Notes:

A Grá - My Love (Gaelic)

Anam amháin - one soul (Gaelic)

Anam Cara - Soul Friend/Mate (Gaelic)

CGC - Center for Galactic Cooperation

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

Ionúin Álainn - beautiful beloved (Gaelic)

Próidh - aggressive omnivorous mammal resembling a wolverine, but weighing 70+ kg when full-grown. Extremely dangerous nocturnal hunter frequently takes prey many times larger than itself. As with all Thessian life, employs eezo to generate biotic effect; utilizes form of biotic charge to tackle and overcome prey (Thessian; also Irish for bear)

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

A Conflict of Interests

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 1 Nov 2190

Before they had turned in for the night, Liara had studied all the data in the Brokerage files on Clarinda V'Zanto and her criminal empire, solidifying in her mind the syndicate was a powerful entity, such that no one would willingly target; it was simply too formidable. But, given the pending union of Liv and Zan, Liara wondered if House T'Soni really had any choice, other than to potentially deny Livos the singular love of her life.

From the experience of her early years, Liara understood that isolation only too well, along with all the loneliness it wrought. With those conflicting emotions running through her mind, she had spent a restless night, her sleep repeatedly disrupted by dreams; some good, but most were what could only be classified as downright horrible nightmares. Several had been frightening enough to jolt her awake, more than once, making it quite obvious that, even in sleep, her mind was focusing on the prospect of the looming confrontation with Matriarch Clarinda V'Zanto. Her mind was obviously trying to work through the options to ensure it would not end badly for the devoted couple or either of their Houses… the second being Zan's adopted House of S'Vatyne.

With all the things each and every commando of House T'Soni had done, repeatedly putting their lives on the line to protect her and Spectre Shepard, Liara could not fathom backing away from this chance to give Livos a future life with Zan. Given the captain's dedication and loyalty to the House through everything that had transpired over the past four centuries, that was not an option Liara felt she could choose. So, each time she woke through the night, she had swallowed her fear and somehow managed to fall back to sleep.

While it had worked – to a limited extent – it did not begin to equate to truly feeling rested when she finally woke with the rays from the early morning sun shining in her bedroom windows. This was one of those times when the link did them no favors, as Shepard had suffered through the same nightmares, with Liara inadvertently dream-sharing.

Samantha was already wide awake, trying to remain still and quiet as she ran those same scenarios over and over in her own mind; upon sensing Liara's movements, she rolled up on her side and pulled her Anam Cara close. The care and concern that flooded through the link was the final tipping point and, with her emotional exhaustion, Liara's internal defenses broke down. Tears of frustration streamed down her face as she snuggled into Shepard's comforting arms.

"Hey now. Enough of that, A Grá. We haven't even started the planning process yet and I swear to you, we will not proceed with an attack until we have a solid plan – one that minimizes the risks as best we can. I have no intention of this being a suicide mission for anyone involved… except for Matriarch Clarinda, if she's stubborn enough to not accept that she's beaten. Have faith in those we have chosen to ask about the mission and let the process work."

Offering no response, Liara simply cried herself out. Eventually, the tears subsided, and she fell into a fatigued sleep, feeling safe in Shepard's supportive embrace. When she woke again, roughly two hours later, she still felt the reassuring arms encircling her, and a surprising, though meager, smile made its way onto her lips. Releasing a sigh of contentment, she whispered, "Thank you, Siame."

Warm lips caressed the top of her head before Samantha replied, "My pleasure, Blue. I can tell you feel better – that was the best two hours of sleep you got all night."

"It was." Liara pulled away and rolled onto her back, turning her head so she could meet Samantha's studious gaze. "And it was all because of you. How can you be so calm, knowing the challenge we have before us?"

"You already know the answer to that question, Li. It's because that's who I am… a soldier… and, even more so, because I know we have time on our side." Shepard shrugged, rather casually, Liara thought, under the circumstances. Working to put a small grin on her lips, Sam added, "And she sure as Hell can't be as bad as the Reapers… and we beat them."

