Notes:

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

Rachni Dreams

Rachni Hive, Chasca, Matano – 18 Sep 2190

The new queen was smaller than Liara had anticipated, which made sense when she took the time to think about it. According to Regent, she was 'just coming to the age of bearing,' which meant she was only on the verge of adulthood, so Liara should have expected she would be of a smaller stature, at least to some degree, much the same as the original queen they had released on Noveria, compared to when they crossed paths with her again on Utukku.

Simply thinking of that time still caused Liara pain, unable to separate the Rachni issue from the death of Benezia… and unsure if she would ever be able to view their new allies without those thoughts intruding on her judgment regarding the species.

{It wasn't their fault, Liara… and you know this. It was Saren and Sovereign who caused all that. The Reapers who warped the Rachni to their advantage, just as they did with every other species. In the end, Benezia was strong enough to help us all, including the Rachni, by saving that little bit of herself so she could at least attempt to gain redemption in your eyes. But I know it is all still fresh. I can only promise it will mellow in time and, eventually, not be so poignant.}

{Thank you, Siame.} Liara swallowed her grief and forced a smile onto her face. Samantha was right… she could be sad, but she must not blame the Rachni, as they were as much the victim as any other race in the galaxy.

As they entered the hive central core, a sea of attendant workers parted and left a single path; at the end of that trail stood the young queen. Even Liara, without the years of experience that Shepard possessed, could sense the tension in the hive; such direct access to the queen was unprecedented. Rachni soldiers moved to mark the borders of the path and a line of brood warriors formed between them and their destination, occasional arcs of blue making their biotic abilities known.

{It's okay, Li… I honestly believe the soldiers are more of an honor guard for us, than protection for the queen. She wants us here and is showing the respect she believes due to those they call saviors.}

Shepard's distaste a such a title was evident in her tone, and Liara's response did not improve it. {It is not 'those,' Samantha… it is you. Neither of us can change that so, please, try to just let it go. We need this to go well… and the more I think about it, the more I realize we should have contacted the Council before taking this first step in negotiations with the Rachni. We will need to keep that in mind as we speak.}

{That actually makes this a bit easier… and helps me relax a bit. We can speak on more personal terms, but gently remind her that nothing we say can be binding to the Council, as we do not speak for them.}

{Agreed.} Liara smiled, feeling her bondmate's relief ooze slowly through the link. It appeared Shepard was correct; the soldiers were a rippling wave, bowing – which Sam and Liara finally recognized as a form of salute, not submission – and Liara immediately wondered if they had inadvertently insulted them by not somehow returning the gesture. {Is that not common practice among militaries?}

"Yes, it is… but I'm not sure how they feel about it, so we'll have to ask." Shepard chuckled. "It will give us something… personal… to talk about, as an icebreaker." Sensing Liara's confusion, she explained, "It's a nonthreatening conversation starter… before we start talking about politics or anything else considered important."

Falling silent once more, the duo made their way through the open passage, finally coming to a stop before the line of rather imposing brood warriors – the final line of defense for the queen. With an earsplitting screech that was their language, it was patently obviously she had requested they move aside, opening a space for Shepard and Liara to step forward.

Being in contact via the link, Liara and Shepard dipped their heads in unison, as a sign of respect to the queen, then returned to a full upright position and simply waited for her to make the next move. Their wait was not long. When she stood to her full height, Liara immediately realized the queen wasn't quite as small as her initial presentation had made it seem… but she was still not as large as the one they now referred to as the Queen Mother.

The queen stepped forward, directing her gaze at Shepard as she began to speak directly to her. While others heard the screeching voice that was so grating to their auditory systems, Shepard and Liara heard her words, clear as day.

"This Singer of New Songs welcomes the presence of the Savior…" The queen paused, obviously sensing something through the mental touch, and continued, "… of the Saviors in the Hive, something we never truly considered possible. We thank you for your willingness to hear us out." Noting their surprise regarding another topic, she explained, "You should remember from the place you call Noveria. The queen does not need physical contact to sing to other species… our songs transcend physical barriers… and the two of you are open to me… willing to speak as your translators do for others. We would not intrude upon your private minds unless invited… or if there was an extreme emergency that dictated otherwise. Am I incorrect in your acceptance to speak with me directly?"

