Notes:

A Grá - My Love (Gaelic)

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

Xenology - the scientific study of extraterrestrial life

Answers and Questions

Pyramid Facility, Joab, Enoch – 14 Jul 2190

Given the city was more than 50,000 years old, it was absolutely amazing. The entrance opened to what was obviously a main thoroughfare with docking stations along both sides, the slots almost full of personal hover transports. To Liara, it honestly seemed no different than stepping onto a space station – except for the fact that the 'windows' were actually camera feeds from the real out-of-doors surrounding the underground pyramid. She queried Chadrak about this.

"It is quite simple, actually," he responded. "Once they woke from sleep, they needed to ensure their safety and monitor the surrounding space, as well as provide some change of pace from the monotony of the metal walls. Thus, the cameras served double purpose." He paused before looking to Shepard and adding, "This is how the arrival of your people was first detected… and what started the mass exodus planning for our population."

"It's amazing, Chadrak." Liara shook her head slowly in disbelief. "If I woke up here, I would have no idea I was underground."

"This is just the entry to the living quarters of those that worked in the upper levels of the science station." Chadrak smiled and pointed down the lane. "At the other side of the pyramid is another doorway that opens to natural caverns… full of habitations and merchant fronts… and, at the farthest side, lie the gardens, including an underground river and aquifer that served as the city water supply. The entire structure is still very much habitable if people were looking to colonize here. It would be good to have life within again."

"We'll not intrude quite yet, I don't think," responded Liara. "Once we locate your people, they may wish to return and reclaim what is rightfully theirs."

"Perhaps in the future." Chadrak's expression turned sad. "For now, I believe it contains too many memories of those gone before. You must remember, the group that left here lived here… and would return to this world only to discover the destruction and the dead – all of whom were co-workers and friends before the great sleep."

"Oh, Goddess." Liara blanched. "I didn't think about that."

Shepard reached out a comforting hand, gently wrapping it around her upper arm and giving it a light squeeze. "We could bring in a specialty team to clean the place up for them, Li. I'm sure Chadrak can give us the information needed to treat the dead properly, according to Prothean custom."

"There is not much to it." Chadrak shrugged. "It was custom for friends to hold a vigil, an hour-long at most, to say their farewells. Then, the body goes into the incinerator, with the cremains serving as part of the fertilizer for the gardens."

"Aren't cremains bad for plants?" Shepard's brow furrowed in thought.

Chadrak smiled at the question. "For Human ashes that would be true, but Prothean biology does not include the high levels of plant-burning salts that are present within Humans…" his eyes wandered to Liara as he continued, "and Asari. Instead, one of our primary elements has properties very similar to your copper… which is an essential plant micronutrient. It is also a crucial conductor for our innate contact-transmission ability."

"So… my ability to interface with the beacons, as well as Javik and your other devices, is because of the copper in my system?" Shepard looked at her hands as if looking for the copper within. It made Liara smile, even given the baseline topic of dead Protheans and how to properly dispose of any of the bodies Chadrak had warned them about discovering during their exploration through the city.

"I imagine it is due to the combination of electrostatic metals in our systems, Shepard." Liara looked to Chadrak for confirmation. "Salt being the main element which makes our remains bad for plants." She paused briefly, then admitted, "At this particular moment, I can't seem to recall the complete list of metallics in the human body."

Chadrak raised his brow and accessed his memory banks. "The list of essential elements in the Human body includes only ten which are classified as metals – sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, cobalt, copper, zinc, and molybdenum, in decreasing quantity order. More are present, however, gained through environmental exposure, but serve no biological purpose… and, by not belonging, their presence can range from benign to lethal, depending on concentration." The construct actually smirked as he continued, "Information brought to you compliments of those highly efficient, digitally encoded memory circuits we spoke of earlier."

Feeling the weight of the dead suddenly slip away, at least temporarily, Liara chuckled at the unexpected humor. "Thank you, Chadrak. I imagine the Asari list is somewhat similar, but there is no need for you to show off. We already think you're wonderful, and we'll just assume you used that knowledge to determine which races of this cycle would be the easiest to educate through your contact-teaching. It makes perfect sense."