"But we had the entire galaxy on our side for that conflict," Liara was quick to point out, but also starting to smile, as Shepard's own confidence began to rub off on her.

"And, if we play our cards right, we could have that again." Following a quiet chuckle, Shepard shrugged again. "It's pretty simple, really. Clarinda is a criminal, so we can't be the only ones who would like to see her put down, which means we do not move on her until we know we're ready, with all the vested and necessary parties on our side. If they want this done, Zan and Liv will need to exhibit a lot of patience and wait a bit longer than they prefer, but they will get bonded… once the danger from the V'Zanto family is eliminated."

"If that is the case, we need to tell Liv that we must speak with Matriarch Marisha as soon as she and Zan are done relaying their news." Hearing Shepard's question through the link, Liara continued, "We need to make sure Marisha understands our unknown timeline… and that she should not make any announcements or take any preparatory actions regarding their Promise or Bonding. If news – even the slightest hint – leaks out, it could unfavorably tip the balance. Surprise will likely be our best advantage; we cannot afford to have Matriarch Clarinda mobilizing any of the forces at her command, in preparation for a preemptive strike against Zan, costing us whatever edge we may have had."

"Now, you're thinking more clearly." Shepard nodded in appreciation. "But… you also have to consider that T'Soni and S'Vatyne are both powerful, influential Houses so, I can't imagine Clarinda would engage in an attack on Zan so hurriedly, anyway; not like she did when Leona was her target. She would have to realize we wouldn't let an attack on our House slide, and that we would retaliate."

"Yes, we would." Liara's expression turned hard. "But even so… If something tragic did happen to Livos or Zan through our failure to protect them? I would never sleep well again… at least not until the Crime Syndicate of House V'Zanto was rubble beneath my feet, no matter how much trouble such retaliation would rain down upon House T'Soni." She paused, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath before shaking her head in denial of her own statement. "But, quite honestly, I can't begin to imagine that ever happening." Her eyes came up and met Shepard's. "I cannot follow that path."

"That does remind me of your statement regarding the Shadow Broker fitting into a teacup… a feat made even more impressive after we realized he was a Yahg." Shepard gave Liara a tight squeeze and a quiet chuckle before asking. "Is there actually a history of any Houses ever going fully rogue? That is not something I would ever expect of the Asari."

"Not for an incredibly long time… and none with such high standing and influence as ours. It would most certainly be one for the record books… but such would be a history I cannot – will not – write." She paused again, this time looking apologetically at her bondmate. "So, our only way forward is to figure out a way to make sure Livos and Zan… and both our Houses… come out the other side of this in one piece, with our reputations intact. Do you think it even possible we could solve this some other way?"

"I don't know." Shepard's brow had raised as Liara spoke, so she was relieved as Liara worked through the issue on her own, to what Sam considered an acceptable conclusion. "But we'll figure it out, Liara… together. I'm glad you gave up on that line of thought before you went too far down the Broker path. However, I do believe I have a new rule we must follow…"

She paused and waited expectantly for Liara to meet her eyes. "No more reading Brokerage reports immediately before bedtime. There is too big a chance of turning up something that has the potential to disturb our sleep and taint how we react to whatever it may be… like this did… if we let exhaustion influence our thinking."

Shepard paused for a moment and surprisingly smiled, rather unexpected given the topic of the conversation. "There came a point during the war when Garrus actually took command of Normandy and made me go to my quarters for some sleep, telling me we were in the fight for the long haul, and I needed to be rested and clear-headed. He was right… and that certainly applies here, as well. This is an important decision; one which can't be made after a night full of nightmares on the subject."

"Goddess, yes. I concur completely… and I also agree to your terms." Liara managed an answering smile, which quickly became a slight smirk as she added, "If we are going to dream-share, I don't want them to have anything to do with Reaper nightmares or critical military strategizing. They should all be much… better… dreams."

The thoughts that came through the link with that statement made Shepard's eyes widen as she exclaimed, "Liara T'Soni! You little vixen!"

