Mass Effect
Salvation Day
By Grey Nayr
Commander Shepard was alone at night, surrounded by a dark forest. The leaves had fallen, denoting the autumn season. Shepard did not know where to go or what to do. But moved forward, compelled by an unknown force.
Along the way, clouds of smoke manifested, and eerie voices emanated from within them. Familiar voices. The tones of those long passed.
"I'm hoping to see some real action!" one cloud spoke. It was Jenkins, the first to die under Shepard's lead.
"Go back and get Alenko!" another plume whispered. Ashley Williams, who met her end on Virmire as Shepard chose to save the life of Kaidan Alenko instead of her own.
"You can't help me..." a child's voice said. Shepard remembered watching the boy die as the Normandy departed from the Earth at the prologue of what felt like the war to end all wars.
"Had to be me," Mordin's voice stated. "Someone else might have gotten it wrong.
"Kalahira, mistress of inscrutable depths. I ask forgiveness."
"Do we deserve death," Legion asked with his mechanized voice.
"I just...couldn't leave," a feminine Turian voice said. It was Nyreen Kandross, who died on Omega because Shepard could not arrive a moment sooner. "Considering all this, I wish I had."
"You did good..." Anderson's voice spoke last.
The last cloud of smoke dissipated to reveal the deceased admiral in the form of a rotting corpse. "You did good..."
Shepard gasped awake. Liara looked on at her bondmate, chest clutched and drenched in cold sweat. Desperate for air. She rose up and wrapped her arms around the Commander. "Another nightmare?"
"Yeah," was all Shepard could say.
"You did everything you could for them," she answered. Her love had this dream enough times for her to know every detail. Described in words, and witnessed as their minds melded.
Shepard got out of bed and walked, naked, to the bar of Liara's penthouse in Mayfair, the richest living district in London, England. They were at the top floor of a large tower which displayed a beautiful view of Hyde Park in the distance. It was owned under an alias name that she used for her work as the Shadow Broker, but had become a home for the two of them whenever they needed to be on Earth.
Days like today, especially.
"I know," Shepard finally replied, taking a long drink of bourbon whiskey to calm nerves after the terrible dream. Liara knew it had to be more agitating than ever before if Shepard were drinking just after waking. But the clock said 14:00 and the sky was bright blue and spotted with puffy white clouds. Sleeping in was a hazard of living aboard the Normandy. They lived by galactic standard time, rather than the United Kingdom's time zone. "It just wasn't enough," Shepard added.
Liara followed out of bed and approached. "They're not judging you," she said with a frown.
"That doesn't change how it feels. They all had bright futures ahead of them. And when my time came to rest with them, I survived."
"Which is something many are grateful for," Liara pointed out. "Especially myself."
"I know. I know," Shepard said. "It's just today."
"Salvation Day," was the name that passed Liara's blue lips as she described it being, "the anniversary of the end of the Reaper war," as if reading from a textbook or news program.
"Three years," Shepard commented with a shallow breath. "The first two I was in recovery. I had plenty to occupy my mind."
Liara nodded. "Cloned limb transplants, more cybernetic implants, skin grafts, and a year in physical therapy."
"But now that it's all over and I've returned to active duty, it's gotten harder."
"Survivor's guilt. It's not as uncommon as you would think," Liara rested her hand on Shepard's shoulder.
"When I'm working it doesn't bother me quite as much. I'm doing good, keeping the peace as a Spectre. But when there's time off, especially days like today, I can't help but feel like I have no right to this peace while so many friends were left unburied," Shepard choked slightly, but stifled an outburst. "They never got to see home."
"The fault for that injustice lies squarely on Cerberus and the Reapers," Liara said firmly. Perhaps too firmly.
"I... I know," the Commander conceded. But then remembered and said, "I need to go down to the HQ. Alliance News Network wants to interview me for the holiday."
Shepard offered no more words and went for the shower, and leaving within the next thirty minutes. Liara sighed. "Goddess..." as she fell back into the bed and buried her face in Shepard's pillow. Sniffing for the scent of her bondmate's hair. She couldn't bear to see the Commander like this, and wanted to help. To do anything she could.
Liara tapped the button on her wrist bracelet to bring up her omni-tool's haptic interface. A fluid stroke of several buttons summoned her VI digital assistant into her view. Glyph's holographic shell was blue and rotated as it floated in the air, staring at her through a single oculus. "You needed me, Doctor T'Soni?" it asked in a mellow electronic tone.
