Protheans and Batarians only two known post-spaceflight races with four eyes. Possible connection? Javik mentions other four-eyed races in Prothean cycle. Batarian ancestors prominent in Prothean cycle? Batarian-Prothean share common ancestor? Initial thoughts: hypothesis seems absurd – Batarians violent and barbaric, Protheans enlightened and civilised. But Javik seems very violent… Protheans had servant races, Batarians have slaves. Oh Goddess! More research required. Not sure I want to pursue this hypothesis! Goddess! – yahg have four pairs of eyes. Significant? Must stop drinking "coffee" before bedtime…
- Hastily scribbled note from Liara T'Soni's datapad
As the shuttle left Earth's outer atmosphere, Liara watched the planet receding behind them. The Blue Planet, they called it. It was so beautiful from space, a round jewel half blazing with sunlight, half clothed in shadow, suspended in the void like a teardrop shed by the Goddess. The day side was a deep sapphire broken by jigsaw landmasses and swirling, feathery white cloud cover. It made her heart ache with desire to see her Thessia, separated from her by millions of light years of emptiness.
"We'll reach Mars in about twenty minutes," said the shuttle pilot, a human named Zhengli.
Liara turned away from the window. Her fellow passenger reclined against the opposite seat, her body's curves sliding beneath skin-tight armour the colour of blood.
"Thank you for agreeing to help in this matter, Justicar. You honour me with your presence."
Samara nodded, her handsome high-cheekboned face grave. She was beautiful and cold, a living statue. There was no emotion in her, only discipline and obedience. And judgement. Always judgement. "Your mission will benefit the entire galaxy. The Code compels me to assist you."
"How fortunate." Let's hope your Code doesn't "compel" you to kill anyone on this trip. Liara knew about Samara and the sacrifices the Justicar had made. No mother should have to hunt and kill her own daughter. For that matter, no daughter should have to kill her own mother, but sometimes duty forced people to turn against the ones they loved. Liara had learnt that the hard way on Noveria. Samara had dealt with her grief by subsuming her emotions entirely to her Code. Centuries of training had forged her into an unstoppable force in pursuit of justice (or at least Samara's vision of it). That made her a powerful ally, but a dangerous and unpredictable one. Liara had come well-armed on this mission and she did not know whether it was the Prothean or the Justicar who worried her most.
The shuttle quivered as the FTL drive engaged. They would accelerate to a tiny fraction of light speed, for Mars was right next door to Earth in planetary terms.
"I have heard interesting things about you, Doctor," said the Justicar in her cool voice. "I know that Shepard trusted you with his life, and I respect his judgement. However, those who deal in secrets and shadows must be careful not to be ensnared in their own devices."
"Wise words, Justicar. I shall reflect on them." Liara stretched, bringing her right hand closer to the weapons locker where her heavy pistol lay. She didn't think the Justicar would try anything, not while Liara had a role to play, a role that was "useful to the entire galaxy." So long as Liara stayed useful, she would be safe. More or less. It struck Liara how funny it was that she was seriously considering her odds against a Justicar in battle. There was a time when such a thought would never have come into her head. She was no fool: she knew that Samara would kill her in a fair fight, and probably even in a fight where Liara had the advantage. But Liara now believed that despite her young age she was a serious opponent. She'd changed a lot in the past few years, much of it due to Shepard, who'd shown her things she'd never dreamed of. Sometimes she wondered if she was the same person any more. She felt like she'd stepped over the edge of an abyss, and Shepard was no longer there to catch her.
"I saw you watching Earth through the window as we left. What was going through your mind?"
"I was thinking of how beautiful it was. It reminded me of something Shepard told me. He said that the human homeworld was 70% water, and the human body was 70% water, too. He said it comforted him to think that no matter where humanity spread through the galaxy, they would always carry something of their birthplace with them."
"There was much wisdom in him. War turns some people into monsters, but others it turns into philosophers and poets. Shepard was one of those. Conflict forged him into something purer and truer than ordinary souls."
"It's fascinating how the environment shapes the organism. All those years the sentient species lived on their homeworlds has left its mark in our DNA. We carry millions of years of history inscribed in our genes. That interests me as a scientist. And as an asari, it comforts me to think that part of Thessia will always be in me."
"Yes. We asari write our poetry in paper, stone, metal and light. But the Goddess writes her poetry in our bodies and souls, in the very structure of Creation. It brings me peace, too, to think that though I shall never see my last daughter again, part of me will always be in her."
