Shepard charged into the never ending flow of creatures, using her biotics to shove them away and pumping the shotgun furiously, reloading as necessary with a speed that shocked even Garrus. "Stay back!" She bellowed, having already witnessed their effects when Liara suddenly became violently ill after contact with the viscous, green liquid that spewed from them. This is where Shepard the legend was most visible, there was no pondering, no unsure movement. She was all action, purpose and reflex and her reflexes were almost inhuman.
"Shepard, look out!" Liara shouted, throwing a warp at one of the creatures the commander had failed to completely incapacitate.
Garrus fired so many rounds into it, it was atomized. There seem to be a break in the fighting. Kate turned to them, her chest heaving with all of the physical effort. "Thanks, you two. You were great!"
"We were - what?" Liara's eyes were wide. Here Shepard was fighting like some war goddess and she was telling them that they were great? She shook her head in complete disbelief.
"I was pretty good, wasn't I?" Garrus chuckled.
"Yes, you sure were. Thanks, Garrus." Kate grinned. "Let's be ready for the next wave." She was virtually vibrating in place, like she couldn't be still for even a moment.
"And we need to find more of those vulnerable spots." Liara reminded Shepard.
"Yes, right, let's do that while there's a chance." Kate began to make a sweep. She found another possible node and fired into it. The Thorian screamed and she nodded with satisfaction.
"The waves seem to come after we nail one of those, best be ready." Garrus sighted his rifle.
And correctly, the silence was broken with another wave. The three sprung into action. They found their rhythm, making short work of the creatures and the asari commando's clone that The Thorian kept throwing at them. Kate couldn't help but wonder if it was hurting the asari, wherever she was, being shot and killed over and over again. But it couldn't be helped.
They found the last node and The Thorian came crashing down, vibrating the entire underground system and raising a cloud of rotten stench. All of them covered their faces, it was foul. Then the real commando emerged from a pod on the wall. Shepard instinctively raised her shotgun.
"I thought I recognized that face, Shiala, by the goddess!" Liara stepped forward. Shepard lowered her weapon and shot Garrus a surprised look. He shrugged.
"Liara! I'm so glad you're here. And even happier to be freed from The Thorian." Shiala rotated her shoulders and winced.
"Cramped in the pod?" Shepard asked.
"Very." Shiala frowned.
"Shepard, Shiala taught me the few combat skills I possessed before I met you, when I was younger. My mother insisted that I know the basics of protecting myself." Liara turned to Shepard, smiling.
"Your mother was wise, indeed." Kate nodded and turned to the commando. "Shiala, I need something from you. I need what you gave to Saren. I need The Cipher. But first I need to know what it is and why Saren wanted it in the first place."
"The Cipher is knowledge. It is the context that illuminates the information given by the beacons. Basically, it is an endemic understanding of prothean culture. I took it from The Thorian, who took it from the protheans fifty thousand years ago."
"So Saren needed it so that he could completely understand what the protheans were trying to give us through those beacons." Kate shifted her weight from foot to foot, her senses still humming from the battle.
"Yes."
"And then he betrayed you. And The Thorian. Which is why it wouldn't give us the time of day." Shepard frowned, he may have been a SPECTRE before, but now he was a waste of air. "But Benezia allowed you to be left here?"
"Benezia sought to turn Saren from his current path. She thought she could convince him there was another way. I was one of her followers and she gave us all the choice to follow her or not. I chose to follow her, knowing that if we failed, we would all be in danger. But I believed in her. Benezia became another tool of Saren's, and incapable of doing anything to protect me from his betrayal. I do not blame her, she had the best of intentions." The sadness in her eyes were unmistakable, even to Shepard.
"Benezia is gone now, Shiala. She died on Noveria, at our hands." Grief flashed for just a moment in Liara's eyes.
"Oh, I am so sorry, Liara. Please know that she tried to fight it." Shiala touched Liara's shoulder, gently.
"I know, she broke free long enough to make that clear. But thank you, that is kind of you to say." Liara looked down, unable to meet Shiala's gaze, afraid she would lose her composure if she did so.
Shepard broke the silence. "You can still help, Shiala. If you can give me the Cipher, I am going to do everything I can to stop Saren. That I can promise you. He's going to pay, for all of this." Shepard's jaw muscles were clenching and relaxing. She realized she was furious about the loss of Liara's mother, and put the blame squarely on Saren's shoulders. He had so much to answer for.
Liara studied the commander's face. The anger radiating off of her was almost palpable. She looked back at Shiala. "If anyone can stop Saren, it's the commander. After all, she just rescued you."
Kate shook her head, she would help Liara see how important she was no matter what it took. "We all did. It wasn't just me. I couldn't do this alone, Liara. Don't ever forget that."
Shepard smiled, but there was still a coldness in her gaze. Liara wondered what she was thinking about, what had made her suddenly so angry. She would talk to her about it later.
"I can give you The Cipher, but to do so I will need to meld with you. And the information exchange of that much data will not be pleasant, commander. But if you wish it, I will do this for you." Shiala nodded. She agreed with Liara, this woman seemed capable of doing what she promised. If Liara trusted her, Shiala felt she could as well, and she desperately wanted to do something to atone for what she had done.
"Let's do it, then." Shepard met Shiala's eyes unflinchingly.
Kate felt like someone had crammed several large textbooks into her head through her ear. Thoughts were spinning in and out and the vertigo she was experiencing post meld was intense. She looked helplessly at Liara as the world tilted sideways again.
"Are you alright?" Liara was worried, she'd never seen the commander that pale before, even her lips were white.
"I - feel - strange." Kate wobbled.
"I'm sorry, commander. There was no other way." Shiala shrugged.
"So what will you do now?" Talking seemed to help stabilize the ground.
"I would like to stay and help the colonists. They have suffered greatly and I played a role in that suffering."
"I think that would be very noble of you, Shiala. And I thank you for this information. I may not seem grateful right now, but that's just the after effects of the meld, I'm sure you understand." Kate smiled wanly.
"I do. And I wish you good luck on your hunt." Shiala nodded.
Garrus grabbed Shepard's elbow to steady her as they worked their way back up to the surface. One minute she would be okay and the next the whole world would tilt like she was in a room with crazy mirrors. Liara finally took her by the arm.
"Just lean on me, commander. We need to get you back to the Normandy so that Doctor Chakwas can keep an eye on you."
"Thanks, Liara." Kate leaned heavily against Liara's side. The asari felt comforting on several levels and she wished she didn't feel so crappy so that she could enjoy the contact more. A thought that amused her. She laughed aloud without even realizing it.
"What's so funny, Shepard?" Liara asked softly.
"Hell of a first date, T'Soni. That's all." It dawned on her that she felt drunk and unfortunately was saying stupid things as if she were.
Garrus cracked up at that one. "You often do threesomes, Shepard?"
She looked up at him and grinned. "Well, no. But for you two I'll make an exception."
Liara darkened with embarrassment, but Garrus just moved to the other side and put his arm around her. Then Liara realized he was just making it easier for them both to help the commander and she smiled and nodded at him. He winked.
"Well, then, let's get to the ship. I think we wore her ass out, T'Soni. What do you think?"
"I'd say so, Garrus. Next time we'll just have to go easier on her."
"Ha! I can handle both of you AND the Krogan, bring it on!" She flailed an arm out for emphasis, and then grimaced. "Or maybe not."
They all laughed.