A/N: The events of this story are set several centuries after the events in ME3. I'm not very good at maths so I won't be getting more specific than that. I'll make some oblique references to ME3 but given that it's not out yet (damnit) they will be few and far between. The primary focus of the story will be Liara and her continuing adventures with life, love and all things Prothean. Liara is pretty much the only ME character I will be using directly, though references will be made to other characters. Everyone else will be an invention of my at-times overly fertile imagination.
I'll be borrowing slightly from the tweaked ME/ME2 universe of the incomparable Melaradark to fill in some back story elements. My story will make sense without reading her stories, but I highly recommend you read them anyway:
Dark Energy – http:/ www . fanfiction . net/s/7501822/1/Dark_Energy
Dark Energy 2: Trail of Shadows – http:/ www . fanfiction . net/s/7661995/1/Dark_Energy_2_Trail_of_Shadows
They are both incredibly well written and very engaging. Dark Energy is complete, DE2 is ongoing but far enough along for me to shamelessly borrow certain events and characters. And yes, I asked first.
Legal stuff: BioWare own the ME universe and everything and everyone contained therein. I've just borrowed some borrowed characters to have my own fun. Don't sue me, I'm worth bugger all.
So, on with the show...
MWMWMWMWMW
Liara didn't know what it was that first drew her gaze to the woman. Certainly not her attire as she was quite nondescriptly dressed in well worn civvies. Her posture maybe? While at first glance she did appear to be leaning casually against the railing surrounding the lake there was a tautness to her posture, something that made it slightly less than casual. It wasn't her face as the woman had been looking away from the asari when Liara first noticed her.
Without quite knowing why Liara stepped to the railing herself, pausing a short distance from the woman. "Quite beautiful, isn't it?"
Showing no sign that she had been startled by the intrusion the woman briefly settled her partially hooded brown eyes on the asari before sweeping them across the lake.
"Yes, it is. And all floating out in the middle of nowhere." Turning, the woman returned her gaze to Liara and offered a tired smile. "Still, it's a refreshing change from what I usually get to look at."
Liara regarded the woman for a moment, still unsure as to what drew her to begin a conversation with a complete stranger. Dark smudges under the woman's eyes and a slight pinching of her brow betrayed her weariness though the darting of her eyes indicated a higher level of alertness then she had first assumed as they briefly shifted from the asari's face to observe the surrounding area.
"Is this your first time on the Citadel?"
Laughing slightly the woman turned to face the lake again, bracing her forearms against the rail. "Look like that much of a tourist, do I?"
Flushing a slightly deeper shade of blue Liara silently cursed herself. All these years and she still couldn't manage a simple social interaction without embarrassing herself. Before she could open her mouth to change feet the woman spoke again.
"No, I've been here a couple of times. Always just passing through though, off one transport shuttle and onto another. Managed to get a little down time on this trip so I thought I'd have a look around. This," a hand sweeping to gesture at the lake and park lands, "is beautiful, as you said. Quite the contrast to my hotel in the ward at any rate. What about yourself, visit here often?"
Tilting her head slightly the woman glanced at Liara, appraising the asari in much the same way as she herself had been measured up.
Leaning into the railing, Liara watched the colour of the lake slowly deepen as the artificial dusk began. "Much like yourself, I always seem to be just passing through. I do have an apartment here but most of my time is spent elsewhere so it would be inaccurate to say I live on the Citadel."
"Ah, so we're both wanderers then," the woman chuckled. "Why stay in one place when there's a whole galaxy out there to see I always say." Shifting in her lean, the woman extended her right hand towards the asari.
"Anyway, I'm Sam. Samantha really but Sam is fine."
Grasping the woman's hand Liara gave it a slight shake, mildly amused as always that humans just assumed other species were familiar with the gesture.
"Liara."
Something seemed to flash in the woman's eyes as she heard the asari's name but it was so fleeting Liara put it down to a trick of the light. The artificial dusk was progressing and the lamps set along the pathways were starting to glow warmly as they powered on for the coming night.
"Well Liara, it was a pleasure to meet you. You're the first person who's spoken to me because they wanted to, not because they had to, since I set foot on this tin can. Thank you."
Grinning slightly as Liara's colour darkened again, the woman glanced at a small chrono on her wrist, pushed off the railing and took a step back. "Sorry, but I've got an early shuttle to catch tomorrow and I am not a morning person. Maybe we'll bump into each other again next time we're both passing through?"
Dropping her eyes momentarily to hide her disappointment at the conversation ending so quickly – a conversation you started without even knowing why – Liara again met the woman's eyes and smiled softly. "Maybe we will. It was a pleasure to meet you as well Sam."
With a final nod the woman turned and walked off, Liara again noting an oddity in the way she held herself. If she didn't know better – she had noted the woman wore no dog tags, and marines never took their tags off – she would have described the woman's bearing as almost militaristic.
"What is it with me and soldiers..." Shaking her head slightly, Liara turned and made her way home.
A new dig site was in the final stages of being set up and, as supervising archaeologist of the project, Liara was due there in two days time to assist in the cataloguing of any new discoveries as well as generally provide her expertise. No matter how well organised she was it always seemed as though she had left everything to the last minute. Lists and memos floated through her head and her brief meeting with Sam was all but forgotten.
MWMWMWMWMWMWMWM
"And over here we have the main camp. As you can see we've had to use the reinforced biodomes for this dig. While the planet is largely temperate, severe storms can form quite quickly at this time of year and the winds they generate would tear the normal domes to shreds."
