This was it, the moment that nearly ten thousand life forms had been working towards for two years, four months, and thirteen days. They'd rebuilt the Silean Nebula's Mass Relay. Now as the Normandy idled a few hundred light years away from the almost operation Relay, a Salarian shuttle crew was working to install, activate and stabilize the Eezo core that powered the Mass Relay. Most of the Normandy's crew hovered around her few space observation decks, eyes fixed on the sector of space the Relay was located in. The Relay was impossible to see from this distance, so they were watching for the blue wake and concussive shockwave that told the tale of failure.
Liara was standing in the cockpit between the two pilots' chairs, her attention flicking between Joker on the left and Ashley on the right. Both sat stiff, eyes focused on the instrument panel in front of them, Joker with his fingers hovering over the buttons to turn the ship and activate a faster than light jump, while Ashley was ready with the communications array. Above them space loomed in the view screen, vast and almost terrifying. Behind her stood Garrus and Tali'Zorrah, her fingers intertwined with his talons while they waited. Tali was betraying her nervousness by rocking from the balls of her feet to her heels every few seconds. Under Ashley's finger tips the communications board lit up, she hit a quick command opening a channel and letting it play into the entirety of the ship. "Silean fleet, this is Captain Pael reporting in. The Eezo core is stable, the Relay is operational. We're ready to begin routing communications, feel free to approach."
Behind her Tali exhaled breathily, followed by a yelp from Garrus as she nearly crushed him with a sudden tight hug. Liara felt a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth, and turned to Joker who was beginning to set the Normandy's course back to the Relay. Ashely relaxed back into the chair for a moment before pulling her command mask back on and resetting the communications to route back through the helm. "Tali, Garrus, Liara instruct EDI to set up a rotating crew manifest to give everyone eighteen hours off over the next forty eight. We can run under a skeleton crew while we cruise back into the relay." She ordered. "Then after she's done that, take your eighteen hours off. I'll see you in twenty." She turned her attention back to the helm and began negotiating with the Relay crew to establish a link to Alliance Command.
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"Hello Dr. T'soni." EDI chirped as her terminal in the AI core came alive. "Do you require assistance?"
"Yes, EDI. Lieutenant Williams has ordered each crewmember to be given eighteen hours of free time over the next two days, allow us to run on a skeleton crew if necessary."
"Understood, making adjustments now." The AI paused, as if hesitant. "Can I ask you a question, Doctor?"
"You can ask me anything EDI, you seem to be the only one that does these days."
"How is Jeff? He refuses to speak to me."
"Did you two have an argument?" Liara asked, her brow rising. Even after the loss of her body, Joker and EDI had remained in one of the most stable relationships on the ship. For them to be arguing was disconcerting.
"I… am unsure."
"Well in any case, he seems to be doing well. He's been quieter than usual, but with the stress of the last minute work on the Relay everyone has been quiet. I'm sure the two of you will be fine."
"I am not so sure, he mutes my terminal in every room he enters and refuses to acknowledge any question regarding me. There is no data in my files to repair the situation I find myself in."
"Well, what was your last conversation about?" Liara pulled a chair up to the terminal and was unsurprised when she heard Dr. Chakawas hustle to the other end of the medical bay. She smiled slightly to herself as she settled into it the chair. EDI was just beginning to relay her story.
"We were discussing Earth. He was never actually recommissioned by the Alliance but his efforts in the war are most likely going to pardon him for his crimes. I asked if he wanted to be recommissioned or if he wanted to stay on Earth to help rebuild. He told me he would stay with the Normandy, with me. I dissented; it's not practical for a human to tie himself to a ship. He has a sister who needs someone to take care of her, a planet to rebuild, colonies to reestablish. Humanity needs Jeff far more than I do." EDI paused again. "Our discussion became far more emotional for him after that, eventually he became irrational and I told him the discussion was pointless if he couldn't see reason and turned myself off. He has not spoken to me since."
Liara was taken aback. "You tried to tell him to leave the ship that has been his home for nearly eight years, to leave you, and to leave the alliance so he could take care of an estranged sister and help rebuild a planet he's only been on while being detained?" She asked incredulously.
"Oh, well when you phrase it in that manner I understand my mistake. Thank you Dr. T'soni." The AI sounded nearly bashful as her terminal blipped off.
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Liara watched with interest as the holo projector snapped to life, photons establishing themselves into the shape of Admiral Hackett. Lieutenant Williams snapped to attention before addressing the Admiral. "This is Lieutenant Commander Ashley Williams commanding the Alliance ship Normandy SR2, reporting in from the Silean Nebula."
