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Interlude III: Wretched Hive

The Shepherd

Date: 08-10-2186

Location: Neo Kyoto, Nagato, Vakar Nebula, Attican Traverse

Liara arrived the day we were due to leave, two days behind the thief she'd sent on ahead to make sure that Kean didn't try and depart before she got here.

I'd barely had time to see her features before she'd grabbed my shoulders and all but hauled me out of the hangar. Sheer surprise stopped me from resisting overmuch, and I'd been shoved into a small locker-room a few seconds later. The quiet sound of the lock engaging sounded ominous somehow, and I felt my breath catch as she turned to properly face me.

Her beauty was still there, but it was... dulled, tarnished almost. Brilliant eyes were flat, her cheeks were a little sunken, and the battered, lab-coat style armor she wore seemed to hang off of her, making me think that she'd lost weight. Worse, there were scars on her face, four precise little lines of burned skin on one side, all of them scrunched up as she stared at me with a horribly complex set of emotions.

"Liara." I swallowed, trying to feel her through our bond. It... was there, I thought, but it was horribly muddled, and I couldn't even make out her general mood. "My god, are you...?"

"Kaya." She managed to get out my name, then sucked in a breath and closed her eyes while her body shuddered. "I... I need to make sure it's you. That you came... came back. We have to meld. Now."

The sheer desperate hope in her voice made me swallow, and I quickly moved to sit on the nearest bench. "Of course. I'm... I'm right here."

"I hope so." The murmur came as she carefully followed me, falling to one knee in front of me. Hands hesitated, then almost feverishly lurched forwards to grip my forearms. There was no warning, no offering to embrace eternity. One heartbeat we were there, the next her eyes had snapped to black and I was lost inside of them.

Memory and feeling assaulted me, shredding away any sense of self.

The coffin lowered into the ground, unbelievable grief assaulting every inch of my soul. Anger and fury rising with it, knowing that it was empty, that the coward daring to praise Kaya's death hadn't wanted to risk recovering her body; not even to find out who killed her.

Panic and pain as the assassins chased me, the ringing voice of Lawson echoing in my apartment as we fought off the attackers. That same person lowering her tones to something melodic and earnest as she convinced me that my bondmate could be recovered, healed, brought back to me.

Seeing the stasis pod, seeing her broken body inside. Having to give her to Cerberus on nothing more than vague promises and quiet assurances. Watching Joker and Doctor Chakwas go with, promising to keep her safe once she woke up. Speaking with my sister and Kean in quiet tones, learning where my father was, leaving with Garrus and Nikita to find her.

Aethyta, looking more like a broken sword than a wise Matriarch, slumping as I saw what she had become. Holding me awkwardly but sincerely as my emotions went to pieces, conversing over drinks as she told me everything that there was to know about herself and my mother. The lives of my other half-sisters, one dead at Matriarch T'Ravt's hands, the other working for my father.

Learning how to act as an information broker, how to turn my love of archaeology and science to darker ends. Taking part in the silent war between the two Shadow Brokers, seeing the dead bodies at my feet and wondering why I felt tired and annoyed rather than horrified and sick. The quiet pain as Garrus patched up my wounds, Kasumi standing guard over a field of corpses, of people we had executed on nothing more than suspicion.

Closing my eyes and wondering what Kaya would think of me now.

Fear when my father was taken by Cerberus. Confronting Sederis, demanding her aid, trying to blackmail her like a stupid little maiden. Feeling the raw and utter terror as the elder Asari revealed herself in her full power before me, my knees on the ground as I had been forced to grovel while a biotic firestorm swirled around us. The sneering dismissal as she had sent me to Kean, the pain as she scarred my face so that I would remember.

Discovering the horrible truths about Nikita, what she had been forced to do, what damage had been done to her mind. Finding my attention divided as I began to work with Kean and Lawson, preparing for the latter's coup and aiding the former in researching the condition that was slowly killing him and Nikita.

