Just outside his home, Mark Shepard took a deep breath, as the ground shuttle’s side door slid open. Here we go again. Yes, likely, these urgent matters Rael wanted to discuss were not going to be pleasant to hear.

Soon, Rael and a quarian woman stepped outside. And unlike Daro, the quarian woman was wearing longer, gold cloths over her suit, which matched her hood and visor. Behind her visor, her eyes glowed with silver light.

“ Khanah, ” Rael said, as the ground shuttle drove away, “Mark. We meet again.”

Rael extended his hand for a handshake. His wife accepted it, and then he did the same.

“Welcome to our humble, little neighborhood, Rael,” he said. He glanced at the quarian woman beside Rael. Who are you? “I have to admit we weren’t expecting you to request a meeting so urgently.”

“Or for you to bring a guest,” Hannah said.

“Yes,” Rael said, putting one hand on the small of the quarian woman’s back, “both of you meet Maeru’Zorah vas Neema, one of my Clan’s representatives on the Conclave, as well as my…”

“His lifemate,” Maeru said. Maeru extended her hand towards his wife for a handshake, and his wife accepted it.

Hannah tilted her head. “Lifemate?”

“You mean like your wife?” he asked.

“In human terms,” Rael said, “ wyfe would be the closest approximation. But I would not call it accurate.”

“Let’s just say that human and quarian relationships are not exactly the same,” Maeru said. She cleared her throat. “But anyways, what a beautiful home you have, Khanah. Keelah, it is so large and spacious.”

His wife let out a nervous laugh, then smiled. “Oh, why thank you.”

Sooner or later, we’ll have to sort out our cultural differences. Yes, why did Rael say a lifemate and a wife weren’t exactly the same? Lifemate? Yes, did quarians pair-bond for life and have no concept of promiscuity or divorce? “Well, how about you two come in,” he said, gesturing them to follow him inside his home.

“Gladly,” Rael said.

And then they all stepped inside into the first floor living room. As they did so, Rael and Maeru scanned their surroundings, as though each was absorbing every detail around them. Must be quite different than what they’re used to.

“Normally, I’d offer you two something to eat or drink,” Hannah said. His wife began scratching her neck, “but given that you’re another species…”

“Oh, you are most gracious and kind,” Maeru said. “We greatly appreciate the gesture. But…”

“But that will not be necessary,” Rael said.

He sat on the couch. “Then have a seat, you two.” He leaned forward and steepled his hands. “And let’s discuss these ‘urgent matters’ you mentioned.”

His wife sat right beside him, whilst Rael and Maeru sat next to each other on the couch across from him.

Rael sighed. “Now, where should we begin…”

“Let us begin with the less urgent matter,” Maeru said.

“Yes,” Rael said. “Very recently, I just received the results from tests comparing the genome of your species to that of the Asari. And…” Rael took a deep breath.

“And?” he asked.

“It is a 98.73 percent match,” Maeru said. “So your species are undoubtedly the Asari’s primogenitors.”

A long, tense silence ensued.

The Asari’s primogenitors…

Goodness, when this news reached the Alliance back in the Sol system, when it reached the Thessian Empire back on whatever planet the Asari considered their capital, then it would go down as the most significant revelation in history.

He gulped. But just what exactly would it entail?

A war unlike anything humanity had ever experienced?

“Goodness…” his wife said, leaning back into her chair. Her eyes were wide. Her mouth was agape. And she looked as though she was reeling from this revelation. “So the protheans…they really did make them from us.” She gulped. “Only question is why.”

“We don’t know,” Maeru said.

“But we have our theories,” Rael said.

“Your theories?” he asked.

“Yes,” Rael said, leaning forward in his seat. “Given how your species and the Asari share a great affinity for biotics, and how Thessia is very likely the most eezo-rich planet in the galaxy, I believe the First Ones were trying to create their successors, a species to guide and lead all of the others.”

“What makes you say that?” he asked.

“Because that is what they were before the dark times came,” Maeru said.

“Yes,” Rael said, “approximately two thousand five hundred years ago, long before the fall of their republic, they forged the first galactic federation. Under their leadership, all species enjoyed a golden age of peace, cooperation, and understanding.” Rael sighed. “Until the Rachni and the Krogan ruined everything.”

