his head. "No other choice."

"If that's how you want to justify it, feel free. It doesn't justify it to me or the krogan, though," said Ash as her brows furrowed. "You didn't personally create or drop the genophage on them, so I don't particularly blame you for what happened. There's already enough of that going down. But there was no justification for using that on them."

"Humans very new to galaxy. Did not see what the rest of galaxy saw," snapped Mordin impatiently.

"You're right. I didn't see it. What I have seen, though, is what the genophage does," said the spectre with a glare. "And I can promise you that there's no justification for doing that to a person, let alone an entire species."

Doctor Solas snorted before nodding to her. "It's easy to have all the answers when looking to the past. Opinions sharpen from hindsight. Perhaps if Spectre Williams had been around during Krogan Rebellion, would have found another method of stopping a krogan genocide of all other species," he said before turning to Kasumi. "Irrelevant. Still want to see assistant safe."

The thief, who had stopped her passing of information to watch the intense argument between the pair finally got back to her keyboard. Typing rapidly, she pulled up a small bit of information passed to her by a krogan scout from Tuchanka. "It looks like he landed on the fringes of the ruins of Urdnot City, currently the location of Shepard's former companion."

"Urdnot City? Is that where Wrex got his name?" asked Ash as she got up and stared at the terminal.

Mordin interjected. "Krogan clans formed after nuclear self-destruction. Often named after former city they originated on Tuchanka. Clan Urdnot was named after capital city after nuclear war reduced it to rubble," said the scientist with a nod. "Though, clan name not permanent. Can be exiled, join other clans. Unsure of Urdnot Wrex's history."

"His father's name was Urdnot Jarrod, and his grandfather was Urdnot Vork," said Ash as she tilted her head. "I'm pretty sure the name goes back aways."

"Well, the city is now the home base for about 75% of the krogan population on Tuchanka. Millions of them all gathered in one place with Wrex sitting on top as its leader," said Kasumi as she opened a map to the city.

"Less like a leader and more like a grumpy father," said Ash with a smirk as she crossed her arms. "He complains about them all the time but says he's proud of the progress they've made."

"You've spoken to him?" asked Kasumi curiously.

"We kept in touch after the Normandy was destroyed. He told me a lot about himself and his people back when we were on the original Normandy. I was glad to see him finally take charge of the situation. Though I've never seen Tuchanka myself," she said as she crossed her arms. "So, what's the deal?"

Kasumi typed more before wincing slightly. "According to this scout captain, he went missing when Clan Weyrloc departed from the camp on hostile terms with Clan Urdnot."

Mordin's eyes narrowed as he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Not good news. Clan Weyrloc especially hostile towards other species. Made worse after Shepard found responsible for Weyrloc Garm's death on Omega."

"Well, they haven't found a corpse of a salarian yet, so there's still a chance he's alive," said Ash as she eyed the salarian.

"Would like to find out myself," said the doctor as he turned to the pair of them. "You have my gratitude," he said as he folded his arms together in thanks.

"You know you can't go to Tuchanka yourself," said Ash as she crossed her arms and eyed him.

"Have little choice. Must investigate missing assistant. Important," he said as he looked down. "Might ask Shepard to assist."

"You need Shepard to assist," said the spectre as she stepped up to him. "If you land there without her, there's a good chance you'll receive the same treatment Maelon got."

"Can take care of self," stated the salarian firmly.

But Ash shook her head. "As smart as you are, Mordin, you can be as dumb as a brick sometimes." The doctor's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but she continued anyway. "You can handle gang members on Omega, you can handle yourself in a fight, but you cannot handle being surrounded on a planet full of krogan. Especially as former STG. All it takes is a single one with a bone to pick to accuse you of doing something shady for an entire krantt to draw and quarter you."

He stayed silent for a long moment before nodding. "Suppose you are right. Won't be able to sneak around nearly as well as on Citadel or Omega. Will need permission from clan leader to investigate."

"And for that, you'll need Shepard's help. Or… maybe I can convince him," she said with a shrug. "Either way, you can't do it alone, nor should you have to."

He thought about it for a moment and nodded again. "Thank you, Spectre Williams. Not used to working with a team. Rare occurrence in STG. Only for greater good. Suppose this isn't much different," he said before offering her his hand.

She shook his hand firmly. "We'll have a word with Shepard once she gets back. She hasn't gotten the chance to visit Wrex since she came back anyway. It'll be good for her," said the spectre with a grin.