"It does. However, we did not let that influence our decisions." Chadrak met Liara's eyes and stated, "We still attempted to uplift them all, including races like the Vorcha… and the Hanar… with what we assumed to be less success." His gaze shifted to Shepard as he continued, "Though, after reading your recent history, perhaps we all underestimated a few of them; like the Yahg… and the Hanar."

The mention of the Yahg sent an involuntary shudder down Liara's spine, making Shepard chuckle quietly. "Still not funny, Shepard," was the Asari's wry response, giving her a glance that said it was neither the time nor the place to bring up the previous Shadow Broker… or the Yahg who escaped captivity on Sur'Kesh during the rescue of Urdnot Bakara.

"I know we tease you about that, Li, but Gods be damned!" The unrepentant Shepard's grin widened as the woman continued, "When you spit out all of that information off the top of your head, and then asked him how you were doing so far? Holy shit, was he mad!" She laughed and shook her head in disbelief of Liara's inability to see the humor in the situation. "Him then trying really hard to kill us is beside the point, because that was the best display of rapid-fire reasoning under pressure I'd ever seen in my life. You were freaking awesome!"

Liara felt her face get warm and immediately realized she was blushing over the unexpected praise. It always amazed her how Shepard could talk herself out of almost any trouble… no matter how angry Liara was with her. She simply let out a defeated sigh and smiled at the woman standing before her. "Thank you… I suppose."

She then looked to Chadrak. "Getting back on topic… once we're done here, we'll arrange for a team to come in and move the bodies to the incinerator. Is there truly nothing special to be done? No traditional blessing or ceremony to send them on their way to the afterlife?"

"We have no such beliefs," answered Chadrak. "There is life and there is death, after which you become that which nourishes the next generations. There are no second chances, so we make the effort to do the best we can with the one life we live. We think it better that way, as there are no excuses for the way you live your life, nor hidden redemptions awaiting you once you are gone. You are either worthy or you are forgotten."

"That seems…" Liara paused, unable to think of any word to describe what she saw as a complete lack of spirituality. It finally came to her… actually, to Shepard, which she heard ring through the link. "… fatalistic."

"Be that as it may, it is how we see our existence. We do not see it as fatalistic… we see it as reality. If you want to make an impact, you do so immediately; there is no guarantee of later."

"So, we simply toss them in the incinerator as we find them?" Shepard asked.

"No." Chadrak's face was a blank mask as he finished, "It would be a waste of time; there will be too many for your small team to handle."

Pyramid Facility, Joab, Enoch – 15 Jul 2190

Even with the dark cloud of death hanging over their heads, the team pressed on. Being abandoned so many years before, it took a bit of imagination to see the city through understanding eyes. Once they had passed though the pyramid to the far side, it was grander than any on the team imagined. It was, quite literally, a city – skyscrapers reached from street to roof, acting as giant columns supporting a rock sky. The ceiling of the cavern was filled with three-dimensional projections that gave it the appearance of much greater height than was physically possible… of clouds floating across the sky, pockets of sunshine with lights, too bright to look at directly, simulating the sun.

"By the Goddess." Liara was dumbfounded. "It is… fantastical. Where the pyramid looked like the inside of any space station in the galaxy, this looks like no world I have ever seen… yet, it appears so… real."

"Are you sure you have never seen this place, Doctor T'Soni?" Chadrak's tone told her she had, but try as she might, Liara could not place it.

Shepard, on the other hand, answered quickly, whispering her reply aloud before Liara even sensed it through the link. "It's Ilos."

Liara immediately gasped with surprised acknowledgment of the architectural style she initially had not recognized. What they had seen during their harried mission to catch Saren before he activated the Conduit was eons old, covered in a millennium of grime and the uncontrolled growth of the planet's native plants. "Goddess, yes. It is!"

Her gaze travelled to the construct as she asked, "Is this truly what your cities looked like in your age of enlightenment?" Her eyes turned back to the cave city that lay before her. "It is positively beautiful, Chadrak!"