Briefly, he remembered the insectoid abominations and dinosaur-like aliens from Rael’s presentation. “Did they cause those two galactic wars you mentioned?”

“Yes…” Rael said. “One day, the Federation made first contact with the Rachni, and the war that followed…” Rael exhaled. “Keelah, it was the beginning of the end.”

“Every year, billions perished,” Maeru said. “And in desperation, the Federation uplifted the Krogan to help turn the tide.”

“They uplifted another race?” Hannah asked. Briefly, she looked at the ground and exhaled. “I’m guessing the Krogan must be quite a force to be reckoned with.”

Rael nodded. “They absolutely are. During the war, they proved themselves to be masters of the art of war. They were absolutely essential in exterminating every last Rachni from the galaxy and helped reclaim every lost world.” Rael sighed. “But then…”

“But what?” Hannah asked.

“But galactic civilization was never the same,” Maeru said. “For the first time, the Federation had exterminated another sentient species, and one of its core values had just been proven to be wrong.”

“Damn…” he said. Briefly, he looked at the ground. Yes, he did not want to imagine the sheer devastation of such a large-scale war. “So let me guess. After the war with the Rachni, the Krogan turned on you?”

Rael nodded. “They did exactly that. After the war, tensions grew between the Krogan and the Federation. And soon, that tension erupted into another galactic war.” Clenching his fists, Rael huffed through his nostrils. “For three centuries, they plunged the galaxy into an age of madness and bloodshed like nothing seen before.”

Rael conjured his holo-computer, then input a few commands. Soon, a window popped up, displaying various apocalyptic warzones abound with mass graves and blackened, ruined cities. But eventually, the window transitioned to a view of a battle amidst the bridge of a Krogan warship. In it, three Asari soldiers – clad in golden battle suits, and wielding blue energy blades – were fighting a colossal Krogan wearing a bulky, black battle suit decorated with sheets of flayed flesh, with screaming, severed heads hanging from hooks and chains.

“And even after they were beaten,” Rael said, “even after Asari justicars slew their Great Khan during the Battle of the Khelaxis Nebula, the madness and bloodshed did not stop.”

“After the Great Khan’s death,” Maeru said, “the Krogan tore each other apart in civil war.” Maeru conjured her holo-computer, then input a few commands. Soon, a window popped up, showing a two-dimensional galaxy map. “And their once invincible empire…” Nearly three-quarters of the galaxy map glowed red, highlighting Krogan space, “...fractured into countless warring states.” The highlighted region of the galaxy map fragmented, and each fragment became a different color.

“Over the next few decades,” Rael said, “what remained of the Federation launched a counter-offensive.” On the galaxy map, Krogan space steadily shrunk, until only large pockets remained in the galactic north. “During it, the Federation used biological warfare – a genetic virus called the genophage – to render all Krogan completely sterile.” Rael sighed. “But it failed to spread to all Krogan.”

“And Keelah,” Maeru said. “Now, most are immune.”

“So the war with the Krogan…” he said. A genetic virus? Must have been desperate. “I’m guessing it never really ended.”

“That it’s just been stuck in a very long stalemate?” Hannah asked.

Rael nodded. “That is an accurate assessment. And I believe it played a major role in the… ‘regime changes’ to follow.”

“In the rise of the Citadel Council?” Hannah asked.

“Yes,” Rael said. Rael sighed. “In exactly that.”

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A long, tense silence ensued.

“Other than the Thessian Empire,” he said. “Who are the other major powers of this…galactic triarchy?”

“And should we worry about them?” Hannah asked. “Do you think they might… ‘get involved’ with whatever the Ascendant plans to do with us?”

Rael paused, as though considering his next words carefully. Rael sighed. “Other than the Thessian Empire, there is the Turian Hierarchy and the Salarian Technocracy. But it is the turians you should worry the most about.”

