I was bored in class yesterday (I swear I'm an excellent student) and started this chapter a little early. After putting in a little more time last night and today, I realized I was already over 5,000 words! So, surprise, you get another chapter a week early!

Actually, the more I write, the faster I get. I've also found a way to plot the chapters out ahead of time to streamline the process. If I continue to get faster, I may start consistently posting a few times each week. Honestly, it will all depend on homework (I'm a drawing and painting major...), but expect the usual chapter per week, and look out for extras!

Alright, enjoy!


The surface of Edolus was a bleak wasteland. It was an endless desert with sporadic mountains and dunes. Shepard had debriefed the crew earlier that morning on Noveria and explained that Admiral Hackett had requested their aid while searching for Shiala. Because it was an Alliance mission, Shepard had both Kaidan and Ashley accompany her to the surface, as well as Garrus and Wrex.

The tension in the Mako was palpable. Ashley was clearly uncomfortable, and while Garrus and Wrex had found an amicable way to communicate, the history between their two species seemed to follow them everywhere. In the end, however, Wrex was the first to break the silence.

"I feel bad for Blue," he began, "It's not easy losing a parent to treachery."

"Oh?" Shepard asked, genuinely surprised.

"Just because I'm Krogan doesn't mean I'm unfeeling," he huffed, "When you've been around as long as me, you begin to realize that some wounds don't require a knife or shotgun."

"Something you know about?" Garrus asked carefully.

"No more than I've already shared," he replied.

"Got it," Garrus said quickly.

Beside Wrex sat Ashley, who seemed to be clenching her jaw. It was obvious that she wanted to say something, but wasn't sure she wanted to risk it with a Krogan Battlemaster just inches away. Shepard realized that perhaps she need to talk to Ashley when they returned to the Normandy and discuss her obvious issues with the alien crew members.

"We're approaching the source of the signal, Commander," Kaidan said, pulling Shepard from her thoughts. "Three hundred yards and closing."

As the Mako sped towards the source, an Alliance Kodiak shuttle came into view. Beside it stood a homing beacon, with what appeared to be several armored bodies lying around it. Skidding to a stop, Shepard unbuckled her seatbelt. Garrus clambered into the overhead gun and used its scope to check the surrounding area.

"Looks like we have another shuttle a hundred meters north," he called down.

"Alright," Shepard said, staring out the windshield at the eerie scene. "Ashley and Wrex are with me. Kaidan and Garrus - I want you to take the Mako and secure the area. Make sure we don't have any surprises from the other shuttle."

Shepard, Ashley and Wrex exited the Mako, and made their way over to the Kodiak. As Shepard knelt beside the beacon, Ashley checked the shuttle and Wrex scanned the perimeter. The sound of an engine caused Shepard to whip around with her pistol.

"The shuttle works," Ashley called out over the roar of the Kodiak. "I don't see any sign of damage."

"Other than the melted metal, you mean," Wrex replied. Turning, Shepard immediately saw what he was talking about. Something had ripped through the Kodiak's shields and melted the metal armor. Bringing her gaze down, she looked at the corpses around her. For the first time, she noticed that they too had been hit by whatever melted the Kodiak. Their bodies badly decomposed, Shepard was only able to see their fleshy faces because the front of their helmets had been burned away.

Wandering towards Shepard without taking his eyes off the horizon, Wrex muttered, "I've seen this before, Shepard."

"Really? Where?"

"On Tuchanka," Wrex replied, "I've only seen one thing that melts shields and armor like that…Thresher Maw acid."

Shepard stood slowly, staring at Wrex before looking out towards the Mako which was now over a hundred yards away. Reaching up, she touched her ear. "Kaidan, do you copy?"

"I copy, Commander," Kaidan replied, "We've got a damaged shuttle and a few dead soldiers. We've also got another set of armor, but I don't recognize the symbol…possibly a mercenary group."

Before Shepard could reply, Ashley called out from the Kodiak, "Guys, I found something."

Wrex and Shepard made their way over to Ashley and looked inside the shuttle. In the storage compartment were several ML-77 Missile Launchers.

"I think they knew something that we don't," Wrex told Shepard.

"Kaidan," Shepard hit her comm once more, "Bring the Mako back, we need to-"

Before she could finish, the ground beneath them shook violently. Ashley fell forward, catching herself on the Kodiak's door. "What the hell was that?" she asked worriedly.

"That," Wrex replied, a weird look of excitement creeping onto his face, "Is a Thresher Maw."

