"Liara T'soni, the Asari who tamed the Shepard. The beauty of this woman caught most eyes, but Shepard's were the only eyes she wanted.
After being saved by him on Therum, where she was trapped in a Prothean bubble of energy, their love blossomed. He would visit her after every mission to check on her and just talk with her. It made her feel safe and trusted. Because of her massive interest in the Protheans, he was so interesting to her. The Prothean Beacon that touched him brought them together.
But she was young for an Asari. She had spent the majority of her life alone, by choice, learning and studying the Protheans in dig sites and deep in books. The one hundred and six year old Asari was considered a teen, since Asari life spans can stretch to a thousand years. He kept trying to get her to understand his interest in her, but her lack of knowledge on love meant she missed the hints. After a while together aboard the Normandy SR1, they began to understand these attractions to one another. To Shepard it became more than her looks. To her, he became more than just an example of Prothean knowledge. They fell for one another.
Once they defeated Saren, they stayed together and went on many missions together, but then the Collectors attacked, and destroyed the Normandy...and Shepard. Liara found his body, and gave it to Cerberus to rebuild. During his fight against the collectors, he saw her on Ilium. The way they looked at one another...the flame was still there. She was cautious, nervous. She had mourned him for two years, and now he had returned. When he helped her defeat her arch enemy the Shadow Broker, and replace him as the Broker, they kissed passionately."
The little boy, no older than five or six, listening to the story groaned and spluttered.
"Ew! Oh Grandpa come on!"
He chuckled, stroking his white facial hair, admiring the stars.
"Right, okay. So they were back together...and happy. But he still had to defeat the collectors. They said farewell after much...catching up, and he left her again to fight.
When he defeated them, he knew the Reapers were coming. But then came the war, the end of the cycle. Liara joined them on the SR2 and helped him, in combat and moral. Honestly, I don't think he could have done it without her there. He comforted her when she was crazed by the fear of seeing the galaxy come to an end, and when Thessia fell. Before the final battle, they had one final love together, and went to war.
Shepard defeated the Reapers, destroying them, the Citadel and the relays."
The little boy bounced and cut in to his Grandfather's commentary.
"Yeah I know, but come on Grandpa, tell me one more story about the Shepard, what happened next!?"
The Grandpa chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair.
"It's getting late, but okay. One more story...this is the story of Liara T'soni...the story of her Search for Shepard..."
...
It has been six months since the Reapers were eradicated. The Alliance focused on rebuilding, becoming a top priority. The Relays were destroyed, but repairs were initiated immediately. It was fortunate that they weren't as damaged as first believed. The main structures were severed but the main power units were still intact, allowing them to be reactivated. Only four have been repaired to that degree however; the sol relay and several others.
Memorials were set up to remember the hero that made it all possible: Commander Shepard. He was believed to have died in the Citadel when the crucible fired.
The Normandy escaped, but not without loss, losing EDI to the synthetic extinction. The Normandy survived the crash along with its crew, and left the alien planet, heading back to earth. After reaching one of the working relays, after a month of space flight, they leaped back to known space.
Liara however, never got over the loss of Shepard. She refused to put his name on the memorial wall and vowed there and then to search till she died to find him. She kept that promise.
Five months later, and everyone had disbanded. Garrus and Tali kept a long distance relationship going from Palaven to Rannoch, Joker handed the Normandy over to the Alliance reluctantly and retired, going on to write a bestselling novel about his adventures. James returned to Earth and opened a gym, helping youngster build their strength. Cortez stayed with the Alliance and helped in ship repairs. Kaidan stayed as a Spectre and returned to the newly repaired Citadel to oversee the choosing of the new Council. They all said goodbye and left, remembering their adventures...and Shepard. But where is Liara now? She is still on the hunt to find Shepard, using her Shadow Broker information to find leads and get the truth. She needs closure...she needs her happy ending.
...