Liara wasted no time getting to the point. "Find the best catering company in London and prepare a dinner here," she ordered. A romantic evening alone might help Shepard's mood, she had decided. And she had all the resources she could ever need to make it happen. Being the Shadow Broker had benefits, after all.
"For how many?"
"Two. An intimate evening for Shepard and I," she explained.
"Right away," Glyph answered as it scanned its databanks for any information on London, and applied a series of filters to sort for relevant data. As it worked, Liara's omni-tool pinged, signaling an incoming call. Shepard may have had the day off, but she never did.
She forwarded the call to the quantum entanglement communicator in the corner of the room and the figure of an Asari woman projected in the holographic display. "Hello?" Liara asked Treeya, her protégé and agent.
"Enjoying your time off?" Treeya asked casually.
"Could be better," was the answer she received from Liara. Her hairless brow raised, "Did something happen?"
"Shepard's having a rough day. Survivor's guilt," Liara stated bluntly.
"And you're worried?" Treeya had seen survivor's guilt before in a dear friend, and even felt it herself. "...Yes," Liara admitted.
"Hard to move forward with the dead gripped on your ankles."
"Pardon?" Liara did not understand.
Her pupil explained, "It's something James said to me after Fehl Prime. When news came that Shepard had destroyed the Collectors he was the same way."
"But Vega found peace," Liara pointedly mentioned.
"Because James found something worth living for. And so will Shepard," she reassured her mentor.
"I hope so," Liara smiled. But enough time had been wasted on small talk. It was time to work. "Now, your report."
Treeya grinned and said, "The intel on the Dalatrass checked out. Your source was thorough."
"Padok Wiks wouldn't commit treason against his people if it wasn't."
"With this, we have real leverage against Linron," Treeya almost squealed with happiness as it provided a good opportunity for their people. "What are you going to do with it?"
"Simple. She agrees to voice her support to the Councilor in favor of relief efforts for Asari colonies," Liara elaborated. "If she doesn't, the entire galaxy learns that she informed Cerberus of Eve's existence and let down her homeworld's security systems in an attempt to prevent the Genophage cure." She took a drink of water before finishing. "If she's not tried by her own government for compromising the special tasks group, she'll be hunted down by every Krogan in the galaxy."
Treeya was happy, but always aware of the room for error that every plan had, no matter how well done. "And if her government doesn't admonish her decision, they could protect her. What then?"
Liara always had at least three backup plans waiting in case the first failed. She grinned confidently and coolly said, "Then Clan Solus learns of her remote detonation of the Shroud. The explosion that killed Mordin Solus. They have enough influence in the Salarian Union to contest that possible ruling."
Treeya was stunned. "What? Are you serious?" She did not know this particular piece of information. But Liara had triple checked everything when compiling evidence against the Dalatrass. She suspected Linron of being behind the Cerberus attack for three simple reasons; time, motive, and opportunity. In the short period between the summit and Shepard's arrival on Sur'Kesh with the Krogan representative, the only people who knew of the exchange were they, as well as Primarch Adrien Victus and the Dalatrass herself. And a simple communication hack revealed outgoing messages from the Normandy while the Commander was on the shuttle ride to the STG base, as well as an incoming message from the base itself just after the group arrived. Linron's motive was obvious, anything to prevent the cure of the Genophage and the possible resurgence of the Krogan species. There was no other conceivable way for Cerberus to organize an attack of such scale within a rough hour's time. And Padok Wiks had graciously provided the content of the messages themselves. Confirmation of her suspicions.
But with the latter piece of information, Liara had discovered it some time ago, back during the Reaper War. "I'm very serious," she replied. "I thought it was strange how the Shroud was intact after the battle between Kalros and the Reaper, then suddenly ripping itself apart. A second failsafe she activated once she saw Mordin on security footage in the construct."
"Does Shepard know about this?" was Treeya's following query. And it was a good question, as the Commander would want to know the identity of a friend's killer. Liara nodded. "We agreed this was better as leverage. Helping the Asari recover from the war is more important than revenge that might have a cost too high to pay."
"Understood," Treeya said. "Should I use this, or do you want to confront her personally?"
"I'll do it myself after the holiday," she answered.
"All right, Agent Nuwani out," Treeya stated as the comm closed.