Fifty yards away, something enormous burst from the sand and climbed into the sky so that it was blocking the sun. Before them was a giant Thresher Maw.

"GET IN!" Shepard shouted, as she lunged for the driver's seat. Both Wrex and Ashley jumped into the back, barely getting a chance to hold on before the Maw drew back its head and spewed venom at them. Shepard sped forward, just barely missing the burning acid.

"KAIDAN," Shepard yelled into her comm, "GET IN THE MAKO, NOW!"

Looking forward, she saw that both he and Garrus were scrambling to get inside. While Garrus climbed in first, however, the Maw turned its sites towards them. As it reared its head again, Ashley screamed, "They still have to fire up the engine! They're going to die!"

"Kaidan!" Shepard shouted into her comm, "KAIDAN!"

There was no response on the other end as they watched him hurry to close the door, and Shepard knew she had only seconds to act. Making a hard turn in the Kodiak, she flew to intercept the Maw's line of sight.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Ashley screamed.

"Creating a diversion!" Shepard shouted back. Flying into its view, the Maw paused with its head cocked back, watching the Kodiak fly by. Instead of firing at the Mako, the Maw began following the shuttle's movements. "It's working, Shepard!" Wrex called out.

Suddenly, as though it had predicted her path, the Maw reared forward, spewing acid directly at them.

"BRACE FOR EVASIVE MANUEVERS!" Shepard yelled as she jerked the Kodiak up.

Even as she pulled hard on the controls, she knew that she wouldn't be able to completely avoid the acid at this range. Just as they were nearly in the clear, acid slammed into the rear thrusters, melting through the shields and armor, and causing a chemical reaction. A sudden explosion rocked the back of the Kodiak, sending it into a downward spiral.

"SHEPARD!" Ashley screamed and Wrex braced himself between his seat and the dash.

"I KNOW!" Shepard's shouted back as she put everything she had into the front thrusters. Without rear thrusters, there was no stopping their imminent crash landing, but she hoped that she could at least soften the blow. The speed at which they were falling seemed to slow slightly, and before she could think to do anything else, the Kodiak slammed into the desert's surface.


Liara stood quietly by her mother's cryo pod in the hangar bay. After Shepard announced they would be orbiting Edolus while searching for missing Marines, Liara contacted her estate and arranged a pick up for her mother's remains.

Looking down at the pod, she mentally remarked how strange it was to see her mother like this. Liara had been a late child, and so she had only ever known her mother as Matriarch Benezia. She was always busy traveling and teaching, reviewing legislation or mentoring her acolytes. She was never relaxed. But now, here in this pod, Benezia's body was more at rest than it had ever been in Liara's short lifespan. Some part of her lamented the fact that it took death to see her this way.

"Doctor T'Soni," Joker's voice sounded from the comm, "We have an Asari shuttle hailing us."

"Did they give a name?" Liara asked.

"Lasha of the T'Soni Estate," Joker replied, "I'm guessing that's your pick up, right?"

'Lasha,' Liara thought anxiously. Lasha had been the keeper of the T'soni Estate and Liara's tutor and nanny while growing up. In the end, both Benezia and she had counted Lasha as family. Shaking her head lightly, she looked up and replied, "Yes, that's her. Thank you, Joker."

The hangar bay opened slowly and a black shuttle passed through their shields and into the bay. Slowly setting down, its thrusters disengaged and the door slid open. A tall Asari in elegant grey and black robes emerged, gracefully stepping into the hangar.

"Liara," Lasha said happily, her face glowing with affection, "It has been far too long since I last saw you."

Liara stepped forward into Lasha's now open arms and hugged her, "It has, Lasha. I'm sorry this is the first we're seeing each other in fifty years."

As Lasha pulled away from her embrace, she shook her head lovingly, "No child, don't apologize; you needed to create something for yourself. I always understood why you left."

Her eyes then fell heavily upon the cryo pod behind Liara. She bowed slightly in respect as Liara followed her eyes.

"I'm sorry to call you here for this, Lasha," Liara replied quietly, "She…she was not herself."

"I knew," Lasha began softly, "I knew when she set out, that it was likely the last time I would see her. Two hundred years I have watched over the T'Soni Estate; far longer have I known Benezia. In all that time, she always moved as though she knew what was before her. I believe she saw this end, Liara, and I believe she entered it with all the grace of a true Matriarch."