The long awaited news that she was awake. That the coup had begun. Seeing her standing in ill-fitting clothes, awkwardly pacing as she waited for me. The moment of pure joy and relief as she saw me in return.

Reality crashed back in as I found myself stretched out on a bench in a locker room, the lights spinning a little above me. Muttering a quiet curse, I brought up my hand to shield my eyes and stared at the pale flesh and drab clothing in confusion. That wasn't... no, no that was right. I was... my name was Kaya. I was Shepard.

"I'm..." My chest heaved as I inhaled, repeating the mantra that had always helped me come back. "I'm Kaya Shepard. My name is Shepard."

One the floor beside me, one hand still gripping my arm, I heard Liara muttering her own assurances of her identity. We'd only melded that deeply two or three times, but the first time had been sufficiently terrifying to me that she'd helped come up with a little routine to recover. While it did help, it still took a good ten minutes before I felt like me again... or as like me as this new body would allow.

"Did..." I swallowed, not able to look at her. "I really... did die, didn't I?"

The bond was evidently secured or refreshed now, because I felt the wave of anguish emanate from her with perfect clarity. She didn't respond with words, instead shifting her body closer, a hand wrapping around my waist while her head moved towards mine.

The kiss was fevered and almost desperate, and I felt her tears start to fall before she broke away to bury her face in my neck. It was awkward to try and hold onto her, with me laying out on a thin bench and her half on top of me, but that didn't stop me from wrapping my arms around her as gently as I could.

I don't know how long we just stayed like that. An hour at least, maybe two. I started to fall apart as my own reality crashed in. The bond had still been there, though rough and in need of reinforcement. I was still me, despite whatever had happened, and more importantly, Liara still loved me. Had waited for me. Had fought to bring me back.

Eventually we both recovered enough, cleaning our faces and murmuring soft apologies and assurances that we were both still beautiful. Most of that came from me, I'd felt Liara's fear over the changes that had been wrought to her body. Her own murmurs reflected my own fears, telling me that I hadn't squeezed too hard, that I hadn't hurt her with my artificial strength.

Liara might have been hurt, damaged, broken... time might have passed, and she might have changed... but inside, she was still the woman I'd fallen in love with.

Not even death could change that.

"All right." I murmured as we settled onto the ground beside one another, our backs to the lockers as we leaned into one another. After a moment, I felt the fingers of one her hands entwining with my own, the soft warmth as perfect as ever. "Where do we go from here?"

Together. The slow pulse of emotion and feeling wasn't actually a word, but I understood it all the same.

"Obviously." I smiled a little, "I meant a little more practically."

"I know." She replied, her lips curling a little as well, "I believe our next stop is going to be Omega, Joker and Doctor Chakwas are there, along with Nikita. I think we should all sit down and make our plans once we arrive."

I nodded slightly. "Do you know my orders from Sparatus?"

"I do." Teeth appeared as she bit her lip, an old habit that I was glad she still did. It was adorable, though the cuteness didn't cover the pang I felt. I hadn't honestly expected her know to my confidential orders from a Councilor, and I buried the worry before she could feel it. "It certainly limits our options, since it makes us play by Lawson's game."

"Yeah." I exhaled. "What do you know about her?"

"More than I would like." There was a soft sigh as she shook her head, "Suffice to say that her history will enrage you, and that there is a reason for the name that the Blades call her."

Frankenstein, she meant. I'd heard them bantering the name about, though I hadn't been sure who it had applied to. "Can we trust her?"

Liara hesitated, glancing at the floor as she visibly considered the answer. "We can trust her to act in accordance to the manifesto that she released when her rebellion began."

That drew another grimace to my face. I'd read the thing, and I didn't care much for the implications and accusations that she had thrown around. I could appreciate the abstract goal, protecting humanity and ensuring that we were viewed as equals, but the rest struck me as nothing more than a softened up version of the same old Cerberus. How long that veneer of morality would last I didn't know, but I definitely wouldn't make any long-term bets on it.