Shepard smiled and shook her head. "No. We did accept your invitation and you are correct. The Queen Mother, on Noveria, spoke through the glass via an Asari commando… so I now realize she could have spoken directly to me. Why didn't she? Because she didn't have permission?"

"That is one reason." The queen moved her head, focusing on the rest of their group at the back of the room for just a moment before looking back at Liara and Shepard, continuing, "But the others would not have heard her songs… and they did not yet know us or our motives. Then, during that first contact, they needed to hear. Now, what you relay of our private conversation will be your decision to make. I will not presume to know what is best shared in this situation."

Liara cocked her head and asked, "And what, exactly, is this situation? I feel compelled to inform you we are here as private parties… we do not represent the Council in any way. This is why you have Sharp."

"Who is listening to the song as we speak… and will relay information as required to the Council to facilitate these negotiations." The queen paused, sensing their reluctance. "You are a known quantity to us and can speak reason to the Council, many of whom are afraid of us. Our purpose is to ask that you be our representative… no, that is not the correct word in your language. What is the one who handles negotiations between the Council and a single particular species?"

Shepard's eyes opened wide in understanding. "You want us to act as ambassadors for the Rachni?"

"Yes! That is the word I was looking for; thank you for your assistance." The queen's voice pitched in excitement. "Would you be willing to serve in such a capacity?"

Shepard let out a deep sigh. "I wish I had time to consider your request… but I cannot, in good faith, accept. We are currently on another mission, a personal mission of Doctor T'Soni… to locate the last surviving Protheans… and have no idea how long it will take."

"And if we assisted you in this task?" asked the queen. "Would you be willing to act as ambassador once it was complete? Or, at least, to help us select a suitable candidate to do so? One such as Matron Trapso or yourself, with the strength to speak with us directly?"

Even though it was obviously Shepard to whom the queen directed her question, it was Liara who responded. "I do not believe an ambassador is who you truly seek. You need a team made up of trade specialists and translators, so you can better interact with the other Council races; for that, you need to find a translator and a trusted advisor to help you select the rest." Liara smiled and dipped her head as she finished, "While personally unable to commit to serve in either of those positions, we can most certainly help you select people who can."

"That is… disappointing… but expected." The queen shifted her feet, appearing unsettled as she asked, "And you can assure us these people you recommend will be trustworthy… and unafraid of us?"

"Trustworthy, yes… but unafraid will likely depend on you and your initial interactions with our candidates." Liara looked to Shepard to finish.

"We could, perhaps, be here to make the introductions… and stay for a short period of time, to make sure the candidates will work out. We have had similar issues before and dealt with the results accordingly." Sensing the queen wanted more, she continued, explaining about the Ardat Yakshi Monastery. "One of the candidates simply couldn't get over her fear… and we had to find someone new to fill her position. Not every candidate will be a good fit and, sometimes, it takes a while to figure that out. We'll simply work through it, should it happen."

Liara nodded. "It is a risk you must be willing to take, or we cannot help you… so the choice is yours."

It took only a moment, the queen's head cocked as if listening for something, before she responded. "The Queen Mother believes you. Believes in you. We accept your proposal."

Liara and Shepard both smiled in relief, looking at one another quickly before Shepard looked back to the queen. "We do have one question, which I am sure will be the first of many. When the members of the hive dip down… we perceive it as a bow, but I am thinking it could possibly be some form of salute? We are unsure as to how to respond to such a gesture, and do not want to inadvertently offend any of our new friends."

The queen… rumbled… which Liara and Shepard took as some form of laughter, a display of amusement. "It is neither. It is merely a greeting…" She paused, searching for the right phrase. "They are simply saying 'hello' to you." If the queen could smile, Liara and Shepard both sensed that she was doing so as she continued, "You have many gestures that do the same, do you not? A nod of recognition, a wave of your upper appendage?"

Liara chuckled. "Yes, we do… and that upper appendage is called an arm." She raised and wiggled her fingers. "And this five-digit thing at the end is called a hand."

The queen bobbed in understanding. "I believe we have much to learn from one another. Working together on the Crucible saved the galaxy. Now it is time to work together to save the Rachni. It is the one thing we ask for in return… to prevent our return to the darkness."

