Shepard stared at the fish tank in his private quarters, brooding. The mission on Thessia had gone disastrously wrong – Kai Leng had stolen the Prothean VI out from under their noses, and now only Cerberus knew the true nature of the Catalyst. He had failed, and now everyone – even these tiny, helpless fish – would pay the price.
A voice from outside interrupted these dark thoughts. "Shepard?" Liara called, muffled by the door. "Is this a bad time?"
Shepard pulled himself away from the tank to let Liara in. Having witnessed the fall of her homeworld, she looked as miserable as he did, but her face still showed concern.
"Are you alright, Shepard?" she asked quietly.
The commander turned away from her without a word, leaning heavily on a nearby railing. "No," he answered after a long silence. "This kind of thing doesn't happen to me. Ever." Liara opened her mouth to speak, but Shepard slammed his hand against the wall. "I was playing on the easiest difficulty setting," he stated bitterly. "I took down two Harvesters with a pistol, for God's sake!"
Liara cocked her head curiously. "Why did you do that, anyway?"
"Because I could," Shepard replied. "But that's not the point. There must have been something I could've done, some way to do anything about that damn gunship!" His hands clenched tightly around the rail.
The asari walked over and softly put a hand on Shepard's shoulder. "There was nothing you could have done," she gently insisted. "Cutscenes happen to everyone."
Unable to find the words to respond, the commander slowly raised his head and looked out the window, gazing at the stars. Liara joined him in taking in the sight, silently supporting him in the face of the tragedy.