Lieutenant Commander Hannah Shepard was tired. Not just regular, stayed up too late reading tired, but bone tired. The kind of tired that sank deep into you. The kind of tired that made you question why you ever even woke up. She was mother of twins tired.

But she had work to do.

The Quarian Captain before her was interesting. She had never seen, let alone met, a Quarian. She was, like all of the Alliance Navy, aware of Quarians. Just as she was aware of Asari, Krogan and Turians. But this was her first Contact with a Quarian.

She thought about the brief she had received from her Captain before the Quarian diplomatic ship docked with the station, and frowned. It...was not particularly...polite. That was what she was willing to say, out loud anyway. It painted the same picture that the Greater Galactic Community seemed to spread. That Quarians were not to be trusted. That they were thieves, vagabonds, liars and victims of their own hubris.

"...And this is my Logistics Officer, Hannah Shepard," her Captain, Desmond Arnolds introduced her to the small delegation of Quarians. Hannah looked up and smiled politely, shaking the hand of each member of the small group of aliens.

The Quarian Captain, the tallest member of the delegation, was not quite as tall as she was, but then, even for a human woman, Hannah was tall, at six foot even, without her boots. He, like the other male and the two females, were slight of build, compared to humans. When thought about it, the males were only slightly broader of shoulder than human women, but cut a more drastic V shape in the upper body than human men. It gave them a look of solid strength.

As she shook hands with the females, she noted that their upper bodies made a more tapered narrowing to a thin waist. But then, their hips. Hannah envied those hips. She also noted that the female's upper legs were bigger, stronger looking than the males. And, while they both moved with a willowy gracefulness, it was the females that looked almost preternatural.

"I am pleased to meet members of the newest species to reach the stars," the Quarian Captain said. "This," he gestured to the first female, the one that stood closest to him, "is my primary mate, Sale'Kett Vas Rayya. My Executive officer, Rael'Zorah Vas Rayya." He gestured to the other male, who stood stiffly, as he didn't approve of the humans. "And his primary mate, Meru'Zorah Vas Rayya, my Logistics Officer." As he gestured to the second female, she waved her three fingered hand hand slightly, as she stood far more casually than her mate.

Captain Arnolds turned crisply away, toward the station. "Now, I believe we should leave our Logistics to communicate, I shall show you to the stateroom where we can talk about your...request." Real'Zorah seemed to straighten even more, if that was possible. Hannah sighed quietly to herself. That damned Arnolds was never a diplomat, and could not keep his distrust and outright dislike for aliens show. She had no idea how he had been given this assignment.

"We are used to it." Hannah blinked at the cheerful voice.

"What?" Turning, Hannah gave her alien counterpart a slightly embarrassed look.

"Your Captain," Meru said, her voice too cheerful for a people as maligned as hers seemed to be, even by the humans that had first met them. "We are used to species reacting like that, so don't worry about it."

Frowning, Hannah shook her head. "No, not good enough."

Meru's head tilted slightly to one side, as if asking a question. Her body was lean as the others of her delegation, but Hannah thought she had a more delicate, more feminine feel.

"We are new to the Galactic stage," Hannah said, straightening. "We should be better than this."

Hannah stood, looking at the Quarian, and Meru went still, her head still tilted to one side, ever so slightly. Good work Hannah, she thought to herself, Make things worse.

With a suddenness that startled her, the Quarian laughed. A warm, bubbling laugh, that brought a smile to Hannah's face.

"I am sorry," Meru said, between fits of giggling. "I am just surprised that you would feel that way, considering our 'terrible' reputation." Her delicate first fingers made an air quote.

"Well, I have never been one to judge anybody by scuttlebutt," Hannah said, turning, and gestured down a different corridor than the Command group had taken.

The two women began to walk down the corridor when a small blonde headed body hurdled around the first corner. Upon seeing the elder pair, he attempted to halt his forward momentum, skidding to a stop inches from the Quarian's stomach.

