Title: A Young Asari's Problem
Author: by Servala, translated by Xiiphous
Game: Mass Effect
characters: Liara T´Soni, Aria T´Loak
Disclaimer: Mass Effect and its assets belong to Electronic Arts and BioWare.
No copyright infringement intended.
*****
2181
Aria T'Loak watched the Batarian slaver that had dared approach her, two of his men flanking him. Her eyes surveyed the young Asari that they wanted to sell to her. She was still quite young, gorgeous figure and a pretty face with facepainting that would make her interesting for the scum of the Earth. Nevertheless, Aria tapped her foot angrily because this Asari represented a problem.
"Where did you find her?" Aria asked coldly The Batarian straightened, proud of his catch but obviously clueless as to what he actually had acquired.
"In the Hades Gamma cluster. She was alone on a remote world. We'd though we'd offer her our help." The slavers laughed at their witless attempt at humour. Aria placer her hand on her forehead, paced for a moment and then turned to face the Batarians.
"Have you lost your mind!?" She stated more than asked as her personal bodyguards took out the Batarians in unison. She turned her back to the lone Batarian, a clear sign that he couldn't even begin to threaten her. "Do you have any idea who you just saved?" Aria glanced unappreciatively over her shoulder as she asked him the question.
The Batarian was visibly shaken, all four of his eyes slowly opening and closing, as if forced. Aria got bored of waiting for an answer from the dumbfounded slaver so she decided to cut to the chase. "You've put me in a precarious position." She said, making sure she had his full attention. "If I take the Asari, I'll get about ten hours before I'm visited by several Asari Commando Units." She held her hand out in the direction of one of her bodyguards, the Turian. Without being asked, he handed her his heavy pistol. She flipped the Carnifex around in her hand with feigned interest. "I leave her with you," she leveled the gun with his head. "I'll be dead in an hour." She pulled the trigger.
The Asari gave a startled gasp as the gun fired and hopped back a step. "Th.. Thank you." she stammered. Aria simply nodded and pointed to Shierk to untie her ankles.
"In an hour, there will be a ship leaving Omega for the Citadel." She nodded to the Asari who was already walking up the stairs. "I suggest you be on it, Benezia's daughter." She didn't even look back.
2183
"Liara, you can't stay here. Once the shuttles launch, no more come for ten days. You'll be here alone!" Liara T'Soni smiled at Thela, a still very young Asari and student at the University of Serrice. They were both members of the exploration team at the ruins and had become friends over the past five weeks.
"That would be ten beautiful days where I can finally study these ruins in peace."
The young Asari defiantly put her hands on her hips. "You're too reckless, especially with all the reports on the Geth." Liara dismissed the statement with a wave.
"Geth this side of the veil? Unlikely." Thela nodded in reply, trying to convince the older Asari.
"I found it on the Extra-Net, they destroyed a human Colony!" Liara didn't buy it, they'd often hear reports like this far to late due to the distance the information had to travel and too often they turned out to be false anyway. The Geth have never ventured outside the veil in three centuries. Even if they did, Therum was too far away to be considered a target for a Geth incursion and the planet had no tactical or economical benefits besides the Prothean ruins. It made no sense, why would they wait till now to come all the way to Therum?
"Remember what happened two years ago?" The younger Asari reminded urgently. "You'd almost been sold as a dancer!" Liara hated remembering it.
"Thela, I won't be caught with my guard down like that again, trust me. Now go, the shuttle won't wait." Thela sighed, defeated, and waved her goodbye. Liara was finally alone. She looked around happily and allowed herself to let out a faint squeak of enthusiasm.
*****
She was working deep in the ruins. Before the rest of the team left, they had restored power to the large complex, jump-starting its generators using portable ones they had brought with them. She was alone now though, the hum of the generators keeping her company while she studied the ancient Prothean technology.
Suddenly, an explosion rocked the foundations of the ancient facility. Normally, this wouldn't be surprising, as Therum was a volcanically unstable planet and this was a dig site after all but something was different. Liara cautiously want up a few floors, trying to find the source of the noise. She froze as she turned a corner to find a Krogan, mercenary, judging by hit attire, followed by a whole host of what she could only assume were Geth. She wasn't sure as her knowledge was limited to what she could find in the Extra-Net. The Krogan ordered the Geth to seal the entrance, the only entrance and exit into the dig site.
"There's an Asari in here somewhere, Saren wants her alive but she doesn't have to." grunted the Krogan. Liara could barely move when she heard this. Saren, a name she'd heard once before. He was a Spectre but why would he be after her? She crawled back slowly and carefully, trying her best to remain undetected. Her foot bumped into a metal support beam, tipping the metal rod off it's precarious balance. She panicked and tried to stop its decent but missed. It clanged off the metal floor, the sound shooting through the silent hallways like a gunshot. The intruders attention was immediately grabbed, they started moving quickly towards the origin of the sound. She had to run.
She get up faster that she had thought possible, turned and ran back to where she had been working. It was a Prothean security terminal, that much she knew for sure, but actually using the device was far more difficult. In theory, it could erect an energy field around the cell she was in, protecting her from the Krogan but she wasn't exactly sure how to activate it or what else she might accidentally trigger. Whatever might happen, it had to be better than being captured by Geth.
She activated the shield, a blue curtain of energy quickly descended from the grove in the ceiling and created a protective barrier between her and the Krogan. She turned to go use the elevator to head to the surface when she stumbled. looking down at her feet she saw a blue sphere enveloping her body. It quickly absorbed her entirety and lifted her off the ground, suspending her in mid-air. Perfect, she though. A stasis field. She tried to move, escape, to use biotics, but she was held fast.
*****
"Dr. T'Soni, I presume." The Krogan stood on the other side of the barrier curtain. "Turn off the barrier and we won't hurt you." When she didn't respond, he grabbed one of the Geth and threw it against the field. It simply bounced off, nothing happened. Frustrated, the mercenary drew his weapon and fired at the curtain, the remaining Geth followed suit.
It was terrifying watching so many weapons being fired at her, she sent a silent prayer to the Goddess. She couldn't move yet wanted so badly to escape this Krogan. Maybe it would be better to not study the ruins of Therum alone. She made up her mind that she would do exactly that in the event that she survived this.
The Krogan stopped firing at the barrier, everything went silent. Then, sounds of gunfire from higher in the ruins. The Krogan grinned, shouldered his weapon and sent half his Geth away while he looked for some way to flank the new comers.
Liara craned her neck, trying desperately to see something, anything. It was frustrating to be held in stasis, completely helpless. She just hoped that whoever had come to the ruins was here to help her...