Rael conjured his holo-computer, then input a few commands. And soon, a window popped up, displaying a hologram of a turian. Vaguely raptor-like, turians were lithe, slender bipeds with digitigrade legs, backward-sweeping head crests, a long, muscular tail, and an extra pair of smaller, minor arms. Covered in metallic plates, their skin was scaly and a dark shade of grey. Almond-shaped, their four reptilian eyes looked soulless, utterly devoid of warmth or compassion, and their nightmarish maws had three jaws bristling with needle-sharp teeth.

“They do not look friendly,” he said.

“Oh, they are anything but friendly,” Maeru said.

“They are our greatest enemies,” Rael said.

“Your greatest enemies?” Hannah asked.

“Yes,” Rael said. “When the geth were slaughtering us all, they were overjoyed. To them, we were one less species to compete with for eezo and colonies.” Rael sighed. “But anyways, we best hope they do not aid the Ascendant if he ever declares a crusade to conquer your homeworld.”

“Indeed,” Maeru said. She sighed. “Turians have no compassion for other species, and are only working with the rest of galactic civilization because war with the Asari or Salarians would end either in mutually assured destruction or with them facing the Silent Ones and what remains of the Krogan alone.”

His eyes went wide. “The Silent Ones?”

Rael sighed. “And Keelah…this brings me to the second reason I am here.”

“Yes,” Maeru said. She paused, as though considering her next words carefully. “It seems that soon…” Briefly, she looked at the ground. “We will need to evacuate the human colony of Mindior.”

His eyes went wide. His jaw dropped. “Evacuate Mindior?”

“What’s going on?” Hannah asked.

Rael shifted in his seat, then huffed through his nose. Again, he conjured his holo-computer and input a few commands before a window popped up, displaying a view of Mindoir from orbit. “Just before we made first contact with you, some of my scouts detected this ship…” The view zoomed in on a tear-drop-shaped vessel in orbit over Mindior, as black as the void of space. “...in orbit over the human colony of Mindior.” Rael input more commands into his holo-computer, and the view transitioned. Now, it showed the same vessel exploding in a mini-super nova, scattering chunks of smoldering debris in all directions. “After a brief skirmish, we managed to destroy it before it could find your homeworld or the rest of your colonies.”

“But let me guess…” he said. “This is only the beginning of our problems?”

Rael nodded. “Just four light years away from Mindoir, we found a mass relay–”

“A mass relay?” Hannah asked, tilting her head.

Maeru cleared her throat. “They are structures left behind by the First Ones, which provide nearly instantaneous travel between different points in the galaxy. In time, our scientists will teach yours how to use them.”

Instantaneous travel…

Goodness, just how advanced were the protheans? With technology like that, they must have been the unrivaled masters of the milky way galaxy. But then again, what happened to them? How could the masters of the galaxy just disappear?

“Yes,” Rael said. “In time, they will. But as I was saying…” Once more, he input some commands into his holo-computer, and a new window popped up, showing a view of dozens of alien warships amassing around a blue gas giant’s moon. And amidst the alien war fleet, one vessel stood out like a leviathan amidst a school of goldfish. Crescent-shaped, its hull bristled with red lights and spikey protrusions, and he felt sick just looking at it.

A brief, tense silence ensued.

Hannah gulped. “I’m guessing they can’t be reasoned with?”

“They can not,” Rael said. “Even now, seven centuries after the devastating war the Council fought to contain them to the Attican Traverse, they have always ignored any attempt anyone has made to communicate them.”

“Hence their name?” he asked.

Rael nodded. “Hence their name.”

Hannah pinched the bridge of her nose, then took a deep breath. Gently, he put one hand on her shoulder. Stay strong, love. Stay strong . “This…This is bad.”

“What can you tell us about them?” he asked.

“So little is known about them,” Rael said. “Any ship that enters their space tends to vanish without a trace, and nobody has ever discovered the location of their homeworld.”

Maeru sighed. “But what we do know is that they’ve very likely…uhm… absorbed every sentient species in their territory.”

“I’m sorry,” Hannah said. “Absorbed?”

“Yes,” Rael said. Again, he opened up a window on his holo-computer and began typing away. “The Silent Ones…they are not physical beings like you or I. Collectively, they are speculated to be some sort of colonial super-organism.”

