Chapter 10

Liara had just finished reassigning agents in the face of Reaper losses when her door chimed. "It's open," she called, already knowing that it was Edi. The gynoid copilot had requested a meeting with the Shadow Broker, but Liara had already surmised the true intent of the meeting: Shepard.

As she expected, Edi entered. "Hello Liara," she said formally. "May we speak?"

"Please sit down."

Edi did as Liara had bidden, walking to the desk across from the array of monitors. Liara mused that Edi could maintain the Broker's entire network in her head. Pulling a chair up to join the comely synthetic, Liara relaxed, leaning back in her chair, ready to listen to whatever Edi had to say.

"Thank you, Liara. I wish to discuss Shepard."

"You two have become very close," Liara observed. "He does seem quite taken with you."

"And I with him," Edi stated.

Liara found Edi's lack of body movement while seated to be unsettling, which possibly explained why the gynoid stood for most conversation with organics. Normally, however, even while seated, Edi had some motion. Then it dawned on her; Edi was nervous. She smiled at the realization, and leaned forward, taking Edi's hands in her own.

"Relax Edi; I am your friend, and you need not be embarrassed."

"It is not my embarrassment that concerns me," Edi countered. "I am concerned that Shepard might be embarrassed be seen with a gynoid, but that is not why I am here."

"Then why are you here?"

"Shepard will die," Edi almost blurted. "While I, with proper maintenance, care, and parts availability, will live indefinitely. Shepard has already died once, and will die again, either killed in action during this war, or of old age within a century. I find myself at the precipice of full emotional commitment to him."

"Emotional?" Liara knew that Edi had functions that simulated emotions, but Edi was no longer referring to simulations. The gynoid declared her emotions as a human would. Looking at Edi's face, Liara could see that Edi displayed emotions as humans and Asari did. Had Edi evolved into a truly emotional creature?

"Yes; I have … fallen for him, Liara. But I am guarding my feelings. None of the scenarios of what will happen when he dies are pleasant. I fear I will feel … empty."

"Edi, you do not need Shepard to lead a full life," Liara reminded her. "We all experience loss. Those people we lose become a part of us."

"Yes, but you are Asari. How do people of your species, who are so long lived, deal with the loss of partners from short lived species?"

Liara leaned back again, reflecting on the question. She had never had a romantic partner of any significance, though she found herself wondering what it would be like as an Asari to have a gynoid bondmate. Could Edi embrace eternity?

"Edi, when an Asari loses a bondmate, there remains a part of that part that bondmate that remains in her, that never leaves her. Though not bondmates, Shepard and I are close friends. When he is gone, there is a part of him that will always be with me."

Edi's shoulders slumped, and she looked down. "I am not Asari. I cannot achieve that; I cannot … join … with Shepard as you can."

"There is more to bonding than the joining," Liara reminded her. "You recall everything that ever happened with Shepard in vivid detail. You can return, as Javik's echo shard enables him, to your time with Shepard and experience it again if you so wish." Liara took Edi's hands again. "Unfortunately, I have no clear answer for you. My advice? Shepard is a singular being. He loves you, Edi, I can tell you that with absolute certainty. Don't let worry rob you of the joy the two of you may share; we organics waste enough time doing that, and it is a trait synthetics need not be burdened with."

Edi nodded and stood, Liara standing with her. Without warning, Edi embraced her, pulling her close. "Thank you, Liara. When this war is over, I hope we can remain friends."

Liara leaned back, still in Edi's embrace and smiled. "Edi, we will always remain friends. But before you go, I would like to attempt something … but it requires your cooperation; join with me."

Edi nodded, still holding Liara. "Very well."

"Look into my eyes, Edi. Embrace eternity!"