The Asari's blue eyes were suddenly ringed in an inviting black as Liara reached over to tenderly stroke Samantha's cheek. "I am sorry, Siame. This episode simply reaffirms I still need your help in keeping me grounded, Sam. I have told you before, I do not know who I would have become without your return… my heart irreparably broken… and I never want to find out. Nor would I want Livos or Zan to be forced to go through anything similar." She then uttered words she never thought she would use again but, given the ferocity of her previous statement, felt the need to ask permission. "Will you embrace eternity with me, Samantha?"

Tears formed in her eyes as she felt Shepard's heart skip a beat, in direct contrast to the smile that appeared on her lips. Shepard saw the glistening moisture and responded, "It's okay, Liara. Nothing has changed between us, and it never will. We are one in Inanna… and you never need to ask permission to jump fully into my mind. I trust your judgement and love you with all my heart. I have great confidence that we will always work through any difficulties that may come up. No matter what happens between us, you must never, ever doubt that or question yourself when it comes to the security of our relationship. We are anam amháin – one soul, Liara – forever. Is that understood?"

"Absolutely, Siame. I did not mean to concern you with my question." Reassured by Samantha's declaration, Liara's heart felt like it was about to burst with all the love and adoration that suddenly surged through her via the link. Even if she had wanted to, she couldn't have stopped her eyes from flashing the rest of the way to obsidian, nor kept herself from plunging into that loving abyss, instantly one with her bondmate, heart and soul. Neither had the energy to do much of anything other than simply exist within one another's mind, but that act brought them peace and, with that peace, a restful sleep which both sorely needed to take on the rest of the day.

It was almost noon when they awoke again, with someone knocking softly on the door. Shepard rose, threw on a robe, and answered the knock to find Riana standing outside. Having a pretty good idea as to why the First was there, she still managed a casual, "Hey Ri. What's up?"

Shepard chuckled quietly at the look Riana gave her as she stated, "It is nearing lunch, Nara, and no one has seen nor heard anything from either of you this morning… and you both missed the Samhain breakfast… which is highly unusual, particularly for you. Mama Hannah decided to leave you undisturbed and offered the blessing."

"Understood, Riana… and I'll thank Mom when we come downstairs for lunch." Samantha's humor faded as she began to explain what had transpired to keep them in the room all morning. Shortly into the account, Liara joined her at the door, opening it the rest of the way and inviting Riana in.

"Come in. This is not something to be casually discussed in the hallway. Samantha can finish telling the story while I take a quick shower and dress."

When Shepard was done with her explanation, Riana let out a low whistle. "I did not realize the potential of their bonding could bring difficulties such as these." After a brief moment, she shrugged and asked, "So, what are we planning on doing to mitigate the risk?"

"We?" Shepard grinned at the implied support from Riana, and likely the entirety of the commandos assigned to the House. "We don't really know yet," she replied. "Liara and I are going to contact Moises and Roshi – and possibly Lee Riley – so it will depend largely on what they all have to say about the matter, once we speak with them. Originally, I thought to go along and watch the fireworks, but after last night?" She shook her head and continued, "We need to keep House T'Soni as far away from this as possible… and I'm not quite sure how to do that."

"What about Jat? If you don't invite his team, he'll be madder than a hungry próidh just after something stole its dinner… and Detective Anaya? Do you think Illium Law Enforcement would be interested in the totality of the evidence the Brokerage has collected against a family within their area of responsibility?" Riana paused then added, "Particularly if they could get 'Spectre Authority' applied to whatever action they decide to take?"

"I hadn't thought about them, actually." Shepard glanced at a rather refreshed looking Liara, who had begun speaking as she approached the pair. "I suppose we should discuss that as well… much like your operation against Rylis Iressi, when she thought to eliminate me so she could take Benezia's inheritance. A joint operation with the Illium Republican Guard – assuming, of course, they were able to rebuild following the Reaper War… but, I am not sure," Liara answered, a tentative expression on her face. "I can research that and get us an answer within the day."

"Do it, please." Samantha smiled softly. "We need to know what all our options are."