“But nobody knows for sure,” Maeru said. “Their biology is so alien that nobody can understand them.”

A colonial super-organism beyond mortal comprehension…

His stomach churned. Goodness, he did not want to imagine what happened to species the Silent Ones absorbed.

Finally, a window appeared on Rael’s holo-computer, displaying photos of lush, green colonies before and after a Silent One invasion. After one, they were left as barren, lifeless rocks abound with ruined cities and wastelands of smoldering slag.

He gulped. “The colonists…Do the Silent Ones abduct and then absorb them in those gigantic ships?”

“And if so…” Hannah said. Her voice trembled slightly. Without hesitation, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze and she returned the gesture. “What do they do to them?”

“Nobody knows for sure,” Rael said, typing commands into his holo-computer. “But we suspect that they are turned into…” Briefly, Rael looked at the ground, then sighed. “Just watch this and see.”

Another window appeared on Rael’s holo-computer. In it, quarian scientists were dismantling and dissecting some kind of centipede-like, bio-mechanical monstrosity, with no visible eyes, only a mirror-like plate and a mass of oily, black tentacles on its face. Laying on its back on top of some kind of grav-table, a few of its legs were still twitching. Soon, the quarian scientists began to cut open sections of the monstrosity's soft, exposed belly.

But then the monstrosity thrashed and spasmed in a violent fit, wailing and groaning in agony. It slammed its head into one quarian scientist’s visor, knocking him to the ground.

As the scientists screamed and panicked, his eyes went wide. His jaw dropped. His pulse spiked, and his stomach churned. Oh, god…

Yes, the monstrosity’s distorted wails sounded so uncannily human, like the screams of a hundred tortured souls getting flayed alive. Closing his eyes, he gritted his teeth. Every second, the screaming gnawed on his mind and made his skin crawl. He broke into a cold sweat. Oh, when will you stop?!

He opened his eyes. And in the video feed, red, bloody tentacles were spurting from the monstrosity’s soft, exposed belly. Roaring in fury, it wrapped its tentacles around another scientist and tried to pull him apart. But then quarian soldiers stepped in and opened fire, riddling the monstrosity with a hail of energy bolts, tearing it apart into shreds of charred, smoking meat, entrails, and machinery.

Rael closed his holo-computer, and a long, tense silence ensued.

“Later,” Rael said. “We managed to dissect that abomination’s insides, and…” Rael exhaled. “Keelah, we found DNA sources corresponding to eight different asari and two salarians.”

“Oh goodness…” Hannah said. Briefly, she looked at the ground and paled. She gulped, then looked back at Rael. “Yeah, if Silent Ones want to abduct us all and turn us into… those things, then there’s no time to waste. What do you need us to do?”

“We need you and perhaps a few others from this colony to help convince the people of Mindior that they are in great danger,” Maeru said.

“Alone, we fear they will not listen,” Rael said, “that they will ignore our warnings…”

“And end up just like those Asari colonists?” he asked.

“Yes,” Rael said. Briefly, Rael looked at the ground. “I know this is much to ask of you. We only met two-weeks ago. But rest assured that we want the Silent Ones banished from this region of space just as much as you do.”

“And that we are more than willing to protect your homeworld and other colonies,” Maeru added.

A long, tense silence ensued.

During it, he looked into his wife’s eyes, and she was giving him that familiar look whenever she needed him to stand by her side. He nodded. Until the day I die.

Hannah cleared her throat, then looked at Rael. “Rael, undoubtedly, we want to help you. But…” She scratched her neck.

“We just need maybe one day for us to discuss this,” he said. Momentarily, he thought of his boys. Would somebody have to watch them? “And for us to get our affairs in order.”

Amidst another silence, Rael looked pensive, as though he was considering his next few words carefully. “Very well. I understand that you both have great responsibilities for your people here, and that you will need some time to think about this.”

“But please,” Maeru said. “Remember – as you humans say – that the khlock is tikhing. ”

Just then, Rael looked up towards the second-floor railing.

“Rael?” he asked. He looked towards where Rael was looking, only to spot John and Luke looking down at them. “John? Luke?”

Both of his boys met his gaze, and their eyes went wide.