"I guess that just leaves me to figure out what to do with myself," Liara talked to herself. Glyph suggested, "Perhaps you should step out to let the caterers work, and prepare for the evening. Wear something nice for Shepard."
Liara paused. After the Crucible damaged most of the technology in the galaxy, Glyph was rendered nonfunctional. When Liara reconstructed him, she upgraded his processor and RAM in addition to removing his personality restraints, allowing him to begin an evolution into a full fledged AI. But she hadn't expected him to be this far along so soon. "I never thought you were an expert on romance, Glyph." Liara laughed.
"I downloaded and viewed several romance vids from the extranet to be of further assistance," it answered.
She pondered it and decided that it was the right idea. "Arrange for transportation to meet me at the ground floor."
"At once."
Liara dressed and went for the elevator, going to the ground level of the building. As guaranteed, a skycar with a driver waited. She entered the passenger side and instructed the driver, "Take me Covent Garden."
"Right away," he answered.
The hatch of the car closed, the mass effect generator fired up and lifted the car into the air as the mass decreased. A light flare of the thruster propelled it forward at a moderate speed.
Covent Garden was on the west end, and contained a large shopping center. The Reaper War saw the destruction of the original markets that had been in business since the year 1980 and with the world rebuilding in the last three years, it had been fully restored with much of the city.
During the ride, Liara drifted into her own mind, remembering the conversation she just had with Treeya.
"Hard to move forward with the dead gripped at your ankles," her voice echoed. "Because James found something worth living for. So will Shepard."
"Something to live for..." she muttered.
"What?" the driver asked, thinking she was talking to him. "Nothing," she answered. "Just thinking out loud."
A few moments later the car landed. "Here we are, Covent Garden," he said as Liara exited. He parked the car and waited for her return.
As Liara entered the markets she saw a band of humans having a rally outside. The logos on their t-shirts were the emblem of the controversial Terra Firma Party. She knew full well that their group had been primarily controlled by the pro-human terrorist organization Cerberus, and was chock full of Xenophobic sentiments.
"What do we want?" A protestor yelled through a megaphone app on his omni-tool. "Aliens off Earth!" the others replied. "Why do we want it?" he asked. "Because we bleed red!" they answered.
She paid them no more mind and entered the markets.
Liara was pleased with the aesthetic appearance of the market. It had been accurately restored to the look that had stood since the late 20th century. Brown brick walls with large windows into the stores, and a skylight in the roofs. The market was teeming with life as she gracefully waded through the crowd and settled on a women's boutique. She was immediately met with the sight of high fashion and the smell of perfume in the air. A well dressed blonde woman who appeared to be in her mid-40s approached her with a suspicious look on her face.
"Can I help you?" the woman said cautiously.
"Yes," Liara responded. "I'm preparing for an evening with my bondmate and I want to pick out a dress to wear."
"Is your bondmate a human?" the woman asked intrusively. Such matters were not her business, Liara thought. "Yes, why do you ask?"
The woman fell silent and Liara had her answer. She was of the same mind as the protestors outside. They objected to the increased presence of alien species on Earth, in the wake of the Reaper War. But they were all fools. Were it not for the aliens the world would still be in shambles, like her own homeworld, Thessia. Nobody lifted a finger to help them because of the scandal surrounding the temple of Athame and the Prothean beacon it hid. Asari were blamed by nearly every species for the occurrence of the war and they'd been left to rot for it. They lost their seat on the Council they had formed and were doomed to live in a dystopia of their own making.
Liara shrugged it off and turned her attention to the dresses. She looked through a wide assortment of gowns and dresses. The labels read of designers spanning the last two centuries and a single one caught her eye. It was a white silk dress, which was just her size. It was open back and low cut in the front. It went down to her ankles and included a matching pair of white heels. "I like this one," she said.
"You have exquisite taste for an Asari," the woman said before silently gasping and covering her mouth. Something Liara shouldn't have heard slipped out. She cringed, "I beg your pardon?"
The woman scrambled to correct herself. "I'm just saying," she began with a nervous chuckle, "The Asari have their own tastes in fashion and more human women dress as they do. It's seldom the other way around so you surprised me," she told a half-lie. "I also have this perfume. A classic fragrance that's no longer produced."
Liara held out her wrist and the woman sprayed a sample on it. It smelled nice, but a glance at the bottle revealed a name she did not like. "Manufactured by Harper Industries," she said.