Omega. A colossal space station filled with scum and villainous aliens. The massive mushroom shaped station loomed over the darkened quilt of space. Red lights freckled the station and illuminated it. The streets were cramped, overlooked by dark peering buildings. Music thumped through the ground from the nearby clubs. Roaring and cursing cried out as aliens fought one another, intoxicated from the late night celebrations. The slums of Omega filled the air with the stench of smoke and filth. Hundreds of aliens walked through the bustling streets.
Suddenly a Salarian barged through the people, panting and huffing.
"Excuse me! Move! Get out ah" He cried out trying to get passed the selection of different species.
He was clutching a case close to his chest as he ran through the crowds. He finally barged through the stormy ocean of aliens. He quickly looked around, scanning for the client. His frog like eyes scanned the area, still catching his breath.
Just then, a cough cried out. He turned sharply to see a human stood by a crate. He was shady.
"Come here" the figure beckoned.
The Salarian held the case tight and walked over, watching over his shoulders every few seconds. He kept scanning the crowds, looking cautious. He walked up the steps slowly towards the man. He had a shaved head and slight scars to one side of his face.
"Okay, you got the kit?" he said quietly. The Salarian realized he was the client, nodding.
"Oh yes, I got it..." he opened the case with his hand print. The case beeped and the locks clicked. He pried it open.
"Here, a perfect replica of Shepard's Armour. You'll look identical to him." The man nodded in approval.
"Good work." The Salarian was curious.
"I must ask. Why do you want to look like Shepard so bad?" he looked at him.
"Imagine the fame. The riches if Shepard returned. Not many people knew him, so why can't it be me?" he sinisterly smiled. The Salarian chuckled.
"Oh yes, very good. So, where are my credits? This wasn't cheap" the Salarian rubbed his finger and thumb together as if mimicking money.
"You'll get em. Just let me get in this stuff." the man snarled.
The Salarian kept watch as the man walked around the back of the crate. He was breathing heavily.
"Okay, it's okay, you didn't do anything wrong, no harm in making replicas. Ha!" he mumbled to himself.
He squinted as he looked into the moving crowd. A white hooded figure disappeared behind some Turians. He started to breathe heavier.
"Oh no. No,no,no" he shook his head.
The man re-emerged, looking identical to Commander Shepard.
"How'd I look?" he said, holding his arms out.
The Salarian nodded, cautious of what he had just seen. The man smiled.
"You did good" The Salarian reached his hand out.
"Good. Glad. Now can I have my credits?" The man ignored him, admiring himself.
"I gotta say the last few ones weren't as comfortable, and weren't perfect, but damn, you outdid yourself this time." The Salarian paced, looking back at the crowd.
Inside the crowd, the white hooded figure twirled a Phalanx through their fingers, stopping at the trigger and cocking the gun back, as the spent thermal clip hissed and bounced out, hopping along the floor with a metallic click. The figure stepped back out of the shadows and into the crowd.
The Salarian looked as the crowds parted like the red sea. The figure walked down the middle. Female hips became apparent and the white Armour and hood was definitely designed for a female. The Salarians eyes widened
"You know what, on the house, you don't have to pay me" he said with a nervous chuckle, scared and wanting to leave.
"No, hang on. I owe you it at least" the man said, counting out credits, slowly. The Salarian kept looking back at the parting waves of people as this mysterious figure grew nearer. His eyes widened in horror.
"No, forget it, goodbye" he said, walking away and slowly gaining speed as he looked back to see the figure turn towards him.
He started jogging; he peered back, panting in horror. The figure began barging and slamming through the crowd members, sprinting at him. He screamed in terror and began running as fast as he could.
The shadowy hooded face was fixed on him. The female was gaining on him. He was crying out for help, dropping his empty suitcase. Her foot cracked through the case moments later. People watched in awe and horror as she leaped up into the air, pressing one foot against the wall and diving onto him. He slammed into the concrete and skidded along the floor.
He groaned in pain, twisting and turning on the floor. She got up off of him and stared down at him. He shielded his face.