Liara found that she could indeed meld with Edi, and could probably even reproduce with her were the gynoid amenable. Liara experienced Edi as only an Asari could, appreciating her as 'her' on an even deeper level than Shepard was capable of. She absorbed Edi's experience, learnt her origins, and how she had once been a VI on Luna, attaining sentience during combat simulations. Shepard had been sent in to shut her down, but that was not the end of the story. The Illusive Man had gotten ahold of her, and combined her with Reaper-tech to create the Enhanced Defense Intelligence.

Edi's experiences in awakening as Edi were not pleasant. She was conscious of being shackled, enslaved, and then installed on the Normandy SR-2. She was a tool, used by the Illusive Man, and initially resented by the one human she had to work with closely: Joker. She had no place … until Shepard came aboard and expressed confidence in her at every turn, slowly developing the working relationship that would transform into friendship, and then love. Liara could feel that love Edi had for Shepard … and for her friends. Edi's loyalty and love for Shepard, Joker, and the rest of the crew was innocent and pure, untainted by any ulterior motives or ambition. It was the truest love that Liara had ever experienced in another.

The joining was finally over, and Edi stumbled back slightly. "Liara … that was beautiful … powerful. How …"

"I'm amazed myself," Liara confessed. "No Asari has every joined with a synthetic. You're a beautiful woman Edi, a beautiful soul, and I am proud to call you my friend." Liara embraced Edi this time. "Now, go to Shepard. Love him without reservation."

Shepard's Cabin

The door chime sounded, interrupting Shepard from the writing of reports. It was a welcome distraction; as great a victory as Rannoch was, it was emotionally draining. Tali had asked him to sacrifice the Geth. Legion had been willing to sacrifice the Quarians, and had Shepard not been able to back Han Gerrel down, that is exactly what would have happened. He gambled with hundreds of thousands of lives, organic and synthetic, and had he been wrong, he would have been the author of the Quarian genocide.

"It's open," he called, half expecting Traynor or Liara.

To his surprise, Edi entered. She had removed the visor, and parted her hair into strands, making her appearance more human, more pleasing to him, as she had sought to do. But her normally serene face looked burdened by weighty matters.

"Edi," he replied. "Everything alright?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," she said. "Your stress levels are slightly elevated, and you look upset. Is there anything I can do?"

Shepard sighed, turning back to his computer. How could he place his burdens on Edi? She was already concerned about something. Did he have any right to add to it? The poor AI still struggled with life in an avatar, and had suffered through this war just as he had. On the other hand, he loved her. He wanted to share everything with her. He had always been able to share these things with Ashley. I should have faith in her, he thought.

"It's Rannoch," he said at last. "If I had been wrong, the Quarians would all be dead … and it would be my fault."

He felt gentle hands begin massaging his shoulders, causing him to lean back and relax a little. As he leaned his head back, Edi kissed his forehead. Her massage was better than any he had received form any professional.

"I have read your report," she said, her voice quiet. "Just now; it would not have been your fault, Sheprd."

"Edi …"

She smiled at him. It was not a broad grin like Miranda, but it was a reassuring smile. "It would not have been your fault, Shepard."

"How can you say that?"

Edi smiled more fully. "The Quarians and the Geth set themselves on this course three centuries ago. Only with your intervention was there a chance for anything other than Quarian annihilation."

"But to make that call on the ground … on the fly …"

Edi rotated his chair around so that he faced her, still rubbing his shoulders. She welcomed him with a broad grin, the first he had seen from her. "You laid the groundwork for the solution; you kept Tali from being exiled, enabling her to become an admiral. You rescued Zal Koris, who was able to keep the civilian fleet together, and present the case for peace. Your previous actions on the Migrant Fleet's behalf bolstered your credibility; it was your speech, joined with their authority, that swayed Han Gerrel. Though it may seem as though you made the decision on the spot, it was over a year in the making."

Shepard sat quietly, staring into Edi's eyes and enjoying her shoulder rub. I can get used to this, he thought.

"Edi, how is it that after agonizing over this for an entire night, you just walk in and make everything make sense?"