"Yes, it was… until the Reapers." Despite what happened to Ilos, Chadrak smiled softly. "But now? It can be again. You have rediscovered the world, once believed lost to us forever, and we can return to our capitol city… assuming, of course, we are allowed to present a successful claim to your Council, for that which was once ours. I believe reclaiming our homeland, as the Quarians so recently accomplished, would be both a boon and a morale boost to my people."

"I won't promise anything," Shepard started. "But, if your people welcome us in friendship and agree to exchange technology with us, I see no reason why the Council… or Aria T'Loak… would deny you that request."

"I sensed in you that this Aria T'Loak is more mercenary queen than the criminal many believe her to be." He met Shepard's eyes, looking for the truth. "But much of what she does, or at least commands to be done, is still illegal, is it not?"

Shepard looked at Liara and shrugged. {How in Hell do I answer that one?}

"Truthfully, Samantha." Liara smiled and looked at Chadrak, repeating, "Truthfully."

"So, this is a case of better the enemy you know? But yet, not." Shepard and Liara's rather long explanation left Chadrak shaking his head. "I begin to see why you hesitated to answer. It is a… complicated… relationship you have with this self-proclaimed Queen of Omega."

"That's putting it mildly," laughed Shepard. "I'll agree she goes outside the normal boundaries I would tolerate from someone in her position… but she maintains peace within her domain and doesn't let things get too crazy. She has a vested interest in keeping the Council out of the Terminus… so the two are reluctant allies. Her relationship with Liara and I… now, that's a whole different thing but, believe it or not, it actually is based on more than convenience. We have somehow managed to actually develop trust in one another."

"Now, that is a story I believe I would like to hear."

Pyramid Facility, Joab, Enoch – 18 Jul 2190

After only a few days of moving through the city, Liara couldn't stand any more. When they sat down to take an afternoon break on the third day of exploration, she heaved out a heavy sigh and leaned into Shepard's side. "We need to move on, Samantha. As much as I hate to admit it, this is all outside my specialty… more in the realm of xenology than archaeology… and nothing here is getting us any closer to our goal of actually locating the Protheans. They did a phenomenal job of scrubbing all the servers of any usable data regarding their other operating locations."

Shepard wrapped a comforting arm around her waist, the mere closeness of the woman and her tone of voice bringing hope back into Liara's heart. "You are assuming they knew where they were going when they left. If that's true, then they were very thorough, that's for sure… but we'll find something, eventually, Li. I know some of what we have seen here has been extremely difficult to witness but, you have to admit, no matter how much suffering and death was evident here, this underground city has still given us a wonderful view into their culture and their past lives… what their lives were like before the Reapers."

"Yes, it has." Liara closed her eyes, focusing on the warmth and security sitting at her side in the form of her bondmate; the support and care she felt through the link brought a smile back to her face. "I love you, Sam. Thank you for being here with me."

"No need to thank me for that, A Grá." The arm around her waist tightened slightly. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the galaxy than right here at your side." Shepard sat up a bit straighter and pushed away just enough to turn her head to meet Liara's eyes. "So, if we're done here, what's next, Doctor?"

"First, I will contact the University of Serrice to request they select a specialist from their staff to lead an expedition here… to include a team of xenologists." She shrugged noncommittally and continued, "Then, I suppose we return to the pyramid and move quickly through the floors of the science station, up to the observation station in the peak, just to be sure we're not missing anything important in the upper labs. According to Chadrak, we only have ten or so levels before getting into the behavioral science labs… and, I do believe, we've heard more than enough comments about Humans living in caves to last a lifetime."

Samantha chuckled and shook her head. "Well… it's the truth, Li. We were living in caves then, lucky enough to at least have fire and primitive tools. Evolution wise, I have no trouble admitting that we were… are… quite literally eons behind the Asari in our development."

