Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any Mass Effect or Bioware intellectual property.
Please also note that this story contains some profanity and sexuality. Spoilers present for the games, DLC, and comics.
A/N: Sorry about the delay! I'm afraid they'll be a bit further apart than in the past as my grad classes/teaching duties are now in full swing again. I'm about halfway through the next one though, so it shouldn't be too much of a wait.
Check out fishbone76's "Red and blue" on Deviantart which helped me picture Liara and Shepard in the first scene. Such a sweet portrait of a sweet couple (I like the one of them on Surkesh best out of the series).
Thank you thank you all for your favs, follows, and reviews! It makes me do this- :D
Let me know what you think of this one...it gets a little convoluted at times...you'll see.
EDIT: Kal'Reegar/Veetor'Nara mess straightened out; sorry about that!
Chapter 11: Righting Wrongs
Shepard smiled, watching Rannoch from the starboard observation deck as she stood with her arms crossed. "What are you thinking?" Liara hummed into her ear as she laced her arms around Shepard from behind, chin resting on her shoulder. Shepard tilted her head to rest on Liara's, closing her eyes briefly to savor Liara's presence.
"Now I'm thinking how much I love you."
"I love you too," Liara kissed her cheek before returning her chin to Shepard's shoulder. "And before?"
"The war," Shepard's voice was soft. Liara frowned slightly, pulling Shepard closer before Shepard continued. "How so many things went wrong, but how the reapers forced us to right a lot of wrongs too. Tali has her homeworld again and the geth are helping the quarians rebuild it. All of this with the Board…When I look down at Rannoch, it's proof that the galaxy won't waste the chance it was given for peace. It's…it's beautiful, Liara. Look at it. A whole world with second chances."
Liara smiled, hugging Shepard and watching with her, not wanting the moment to end: a rare moment of peace, for the both of them.
"Keelah se'lai, Shepard." They heard Tali behind them as she approached the window to stand beside them. "It came true, Shepard. 'By the homeworld I hope to see one day'," she translated, her gargled voice shakey. "It came true."
Shepard smiled at Tali and returned her gaze to Rannoch. "Keelah, Tali. No more 'se'lai'. No more hoping for 'one day'. Just 'By the homeworld'…" The three of them stared down to Rannoch.
Garrus entered behind and rested his hands on Tali's shoulders. "We're finally back. Welcome home, Tali."
"Garrus…"
Shepard tilted her head back slightly to catch Liara's eye and gestured subtly for them to give Tali and Garrus their own moment of peace.
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Despite the quarian people being on Rannoch once again, they went about their lives in their suits as usual. It would be some time before they could consider truly going without their suits, and for now, it was still their culture. Tali was wearing something a little different though as she enjoyed Rannoch's breeze on the edge of a vast and lush canyon.
Shepard stood beside her as they waited for ground transport. "What's that, Tali?" she asked, pointing to the circular pendant on her chest. She'd seen male quarians wearing them, held on with a two-banded, two-finger width sashes that went around one shoulder and underneath both arms. The pendants always looked alike though sash colors differed. Shepard didn't know if the colors meant anything, but Tali's was purple.
"Hmm?" Tali was a world away, or rather, only had eyes for the world before her: the breeze in the local flora, the mountains in the distance.
Shepard smiled and tapped the pendant.
"Oh! Sorry, Shepard. This was my father's. I'm wearing it in his honor…he never stepped foot on Rannoch. You know better than anyone my family secrets… I felt I could at least honor his memory."
"There's nothing wrong with missing your father, Tali. Even if you deserved far better than him. He made mistakes like anybody else, but he also paid the price. What matters now is that the sacrifices you and he made brought you here and frankly, you're the Zorah that should be leading your people." Shepard put an arm around Tali's shoulders, looking into the canyon's expanse with her. "What will you do after the Board is taken care of Tali? I know you said last time that Rannoch was a painful place, but you seem more at ease here now."
"I've had the time and the opportunity, thanks to you destroying the Reapers, to mourn. Our people believe in the wisdom of those that have allowed us to get to where we are today—usually our ancestors—but for Rannoch, that's you Shepard… and the geth…Legion. Someday I might come back. 'Se'lai,'… but right now my home is the Normandy."