"Assistance appreciated. Hope outcome of investigation is just as pleasant," he said before sighing to himself. "Tired after studying protheans for hours. Will rest and study in next room."

Ashley's brows furrowed as she looked him up and down. "I haven't seen you take so much as a nap since I boarded the Normandy. When do you sleep?"

The doctor opened his omni-tool and activated one of the applications before answering. "Tuesday," he said before turning and leaving the human stunned at the response.

Ahhotep Estate – Serrice – Thessia

She stared at the infant as the tiny asari curled up against her chest and immediately fell asleep. She'd never really handled a baby before, but she knew this was an experience unique to asari. The baby, whose head was currently resting against her bare collar bone was flooding her with a sense of security and happiness that almost made her want to nap as well.

But she fought against the sleepy feeling as she turned to her bondmate who was already wiping tears away from her own face. Shepard stared at her a long moment before shaking her head. "But… I thought…"

"You thought that less than a year after I lost the love of my life I had moved on and met someone new?" asked the asari as if the idea were preposterous. "I may have moved on eventually. It would have taken at least a hundred years for the sadness of losing you to turn from a horrific wound to an aching scar. And even then I'd probably wait longer before I ever allowed myself to love again."

"Why is her last name V'Reena?" asked the spectre in confusion, her voice silent to keep from waking the child.

"V'Reena was Serraia's family name before she became a Matriarch," said the doctor as she eyed Jane playfully. "You didn't find it curious that my supposed partner's name had an asari last name that wasn't mine and your very human middle name?"

Shepard's eyes widened slightly at the claim, and then it hit her like a truck. "Lilly… oh…" she groaned before her face melted into an expression of annoyance. She wanted to smack herself across the face for missing such an obvious sign, but instead she leaned her head against the infant, allowing more skin contact to make her feel safer. It was then that Jane remembered the cloth she had taken from Liara's apartment.

Reaching up into her coat, she pulled it out and saw the flower imprint on it as well. While she didn't have any experience in anthology, she could now guess that the flower in question was a lily. Unraveling the obvious baby blanket, she covered the infant as it slept. Liara smiled and planted her forehead against Jane's as they held the sleeping girl together. "I'm sorry."

Jane looked up into the asari's blue eyes in confusion. "Sorry for what?"

"I could have told you about her back on the Normandy," started the doctor, but Shepard used her free hand to press her finger to the asari's lips.

"I didn't come see you for months because I didn't want to dig up old feelings of mourning you may have felt. You didn't tell me about her because without my memories of our conversation from before, I technically didn't consent to being a parent," she said with a bright grin. "But I'm here now, I know about her, and I love her. I remember everything, and I would change nothing."

Liara looked likely she was about to cry again at the words, but instead, she simply let out a shaky sigh and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Jane. Thank you for still being you."

"Didn't really have a choice in that," said the spectre with a cheeky grin before she looked down at the baby again. "So, what's the plan for the little one?"

"Well, I'll need someone to build some infrastructure on the Val'Eda, but I'll be bringing her with me. As safe as she is on Thessia, nobody but us and your team… all of whom are trustworthy I hope," she asked, getting a nod from the spectre. "Nobody else knows about the Val'Eda or its location. I think she would be safest there."

"Do we need to do anything to make sure someone can't track your location the same way I did?" asked Shepard curiously.

"Well, I do know there are some people in the galaxy as skilled as you are at what you do. That said, most of them aren't as creative. Even so, I have the… broker's drone isolating any data containing certain coding tools. They will be examined thoroughly before being processed by the network," said the asari as she donned her business face again.

Shepard nodded, knowing that it was only a simple oversight that allowed her method of tracking the Shadow Broker to actually find him. And he ended up figuring it out in the end, but he wasn't able to track the location of her dogtags, which gave them a huge advantage. She wouldn't allow the same thing to happen to Liara. She looked down at the small sleeping bundle and knew that she'd annihilate anyone who threatened her with extreme force. "If you think she'll be safest there, then I can't complain."

"Hopefully all this reaper business is taken care of soon. While she'll be fine with me and Aethyta on the Val'Eda for now, I don't think her growing up there is a good idea," said the doctor as she looked at her daughter.

"Agreed. She needs friends and community. She'll never be able to get that here," said Shepard as she looked over to see Matriarch Aethyta standing in the doorway.

