This story is the sequel to Where's Shepard?
Eight days have passed. Liara is sitting next to Shepard's bed reading a data pad. Though the Shadow Broker is not working, she is keeping tabs on a few newsworthy items. She is leaving the day to day work to Feron.
The hospital staff accommodated Garrus' very stern suggestion of allowing Dr. T'Soni to share the same room with Shepard. Shepard's wounds are healing very nicely; the doctors are surprised every time they run a new scan. Chalk one up in the Cerberus column. They may have been a misguided terrorist organization wanting to excel humanity in the galaxy, but they have saved Commander Elly Shepard twice now. Physically Shepard is fine, but clearly something is wrong because she has yet to regain consciousness.
Liara has created quite the routine the past few days. Her side is healed, only a small scar remains. She wakes up from her hospital bed, washes up and sits next to Shepard reading the daily news to her. The state of Earth is quite good considering. There are some areas of the planet that were barely touched by the Reaper invasion, and other areas, like London that look just decimated. She cannot image how long it will take to rebuild.
Marrisa enters the room with a breakfast tray. Liara stops reading out loud and sets down the data pad. "Thank you Marrisa." The nurse is a welcome sight. Liara is trying to keep her spirits up, but as each day passes it gets harder and harder. "How are you today Marrisa?" continues Liara.
The Royal Marsden hospital staff nurse replies "I'm doing well thank you very much Dr. T'Soni." After setting down the breakfast tray, the nurse checks on the tubes and machines attached to Shepard.
"You are looking great today Commander Shepard," says Marrisa as she performs an omni-tool scan. Liara looks at Marrisa waiting to hear the results of the scan. "Everything looks good. You are healing quite nicely Commander Shepard. You need to wake up soon. There are a lot of people standing in line to thank you." Marrisa smiles to Liara then leaves the room.
Liara feels her eyes start to fill with tears when Marissa pops her head back into the room. "Sorry Dr. T'Soni." Wiping away a tear from her cheek Liara replies, "What is it?"
"Uhh, there are some asari here that want to see you." Before Liara can inquire more, the nurse is showing them in.
Sha'ira enters the room followed by a few of her acolytes, all asari and one human female. "Good morning Dr. T'Soni." I don't believe we have met. I am…."
"Sha'ira, consort of the Citadel," finishes Liara. Liara shakes the hand extended. "Why are you here? And why bring your acolytes?"
"May we sit?" Sha'ira senses Liara's resistance. She can only imagine what Liara has heard about her. Known as the Citadel consort the asari offers entertainment and conversation and at times personal services to many high powered people of all species. An appointment to see her not only may take months, but it will cost you half of your yearly credits. The consort left the Citadel a month before it was moved to London by the reapers. She has set up shop so to speak on Earth.
By the Goddess, what could she possibly want? I need to get back to Elly."
"Okay, I am sitting" says Liara in a very plain tone.
Seeing as she is very sensitive to others Sha'ira knows Liara's patience is very thin.
"I heard that the Commander is in a coma." This takes Liara a bit off guard. She has heard the doctor's use that term, but has never heard it from non medical staff. It felt odd, it felt ..real.
"I really don't see how that is any of your business."
"Please hear me out Liara," leans in Sha'ira as she touches Liara's knee. Liara shifts in her chair moving her knee away from the other asari's hand.
Liara does not personally know Sha'ira, but she knows the type of business she conducts and Liara would not choose it for herself. The asari have a gift. They can join or meld with any species. It is how they reproduce. The joining or melding, however, does not have to be sexual. As the Commander and Liara were getting to know each other on the Normandy while hunting for Saren, Liara fondly remembers Elly's curiosity about the asari culture. Liara mentioned to her that there are many rumors in the galaxy about their promiscuity. Of course Elly asked what kind of rumors. As she thinks back to their conversation Liara can't help but smile. She knew she was in trouble because she was already falling for the commander. Liara was shocked how quickly and how comfortable she was with the human. In asari years, Liara is very, very young, barely seen as an adult even though at the time she was 106. Liara feels strongly that joining with someone is an intimate act regardless of whether or not clothes are removed in the process; she respects her asari gift and feels Sha'ira flaunts it to make money. This is one of reasons why the promiscuity rumor exists for her people. There are asari that will join with anyone just to join.
