Chapter 7: How Could I Possibly Refuse?
The bar was filled with blaring music and dancing asari. Amidst the chaotic order of the drinking patrons sat two friends, a turian and an asari. He was drinking a beer; she was drinking in the information from her data pad. The turian took a long sip before setting it down again. His gaze was unfaltering towards the hunched over asari. Well, so much for being useful, he thought with a sigh. "You know it's been ten years since I finally got you out for that drink I promised. And when I said I wanted to talk; I mean that I wanted to have verbal conversation Liara." The asari stayed silent. "Liara? Liara!"
"Yes Garrus?" replied the asari smoothly as she entered back into reality with a shake of her head. "What did you say?" The turian threw himself back into his chair, exasperated.
"You know would it kill you to not look at that thing for at least a few minutes?" She looked to him with her usual blank stare. "For me?" He stuck out his lip and lowered his head all puppy dog-like. Liara gave a laugh as she lowered the pad, but her face turned quick from jolly to distraught.
"I run the biggest information business in the entire galaxy. If I falter, so does it. This is my life now Garrus, I expect you to know that since you were there when I took the job after all." He sighed and turned to the small box that was beside the pad. It was not too bulky yet probably a burden to deal with. So why did she carry it?
"Like that time capsule you have of Shepard? That helps you in your business?" She scowled and took it from the table to her lap so it was out of sight. She looked down to the box for a moment before putting it beside her on the booth.
"I also expect you to understand my motivation for that as well." Garrus felt the tang of pain from the asari and bite his lip.
He shook his head after a small silence had passed. "I'm sorry; I'm not here to bring grievances to this friendship."
A small chuckle escaped the asari's blue lips. "I think you're here for more than friendship Garrus."
The turian grinned in response. "Damn you're good."
"Only the best for the best business," she replied with a sly wink. They laughed at that for only a brief reprieve. The loud thud of a drunk alerted them to the bar. A turian lay across the floor, his arms long around him. The other patrons were laughing and even Garrus gave a chuckle at the desperate bartender who begged the turian to stand. He chuckled all the way till he got a glimpse of Liara's face. It was drawn with worry, pain, and anxiety. Garrus decided to ask her on it.
She looked to him with a plea but realized he deserved an explanation. "I feel... old. It's weird to say something like that, especially when I have another six hundred or so years left. But... I've seen the rise and fall of nations, the impossible possible. Is it not my time to leave?" She looked down to the monitor she had lain upon the table. "Even now my purpose is unclear... one should think these things logically at the end of one's life. But I'm just starting... I've already seen enough death Garrus..." The turian grasped her shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze. She rested her head on his hand, forcing herself not to be weak.
"You can cry if you want you know," she looked to him with her sad eyes. "It's quite natural to do so. I know a few doctors who—"
"I've done all the crying I ever could Garrus." She looked to the surrounding area. The blaring music echoing around them. "Maybe you were right, maybe we should move on."
Garrus pressed his lips tight together in worry. With one movement we attempted to retrieve his hand only to fail. His asari friend's head was too firmly implanted upon it. Indeed even her left hand was now stroking his metallic fingers. There was a smile that crossed his face as he squirmed down the booth and replaced his hand with his shoulder to where Liara rested her head. His other hand smoothly glided across her shoulders and onto the opposing one. Her hand, which used to be stroking his hand, had now found its way to stroking his mandibles.
There was a moment of tranquility before Liara realized what she was doing and flung herself up out of his arms. Garrus held firm however and gave a smile. "You don't have to push away Liara." The asari turned from Garrus' face to the aisle their booth was off from. Three asari dancers walking side by side turned to her. They all gave a grin and started to giggle foolishly to one another. Liara felt herself not only blush but feel ashamed. She removed Garrus' hand from her left shoulder and stood up.