My bondmate sucked in a slow breath, squeezing my fingers gently, "For now though, I think it's best if we track down Kasumi and Garrus, and help them... oh."

She'd evidently felt the rush of anger at the Turian's name. "He's here?"

"Yes... no, Kaya. No." I winced as she hauled me right back down as I tried to stand up. I throttled down the urge to struggle, knowing that I would only hurt her with my continued lack of adjustment to my body, and instead found my ass landing in her lap as she wrapped both arms around my waist. "You can't kill him."

"I wasn't going to kill him." I growled back, turning so that our noses brushed as we talked. "I was just going to rip an arm off and beat him with it. He can get it replaced."

There was an almost fond sigh to go with a wave of mixed affection and exasperation. "Your old self is showing, love."

I felt something twitch in my cheek as I recognized the truth, but since I didn't want to face that I kept pushing. "He deserves a beating. Worse than a beating."

"Nikita has given him several," She countered quietly. "And he took them without complaint. He knows he's made mistakes Shepard, please, just let it wait a while. Until you're in private at least."

My mouth opened, but the girlish voice that spoke wasn't mine.

"Yes, please do." Chi scoffed as I all but leaped out of Liara's lap, whipping my head around. The Quarian was leaning against the wall near the still closed door, and I had no idea how we'd missed her entering. "Last thing we need is that asshole making as much of a scene as you two just were."

Liara growled, actually growled, as she stood up. "I see politeness is as lost on you as ever. How long have you been observing?"

Chi rolled her eyes, her mask catching the light as she did. "Long enough to make my stomach turn. We're preparing to head to Omega, so get your shit together and report to the shuttles on the hour. An escort will be waiting and your usual cabins assigned."

"I trust," My lover kept speaking before I could, and I found myself surprised by the rigid anger in her voice, and the utter dislike rolling through her aura. I had thought that I didn't like Chi, but my Liara evidently put my dislike to shame. "That someone stable will be said escort?"

The Quarian's posture shifted. It was a subtle little thing, her weight adjusting as her fingers curled and then relaxed, something a civilian wouldn't have even noticed. "What are you imply-"

"Hey." A new, deep voice cut in as two more people entered the small room. One was another Blade, the giant Asari... T'Donna I thought her name was. Behind her, looking positively average compared to her towering frame, was Garrus, who was clearly not looking anywhere near me... though considering that his sharp eyes had locked onto Chi with one hand on his pistol, I supposed that I could forgive him. "Everyone calm your bloody waves."

Chi's gleaming eyes narrowed, then there was an irritated sniff before she flicked the fingers of her right hand. A moment later her body seemed to shimmer and then vanish behind a tactical cloak, though I could see the subtle ripples as she stalked past them and out of the room.

I rolled my eyes at the melodrama. Seriously... this was her goddamned base, what the fuck was the point of cloaking?

Liara glared at the space she had just occupied, a surprisingly dark expression on her features before she turned to T'Donna. "Illyan. I will not be held responsible if she continues to invade our privacy."

The Blade sighed, her features well balanced now that I had a better look at her, though the exhaustion tempered that more than a little. She didn't look as exhausted as Liara, but she definitely looked to be in dire need of a shower and a small coma. "Seriously T'Soni, you've got Kasumi bloody Goto running around; you don't get to bitch about invasions of privacy."

Garrus snorted quietly, "Kasumi doesn't hate everything with a pulse, and you've never explained just why no one has shot her yet."

"Look," Illyan T'Donna, apparently, sighed as a hand rose to rub at her forehead. "Just... she's been edgy since Cronos, just try and avoid her until she calms down."

I grunted quietly, "You mean since she disobeyed orders to join the fighting. What happened to her for that?"

"None of your business." The Asari replied flatly. "Now, are you four coming with us or taking your ship?"