Liara nodded. "I will send the query right now, while you shower and dress for lunch."

For the first time since she had been coming to the Estate, Sharon Culver was staying in a room in the main house, instead of simply bunking with the commandos. On her way from Sol to the Estate, she had swung by the CGC and picked up Adrien, who had flown in that morning from Cliffside. It felt odd, having someone in her life again – a good kind of odd, though – and the thought made her smile. The good part about it all was that Adrien, other than the physical aspects like the freckles and the lop-sided smile, was most definitely her own person, and had turned out to be very little like Samantha – which Sharon had been relieved to discover. It had immediately assuaged any fear she personally held that she was chasing Adrien simply because of the physical resemblance to the retired Spectre.

While in transit to Thessia, Adrien has asked about her sleeping arrangements, repeating the same offer she had given to the Marine colonel the last time she had visited Gellix; it was an offer Sharon quickly accepted. As such, when they had arrived on Thessia and spoke to Liara, the gracious Asari had simply nodded and smiled, saying, "I'll be happy to let Livos know you do not require a berth for this visit." She then added with a grin, "Any explanations as to why you are ditching the company of your commando friends is entirely up to you."

At that, Sharon had laughed and, with a quick glance at Adrien's blushing face, had replied with a grin, "I'm pretty sure they all know exactly why I'm not staying with them this trip."

Now, as they wandered the house, she had stopped counting the number of congratulations they were receiving for their new relationship. Until it happened, she didn't realize how important it was to her… just how much the support of the members of House T'Soni actually meant to her. They truly were family; a family Sharon hadn't known in a very long time. Simply realizing someone was always there for you, someone who always had your back, through thick and thin, was an amazing feeling and she couldn't help but to smile.

As they walked into the dining hall, Adrien pulled her hand away, causing Sharon to chuckle. "What's the matter? Embarrassed to be seen holding my hand?"

Adrien immediately reached to take it again and Sharon dodged, laughing as she pulled away. With that, Adrien quickly stepped in close, wrapped her arms around Sharon to prevent her escape, and kissed her… honestly kissed her… right in front of everyone. Watching the Colonel's face turn red, Adrien smirked. "That'll teach you! I am most definitely not embarrassed to be seen with you!" She released her hold on the woman and turned away. "Now, if you don't mind, I need both of my hands free to pick up a food tray so I can hit the buffet, thank you very much!"

Sharon chuckled, a huge grin spreading on her face. "Deserved that, I guess. Should have known better than to mess with Shepard stock. No one in that family takes any shit, from anyone."

They both grabbed a tray and made their food selections, then scanned the room for Shepard and Liara. Moving quickly to their table, Sharon plopped down unceremoniously into a chair next to Shepard and looked her in the eye. "What's going on? You wouldn't miss a holiday breakfast for anything trivial. Ever."

She observed Shepard's immediate reaction to the question, then glanced at Liara. "Oh. Gonna be like that, huh." She frowned and added, "Must be some serious shit… and you're not an active Spectre anymore… so I hope it's House T'Soni biz and not something else." Sharon's eyes darted back and forth between the two, knowing they were chatting through the link. "If you can't tell me, that's fine; just say so and I'll let it go. I'm Special Ops… I get it."

Liara actually looked relieved and answered for them both. "Thank you, Sharon. It is House business… and until we honestly have our heads wrapped around it, we can't really say much."

"Well, you know if you need anything, or have something that I can do for you, I'm here." She smiled softly at the couple. "Always."

Shepard gave her one of her trademark smirks. "We do appreciate it, Sharon… but you can also count on us not abusing the honor of calling you both friend and family, especially with Adrien now in the picture. You two seem to be hitting it off… quite brilliantly, I might add."

Both of them blushed a bit at Sam's remarks, but it was Adrien who answered. "Yes, we are… and nice change of topic, Sam." She gave the woman a knowing look before continuing, "And, yes, it is so much more than I ever imagined I could possibly have in my life. My world was thrown into a twister the day I met you, Shepard; everything spun around and flipped upside down in the most amazing way. It is an honor to be considered a part of your growing family."