"Please" he begged, hands over his face. She grabbed his collar and hauled him to her face.
"Where did you get the blueprints for Shepard's Armour?" the figure roared.
The Salarian was confused.
"It's just N7 Armour!"She shook her hooded head.
"No, Shepard's Armour had a slight defection from a run in with a Reaper Brute on Menea, this has that dent, now where did you get it, and do you know where he is?" She interrogated.
The Salarian was very confused now.
"How could you possibly know that?" He scoffed at her.
She lifted her arm upwards sharply and grasped the bill of her hood, pulling it down from her head, revealing the blue face of Liara T'soni.
"Because I helped him!" she snarled, her sharp blue eyes staring into his soul.
"Now, where did you get these exact blueprints?" she asked, holding the Phalanx to his throat. He gulped.
"Okay, Okay. I got them from a guy up street. He worked here when Shepard helped Aria. He must've gotten some details then, okay?"
Her heart dropped to the bottom of her chest and her shoulders sagged. She could feel a kick in her gut from realising this Salarian knew nothing on the real Shepard. Another lead with no information, so far.
Liara looked back at the cowering man in Shepard amour.
"And why give it to a weakling like him? What does he gain being Shepard?" the Salarian coughed as the barrel pressed deeper against his windpipe.
"Fame, fortune, Shepard's legacy; there's a lot of credits to be made from Shepard mimics." She shook her head.
"Where do I find this guy?" she asked. The Salarian scoffed.
"Yeah, like I'd tell you that" He chuckled to himself as she tightened her clenching tight throat grip.
"Alright, listen up amphibian. I am in no mood for games. I have been following dead end leads for months, and this is the one with at least something to gain, so tell me. Or I blow your little head off your shoulders. Understand now?"
The Salarian gulped over the pressing barrel. He sighed and looked over his shoulder. He raised his hand and pointed down the street to a Club.
"Top floor, ask to see Rokzac. He's a Turian" She smiled and nodded.
"Thanks now get out of here" She snarled. Suddenly a voice emerged from over her shoulder.
"Hey, what are you doing?" An Officer had arrived after reports of an incident. She sighed and gritted her teeth. The Salarian crawled away and ran for freedom.
Oh Goddess, rookie move there Liara
She stayed, kneeling and head held low.
"Stand up, hands where I can see them" he said, predator aimed at her. She reached up for her hood and pulled it over her head, shadowing her face.
"Hey, hands where I can see them." She stood up slowly. A crowd had gathered behind the officer to watch.
"Now, hands...where" before he could finish, she interrupted him "I know, I know. Hands where I can see them" she raised both hands and flicked her wrists. Biotic energy shot at the officer and he flew through the crowd with force. She took her chance and ran for the club. The officer clambered to his staggering feet.
"Hey! Stop her!" he shouted firing at her as she got away, narrowly missing civilians. She ran into the building. He caught his breath and raised his fingers to his ear.
"Suspect has entered the Club . Get a team to surround it. We got this bitch now" he grinned.
...
Music deafened her as she entered the raging club. The thumping of base slammed against her ear drums. She snarled and walked into the club, looking around for any sign of a Turian named Rokzac.
She peered around, orange and blue strobe lights blinding her. She grabbed the sides of her hood and concealed her face. She decided to let him become apparent by his own doing. She walked over to the bar and lent against it.
She scanned the club, squinting through the strobes to try and see a suspicious Turian. Suddenly a startling voice erupted.
"What can I get ya?" the barman shouted over the music. She shook it off and looked at him.
"I'll have a Thessian Templar" A surprising choice for someone like Liara, but age and time had sculpted her. He nodded and began preparing it.
The Barman knew something was up with her. She kept looking around the room.
"You okay?" he asked, mixing her drink. She nodded.
"Just waiting for a friend" she growled from under the hood. He nodded and focused on her drink. She pressed her armored wrists against the bar and waited for her drink. The barman poured the mixture into a glass.
