THE PROTHEAN EXPERT
Jane freshened up in the bathroom and caught sight of herself in the mirror, dull green eyes staring right back at her. A badgering sense of doubt began to fester.
Can I really do this? Live up to the expectations of a Spectre and rightfully hold the fate of the galaxy in my hands? And succeed?
It had all happened so fast – becoming a Spectre. She knew it was coming and this is was what humanity wanted, but the mere thought of holding in her hands the fate of billions of lives sent a chill down her spine. But it's pointless now to think about such things. She is a Spectre now. Failing isn't an option. Her eyes sparked, and a raging fire rose once again.
"15 minutes until landing, Commander," Joker notified over the intercom system.
"Thanks, Joker. Have Vakarian and Williams meet me in the cargo hold. Time to find us an asari."
"Aye aye, Commander."
The Normandy's stealth systems were made for missions like this. To deploy a small squad undetected. On the ground, the team would move in on the Mako which had to be the most graceful yet clumsiest vehicle that Jane ever drove. If you drove it off a cliff upside down, it would somehow find a way to land on all fours like a cat. However, if you went a slight bit more than the intended turn, the mako would submit into an uncontrollable drift.
Therum is an active volcanic land with pockets of molten lava lakes. Jane had to be careful navigating the terrain, using the geographical and elevation maps as a guide. Though mindful of the danger of molten lava, she wasn't as tactful with the uneven ground. She found a way to hit every pothole, ditch, nook and cranny, rocking the mako and its passengers violently.
"Pardon any insubordination, Commander," Garrus hesitantly spoke up, "but don't you think we'd have an, uh, smoother ride if we took the route that is already provided...and flat?"
"Come on Vakarian, haven't you ever heard of taking the road less traveled?" Jane quipped, speeding up a rutted mountain, no finesse whatsoever.
"I think in our case, there was a reason no one's traveling this road ma'am," Ashley muttered. "Ow!"
Jane may or may not have purposely ran over a crater, sending the two in the back springing from their seats and crashing into the roof above their heads.
A geth ship flew over the mako and dropped off a two geth colossus mechanisms that immediately assembled onto all fours and fired blue orb projectiles.
"Vakarian! Get on the cannon! Take those geth out!"
"On it, Commander!"
Garrus jumped in the passenger seat to take over the gun controls, and the two harmoniously took out the geth with Jane's evasion tactics and Garrus' aim. Moving forward, more geth appeared along their way. The path came to an end when the road was blocked with debris of boulders. Time to go on foot.
"I drive next time," Ashley groaned, massaging the top of her head as they exited the mako.
"Do you know how much time I saved us by taking the direct route instead of the long winding boring flat road? Plus, I got us a wicked vantage point for the firefight."
"Anyone else see stars circling around their heads? I may have to sit this one out, Commander," Garrus joked.
"Alright, alright. I get it. I'll be more thoughtful of my tender-headed soldiers. Now, let's move out!" she commanded, throwing on her helmet.
Past the debris, the road led to the entrance of the dig site, with an extensive and well-lit tunnel down into the earth. At the end of the tunnel, the geth popped up again, assault drones flying from out of cracks in the ruins. Wave after wave of enemies continued to appear as they pursued their objective.
Jane was more than impressed with Garrus' sniping skills. He was able to take down the enemies further away while Ashley and Jane concentrated on the enemies in closer proximities, making sure they wouldn't get anywhere close.
Further in the ruins, the squad took an elevator deep into the cave where more geth were waiting for them as they got off, but it seemed that they finally reached the end. Glowing blue light illuminated this section of the ruins. As they approached, a chamber blocked off with a cerulean barrier levitated a stretched-out asari body in the center.
"Uh...hello? Could somebody help me? Please?" her voice echoed. Holstering their guns, the team stepped up to get a closer look. "Can you hear me out there? I am trapped. I need help!"
"Liara T'soni, I presume," Jane said.
Dr. T'Soni floated behind the barrier still able to move her head, but her body completely frozen by the spherical force field that entrapped her. The doctor anxiously watched Jane, attempting to decipher whether she was a friend or foe.
"Thank the Goddess! I did not think anyone would come looking for me," she said sincerely. "Listen. This thing I am in is a Prothean device. I cannot move, so I need you to get me out of it. All right?"
Jane isn't going to trust so easily.
"Your mother is working with Saren. Whose side are you on?"
"What?" she exclaimed offended. "I am not on anybody's side! I may be Benezia's daughter, but I'm nothing like her! I have not spoken to her in years. Please. Just get me out of here."
"How did you get in there?"
Dr. T'Soni sighed. "I was exploring the ruins when the geth showed up, so I hid in here. Can you believe that? Geth! Beyond the Veil!" Jane read her reaction as authentic. Liara ha activated the tower's defenses knowing the barrier curtains would keep enemies out, but she hit something she wasn't supposed to and ended up trapped.
Ashley leaned into the Commander's ear and whispered, "You think we can trust her? She is a traitor's daughter."
Jane's instincts gave her no indication that Liara had any evil intentions. Just an innocent researcher trying to do her life's work. She nodded her answer to Ashley.
"You got any suggestion on how to get you out of here?"
Relieved, Liara gleefully answered, "There is a control in here that should deactivate this thing. You'll have to find some way past the barrier curtain – that's the tricky part. The defenses cannot be shut off from the outside. I don't know how you'll get in here..."
All three turned and examined the area for any signs of an alternate entry point.
"Be careful," Liara alerted, "There is a krogan with the geth. They have been trying different ways to get past the barriers."