"Were I can agree with." Liara smiled and poked her gently in the stomach. "But you no longer are. The Human race has advanced by leaps and bounds; your learning curve accelerating at a prodigious rate." She smiled coyly, adding quietly, "You, in particular, provide more than sufficient intellectual stimulation for me, Siame."

Shepard, sensing… other things… through the link, chuckled quietly and shifted in her seat, suddenly a bit uncomfortable. "And more than just intellectual stimulation, apparently." The whispered words caused the skin on Liara's face to darken slightly, particularly since they were voiced aloud and not through the privacy of the link.

"There is that." Liara's blush deepened as she confessed. "But you can't blame me for falling so deeply in love with the positively gorgeous savior of the galaxy." She smiled and chuckled, "And I am thankful you feel the same, every single day I wake at your side."

"Alright then, love of my life." Shepard stood and stretched. "You make the calls you need to make, and Riana and I will fill everyone in, so they know we'll be pulling up the tent stakes first thing in the morning… unless, of course, we find something of particular interest in the last 10 floors."

Liara stood, trailing a hand softly down the woman's arm. "Thank you, Sam." Shepard simply smiled and gave a quick nod before turning to go speak with Riana about their change in plans.

Riana smiled in return as Shepard approached, the woman's smile still evident. "Need something, Captain?"

"Yeah. Liara is calling Serrice, to arrange for a replacement team to come in and take over here… a team of xenologists. So, we're just going to complete a quick sweep of the last ten levels, make sure we're not missing anything obvious, then calling it. We'll be packing up in the morning, next stop… Attican Beta."

"Understood, Shepard." Riana gave a quick nod, looking to Cy Axeuss, her team lieutenant. "Give Lus a shout, so she can forward the change in schedule to our top cover and coordinate departure support. It would be great if we could get a head start on packing non-essential equipment onto the corvettes. I'll roust the team and scout the next floor, make sure there aren't any surprises."

"You sure you don't want to make those calls?" Cy grinned, adding, "That would enable you to stay with Lady Liara, while I take the team for the initial sweep."

"Point made, Cy." Riana opened her omnitool and tapped the codes for the Aletheia. "Go. We'll catch up soon."

Liara fervently wished they hadn't ascended through the final levels; what they found in those upper layers was worse than nothing. The data had been systematically and efficiently wiped, leaving no traces of where their forward operating locations were, thus rendering each remaining level completely useless in their quest. What they did find was a number of personal logs, recorded in people's last, desperate moments of existence – messages left for loved ones – families and friends who had been sent forward – all in the forlorn hope their evading travelers would be able to return one day, to pick up the pieces of a shattered society and listen to their final goodbyes.

A core group of technicians had remained behind, with the singular purpose of wiping any data the Reapers could use to their advantage; locations of outposts and colonies, scientific discoveries – particularly of the weapons and weapons improvements categories – all ship identifiers and transmission codes, and everything else that was newer than the initial 200 years of Reaper avoidance tactics was gone.

In the end, the Prothean members of the observation team remaining behind had sat together in this observation post, watching the Reapers advance on their position. The station commander had stayed with them, having sent his deputy and her mate forward as the new leadership team for those who had traveled to the next location. Before releasing the gas that would first make them sleep, then kill those who had stayed to complete the data purge, he had made a recording of the final moments of their lives. He apologized for not doing better, for not finding the answers they needed, then wished the survivors good fortune and victory… a victory none honestly believed in any longer. His hollow voice echoed his doubts, but he had made the attempt anyway. His final statement had been, "I should not be so morose… because if you hear this, then we have won… and victory is ours. Be sure to make the most of the future for which so many of us have died to secure."

As the recording played, Liara felt the rock forming in the pit of her stomach as she and Shepard listened to the message through the cypher and the link. The tone was one of resignation and willing sacrifice, something that struck much too close to home for Liara; her body began to tremble as bitter tears welled up and overflowed. Completely unable to stop the memories of the war that had driven her and Shepard to feel the same desperation, she slowly sank to her knees next to the skeletal remains of the Prothean commander, laid her hand gently upon the bones of his leg, and wept for his loss – able to think only of how close those in the current cycle had come to suffering the same fate.

