~Author's Note~ Aftershock is on hold until further notice, Leviathan DLC really is screwing up my plot and I need to figure out some things.

Enjoy the chapter.


Mirala had been ready to flee. She had already put what she needed into her pack, ready to take off.

She heard Shepard's voice come over the comm telling her to get up to the comm station. Like that was going to happen, she was just going to turn her over-

"The rest of you, we have a hostile ship in the area, you know the drill."

Wait... a hostile ship? Shepard had designated Samara's cruiser as hostile? It could be a trap, a way to get her to let her guard down. But she felt the Normandy's stealth drive kick in, an easy enough task if you knew what you were listening for. It was elaborately designed, if it was a trap.

Cautious but optimistic, she took the elevator to the comm room, leaving her pack behind. For now.

She stepped out into a scene of controlled chaos. The comm room was definitely not designed with this many people in mind. "I want to know everything about that ship. Get me a list of all justicars, Miranda, if you can do that. What the fuck is a justicar anyway?"

Miranda was bent over the table, studying some diagrams. "It's like... hmm, perhaps the best analogy would be a human monk? I'm not sure exactly how to explain it."

"A monk?" Shepard's tone was incredulous. "The guys who dropped back into isolation to focus on making beer?"

Mirala stepped in. "No. What they are is a licensed killer. The asari government gives them full power to make decisions and judgments on the asari people. They follow a strict code of morals that does not allow for any moral grey area, and they kill anyone they consider to be an evil-doer. They are required to, by their code."

Shepard met her eyes, then shook her head. "And your people stand for this? So she really is a judge, jury, and executioner, one single person given all that power. What kind of moronic race gives all that power to one individual?"

Miranda muttered to herself. "Power corrupts, and absolute power-"

"Oh you have nothing to talk about, Ms. Cerberus. TIM has just as much power over you as these justicars have over the asari."

Miranda met Shepard's gaze squarely. "No. He doesn't."

She raised her brow. Interesting. But, at the moment, irrelevant. She turned back to the asari. "Right, Mirala, why is this justicar hunting you? She seemed particularly... peeved about you."

Mirala hesitated for a moment. She needed Shepard to feel pity for her, and there was certainly one way to do that at the moment. And it was the truth, too. "She is... my mother."

The conversation in the comm station ceased for a second. Shepard stared at her in shock. "Your mother? You're joking. No mother would... you aren't joking. Your own mother wants to hunt you down like a dog and kill you?" The shock had turned to sheer rage.

Mirala shook her head sadly. This was perfect, Shepard had reacted exactly as she wanted her to. "I told you, they are forced to abide by their code, and a part of their code states that any asari afflicted with my... condition, must-"

"I know, I know, she told me. Stay on one planet with your jailers, or be hunted down and slaughtered."

She nodded. "She still has my two sisters there. Both of them had the same condition. I tried to get them to come with me, but they were too we- frightened."

"Good god. What is so terrible about this disease that they must keep you locked up? Is it extremely contagious?"

"No, no, nothing like that. It's a genetic... defect, so that when an asari melds her mind to another- are you familiar with that, Commander?"

Shepard grimaced, remembering Liara's melds after she had found the Prothean beacons. "Yes."

"Well, it... kills the other person."

It was not something she wanted to reveal to Shepard. But the rational side of her told her that Shepard could quite easily look up the details of the Ardat-Yakshi disease, with Cerberus' help. It wasn't exactly public knowledge, but it wasn't top-secret either. The fact that there were Ardat-Yakshi still in existence was a secret, but not the specifics of the disease. No, full disclosure was her best chance here.

Shepard looked at her a little oddly and opened her mouth, then glanced around the room and closed it again.

"So let me get this straight. Due to the fact that you... kill people when melding with them, your mother has been chasing you around the galaxy trying to kill you?"

Mirala nodded. "For the past four hundred years."

Shepard shook her head. "Well, the justicars are at least dedicated-"

DANGER!

The word blasted through her consciousness like a trumpet, causing her to wince with its ferocity. "Kalahira?" But there was no further message. The goddess had been silent for almost a week now.

Mirala's eyes had narrowed as she regarded Shepard. Shepard just shrugged, playing it off as it had been nothing.

"What is her name, Mirala?"

The asari hesitated for a brief instant, then, "Samara."

"Alright, Miranda, I want to know everything about Samara there is to know. No one threatens to blow up my ship."

Miranda cleared her throat. "Ah, Shepard."

"What?"

"Samara was one of the reasons we were going to Ilium. The Illusive Man already sent you a dossier on her."

"Oh. Must have forgotten to read it." She called up her omnitool's message file, and sure enough, there was a dossier on Samara, asari justicar. "Well, so much for recruiting her. Still, the information could be valuable." She had begun to sift through the files when Joker spoke.

"Not to interrupt this sordid tale of wonderful mother/daughter relationships, but where exactly are we planning on going? We can't exactly head back to Ilium. Not with, you know, the crazy asari sitting in that system waiting to kill us."