His bright blue eyes looked up at the alien in shock as his heels came down onto the floor, his arms still outstretched as he had fought for balance. Unfortunately, following the first child came a second, this one's hair was a bright red. It's shocking deep color widened Maru's eyes as the second child, clearly angry at the first, failed to stop, slamming the first into her.

"JOHN! JANE! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?!" Hannah yelled, grabbing both of her children by the scruff of their necks, and pulling then nearly off the deck. Even in her angered mind, Hannah registered that Meru, as slight as she was, was barely even rocked by the impact of her two, soon to be deceased children.

"But mom!" The girl started, trying to kick at her brother. "Jay-Jay broke my mirror! The one grandma sent us!"

"It was an accident!" the boy cried, attempting to shake loose of his mother's grip.

"I DON'T CARE IF HE LIT YOU ON FIRE! YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE OUT OF THE FAMILY WING!" Hannah was more embarrassed than actually angry, her face turning a bright shade of red as she flushed. "You just ran into an officer of the Quarian Flotilla, and a diplomat on one of the first contacts of her species. Now. Apologize!"

Both children looked down at the deck and fidgeted, shifting a foot here or scratching an arm there. "We're sorry ma'am," they both said, their voice a somber monotone.

Meru's hands where over her speaker light as she bounced up and down on her toes. A quiet, but high pitched squeal came out as she shook happily. "Are these your young? They have such rich hair color!"

"Ah," Hannah cleared her throat, releasing her demon spawned children to the deck. "Yes, yes they are. This one," she dropped her hand on the blonde boy's head. "Is my son John. And this," her other hand dropped on the red headed girl. "Is my daughter Jane."

"Hullo," he boy said, his voice quiet as he seemed to be staring at the Quarian's three toed feet.

"HI!" the girl grinned up at the alien, showing a toothy smile.

Squatting down, easily with her digitigrade lower legs, Hannah noted to herself, Meru looked both children over, good humor radiating from her suit. "Hmm, you seem to be missing a fang there," Meru said, tapping the girl's nose lightly.

"Hee hee, yeah, I lost my front tooth a whole week ago!" The girl stood, her hands on her hips.

"That's only cause you fell off the bunk and knocked it out!" the boy looked up, indignant.

"Nu uh!"

"Uh huh!"

"Children!" Hannah barked. Ther weariness from earlier returned, doubled. Turning to Meru, "I am so sorry, they are not supposed to be out of the family wing of the station and… wait," Hannah looked up, as something occurred to her. She looked down at her children. "How DID you get out?"

The boy immediately looked down at his feet, his hands clenched into fists at his side. The girl, however, snapped around to look at her mother, her smile gone. Neither child spoke.

"Well?" Hannah raised an eyebrow at the children.

After a beat Jane looked at her brother, swallowed and returned to her mother. "Sargent Davenport was leaving and we snuck out behind him...It was my idea!"

Hannah frowned slightly. Her children were lying to her...why?

"They are adorable!" Meru said, standing. "I have a daughter myself, much smaller though."

With a grateful look John looked up at her and blinked. "I like your schawl...thing," he said, happy to be changing the subject.

"Thank you," Meru said, her head tilting to one side slightly. A gesture Hannah had come to realize meant the Quarian woman was smiling behind her visor. "My people, Quarians, call the wrap, which goes over our head, crosses our body, and ends wrapped around our leg, here," Meru gestured to the full length of the cloth. "Our word for it is Realk. The pattern indicates our clan, mine," she indicated the swirls and curved lines of her realk, "is on Clan Zorah. The color, green, indicates I am an administrations officer."

"Ree...Raal...Ray-ak?" John attempted the word, his failure bringing a giggle out of Meru, and an exasperated sigh out of his mother.

"No, Jay-Jay," Jane said, her own bright blue eyes rolling. "Realk!"

Both Meru and Hannah looked at the girl, who stood with a triumphant look on her face.

"Yes, that is correct," Meru said, happiness in her voice. "I am impressed."

"Hee hee, I am good at languages! Jay-Jay, is terrible though. He can't even say hello in Turian yet!" Jane said, looking down her nose at her brother.