"I'm going to the bar to get some more drinks," she said tonelessly. "I'll be back." With that she left without another word leaving Garrus alone. He sighed, even when I'm trying to comfort I screw things up. He looked around the bar, dinking patrons trying to forget the horrors of war. It was their birthright according to the Council. Freedom for all races, tranquility amongst the highest order, safety for the smallest child. This was the ode of peace and the ode of complacency. But who was he to complain? He had a ship, crew, friends who were at his side constantly. Was it not enough? Not for Shepard, was the ominous reply. It never was perfect for him. Questions brought forth questions and answers seemed as distant as a new born star. Twas the price of peace; it was never easy.
Garrus was shaken from his thoughts by the movements of his friend. He cast a glance to her. In her palms were two drinks, one turian ice brandy, the other a cold human beer. She slide the beer across the table to Garrus who snapped of the lid with one flick of his wrist. "And here I thought I'd be having both drinks." A chuckle escaped his lips. "Never knew you drank Liara."
She gave a half smile. "Time makes fools of us all." The two friends stayed awfully silent. Should I approach her now and ask about the mission? But she never would accept, she said so herself... unless. No Garrus that's stupid and that's degrading of your amazing character. Common think how should I approach this- "Garrus...?"
"Yes?" replied the turian as he shook himself from his thoughts.
"About what happened earlier..."
"No that was my fault, I didn't mean to be like that," reasoned the turian commando. "Honestly I was only trying to make you feel better. The whole heart to heart thing wasn't really—"
"It's not that Garrus," interrupted Liara as she looked down into her drink. She had only taken one sip and already Garrus knew she had regretted buying it. "It's that I've never had that chance... you know, love." Garrus thought he saw tears yet they were wiped away before they could even have the chance to appear. "First it was with Shepard... then Tali came into his life and they became so attached. I have no trouble with Tali. She's like a sister to me, like you are to her. It was just that I lost him... it hurts you know?" There was sigh that escaped her lips. "Feron came but that really was only a fling, Shepard meant so much to me back then. But then with Javik I thought I finally had a chance. We had both seen war and knew suffering and maybe, just maybe we could be happy. But with him being away on Hackett's Expeditionary Force..." She trailed off and swirled the drink around in her glass. She took a quick swig and gave a scowl after. "I really don't understand how this is supposed to help," she said as he placed down the glass. Garrus pressed his lips together, how could he help? "I feel like it's pointless to be so romantically able when all I have is broken relationships to my name. Ever since I was a child I wished for a family, but now..."
Garrus reached across the table and gave a squeeze to Liara's hand. She took his willingly this time again and squeezed back. "I'm here for you Liara, same as Tali. We have been here since the very beginning." A slightly smile crossed her face as she continued to stare into the glass. At least she sort of smiled, reasoned Garrus with himself. Maybe I'm not completely useless.
After a moment of silence Garrus retracted his hand and said, "Speaking of Javik and the Expeditionary Force, what's the whole purpose of it?" Liara seemed to perk up at that. Maybe she only wanted the subject changed from her self-doubts to something else.
"Garrus the Earth Alliance has issued countless press releases—"
"I'm not talking about what the Earth Alliance says," he interrupted with a grin, "but what is actually going on with it." Liara gave a smirk and reached for her data pad. Before she took it in her grasp she looked to him for his approval. Garrus gave a chuckle and a nod thinking she was joking with his previous statements. He would never know that she was serious in her movement.
She pressed a few buttons on the pad to reveal a long worded note she had. The movement of his finger suggested her grazing over the article of her desire. At last she stopped and spoke. "From what I've gathered in information the force was to go find dark space." Garrus raised a brow. "Yes, I agree it is strange. But they planned to find more about the origins of the Reapers, how far they went back, if there are more, et cetera. More specifically it is a planned trip into another galaxy." Garrus almost spat out his drink.
"What do you mean another galaxy?" he asked, wiping up the spilt drink. "Who's part of this expedition?"
Liara shrugged. "Javik for one. Maybe a few special ops friends I know. I don't really know much about it. Top secret from what the intel says. Admiral Hackett was the head in the project and is leading the Excalibur as the flagship of the mission."
"Excalibur?"
"It's a state of the art ship, massive in scope and size. By the Goddess, it took four years for them to build and another year to test. That was with a prothean and the entire scientific community of the galaxy at their disposal." Liara put down the pad and looked up at the ceiling. The turian beside her looked to her drink, the ice slowly dissolving in the liquid. "It's amazing what we can create once the galaxy comes together."