"We want that as well." Shepard raised her arm slowly toward the queen, palm up in the Asari fashion. "We haven't come this far to let you fade back into obscurity. You are now members of the Council… and part of that organization's mission is to make sure that does not happen."

The queen extended her left-side tentacle and placed it carefully in Shepard's hand, a pleased humming sounding through the connection before her words followed. "We trust in the Shepard… and her mate… to keep her words in good faith, else you would not have been invited into the heart of the Hive. Thank you."

Aletheia, Chasca, Matano – 18 Sep 2190

After their conversation with the young queen, Liara wanted only to return to the comfort of the ship. Once aboard, she went directly to the communication center and placed a call to the townhouse in Armali, quickly explaining what had transpired to Matriarch Mozia.

"By the Goddess, Liara! That is… fantastical!" Her regent sat back in her chair and shook her head in disbelief. "You go looking for the Protheans and you find a new Rachni queen, instead? Only you and Shepard can find yourselves in such situations."

"Yes, I know." Liara smiled softly. "But we cannot help her in this endeavor. I trust your judgment completely, so need you to put together another list for me… two, actually. One of candidates to act as Rachni translators, such as Dalyna for Sharp on the Council, and another, consisting of intragalactic trade specialists who can help the Rachni break into the Council world markets."

"Do you want me to focus outside of House T'Soni, or would you be willing to let some of our own apply for the positions, should they desire?"

"I hadn't thought about that… but if someone decided to leave the House, I would not hold them here." Liara paused a moment. "And… we may actually have someone. Not directly in the house, but one of the commandos from Liberation… the adept, Sari Batha. She acted as our initial intermediary… and was amazed by the experience. I do not know if she would want to take that on as a full-time position, but she was fascinated with the interaction. We should, at the very least, give her the opportunity should she desire to do so."

"Even so, it would not be a given, depending on the other candidates and who the queen selects," Mozia cautioned. "But that does answer the question. I will formulate the list… and announce it to the House, as I would trust anyone in our employ to serve the queen honorably." She paused thoughtfully, then asked, "Exactly how many translators are we speaking of?"

"I'm not sure," answered Liara, without hesitation. "That's why we need to establish a base team of trade consultants. Find someone who's an expert at setting up a trade center. Do we do it by race or commodity? Or something completely different? I don't know the answers to those questions, so we need to find someone who does."

"Ahhh." Mozia smiled. "So, you don't need the traders yet; first, you need a consultation team that can work with the Rachni to determine what resources they actually have to trade… and let them select the correct market specialists for the job."

"That is true… but we can put at least some focus on it." Liara chuckled. "We know they are spacefaring and can withstand extremely toxic environs without specialty suits. We also know they are very tech oriented, as they can fix ships they'd never seen before… like Dalyna's after she crash-landed on one of their worlds… and go directly to work on something like the Crucible without so much as reading a manual. Those have to be tradeable commodities."

"That they are, Liara." Mozia nodded enthusiastically. "It certainly gives us a place to start… the shipping and hauling industries, and salvage and recovery, for starters. They are most definitely a good starting point, particularly with places still attempting to recover from the Reapers. I'm not a job agent, and even I could probably get them a job tomorrow, if they wanted it."

Shepard grinned, leaning in over Liara's shoulder. "We can certainly ask the queen… but, I do imagine, she'll want to be a little more cautious. But then, who am I to judge? The Queen Mother didn't hesitate to send a team to the Crucible when I asked. They showed up within the week."

"Don't be too hasty." Mozia chuckled in response. "Let me throw out a couple of feelers… see if there are any bites. If so, I'll send you a message with contact information and you can approach the queen with a solid job proposition, instead of a vague promise."

"That sounds wonderful, Matriarch. Thank you." Liara smiled tiredly. "Now, unless you have business we need to discuss, I am rather tired after today and would like nothing more than a hot shower and the soft covers of our bed."

"Absolutely, Liara." Mozia smiled and waved. "Sleep well, you deserve it!"

Rachni Hive, Chasca, Matano – 19 Sep 2190

"We apologize for interrupting your plans for the day but felt this an urgent matter." The Rachni drone, Regent, had located them within the pyramid and requested their presence in the hive. They had found someone, gravely injured, but were unable to help him. "The Drell fired upon us, injuring three workers, so we withdrew. We hope, perhaps, you will have better luck, being able to actually speak with him."

