The return to Rok City wasn't uneventful, but they did have problems along the way. Two of the women they taken with them, got eaten and another lost her leg. While they were warriors, their skills had dulled in the harem and that cost them their lives which the others were quick to pick up on and began to train with Sonja and the Normandy crew. They needed the experience and Sonja couldn't share all of her experiences, despite what she went though.

Liara got scratched up by a raptor, but it wasn't as big as deal with Sonja using the healing paste she tended to use. The wound healed up well, but lest her with a nasty scar on her back. Garrus nearly got his eye popped out thanks to an that ant snuck up on him and tried to eat him. Outside of that and the odd bandit and dino ambushes, they were largely fine when they arrived. The former harem girls were taken in by the Archives, as it turned out they weren't archived.

But that was minor compared to the sword that they brought back. While the Archive was primarily a registration organisation, it was also a historical repository and science centre. Most of the scientific breakthroughs came from people working for or alongside the archive. Which made the organisation even more important than as a standard library of information and people. Information and access to the labs was largely free as the local branch always took taxes from the local government in order to keep afloat.

Mordin and a group of the Archive scientists took the sword and made their way into the labs while the crew relaxed in Sonja's mansion. While the others were taking their time, Liara and Sonja headed to the medical bay for a touch up to Liara's new scars. The sari sat topless on the medical bed while Sonja set an array of items to one side.

"Is this going to hurt?" Liara asked.

"Like a bitch," Sonja said. "Healing paste doesn't numb the pain, but it does encourage healing. Nothing like medi-gel but it is close," she took piece of cloth and dapped it into some water before rubbing it on the wounds. "But you are going to get some wicked scars,"

Liara winced at that but braced herself as it cooled the wound. As Sonja dabbed the wound she looked to Liara and back at the wound.

"So, what did you do after I, well died?" she asked, not wanting the awkwardness between them to stay.

"I move around," she admitted. "I got money from the death of my mother and used that to start my own business. As an information broker," the asari smiled. "It was fun,"

Sonja smiled as well, hearing the 'twinkle' in Liara's voice. She missed that and it was good to see that the young asari had grown up.

"So, I suppose you had some 'evil' moments like me?" Shepard said.

"Oh, there was this one guy who I promised fayeeeeeeeeee," she cried out as Sonja applied some ointment on her skin. "Fukkkkkk that's cold," she shivered. "Ahhhhhhh…. Fuckkkkk,"

"Told you it would hurt," the commander said.

"Feel like someone placed a fucking thermal clip on my back," the Asari shot.

"Don't know what those are, but sounds painful," the commander said as she brushed the ointment. "Ok, arms up…."

Liara did so and Sonja wrapped a bandage around her diagonally in the same direction as the claw marks. "Ok, that should do it," Sonja muttered as she stood and handed Liara her shirt. "It's going to sting for a while, and you aren't getting that scar removed but it will heal up fast,"

"That's good to hear," Liara groaned moving her spine trying to get some feeling back into it. "Take it easy for a couple of days?"

Sonja nodded. "You should be fine with training, but try not to do anything that over exerts yourself,"

Liara chuckled. "I suppose you are speaking from experience?"

"Oh yeah, during the war there was a few youngbloods thought they didn't have to listen to a newly promoted field commando," Sonja shrugged. "One ended up paraplegic, another with a severed arm, you get the idea,"

"Yeah, was the war really that rough?" Liara asked.

"Well, it was going on for about 10 years before I arrived," Sonja muttered. "It was bloody, I mean… you've never seen dino-warfare in action. Just snippets. Tanks, airships, knights riding pterodactyls…" she shook her head. "Crazy doesn't even cut it," as she rubbed the back of her neck, she cracked it and looked at the Asari in front of her as she stood to fit her shirt on.

"….Liara I…." she struggled to find the right words as the Asari turned to face her. "I… one of the things I did was think of you," she managed to say. "Even in those dark days, I just…."

Liara moved closer and took Sonja's hand. The human wasn't tall, but she was muscular and broad still making her big. But the Asari did her best at staying level with the Amazon.

"I… i…" Liara said as she looked up and the two leaned in to share a kiss.

OOOOO

"I demand that this council…" the Batarian Ambassador yelled before Anderson cut him off.

"You don't get to demand anything from this council," he yelled letting his military authority echo across the room. "Need I remind you, your government closed your embassy?"

"That because…" the Ambassador began but Sparatus spoke up.

"Enough," he yelled taking a quick glance at the former Admiral. "Ambassador, we we've all been having the same problem. Coming out and demanding answers isn't going to solve anything,"

The Batarian looked at Anderson but nodded. "I… which to voice my objections. But clearly the Council, as usual, is focused on its own," he spat with venom.