Regret? Sentimentality? From the asari who slew her own daughter? There was no change in Samara's steady tone, not even the tiniest inflection to hint at her feelings. But her words were… curious. They suggested a vulnerability, a motherly side to her that she had never revealed before, at least not in the presence of Liara. Perhaps she had opened up to Shepard. Yes, she would have confided in him if anyone. He had that gift of making people trust him, believe in him. Liara had felt it herself, had told him things she would have died before telling anyone else.
The Justicar had said that she trusted Shepard's judgement, an incredible thing. Justicars were revered as the pinnacle of the asari civilisation's quest for wisdom. Even asari Matriarchs would defer to a Justicar's ruling without question. When a Justicar encountered a situation that demanded her attention, she would generally ignore the opinions of the Matriarchs and apply her centuries of knowledge in conjunction with her personal understanding of the Code to reach her own judgement. For a Justicar to even acknowledge that non-asari had worthwhile opinions was rare. For one to say that she respected a human's judgement was almost unthinkable. Why hadn't Liara noticed how odd that comment was? Because the human in question was Shepard, and he was not like other humans. He was not like anyone else in the galaxy.
"I am sure you will see your daughter again, Justicar."
Samara closed her eyes briefly and reopened them. "No. I am almost a millennium old. My time in this plane of existence is drawing to an end. I do not know how long it will take to repair the many Mass Relays between here and Lessus or Thessia, but I will never see my daughter or my mother-world again. Do not feel you have to console me with false reassurances. It does not cause me undue distress. The Code sustains me, as it has through all the dark periods of my life."
Liara had to admire the dignity with which the Justicar bore her hardships, even as she was repelled by the thought of living such a life herself. The Justicars bought serenity with their souls; they exchanged their hearts for peace of mind. Living a life without emotions, without personal desires, would be no kind of life at all, at least not to Liara.
"May I ask you something?" Samara said.
"Of course."
"Why did you request my assistance in speaking with the Prothean?"
"I needed protection. And… Javik is difficult to communicate with, to understand. I thought a Justicar's wisdom might be useful. In some ways I believe you and Javik are similar."
"How so?"
"Single-minded devotion to duty. Ruthless pursuit of your goals. Javik is an Avatar of vengeance. He said there were many such Avatars among the Protheans, individuals who embodied a particular virtue. It reminded me of the Justicars. You embody justice. Your order is ancient. I wonder if perhaps the Justicars were influenced by the Avatars, given that the Protheans interfered in our cultural evolution since our earliest days."
If Samara found the idea curious, she did not show it. Her hooded eyes continued to watch Liara flatly, punctuated by an occasional lazy blink. She reminded Liara of a lizard. "A curious choice of word, 'interfered.' From your writings I gathered you had a high opinion of the Protheans and their contributions to asari civilisation."
"You've… read my work?"
"Of course. A Justicar must cultivate knowledge on a broad range of subjects. Though very young, you have distinguished yourself in your field. When I sought to learn about the Protheans, I turned to your popular science book, Voices from the Grave. I enjoyed it. Your writing is clearer and more persuasive than that of asari five times your age."
Liara had not expected a compliment from Samara. "That's… one of my earlier works. It's a bit rough, but thank you. That is high praise, coming from you."
"And have you revised your opinion of the Protheans?"
"I… I suppose I have. After meeting Javik and speaking to him, he wasn't what I expected. He was almost the opposite of what I expected."
"He disappointed you."
"Yes. I suppose he did."
"We should never idolise people, or species, or objects. They will always disappoint you. Perfection does not exist in this plane. Your mistake was placing your expectations on something external to yourself: in this case, the Protheans. Expect nothing, desire nothing, and you will not be disturbed. Peace of mind can only come from within."
If I expect nothing and desire nothing, I might as well be dead. "Perhaps."
They passed the rest of the journey in silence. Soon the shuttle began its descent, gliding through the atmosphere of Mars and settling aboard a landing pad a short distance from the Prothean dig site. Liara and Samara thanked the pilot.
"Good luck with whatever it is you're doing," he said. "I'll be here when you're done."
They loaded out their weapons and donned breather masks before stepping out of the ship. The landscape of Mars had a harsh beauty, its sandy hills strewn with boulders, all glowing in shades of rose and scarlet under Sol's light. Very little terraforming had been done, the Alliance maintaining the original environment so as to preserve the Prothean ruins and other resources. They were met at the entrance to the dig site by a couple of Alliance marines.