Liara didn't hesitate. "Of course. He may be our mysterious researcher. We found a camp, but no clues as to the owner's whereabouts." Looking at Shepard, who was nodding in agreement and communicating via the link, she continued, "We are prepared to go immediately."

Regent bobbed quickly and started into the tunnels, moving as quickly as possible with his two-legged friends in trail. When they finally neared the location, he slowed and stopped just shy of the final bend in the passage. "He is around this corner. The passage ends in a vertical drop; he is at the bottom. I do not know if he was attempting to climb the shaft, or if he did not see it in the dark, but I fear he did not land well, and we believe this was the cause of his injuries."

"Thank you, Regent." Liara frowned and drew a deep breath. "We'll take it from here… but would like you to remain, just in case we need some assistance in his recovery."

"Of course, Doctor." Regent hunkered down into something which Liara assumed was a rest position for the Rachni.

{We have so much to learn about them, so… different… than what I was ever told or believed about the race. They truly are fascinating}

Shepard chuckled. "You do realize he can hear you, right? I mean… he's talking to us through my head and hears all our communications while we are actively conversing."

"Oh, Goddess." Liara felt the heat rising in her face. "I'm sorry, Regent. I hope you took no offense from my comment!"

"Why would I ever take offense to someone calling the Rachni fascinating, Doctor?" They heard the now familiar rumble that was the Rachni laughter. "We have been referred to, many times, with words and phrases much less kind. We are honored by your words, not insulted."

"Thank you…" Liara relaxed a bit and turned to Shepard. "I guess it's time to talk to our Drell."

She and Shepard moved cautiously around the corner. "Hello?"

Liara felt Samantha's… amusement… which wasn't the correct term, but it was the best Liara could do to name what she felt. 'Hello' was the first word she ever said to the dashing, auburn-haired commander, followed quickly by the question regarding if anyone was there. She corralled her thoughts back to the matter at hand when she realized she had not received a response of any kind.

Bringing up a barrier, she carefully peered over the edge into the gloom. "It is too dark to see."

Shepard stepped to her side and lit up her omnitool, its light penetrating the darkness. "Shit. He's a long way down there… and not moving." Shepard pulled her rifle and looked through her scope. "Damn it. I don't think we need to worry about him shooting at us, Liara. He's lying in a puddle of blood… I do believe he shot himself."

Gasping, Liara recoiled from the edge of the chasm. "Goddess! Why would he do that?"

"Don't know… and I don't know that we ever will." Shepard turned to their Rachni escort. "Hey, Regent. The threat to your people is past… can we get a couple of workers back here to retrieve the body and all his gear, so Liara and I can take a look at everything?"

"Certainly, Sav..." Regent paused halfway through the word and replaced it with, "Shepard."

Shepard smiled and offered a light chuckle. "Nice catch." Turning back to the gravity of the situation, her smile faded quickly. "Let's see if we can figure out what he was up to."

Freedom, Matano, Maroon Sea – 19 Sep 2190

Doctor Kalesta T'Mejah scoffed in disgust. "You were absolutely correct in your assessment, Shepard. Ketek Liek killed himself rather than face the Rachni, or any other type of justice he would have met for whatever it was he was doing at that facility."

"So, no answers other than what we might find in his expedition notes." Shepard turned to her mate. "I guess it's up to you to figure out what he was up to."

Liara's expression was neutral as she replied, "Actually, I already have Riana going through his journal… and she has contacted Judea to put the Brokerage on his trail, to see what he'd been doing prior to his arrival here and if we can build some kind of timeline for his recent past."

"So… where does that leave us?" Shepard asked. "Back at the pyramid, doing what we were supposed to be doing when we got here, before all the distractions from your quest?"

Liara closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. "I suppose so… but I fear where this is all going to lead, Sam. At every turn, we have been met with resistance of some kind, all to no avail." She opened her eyes and looked into the questioning emerald orbs of her siame. "This is a new approach… this is a team of one, who I believe was purposefully sent here to find what we are looking for before we could. I have to wonder how many like Liek have been sent out by the Illuminated Primacy. Ten? Twenty? A hundred?" Liara sighed and shook her head. "It would be difficult, and expensive, to hire that many teams of Blue Suns… but single researchers? I imagine they could hire thirty of them for the cost of one mercenary team." A bit of anger swelled within her, and it was evident in her tone as she concluded, "We can't complete with those numbers… they are going to win this race, Shepard; not us."

