"What will your boss The Illusive Man do about Feron?" Liara snapped at Miranda.

"The Drell knew the risks when he offered to help. We won't be going after him. If you want to, that's your business." She crossed her arms and turned her back on Liara. "But I'd focus on something else if I were you. Do something you want to do."

"That's exactly what I'm going to do, Miranda. I've got another friend to help now… and I've made a new enemy."

"I'm afraid we all have…"

The two women stood their ground, each unsure of the other. Liara gave Miranda a cool, calculated stare, finally turning away with harsh regret. Miranda had pretended to be a friend, taking that opportunity to seize Shepard's body. It was to be examined at once. The cold, mutilated body of the Spectre was immediately placed onto an operating table. Liara cringed at the fact that Shepard was not offered a burial. What purpose could the body of her friend serve? It didn't make sense and didn't seem much better than what the Collectors would have done. Cerberus was too strong, and she could do nothing but take one last fleeting glance over her shoulder as she exited the lab.

She felt utterly helpless. Before this happened I had purpose, value. Now what? Return to my Prothean Research? Her previous life was a black, empty void with Shepard gone. She had no time to mourn her death or even process the events of the Collector attack on the SR1.

It's not like they can bring her back…Or could they? She quickly dismissed these thoughts as ridiculous, a tightness settling in her chest. She took a deep breath, clearing her mind. Two things were clear to her: First, she must rescue Feron. Then she would devote all resources into locating and destroying The Shadow Broker. He was working for the Collectors was now her sworn enemy.

Feron's last words echoed in her head. Liara, go! Go now… Save Shepard!

He had deceived her more than once, but he still had risked his life to retrieve Shepard's body. And at the last moment sacrificed himself to save her. She would not sit back and let the Shadow Broker's men abduct him; she saw no other option but to rescue the Drell. Goddess knows what the Shadow Broker will do to him. The seconds were dwindling away. The time for action was now. With that thought, she set a course in Feron's single seated ship.

It was a one-hour flight through the Hourglass Nebula to Alingon. She fiddled nervously with the ships controls as thoughts and confusion flooded her mind. She grimaced. I don't owe this man anything… Do I? After all, he had lied to her. But she felt strangely attached to him, a pull unlike anything she had felt with anyone but Shepard.

Liara descended onto Alingon with caution. Almost immediately the dense magnetic planet started giving the ship false readings. Shit I knew this would happen, she thought, wiping her brow. Her fingers worked the controls swiftly as she carefully recalled Feron's earlier flight path. The navigation started to lead the ship awry and she turned it off ignoring it completely.

Suddenly, a scream of alarms filled the air. She attended to them as quickly as she could noticing half were false alarms triggered by Alingon's magnetic death grip. Without warning a sinking filled her stomach. Looking up the ground was speeding towards her. She panicked briefly as the ship dived out of her control gripping the controls like a vice. I must ride it out… If I fight the magnetic field I'm as good as dead. The ship plummeted into a nose-dive and Liara pulled with all her might at the last second as the ship nearly scraped Alingon's surface. Liara's heart was in her throat, sweat beaded on her brow.

After maintaining control of the ship for a small amount of time, she spotted the sleek and shiny metal and antennas. The fake command center, which served as a decoy Shadow Broker base, lay in a small crater. Staying a healthy distance away so not to be scene, she spotted a small crevice which to land.

I hope I'm not too late. She stepped off of Feron's one-man flier onto the frozen terrain of Alingon. Her legs felt unsteady beneath her, as her suit adjusted to the lesser gravity of the planet. Her boots crunched on the frozen rock and ice shards, and the freezing wind licked her face. Liara was out a kilometer from the station and started the trek towards the base.

She maneuvered Alingon's rocky terrain with care, so as not to be heard. Voices caught her attention before she had a visual and she came to a halt behind an overhang of frozen rock.

"Wait till he gets his hands on you, Drell. You're going to wish you were dead. I would kill you myself, but the Shadow broker wants you alive," said a raspy voice.

Liara peeked from beneath the rocky overhang, peering through the dim lighting at the large teal-colored Salarian assassin known as Tazzik. She could see him dragging Feron by a foot to the awaiting shuttle. He already looked bloody and badly beaten. Her heart seized for a moment, but she tamped the pain down.

"How's it feel to know that no one is coming for you? You should have known Cerberus does not do business with aliens. They used you. And that Asari? She's probably already forgotten you. You won't be missed."

"Tazzik," Feron gurgled through a struggled breath, "you're a coward and the Shadow Broker's pawn… you know who he is working for… You're a fool."

Tazzik dropped the Drell's foot, turned around and picked him up by his collar. "I suggest you keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you."

Feron's lips snarled and he spit right in Tazzik's face. Tazzik turned red with rage as he drew his arm back and released a crushing blow across Feron's jaw. His body went limp, and Tazzik let his body fall onto the icy ground.