If Hackett's expression upon seeing Ashley had been surprised, his face after she finished was what she imagined watching someone return from the dead would be like. To his credit he only sputtered for words for a few seconds before finding his voice. "The Normandy is still operational? With her entire crew compliment?"
"The ship is in great condition, her crew is short a few dozen after I let them off on Nevos before beginning to work on the Relay, we've added a few children to the roster though. I relaxed the fraternization policy under the circumstances." Williams replied coolly. "Everyone here is ready to come home, Admiral, just give us the go ahead to return to Earth."
"You still have the aliens onboard?" Hackett asked his brow furrowing as he extended his arms off screen. The sound of his fingers striking a holodisplay filled the room.
"Yes. All three."
"Okay, great. Send me a crew roster so I know who to officially take off the killed in action status, and the members you left on Nevos. They're families will be pleased to hear some good news. Things have changed in the Sol system. We repaired most of the Relays, yours is one of the last to come back online in Council Space, but we still haven't begun repairs on the Citadel. The Council has set up on Earth's moon with Alliance Command; the result is that the other races are setting up embassies on the large Asteroids in the Asteroid belt so it's become a bit of a hub for interspecies trade. I'm sure you could get those aliens to their respective destinations if you came to the moon. Shall I expect you? I'm sure I can talk my superiors into giving your crew their pick of assignments and back pay for the last few years, as well as a few months of leave."
"Expect us soon, Admiral. I'm negotiating my way up the list of priority to use the Relay. It's pretty backed up here. I'll be in contact shortly."
"I'll organize a party. Hackett out." The Admiral disappeared in a pixelated flash.
Ashely turned to address the Normandy's alien crew. "I'll leave the comm room open for you guys to make arrangements, figure out where you're going, what you're going to be doing. I expect to arrive on the Moon in less than five days." She sauntered out of the room without a goodbye.
XXXXXXXXX
"I never thought I'd be so happy to see a Mass Relay." Garrus commented from his position on the couch across from the observation porthole, tipping a glass to his mouth as he fixed his gaze on the revolving arms of the stabilizing mechanism.
"I never thought I'd see Rannoch and I'm still happier to see this Relay." Tali declared as she flopped down beside him, a glass of Turian brandy clutched tightly in her hands. "How about you Liara, surprised by this turn of events?"
"I certainly never would have expected to end up rebuilding the Relay network, but my time as the Broker exhausted my ability to be surprised." Liara replied, gazing out into the pulsing core. "Have you two made arrangements?" She flicked her attention to the couple.
"Well my position was highly dependent on the Reaper threat, so with the threat dealt with, I'm out of a job. Primarch Victus is offering me a very nice pension since I did help save the galaxy and all. It's already been transferred into my accounts, so I guess I'm free to do as I please. The Quarian Admiralty Board is requesting Tali's presence on Rannoch to help rebuild it since the Geth went dead after the Relays blew. She's decided to accept, and I'll probably spend my time fundraising to help the relief effort." Garrus answered. "What about you Liara? Have you made plans?"
"I've managed to get into contact with Feron. He's doing well, has established a network quite sizable on his own, it's actually more effective than my own currently. He essentially took over as the Shadow Broker after I was presumed dead. I've told him that I'm happy he has the mantle because I'm retiring. I'm taking my considerable funds and allocating them towards the reconstruction of Thessia. I'm glad that things worked out well for you two, this war has taken a horrible toll on the entire galaxy, and it's refreshing to see things returning to normal."
"We're glad you found someone to take over the Shadow Broker role and a way to help your homeworld." Tali said.
"Speaking of homeworlds, how is Palaven recovering?"
"Not as quickly as Earth but faster than Thessia or Rannoch. They don't need my help; the last two and a half years have shown promise." Garrus sighed and took another sip. "You should drink Liara, this is a momentous occasion."
"I'll have to decline. I've never enjoyed the effects of alcohol." Liara moved to stand. "I've got some data I have to look over before we depart this system for Sol. If you'll excuse me?"
Tali and Garrus waved her away. "Go enjoy your data." She nearly smiled at them on her way out the door as Tali wasted no time crawling into Garrus's lap.
XXXXXXXXX
Liara found herself once again in the cockpit of the Normandy with Joker, Ashely, Tali, and Garrus, watching as Earth's moon loomed closer and closer with each passing moment. The ship was teeming with the giddy excitement of the crew, the last any of them had seen of Earth was as they retreated from the final battle of the Reaper war, thinking they had lost and the planet would soon fall. Now the memories of a burning planet covered the blanket of death were being replaced with new ones of the planet as it struggled to rebuild itself, the first were all out though scorched patches of unchecked desolation were still visible from space. Still despite the planet's rough shape, they had made it. They were home. Earth had been saved. "There she is EDI, home sweet home." Joker cut into her thoughts, turning to address the AI terminal.