"Hey," Shepard whispered, tears in her own eyes as she knelt at Liara's back to wrap her arms around her chest and hold her close. She closed her eyes and wept with the Asari as memories of all their friends and family who had died during the war and in its tumultuous aftermath tumbled through their joined mind… Bethany. James. Kaidan. Ken. Uncle Dave. Mordin. Tra'ana. Sellis. Molia. Rila. Benezia and her personal guard.

After exhausting her tears, Liara drew a shaky breath and, with a hand from Shepard, retook her feet, unbending her knees, stiff and aching from kneeling on the cold metal flooring. Eyes still wet, she looked into Shepard's soft emerald eyes, full of understanding and affection, and smiled a sad smile. Knowing what they had gained from the others' sacrifices, she realized they, too, had to follow the advice of the Prothean commander – to make the most of the future for which so many of the current generation had died to secure.

Drawing a deep breath, Liara looked around at the commandos who had survived and who continued to stand at her side through thick and thin, through good times and bad. She saw the uncertainty in their eyes, wondering just what she and Shepard had seen that had caused such an emotional breakdown. She simply shook her head and offered a brief explanation regarding what the message had been, and how it had affected her… the memories it had dredged up from the recent past. While none of the commandos wept openly as she had, Liara could see the understanding dawn on their somber expressions as they thought of lost teammates of their own. After several uncomfortable moments of silence, Liara concluded, "We're done here… and, I think, instead of traveling direct to Sharring, I would like to go home for a bit."

Riana gave a quick nod and answered, "I'll let the crew know of our change in itinerary."

"Thank you, Ri." Liara paused for only a moment before continuing, "I'll contact the Asari councilor as we transit the Omega Nebula and then, assuming nothing changes our new itinerary, I'll place the call to the Estate to let them know we're headed home."

Cliffside, Gellix, Arrae System – 19 Jul 2190

Adrien Burns was upside down, up to her waist in a miserably dank, cold junction of the nutrient transfer pipe between Greenhouse 2 and 3. Removing the 26 extremely stubborn bolts holding the rounded cover plate in place had consumed nearly an hour. Additionally, the damned thing was an extremely heavy casting for its size; once the fasteners had been removed, it required the combined efforts of herself and Earnest to lift it up, move it sideways, then set it down on a transfer pallet.

Now, while she attempted to discover the reason for the diminished flow rate, station administrator Earnest Litza was cleaning the corrosion deposits from the bolts, while the minifacturing computer used its laser scan to make a new seal for the cover.

Finishing his task of cleaning the bolts, he gathered them together, placed them in a small box and took the couple of steps needed to reach the junction pipe; the sight that greeted him put a smile on his face. Adrien's butt and legs were sticking out of the junction pipe – legs waving slightly back and forth as she attempted to clear the blockage, she had discovered in the supply side of the junction. Litza announced his presence as he set the box on the ground; Burns replied immediately, her voice echoing slightly from the confines in which she had her head. "I got the damned thing, Earnest. Looks like a broken piece of a poly-vinyl lid from a hundred twenty-five-liter chemical container. Pull me up. I don't have enough leverage to push myself back outta this pipe!"

The pipe at this point was only slightly above ground, making it easy for Earnest to climb on top. After studying her legs for a moment, he squatted down beside her, wrapped his arms tightly around her posterior, then slowly straightened his legs. As soon as her shoulders were clear of the opening, she tossed the broken lid away and placed her hands on the edge of the opening. "Okay, Earnest, help me set my feet down." In a few moments, she was sitting on the pipe attempting to catch her breath. She coughed as she looked at her number two. "Thanks. Probably should have been wearing a rebreather. Inside smells pretty awful."

After several more minutes, she pushed herself up to her feet. "Let's get the lid reinstalled; I want to restart the pump, see if the flow rate is back to normal. Afterwards, I really need to shower and wash my hair."

Feeling much better after a relaxing shower, Adrien sat at the small table in her quarters. In order to enjoy some peace and quiet, she had eaten her evening meal in here rather than in the dining hall.

