-Prologue-

"It's fitting that this is where we install the last beacon." Ashley comments, her hair greyed by time. Thirty years have passed since they tried and failed to defeat the Reapers.

"Why? What happened here?" asks Sha'li.

Liara looks annoyed by the question.

"Oh Sha'li, don't you ever listen to us? This is where it all began, where Verity was touched by the prothean beacon and we first learned of the Reapers."

"Oh yea, Eden Prime, I remember now."

"I think that if you're going to act as Sha'li's guardian, Ash, you need to work more on her education beyond tactics and small arms."

"To what end? Seems rather pointless now, don't you think?"

"Hmm, well, hmm." Liara cannot really disagree, their eventual demise now inevitable. "I still just wish I knew what happened aboard the Citadel. Why didn't the Crucible work? We know Verity got to Citadel control but... it was like it just didn't fire."

"Come on, Liara, we've been over this a million times."

"Yes... I just hope that the next cycle has better luck with the Crucible. We've added all we learned from the rachni, Conrad, and such, so maybe they will add the final missing element that we overlooked."

"The next cycle will have to take care of itself, we can't worry about that now."

"No, I suppose not. We've done all we can now. It's over, old girl."

"Yup, just running and hiding for the rest of our lives."

"How I wish Verity was here. Not that I would want her to suffer this with the rest of us, but... I still miss her."

A few tears roll down Liara's freckled cheeks.

"Hey, hey, I thought you were okay."

"Oh I don't know, installing this last beacon... it's just reminded me..."

"Are you okay?"

"No. Not really. The finality of this last action, it just brings it all back. I potentially still have centuries to live of this. Alone."

"You're not alone, Liara." Sha'li tries to comfort her, aware that her situation is not entirely dissimilar.

"Thank you, Li." Liara forces a smile at her.

Ashley sees remnants of the desperate look that Liara used to carry after the Normandy SR-1 was destroyed, lost and afraid. They leave the bunker where they have installed Liara's last message to the future.

"Sha'li, head back to the shuttle. We'll be along in a minute."

"Okay, mother."

"You go back too, old girl. I just need a minute to think."

"Oh. Er... okay. Don't be too long, we don't want to get picked up by Reaper forces' scans."

"No, I won't be long. Please, go."

Ashley reluctantly returns to the shuttle. Liara has become increasingly desperate looking on this last installation, releasing the control she has been holding onto to get these final actions done, scattering the beacons across the galaxy to warn the future of the Reapers. Once Ashley and Sha'li are out of sight, Liara allows herself to crumble, tears flowing and her body shuddering. If it wasn't for the need to install these beacons, she would have given up a long time ago.

"Is Liara okay?" Sha'li asks as they walk back to the shuttle.

"I really don't know. But I really hope so. She didn't cope well when Shepard died on the Normandy and I'm seeing that look in her eyes again."

"Hmm, I hope she's okay, she's like my aunt now. And you two are funny together. I like how she calls you 'old girl'."

"Oh you do, do you? I might be older and greyer than I used to be, but I'll still put you over my knee, 'young girl'."

Upon reaching the shuttle, they look back over the valleys of this still green and lush planet, then Sha'li puts her head on Ashley's shoulder and her arm around her.

"I do still miss mother and Auntie Mo though."

"I know, Li, I know. We've all lost so much, but we have each other now, don't we?"

"Yes, I'm glad you found me all those years ago."

"You wouldn't stop crying at first! When Liara tried to take you to the infirmary..."

"Yes, yes, I've heard this dozens of times. Do you have to embarrass me so?"

"That's what moms are for!"

They smile at each other and Ashley kisses Sha'li on the forehead, then they just enjoy the beautiful view of Eden Prime.

"Blue Angel!" The desperate war cry from Liara comes echoing across the land.

"No. Jeez no!"

"What is it?" Sha'li asks, but Ashley is already sprinting as fast as she can back towards Liara. A single gun shot rings out. Ashley falls to her knees when she hears it.

"Oh Liara, no..."