The bartender was wide-eyed as well as she saw them holding the infant. She stepped into the room seemingly in a daze as she looked down at her granddaughter. Nobody said anything for a long moment before Aethyta finally spoke. "You just became an adult!"

"It's not unheard of for some maidens to shift to the matron phase faster the others," said Liara with a smirk as she took the sleeping baby from Shepard and handed her over to the older woman.

"Yeah, measured in centuries. Sometimes a maiden turns matron at two or three hundred or two fifty instead of the normal four. Not as soon as they reach adulthood," said the matriarch as she shrugged and took the baby before cradling her gently. "That explains the tits at least. I thought when you put those ridiculous eyebrows on you got those put in too."

As soon as the words left the matriarch's mouth, the spectre snorted so hard that it sent her into a painful laughing fit, earning her a glare from Liara. "Very funny you two," growled the asari doctor.

"Then again, you all are some of the weirdest bunch I've ever met," said the woman as she gently stroked the rising crest of the asari baby. "You've done things nobody in the galaxy has."

When she finally cleared her sinuses again, Shepard stood up and smirked. "And we're only getting started."

SSV Normady SR2

As soon as she stepped on the ship, everyone seemed to freeze. The human crew members mostly went on about their business, but anyone who knew Shepard on any personal level stared at her in shock at seeing her holding the small bundle.

Joker was the first to see as she came in through the airlock next to the cockpit. His eyes were wide in awe as he saw her walk over to him with the tiny blue infant sleeping in her arms. "Hey Shepard, I know you're building a team and all, but I think this one needs more time in the oven…"

Shepard chuckled lightly to keep the baby from waking. "She's mine, Jeff," said the spectre as she knelt down and allowed him to see her clearer.

He saw her and let out a heavy sigh, getting a confused look from Jane. "Cerberus brings you back with bird DNA, gives you a new ship, and on top of that you have what is undebatably the cutest baby in the galaxy!"

"Bird DNA?" asked Shepard, slightly confused at the claim.

"When will some of your luck start rubbing off on me?" asked the lieutenant as he glared at her playfully.

"You have me, Mr. Moreau," said EDI as she popped up next to him.

"Yeah, that's kinda my point," he said in amusement before turning back to Shepard. "All joking aside, congratulations Shepard."

"Thanks," said the spectre before she began quietly visiting every member of her ground crew to show them the news.

Almost as if he had expected this, Garrus began to scheme as soon as she entered his vision with the small bundle. "Alright, how early are asari able to hold guns?" he asked her seriously as they stood near the elevator.

"What?" asked Shepard in surprise, wondering where he was going with the question.

"We obviously have to start her weapons training early. She can get biotics training from you and Liara. But if you want her to be a real crack shot, you need my skills," he said as he opened his omni-tool. "What do you think she'd like as her first pistol? Carnifex is probably too heavy to hold…"

"Garrus," growled Shepard playfully.

"What?" he asked, pretending to be offended.

"We're going to let her grow up and decide what she wants to do before we start cramming stuff into her head," said the spectre firmly, her face never losing its smile.

"Counterpoint, it's never a bad idea to learn to fight, regardless of what you decide to do with your life," he said as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Point taken," she said as she thought for a moment. "Maybe a Kessler."

"Low power, but pinpoint accurate. Good call," he said as he began to order things from the extranet.

"I'm gonna go now. Don't blow your life savings on her," ordered Shepard as she turned to enter the elevator.

"You can't tell me what to do with my money, Shepard!" he responded playfully as the door closed behind her.

The spectre smiled as the doors to the elevator opened and Tali, Kelly, and Grunt all all saw her. They appeared to be chatting amicably in the mess hall until she showed up. Immediately Tali's eyes zeroed in on the baby. As if she had Shepard's own biotic powers, she flew faster than she'd ever seen the quarian move and stopped directly in front of her. "I knew she was hiding something!"

Shepard raised her brow at the commander. "Liara?"

"We had contact a few times after reports of your death and there was a few times where she would only appear from here up in the QEC," she said as she placed her hand at about chest height. "She never addressed it, so I thought maybe she was hiding something like this!"

Kelly approached and immediately melted as she saw the adorable baby. But Grunt seemed unsure. "You have another kid?"

Shepard eyed him curiously, wondering what exactly he meant by the words. But instead of asking, she simply nodded. "Liara gave birth to her almost two years ago."