"You're good people, Adrien." Shepard smiled. "The pleasure and honor are ours." Having already eaten, she pushed her chair back and stood, her eyes scanning the room for her mother. "And now, I need to find Mom, apologize for missing breakfast, and thank her for filling in."

"Do you want company?" asked Liara.

"No, thanks." Sam gave her a beautiful smile and a nod. "I've got this. Relax and enjoy your breakfast; you always eat slower than I do. I'll be back in a jiff."

Samantha did not return to the table as expected. Once she located her mother, she realized she and Karin were sitting with Aethyta and Mozia, and none of the four would settle for the line she had given Sharon. After listening to the coerced confession, Aethyta growled, "Liara is not one prone to nightmares; she never has been, except during the Reaper war… and those were yours, Shepard, not hers. So, something has come up that is disturbing her sleep… and if it's House business, then Moz and I need to know what's going on."

While Aethyta grumbled, Hannah simply gave her a look that spoke volumes, before adding, "And so do I, if this has anything to do with you and my daughter-in-law. Period. It's not the war, it's not Spectre business… so there is positively no legitimate reason you can't explain to us what is going on that could be causing Liara such distress." Her daughter looked as if she was about to say something in rebuttal, so Hannah cut her off. "That is non-negotiable, Samantha. And yes, I am most definitely pulling the mother card. I don't believe that I've ever done that with you, so you have to give me this one, because this is something that is obviously very important to both of you."

Sam could only offer up a weak smile and a sigh, getting the okay from Liara via the link as she told her to relocate everyone to the office, and she would meet them all there. Passing that information to the group, they all got up, dropped off their trays in the kitchen, and made their way upstairs, with Liara joining the group at the bottom of the steps.

Once settled around the conference table in the private office space, Liara explained everything they had talked about – the implications to the house, the people they had considered speaking with and involving, and the fact that Liara realized she needed to step back and distance herself from the operation – no matter how they decided to deal with the situation – because it was much too personal, and had already caused issues, as indicated by her nightmare-filled sleep.

Aethyta was surprisingly quiet, having only an initial two-word response of "Well, shit," when Liara finished the explanation.

Mozia, however, was much more on task, immediately offering up something that, amazingly enough, had escaped their initial evaluation of the situation. "You do realize, with our matriarchal inheritance, their child would not be a V'Zanto heir if Livos opts to be the mother?"

Dumbstruck, Liara stared at her for a moment before laughing at herself. "By the Goddess. That is so obvious, we didn't even think of it."

"But, even so," commented Samantha, "that would put limits on their relationship and, from what I understood from the conversation, it was Zan who brought up the idea of wanting children. To me, that signaled she wanted to be a mother." She then grinned at Aethyta and chuckled. "But… that could just be the 'anthropocentric bag of dicks' side of me speaking."

At that, Aethyta smiled and shook her head. Looking to Mozia, she quickly explained about her and Shepard's discussion at the bar on the Citadel.

While Hannah and Karin laughed, Mozia looked aghast, putting a hand on her chest as she exclaimed, "You did not say that!"

Shepard let out a good laugh, smiling and shaking her head as she answered for the matriarch, "Oh, yes… yes, she did." Giving Aethyta a big grin, she added, "But not to worry. It wasn't the first time we had spoken, and I took no offense… well, not much offense, anyway. I had bigger fish to fry that week than an overbearing, protective father." She purposely added emphasis to the word and raised a brow, meeting Aethyta's gaze. "We've come a long way since then."

Aethyta gave her a knowing nod. "Yes, we have… and I never imagined we would end up with such a suitable partner for Liara. You two really were made for one another." She paused only a moment before speaking again. "But that is all beside the point. To return to the issue at hand, I have a crazy thought. Before the war, there were a number of Asari families who were purposely moving into criminal enterprise, V'Zanto being only one; a few of them have made serious names for themselves since the war's conclusion."