Casting her gaze around the camp Liara nodded approvingly. More of a small town than a camp, the site would be home to several dozen scientists ranging from archaeologists to biologists to zoologists for the next six months. The smaller biodomes acted as residences, little more than glorified tents really but they offered privacy and kept the weather off. The largest biodome was centrally located and dwarfed the smaller structures. Divided into compartments it housed the mess area, a small medical clinic, a recreation area, a laboratory and a common office area.
Drawing himself up upon noting Liara's nod, the salarian at her side gestured towards one side of the main dome. "If you'll come this way Doctor T'soni I can show you where your dome is."
"Thank you Norlan. You've done an excellent job getting this site prepared. And please, call me Liara."
Uncharacteristically lost for words at her praise, Norlan desperately looked around for a topic of conversation. "Ah, if we might divert a moment there is someone I would like you to meet Doct...Liara."
As the pair approached an open storage container Liara could see a figure moving about in the shadows within, shifting equipment crates around in an apparent search for something. There was something oddly familiar in their movements...
"Doctor Williams! Doctors Williams, if I may have a moment of your time?" Without waiting for a reply Norlan turned to Liara. "Doctor T'soni... Liara, if I may introduce you to Doctor S..."
"Sam!"
"...amantha Williams." Trailing off, Norlan looked between the two woman. "You have already met?"
Grinning, Sam crossed her arms and leaned against the container door as Liara unconsciously pressed a hand to her mouth, embarrassed at her outburst. Attempting to recover some dignity, Liara coughed slightly and dropped her hand.
"Not officially Norlan, no. We kind of bumped into each other on the Citadel a few days ago."
Norlan glanced between the two women again. "Right. Doctor Williams, would you mind showing Doctor T'soni where her quarters are? The dome right next to yours. If you'll excuse me I can see another shuttle preparing to land."
Sam straightened and cast a final look into the container before meeting Liara's eyes and tilting her chin towards a spot behind the asari. "C'mon, home sweet home is over this way."
Falling into step beside the human Liara couldn't help but feel as though she was at a disadvantage. "Did you know who I was the other night, when we met? I thought I saw... it seemed as though you recognised my name."
Sam chuckled lightly. "Ah, busted. I'm sorry Doctor T'soni, I probably should have said something but I wasn't sure it was you. I've read quite a few of your early articles on the Protheans but they were all archived copies so there was no picture attached. 'Samantha' was a very popular name around the time I was born so there are a lot of woman my age running around with my name. I wasn't sure if that happened with asari as well so I figured I'd wait and see."
Liara glanced at the woman in surprise. "You've read my early articles? I'm surprised they were even archived, as they were all dismissed out of hand when I published them."
Nodding, Sam slowed as they approached a pair of domes set off slightly by themselves. "Sure, I've read just about every Prothean article out there. Granted there aren't that many so it wasn't as onerous a task as I like to try and make other people believe it was," Sam flashed the bemused asari a grin as she continued, "but there's just something about their culture that really grabbed me the first time I found out about them. The Protheans and anything about them have pretty much been the sole focus of my life since I was eight."
Drawing to a halt outside the domes Sam gestured to the one on her right. "This one's yours and I'm right next door. Norlan seems to take efficiency to almost scary levels so I'd be surprised if your gear wasn't already inside."
"Thank you Sam. If I may ask, what drew you to the Protheans at such a young age?"
Knitting her brows briefly, Sam gave a sigh and a short laugh. "Bit long of a story to tell standing out here." Shrugging a shoulder towards her dome, Sam seemed almost nervous for a moment. "Want to come in, take a load off?"
"I... yes, I would like that." Centuries of contact with humans, and Liara was still frequently surprised by their odd vernacular. Ducking through the opened door, Liara straightened and looked around Sam's dome. Glorified tent was perhaps an inaccurate description for the residential domes. High enough for all but a krogan to comfortably move about inside, the domes had movable dividers and featured a small kitchenette, very basic bathroom facilities, and a combined living/sleeping area.
Stepping through the door behind Liara Sam pulled the heavy plastic portal closed, plunging the interior of the dome into a deep gloom. A quick sweep of her fingers over a panel near the door activated the electrostatic fabric of the dome, allowing light to enter the interior while maintaining the residents privacy.
"Please, take a seat. Would you like something to drink? I can only offer water at the moment, or some reconstituted orange juice powder. The rest of my stash is in a crate buried in the back of that shipping container."
Raising an eyebrow Liara moved across the dome and settled on a low bench that jutted out from the wall. "Your stash?"
"Um... nothing illicit I promise. Well, too illicit anyway." Forgetting Liara hadn't answered the question, Sam busied herself pouring two glasses of water before carrying them over to the table and setting one before the asari.
Happy she wasn't the one off balance for a change, Liara sipped her water before resuming her previous query. "Eight seems very young to become so focussed on something as dry and ancient as the Protheans."
Sipping her own water Sam nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. It's all my Dad's fault, he got me a shuttle trip to Mars for my birthday to visit the Prothean site there. The first step I took into the ruins and my heart and soul were stolen away. Truth be told it actually broke Dad's heart a bit when he realised I wasn't going to become a marine." Noticing Liara's questioning look, Sam continued. "Military service is something of a tradition in my family."
Realisation dawned across Liara's face, drawing a quiet chuckle from Sam.
"Williams...you're..."
"Yep. My great, great..." Sam made a circular motion with her hand, "great grandmother was Ashley Williams."