"Hey." Shepard reached over and clasped her firmly by the bicep. "If we find the living Protheans, it won't matter how many artifacts they collect, Liara."

"But those artifacts and data discs are giving us the clues we need to figure out where to go next!" Liara growled. "Without them, we are a ship without any type of navigation guidance, drifting system-to-system, simply hoping we get lucky? That is not how it works, Shepard! I need… we need… data, else we are just wasting our time!"

"That is not a foregone conclusion, Doctor T'Soni." Shepard's own tone hardened enough to get Liara's attention. "We have a few leads already which the Hanar can't possibly know about. Data from my personal data collection during the war and info held by the Brokerage gives us an advantage… and Ketek Liek may give us just the leverage the Council needs to put additional pressure on the Hanar."

Kalesta cleared her throat, reminding the couple of where they were, both falling immediately silent and turning to the doctor. She gave them both something of a chastising look before starting to speak. "If you would like to hear the rest of my findings…"

Shepard chuckled, somewhat embarrassed, and rubbed the back of her neck as she answered, "Which is why we are standing in your lab. Sorry for our… digression… from our purpose here."

"Given your obsession with the Protheans, I believe I can forgive your distraction." Kalesta's expression lightened, and she offered up an apologetic smile. "You aren't the only ones fascinated by your work; I feel the same about the forensic sciences." She opened her omnitool to the holographic display mode. "Based on biological markers, he was born and raised on Kahje. Also, if you look at this chart, you will see this Drell had an advanced case of Kepral's Syndrome… very advanced… so it is likely he did not shorten his life by any large amount, two or three years at best. I have absolutely nothing to base this on but a photo print I found in his pocket, but my educated guess is that he took this job for the money… to provide for a family he was soon to leave behind."

Liara looked surprised. "An actually photo print? But Drell have eidetic memory… why would he need a photo?"

"Physical attachment," answered Shepard. "Thane had one… a picture, that is. That, and a coin his wife Irikah had given him. Something about being able to focus on a physical object in the present, instead of slipping into memory. He told me they helped him find himself after emerging from his battle sleeps. It did work for him, right up to the day he returned home after a job to find Irikah murdered in their apartment. It didn't take long for things to fall apart for him, after that."

Suddenly remembering just how painful the loss of someone dear to you was, Liara had to suppress the urge to cry. She replied, "Goddess… I suppose I can relate to that. I don't know how many times I pressed your dog tags to my chest… a constant presence against my heart, reminding me to hope. At the time, it was all I had left to me."

Drawing what seemed to be a painful breath with the memory, she turned back to Kalesta and continued, "But that is now in the past. I'll pass this new data on to Riana… see if it assists in their search for information. Thank you, Kal. Is there anything else?"

"Not from my perspective, no." Kalesta cocked her head and studied the young maiden. "You know, you should listen to Shepard. The pair of you make a rather formidable team… a fact the Hanar are well aware of. Why else do you think they are going to such lengths to get ahead of you? I believe it is because they fear exactly what you will uncover, once you find the Protheans; that their gods are nothing but pompous, warmongering, military dictators." She let out a small huff of laughter before adding, "And, I hope, that when you find these missing scientists, you prove all the Hanar fears wrong and the Protheans turn out to be the magnanimous beings you always thought them to be."

"Me, too, Kalesta," Liara sighed. "Me, too." Looking to Shepard, she shrugged lightly, her emotions a tumultuous jumble. "As for what's next, I think Liek beat us here by a significant period of time, so our best path forward is to simply go through his notes and personal belongings to see what he collected and possibly shipped off-world before we arrived. By the time that job is done, perhaps Miri and Jude will have something for us."

"As you like, Doctor." Shepard cast her a supportive look. "Something will break, eventually, Liara. They can't hide forever."