The quiet wasn't meant to last – the comms unit on her nearby desk chimed, demanding her attention. Reluctantly, she relocated to her desk chair, entered her ID and passcode, then passed her hand through the scanning haptic interface to accept the call. The identity of her caller was a complete surprise.

"Hello, Adrien." Sharon Culver smirked slightly at the surprised look on Burns face. "Nice to see you."

"Sharon. This is quite the surprise. To what do I owe the pleasure?" As there was no location identifier on the vid screen, she quickly asked, "Where in the galaxy are you?"

"Just over the hills, actually." Culver's smirk deepened slightly. "I needed to meet with Kaestis Akeiros and Governor Khel Brek – nothing serious, just a routine status update for the Council; there's been an uptick in chatter among several Blue Suns cells concerning ongoing operations in the Wasteland. The council just wants to be sure they're no longer a threat to Gellix." The slight smirk became a genuine grin as she continued, "I had some time. Shep and Liara are off exploring, and Spectre T'Dura is on another assignment. And I'm supposed to meet with the Human co-governor, so saved the best part of my trip for last."

Burns attempted to keep the look of surprised anticipation from surfacing on her face. "A bit unusual to have an unannounced meeting, Sharon, especially since it's usually easier to meet via a comms call."

"That's very true, but I had the time, and was here anyway." Sharon responded with a wry chuckle before replying, "You are aware it's the middle of June, correct? It's been a year since…"

Burns interrupted, completing her thought. "Since we first met… at Shepard and Liara's estate on Thessia." Adrien closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head slightly. "How could I ever forget?" Refocusing on the Marine colonel, she continued with a huge, teeth-baring grin. "Damn! An entire year already! Time really seems to get away from me these days!"

Sharon laughed. "You didn't mention our last meeting. St. Patty's Day on Thessia? I certainly enjoyed getting to know you just a bit better."

Adrien looked down for a moment, then returned her gaze to Sharon's visage on her monitor. "I haven't forgotten that evening. So, you planning on spending the night there, or…" not wishing to jinx the chance to have Sharon Culver stay in Cliffside, her question trailed off into silence.

Sharon chuckled with her reply. "Tell the truth, I'd really appreciate a night off my ship. I was actually hoping you'd offer up a berth for the evening. You must have guest quarters in that complex."

"When can you be here?" Arching an eyebrow, she added, "Though it's already a bit late for anything meaningful to be accomplished – during an official meeting, anyway. Probably best to postpone that business until tomorrow, don't you think?" Adrien bit her lower lip and waited.

"Already enroute, Ms Burns," came the laughing reply. "I'll be banging on your entry hatch in less than forty."

Even though it was the middle of June, evenings at Cliffside could not be described as anything other than cold – any warmth the planet absorbed from its sun bled quickly into space through the thin atmosphere, almost before sunset. Knowing this, Adrien was waiting at the entrance hatch when Sharon's corvette touched down; she watched as Culver, after securing her ship, trotted up to the entry hatch, which Burns opened as her guest arrived.

Once inside with the hatch reclosed and locked, she welcomed the Marine colonel to her home; Sharon, wearing a heavy, hooded parka against the cold outside, chuckled as she pulled the garment off her shoulders. "Felt like my eyelids were gonna freeze closed. Damn!"

Adrien grabbed her guest's forearms in greeting, then surprised her by pulling her in close and whispering in her ear, "It's really great to see you again, Sharon." As she slowly pushed back, she planted a warm, lingering kiss on a cold cheek. "Let's get you settled in." Releasing her arms, she asked, "Have you had dinner? Would you care for some coffee, or tea?" Or me?

"I ate dinner before I called but wouldn't say no to a nice cup of tea… maybe even with a bit of something extra to warm me to the bone."

Burns led the way into the complex and led the Special Ops commander to the residential wing… and her personal quarters. Immediately heading to her tiny efficiency kitchen, she made a couple of mugs of tea, then stepped over to the small kitchen table. "Let's sit and drink our tea… chat for a bit. If there's any information you think you'll need for tomorrow, I can access it from here."