"Oh…" said the krogan simply as Kelly began gushing over the toddler.

"What do you think she'd like as her first shotgun?" asked Tali curiously as her omni-tool opened as well.

"Not you too!" growled Shepard, trying to stay quiet so the baby could sleep.

"You can fight it, or accept it. But we will win in the end," said Tali in an almost sinister voice. But Shepard knew she was just being playful. "Don't worry, I'll wait to purchase her weapons. I will, however, be training her in cyber warfare," said the quarian with a giggle. "I'll get her her first omni-tool!"

Shaking her head, the spectre just smiled at the commander. "Alright Tali, you all do as you please. Just make sure you don't bully her into doing something she doesn't want to."

"Me? A bully?" she asked in faux surprise before turning to Kenneth who was eating nearby. "Do you have any idea what she's talking about, bosh'tet?"

Gabby, who was eating across from the heavily accented man began laughing into her food before he gave her a playful glare. "No' a clue."

"See? I would never," said Tali with an impish grin.

"I'll remember those words," said Shepard as she moved towards the medical bay.

Inside the medical bay were both Miranda and Doctor Chakwas. Shepard sensed some tension in the room before the pair looked over to see her. And as soon as they saw her holding the baby, the tension vanished as if it had been violently vented into space.

"Oh sweet darling, let me see her," said the older woman as she waved at Shepard. The spectre noted that the doctor was already on the verge of tears as she took the from her.

Shepard immediately noted the look on Miranda's face before she put up another mask. She couldn't tell whether it was disappointment or envy or even anger. But she knew she had seen the operative change her expression instantly into a warm smile. "She's adorable, Shepard."

"And already a pretty powerful biotic. She managed a full mind meld with me just from grabbing my nose," said the spectre with a grin.

"Well, with two highly skilled biotic parents, I'm hardly surprised," said Miranda as she eyed the baby curiously. "Is that normal?"

"The wings? Yeah," said Shepard with a shrug as the doctor began to cooing the now waking infant. "Liara had them when she was young as well. As her skull grows, they'll flatten out."

"Would you like to hold her?" asked Karin as she turned to Miranda.

Shepard immediately noted the hesitation in her pose before she finally answered. "It's probably better if I don't. But," said the woman as she turned back to Shepard. "If you need a biotic teacher when she grows up, you'll probably know where to find me."

"I certainly hope so," said Shepard before the woman left, leaving just her and the doctor with the toddler. "Were you all talking about me before I got here?" she asked sternly.

Once again, a face and then a mask over it. Karin looked surprised for a fraction of a second before sliding her doctor face back on. "We were discussing an issue she's having. Nothing you need to worry about," said the doctor as she passed the baby back. "Gods… how could anything in the galaxy be so cute?"

"Ask Liara. She's the one that contributed all of the genetics," said Shepard with a chuckle.

"Is she going to be staying on Liara's 'new ship?'" asked the doctor as she air quoted the last words. Shepard gave her a nod. "Then I'll need to get her some zeronium supplements for Liara to use aboard and make sure she's up on all her vaccines. Tell Liara to send me her medical records," ordered the doctor as she turned and headed back to her desk.

"I'll do that," said Shepard as she turned to see Zaeed hanging out outside of the medbay, presumably waiting for her.

"Where is Liara anyway?" asked Chakwas as she plopped into her chair and crossed her arms.

"She had something to deal with at the Conclave. Probably getting crowned queen of Thessia or something," said Shepard with a chuckle. "I'll be back later, doc. You can give her a checkup when Liara's here."

Nodding, Karin went back to her work as Shepard left the med bay and eyed the rough looking mercenary. "Ah, I see now…" he said with a smirk. "Tha's why Grunt's been frettin' around the cargo bay for the last fifteen minutes."

"Fretting? What?" asked Shepard, but he dismissed the question with a hand wave.

"Forget it. I came to ask you about our deal. It's been a good few months since I joined this outfit. You said you'd find Vido for me," he said as he aimed an accusing finger at her.

"And I've found him," she said with a stern stare. "I've known where he is for the last few weeks."

He looked taken aback for a moment before snapping at her. "Then what the fuck are we waitin' for!? Why haven't we-" he hollered before stopping dead as the toddler in her arms began to whimper at the noise. He continued in a much lower tone. "If you knew where he was all this time, then why the fuck are we standin' here havin' a chinwag? Why aren't we goin' after him?"