"Is that a problem?" the woman asked.
"Yes. Harper Industries was a Cerberus front."
The woman's brows jumped and she had to ask, "How do you know that?"
Liara smiled confidently. "Because I'm an information broker. A very good one."
The saleswoman conceded and showed her another fragrance. It was slightly more expensive and smelled different, but it was acceptable. "I think I'll let you do your own makeup," she stated. "I don't carry Asari shades and anything human would just make you look like a clown," she uttered a high pitched snort as a laugh.
Liara stifled her irritation and sarcastically said, "I appreciate your consideration..."
"Will that be all?"
"Yes, charge everything to this account," Liara said as she offered the number. The woman rang it up and her eyes widened at the name on the account. She looked at the Asari before her with her mouth unclosed. "You're Liara T'Soni?"
"Yes."
"That means your bondmate is... Commander Shepard."
"Yes, again."
"I apologize if I came off as rude," the woman frowned. She was not so devolved by her racism that she would admonish a member of the Normandy crew, the saviors of the galaxy, and most importantly, the lover of the very person who defeated the Reapers.
"It's fine," Liara said falsely. In truth, she just didn't feel like arguing. She paid and left the shop with her purchases and made her way back to the skycar.
"What do we want!?" the protestor demanded. "Aliens off Earth!" the others answered. "Why do we want it!?" he demanded again. "Because we bleed red!" they replied.
Liara could not resist a scoff at them, but in doing so caught their attention.
"Blue whore!" the lead protester spat hatefully at Liara. "You're not welcome on Earth!"
Liara looked on at him. He was no older than nineteen years old, a college student probably. His accent was from the United North American States and he had messy brown hair. "I have every right to be here," she couldn't resist answering.
"You're an Asari!" he snapped back. "The worst of the worst. If it weren't for your kind hogging the Prothean beacon we'd have been ready for the Reapers!"
Typical, she thought. Another person hating the Asari because of the beacon. "My people were as ignorant to that knowledge as your own."
"And now you're squatting on Earth!"
"I'm here for the holiday with my human bondmate," she argued pointedly. She shouldn't engage him and she knew it, but he was annoying beyond words and was hitting where it hurt. "Not that I owe the likes of you any explanation or excuse."
Another person shouted, "I heard the clerk inside. She's Liara T'Soni. Shepard's slut!"
Liara's anger rose and her neck muscles became taut. She stifled her urge to attack as the crowd booed at her.
"And what do you have against Shepard?" she asked.
The college boy sneered. "Only that the Commander is the one who brought all the aliens to Earth. We were meant to stand on our own two feet. Not get into bed with animals like you."
This kid was an idiot, she believed. "If you stood on your own, you'd be dead," she stated matter-of-factly. "The Reapers would have seen to that."
"Or if we'd never made first contact, the Reapers might never have noticed us!" His arguments became even less rational.
"How is that Shepard's fault? An infant child didn't start the First Contact War."
"Better to die on your feet than live on your knees," he yelled back in lieu of a proper retort. The crowed cheered him in agreement. "Shepard made us slaves to the aliens. The Commander is nothing but a traitor."
And that was a step too far.
"Enough!" Liara snarled as the air charged with dark energy and they were all flung back by her biotics.
That felt good. It was a childish gratification, but it felt satisfying nevertheless. They deserved it for being so hateful and stupid.
"See everyone!" he decreed. "She abuses us with her power and will face no punishment for her crime. Aliens have impunity on Earth and humans are low class citizens in our own world!"
The college boy was lifted off of us feet by Liara's biotics and whimpered like a baby as she brought him close to her. "If Earth's so bad, go to Thessia, my homeworld," she seethed. "See just how lucky you are to have other species and cultures willing to help you rebuild your home, while we have no one. Until you've seen real squalor and dystopia don't spout your racism at me!" She ended it by throwing him back into the crowd and returning to the skycar.
"You okay?" the driver asked with concern.
"Yes, take me back home. I've had enough for one day."
The drive back home was peaceful enough. The driver had become more talkative and joked to cheer her up, and even turned on the radio, playing music from the early 21st century. He didn't offer his name, ask for hers, or make any moves. It was a simple gesture of kindness from a genuinely good person. And by the time she returned, she was happy again and looking forward to her evening.