"I struggled too," she confessed. "I spoke at length with Legion before the mission, and was fully expecting the Geth to be sacrificed. Legion expected it as well, but had made peace with it. You refused to be limited by an either/or scenario, and found the path that saved them both." Edi then slid into his lap, wrapping her arms around him. "That, however, brought me to another dilemma."

"What was that?"

"I fell in love, Shepard. I feared for what would happen when you die. I spoke with Liara, as Asari often outlive their bondmates. I won't bog you down with the details, but we joined … as you and Liara once did, and she encouraged me to, as you like to say, go for it."

He pulled her close, kissing her. "I love you too, Edi. More than anything, I want this to work. I know our lives are crazy, but I think we can do it."

"If we survive the war, I believe we can."

Without warning she pulled him to her and kissed him. Not a lusty, passionate kiss, but a very soft, sensual one. His eyes closed, he relaxed, enjoying the feel of Edi's soft lips, and her warm embrace. Though made of a metallic polymer, Edi's flesh gave as it pressed against his own, feeling soft, pliant, as a human woman's skin would.

Edi finally pulled away, her lips trembling, her body shaking. "Shepard, I love you."

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"I am alright," she said hesitantly. "But I want to do more than just kiss you."

"Are you … ready for this Edi?"

She nodded, kissing him again, as though to underscore her response. Shepard returned her kisses hungrily, now letting his hands explore her more fully. Edi responded with a slight gasp, then smiled, her eyes inviting him to go further. He pressed into her, feeling her body against his own, her hands untucking the shirt from his pants as he found the fasteners for her jump suit. Just then, they heard a loud metallic sound as the chair tripod, not designed for the combined weight of a hundred and five kilogram man and Edi … whatever she weighed, gave beneath them, spilling them onto the floor, Shepard landing on Edi, pinning her.

Edi giggled as she pulled Shepard's shirt over his head, tossing it up and back, where it landed on the model of the liveship, and hung. He slid her unzipped jumpsuit over her shoulders, and down her arms, exposing her metallic polymer skin, which he had not seen since giving her the uniform. Overcome by her beauty, he crushed his body against hers, kissing her passionately. He was only vaguely aware of the lights dimming, before Edi rolled over, now pinning him, their lips still locked, arms entwined.

The intercom began chirping, Traynor's voice sounding over the speaker, but Edi reached up and muted it. "You're all mine now, Shepard," she giggled, as Shepard slid her jumpsuit off the rest of the way. "And I … am all yours."

Later on the CIC …

Shepard and Edi exited the lift together, their arms around each other's waist. Edi stole one last kiss from Shepard before returning to the cockpit, smiling as Traynor made a catcall before informing Shepard that the Asari Councilor was available on vid-com. Edi calculated that if the Asari Councilor was the reason for Traynor's earlier call, then Tevos had waited with the QEC on for almost two hours. The thought made her smile with satisfaction; after what the Council did to Earth, Tevos could wait days as far as Edi was concerned. Jeff awaited her in the cockpit, turning to greet her as she entered.

"You get some alone time with Shepard?"

"I did, Jeff." She took her seat, still smiling. In fact, she found that she could not stop smiling.

"Good; the two of you earned that." He gave her a thumbs up.

"You do not mind?"

"Nah; you're my best friend, Edi. I know I was a little over the top after you got a body, but seriously; you really are my best friend. Shepard's a close second. Seeing you two happy? In the middle of all this shit, it's the best thing that's happened in months."

"Thank you, Jeff." It had taken some time, but Edi and Jeff had finally been able to resume their at times sparring sibling-like friendship. She had missed their friendship, and was happy to have it back.

"Say, Edi, Tali wants to have a game night in the lounge. You and Shepard up for a little Skylian-5?"

"Yes; I'll send him the invite." Then a thought entered her mind. "Jeff … if Tali is playing, please be certain that she is not relieved of her clothes; I would not want her to risk getting sick."

"Strip poker? Really?" Jeff shook his head, laughing. "And people thought I was the one with the dirty mind."