"Because, he's been bunkered up for about six months. He's paranoid, and paranoid spells dangerous. I don't know what he's hiding from, but he's been locked down in the same place for months and hasn't moved," she said as she set him with a glare. "I'm willing to help you find him, I'm even willing to help you kill him. But I'm not going to run tits first into certain death for an old grudge."

Zaeed clenched his fist angrily before slamming it into the wall next to him. "Quit yankin' my chain, Shepard."

Immediately, his anger seemed to dim as she felt her own cybernetics activate to his hostility. "Zaeed, he isn't going anywhere. And in case you haven't noticed the toddler I'm holding, I just found out I'm a father," she said as she took a step forward. "I am not running into a random deathtrap over a grudge for anyone. Do I make myself clear?"

His face hardened for a long moment. "Crystal," he said before he crossed his arms. "At least tell me where he's at. I'd like to see where he's been hiding."

"He's on a planet called Zorya in the Faia System of Ismar Frontier. Like I said, he's been digging his heals in, reinforcing his base down there. It's like he's expecting an attack," she said as she soothed the baby again.

"He couldn't be expecting me. As bloody volatile as my grudge against him is, he wouldn't do all that for just me. If it is related to us, he must have heard that I'm workin' with you. Maybe he thought you'd come a'knockin'," he said with a grin.

"If so, he's right. I've seen his work and the galaxy would be better off without him. But first and foremost, we look for an opening. I'm not gambling with my life on this one, Massani," she said as she patted the infant's back.

He looked from her to the baby, then back again. "I understand. Bravo on the sprog, by the way. She'll be a real terror on the galaxy someday. The Council and Alliance won't know what to do."

Shepard smirked and nodded. "That may be true," she said before she donned a serious look again. "I'll let you know when there's an update."

He sighed heavily and nodded back to her. "'Right then."

Val'Eda – Hagalaz

"So, what did the Conclave want?" asked Shepard curiously as the Normandy began to dock with Liara's new ship. It had taken a few days to get back, but they finally made it after a long trip.

"To sycophantically praise me," said the asari with a grin. "It seems they sensed that something had changed."

"How do you mean?" asked Shepard curiously as she flexed her arms sorely. Exercise was one thing, but she had never trained her arms to carry a toddler around gently before.

"They obviously don't know that I'm the new Shadow Broker. But I think they realized when I walked in that I could put each and every one of them in prison or worse if I wanted to. They seemed to sense an aura of power and gave me a seat on the Conclave separate from House T'Soni," she said with a grin as she rocked the baby in her arms.

The Normandy had finally securely docked and the airlocks were open. They stepped inside as the decontamination protocol began. "Well, like you said two years ago. No point in throwing away the networks and connections it gets us," said the spectre as they finally boarded the broker's ship. "By the way, we need to do something about the moniker 'Shadow Broker,'" said Shepard as she shook her head. "If I'm gonna be using you as an asset I can't just keep saying I got my info from the Shadow Broker."

"I had actually thought about that," said Liara as she turned to her bondmate. "How does Minerva sound?"

"Greek and Roman goddess of wisdom and war… among other things," said Shepard with a grin. "Sounds good to me."

"Glad to hear it," said the asari as she led the way back into the bridge of the ship. "I didn't know how you'd take it after that ridiculous show Nephthys put on."

"Ugh… don't remind me," growled Shepard as they entered and found Mordin on a datapad, Kasumi at the info broker's terminal, and Ash laying down in the back, no longer in her armor.

But as the door closed, Ash looked up and immediately sat up straight in her makeshift cot. "Is that what I think it is?"

"It is," said Liara with a grin as she brought the baby over and allowed the spectre to gently hold her.

"Oh my god… how?" asked the woman as she looked between the pair.

"Well, you see Ash, when two people really love each other…" started Kasumi playfully, causing the spectre to glare at her.

"Very funny," growled Ash before looking back up at them. "I meant how does she look so much like both of you? I thought asari didn't use human DNA, but she has your freckles down to the last dot!"

"Asari can choose genetic traits from their partner to put into the child. If you were to have an asari partner, she could choose your dark eye color, and extremely rare phenomenon among asari," said the doctor with a smile.

"Oh my god she's so cute…" groaned the spectre as she looked at her again. The toddler then reached up and grabbed her nose. Both Shepard and Liara went wide eyed as the baby once again melded with her holder. Unlike with Shepard however, this one only took seconds.