"I was not self-aware when I inhabited the moon training course; I was simply evolving at that point. This place is my home no more than a mother's womb would be for a human." EDI corrected.
"Well humans still retain a fondness for their mothers. So say hello to mama." Joker grinned at her.
"Jeff that is illogical." EDI quipped before deactivating herself for the moment.
"Moon Base this is Normandy requesting permission to land." Joker said after opening a channel.
"Normandy, that's a negative. You've been instructed to route to the Earth coordinates I've just sent." Came the reply.
"Moon Base, are you certain? We've got orders to land here."
"Positive Normandy, continue to your new destination."
"Well, Lieutenant?" Joker turned to Williams who shrugged and gave the affirmative before addressing the entire ship via the PA.
"We've been instructed to land on Earth, ETA twenty three minutes."
The twenty three minutes passed quickly as the assembled chatted amiably, slightly nervous by the change in the direction. Upon entering the Earth's atmosphere they fell silent, watching the landscape as it swelled closer. It was strange, flying over a planet trying to put itself back together, moving from beautiful new growth forests to weapon made wastelands to cities that were half raised and half rebuilt. Within five minutes of the destination Ashley caught sight of what awaited them and made a quick announcement. "All hands, looks like they've thrown us a party, everyone in formal dress and report to the shuttle bay in fifteen minutes. Prepare for a parade march." She cut off the PA system, and turned to address the party gathered behind her. "That means you guys too."
XXXXXXXXX
Liara was waiting at the back of the shuttle bay in her usual set of clothes, having decided that looked enough like Alliance formal dress to pass, beside her Garrus and Tali looked even more out of place in their blue and purple suites with lines of white surrounding them. The elevator slid open a final time to reveal Joker looking peeved and Lieutenant Williams. He moved toward the last line, taking his place next to Tali grumbling about a marching chit and Williams took her place front and center of her crew.
The shuttle door opened, letting the early morning sun light of Earth spill into the ship, exciting s nearly synchronized exhalation from the humans. The Normandy had touched down on a standard airstrip instead of a normal spaceport, leaving nearly a mile of paved ground between the Normandy's bay doors and the closest building. Even from the distance, it was clear there was a mass of people waiting in orderly ranks to greet them. Ashely pulled the cutlass from the sheath at her hip and began a slow controlled march out of the ship and onto the pavement. The crew followed in lockstep, moving orderly out onto the Earthen environment with little issue despite the difference in gravity environments. As they moved, so too did the mass of people in the building. The approaching group moved at a slightly slower pace, as if unable or unused to making a full stride. Liara settled easily into the presession, focusing on the people coming into view. As features became distinguishable, some faces began looking familiar but it wasn't until Joker's quietly exclaimed "Gunny!" reached her that she began to notice more characteristics and then suddenly in front of her blossomed nearly every human she'd made the acquaintance of. Then with only a few more meters between them, the second group halted gradually, splitting to make room for one person to move forward.
She took deliberate lurching steps, one hand curled into a fist at her waist and the other clutching a cane, dressed in Alliance Formal Attire with four golden stripes on her shoulder. Her beautiful chocolate skin was marred by knarled scar tissue and her hair had been shorn off close to her scalp, but those piercing pale blue eyes still held that same intelligent determination. Around Liara people stopped moving, splitting in much the same manner as the human welcoming party had but her feet carried her further while her mind reached for possibilities, her heart rose into her throat and Liara thought she was going to choke on her happiness. It was just a sob, a sob of pure joy as tears leaked from her eyes. Finally she stopped just in front of her, unable to touch for fear that she would dissolve into air. But a white gloved hand reached out to stroke her cheek in exactly the same manner it had the last time she'd been on Earth. "Liara, my love." Her voice was thick with emotion and raspy as though she didn't talk much anymore.
"Goddess… Shepard! How?" She whispered through the knot in her throat and the hot burning tears. She slammed into Shepard, knocking her off balance and for a terrifying second Liara thought they were going to fall but her Commander- now her Admiral managed to teater back under control. She pressed their bodies together in a tight hug, feeling the human return it. Normally she would have been mortified by her lack of control, by her neediness, but right now she just didn't care. Shepard was alive, holding her that was all she needed.