"You…you believe she saw this?" Liara began, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Only that she has worked tirelessly for the future generations," Lasha said as she moved around the cryo pod to look at Benezia's face, "I was rarely privy to her research, but I know that she had foreseen great trouble and worked endlessly to prevent it. The only time she shared with me directly was just before she left," she turned towards Liara, "It was early in the morning, and she had been wandering the gardens since daybreak. She found me while I was tending to the flowers and asked that I walk with her."

Lasha moved past Liara, towards the shuttle, continuing her story as she did. "She told me that she would be meeting with Saren Arterius and that she wasn't sure she would return. When I attempted to question her, she smiled sadly and asked that I let it be. Then," she reached into the shuttle and grabbed a small bag, pulling an OSD from it, "she handed me this. She asked that I give it to you in the event of her death."

Lasha placed the OSD in Liara's hand, taking the other and clasping it over it. "I know that the two of you were at odds when you left, Liara," Lasha said quietly, "But know that her final wish was for you."

Liara could feel the heat and pressure of tears, but fought them back. "I…" she sobbed slightly, and Lasha cupped her face, "I thought she was still angry with me, Lasha…she…she said such terrible things before she died."

Lasha pulled Liara into a tight embrace, "Oh my dear child…I do not know what machinations Saren used to twist your mother and destroy her will, but whoever said such things was not her. She had missed you these long years." She pulled back, clasping Liara's shoulders. "Open the OSD. I do not know what it holds, but I am confident that you will know the truth of your mother's feelings."

Liara calmed down enough to thank Lasha, before turning towards a group of Alliance Privates who were waiting by the elevator. "They will load the pod for you Lasha. Hopefully, we will be able to quickly locate Shiala and clear mother's name."

"Shiala?" Lasha asked as the privates slowly lifted the pod and carried it to the shuttle. "I received a long range transmission from her two weeks ago, but the message was garbled. I do hope she's alright."

"Wait," Liara gasped, "She sent you a message?"

"Yes dear," Lasha nodded, "I tried to trace the source in order to recover the message, but I was only able to narrow it down to the cluster."

"Which cluster?"

"Attican Beta, I believe. Why?"

"We had no idea where she was," Liara replied, "We had hoped to catch a break in the coming weeks, but this…this is invaluable information, Lasha."

"Well," she smiled affectionately, "I'm glad I could be of help."

The privates who had loaded Benezia's pod returned to Liara and nodded to indicate that the shuttle was ready.

"Thank you," Liara said graciously as they left. Turning back to Lasha, she said, "If you like, you can rest in my quarters before returning to Thessia."

"No, no," Lasha replied in a motherly tone, "I better not. There will be much to attend to when I get back, and it's better that I get to it now. Although," she paused, looking beyond Liara, "I had very much hoped to meet Theodora, but it appears she is not here."

"She's on the planet's surface, actually," Liara replied, "Admiral Hackett of the Alliance asked her to search for missing marines and…and…wait, did you just call her Theodora?"

"That is her name, isn't it?"

"Yes, but…I don't think I mentioned her before this, let alone her first name," Liara replied, clearly perplexed, "How did you know her name?"

"Something Benezia had mentioned, I suppose," she replied vaguely as she walked towards the shuttle.

"What do you mean something Benezia mentioned?" Liara asked, "Did she know Shepard?"

"Not officially, no," Lasha replied, shaking her head, "But I know she knew of her. How…I couldn't say. Although, for knowing so little about her, Benezia seemed to think quite highly of her."

"Are you sure you know nothing else?"

"Quite sure, dear," Lasha replied, smiling softly, "Perhaps she mentioned it in your OSD. But…for now, I must depart. It was so good to see you again."

Liara sputtered a moment before focusing and noddng, "Oh…yes, it was so good to see you too."

"Do you think you might visit Thessia when you return?" Lasha inquired.

"I would like to," Liara smiled, "Hopefully we can give mother a…well…a proper burial."

"We will, Liara," Lasha replied as she pulled Liara into a hug, "All will be well."

"Thank you," Liara said quietly as she pulled away. "Be careful on your way home, Lasha. Goddess go with you."

"And also with you, dear," Lasha replied as she entered the shuttle.


Dust clouded her vision, and a ringing blocked out her hearing. She tried to take a breath, but inhaled only sand. Coughing, she heard a groan behind her and the sound of gun fire as her hearing returned. Turning her head, she saw Wrex growling and pulling at his safety belt.