"Sha! Sha! Asha!" shouted the toddler with a grin.

"Did… did she just say my name?" asked the spectre who looked like she was about to cry. Shepard knew Ash had never really melded with anyone beyond perhaps a massage on the Citadel for pain relief.

"Well, that's not a word in our language, nor galactic common. So, I think she did," said Liara as she tapped her chin. She has started the learning phase and has learned several people's names."

"Is she going to meld with everyone we hand her to?" asked Shepard curiously as she spied Ash now gushing over the baby.

"I don't believe so. Asari learn through touch. It's how they learn language and many other things as they age. But they tend to only meld with people they like," said Liara matter-of-factly.

"So she likes me?" asked Ash, bewildered at the sudden rush of emotions she felt. "Well, I like you too, Bean!"

"Bean?" asked Shepard with a grin. "Alright, we're getting off track here. Mordin said he had a request when I got back?"

"Indeed," said the salarian as he stood. "Wish to go to Tuchanka. Apprentice from STG may have been captured there. My survival odds if I go alone, low. Need your help."

Shepard nodded at the request. "It'd also be good for Grunt to see other krogan and experience their culture."

"Which mainly consists of ryncol and shooting stuff," said Ash with a chuckle.

"Indeed," nodded the salarian. "Growth can be stifled if not exposed to culture. Hope krogan on Tuchanka will accept him. Small stigma against non-natural born children."

"You'd think with the genophage they'd celebrate in vitro fertilization. But they have a stigma?" asked Ash in surprise.

"Krogan suspicious of outsiders. Makes sense, outsiders caused genophage. Artificial fertilization methods may be seen as fake krogan. Imposter. Grunt may have to prove himself," said the doctor as he tapped his chin. "Will teach all this to child, of course. Understanding culture, important," he finished with a look at the baby.

"Oh my god…" groaned Shepard as she rubbed her head. If she homeschooled her child, her classes would not consist of a rifle range, a cyber-warfare class, and now lessons on social culture of other species. Her daughter, whatever she chose to be, would have the skills of an assassin by the time she finished highschool.

"I can teach her hand to hand combat," said Ash with a grin as she offered the child back to Liara.

"Yup, my kid is going to be a hitman," said the woman with a shrug.

"Only after I teach her stealth," said Kasumi from behind them with a smile, causing the others to laugh at Shepard's playful frustration.

Bio Lab – SSV Normandy SR2

"Alright, so what's going on with your assistant?" asked Shepard as she entered the lab from the elevator. She knew he was holding back some of his words due to others being around. But that didn't mean she was about to go in unprepared.

"Maelon Heplorn. Assistant. Brilliant geneticist himself. Helped with genophage adaptation project. Recently left STG operation and disappeared into Aralakh System," said the salarian as he looked up at her. She could see the worry in his face as he looked back down at the microscope he had been using moments before. "Was distraught after project. Think it may have been too much for him."

"Do you think he flew to Tuchanka as a form of suicide?" asked the spectre as she leaned up against a table that was currently unused.

"Unsure. Didn't agree with altering genophage further, had to be sedated afterwards. Worried he might harm himself or do something stupid," he said as he let out a heavy sigh. "Like Daniel. Naïve, idealistic, strong sense of justice. Too focused on moment to see big picture."

"I understand. We're heading there now. Wrex is in charge down there, so things should hopefully go smoothly. Just make sure to wear padding in your helmet in case one of them tries to headbutt you," she said, causing the doctor to chuckle.

"Understand their culture. Even partake when I have time. Good to relieve stress. Beat a punching bag senseless, headbutt a friend, roar into sky. Most see it as barbaric, but they are simply misunderstood," he said as he shook his head. "Oh, also have this!"

Shepard stepped around the counter and looked at the small screen on the electric microscope. It looked almost like boiling water that was about to turn into steam, but there was no steam. Just a mass of roiling parts firing stray shots into the room. "What are these?"

"Operative Lawson, very creative. Has mind of salarian, but much higher life span. Would be interested to see her advance if I weren't nearing my species' age limit according to actuary tables," he said with a sigh before getting to the point. "Lawson and EDI helped in project to examine emissions from engine core."