She indicated a chair at the table in which she had been sitting earlier, when Sharon's call came in. Taking a seat across from her guest, Adrien studied Culver from across the rim of her mug as she took several sips. Finally making up her mind, she put it out there. "Sharon, I just want you to know…" she felt the heat rising up her neck as she continued, "while we have plenty of rooms available in the guest wing of the station, you… ah… you don't have to sleep alone tonight." Sharon's mug paused in mid-arc to the table as Adrien continued, "That is to say, well… you are welcome to share my bed, if you so desire." Adrien held her breath and waited for a response.

Culver's face registered surprise at the offer. "Are you serious?" It had only been a couple of months since she had visited Shepard's estate during their St Patty's Day celebration. She pursed her lips – lips that seemed to have burned from the kiss she had given Adrien. After a few moments, Sharon looked up and locked eyes with a pair of emerald-green eyes. She studied the lightly freckled face, and the lopsided grin slowly forming on succulent lips and declared, "I can think of nowhere else I would rather sleep tonight, Governor Burns."

Omega Nebula, At Large – 20 Jul 2190

It had taken a number of hours to cross the void to the relay which, due to the complete lack of traffic through the edge-of-the-galaxy Enoch system, was still oriented with Omega. As such, there was no additional delay waiting for the relay to realign with a new destination. Once they arrived in the nebula, Liara and Shepard chatted very briefly with Aria via the communications system, while waiting for the relay to realign. Giving her a quick rundown of what they had learned from the construct on Joab, they briefly described what they had seen and heard on the upper levels of the Prothean pyramid that had prompted the trip home for a few days of rest and recovery. Liara ended with, "I just need to be home for a bit, with the visual evidence of our victory… everyone and everything that did survive due to our actions.

Aria had been surprisingly understanding of Liara's decision, likely because of the loss of her own daughter, Liselle. "The war was shit that no one should have to relive in any fashion, no matter who you are, so I'll not hold a non-visit against you…" Aria replied with a smirk, continuing, "Not this time, anyway." She turned her focus to Samantha. "Just remember my offer to help you kick more Blue Suns ass… Alliance space be damned. I don't give a fuck who's supposedly in charge where you're headed next, Shepard. You need help? You call me."

"Understood, Aria." Shepard let out a chuckle. "But I'll still have to keep Lindholm in the loop, so she can pass the word. Don't want any battle commanders pissing themselves when they see the Omega Fleet unexpectedly popping out of a relay."

"Thanks, Shepard." Aria had grinned wickedly. "That picture in my head is going to keep me entertained all day long."

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 20 Jul 2190

Samantha Traynor passed her hand through the ACCEPT control in response to the comms call coming in from the Aletheia; she was not surprised to see Liara T'Soni – with her bondmate hovering over her shoulder – on her view screen but was still concerned. "Mistress Liara… Has something happened? Is everyone alright?"

A slight smile lifting the corners of her mouth, Liara replied, "Hello, Ms Traynor. Everyone is fine, but we wanted to give you a bit of advance warning. We've done as much as we could on Joab, and we decided to come home for a bit before heading off to Sharring."

Try as she might, Traynor couldn't stop the happy grin from erupting on her face. "That's wonderful, Ma'am. I'll alert the staff immediately to prepare for your return."

Liara's smile brightened in response to Traynor's grin. "Thank you, Sammi, but there's no rush. Depending on relay alignments and our planned stop at the CGC, it will take us at least two more days to get home. If we find we'll be delayed beyond then, we'll be sure to inform you."

"Sounds good. We'll be awaiting your arrival."

"Thank you again, Sammi, and we'll see you soon." With a small wave, T'Soni cut the connection, leaving Traynor looking at a blank screen. I know they've only been gone a short time, but it will be so good to see Riana again, she thought. Securing the equipment, she left to find House Steward Lyessa Raptos. May as well let her know, even if it's gonna be a few days before they get here.