Liara T'Soni: Mindoir Gate: The Shepard's Rest
"A-are we sure this is the place?" I whisper to Garrus as I look around the 'pub'. Why is it so dark in here? The only window is by the door we have just walked through and it looks like it hasn't been cleaned thoroughly in years. The few humans that I can see look at us and frown. One even spitting on the floor at our direction. They all seem to have that old weathered look that human males get in their old age. The friendliest human give us a gapped tooth smile. I just pretend I can't notice him. I try not to hide behind Garrus too much as he takes us to a table with a clear view of the door.
Once myself and Tali have sat down he goes to the bar to get us some drinks. I wanted to tell him not to bother. Not sure that I could trust anything that they served in this place to be clean. But he was up and off before I could muster up the courage to say anything.
Under the table Tali gives my leg a reassuring squeeze. I blush, not realising my discomfort was that obvious. I try to speak to her but all I end up doing is nodding my head at her after I open and close my mouth several times trying to force something out. To try and calm myself I stare at the wood of the table, going over in my head the events that lead me here.
My giddy excitement at being allowed to travel to Therum to search the new prothean ruins that had opened up after an earthquake. That maybe I could find something of real value. Them mother might finally come home and I won't be left alone in our ancestral castle anymore. And then after days of searching I find the tablet. A warning from the protheans. They had find the origin world of the reapers.
I showed it off to the other doctors and professors that were searching the site. No one had ever seen anything like it before. I'd done it! They would finally talk about my work in a positive light! That night for the first time in years I slept sounding. Dreaming of the praise my mother would bestow upon me as she returned on hearing of my success.
The screaming woke me up. I didn't realise people could scream like that. In that much pain, only for the sound to taper off at the end once the life went out of them. The begging, the pleading. I don't know who they were or where they came from but I knew what they had come for. So I grabbed the tablet and ran out into the darkness. Not caring that I was only wearing my night clothes. I hid in the ruins until morning. Trying to block out everything that had just happened and failing miserably. I waited there two days before I built up enough confidence to leave. That and I was becoming increasingly thirsty.
I tried hard not to look at the bodies as I made my way back to my tent. Trying to keep my eyes shut. Ignoring the red, blue and green puddles and the beings lying in the centre of each of them. Clutching the tablet close to my chest. Using it as some kind of security blanket. As long as I had it I was safe.
The camp had been ransacked. Boxes knocked over. Chests ransacked. Precious belongings trampled into the ground. Trying not to think too much about what I saw I got dressed. Grabbed what little I could carry in my bag, tablet hidden at the bottom. I tried to dress as a commoner, luckily that was easy for me. A dig isn't exactly a place to wear one's finest dresses.
Somehow I made my way through the relay gate, the massive stone arch that links worlds. Trying not to draw any attention to myself. Something that I have decades of experience with. At Illuim I met Garrus Varakian and Tali Zorah Vas Neema. A Turian/Quarian mercenary couple. No longer welcomed in the Hierarchy or the quarian caravans. The most important thing was that they were cheap and willing to escort me back home. Surely I would be safe there?
After staying the night in their room a messenger greeted us in the morning. Neither Garrus nor Tali knew how the human had found us. They weren't exactly advertising that they were staying here. The message was from The Shepards. It didn't say explicitly, but it alluded to the fact that I was at Therum and that I had something in my possession that people were willing to kill for. That if I wanted they would protect me. I just had to reach the village of Shepard's Rest. The furthest village from the relay gate of Mindoir.
The three of us argued for over an hour about the best course of action. Neither of them trusted the letter. How did they find us? How did we even know that the letter was authentic? I pointed out the seal at the bottom of the letter. The star with the shield and then the sword on top of it. That didn't prove anything they said. Seals could be faked. But I persisted. My mother had told me that if I was ever in trouble I could trust the Shepards. They had saved her life countless times during the wars. She was even good friends with the first Shepard. Plus I brought up the fact that I was paying. So here we are.