"What was this study for exactly?" asked the spectre, her interest piqued. She knew how old he was, and knew his species max lifespan was around forty five at the latest. He was thirty five, a concept that made her want to snort considering most human kids didn't get out of their adolescent phases until that age. But she also couldn't help but feel for him. To have a chance to live in the universe, but to have that time span be so short must be crushing. But then, she experienced the same when comparing human to asari or krogan. In that moment, she felt a kinship with the salarians she had never felt before.

"Lawson suggested studying engine, finding out how collector ship saw original Normandy through cloaking. Said that no idea was too far-fetched given technology of reapers," he said as he moved his arms around as if he were telling an epic tale. "Studied for hours, attempted to detect Normandy with thermal drone. No good. Radioscope. Impossible. Sonar satellite, inconceivable. Every measure tried failed to detect ship, even when measured to original Normandy standards. But then… Star Trek."

She was taken aback at the mention of the scifi show from the tech era of Earth's history. She had seen the show herself. It was a perfect encapsulation of how technology advanced over the years because of how long the show had gone on. They went from small model ships on wires to graphical computers that could make it look real. What she didn't expect was someone from another species to be interested in it. "What about Star Trek?" asked Shepard in amusement.

"Watched show. Every culture has same version of show. Salarian show called Star Sailor. Cultures create science fiction that then lays path for the future. But they all have a show, book, movie, or some other form of media that depicts them going into the stars to find other species, other worlds, and chaos. Glorious!" he said with a large grin on his face. He then realize he had gone on a tangent and cleared his throat. "Apologies. Passionate about learning from other species. Meant to say, Star Trek made use of science impossible to truly study at the time. Tachyon particles."

"And these particles have something to do with how the collectors found the original Normandy?" asked Shepard as one of her brows rose high.

"When element zero in ship's core absorbs electrical charge, massive mass distortion. Dark energy waves create bubble, bubble envelops ship, we fly faster than light in cloud of dark energy," he said as he pointed at the small screen. "As element zero creates mass distortion, also creates tachyon particles. Nearly impossible to detect with modern technology. Highly expensive equipment, almost no return on studying them further."

"Then how did you discover this," asked the spectre as she crossed her arms.

"Borrowed funding from Illusive Man. Unsure if he knows. Paid for specialized scanner scope," he said tapping the microscope. "This burst of tachyon particles is from tiny fragment of element zero with charge. Nearly undetectable by us. However, tested Normandy again when left." He opened his omni-tool and Shepard could see the Normandy leaving the Val'Eda for Thessia at the beginning of the week. Her eyes widened as she saw a massive cloud of particles that swam around the Normandy like a cloud.

"Was the stealth drive on when this was tested?" she asked curiously.

"No. However, same tachyon creation happens during simply from engine running. Can test stealth drive, but am positive it will show cloud still coming from engine," said the doctor as he nodded for confirmation.

Shepard looked at the scanner again, wondering if these little idiot particles that travelled faster than light were responsible for her initial death. "How do we fix this problem?"

"Avoid collector ship unless sure there's no danger. In the meantime, EDI and Tali'Zorah are helping me create a form of shielding to stop tachyons from escaping engine room. Will need to release them similar to heat sinks. Trapping light speed particles eventually creates bomb," he said as if he was teaching a science class. "Interesting."

"Yeah… interesting," she growled at the idea of a buildup of these particles exploding and annihilating anything within five AUs of the ship. "Let me know when you've made progress."

"Will do! Inform me when we arrive on Tuchanka. Want to be on the ground with you. Meet this Wrex," he said as he set the scope aside and pulled over an electric whiteboard to continue his work on the prothean capsules.

CODEX ENTRIES

Zeronium | Mineralogy | Actinide
Zeronium is the name of a rare, radioactive element used in faster than light travel. More well known by its colloquial name, Element Zero, when electricity is applied to it, it generates a field of negative mass, lowering the mass of everything within its range. When given a negative charge of electricity, it can also increase the mass of objects within its field to disastrous effects. Most abundantly found on Thessia, everything from the fruit trees to the fish in the see had small traces of eezo, including the asari. As a result, when away from their homeworld, they need suppliments of zeronium to keep a healthy diet.

Star Sailor | Art | Salarian
A simplistic but wildly popular show among pre-spaceflight salarians. It starred an iconic actor, Dell Torbin Volbi as the captain of his own starship known as the Star Sailor. He would travel through space and go to strange new worlds to discover aliens like none the salarians had ever seen at the time. Its popularity started to wane once real alien species were discovered, however.