"Morning, Doctor," said one. "Councillor Hackett said you'd be here. And this is… ?"
"My bodyguard," said Liara.
"Bodyguard? You won't be needing one in there. Place is dead. Has been for thousands of years."
"Nevertheless. The data I seek is valuable. I prefer not to take chances."
"Would you like us to escort you?"
"Thank you, but no. The Justicar and I should be able to defend ourselves. I would prefer minimal distractions. The work I have to do is highly complex and technical."
They were waved through the entrance, a small portal cut into the side of the mountain. Beyond lay a tunnel, the walls clearly of Prothean construction. As always, Liara felt a solemn weight settle on her as she walked the corridor, stirring up the dust of bygone millennia. Prothean ruins were like temples to her: holy places, ancient and mysterious and full of secrets. Even now she could stop and investigate one of these passages all day, taking measurements, scanning, performing tests. The tall figure of the Justicar at her side served as a reminder of the urgency of their mission, preventing her from becoming too distracted.
"What makes you think the Prothean will be here?" asked Samara.
"An educated guess. If he didn't die in the battle, why hasn't he shown himself? He was an Avatar of vengeance. He said his job would not be complete until the last Reaper had been destroyed. Now the Reapers are gone, he no longer has a mission. Where would he go? What would he do?"
"So he returns to the abode of his dead people. A plausible conclusion, though I am no expert on the Protheans."
Neither am I. Meeting Javik made it clear that everything I'd believed about the Protheans was wrong. Some archaeologist I am.
They trotted on, Liara leading the way past side tunnels and collapsed entrances, twisting and winding through the underground complex.
"Have you some idea of where the Prothean is?" Samara asked. "We are leaving many passages unexplored."
"If he's anywhere, he'll be in the central chamber. It holds a data bank and other equipment."
The central chamber was large and circular. Its walls were carved with mysterious symbols, and in the centre stood a data cradle, dark and lifeless now. The last time Liara had been here, she'd been fighting Cerberus troops who'd invaded the facility. Shepard had been with her, and Kaidan and James Vega. They'd tried to stop the Illusive Man from stealing the Prothean data, but they'd failed. Not one of her best memories.
"Dr T'Soni." Javik's clipped tones rang in the silent, empty room. He sat by the base of a pillar, as still as one of the stone statues left by his long-extinct people. "I've been expecting you. I knew that if anyone would find me here, it would be you. It took you over five of this cycle's months. Disappointing."
"I only started looking for you yesterday."
"I see. There must be a reason for this sudden interest."
"No one's seen you since the end of the war. How are you?"
"As good as can be expected for one whose entire people have been killed. You are not here for idle chit-chat. If you want something, speak."
"The first thing I wanted was to check if you were still alive. We… I know this cycle is hard for you to understand. I know that you didn't always approve of us or get along with us. But I'd like to think that we've become friends."
"Interesting. Yes, I enjoyed fighting alongside you. I learned much, and you proved yourself a worthy ally. Now what is it you want?"
"When Shepard used the Crucible, he destroyed the Mass Relays along with the Reapers."
"I am aware of this. I have been aware for five months."
"Fixing the Mass Relays is beyond the power of our scientists. They've asked me to help them. The Protheans were able to manipulate the Mass Relay network. Perhaps if you could help me…"
"I am not a scientist."
"I know. I told them that. But you understand the Prothean language and culture. I have a lot of Prothean data, including data from the science station on Ilos that built the Conduit and patched it into the Citadel's Mass Relay. With your help and my data, I think our scientists could make a lot of progress."
"I see." Javik's inscrutable Prothean eyes flickered. After a few seconds he said, "No. I will not help you."
"Why - " Liara began, but Justicar Samara stepped forward.
"The Mass Relay network is relied upon by the entire galaxy," Samara said. "You have an obligation to help repair it."
"I am under no obligation. I do not share your moral views."
"Be warned, Prothean. It is in your interest to co-operate. I could you compel by force if I wished. Do not let it come to that."
"Don't be a fool, asari. The two of you together could defeat me, but I would kill one of you and seriously injure the other before I fell. And if I die, I cannot help you rebuild the Mass Relay, so you would gain nothing and lose much. An irrational trade, even for the races in this cycle."
"Justicar, please!" said Liara. "Javik, we didn't come here to force you to do anything. I just want to talk to you."