He swirled the concoction around with a plastic rod and slid the swirling drink along the bar to her.
"Go careful tonight, yeah?" he said, hand with a cloth as he wiped another glass clean. She nodded, downing the drink in one big gulp. Her face soured and she groaned. Liara slammed the glass down with a bang. She wiped the excess from her lips with her wrist. She slowly spun around and lent against the bar, looking at the raving club.
As she scanned the room, an inebriated club goer staggered over to her.
"Oh, pretty Asari, why do you conceal your face?" She tried to swat him away, but he kept trying.
"Come on blue. Give me some love!" He reached and grabbed her hips. She shook her head.
"I'm sorry for this, but you'll thank me in the morning" He smiled.
"What will I be thanking you for?" He staggered, smiling like the inebriated idiot he was. She looked up at him.
"For knocking the hangover out of your head!" Liara grabbed his head and cracked it against the bar. A loud bang echoed, and he fell to the floor with a moan.
"Touch me like that again and I'll flay you alive" She whispered at him. She gazed up at the barman. He was chuckling to himself.
"You can handle yourself, well played" he smiled, cleaning the glass.
"Hey!" A Krogan guard shouted at her, an Asari mercenary by his side. She looked over her hooded shoulder. He raised his Vindicator rifle.
"You can't do shit like that in here. Get out" she shook her head.
"So I take it you all work for Rokzac?" she said from under her hood, finishing the other guy's drink. She shook it off and spun around to face them.
"So...where is he? He has something of value to me." The Krogan looked up at the top floor balcony. She looked up to see a Turian run inside. She grinned menacingly.
"Thanks big head" Before she could get by he stopped her, throwing her against the bar.
"No way little girl!" she groaned in pain and staggered to her feet. The Asari cracked her knuckles and smirked at Liara. She quickly grabbed a bar stool and flung it at the Asari, breaking against her Omni Armored body. The stool splintered apart and exploded. She shook it off and swung at Liara with a roar. The hooded hero ducked and blocked every hit.
Okay Liara, remember what you've learned over the last few months, duck, swing, hit!
Over the past few months, Feron, one of her best friends had trained her to fight like a Drell. She remembered every move and used it against them. The Krogan tried to get a clear shot but couldn't. Liara twirled through the air and swung down with a Biotic punch, blowing the dazed Asari back.
She roared and punched her again, sending the guard flying along the dance floor. Dancers staggered and parted as the guard slid between them.
Liara grinned from under her hood. Suddenly two huge Krogan hands grabbed her by the arms. He lifted her off the ground.
"Now face the might of a Krogan!" He roared. She had no choice. She growled and head butt him with force. A loud crack echoed and he stumbled backwards, falling down the steps to the dance floor. Orange strobe lights flickered as he fell into his unconsciousness. She smirked, and then held her head.
"Ow, that felt good actually! Goddess, Guess dad was right. A quarter Krogan and you do want to headbutt people." She joked to herself.
Liara looked up at the balcony. A Turian stared at her with piercing white eyes from under a tough stubborn skull brow.
"Rokzac." She snarled. Liara ran across the dance floor and through the crowds to the stairs. She kept focusing on the balcony. She looked at the steps for a second. Suddenly a shotgun was in her face. She slid to a stop, her head recoiling from the barrel.
Several Krogan guards surrounded her. She tensed her fists, but didn't fight back. Dancers screamed and abandoned the club as they witnessed the firearms. The music died and silence resumed. Her ears were still ringing, but were quiet enough to hear the sarcastic claps of Rokzac as he entered the balcony.
The Turian looked down at her chuckling.
"I take it that little Salarian of mine told you. I also take it that you are looking for Shepard. Well, you're not the only one." Liara flared her teeth. The four Krogan guards aimed their shotguns at her at the bottom of the stairs.
"You'll give me that information" She ordered, with a threatening tone. Rokzac laughed.