"They don't need to, Samantha." Liara was very matter of fact as she started but finished with a bit of levity in her voice, somehow finding the ability to joke about their situation; something she had picked up from Samantha, no doubt. "Last time they hid, they managed to do so for some 50,000 years. You may be blessed with a much longer than normal lifespan, but we still don't have that much time to find them."

Rachni Hive, Chasca, Matano – 20 Sep 2190

The next morning, Liara and Shepard returned to the Hive to report what they had discovered to Regent. He listened intently, then responded definitively, "This bodes ill for your endeavor, with the odds stacked against you so. The queen would like you to visit her one last time before you depart for your next location, no matter where that may be."

"Of course," answered Liara. "Please, lead the way."

They 'chatted' as they made their way to the central chamber, mostly light conversation regarding their work so far, regarding their hunt for the Prothean scientists. Liara had to admit Regent's sudden interest had piqued her curiosity, wondering why the Rachni was so curious about their search for the Protheans.

A quick ping from Samantha reminded her. {The queen did offer to help us in our search, Li… perhaps that's why she wants to see us before we leave?}

As they approached the entryway, Liara stopped and asked Regent that very question. His response was immediate. "Yes. The queen is prepared to make an offer of assistance. Please, before you respond to her, consider how our Hive functions… the community it takes for us to be successful. As such, this offer is not to be disregarded lightly… you must understand you were introduced to the Hive the moment the Queen Mother spoke to you directly, thanking you for saving her the second time, in the tunnels of Utukku."

He paused, thinking how to best relay what he would tell them next. "This will be much like your titles of Urdnot… You are part of a clan, without being Krogan. For us to help, you must be one with us, so you will be offered an honorary membership with our Hive, without being Rachni." He paused briefly before adding, "All we ask is that you consider your response carefully before answering one way or the other."

"Holy shit." In her surprise, the words escaped Shepard's mouth before she could stop them. "That's not something to just pop on someone, Regent. We will need time to consider such an offer!"

Liara reached over and took her hand, continuing for her, "But, we will consider it, once we hear her out… though, we may have some questions that will need to be answered before we could accept such a proposal. To even present the opportunity to us is an honor."

"And questions are expected," answered Regent. "The queen is always listening; now, once you hear her offer, she recommends you speak with Matron Dalyna Trapso, in depth regarding the Hive, before you give your final response. Dalyna can assist in ways immeasurable, both because of her position and because she is Asari. She can explain like we cannot… because she is with us… but is also one of you. Does this make sense?"

Liara nodded. "Yes, it does… but this offer is completely unexpected, so is a lot to take in!" She glanced at Shepard, who seemed just as taken aback, but seemed to be dealing with the whole idea much more calmly than her initial outburst indicated. With the confirmation from her bondmate, Liara looked to Regent and finally answered, "I suppose we accept the terms and are ready to meet the queen and hear her proposal."

"Very well." Regent seemed both happy and nervous for them. "It is an offer unprecedented, so let us not keep the queen waiting any longer."

They advanced into the room, Liara's emotions still in great conflict, depending on which question she asked herself. She did have to chuckle at herself, though, when she thought about the Krogan Rite of Passage and wondered what the Rachni equivalent to the Thresher Maw would be. When the queen's response sounded in her head, Liara realized she had connected to her and Samantha's link the very moment they crossed the threshold into the primary chamber.

"We have no such Rites. We simply… join in song. In this way, we are similar to what you know of the SILC Collective. We make decisions based on what is best for the Hive. You are different… more personal motivation… but we would accept this as both a strength and a necessary skill for you to represent us to the outside world."

"What, exactly, do expect from us, regarding this representation?" Liara asked. "We have already stated that we cannot serve as the ambassadors you seek."

"Your influence is greater than you are willing to acknowledge," replied the queen. "Which I understand, as neither of you are glory seekers. In this way, we are already kindred souls. You and the Rachni are not so different. We all wish to avoid war and its concerns of imminent death. At the end of the day, we sleep… and we dream. Our dreams are not much different than yours, I imagine. We dream of rebuilding our cities on the surface, no longer forced to live in hiding, buried in caverns not of our choosing. We dream of once more moving among the stars… to do nothing more than what everyone in the galaxy desires. We do not want much, but we want to do more than just survive." The queen paused for a brief moment, then added quietly, "We dream, quite simply, to live truly free."