"Wake up, Shepard!" Wrex called, "We've got to get out of here!"

Shepard shook the fuzz from her head and ripped off her seatbelt. "ASHLEY! WAKE UP!"

Wrex jumped out of the ruined Kodiak first, and Shepard followed. Just as she was about to exit completely, she turned back to make sure Ashley was following. Struggling with her harness, she was still stuck in her seat. Shepard dropped back in to help her.

"Shepard! Kaidan and Garrus have him distracted," Wrex shouted, "Hurry!"

Shepard pulled out her knife and began quickly cutting through Ashley's harness.

"Wrex erected a barrier at the last minute," Ashley coughed, "We would have…we would have…"

"Been obliterated?" Shepard asked as she yanked at the belt. "Strange, though, that a Krogan would save two humans…" She looked up into Ashley's guilty face as she finished removing her harness. "On your feet, Chief."

Shepard waited as Ashley clambered out before following her. Just as she was climbing out, she spotted the missile launchers from before. Above, Wrex had drawn his assault rifle and was watching the Mako give the Maw chase.

"Wrex! Give me a hand here!" Shepard called as she grabbed the missile launchers. Passing one up to Wrex, she heard him cackle, "Now this is more like it!"

Crawling out of the Kodiak, she turned to see the Mako attempting to avoid a shot of acid. Garrus was clearly on the guns, trying to make a dent in the Maw's plates. Grabbing her missile launcher off the ground, she hit her comm and shouted, "Kaidan, do you copy? Kaidan!"

There was static on the other end for a long time before Kaidan's voice crackled to life on the other end. "Commander! We saw you go down! Are you okay?"

"We're fine, Alenko – listen carefully," Shepard called out, "We've got missile launchers. If you can keep the heat on the Maw just a little longer, we may be able to position ourselves to take it out."

"Will do, Commander," Kaidan shouted over the comm, "But make it quick! I think our luck's running out!"

Bringing her hand down, Shepard looked at Wrex and Ashley and said, "Alright, we need to spread out; if we stick together, one spray of that acid could take us all out. Ashley take left, Wrex take right."

"What about you, Skipper?" Ashley asked, slightly panicked.

"I'm going to make my way across," she replied, "its head isn't plated like the rest of its body, and right now, it's focused on the Mako. All I need is one shot."

"Commander, with all due respect, I-"

"Just do it, Chief!" Shepard said as she clutched the missile launcher and turned to sprint towards the Thresher Maw. Wrex took off as well, leaving Ashley staring at the towering creature for a second longer. Finally, she too ran to flank the Thresher Maw.

Shepard sprinted as quickly as she could, coming within yards of the Maw's spiked spine. As she turned to see the Maw's face, she saw its head rear back to spew acid once more. Looking down, she saw the Mako was in its trajectory. Kaidan must have seen this to, because he attempted a sharp turn in order to drive in the opposite direction. Instead, the Mako spun out, causing the wheels to lose traction in the loose sand. Realizing that the split second necessary to get going again was likely the second the Maw needed to obliterate the Mako, Shepard lifted her launcher and fired.

The missile hissed into the air and collided with the side of the Maw's head. Whipping its head back, it screeched in pain. Realizing that she was likely its next target once it recovered, Shepard sprinted away quickly, reloading the missile launcher. As she snapped the rocket into place, she noticed that it was the only one left.

"Fuck," Shepard said breathlessly. In her haste to exit the Kodiak, she hadn't grabbed extra rockets. The Maw shook its large head wildly before bringing it forward to search for the perpetrator. Turning away from the Mako, it spotted Shepard running in the opposite direction.

"SHEPARD!" Kaidan shouted into the comm, "He's coming for you!"

Realizing that distance did nothing for her chances or her aim, Shepard dug her feet into the sand and skidded to a stop. Turning quickly, she ran towards the Maw as it reared back its head.

"SHEPARD! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Kaidan screamed.

The Maw lunged forward, mouth open and Shepard took her chance. Firing the missile directly into its open jaws, she flung herself forward onto the ground, the acid passing within centimeters of her back. The missile flew true, entering the Maw's mouth just before it clamped it shut. Shepard threw her arms over her head as the Maw gulped audibly. The dull sound of an explosion was heard, before something seemed to grab the Thresher Maw and rip it cleanly in half. Its guts spewed for hundreds of yards, completely drenching Shepard in dark green blood. She kept her hands over her head before daring to peek, finding the view covered in the Maw's scattered remains.