I glanced at Liara in time to see her sigh. "We departed Antiva in a rush and were unable to take the proper precautions. Traveling aboard the Reliant is likely a safer option for all parties... provided that Chi maintains-"

"I get it, I'll talk to her." I narrowed my eyes at the interruption, but the broad woman was already turning away and taking long strides away. "Shuttle bay five, forty minutes."

We all watched her go, and I felt my eyes narrowing a little. "I don't remember her being that rude."

Garrus made an irritable little sound. "She's normally the most polite of the people they send to work with us, but she can be just as bitchy as the others on her bad days. Good to see you Shep."

"Garrus." I replied, feeling a slow pulse of caution and hope from Liara as I took several steps towards him. He didn't look as bad as Liara, but then Turians didn't show it like most other species did. I could still see the nerves in his stance as he brought himself up, clearly expecting me to replicate what Liara had seen Nikita do to him.

I stared at him for several long seconds, then sighed. Liara was right... a hero would forgive him, would know that he would be doing everything he could to make it up to her. To us.

I still slapped the idiot, but not nearly as hard as I really wanted to. "You're a damned moron Vakarian... but you're still our damned moron. We're going to talk as soon as we can find some privacy."

He blinked a few times, not have even moved from the gentle blow. "That's... not going to be easy on Omega, but I know a few places. Shep-"

"Garrus." His jaw clicked shut as I glared at him, "After our talk, we're going to find a nice sparring ring where we can work out our issues with each other's viewpoints, again, because clearly you didn't get the message the last time I bounced you around the Normandy's cargo bay."

Something like his old spark appeared as his mandibles fluttered, "I don't remember it going quite that way. In fact I was pretty sure that Ash saved you from a well deserved beating after I kicked you into the Mako."

A heavy sigh came from Liara as she groaned, her eyes casting themselves towards the ceiling as though she was asking God or Athame for answers. The familiar expression finally brought out a genuine laugh from me, and a quiet chuckle from Garrus. She often did something similar when dealing with the pair of us, not quite understanding the relationship I had with him even with our bond to help her.

Then again I didn't really understand it either, so I supposed I could forgive her.

"Right." I made a small motion with my hand, feeling a bit of comfort returning when both of my friends quickly fell in beside me. "Let's go find hangar five. For now I want a full debrief on who we're going to be working with."

The meld had given me Liara's impressions and a few general ideas, but a lot of the details were already slipping away. Further, she hadn't exactly intended it as that kind of meld, and so hadn't been focusing on passing on information.

"Which would you like to begin with," Liara asked, silent pleasure at simply being next to me practically radiating from her worn body. "Cerberus or the Blades?"

Considering I hardly wanted to discuss the mercenaries right in front of them... "Cerberus."

She nodded as we left the small room, taking a left turn and following the signs mounted in the ceiling. The data began to flow out from there, in her familiarly precise style. It reassured me, in a strange way, the same kind of briefing she might have given after reading over mission notes for me just a few weeks... a few years ago.

Cerberus was apparently pretty battered, but still very dangerous even divided in two.

Lawson had apparently absconded with not one but two artificial intelligences, along with an oversized version of the Normandy that was being repaired on Omega. Further, she had the support of at least one, maybe two cells on Earth, giving her access to a lot of cash and information. The money was important for us, as much as it seemed to pain both Liara and Garrus to admit that.

The thankful trade off was that she had very limited manpower, with fewer than thirty combat agents probably still alive, and she was likely to be entirely reliant on myself and Kean to provide the muscle moving forwards.

Garrus had laughed when I'd brought up the Council's fears that Cerberus would try and create some kind of separate human nation in the Traverse, or at least use them as some kind of spring-board for something larger. Lawson, as he informed me, was a realist. She wasn't interested in trying to create a nation that would simply be obliterated by the Citadel or by Omega.

"Don't get me wrong." He shook is head as he sat down outside of our destination, the hallways quiet thanks to the fairly early hour. "She's a serious piece of work, but she seems to earnestly believe in what she says."