"I'll explain later, but let me tell you that it was really hard to keep it a secret once I found out that the Normandy hadn't been blown into space junk three years ago." Shepard whispered. "I thought I'd lost you." It took a few minutes of nearly hysterical clinging before Liara could bring herself to extricate herself from Shepard and allow her to converse with the rest of the crew although she still kept a tight grip on Shepard's hand as they made the rounds. It didn't take long as everyone had other loved ones to visit and then Liara found herself being lead slowly back to the Normandy.
When they were safe inside the ship, Shepard greeted EDI somewhat apologetically before heading through the hastily abandoned ship to the elevator up to her cabin. Shepard came to a sudden halt as she took in the mostly untouched room, her eyes wandered over her undisturbed ships, her well cared for fish and took in the music that played for a few moments before she was able to speak. "I thought I'd lost you." She repeated. "No one ever would have guessed that Normandy could have outrun the shockwave or ended up on Nevos, if I'd known…" Liara silenced her with a gentle kiss, though they still almost fell and the human pulled back to steady herself against Liara. She looked sheepish as she raised the hand that wasn't clutching her bondmate to tap her right leg; instead of the muted tones of flesh she heard the hollow ring of metal. "I lost the leg. And my left hand, they're prosthetics. Over eighty percent of my body is covered in scar tissue, one of my breasts had to be removed because my suit fragmented and fused with it. The other is mostly scar tissue, the nipple rejecting during the healing process so they took that off too…" Liara silenced her with a hand.
She pulled Shepard's scarred face down to her own and pressed their cheeks together. "Show me what happened, everything. Open your mind." The human felt the press of Liara mind against her own and let the asari in. 'Show me Shepard.' Liara's voice drifted between them. She pulled at her memories and sent them to the other mind joined to her own.
At first Liara was confused, she was standing in the Normandy's shuttle bay, watching as a small child climbed into a shuttle then feeling helpless as a missile slammed the shuttle, sending it down in a ball of flames. She felt her organs clench with helplessness. The next memory washed over her, a constant pulsating throb throughout her entire body as she pushed herself toward a panel her mind screaming to move faster, Anderson was dead behind her, she collapsed before the panel and then blacked out. She woke staring at the child from Earth, his face a holographic projection, then a jump to her shooting a cylinder, it exploding outward, knocking her backward. Then spinning, pain, explosions. The memory cut to black and jumped to another one, white noise in her ears, her eyes unable to see as her body fought, fought, burned and then an inhale. Breathing. Pain. Pain. Pain. Black. White. More pain.
Her eyes opened slowly, an asari, 'Liara' her mind summoned feebly but it wasn't Liara just another asari in her shaky vision, accosting her sore body. She blacked out again, woke up feeling hazy but better. This time the room was empty; her throat was dry and parched. Her arm ached where there was a needle shoved into it. She fought to pull the blanket off and slid out of the bed, but found she couldn't feel her left hand and it wasn't grasping as it should have. She looked down and found only her arm cleanly cut just above her wrist, if she still had one. The next memory rolled over the broken edges of the last one, a human doctor telling her the extent of her injuries, then a blushing asari maiden undressing and supporting Shepard in the shower, her blue hands carefully washing over her wounds while Shepard looked on in disgust at what she had become. Finally Miranda, Jack, Wrex, Grunt, Hackett coming to visit her all talking of recovery and finally she was able to see through the haze of the pain meds to ask why Liara hadn't come to see her. Where was Garrus, Tali, Ash, Dr. Chakawas, Joker, even… she stopped just as she was about to say EDI when she remembered her decision on the Citadel. Jack and Miranda had explained that the Normandy was lost and her crew presumed dead. Liara included. She felt the world close around her, her throat burning and her eyes beginning to sting. She slapped away physical comfort and screamed at everyone to leave. It was too much, her body and her love, her ship. She'd saved the damn galaxy; she wasn't supposed to lose everything now.
The memory jumped, the prosthetic leg, physical therapy, the hand, the call from Hackett about the Normandy. Her elation at seeing Liara step out of the Normandy. Finally she just let her emotions show through, her fear and love, a bit of the pain she still held in her heart from all the mourning she'd done. Then just love and happiness, and Liara realized Shepard was showing her current emotions. "You show me." Shepard requested, pulling back her emotions
Liara let it go, showing Shepard the jagged fear of their last interaction Earth, the guilt at leaving the battle, the paranoia that the engines would cut out and they would get caught in the shockwave of the Mass Relay, the pain of losing Shepard, the satisfaction of working on the Relay, her own doubt about her future, then Earth and Shepard. She mustered her emotions and sent them all to Shepard, a little bit of anger with the thought 'why didn't you tell me', lingering sadness, her own fear of what would happen, but mostly it was pure adoring love. 'Don't ever leave me again Shepard I won't be able to handle it.'