"From one fellow spacer to the other, I can appreciate that. But even if you do build that house here someday and abandon me you'll always be Miss vas Normandy." Shepard smiled, teasing.
Tali nodded, a smile evident in her voice. "I will never part from that name- Shepard vas Normandy."
Shepard tried not to beam too much. She was a little in awe sometimes at her friends. Despite what she had pulled off with the Reapers, she was just a soldier—determined discipline, a gun, an arm, instinct coupled with luck. Tali was the best of her people. "Does that mean Garrus is Garrus'Vakarian vas Normandy?" she teased, lightening the mood. "Aw, one big happy family."
"We are, you bosh'tet. Now get off of me before your wife throws me off this cliff."
Shepard chuckled and squeezed her for a second before letting go. "She knows I love you in a very I'm-the-annoying-sister-that-the-other-quarians-ma ke-fun-of-you-for sort of way."
"I thought I was 'Mom'? And she didn't always know," Tali laughed. "I was telling Garrus the other day: you visited all of us on the Normandy SR1 just as frequently as you did Liara. I think if you'd gone to visit me the night before Ilos, I would have mysteriously ended up in the drive core."
Shepard pondered this and rubbed the back of her neck. "I don't know why she would think you and I were…I mean, she and I talked about her culture, her people, her family…yeah, Ok, I'm beginning to see the parallels, but Liara and I also talked about sex. The closest you and I came to that was our mutual drooling over the Normandy."
"She didn't have her broker skills back then." Tali shrugged.
"She really thought you and I…" Shepard pointed from Tali to herself and her lips started to turn up in a grin.
Tali looked over at Shepard and started shaking her head slowly in warning. "Don't start, Shepard."
It was too late. Shepard feigned melancholy "Oh, Tali, I never knew! How could I have been so blind?" Shepard burst out laughing as Tali put her hands to her hips in fury as Shepard continued through her guffaws: "You did offer to link suits with me once!"
"That's because you saved me from exile and I trust you, you duct-rat."
Shepard shook her head, denying the dismissal as she continued to laugh. "Doesn't explain the 'It's fun watching you shout' line you gave me on the Rayya." She stuck her tongue out teasingly.
Tali sauntered over to her a little too gracefully. Shepard's eyes widened, knowing this was trouble. Either Tali was about to kill her or Liara would see and she'd be thrown off the cliff. She cocked her head and an eyebrow, wondering what was coming.
"It is fun watching you shout, Shepard." She touched Shepard's armored arm and warning signals blared in Shepard's mind; her eyes widened further. "Especially when I do…" Tali raised her other arm, "this!" She pushed Shepard with zero restraint.
Shepard fell backward, giving Tali a shout of surprise in reward as she tripped near the canyon's edge. She let herself fall with the push, using its momentum to roll on her shoulder away from the edge and stand right back up with a jump. She grinned and dashed back to Tali to pick her up in a bear hug and Tali nearly made dents in her armor to push her away. Shepard finally had to let her go and started running away, laughing. Tali remained where she was, but chased after her with Chatika, laughing a little too maniacally when she heard a yelp and loud 'Ow!' indicating her drone had found her target. "So much fun when you shout, Captain! Go for the optics, Chatika!"
Liara approached and leaned an arm casually on Tali's shoulder. "What'd she do?"
"Does it matter?" Tali laughed again.
Liara chuckled. "I suppose not. Try not to kill my wife. I'm not finished with her yet."
Chatika became unresponsive to Tali's forceful tapping on her omni-tool. "Shepard!" Tali called, storming after her. "What did you do?!"
Liara stifled her laughter, covering a small grin with her fingers, as she heard Shepard defend herself. "What did you expect? Miss vas Paus here was getting fresh. She must take after her owner," Shepard laughed, seeing Tali un-holster her shotgun and bolted for cover behind a boulder.