I pursed my lips a little, wondering if I could use that. Possibly, zealots tended to see what they believed rather than the other way around, but their description of her made her sound too intelligent to be easily manipulated. "What can you tell me about her personally?"

Liara sighed as she sat beside Garrus, her hands in her lap. "That she is extremely dangerous. She has a sizable biotic talent to go with nearly Matriarch level control. My observations, and those of my father's other agents, are that there is next to no waste energy in her manipulations. Physically she is also far beyond human norms."

"Really?" I frowned, "How strong?"

Garrus twitched his mandibles, "She could have taken you before your... uh... changes."

My love groaned a little as I fought not to flinch, and glared at him severely enough to make him duck his head. "What Garrus is trying to say is that her reflexes and strength are both decidedly above the norms for even a human male of her size. A few records recovered from Henry Lawson's offices on Earth indicate that she has an eidetic memory, will likely live to reach her third century, requires less sleep, and can recover far more quickly from injuries than a normal human."

The frown became a grimace. "She have any weaknesses at all?"

"Many." Liara spread her hands apart, "Part of what was done to her rendered her sterile, something she has evidently done heavy research into trying to reverse. Personally, she comes across as very arrogant and proud, but Broker analysts say that this is likely just a cover for deep insecurities. All of her practical command experience are in small unit or stealth actions, and she is very defensive concerning Cerberus' goals and ideals."

"Right now," Garrus spoke up again, evidently hoping to remove his foot from his mouth. "She and Kean are getting along, but I doubt that will last. Their viewpoints are too opposed, and that division might be something we can use. Not sure for what, but worth watching for."

I nodded, turning a little to start pacing back and forth in the hallway. Kean didn't strike me as the kind of person who gave a crap about his own species, and that would definitely grate on Lawson if what they were saying was even partially accurate. Splitting them up might be good... or bad, depending on what the real threats turned out to be. "So she has no real experience in larger campaigns?"

Liara shook her head, "Not that I am aware of, and you have far more experience even in the commando style operations than she. Especially when it comes to the background affairs of logistics, team building, morale that kind of thing."

Making a small noise, I nodded to that. "You're saying that she's used to being given a team that's already loyal and committed... an all-human team with no real personality issues."

"Essentially." She nodded in return. "She is very good in those situations, but I don't believe her personality is conducive for the kind of team she wants to build."

My metaphorical ears perked up at that. "They've been light on the details for that."

Liara sighed and rolled her eyes, "Of course they have. Their initial targets are a pair of rather infamous agents; Doctor Mordin Solus, former STG, and Doctor Ganar Okeeer, a Krogan warlord."

"Seriously?" I resisted the urge to either laugh or groan. "A Salarian and a Krogan doctor, that sounds more like a bad joke."

Garrus grimaced. "Keeping them from killing each other is probably going to be your job Shepard. Solus is on Omega, helped patch me up after the invasion, might be one of the few good souls on that forsaken place. Okeer though... he's a sire-fucking piece of work. He's the one who was churning out those enhanced Krogan during the war, went to ground after."

I glanced between them, "What good would he be for us?"

There was a small shrug from my love, "He is rumored to have had contact with the Collectors, and might be able to provide intel. Further he is an extremely deadly combatant in his own right, and if he has more of his... berserkers available, that would give us a significant edge when it comes time to take the fight to them."

An army of genetically enhanced Krogan probably would be a handy thing to have around, assuming we could trust them. "Trustworthy?"

She sighed, "Unknown. He has only ever shown interest in his various projects, and appears to care little for events beyond that. Even Ganar's war seemed to be little more than an opportunity to test out his creations."

Our Turian friend grimaced, "He's got a dark reputation, even in the Terminus. If I'd had the chance I'd have gone after him a long time ago."

Lovely. "Where is he?"

"Supposedly he's hiding out near the Dark Rim, on Kattachak." He shook his head, "Hellhole jungle planet, to put it mildly."

Even lovelier. "I'm assuming Lawson and Kean plan on picking up Solus while we're on Omega, then moving after him?"

