I've had this half written since writing chapter two for The Travelers and after spending the whole afternoon trying to get some things to work right in my revived computer I stumbled upon this and finished it. It was not originaly planned to go this way - nor to be this long - but the plot bunnies always do what they want.

The title is the one I had in the document and being it a tale about hope (the loss of it, that is), I think it fits. Not perfect but I've never been great with titles.

Anyways, thanks to take the time to read this and may the Force be with you guys.

Hope

This is it, she thought.

Her spaceship drive core had finally expired and there wasn't any contact left that could help her.

She had watched all of them die, centuries ago the most precious of them. She was probably the only one left that had seen it all begin, but there was nowhere to run, not a single place when someone as important as her could hide anymore from the ones that wanted her dead.

She was the last of Commander Shepard's crew after all.

The asari matron that was her chief engenieer came through the door of her quarters.

"The Joker is dead Captain, we must use the scape pods and pray for someone to aid us"

There isn't anyone left to help us.

There was no hope to save this cycle. How many had died just from despair? She had seen the first days, when they were fighting for something more than survival, when they were fighting for a future. It had been a long time since future had meant anything than the next few hours, it was unthinkable to plan something for tomorrow, nevermind the next week or month. The stadistics said that from the fifty people that formed the Joker's crew, just two would be alive in three months.

It was tiresome fight a war you knew you weren't going to win, but it was umberable the thought of turn around and show 'em your belly.

Being an asari just made things worse, she had lost the count of the loved ones she had seen die. She cursed her lifespawn as bad as she cursed the fact that even with her resources she could do nothing to stop them.

She caressed one of the cold metalic walls of her spaceship. The Joker had been the first of the last generation of frigates, built as the legendary Normandy and named after her also legendary pilot. It was a stealth frigate like that had been, but it was more than just a human-turian project: every species had put something to aid in the new generation of frigates. For a time there had been hope again, until the Joker's sister, Shepard had fallen in the first and only attempt to take back Palaven.

Turians and Quarians were on the brink of extintion. The dextro supply lines had been the first ones to be attacked, and slowly but steady they were all dying. Levos weren't any better, but there were more worlds able to grow levo food left ignored than dextros.

"Captain! We have to go!"

She smiled. There was no running this time.

"Head to the shuttles and get out of here, I'll stay behind and be a diversion"

"But Captain! You can't...!"

"That was an order Shia"

"Bullshit! You're the most important person in this damned ship, you're the only one who keeps things going! Without you this...!"

"This war was lost before you were born! No one is more important that anyone because in the end it does not fuking matter! We have been grasping the edge of a plank far to long but we can't escape this wave. We never stood a chance, so please, go and save yourself. Enjoy what little time is left and try to find a resemblance of happiness in this crumbled galaxy"

The other asari stood in front of her speachless. She had his eyes, a blueish grey that was only hers. The words felt like a wall between them because up until this point Liara had always been a monolith, the last spark of hope in the dying fire of this cycle. Shia's words were quiet when she finally answered.

"When did you became a cynic, mother? Where is the woman who inspired us to keep fighting and do the right thing, not the easy?"

She has learnt well, she thought with tears in her eyes, her father would be proud. Her poor girl, the true las remanant of Shepard in this crumbling word. The only reason she hadn't sunk into madness after the attempt of destroying the Reapers with the Curcible that never worked.a

But now she was too tired.

It was egoist, but she couldn't bring herself to care anymore. She didn't wanted to keep liviing a maybe see the last person she cared in the galaxy die before her. She couldn't even stand to think of it. She had seen to much, lived too long. Even when surrounded by people she was alone, and she couldn't stand it anymore.

Her voice was soft when she finally answered.

"I can't take it anymore dear. I'm tired, I'm so tired I can't see other way but this. To remember what we've lost only makes it worse, I can't keep going on like this. At least this way I can make my demise worth something instead of withering away and make you suffer at seeing your strong mother crumble". She crossed the distance to her daughter and kissed her forehead ". My time ended long ago, but I want you be as happy as I were for as much as you can. Go out there, stop fighting and just live for a while. When you are ready go tho this coordinates alone or with someone you love. There are some stasis pods there I had ready for an eventuality like this...", she kept going while passing her daughter a datapad with the location.

"Mom..."

"I want you to have a chance to see how is a world without war. I wish... I wish things to have been different. I wish you could have met your father. I wish for many things but I regret nothing. Be safe my dear, and never forget that I love you"

"But mom, I can't..."

The tears in the younger asari fell down her cheeks with the understanding blooming in her eyes. She didn't wanted to, but she understood. Her mother's gaze was all she had needed to see to comprenhend that there was nothing left to do but still, letting go the only constant of your life was difficult.

Shia took a deep breath and hugged her mother.

"I'll miss you"

Liara squezed her tightly while trying to commit this moment to her memory.

"I'll miss you too, my dear. May the Goddess lay her blessings upon you. Now off you go! I need to race back to the coockpit if I want my plan to work"

They both let go recluntantly despite her words, and they both held to themselves as long as they could before their hands let go. Shia started to run down the hallways, turning to face her before the door to a escape pod.

"I love you mom!"

Then, the hatch opened, she went in and in a matter of seconds Liara knew that she was now alone in her sinking ship. The memories came crashing down while she took her run to the bridge and the controls, fuzzy memories of the first Normandy and the Collectors attack so long ago.

She reached her objective and imputed the commands to iniciate the sequence she had years ago imputed into the central computer of the ship. The familiar A.I. voice of EDI, her last shipmate, spoke to her.

"Inicializating Kamikaze Protocol. Are you aware of the implicances of it, doctor T'Soni?"

She gave off a small smile, even after all this time EDI refused to call her other than her old position in the Normandy. She even joked that it kept her from becoming arrogant. Liara had been the one to insist that the ancient computer to be installed on the Joker, and the idea had enchanted the A.I. whom still remembered the old days - and the old crew - as if it had only been yesterday.

"I am aware, EDI. Authorize protocol, Captain code delta-nine-seven-lime"

"Kamikaze Protocol authorized. Imputting colission course. Fifteen seconds to impact... It has been an honor serving with you, doctor T'Soni"

"It has been an honor EDI"

She thought this was all, and was watching Harbringer growing closer and closer through the monitors that showed what was outside. Then the A.I. cracked up to life.

"Do you think it is too late to try and join them? I'm based in Reaper code after all"

She was laughing when everything ended.