"I..I can too!" John shouted.

"Can not!" Jane shot back.

"CHILDREN!" Hannah cut off the war before it began in earnest. "You said you have a daughter?" Anything to change the subject Hannah thought to herself.

Nodding her head and bouncing forward on her toes lightly Meru Laughed warmly again. "I do, yes, she is much smaller than your two here. She is five galactic years old!" Meru exclaimed. Tilting her head again Meru brought on of her fingers to the side of her helmet, her glowing eyes wide with the happiness of a mother dying to show off her creation. "Would you like to meet her?" Meru asked the two human children.

"You have her with you?" Hannah asked, surprised.

"Oh yes!" Meru replied, humor in her voice. "This is a diplomatic mission and having the children of the diplomatic team with them makes some species more comfortable with the meetings."

"Mama!" John exclaimed. "I want to meet her!"

"Me too!" Jane nodded vigorously.

"Well, then!" Meru said, happily. "I will be right back!"

Fifteen minutes later Meru returned. Rolling in front of her was a large clear bubble. It reminded Hannah of the hamster ball she had for her pet when she was young. The thought brought a mental wince to her mind. Good one Shepard she thought to herself good way to alienate a new friend…

Inside the bubble, rolling it forward, much like Hannah's mental hamster, was a small child. It was wearing what appeared to be a grey one piece jumper, the color pronounced against the light purple of it's skin. It's hands and feet were bare, the tips of it's fingers and toes had what appeared to be small claws, or, they would be claws one day. The child's hair was in a short messy tangle, not any longer than John's hair, but in a deep midnight black. The eyes closed the question Hannah had in her mind. The Quarian eyes glowed with their own bioluminescence. They were a a dim, pale light, like that of Earth's moon.

"WOW!" Jane exclaimed, her hands clapping unconsciously. Her excited yell startled the child, who came to an abrupt stop, nearly tipping over in her bubble.

"This," Meru said, the pride clear in her voice. "Is my daughter. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya."

Stepping forward, John laid his hand gently on the outside of the alien girl's bubble. The girl slowly reached her small hand up and placed it over the boy's a small smile on her face.

"She's cute," John said. His voice distracted as he examined the girl.

Hannah Shepard smiled down at her children. She had tried to prepare them for alien species as best she could and they had never let her down. Here again, their open hearted attitude would do then well in life.

"Yes, I think so too," Meru said, looking at her daughter and the human boy. Meru had to admit, she was surprised. She didn't expect Tali to be so comfortable with alien children, but her daughter was clearly enamored with the boy.

With a laugh in her voice Hannah looked back up to Maru. "Why don't we bring the children to the cargo bay where the supplies are being gathered. They can play a bit while we go through the lists."

"Yes, I think that would be a wonderful idea!" Meru said, tapping the bubble lightly.

"Te'lass vel menene korr'a!" Tali laughed, running her bubble behind the human boy.

Turning, John laughed. "I wish we knew what she was saying!" he called over to his sister.

Jane looked over from where she sat, playing with a control pad. "Yeah, well, she seems to be having fun with you," she huffed. The Quarian child had not been interested in her, preferring her brother. "Wonder why she is in that ball thing."

John stopped catching the girl, Tali's, bubble. Inside the girl hopped up and down, laughing. "Mana vess shoma!" she laughed, holding her hand against the bubble, facing John.

He placed his hand against hers, separated by the soft rubber-like material of the bubble. "It's so she doesn't get sick," John said glancing at his sister. "Quarians don't have good immune systems. It's why the adults wear those suits."

Frowning, Jane slapped the side of the pad, trying to get it to light up. "How do you know that?" she asked, her voice distracted.

"Mrs. Merryade's Xeno-class. Didn't you pay attention?" Shaking his head John turned his attention back to Tali.

"No," Jane curtly replied. "You're the only one who does. 'Cause you're a teacher's pet!"

"I am not!" John yelled back.

"Are too!"