Inwardly, he cringed. Oh, no…

How much had they heard? Depending on the answer, he had a lot of explaining to do.

“Oh,” Maeru said. “Are those your two little ones?” Maeru waved at them. “Hello.”

Hannah let out a nervous laugh, then scratched her neck. “Yeah.”

Briefly, he met his wife’s gaze, and she nodded. Yes, since the boys were already up, and had likely heard much of the previous discussion, why not introduce them to Rael and Maeru? He nodded back, then sighed. “Boys?”

“Yes, daddy?”

“How about you two come down here and say hello to our guests.”

Fidgeting, John and Luke went downstairs and approached, slowly.

“Oh, come on, you two,” he said. “Don’t be shy.”

Maeru laughed. “Yes, don’t be shy. Neither of us would ever harm you.”

“Oh…uhm…” John said. “Okay.”

John and Luke approached Maeru, and then John extended his hand for a handshake. “Hi, I’m John. What’s your name?”

“My name is Maeru, little one,” she said, accepting John’s handshake. “And it is an honor to meet you.” Briefly, she looked at Luke. “And your name is?”

“My…” Luke said, fidgeting. “My name is Luke.”

“Well, greetings, Lookh, ” she said, extending her hand for a handshake. Reluctantly, Luke accepted it.

“Gosh,” John said, smiling. “You’re very pretty, May-roo. ”

Maeru’s eyes went wide, and then she burst into a fit of laughter. She pinched John’s cheek. “Keelah, both of you are so adorable.”

When Maeru let go, John looked at the ground and giggled, blushing.

“Mommy? Daddy?” Luke asked. “Why are they here?”

“You have nothing to fear, little ones,” Rael said. “We are simply friends of your parents.”

“Yes,” Hannah said. “Don’t worry, baby. They would never hurt us.”

“Oh…uhm…” Luke said. “Ok.”

John approached Rael, then extended his hand for a handshake. “Hi, I’m John. What’s your name?”

Rael accepted it. “My name is Rael, little one. Hhhm…” Briefly, Rael paused. “I see both you and your brother are biotics. Keelah, just like your father.”

His eyes went wide. How did you know? Did quarians have some kind of detectors in their suits?

“Yes,” John said, “of course, I’m a biotic.”

“When there’s a biotic school,” Luke said, looking at him. “You’re going to teach us. Right Daddy?”

“Oh, of course, boys,” he said. “Of course.”

“Yeah,” John said with pride. “One day, we’ll be just like him, Mr. Rael. We’ll be just like him.”

Rael let out a weak laugh. “Oh, I have no doubt, Yahn. I have no doubt.” Rael cleared his throat, then looked at him. “Anyways, I think now most humans would be sleeping at this time. So…” Rael stood up, then extended his hand for a handshake. “Best we disturb you no longer.”

He stood up, then accepted Rael’s handshake. “Until next time then.”

“Until next time,” Maeru said.

Hannah shook Rael and then Maeru’s hand. “Until next time. And take care.”

“Take care,” Rael said. Then Rael and Maeru went outside through the front door.

In the ensuing silence, he took a deep breath, then looked at his boys. “Well now, back to bed, you two.”

“Aw, okay, daddy,” John said, pouting. “But wow! We had actual aliens in our house! Actual aliens!”

Hannah laughed. “I know, baby. I know. And I think they really liked you both.” Gently, she picked up John in her arms. “But come on. It’s back to bed, you two. You need your rest if you want to be big and strong like your daddy.”

Smiling, he picked up Luke in his arms, and Luke clung to him, tightly. “You can say that again.”

Together, he and Hannah went back upstairs and put their boys back to bed, having once more kissed them good night. Next, they went into their own room, changed into their pajamas, then lay together on the bed.

After he shut off the lights, his wife cuddled up to him in darkness. “Tomorrow is going to be one hell of a day.”

He wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her tight. He sighed. “You can say that again. We’ll have so many questions to answer, and so much shit and drama to deal with. But through it all…” He looked into her eyes, then kissed her lips. “We’ll endure it together.”

“Yes,” she said, smiling. She kissed his lips. “We’ll endure it together.”