"I'd like to think that my human brain can outsmart a krogan," she assured with confidence. "Don't move...er. Yeah. We'll be right back."
"You are...quite interesting, uh..."
"Shepard," she called out over her shoulder as they walked off. They split up to scavenge the area.
"Commander! Over here!" Garrus yelled. Jane jogged over with Ashley to see that Garrus had found a mining laser. "It's locked, but I can override it, aim it to burrow a tunnel underneath the chamber so we can access it from below."
"Good work, Vakarian," she praised, patting his shoulder. Garrus' body shuddered under her touch. She quickly took back her hand and turned away. "Get it done."
Shit. Was that inappropriate?
In a few seconds, the laser whirred and a blazing hot laser beam dugout a clean passage through ground, giving an easy way to get to the doctor. They climbed through the tunnel and discovered a platform elevator to take to the top, where Liara patiently awaited her rescuers. When she heard their footsteps, she craned her head to speak.
"I didn't think there was any way past the barrier! Well, no matter. Please...get me out of here before more geth arrive. The button over there should shut down this containment field."
Jane did as she said and Liara fell to her knees.
"Oof!" she grunted, dusting off her skin-tight uniform. Dr. T'Soni turned to face the squad, and everything went in slow motion to Jane. The asari Prothean expert was enchantingly beautiful. Unlike the dancer at Chora's Den or any asari in general, Jane's attraction to her wasn't immediately sexual. Liara's unlike the others she encountered so far. She's classy, dignified, respectful, and almost innocent. Her glassy powder blue eyes are endearing and faultless, accentuated by the smudged cobalt eyeliner haloed around her eyes.
When everything returned to real time, Garrus asked, "Any idea how we get out of this place?"
Liara directed them back down the elevator to an emergency entrance they could use. As they waited for the ride to stop at the bottom, Liara asked why they geth would be after her, even if she is Benezia's daughter. Garrus explained that Saren is looking for the Conduit, a Prothean device. She's the Prothean expert, so he obviously wanted her to help him find it. Before she could speak, a rumble shook the facility.
"The mining laser must have triggered a seismic event," Liara hypothesized. "The ruins are no longer stable. The whole place is caving in. We have to hurry!"
Jane radioed Joker to pick them up. He'd only be eight minutes away. But their escape wouldn't be so easy.
"Surrender! Or don't. That would be more fun," chuckled the krogan Liara had warned them of earlier.
"In case you didn't notice, this place is falling apart," Jane remarked snidely.
"Exhilarating, isn't it?" he replied nastily. "Thanks for getting rid of those energy fields for us. Hand the doctor over."
"Whatever it is you want, you're not getting it from me!" yelled Liara.
"She'll stay with us, thanks," Jane said with a sudden sense of protection over the asari. Liara looked over gratefully at her. Jane returned a tight-lipped smile.
The krogan battle master wasn't pleased with that response. "Not an option. Saren wants her. And he always gets what he wants."
He and his geth pulled out their weapons. They have to make this quick.
The last body hit the ground, and the squad sprinted towards the exit, dodging enormous falling rocks and equipment as the cave started to collapse. Jane placed herself behind everyone else, so she could be sure that no one would get left behind.
It was a close call, but they got through by the skin of their teeth.
A paralyzing silence fell, all eyes bouncing around the comm room searching for the next action to take place. Liara and Jane stood in the center and Liara stepped slowly towards Jane. Jane's body tightened up, unsure of what to expect with "joining consciousness". They gazed at each other, Jane paying special attention to Liara's eyes. Why were they so mesmerizing? Liara blushed, recognizing something extraordinary attractive about this human. She hadn't interacted with many humans before. But this joininh was necessary to see if she could decipher Shepard's visions.
"Relax, Commander," Liara directed, closing her eyes. Jane followed suit. "Embrace eternity!"
The group watched as Liara's eyes shot open and turned pitch black – pupil and iris, no white to be found. Shepard's eyes remained closed, but her eyes twitched under her eyelids, re-watching her vision together with Liara, whose body trembled subtly. A quick minute and her eyes softly closed. Simultaneously, their eyes snapped open, Liara's turning back to normal but doe-eyed.
"That was incredible! All this time! All my research. Yet I-I never dreamed... I am sorry. The images were so vivid. I never imagined the experience would be so...intense. You are remarkably strong-willed, Commander. What you have been through, what you have seen, would have destroyed a lesser mind."
"Come on. Get to the point. What'd you see?" Ashley griped, Liara talking way more than her liking.
The beacon on Eden Prime must have been badly damaged. Large parts of the vision were missing, and data transferred into Jane's mind was incomplete. Liara didn't see anything that would help them find it.
Saren was after Liara because he was afraid she's help Jane understand the vision. She was able to interpret what was there and find a missing portion. She was confident she could put all the pieces together.
"Looks like I'll need you to stay around," Jane told Liara.
"Thank you, Commander. I am very—" Liara stumbled back, palm to her forehead. "Whoa, I am afraid I am feeling a bit light-headed."
"When was the last time you ate? Or slept? Dr. Chakwas should take a look at you," Kaidan suggested.
"It could not hurt to be examined by a medical professional. Are we finished here, Commander?"
"We can talk again after you've seen the doctor. The rest of you...dismissed!"
Jane crossed her arms and watched her comrades walk of out the room.
What a bunch of misfits I've acquired. Talented, though. I'm lucky to have found them.
Garrus and Liara were the last two to file out. And the only lingering thought that refused to leave her was: Why was she so drawn to them?