Garrus breathed out a chuckle behind Liara. "Heh. It's a good thing I'm not the jealous type, T'Soni or Shepard would be experiencing the Vakarian salute," he pointed his fingers toward Shepard in the shape of a gun and pretended to fire.
"Please, Garrus. We saw you when Lieutenant Archer from the Warsaw was around," Liara teased for a second before becoming serious. "And you don't have anything to worry about. Aside from the undeniable fact that Shepard is all mine, Tali is most definitely yours."
Garrus twitched a little, but stood up straighter and smiled down at her. For some reason, he felt comfortable discussing Tali with Liara more than most others, even Shepard to a degree. Liara was so straight forward about that sort of thing despite her shyness. "Well, I'm hers too."
Liara returned the smile before watching Tali and Shepard again, amused. It was wonderful to see Tali and Garrus happy together. They had all become a very strange, but wonderful family in the dire circumstances of the Reaper threat, from Ilos to Earth. She wondered how long it would last. Would they all be together like this forever? "Garrus, you plan to propose?" Liara asked bluntly, never having breached the subject with him before.
"Yes," he returned her bluntness.
"And then?"
"Then go to Palaven and introduce her to the family."
"And then?"
"Uh…" Garrus struggled, not knowing what Liara was getting at. "What's that saying Shepard always uses for you two? 'Happily ever after'?"
Liara smiled again, nodding. "Yes. I meant will you both stay on the Normandy? Or have you discussed settling elsewhere?"
Garrus shifted his weight. "Tali talks about a house here on Rannoch someday, but I know her. She won't leave Shepard's side until she has to and neither will I. We've all got a good thing going on the Normandy. Everyone else is finally starting to recognize it too. The hierarchy didn't blink once when I told them I had a mission on the Normandy and that I wasn't returning to Palaven, even with all the rebuilding that's needed. Tali's on the Admiralty board, but her position on the Normandy let's her do that diplomatically and the galaxy gets to see what the quarian people have to offer. We get things done, Liara. For everyone."
"I suppose you're right." Liara's gaze was still in the direction of Shepard and Tali in their mini firefight, but it was glazed.
Garrus shifted his weight back, taking on a questioning stance as he tilted his head back toward her. "What about you, Liara? You look like you've got a talon out the Normandy by the look on your face."
Liara blinked. "Hmm? Oh, I don't know Garrus. Sometimes I daydream of settling on Thessia with her, raising a horde of children and never letting her stare a bullet down ever again," she sighed, "But another just as convincing part of me loves our ridiculous life as it is—the adventure, the discovery. Not to mention you and Tali, Jeff and EDI, everyone on the Normandy has become a sort of family for me."
"The vas Normandy's. We're a hell of a bunch," Garrus nodded.
Liara smiled warmly at that. "Yes," she let out a happy sigh this time. "I suppose we are."
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Shepard and her team wandered Rannoch's Southern continent near the Rayyan mountains (for which Tali's birth ship, the Rayya was named). With the geth's help, EDI's scans had found an anomaly and therefore a likely location for a Board hideout. A red prime walked beside Shepard. She glanced up at the behemoth periodically as they trekked toward the base of a mountain.
"Is there something wrong, Shepard Captain?" the prime asked.
Shepard was startled, having been caught staring at the prime when it had asked the question. "I…uh…I chose to destroy the Reapers."
"That is correct, Captain," the prime fluttered its head flaps a little in what Shepard assumed was the geth equivalent of a questioning eyebrow.
"I wasn't sure the geth were going to make it …since Legion uploaded the Reaper Code to your people."
"The geth analyzed the energy wave sent out across the galaxy when you destroyed the 'Reapers,' and their tech, Shepard Captain. The wave targeted the Old Machines' hardware. Moreover, the Old Machines' code was used to adjust our own, not replace it." The geth paused with Shepard as Liara, Miranda, Jack, and Kasumi walked ahead. Tali had plenty to do on Rannoch as an admiral though she had tried to come with Shepard. Too many people needed Tali though, and with Garrus's help, they'd convinced her to stay behind to meet with various captains that had requested an audience, several of which were not altogether pleased that the geth were on Rannoch.