Liara flinched at the sound of the bone-crushing attack. That son of a bitch! She didn't have much time left. She quickly looked around, surveying the facility. Tazzik did not expect anyone to come to Feron's rescue. He was boarding the shuttle alone and unaided. The other men must have been continuing their work inside the base. She must get to him before anyone happened to walk outside or before Feron's limp body was loaded onto the shuttle. Now was her only chance.

She sprinted from under her cover running straight towards Tazzik. Startled by the sound, he jerked his head in her direction. Before he could react, he was frozen in place by Liara's stasis field. She threw herself in between Tazzik and Feron's motionless body. But Tazzik was no measly mercenary; he broke the stasis field within seconds. As his body became fluid again, Liara released a bright blue biotic punch across his cheek, sending him stumbling back a few meters and onto his back.

Tazzik returned to his feet with impressive reflex, pulling his gun from holster unloading a clip at Liara. The energy of the clips sent an electric shock through her body annihilated her biotic barrier. The barrier exploded with a pulse wave, knocking Liara onto the frozen ground.

"Silly Asari. Shall I kill you now or bring you alive? The Shadow Broker will likely pay me well for your head."

"Not if I kill you first!" She flung the weight of her torso forward, sending a warp field hurtling towards him. It hit him with such force he slammed against the shuttle his body forming a dent into the metal. She picked herself up, running to Feron's side. He was barely breathing and unconscious.

"Feron! Wake up!" She shook his body with to avail. Goddess… How will I get him to the shuttle?

She thought of an idea. Releasing a singularity field, Feron's body hovered a few meters into the night sky. She grabbed the tail to his jacket and started running in the opposite direction, keeping the singularity field by her side.

"Not so fast." Tazzik gripped his flank, dizzy from the impact. It would take a lot more than that to take down this bodybuildingmaster assassin.

He ran after her sending forth a concussive shot, blasting Liara to the ground. Her head ricocheted off the ice, and bright blue blood spattered onto the ground. Meanwhile, Feron floated above her in mid air, completely motionless.

The planet spun beneath her as she squinted, her eyes open just enough to see him storming towards her. Her vision was blurred and her head pounded. She looked up to see she was meters from the rocky overhang from where she had begun. She crawled as fast as she could, warm blood dripping down the side of her face.

"Where do you think you're going Asari?" his voice rasped; he spoke for blood.

Just… a little… farther…

Each pull of her upper body sent pain shooting down her spine. She clawed at the ground, pulling herself towards the icy overhand.

Seeing Feron hanging unconsciously in the air, Tazzik passed right under his body. His goal was now to destroy Liara.

Turning her body around, she faced up towards the night sky. It was just enough to get into position. He stormed towards her, leaping to aim a fatal blow to her skull.

With the last of her strength, she hit the icy overhang with a blast of biotics, and flung the rock at Tazzik. The rock was too heavy to propel with much speed, but dropped with precision on its target. Tazzik howled in pain as he was pinned to the ground. The boulder landed with a crunch, shattering the bones in his leg.

"Ahhhh!" he screamed in agony. "I'll kill you!"

"You won't be killing anyone for a long time." She staggered upright, approaching him with malice in her eyes. A new hatred for this man filled her.

Liara brought her foot up, with intentions to snap his neck, but of a sudden, men's voices rang out in alarm. She recoiled her foot, looking for Feron.

"The shuttle is still here!" Panicked voices filled the air.

"SHE'S HERE! KILL HER YOU FOOLS!" Tazzik yelled with a deep snarl.

There was no time. She located Feron a few meters away, still floating but wavering slightly in the air. She sprinted to him and released another controlled singularity field. Grabbing his coattail, she pulled him fleeing for the shuttle. The voices grew louder and shots began to ring out. The bullets zipped by her as she ran, assaulting the rocks near her feet.

Almost there.

She was limping terribly, and she wondered if Feron's shuttle had any medi-gel. The terrain of the planet gave her just enough cover to elude the shots. She barely reached the shuttle in time, opening the doors and forcing Feron's limp body inside. She followed suit, hoisting herself up and throwing the weight of her body against the shuttle doors, closing them in the nick of time. Heat sinks pelted against the metal of Feron's single seat ship.

Without hesitation she leaped into the pilot seat, lifting the ship off the ground engaging the thrusters full force. She barely got off the ground in time, and worried she would be shot clean out of the air. She looked down at the hoard of Shadow Brokers men. Turians, Batarians and Humans all fired in anger. The ship immediately started giving her problems and did few nosedives trying to escape Alingon's magnetic pull. She ascended as fast and high as she could, placing some distance between the ship and planet.

Liara sunk back into the pilot's seat. That… was close.

She turned her head to check on Feron's unconscious body. He was settled on the floor of the ship, tangled in between the wires. She had to get him medical attention, and fast.

Chakwas… She will know what to do. And in complete confidence. She set a course for the Citadel, knowing Chakwas was stationed there for relief efforts. I just hope we make it in time.