"Welcome back, Doctor," Glyph's electronic tone welcomed her. "Thank you, Glyph," she said back. "I trust the caterers have done their work?"
"Yes."
She looked out and saw the terrace decorated beautifully, with a large dinner set on a table and covered to protect from the elements. Glyph displayed holos of the uncovered dinner so Liara wouldn't need to verify it all herself. Shepard would be home soon, and she needed to be ready.
Liara stripped naked and went into the shower. She cleaned her body and dried with a towel before donning the dress she had just purchased. It contrasted nicely with her blue skin and she sprayed the perfume on lightly. Her omni-tool displayed a map and a transponder blipped. It was Shepard. And the Commander was almost home.
Shepard walked back into the penthouse to see Glyph standing in the door. "Glyph..." the Commander said.
"Good evening, Commander. I trust your day went well?"
"The usual smiling for the cameras and signing autographs at the Salvation Day gathering and interview. I wouldn't call it good, but there were no problems."
Shepard walked past Glyph and entered the penthouse, and was met by Liara, who looked stunning. "Welcome home," she said.
"This is... wow…" Shepard grinned anxiously. Liara took her love by the handed and guided out to the terrace, showing the dinner she had arranged. "I thought I would arrange something special for when you got home. Take your mind off of everything."
"Thank you. But you didn't have to do this. You're better than any gesture."
Liara blushed at Shepard's sweet words. "I know. But you're worth the effort."
"So what have we got here?"
"The caterers brought all of your favorite foods. As well as a few bottles of vintage wine, and I've cleared both of our schedules," she explained.
"Sounds like you've thought of everything," Shepard smiled.
"I always do, don't I?" she giggled. "And we'll be eating out on here on the terrace so we can watch the fireworks."
"And then make some of our own," Shepard joked suggestively.
Liara laughed. "There will be plenty of that."
The two sat down and ate, talking about their days. Shepard told Liara about the interview and was angered to hear of Terra Firma's antagonism. But she calmed her lover. After they finished and the night had come, the skies were lit brilliantly as fireworks of various colors popped in the distance. They watched entranced from the balcony. Liara rested on Shepard's shoulder as Shepard rested on the guard railing.
"Thanks again," Shepard said. "I needed this."
"I love you," Liara said into the Commander's shoulder.
"I love you too," was the answer she received. "And I'm sorry for my attitude. You're right, I need to move forward. I have you to live for, after all."
"And 'little blue children' perhaps?" Liara teased.
"We don't have any of those yet."
"Do you want to get started on that?" she asked.
"What?" Shepard was genuinely surprised.
"I thought about it a lot today. If you feel like the dead are pulling you down, let the living pull you up," she smiled. "It never hurts to have one more thing to live for, right?"
Shepard smiled. "Right"
Liara kissed Shepard.
"How will we do this?" Shepard asked. The Commander had been given the basics on Asari reproduction before, but lacked the full details. Liara answered, "I could touch you and scan your DNA right now, but I want you to bond with me tonight. I will conceive during."
"I like the sound of that," Shepard grinned. It was a gesture of mutual respect between species. While bonding was intimate for Asari in any form, it was a small gesture to humans. Conceiving a child with passion between two people who loved each other was more human styled.
Shepard took Liara's hand and guided her to the bed. They kissed, and the pricey designer gown Liara bought slid off and fell to the floor as her lover became more aggressive. Shepard too was naked but a moment later and their bodies intertwined in the bed as Liara's soft moans filled the room. Shepard was enraptured by the psychic pleasure of melding minds with Liara.
But tonight the melding had a secondary purpose. She examined Shepard's DNA and let her own biology do its work. Two cells were created; hers and the father cell, which was randomized based on Shepard's genetic code. It allowed traits to be passed on to a child who would genetically belong to no father, regardless of gender or species.
Like the fireworks' finale, their lovemaking ended with a bang and the pair laid in bed together.
"It's done?" Shepard asked.
"Yes," Liara answered with a satisfied smile, guiding Shepard's wayward hand to her womb.
"So...do you know if it'll be a boy or a girl?" Shepard joked, knowing that the child would always be female.
Liara laughed lightly. "Your sense of humor is almost as terrible as your dancing."
"Once more thing I'm not allowed to teach to the kids?"
"I don't know," she teased playfully. "We'll see."
Shepard kissed Liara again and for the first time in many years, slept peacefully.
The End