Both Garrus and Tali have proven their worth these last two weeks. I must see if I can get the guards back home to pay them more than the pittance I have promised them. Using an outdated crossbow from 30 feet he managed to shoot a batarian assassin in two of his eyes. Tali somehow managed to sneak up behind a disgraced asari war priestess and stab her in the neck before she could burn us to oblivion.
As Garrus brings us back our drinks and passes them to us. I squint at the glass. Surprisingly clean. I slowly take a sip. It's warm and tepid but it seems to be normal, regular water. After draining half the glass I put it back down, slightly impressed that my hand wasn't shaking.
The human males at the table nearest us keep glaring at us menacingly. I'm not sure what we've done to offend them. As we wait I pick up bits of conversation from around us. At least once they started talking again once the novelty of the aliens in their presence wore off. They seemed to think that we were 'Shepard groupies' of some sort. Here to see the birthplace of the first one. Complaining about us interrupting their lives once again. How we better not hassle them with any questions we might have. No chance of that. You would think they would be proud. After all the Shepards have done for us all. Driving away the reapers time and time again. How glad they are not their taxes aren't being wasted on paying for Shepard 'protection'.
I try not to look at my bag hiding the tablet again. Could they really be gone? Could it be a trap? If the tablet is right there are far more of them then we ever imagined.
As I take another drink of water the door to the bar opens. I try not to jump in fright. I fail. No one seems to notice. Both Tali and Garrus tense. Tali places her hand on my knee. A signal to calm down. Garrus's hand slowly reaches towards the knife fixed to his belt.
Three human males approach us, wearing the gleaming white armour of the human Alliance. Unlike the people in the bar these men take pride in their gear. Not a patch of dirt or mud can be seen. Heads shaven with a shield and longsword on their backs. It's always amazed me the differences you get in human eye, skin and hair colour. While the back two men are white, the lead man has a brownish tinge to his skin.
It takes all I have to keep a pleasant smile on my face as they start talking to us. I let Garrus do the talking. The lead man introduces himself as a Sergeant Hawkins. He and his men, the two men here and seven more outside are here to escort us to the Shepards. That isn't right. From what the people here have been saying the Alliance is distancing themselves from the Shepards. I see Tali's glowing eyes narrow as she points this out to them.
The guard shrugs his shoulders. Telling us orders are orders. He doesn't seem bothered but the other two guards, they've slowly started to surround us. One going towards Tali, one towards me. I ready a spell of protection in my head. You can do this Liara! I try to think confidently. Spells only work if you believe in them. Belief in myself is not something I am usually good at.
So it is with a mixture of surprise and relief when Garrus agrees that we will go with them. We pick up our stuff and make our way out of the pub.
I try to ignore the man who yells. "Good Riddance." Seriously what have we ever done to them?
I follow Garrus and Tali's example. Neither of them are acting too perturbed by what is happening. Maybe this isn't as bad as I first thought? We grab our horses and ride out of the village. The Alliance men forming a ring around us. The Sergeant informs us that it will take a couple of days to reach the Shepards. From the direction we're going it looks like we are heading back towards the gate. Why tell us to meet here then? The farthest village from it? Only to take us back? Before I can voice my question I notice a change in the trees along the road. When we first came through earlier this morning the trees looked dead. But now leaves cover the branches. I think they are taller too.
At the top of the hill a hooded figure waits in the middle of the road. The figure looks small, from my guess I would have to say human. Looks too thin to be a turian and too small to be a krogan, a batarian would never come here. The skin I can see isn't asari nor drell.
The horses stop before the figure. Ignoring the orders of their owners. The figure lowers their hood. I don't know what I expected to see but it wasn't this. Goddess she's beautiful. Short black hair that frames her face. Piercing blue eyes that stare intently at mine. Freckles under her eyes. Smooth unblemished skin. I wonder what that feels like? How could I be thinking thoughts like that now? Focus Liara!
Because I've been staring at her I've missed the argument that's been going on. Wait she's a Shepard? But she looks so young. I always thought Shepards would have to be older, experienced. Warriors of a thousand battles or something like that. Not someone who looks like they are barely an adult. The soldiers demand she moves, that she isn't a Shepard. She states that she is and that if they don't leave now without us that there will be consequences
Not wanting her to get hurt I get down from my horse and plead at her to move. She smiles softly at me and tells me everything will be okay. I try to fight the blush I feel creeping up my face. Unsuccessfully. Which only causes her smile to grow.