'Never.' The reply was sharp, nearly possessive like Shepard was snapping the word at her. 'Never again. I'm done with missions, you come first now. When I finish physical therapy, I'm retiring from the Alliance. We can go where you want. I'm ready to begin our life together. I promised you little blue kids.'
XXXXXXXXX
Liara lay on her side, her precious Shepard encircling her with her arms and body, her hand resting on the growing bump in her stomach. It was rare to see Shepard like this, so vulnerable, wrapped only in loose sheets while she pressed as much of her skin as she could manage against Liara's, sharing her feelings of safety and contentment through the shallow meld that lingered between them.
'We should name her.' The thought drifted between them and the tiny consciousness growing inside Liara stirred excitedly. 'You have any in mind?' 'No, I keep coming up with different words for perfect and trying to turn them into names. I'm bad at naming. I have a hamster named Twitchy.' 'You named our last daughter.' 'Only fair that you get this one.' Liara chuckled aloud as a door down the hall slid open and the sound of little bare feet padded toward the door to their bedroom.
Her bondmate started and immediately began pulling the blankets around her up to her chin, trying to slide further down the bed. Liara frowned as she felt the shame and fear spike through the last remnants of their meld. She stopped Shepard with a hand. "She needs to know." She said firmly. She could see Shepard quaking internally and reached out a hand to place on her bondmate's shoulder. The meld flared between them and she felt all of Shepard's fear roll over her. 'I'll scare her. I look like a monster. She's only three.'
She sent back soothing waves of reassurance. 'You defeated the Reapers, Shepard. Our daughter has been exposed to Turians, Krogan, Qurians, Vorcha, Varren, Salarians, and my father since the first week of her birth. She's never once expressed fear at anything but a spider and you're telling me that she's going to be afraid of the source of unconditional love in her life.' Beneath the fear, the shame wasn't as easily quelled.
'I hate being looked at.'
'You're beautiful Shepard, she'll see that too. Please Shepard, she's intelligent and she knows that something's wrong. Let her see you.' Liara pulled Shepard flush against her, knocking away the blankets, deepening the meld. 'Look through my eyes.' She felt Shepard borrow her sight for a moment, feeling the surprise emanating off of Shepard as she saw soft beauty instead of the nests of harsh scars and missing limbs she saw when she looked in the mirror.
'Okay.' Shepard breathed in her mind.
She hesitantly withdrew from the meld and fixed the sheets around her waist apprehensively. The footsteps stopped outside the door and they heard the thump of their daughter jumping to slap the door control, the door slid open, allowing the asari toddler to nearly roll through the entryway. Upon sighting her mothers the girl let out a soft exclamation and turned around only to be called back by them. "No dear come sit. We've got something to show you." She approached hesitantly, climbing onto the bed and crawling to sit between her mothers. At first she kept her eyes carefully on her asari mother, avoiding Shepard until the two reached out and clasped hands and Shepard commanded her attention.
"It's okay. Look. Touch." The child turned curious eyes on the skin of her mother's abdomen. It was harder than her asari mother's, and rougher. She extended a hand toward each of them, fingertips lightly brushing both abdomens. Shepard did her best to avoid flinching. The girl looked between the two of them wonderingly at the different sensations, standing to continue her way up their bodies, stopping at the curve of Liara's breast and Shepard's noticeable lack of such a curve. Shepard read the question in her eyes. "I had them." She answered. The toddler's hands moved to Liara's nipple and the spot that Shepard's should have been and Shepard could only nod. Her daughter removed her hand from Liara's breast and moved it to Shepard's handless arm, understanding in her eyes. She inched closer to her human mother's face and gave her a kiss, clasping her tiny hands on Shepard's cheeks with a soft smile, showing off her teeth. "Love." The girl cooed at her then stopped to form her mouth around a new unfamiliar word. "Mommy." Through the meld Liara felt a smug 'She called me mommy first.' She responded with a wave of love. 'I told you she'd be fine.'
"Alright Ilymira, come here." The girl shrieked and clung to Shepard, burying her face in the human's neck as Liara scooted in behind her, embracing her bondmate and daughter as one. "Let's go back to bed, dear." Shepard sighed appreciatively and moved to shift the tiny child to be cradled between their chests and leaned forward to press her forehead to Liara's with a smile. "I love you."