"That is not true," A voice boomed.

Heads turned to see three Korgan approach. A couple of C-sec officers looked to approach but Anderson got their attention and shook his head. While the officers were uncomfortable at this, they followed the order.

"I am the Shaman of Clan Urdnot. I have been sent to represent the Korgan with these matters," he said as he stepped forward. "Several thousand of our people have vanished. Some at their stations, some during…" he paused thinking of the polite word for this. "Intercourse," A series of low coughs echoed in the room. "Most of them were fertile females from all of the clans,"

That made the councillors look at each other with raised brows. "That's, concerning," Tevos said.

"The clans have sent me to try and find out what has happened here. The Alliance in particular has send ships out looking for the missing people," The Shaman continued. "I have heard reports of them doing same in other regions of the galaxy. But I'm not surprised the Batarians not getting any help,"

That earned a scowl form the Ambassador but it was largely ignored by the Korgan assembled before the council. Discussions continued in the chamber between the councillors and ambassadors about what was happening, why and how to prevent it. It ranged from bribes to waging war on whoever was the culprit. One even suggested a living sacrificed of some kind. But nothing made sense or followed any king of logic.

Anderson sighed and rubbed his head. While he did feel like he was making a change, he wanted to have a word with Shepard and ask her why in the holy fuck she suggested him for this job. He was a military man, not a politician or diplomat. But she was long dead with her body burnt up in the atmosphere of gas giant. Even with her record, she wouldn't be able to survive that. But he wondered what she would say in this situation. Then again, she'd probably deck whoever gave her a nasty look.

He chuckled at that thought as a call came in. Looking Tevos he leaned in.

"I've got to take a call, I'll be back in a moment," he said.

She nodded and turned to the room to address them as Anderson walked out to a side room and opened up his omni-tool. "What do you have for me?" he asked.

There was no voice just text which the Councillor read with even more confusion. But his eyes widened as a patter became cleat as well as a particular part of the message. His blood ran cold, unsure what to make of it. After closing his omni-tool he frowned at nothing and contemplated getting a drink but deciding against it and walked back to his podium. While there was noise, he stood not hearing anything thinking about how to phrase all of it. In the end he decided to come out with it.

"May I have your attention please," he spoke up getting a mixture of look to him. He waited for silence to fill the room before speaking. "I have just gotten word AIS, or the Alliance Intelligence Service, about the disappearances. They have been going thought the records of each disappearance across Alliance space and other areas. What they have found… is that…" he paused taking a deep breath. "Is that all of them happened at the same time galaxy wide,"

A pregnant pause filled the room as the news descended on all of them, but Anderson continued. "Upon further investigation, it was discovered that this is not the only time when people have vanished like this, but most of those times where during some kind of conflict, accident or other disaster. Such as the Kara, First Contact War, Malevelon Creek…" he shook his head. "All sighs of the random disappearances we have currently seen have the same patterns of those who vanished over the years due to various reasons,"

Tevos blinked looking at him, eye wide at what he said. The others also looked at him with a fair degree of scepticism as he opened up his omni-tool and a screen appeared before the councillors and ambassadors.

"These are events and people that have gone missing over the past 5,000 years," he said. "Billions have vanished over the years,"

"F… for what purpose?" Valern asked as he looked down the list.

"Unknown," was all Anderson said before questions began to be thrown.

The questions were a little quitter this time as people tried to process the news and tried to find another pattern that the Alliance had missed. Anderson threw in his own opinions and thoughts when the Batarian ambassador received a message and went white. For as white as a Batarian could and walked up to the podium for hose addressing the council. Silence filled the chamber as the Batarian tried to speak. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he opened up his omni-tool.

The holographic screen of text and numbers was replaced with that of a starship hull camera. The text was in the Batarians' standard language which meant nothing to the people around them, but that wasn't what caught people's attention. The video showed that the ship was flying above a planet, in some kind of battle given the kinetic weapons fire. Orbs with a glowing red centre fly around taking on Batarians ships.

The camera moved tracking the object as the main gun tried to get a lock and take it down. But it was too fast. Weather that was due to the Batarian notorious poor maintenance policies, downgraded systems or just poor equipment, no one could tell. But that wasn't the focus as soon the main gun stopped trying to track the object and turned to something that made councillor's blood run cold.

"It… it can't be…" Sparatus muttered in a low tone, his disbelief evident.

Anderson took in a deep breath and looked to his fellow councillor, doing his best to contain his rage, anger and frustration.

"She did warn you that there was more," he said in a clam tone. "She tired to warn us all, but we didn't listen, you didn't listen… now what happens next is your fault," he turned to look at the screen looking into the glowing blue eyes that spoke of malice. "The Reapers are here,"