"Commander?" Kaidan called hesitantly over the comm, "Shepard?"

Coughing up sand and gunk, Shepard replied, "I'm here, Alenko."


Liara sat at her desk, staring at the OSD in her hands. Hesitantly, she synced it to her console. Immediately, a security block appeared, and a VI spoke, "Please state your name."

"Liara T'Soni," Liara replied.

"Voice recognition complete," the VI stated. The security block disappeared and the face of her mother took its place. She looked different than she had at Peak 15; her face was fuller and her eyes were soft. She stared affectionately into the camera as though she knew Liara was watching.

"Liara," she began softly, "My beloved daughter. It has been many years since we last spoke, and I know that I played no small part in your absence. Here, at the end of my time, I hope to finally acknowledge my failings as a mother and offer you some peace. I remember when I first caught you digging in the yard, shouting about buried ruins and Prothean artifacts. I was so bent upon propriety, that in the moment, I cared nothing for your inquisitive nature and only for the dirt on your hands and clothes. It was later that night that I realized what I had done; I had placed society's rules before the needs of my daughter.

"Which is why," she continued, "you found archeology books on your nightstand the next morning. It seems that the lesson I learned that night was one I had to learn many times over. Perhaps the status of 'Matriarch' and the wisdom that supposedly comes with it are nice ideals, and not always reality. And so, here and now, I offer to you my apology; I pushed you away these long fifty years because I selfishly deluded myself into thinking that I knew what was best for you. But you, Liara, knew all along what drove you forward – what brought you joy. And that should have been enough for me."

"Perhaps," she paused as she continued, "Perhaps it was my obsession with the future, and the necessity of action on my part, that drove me away from the past. I have seen, Liara, and I know you have. At the crossroads of time, you have met Janxo, as I once did. Only…I have known Janxo a very long time. I poured my life's work over the inevitable – and yet still uncertain – future that approaches our galaxy. I'd like to think that I gave all that I could, but I also know that I came dangerously close to sacrificing your happiness for it as well."

"I was recently given a vision," she said, "a vision of what is to come. It is because of this vision that I have chosen to act, despite all the warnings offered by my peers and mentors. I know full well the dangers of what I am trying to do; but I have seen and know that it is necessary."

Benezia paused a moment, touching her fingers to her lips and bowing her head slightly. She sighed, dropping her hand and looking up once more, "Liara, our final exchange will be…" she broke off a moment as though fighting tears, and Liara, who had never seen her mother cry, felt herself crumble. "It will be agonizing. I cannot tell you what I would give to hold you one last time and tell you how very proud of you I am."

"But," she smiled, "there is one who can give you that final moment, for I passed it to her so that she might give it to you. Of course, it may feel as though she is the last person to comfort you; but she is the only person. She carries with her my final blessing to you, and upon her shoulders, the weight of the galaxy. She is why I have been working these long, arduous years. She is all the hope we have left."

"It will be difficult and treacherous at times, but be strong, Little Wing," Benezia said softly as a tear finally escaped her eye. "And know that you are dearly loved."

The message ended, leaving Liara in tears. How long had it been since she had last heard her mother speak so sweetly and lovingly towards her? She removed the OSD from her console and clutched it to her chest. She had so many questions – so much she didn't understand – but for now, to hear her mother's voice as it had been in life, was enough.

She sat crying for what seemed like an eternity before finally straightening and drying her eyes. Sniffing slightly, a ghost of a smile graced her lips as she placed the OSD in her bag by her bed. Standing to stretch, she jumped at the sound of Joker's voice over the comm.

"All personnel prepare for landing," he directed.

'Landing?' Liara thought curiously. 'They must have found the marines.' She continued stretching when another thought crossed her mind, 'Or…the Mako is damaged and can't make the jump.' She brushed the thought aside, and sat on the edge of her bed. The thought quickly returned to her mind, and she realized it would be so easy to head to the CIC and ascertain the situation.

'Yes,' she thought, 'Just check in and then head back to my quarters…'

With that, she jogged out the door.


Shepard stood over the bodies that Garrus and Kaidan had discovered. There were six heavily armored men lying in the sand, but only half of them wore the typical blue and gold Alliance armor. The other half was wearing black armor with a strange gold hexagon-like symbol.

"I've never seen that symbol before," Garrus spoke up, "And at least half the gangs and mercenary groups in the galaxy make their way through the Citadel at some point."