Sha'ira notices Liara's faraway look then the smile that came on her face. Clearing her throat to get back her attention, she sees Liara now looking at her. "This may be difficult to hear Liara, I only request that you allow me to finish before you interrupt me. Can you do that?" With these words she knows she has Dr. T'Soni's full attention.
Before answering, Liara looks over at Shepard's still body then returns her attention to Sha'ira. "I'm listening."
"I have an idea. I may be able to help commander Shepard. I want to join with .."
"Absolutely NOT!" Liara jolts out of her chair before the consort can finish her sentence. "What are you playing at? What are you hoping to gain? Why are you here Sha'ira?" Liara's body starts to glow a pale blue, which meant she was readying her biotics.
Sha'ira slowly stands up and takes a deep breath. "Please" as she motions for Liara to take her seat.
Liara is furious. She looks at the consort's acolytes and all she sees in their eyes is sympathy. This confuses her. What the hell do you want Sha'ira. Enough with your games and spit it out already. Taking a deep breath, Liara sits back down, the blue glow subsiding.
Sha'ira continues. "I want to join with the commander. I want to see what she is seeing and lead her out of the place where she is stuck." She waits to see if Liara is going to say anything. When she doesn't she continues. "I have a lot of practice joining with different species." You can say that again thinks Liara. I believe I can work my way through her mind and help her. I do this with many of my clients; I don't think it will be much different. I have had experience working with soldiers that can't seem to move on. I assure you I have had success and I wanted to offer my assistance."
Liara waits until Sha'ira is done. Since she has stopped talking Liara figures she is.
"Can I talk now?" Liara says in her cool tone.
"Please."
"I ask you again. What are you playing at?"
The Commander helped me with a few clients two years ago when she was searching for Saren. I am simply here to repay a friend.
"Friend?"
"You are very young Liara. It gushes off of you how much you do not approve of what I do for a living. I suspect the commander never told you about me."
"You say that as if there is something to tell."
This brings a smile to Sha'ira.
"Did I say something funny?" the coldness has not left her tone.
"In a way. You see I am very sensitive. I pick up on people. How they are feeling, what they think of themselves, I am able to do this because I pay attention. I am not an oracle, though many think of me that way. I gave Shepard words of wisdom after she helped me. As I approached her, I did try to join with her. I suspected she was not aware of our gift.
Liara is stunned. She cannot believe what she just heard. You tried to do what! She wanted to yell. But instead, just sat there… in silence.
Sha'ira continued, "Our melding lasted all of 10 seconds."
This brings a big smile to Liara's face, which disappears quickly. She looks over at Shepard. "What happened?"
After a big breath, Sha'ira replies, "She caught on to what I was doing and put a stop to it. I thought she was going to break my arm. I don't think she knew exactly what was going on, but I do know it surprised her, scared her even and she pulled away very quickly."
Liara just glares at her shaking her head back and forth. "I cannot believe you forced yourself on her. Standing up, You FORCED yourself. You had no RIGHT!"
"Everything alright in here?" asked the nurse Marrissa. "If you two cannot keep it down, you will need to leave."
"Of course Marrissa, I apologize, that won't be necessary," replied Liara. Liara slowly sits back down.
"How can you do that to people Sha'ira. Our gift is precious, and you just take advantage and treat it as if it's a cheap parlor trick."
"Think what you will Liara. As I said, my cheap parlor tricks have helped many, many people. And I believe I can help the commander.
"Go on."
"I meld with the commander. I find where she is in her mind. Now in my experience, soldiers tend to relive one or two memories over and over again. I will observe Shepard in her memory then approach her at the right time."
"How do you know when it's the right time?"
"That can be tricky. Sometimes I have to see the full memory play out before I know it is the best time to approach. Once I do that I reveal myself."
"What do you mean reveal?"
"As you know, the melding is more strenuous on us that on the recipient. Once I see an opportunity, I simply make myself appear to them."
"How? That must take tremendous concentration."
"Yes it does. Once I make myself appear, I will talk to Shepard. I will convince her I am real.."
"How?"
"As you know, when we asari want to share one of our memories with someone, it turns black first. This is what I will show Shepard. Then I will share a memory of my own that has both of us in it. I convince the commander where she really is, lying on a hospital bed. Then I show her a door."
"A door?"
"Yes a door. And I tell her to walk through it. If she does than she wakes up."
Liara sits and thinks for a moment. She has read stories about joining with a partner to help them retrieve a memory or relive a memory, she has not read about what Sha'ira has is proposing.