"Those five years however were some of the toughest years of the economy, social structure, work flow..."
Liara looked down to Garrus and gave a reluctant smile. "Well, I guess nothing's ever perfect is it Garrus? Where are the Shepards of the world to right the wrongs of the universe?" There was humour flooding through her statement yet Garrus sensed the yearning. It was here that Garrus decided to get to the point of their meeting.
"Maybe we have to be the ones who stand for justice Liara." The asari looked curiously with furrowed brows at the turian who gave her a smile. "I'm assembling a team."
There was a laugh that came from Liara. She giggled at the turian's notion and when she was done and realized he was serious she gave a soft smile. "Who do you think you are Garrus? Shepard?"
Garrus took no notice to the playful bantering of his companion. "There is a large group of mercs, probably larger in strategic might and prowess than the Blue Suns, Eclipse, and the Blood Pack combined." Liara looked at him with a sideward glance. "They are called The Vipers and I propose—"
"Yes I've heard of them," interrupted Liara with a nod. "But I would not call them a 'large group of mercs'. They are more like children trying to play dress up Garrus." She gave a broad smile at that.
"Liara, when have you ever heard me over exaggerate these types of things?" Liara put a finger to her lips in a coy motion to which Garrus stopped her oncoming remark. "Other than the time when I'm drunk."
"Garrus," replied Liara humorously, "you've been drinking quite a bit of beer since we arrived here."
The turian looked below him and saw the bottle empty before him. He gave a chuckle as he shook his head in dismay with his hands held high. "I know what this looks like," he said with a comedic edge, "yet I promise you I am not exaggerating this gang. I witnessed their tactical edge when they had us on our back feet on our mission."
The asari looked to him strangely. "What do you mean? What mission... Oh, you mean the one Ashley was in charge of?" Garrus nodded. "I thought that was a success?"
"Common Shadow Broker," replied the turian with a grin. "You know you shouldn't be reading Council tabloids." There was a roll of the asari's eyes before Garrus explained further. "The whole thing was a set up. The gang apparently had nukes set up so that when we infiltrated the base we would set off—"
"Wait, they had nukes?" asked Liara confused. He nodded. "By the Goddess... how did they get the weapons...?"
Garrus shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. The Council apparently had these guys cornered from the intel we got. Even the squad leader of the Infinity Unit was set up. He got the information to us and was supposed to run interference while we would essentially back door the freaks." Garrus leaned back, exasperated. "Ashley was pretty distressed by the whole thing and how thought out it was."
Liara frowned for a second before replying, "The leader was Kirrahe wasn't it? Did he make it out?"
"Yes he made it out thankfully. He got demoted the hell out of it but he made it out." Garrus lifted the bottle to his lips and remembering there was none left put it down with a sigh. There was silence between the two friends before Garrus realized something. "So let me get this straight," he began, licking his lips, "you knew who was leading a special ops unit of the Council, something no one has any information on except for people involved yet you didn't know about the nuke?"
This information was quite distressing to Liara as she ran through her diagnostics again and again on her holo pad. At last she threw down the pad in anger. Patrons seemed to glance over at them but Garrus just waved it off. I hope she's alright, he thought to himself. She must be taking this breach in her security very seriously. A few calming breaths later however and Liara began to speak. "It doesn't make any sense... I should see something that big shouldn't I?" She retrieved the holo pad. "I mean, I have everything they do right down to their laundry lists!"
"Liara," started Garrus slowly. "You're obsessing over this, it's not healthy."