Liara pursed her lips. "They plan on you picking up Solus while Lawson evaluates how much it will take to repair her ship, while Kean assembles the other two warlords that Aria assigned to assist in fighting the Collectors. I believe it is supposed to foster some degree of trust and assurance that they don't seek to control you. After that there will be some kind of strategy meeting to plan out the mission to recruit Okeer and how to counter future attacks."

I found myself frowning. "Whose plan was that? Lawson's?"

Garrus shook his head. "Chambers I think. Part of some grand plan to keep you comfortable."

My frown deepened. "What can you tell me about her?"

To my surprise, they both actually winced, though it was Liara who spoke. "Officially she's the only surviving psychological analyst from Cerberus' core support cell. She possesses a doctorate in human and xeno psychology from a Terran university named Yale, and is considered one of humanity's better observers of alien behavior. "

"And unofficially?" I asked.

Garrus's jaw worked a little, "I trust her even less than I trust Kean or Lawson. There's just something... off about her."

Liara sighed quietly, "It does not help that she appears to get on well with Kean, or at the very least has a much better idea of how to approach and deal with him than we do. Although speaking of her, Kasumi? Were you able to discover anything?"

I blinked, then tried to leap out of my fake skin when a cheerful woman spoke from right fucking behind me. "Sorry Liara-kun, just her usual masks."

Spinning around as my heart hammered in my chest, I found myself staring at the tiny little Japanese woman as she grinned back up at me. No, she wasn't grinning, she was definitely smirking, clearly reveling in the reaction I'd given her. "God fucking... don't do that!"

"Don't be such a baby." She replied cheerfully, tugging the thin material of her mask back over her delicate features. "Thought you should know, your old friend is on the way. Think she's our escort."

"Jack?" I asked, feeling myself relax a little, then found myself frowning when I felt Liara's apprehension. "Love?"

Her eyes narrowed a little as she let out a breath, "Jacqueline is... not the same person as she was when we broke apart."

I blinked a few more times. "I know, I spoke with her on the ship. She gave me a good bit of intel, helped me deal with... everything when I got on their ship."

Liara exhaled softly. "That is relieving, in its own way, but she isn't someone we should trust anymore."

A worrying feeling pooled in my gut. I mean, I knew that Jack had changed a little, maybe reverted to some old habits even as she finally picked up some discipline, but to say we shouldn't trust her? "Liara..."

"Kaya." Her head shook almost tiredly. "She is sleeping with Erana T'Donna, the younger sister of Illyan and Kean's surrogate daughter. Further she is very close to Chi, and the pair of them are often sent out to deal with slavers or others attempting to breach Illium Minor."

My mouth was opening to ask what the hell was wrong with killing slavers when Garrus provided the answer, "Shep, you know what Chi is like. They don't kill those people clean, or fast. It gets messy."

...dammit Jacqueline, what the hell had you gotten yourself into? I reached up and rubbed at my forehead, trying to quell the spike of anger that had risen. First Garrus, now Jack... it seemed like everyone that I tried to teach decency and nobility to ended up falling even faster than if I hadn't bothered at all.

But Garrus was trying to come back, I reminded myself, that meant Jack could as well.

Next up is Operation II: Press Ganged

And here we have our last interlude before we move on to the next operation. The original plan was for this to take place on Omega, hence the name, but it seemed more appropriate to save that for the next chapter. As it was, the title still works given what our heroes think they're involved in.

The next operation will cover the first real conferences between our new big three (Cieran, Miranda, and Shepard), along with the recruitment missions to pick up Mordin and Okeer as indicated in this one.

Please read and review, criticism is welcome, flames not so much, as usual. Reviews are my lifeblood as a writer.. every-time my email goes off with a review it makes me want to write more, so please take the time to leave one. Guests can leave them as well, and it only takes a minute, so please. Even if it's as simple as "I enjoyed it, please continue."

Thanks, Kat