"What makes you think you can navigate through the commander's mind if she pulled away from you so quickly?"
"Her resistance will be low. She most likely will be so occupied by what she is remembering that she won't even notice I am there."
"And you said you have had some success?"
"Every time I have done it."
"What aren't you telling me?"
Sha'ira thinks to herself, Liara, you would have made an excellent acolyte, very intuitive. "There is a risk to the commander."
"What kind of risk, how high Sha'ira," the cold tone is returning.
"Because of my appearing to Shepard, she could react negatively."
Sighing Liara says, "Will you just speak plainly already."
"Shepard could go into shock. She could resist and regress further into her mind. And if I am not careful I could get pulled with her."
"Then you would both be trapped?"
"That is correct."
"You can't do it Sha'ira. She will repel you as she did before. I should be the one to do it."
"Liara, please don't take this wrong, but exactly how many times have you melded with the commander?"
Liara crosses her arms and just glares.
"I mean no disrespect. I am simply pointing out your lack of experience with the melding process that is all."
"I may lack experience, but the commander trusts me. And if she sees me, I know I can get her through the door."
"If you can reach her at all."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"How deeply have you melded with the commander?"
Liara knows where this is going. The commander is a person who is slow to trust and knowing that, Liara has always respectful, not penetrating areas of her mind she did not feel the commander wanted. Sha'ira was right, the meld is more strenuous on the asari partner because she is the one doing most of the work.
Sha'ira seeing her hesitancy, places her hand on Liara's knee to bring her back from her thoughts.
Liara jumps a little in her chair. How long has she been waiting for me to reply? "It is difficult to know how deeply I have gone."
"Because the commander is your first partner?" Sha'ira says cautiously with no judgment in her tone
"That's correct." For the first time Liara feels a little bit of shame creeping in at not being more experienced. But then she snaps herself out of it.
Silence fills the room. The only sound heard are the machines beeping near Shepard's sleeping body. Sha'ira fills the void by talking first.
"I think you may be right Dr. T'Soni."
Liara looks at Sha'ira, "About what?"
"I think the commander upon seeing me will repel from me. I think you should come with me."
"What? Two joining? Can that work?"
Don't laugh, don't laugh. She doesn't know any better Sha'ira thinks to herself. If only you knew what you were missing. "Yes it works. I think the minute the commander sees you she will run through that door and come back to you."
"How can you be so sure?" She is still not telling me everything.
"Because she loves you."
"How can you possibly know that?"
"Do I really have to spell it out for you Liara?"
"I guess so"
"When I tried to meld with the commander, the minute she realized what I was doing, all I saw was you. Your face, your lips, your eyes, it was one big mass of blue"
This brings a smile to Liara's face because of how Sha'ira described it. "But that was two years ago. The commander only told me a few weeks ago how she felt."
"Well it was quite obvious to me. They were very strong feelings Liara, VERY strong."
Liara has a small chuckle. The mood has been lightened and Liara has decided that she actually may like the consort. She didn't have to come here Liara, she thinks to herself. She is here to help. She can't be all bad. Maybe she can really help the commander.
"Tell me what to do Sha'ira. I will meld with you and Elly."
The arrangements have been made. The hospital staff has been alerted to what the asari are preparing to do. The acolytes are prepared to assist Sha'ira and Liara in any way they can. They all have experience with multiple melding and will join if necessary. Nelyna, a human acolyte, will join if a problem occurs with Shepard's vital signs.
Liara and Sha'ira are positioned on the left side of Shepard, both in chairs sitting as comfortable as possible.
"You ready Liara?"
With a deep breath in and out Liara replies, "Ready."
"Now remember," says Sha'ira as she places her hands on the commander's leg, we work together to navigate through her mind. When we reach her, I will let you know when it is best to approach. When you make yourself appear to her, you must get her through the door as quick as possible. It will take a toll on you, you will feel yourself getting very, very sluggish and sleepy. You must fight that feeling. Before the commander enters through the door, you must leave her memory. Do you understand?"
"Yes. "replies Liara and she places her right hand on Shepard's forearm and places her left hand on top of Sha'ira's.
"Remember, we are observing. We cannot be hurt by what we will see, but there is no guarantee it will not affect us. Do you understand?"
"I do. I am ready."
Sha'ira looks to her acolytes, they nod indicating they are ready. "Okay, here we go." Both asari's eyes go black.