LAST CHANCE: Chapter 1
"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it." -RUMI
...
The sinuous blue blade of an assari starliner sliced silently through the intense heat and light of a perfect Tuchanka morning.
"Matriarch Liara has arrived Wrex"
The ancient Krogan emperor chuckled over his breakfast.
"So i see and in style as well..." Liara certainly doesn't lack for credits these days... those pretty toys are expensive. "Well dont keep the Matriarch waiting Grunt. Bring her to me, this should be good"
...
The graceful blue skinned asari entered "Wrex. Its good to see you" she said smiling warmly.
"Good to see you too Liara, my friend" Wrex grinned, embracing her. "Like your ship, mind if I steal her?".
"What!" Liara stood shocked for a moment, then grinning in a most undignified way as the elderly Krogan doubled up with laughter
"Now there's the scared little archaeologist we rescued on Therum. Glad to see she's still in there somewhere behind all that assari sophistication... Dont worry I don't want your pretty toy, it doesn't even have a gun worth calibrating for a start"
Liara smiled up at him "Wrex you bully, I'll have you know the Ilos is the fastest ship in its class."
"Well if you like running from a fight I guess that's great but we aren't all assari" the krogan grunted "so Liara what's it been? two centuries since Garrus's funeral?". At the mention of Garrus, Liara sighed
"We get to watch all our old friends die" she said sadly.
Wrex snorted "Maybe but the Primark lived and died well enough for a turian. We will be joining our friends soon enough." he said. Well at least I will" he chuckled. So what brings a Federation spy to Tuchanka. Trying to find new ways to bring down the Krogan Empire?" he grinned.
Liara smiled back "Please Wrex, ambassador not spy. You are quite aware that the Federation is committed to the goals of galactic peace and cooperation"
Wrex laughed heartily "Committed to trying to contain the Krogan Empire more likely. Makes sense. It would take the combined strength of the assari, the turians, the salaerians and the humans, not to mention the clever little quarians and a few others to even attempt something as foolish as that". He motioned for her to sit " So if its not to spy..."
"The Federation has been contacted by Legion" Liara said quietly."
"Legion?" Wrex said gruffly "You dont mean Shepard's pet geth?, I thought it died about the same time he did".
At the mention of Shepard's name Liara, looked away for a moment suddenly weighed down down with ancient memories. Then gathering herself she continued "Yes Wrex. Legion's platform was destroyed but not before it was able to rejoin the geth consensus. Apparently it was necessary in order to forge the peace Shepard wanted between the quarians and the geth. I do not know the details. We know even less about developments within the geth after that but it seems that in the two centuries the entire geth consensus has evolved into some form of immense individual consciousness".
"So what does it want?" Wrex said trying to look interested. Liara certainly hasn't lost her capacity to bore me with science he thought humorously.
Liara sighed "We dont know. The message simply said that all organic life in the galaxy was at threat of extinction".
"What! again!" Wrex chortled merrily.
"The Federation is taking it seriously" Liara continued quietly, "we don't know if it was a warning or a threat. My area of study since the war has been the on origins of the Reapers and... and recent developments worry me. The quarians have been searching the Veil for months but our sources on Rannoch tell us there have been no sightings of geth anywhere, clearly they do not want to be found."
Wrex looked thoughtful "Well, if you are that worried Liara, considering what happened last time perhaps the Krogan Empire should lend a hand. I can have my ships keep a look out for any signs of geth".
Liara smiled gratefully "Thank you Wrex" she said "But if Legion doesn't want to be found I don't think its likely it will be. "
"I take it you have another plan assari?" Wrex said irritably.
"Yes" Liara said quietly. "Shepard. He had a unique relationship with Legion. It trusted him"
"Shepard's dead Liara" Wrex said incredulously "Long dead".
Liara looked hard at the Krogan "Dont you think I dont know that?". She sighed "We can bring him back. We have enough samples of his genetic material to..."
"That wouldn't be Shepard" Wrex said angrily "Just some copy grown in a tank. His memory deserves better than that, his daughter, deserves better than that".
"I know" Liara said sadly "But what choice do we have Wrex? We need Shepard.. and Tali too if only to keep him sane long enough to find Legion".
Wrex growled in disgust. "And Tali.. what was that hole of a planet called where you all crashed?. Where would you get...?
"Normandy's Medbay" she said quickly, "I recovered the samples and brought them with me when we were rescued. I made sure of it. Lucky she and Shepard were injured often enough for there to be extensive material".
Wrex banged his fist against his chair "Well at least you scientists left the poor girls bones to rest in peace, that's something I suppose".
"But I do need your help, old friend. As you are aware cloning is still illegal in Federation space". Liara continued quietly
Wrex sighed "Very well Liara, you have made your point. My scientists will assist you in creating your abominations but I will leave it to you explain to Shepard and Tali why you decided to bring them back. Good luck with that by the way. Especially considering what happened to her.."
"Thank you, Wrex" Liara said weakly.
...
She floated contently in the soft embrace of a warm white light. She dimly remembered a time of unrelenting pain and grief, of violence and death and silently thanked the Ancestors for their mercy in granting her this final peace. Maybe she would get to see her father and mother again despite what she had done despite what the priests said. Perhaps even...? No that was too much to hope for. She raised her small 3 fingered hand to her face feeling a sudden unfamiliar wetness on her cheek. It took a only a moment to register the shock. No mask. No suit. Only a few precious times before had she experienced this, those rare beautiful moments with Shepard which had been worth risking her life for. At least in the Afterlife it seemed she would finally be free of the damn thing.
As her thoughts drifted to her memories of Shepard, she became aware that she was no longer floating free but was instead lying on a smooth hard surface. She felt a thin cool fabric covering her body.
A voice whispered "Tali"?
The quarian's eyes opened slowly, blinking rapidly against the bright light. A tired looking man was sitting opposite dressed in the same thin hospital gown as she realized she was wearing.
"Shepard?" she whispered incredulously pushing herself up out of the bed. "It..is that really you?". The clean beautiful face was Shepard's without a doubt but it was his face back when she had first met him as a young girl on her Pilgrimage on the Citadel not the careworn battle scarred face she last remembered just before he was killed in the final battle. An unbearable memory came floating back to her "I want... more.. time" she had pleaded with him begging Shepard to come back to her safe and well, knowing deep in her heart she would never see his face again . "I know" he had said simply, saying everything else with his eyes.
"I don't know Tali" he admitted smiled sadly "I don't know. But whatever I am, it doesn't matter now" and with that he stood up, walked over and pulled her into his arms.
All too soon their embrace was suddenly broken by a familiar voice "Shepard, Tali, its wonderful to see you both after so long"
Startled, Shepard was the first to speak "Liara?" he said incredulously "and.. and.. Grunt?"
"Greetings Battlemaster. It has been too long" the krogan grinned.
"I am also very pleased to see you both again Shepard " the third member of the group said, a svelte androgynous brunette they didn't recognize. "I am EDI Moreau"
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