She looked up, considering. "There were two dossiers for Ilium. The drell assassin, Thane Krios, he's also there."

"Well yeah, but we can't just head back onto the planet with this Samara waiting for us."

Miranda spoke up. "For once, I agree with the pilot. We also need to find the Warlord Okeer. This will give us an opportunity to do so."

Shepard shook her head. "No. They know we needed something at Ilium. They are simply going to wait for us to come back." She grinned. "I have a better idea."


Miranda, Shepard, and Jacob disembarked from the Eye of Fury, a name that was perhaps given to the ship because of how small its quarters were. Any passenger who had to remain on that ship for an extended period of time would be furious, indeed.

Miranda shook her head, running her hands through her hair. "Ugh. That... ship does not deserve the title of transport. I have never seen someone that lied about their accommodation more blatantly than that batarian."

Shepard shrugged. She was used to smaller spaces. "He probably gave us the worst quarters, given that we are three humans. We don't exactly get along with the batarians."

Jacob made sure his assault rifle was ready to go, and glanced up, surveying Ilium's docks.

There was a group of asari heading down their way. He nudged Shepard. "We've got trouble, perhaps."

Shepard stared down at the group for a moment, and then relaxed. Two of them were armed, but it was pretty clear this was just the standard detail, come to collect docking fees.

The asari in front approached them. "Are you the captain of that... ship?" She gestured behind them to the Eye of Fury.

Shepard shook her head. "Nope. He's inside."

They brushed past the docking detail, Miranda loudly whispering as they did so. "Hope they squeeze that bastard of as many credits as they can."

Jacob took his hand away from his rifle, but still kept glancing around them, checking for threats. Shepard shook her head. Military habits died hard, she knew that.

"Where are we going, Shepard?"

"To see an old friend."


The receptionist glanced up at them. "Do you have an appointment?"

Shepard smiled. "I'm pretty sure Liara will be happy to see me."

The asari just stared at her. "An appointment, ma'am?"

Her smile vanished. "Look, you, Liara and I are very old friends-"

"Yes, yes, and I'm sure you two had many wonderful stories together. Do you have an appointment?"

"No, no, I don't bloody have an appointment-"

"Nyxeris, hold my calls please? And do send the Commander in." Liara's voice was strained, tired, in a way that Shepard had never heard it before.

She spared a moment to smirk at the receptionist before walking into Liara's office. Liara stood from her desk, extending a hand towards Shepard. She ignored it, and walked around behind the desk to engulf the asari in a hug.

"Ah! Shepard! Careful with the chest, Shepard, I'm still recovering."

"It is good to see you too, Liara."

The asari's smile didn't reach her eyes. "And you as well, Shepard."

Shepard glanced around the room, taking in the spartan accommodations. "You have... intriguing taste, Liara."

"I have no time for much interior decorating, Shepard, I'm busy."

The Commander glanced down at the asari, her brow raised.

Liara sighed. "Not too busy for you, of course. Have a seat." She waited until Shepard had done so, and then resumed her own. "Now... what can the foremost information broker in the Terminus do for you?"


She told Liara everything, withholding only Samara's name and the fact that she was a justicar. If justicars truly had the power in asari society that Mirala had said, she did not wish to get Liara in trouble with her people. Though, if Liara's current occupation was anything to go by, she might already know. Still, if she didn't outright tell her, she could always claim ignorance after the fact.

Even though she was nearly certain Liara would refuse, she asked her to join her anyways. Liara looked pained for a moment, but there was never any real question between them. She had changed in the two years since Shepard had been gone, and Shepard was certain it had not been for the better.

Part of that was evident when Liara didn't even flinch on Shepard telling her about Mirala. Liara's own problems she had had with her mother may make her sympathetic to Mirala's plight, but still, if Ardat-Yakshi were as evil as she had been told, she would have expected Liara to say something, to try to get her to break ties with Mirala. But there was nothing, only cool calculation.

"Yes, I do see the dilemma. Fortunately for you, Mr. Krios is on Ilium. I believe he is going after Nassana Dantius, if my sources are correct. You should easily be able to get in, pick him up, and be out of here before anyone realizes who you truly are. Just... be careful, Shepard. Nassana isn't going to let you waltz in and help Mr. Krios to assassinate her."

Shepard smiled. "The plan was merely to recruit him. If I get a little payback on Nassana as well, then, so much the better. I still remember how she played us."

"Miranda. Jacob. Let's go catch ourselves a drell."

Liara shook her head as Shepard and her entourage left. "Still the same old Shepard, always convinced that you can save everyone."

She opened a channel to her contact. "They are coming for you, Thane, as we agreed."

The harsh voice of the drell assassin came back over the line. "Good. Then we are close."

"Yes. Good luck. Oh... and Mr. Krios?"

"Yes?"

Liara's voice hardened. "If you hurt her, or any member of her crew besides the Ardat-Yakshi, I will personally hunt you down and flay you alive. With my mind."

"Understood, Dr. T'Soni. You have nothing to worry about."

"I hope so, for your sake."