She then looked to Mozia, who nodded in agreement and continued the line of thought. "Yes, there are… and while active policing action was not unusual before the war, the Reapers took such a toll on our military and protective forces, they are still very much in a rebuilding phase. However, that does not change the current need to curb the follow-on illegal activities… all the theft and extortion that has resulted from the material shortages… and a couple of other names beside V'Zanto immediately come quickly to mind – like the Pesali sisters on Zorya, and Shearvis D'Coriis on Arvuna. I would think the general population would love to see them – and the threats they pose, particularly to the colonies – simply removed from existence."

Aethyta's gravelly chuckle rolled through the office. "Exactly! And, with the Reapers dealt with, there are a lot of people still trying to rebuild… honestly rebuild, and many need jobs now; they don't have time to wait until the factories and stores finally manage to get finished and operational again. All I'm saying is, just perhaps, it is time for the Asari to begin helping themselves. We need to lead the reformation of the Republican Guards and remove some of the Asari criminal elements for which we are responsible. But… those three in particular are powerful criminal organizations, and we would most definitely need some help to do it."

Shepard's eyes lit up. "You're thinking to form an Asari task force… to take down the organizations that are run by people like Pesali, D'Coriis… and V'Zanto. Hide our goal within a larger sweep."

"That's actually an excellent idea, Thyta!" Mozia's voice reflected her enthusiasm with the proposal, but was more grounded as she inquired, "But who could possibly fund such a venture with, as you say, people still using what assets they have in their attempts to rebuild?"

"People like us" Aethyta grinned. "The major families of each of the districts, specifically those members who sit on the Defense Council. We already tithe to support the Republican Guards and the disaster funds; perhaps it's time to spend a few more of those credits. Maybe we could even speak with Tevos… obtain additional support from the Council Fleet; it's not like most of the major criminal organizations are made up of just Asari. And it's been more than three years since the war's conclusion, and nearly two since the Quarian rebellion was stopped… I think it's past time for a Council Fleet exercise, don't you?"

Liara nodded, starting to think seriously about the idea. "I can't imagine other Houses not being willing to pull a couple of their ships from the fleet to assist. We could set the precedent by pledging House T'Soni credits to the policing action, along with the use of Freedom and Liberation."

"Leading by example is a great way to start." Shepard started to laugh, and it took her a moment to actually finish what she began. "And I agree it shouldn't be just Asari. You offer that to Jara? She'll be on the horn to Wrex in seconds. They're always looking for a fight as an outlet for their more aggressive members. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to commit ground teams… which will then pull in the Turians, because they've all become best buddies since we got boots on Palaven and, Gods forbid, they wouldn't want the Krogan to show them up!"

Hannah nodded in agreement. "Yes… they likely would, but don't count out the Humans, either. There are a number of rogue mercenary groups led and manned by Humankind. We can't ignore them… and being on the Defense Committee now, I imagine I could round up support from more than a few people who would be happy to commit forces to such a group, even if only to continue to bolster Humanity's worth in the eyes of the Council."

Being more of a cynic regarding the Human military altruism, Karin rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm sure they will… and I'm also sure that they'd do everything they can to leverage that participation into more; like more planets, more Spectres, more H3 and eezo resources…"

Mozia smiled and nodded. "As would be expected, Karin. No one will do this for free… including the Asari. Everyone will want something in return for the risks they will take. That will all be part of the negotiations, which is exactly why this needs to be accomplished under the oversight of the Galactic Council."

"And, as much as it pains me to admit this, a Council-led joint operation is likely what it would take to get the Humans onboard. I am not sure any amount of data or convincing would get them to do something like this on their own." Hannah frowned. "No matter how justified such action would be, particularly against some of the primarily Human crime syndicates we know are operating amongst the colonies along the edge of the traverse."

She rolled her eyes and snorted in derision, adding, "It truly is a disgrace, sometimes, how we encourage colonial groups to go out there, settle new worlds, and then fail miserably in our promised protective support." Hannah's eyes then glittered in steely determination. "If the Council votes yes on the formation of such a group, I will make damned sure that humanity is represented well… either that, or I will tender my resignation, refusing to be a party to their inability to meet our obligations to the Council."