"Why can't you get it yourself? After all, you are the Shadow Broker" Her eyes widened in shock. "Kill her. The shadow Broker's death will definitely make the other clans take me seriously." he said, walking away. The Krogan chuckled, aiming at her.
Goddess, a trap. I should know better.
She tightened her eyes. Suddenly a bang echoed and he dropped to the floor before her, a bullet hole cracked through the Krogan crest. The other Krogan guards were confused. She looked over her shoulders, looking for the shooter. Up in the darkest corner of the catwalks was Feron, sniper rifle in his grip. He nodded, and slipped into the shadows.
She grinned. Liara roared and punched the ground with all her biotic might. A shock wave of blue biotic energy exploded outwards in a loud eruption. The Krogan guards flew across the floor. Smouldering cracked concrete crumbled beneath her feet as she stood up tall. She looked up at the Balcony.
"I'm coming for you!" she roared, running up the stairs.
Rokzac snarled, running over to a computer on his desk. He ejected the drive and clutched it tight, listening to Liara running up the stairs. Two Asari guards stood in front of him. He picked up his Carnifex and held it in his other hand.
She reached the top of the stairs. Feron watched from the catwalk. He trained the scope on Rokzac's skull.
"Give me the information, I can find him, and we'll both get answers." she said, reaching out. He scoffed.
"You don't get it do you Broker? Nothing worth saving comes without sacrifice" She dropped her Phalanx and raised her hands.
"I am willing to die for him. Please...he means everything to me" Liara pleading for the drive with important data, not only on Shepard's armor but maybe information on where he went on Omega when helping Aria.
Rokzac began to actually listen. He flicked his wrist, getting his Asari guards to stand down. Feron dropped his scope from his head. He too was confused.
"Who are you to him?" Rokzac asked, hiding behind his guards. She sighed and tried to say it, oxygen recycling through her lungs.
"He and I...we...we are joined" Rokzac lowered his gun.
"You mean, physically...mentally?" she nodded
"Both, during the Reaper war. He made sure I survived Harbinger, while he ran to the beam. So forgive me if I've taken a personal interest in this. Please...please give me the data" She begged, reaching out. He shook his head.
"I'm sorry Broker...I can't do that." his voice trembled. He stood near the window. "If I give you this...then he'll kill me" he trembled. Liara stood up, confused.
"Who?" Rokzac knew it was imminent. He knew there was no way out. If he was going to die, at least do the right thing. He took several deep breaths, each one louder and deeper than the last. His chest expanded and shrunk each time.
"Find him Broker. Find him! It was a man called -" before he could finish a bullet exploded through the window and through the back of his head. Liara fell back to the floor. The Turian body slumped to his knees and slammed against the floor. His Asari guards screamed and ran, bustling passed Liara and down the stairs.
She slowly and carefully stood, peering out the window. She looked down to see a mysterious figure jump in a sky car and disappear into the city horizon of Omega.
Feron arrived beside her. The brown, green, purple skinned Drell sighed and shook his head. She looked down at the body and began searching it for the drive.
"Anything?" Feron asked, scanning the horizon with his sniper rifle. She finally found it.
"It's encrypted, but I've got it" Feron nodded, stepping away from the shattered window.
"What made him have a change of heart so quickly?" Feron asked, lowering his sniper rifle. She shook her head.
"No idea, I mean one minute he wants me dead, the next he helps me."
Suddenly a voice groaned.
"Don't you idiots see? He was always trying to save you. Now you're the target. He wanted to keep you out of his clutches." A wounded Krogan sat on the floor, looking at them. Blood seeped from his bullet wound. Liara lent down to him "what do you mean?" The Krogan grinned.
"Now you're in his game, and you can't win without losing" He said before dying. His eyes faded black and his mouth fell open. Feron sighed.
"Why'd you make me shoot you?" he said, closing the Krogan's eyes with his palm.
"Liara, you okay?" Liara was puzzled.
"Whose game?"