"I haven't seen it before either," Shepard replied thoughtfully. "I'll check back in with Hackett and see if he knows anything about this." Turning, she looked towards the Mako. "Kaidan – got anything?"

Kaidan was sitting in Mako with the doors open and his left leg hanging out. Despite his maneuvering, the Mako had still taken a couple of hits. Scanning the area with the Mako's sensors, he called back, "I've got nothing, Shepard. I don't know if it's because the sensors are damaged or because there's really nothing else out here."

Shepard nodded slightly before turning back around towards the bodies. Nearby, Wrex was leaning down, examining the scene. Standing, he said, "This was a trap, Shepard. A coward's trap."

"I'm with Wrex," Garrus replied, turning towards her, "I think they left the beacon so that people would keep coming to this particular spot…and getting burnt or eaten."

"Yeah," Shepard said tiredly, wiping Maw guts from her forehead. Turning, she made the short hike back to the homing beacon. Drawing her pistol, she fired at the power couplings connecting the beacon to its power source. Slowly, the homing beacon's spinning came to a stop. Confident that no one else would be lured into the trap, she made her way back to the Mako.

Eventually, the Normandy made its final approach and set down in the desert. As the hangar bay door opened, several soldiers emerged to help gather the bodies. Several of them came to a sudden halt when they saw the crashed Kodiak and the Maw's remains. Murmuring amongst themselves, they continued on and gathered the dead soldiers.

As Kaidan drove the battered Mako up the ramp, Liara appeared at the top, looking over the scene before her. As Shepard and company also ascended, she caught Liara's eye and stopped, letting everyone walk past her.

"What…" Liara began, "What happened?"

"Ah, well," Shepard began awkwardly, her body sagging with exhaustion, "There was a Thresher Maw and…"

"A Thresher Maw?" Liara asked, flabbergasted, "And…and the Kodiak?"

"There was an accident," Shepard replied lamely, "We tried to create a diversion and it worked, but…"

"You crashed."

"…Yes."

Liara stared at her a moment before sighing and smiling slightly. "I'm just glad you're alright," she began, causing Shepard to blush through the slime that covered her face, "And I may have some good news regarding Shiala."

"Really?" Shepard asked, her body straightening suddenly, "How?"

"My keeper of my mother's estate, Lasha, came to retrieve…the pod, and mentioned that Shiala attempted to contact her recently."

"Did she say where she was?"

"No, and the message itself was badly damaged," Liara replied, "But she was able to trace it to a cluster. I've already done some research, and I may have narrowed it down to two systems."

Shepard smiled brightly and replied, "Perfect!" Lost in her excitement and without thinking, Shepard moved to hug Liara. The sight of Liara's stiffened posture and a slightly raised hand, however, caused her to stop and look down. She was still covered in Maw guts.

"Ah, right, sorry," Shepard replied sheepishly.

"No worries," Liara replied, "I'm just glad I could help."

Smiling awkwardly, Shepard nodded and replied, "Alright, well…I'm going to clean this off."

As Shepard cantered past her, Liara noticed that Garrus had been watching from further up the ramp. Blushing slightly, Liara made to follow Shepard before pausing and asking, "How is it that she's the only one covered in Thresher Maw guts?"

"Ah, well," Garrus said, losing the smugness with which he watched their exchange, "Kaidan and I got into a bit of a bind, so Shepard drew its fire. You should have seen her – running right at that thing as it spewed acid at her. She popped a rocket in its mouth and narrowly avoided the burning goo."

"She what?" Liara asked incredulously. "She ran at it?"

"She didn't have much of a choice," Garrus shrugged, "If she tried to run, she wouldn't have seen the acid, and well…"

"Right," Liara said in a daze.

"Watch it, Liara," Garrus chuckled, regaining his swagger from earlier, "You almost sound like you were worried about her."

"O-of course I was worried!" Liara protested, "She's my teammate and friend!"

"Uh huh," Garrus laughed as he started to walk up the ramp, "I've had a 'friend' look at me the way you two look at each other. I believe she and I ended up…blowing off steam together in private, if you know what I mean."

Genuinely confused, Liara replied, "No, I don't know what you mean. Blowing off steam?"

"Oh T'soni," Garrus chuckled again, gesturing her to follow, "Come on, let's let these guys finish loading."


Next: Hackett tells Shepard about Cerberus, the Normandy heads to Feros, and Shepard and Liara finally share how they feel!

Review!