"Having a faulty system is not healthy," she replied as she rubbed her head methodically. She looked to him with sudden realization. With a lick of her lips and sigh of worry she spoke to him again. "Wait they had a facility on Zayarter? How did they—"
"It was a previous installation. We only found out about that after scans of the ruined planet." Garrus took a deep breath. "The very fact that both the Earth Alliance, the Council, and you; the Shadow Broker did not know anything about his takeover of this major human facility and the purchasing of nuclear weapons tells us that this gang," he tapped the holo-pad with one of his metallic fingers, "is serious shit." Liara looked away. The beat had changed and with it couples had formed together and wrapped themselves in the comforting embrace of their love. Those who were the stalkers and roamers of the bar retreated to the tables to spy on other available single species. There was deep longing in the asari's eyes. Not to be the one at the bar table, but the one on the dance floor. "I know you long for peace Liara." She turned at his voice. "But there are times when we have to accept that conflict will ensure. Peace will not last unless there are those to challenge it. We have become too confined in our shells, too sheltered. People like this gang arise in these moments and we have to challenge that. We have to fight for peace and utopia when everyone is complacent in their own disillusioned shells."
She looked to him then back to the dancing lovers. "Do you want to break this up Garrus? Is that what you want?" The turian became nervous, was he losing her? "Is complacency so bad?"
"I don't know for sure Liara," said the turian slowly, testing his words. "What I do know however is that these people need to be stopped. Already people have died for this cause, I for one do not want anymore added to the list."
"Even if it means the death of those you care about? Do you value the lives of strangers over the lives of your own friends?" These questions dung deep into the turian's skin. I'm just a little boy trying to follow in the shadow of his older brother, thought he as he stared at his asari friend before him. Who am I to ask her of this? Then a sound came towards him that gave him hope. "What do you propose we do?" She was facing him now, her eyes bright with curiosity and wonder. We've all changed so much, but there are sometimes I get to see the younger visions of my friends resurface.
"We assemble the people who gave their loyalty to Shepard. These are the people that this would appeal to. The ones that know the stakes and still have it in them for one final mission. The ones who no longer have any sense of justice will surely enjoy the fun of another suicide mission." Liara knew who Garrus was talking about and a smile rose on her face at the thought of the rambunctious female joining them once again. Maybe she'll add another tattoo if she joins, thought Garrus with a smile. But a nagging thought hit him once more. Liara made a vow that she wouldn't give her loyalty to anyone anymore. It was her way of hanging up her coat, to run away from it all After a silence for Liara to digest the news she opened her mouth to speak only to be interrupted but Garrus. "I know what you're thinking. The answer is yes, I have already talked to Ashley on this and she is now proposing that the Normandy take on this mission to the Council.
Liara leaned back in her chair and gave a whistle. "By the Goddess Garrus, what did you have to do to convince her?"
Garrus gave a sly smile. "Once I set my mind to something, many people have a hard time saying no." Liara looked at Garrus humorously. "And yes Liara the girls can never say no."
In that instant the asari burst out into laughter and the two succumbed to the enthralling nature of laughter once more. It was here Garrus realized he had laughed more than he had laughed in the last ten years. That right here besides friends and (more importantly) family all his troubles could melt away. Maybe it's good I'm finally doing something with my dashing good looks. He chuckled to himself. Bad Garrus! You don't want your ego becoming the death of you now do you?
"So Liara?"
"So Garrus?"
"What do you say," he took the drink in front of her that was barely touched and swung the pale blue liquid about in the glass. "you in or out?" With that he took the drink to his lips and swallowed it. He felt the watery taste rush past his tongue yet didn't complain. Alcohols alcohol no matter what the taste, right?
Liara looked at the half finished drink when Garrus sat it down. She thoroughly examined it and crossed her brows in thought. At last she took the drink firmly in her grasp and looked deep into the contents. With a scowl she drank it down and smashed it on top of the table. A grin came across her face when she was done. "Well Garrus, you've known me for more than ten years now. What do you think I'm going to say, no? You know me Garrus, adventure's my middle name, if asari even had them." Her grin grew wide as she slid the glass to Garrus. "What can I say—"
"—how could I possibly refuse?" I was sitting up in the medical bed with the enigmatic Raven staring deep into me from the foot of the bed. At last he threw himself from the metal railing and walked to my side. With a flick of his arm he drew out his hand before me and I firmly clasped it and shook it well.
"I'm glad you finally accepted the proposition my dear Marcus." With those words Raven gave a wide smile.