"Mom!" Sam exclaimed in surprise. "You can't do that… they'd win!"

Hannah cast her a sideways glance. "I could say something here about your stepping down from the Spectres, Sam… but I would never question what you wanted to do with your life…"

She left the sentence hanging, and Samantha closed her eyes for a moment, huffed a little laugh and then refocused them on her mother's face while answering, "You are absolutely correct in calling me out on that one, Mom. I apologize. If you feel the need to step away from an unsupportive Defense Committee, I will support you in your decision, just as you have always supported me in mine."

Hannah smirked, a twinkle in her eye. "I know you would, kiddo. I just wanted you to realize that you would, too." Her smirk faded as she returned her gaze to Mozia. "But before that happens, I will do everything within my power to make sure such an endeavor is supported, in full, by the Human contingent of the Council.

"And… once those major criminal syndicates are removed from operation, Liv and Zan would be free to move forward with their plans." Liara closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. Opening them again, her eyes were bright with renewed hope. "Thank you, Dad. It is a wonderful suggestion." She looked at Mozia. "Now, we just need to figure out our strategy on how to pitch it to everyone else."

The House Regent smiled and offered the most unexpected response. "Honestly? That will be Aethyta's job." Seeing almost everyone's surprised expressions, particularly from Aethyta, Mozia continued, "She rallied all the major families during the war… and many, quite literally, owe not only the survival of their Houses, but their very lives, to her early warnings and expert coaching on how to go dark to avoid Reaper discovery. They just need to be reminded of that… and this will be a way for them to erase all their debts of life in one fell swoop."

"So…" injected Shepard. "While I think this is an awesome way to do this, I don't want anyone to mention this to Tevos quite yet. We'll be there first thing tomorrow morning, in preparation for the Prothean meeting in the afternoon, and we can all talk to her about it then. For the rest of today, I would like everyone to enjoy what remains of the holiday, without discussing business… particularly something as involved as what we are going to be proposing."

"We? All?" asked Aethyta. "That almost sounds like you want us to travel with you to the CGC tomorrow… and be part of the conversation?"

Liara gave Samantha a quick glance before answering, "Yes, we think that would be a good idea, Dad… assuming you are willing and can have your talking points ready that soon? If we can get Rae on our side, she can decide how best to make the general pitch to the Council."

"I've always wanted the Asari to play a larger role in the galaxy, so it shouldn't be unexpected, coming from me." Aethyta nodded in acceptance, adding, "And Moz and I can pull that together quickly enough. We'll give Tevos a quick introduction to the idea and put all the specifics on a data pad to leave with her, so she has time to review all the information. I honestly think it's past time for the Asari to be more than just the galaxy's arbiters. If we want to keep the influence we currently hold, we have to be willing to not only police our own, but to truly offer forces for the mutual defense force. We've relied on the Turians for the muscle and the Salarians for our intel for much too long. If we can't step up to that after what we managed to do with the Reapers, why should anyone trust us with their own fate?"

"A valid point, Aethyta. Our unpreparedness for the Reapers proved that having only the Destiny Ascension and her protective force is no longer enough. We need to have more fighting ships at the ready… more proportional to the overall force, like we did during the war. Going forward, we should use that as our new standard." Mozia's expression was one of determination as she faced Liara and Shepard. "I think that is more than enough guidance to get us started down the correct path, and we have kept you here long enough; it is time to let you return to your guests."

As she and Shepard stood, Liara added, "Thank you both, for your wise council and wonderful suggestions. I was quite concerned with how we could go about this in both a lawful and morally sound manner. Bringing in an entire task force to take down a number of the larger threats to our civilized society is an excellent way to gain a better galaxy for everyone. We meet our personal goals, while not focusing on just ourselves… It is an excellent solution, assuming we can gain approval and backing."

"You leave that to Moz and me. We'll get it done, Little Wing." Aethyta stood up and met Liara's eyes. "Now, back to your guests. It's Shepard's damn holiday, and she's already missed more than half of it!"