"Am NOT!" Tali startled back at John's outburst, her smile slowly fading for the first time.

"Ah! Not you!" John turned his back on his sister, and back to Tali. "You are great!" His voice, once more soothing, brought a hesitant smile back on the girl's face. "Too cute…" John muttered to himself.

Across from where John and Tali played Jane smacked the side of the control pad again, a grin on her face as it lite up finally. Her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth slightly, Jane input the code she had seen a passing dock worker use earlier. As it lit up, she crowed with excitement, "Yes! I got it!"

Glancing up John heard a deep mechanical thump and loud whirring over his and Tali's head, as something large loomed over them, blocking the bright ceiling lights of the dock.

Jane saw the control pad blink out just as she heard the overhead machinery spark to life. Looking up, Jane saw an overhead lifter swinging a large shipping container over the empty spot above her brother and Tali. Her eyes widened and her stomach sank as she realized what was happening. "JOHN!" she screamed, her hand reaching forward toward her brother.

Hannah Shepard and Meru'Zorah chatted quietly together as they went over supplies and containers being sold to the Quarian Fleet.

"JOHN!" Jane's voice shattered the relative quiet of the dock. Both Hannah and Meru spun, looking back to the children.

Seeing the large container over Tali and John, both women's eyes widened with horror as they saw the clamps disengage, the metal box began to drop.

"JOHNNY!"

"TALI!"

Two mother's cried reaching, praying that time would stop.

When the shadow fell over Tali, she looked up, seeing the giant box overhead. She was scared. She didn't like this game. Looking at the boy, Tali pushed both her hands against the bubble, pushing at the boy, her eyes filled with fear.

John looked at her. A frown on his face as his mind raced. He had to save Tali. He was afraid what they would do when they found out. He had been keeping it a secret. Only Jane knew what he held inside.

But the girl needed him. Grim faced, John wrapped his arms around the Bubble as he covered as much of it as he could with his body. Then, with his mind he reached out and...pushed.

The pressure in his head grew. It grew and grew, bigger than it had anytime before. Then he felt it snap. Like a barrier burst in his brain. Then, all he knew was pain. His mind was alight with pain. It was so much that he couldn't even scream.

He looked down at the girl in the bubble below him. She pressed her hands toward him. She looked at him, as if she was worried for him and not the danger they were in. Gritting his teeth, he pushed harder.

Then he felt it hit. The impact drove him to his knees, but he didn't let go of the bubble. He pulled it tighter against himself, it's pliant surface bending in as he squeezed.

Tali pressed her hands harder against her bubble. So hard she could feel the body heat of the boy. Her mind noted how much warmer he was, than her parents. But, he seemed to be in pain. His face was bleeding, Tali didn't know how to help him.

Jane just stood. Tears slowly ran down her cheeks, both her hands over her mouth. It was she could do. She just….stood. It was her fault. She killed them, she….

Meru skidded to a stop, her hands impacting the side of the large container. It was so big. All her mind could register for a moment was how huge it seemed to be. So much larger than her little girl under it. Her jaw worked, but no sound could escape. There was no sound that existed that would be enough to express what was in her heart. Then, she saw the glow….

Hannah moved faster than she knew was possible. Her hair, her vain pride, collapsed out of it's tight bun as she moved. She came up beside Meru, searching, looking for a hand hold, something that would let her save her baby. Anything, when she saw it….

John could feel the pain in his head and feel the warm fluid running out of his nose. But he pushed it aside. The blue glow of his Biotic field wrapped both children as her slowly reached out one trembling hand.

The container began to buckle. It's corner twisted, as if being crushed by a glowing giant. The metal shearing and shifting away from John and Tali.

The pressure and pain grew with each passing moment. His legs threatened to give out. But John looked down at Quarian girl. Her hands pressed against him as she looked into his eyes. She was so calm. She knew he would save her. With a roar, he threw his hand as high as he could. He saw the ceiling of the hanger then. Then, like a puppet with it's strings cut he fell, his biotic blue corona fading.