A/N - I know some of my regulars are not big fans of this character but she is still an important part of the story (although not so much regarding this second stanza). :-)


Skyscrapers reached for the sky like trees in the forest climbing for sunlight. The lights from the thousands of billboards dotted the skyline and further down into the slums, drowning out the darkness. Down below, thousands of people went about their daily lives, scurrying about, business deals to be completed, returning to their homes and loved ones. Or to commit the numerous crimes that were carried out each day. Above, the sky was a dark shade of purple as the sun set in the distance.

Life was quiet on the 25th floor of the office building in which Liara T'Soni was currently standing, looking out the window as she observed people go about their lives. She put a hand to the window for a moment, almost feeling the thickness of the glass, knowing it could stop nearly every sort of bullet currently in production. That was what her life had become. Behind on the desk sat a terminal, the screen continuously scrolling as information arrived from all corners of the galaxy. Information that was bought and sold. Information that would help in her fight against her numerous foes. Information that would help in the battle that was to come. Next to the terminal sat a glass tumbler, filled with an amber liquid, the ice cubes within causing condensation to run down the sides of the glass and pool on the desk.

She lowered her hand and simply looked into the window and her reflection. She could barely stand to look at herself anymore. The innocent, wide-eyed asari that had once been rescued by Commander Shepard had slowly but surely disappeared in the months since he had been lost. Instead, a constant frown was etched on her face as she continuously fought the pangs of guilt she felt with each passing day.

She felt guilt for numerous reasons. Since the crew of the Normandy had been split up, she had fallen out of contact with all her fellow crew members. She was aware that Tali was back with the Migrant Fleet. Just the thought of her quarian friend caused overwhelming sadness. Liara had been attracted to the Commander during the search for Saren, but the Commander had either remained unaware, or was not interested. Liara had given plenty of hints of her own interest in him, but eventually gave up. The Commander had certainly been friendly with Tali, and the two had been very close, but it was clear to all that Tali had wanted more. Liara grimaced as she remembered Tali falling apart in the life-pod, and the funeral, as her true feelings had been revealed to all.

As for the rest, she had information but chose to stay out of contact. Wrex was back on Tuchanka and once again in charge of Clan Urdnot. She knew he was trying to band together all the krogan tribes under his banner. She knew he was also doing only because of his talks with Shepard. From the information she had gathered, he was making steady progress. Probably not as fast as he would have liked, but progress it was. She wished him well. Councillor Anderson was the only one of the four Citadel Councillors who still took the Reaper threat seriously. However, the Council had otherwise whitewashed the Reaper threat, bizarrely claiming that Sovereign was merely a geth warship, despite all evidence to the contrary. Liara would have liked to help the Councillor, but knew any efforts would be fruitless. Kaidan Alenko had returned to Alliance duties, and was aware that he had received a promotion, mostly thanks to the Commander, but he was now involved in a number of classified Alliance missions. Liara was able to find out what they were, but again chose to stay out of contact. The only member of the Normandy she was unaware of was Garrus. He had simply disappeared after the funeral. He had not returned to C-Sec and she could not find him serving anywhere on Palaven. She had heard rumours of a vigilante operating on Omega, and had started putting out feelers.

But then there was Shepard himself. As far as the Council, Alliance and galaxy was concerned, the Commander was dead. His ship had been destroyed in an attack and his body had been either burned up in the atmosphere of Alchera, or had been lost forever, drifting alone through space. The Hero of Humanity and Saviour of the Citadel was an unfortunate victim of a geth attack.

But Liara knew the real truth.

After his funeral and the break-up of the team, she had made contact with the Illusive Man, the leader of the human terrorist group known as Cerberus. She remembered the name well, at least as far as Shepard's near one-man war against the shadowy organisation. Liara was left wondering why Cerberus were interested in meeting with her, and particularly why they were concerned about Shepard, considering he had spent a considerable amount of time wiping out their operations, during the search for Saren. The Illusive Man made a convincing argument, one with which she had to agree. Shepard represented everything great about humanity, and his body should be back in human hands. The one real reason Liara agreed was the last point.

Cerberus could bring Shepard back to life.

Liara had met with a drell by the name of Feron, a double-agent for the Shadow Broker. Together they investigated sources indicating that Shepard's body had been found on Alchera, and was currently being transported to a Shadow Broker base, on the planet of Alingon. Liara, along with Feron, put together a small force of mercenaries to retrieve the Commander's body. It had been a long and bloody fight, with all other mercenaries killed, while Feron had been captured by Shadow Broker. He had fought them to a standstill, while demanding that Liara escape with the Commander's body.

Liara escaped, and handed over Shepard's body to Miranda Lawson, in charge of the Lazarus Project, whose only objective was to bring Shepard back to life. Liara still remembered opening the sarcophagus that held the body of Shepard when she was on the ship, reeling back in horror. His body was a blackened, charred mess. And unrecognisable as the man she had once harboured feelings for. She wondered how Cerberus could possibly return it to life. She shivered at the memory.

And then there was Feron. Liara was still unsure as to who his allegiance truly lay. He had often used double-speak and distraction when the two conversed, but the fact he had no compunction eliminating the forces of the Shadow Broker, Liara could only imagine what sort of torture he was suffering now. If he was even still alive. Liara had promised herself that she would do everything she could to get him back.

Liara turned away from the window and sat back down in her comfortable leather chair, looking at the screen as information continued to scroll down. She pressed a series of buttons on the keyboard and a new window opened up. A medical bay was displayed. She recognised Miranda straight away, while two doctor's worked on a body.

Shepard's body.

Liara grinned to herself ever so slightly. Progress was being made, it seemed. But there was still a long way to go. Then there were all the questions – would he live? Would he still the same man? Would Cerberus do anything to change the man he was? There were no answers, but far too many questions. She still wondered if she had done the right thing.

Then she thought about Tali again. She wondered if she send her a message. Let her know what she had done. Part of her wanted to every single morning as she walked into the office. But she didn't want to get her hopes up. She remembered how distraught her friend had been at his death. She wondered if hope enough would return Shepard to them. She hoped herself, but in the end, each time, she chose not to contact her. Not just yet. She wanted to be sure, to know that he truly was alive, then she would contact her. That was her promise to herself.

Liara reached across the desk and picked up the glass tumbler, taking a long sip of the amber liquid. Whiskey. It burned her throat on the way day. She felt a warmth spread through her body as she placed the glass back down. It was one of the few things she had taken away from her time on the Normandy. She had not forgotten anything, or anyone. She just chose not to remember. Fond memories they were. But they were now a weakness. A way to exploit her.

Liara returned her attention to the terminal and the report she had been writing. She knew her life boarded on two obsessions. Two burdens, both of which she had chosen to carry alone. She wondered if one would call her selfish for this obsession and how she chose to fight. She wondered if she was doing the right thing. One obsession was the Reapers. She knew what Shepard had known. She knew what was coming. She knew that the galaxy was staring extinction in the face, yet buried their heads in the sand. But there was one other obsession. It was of someone whom she had never lain eyes on. But it was someone who seemed to have a finger in every pie around the galaxy. And it was someone who had desperately tried to involve himself in her business. She now had the money, information and resources available to search for him in return. To find him. And eventually kill him.

It was the name written at the top of the report she was currently writing.

The Shadow Broker.