"It would be irrational to kill you," said Samara. "But not to capture you."
"You would not take me alive. My kind battled the Reapers for millenia. We fight to our last strength and take our lives in battle so they will not use our bodies."
"Justicar!" Liara turned on Samara. "Please, that's enough! You're just antagonising Javik. Please stop."
"Listen to the young doctor. Your hostile attitude irritates me. Even if were I inclined to help before you arrived, I would no longer be so kindly disposed now. Despite your vaunted Justicar status, it is clear that some kinds of wisdom do not come with age."
"It's no use simply talking to him, Dr T'Soni. He's already decided he won't help. We must give him an incentive. You owe us a debt, Prothean."
"I owe you nothing. If anything, it is you who owe me. We uplifted your kind, taught you everything. I remember when you could not even write."
"Such contempt you have for us, and yet, we are still here, while your kind disappeared long ago."
"Be careful, asari. You are near the end of your lifespan. If you wish to enjoy your twilight years, do not anger me further."
"Enough!" shouted Liara. She knew now that it had been a mistake to bring the Justicar. Samara and Javik were similar, yes. Too similar. Too rigid. Too inflexible. They saw the world in black and white and would not easily compromise. "Justicar, I think it's better that I speak to Javik alone. Please wait outside the chamber."
"Very well," said Samara. "But be warned, if the Prothean tries anything, I will be watching."
"If the Prothean tries anything, you will be the first to die," Javik replied.
Once Samara had left, Liara sighed and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to antagonise you."
"You did not antagonise me. Your companion did. She does not have Shepard's persuasiveness."
Liara sat on the floor across from Javik.
"What will you do now the Reapers are gone?"
"I have fulfilled my duties. I am released."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"Do you wish to know why I will not help you rebuild the Mass Relay?"
"Yes."
"It was the wish of my people that we pass on our civilisation to the next cycle. But I do not think that the races of this cycle have proven themselves worthy of Prothean knowledge."
Liara frowned. "We were the first organics to ever destroy the Reapers. That must count for something."
"You destroyed the Reapers with the Crucible, a device built with the efforts of many previous cycles. All your technology is borrowed from others, even the Mass Relay network and the Citadel. The Cosmic Imperative states that only the strong will survive and succeed, but every organic race has cheated the Imperative by using technology taken from superior races, like the Relays left by the Reapers. This has made you soft and weak. You achieve intergalactic spaceflight before you are ready to use it wisely."
"With the network gone, the galaxy has been thrown into chaos."
"Sometimes chaos is necessary. When order is preserved too long, society stagnates. The core becomes rotten. Your culture becomes hollow, corrupted, held up by the fossilised structure of past achievements. Chaos brings freedom, movement, change. It will allow the weak to be pruned and eliminated."
"And you're willing to let millions of people die, let our civilisation be destroyed, let people live in fear and pain and sickness because of this Cosmic Imperative?"
"It is better for a weak civilisation to die early and be replaced by a strong one. It is better for the weak to be eliminated early before they can infect the foundations of a society and cause it to collapse later. It brings about less suffering in the long run."
"I don't agree with that."
"You do not have to agree. But do not ask me to give your galaxy technology it is not ready for."
"And when will it be ready?"
"When it shows good sense."
"And who will be the judge of that?"
"I will."
"I see." Liara stared into space for a minute. When she spoke again, she shook herself as though waking from a dream. "You mentioned Shepard earlier. Do you think he had good sense?"
"Yes."
"And if he were here, would you feel safe putting Prothean technology in the hands of this cycle?"
Javik considered that. "Yes, perhaps I would."
"And if Shepard asked you to help rebuild the Mass Relay, would you do it?"
Javik tilted his head to one side. "Maybe Shepard could persuade me. But he is not here."
"What if he was?"
"He is dead, is he not?"
"So everyone believes. But we all thought Shepard had died once before. And he came back."
"I do not believe in people coming back from the dead."
"Everyone thought the Protheans had died. And you're here, aren't you?"
Javik laughed, a harsh barking sound. "Very well, Doctor. Bring me Shepard, and then we shall talk."
Liara nodded and rose to her feet. "Thank you, Javik."
Now I just have to bring a man back from the dead and rebuild the most complicated technology the galaxy has ever seen.
When she'd been a lonely girl digging in remote corners of the galaxy, she had often wished for a more exciting life. It just went to show that the Matriarchs were right, and that people should think before making wishes.