She sighs as she undoes her cloak and it falls from her shoulders. Unlike the moulded steel that the soldiers and Garrus wears. She is wearing leather. Tight leather. That leaves nothing to the imagination. My eyes roam up and down her body. Her arms are bare as she crosses them across her chest. She winks at me.
"Like what you see?" I try to form a response but the incoherent noises that leave my mouth makes it clear that I do.
"One last chance. Leave." The humour has come from her voice now. Replaced with a tone that expects to be obeyed.
The sergeant sneers at her as he draws his blade and orders his men to do the same. Some get off of their horses while the other charge.
She doesn't move. Instead she kneels on the floor and places her hands on the ground. "Now my friends." She looks towards the nearest tree. Calmer than I could ever be in this scenario. The back of her hands glow white.
Time seems to stop as it happens. The ground rumbles as roots shoot out from under the trees wrapping around the four soldiers on horseback, crushing them. Once their lives have ended the roots return from whence they came. It's been awhile since I've seen magic like that. Not since mother.
As I stare at the Shepard amazed the battle continues around me. Garrus uses his crossbow to put a bolt in the neck of the soldier about to run Tali through with his sword, before catching the sword meant for his neck in his gauntlet from another one. Smacking him in the face with his crossbow which causes the soldier to let go off his sword as he tumbles to the ground. I look away before I can see what happens next.
Tali meanwhile jumps on the back of the soldier who was approaching me. I'm guessing he was going to try and catch me as his own blade wasn't out. Tali makes short work of him. Stabbing him repeatedly in the neck.
Which leaves only three soldiers left. All facing the Shepard. She moves faster than I thought possible. Surely that is her magic no? She sidesteps the downward swing of the blade aimed for her head. She breaks sword wielding arm of the soldier with a simple tap of her hand. She uses magic to enhance both strength and speed at the same time. He screams as she aims a kick to his chest which sends him flying into the nearest tree. The screaming stops as his skull breaks.
Tali finishes the other guard with a throwing knife leaving only the sergeant. He starts groaning. Head moving from side to side. His body grows. Body mass straining against the confines of his armour. I take an involuntary step backwards. Fear gripping my heart. Black lines crawl up the sides of his neck. Not stopping until they reach his eyes, becoming completely black.
The voice that emits from his mouth sounds...wrong. Feminine but deep. Cold. How is it so loud? "Hello again old fri-" Whatever else he was going to say is cut off as the Shepard 'charges' for a lack of a better term. Her fist goes through his skull so easily. Erupting through the back of his head.
"Sorry Harbinger. No time for crazy today." She kicks the corpse away from her. Black blood dripping down her right arm.
Before the white light of her magic can dissipate I hurry towards her and grab her unbloodied arm and examine the signs glowing on her skin. I can see strength, speed and forest. How are they appearing? She doesn't have any runes attached to her skin. So how is she using magic?
As I ponder this further I'm brought out of my thoughts by the Shepard. Greatly amused. "Having fun there T'Soni?" Her head tilts to the side. One side of her lips pulling up in a smile.
I jump back dropping her arm. "I-I'm s-so sorry. I-I meant no offence." I drop my head in shame.
She chuckles. "No offense taken doctor. Just like your mother."
My eyes snap up to hers. "You know my mother?"
She crosses her arms and places her weight on her left leg. "Of course I do. Didn't your mother ever talk about me? All those battles we went through together and she doesn't even talk about me." She tuts.
"My mother told me stories of her adventures with human Shepards. I just assumed that they were different people. She fought with them for over 300 years." I look her over again. "How could that possibly be you?" My tone becomes accusatory.
Her demeanour doesn't change. In fact her smile grows. "Because I'm the first Shepard." She moves away from me towards Garrus and Tali. Not before adding a "duh."
I can't let this go. "But I thought the first Shepard would look ancient. Being that old. I've seen humans age."
She shrugs. "Most humans aren't reapers."