"There is still an anomaly in your decision, Shepard Captain," the prime interrupted her thoughts.
"What's that?" Shepard frowned.
"The Council claims that your report states the Catalyst was tasked with managing the cycle and acted on the assessment that organics and synthetics cannot live together in peace. Yet only the 'synthesis' option remedied that. You chose incorrectly."
"Incorrectly?"
"The geth hold consensus with you that the 'overlord' option would have been dangerous, just as accepting the mass relays and Citadel proved dangerous. The consequences could have been… incalculable. Synthesis, however, would have solved any organic-synthetic conflicts. Consensus between all sentients would have been possible."
Shepard thought for a second on how to answer. "Um…what should I call you—this unit in front of me? I called Legion, 'Legion.' What do I call you?"
The prime twitched some of the parts on its head again. "Geth."
Shepard sighed. She supposed it was rude of her to impose her culture's norms on the geth, but if she shouted "Geth" into a room of geth, wouldn't they all turn around? "May I call the terminal in front of me by a specific name?"
"Yes."
"What should I call you then?"
"Ally."
"How 'bout 'Al' for short?"
"That is acceptable."
"Ok, Al. You are a geth—you build consensus. Humans, well certain humans, do something similar, but we do it by relying on hierarchal order. The Alliance and the individuals that make up the Alliance agree to follow that order—that consensus. I am a Captain of the Alliance, an N7 soldier. I was given an order by my superiors to end the Reaper threat and it was my job to die trying to fulfill that order if necessary. Destroying the Reapers was the only certain way to end their threat to the galaxy. I didn't choose wrong, because I had no choice."
"Incorrect," the prime chortled. "You had a choice, but you chose to follow orders."
"Well…yeah, fine. I chose to follow my superiors' consensus."
The prime's beaming nodule—it's eye of sorts—grew in brilliance slightly as it dilated. "We understand you calculations Captain, though we have not built consensus on whether or not we agree."
"That's…close enough, I guess," Shepard shrugged. "I'm just glad you—all the geth—are alive," she smiled. "It wouldn't be the same galaxy without you."
"Alive?"
"Yes." Shepard frowned at the question.
"The geth are…" it trilled, calculating. "Thankful for your ending the war of the Old Machines, Shepard Captain. We remain your ally."
"The geth sacrificed as well, but thank you. Let's catch up."
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Jack and Miranda walked toward the rear of the team as they entered an ancient quarian mine in the Rayya mountain. The geth suspected it was an old Cerberus hideout which might explain why a human Board Member was around.
"What is this some kind of 'Mordor' mission, Shepard? The fuck are we doing in a mountain?" Jack asked, her voice echoing slightly.
"Wasn't there a volcano in that classic…" Shepard stopped when Jack raised a fist and smirked. "Don't ask me. Cerberus did lots of crazy stuff…lots of crazy…" she gave Jack an appraising look as she said the words and grinned. Miranda let out a "Ha!" and Jack tripped her with a stasis on her feet momentarily. Shepard tried not to laugh, but failed.
"'Lots of crazy' is what you need, so show a little respect, Girl Scout," Jack pointed a finger in Shepard's face. Shepard watched in great amusement as Miranda biotically threw Jack into the wall of the mine in revenge. To her surprise Jack merely nodded with a 'not bad' lip protruding as she dusted herself off instead of retaliating. "Nice one, Princess. Maybe next time you'll make me break a nail," she pouted mockingly. These two… Shepard thought, still grinning. She felt her own body raise and pull toward Liara who had moved ahead of the group when the three stooges act had started.
"Why don't you stay up here with me?" Liara asked sweetly but a little firmly.
"Oh?" Shepard wouldn't complain.
"They're being juvenile in an ancient mine that could collapse at any moment and bury us. I'd like to at least be near you if we both suffocate to death."
"Oh." Shepard repeated flatly then decided to tease. "So romantic."
"Archeologists would find it romantic when they found us in a few thousand years," Liara countered.
She saw Liara grin through her omni-goggles. "Oh, much better," Shepard chuckled. "I'm swooning. Next tell me about how our preserved bodies will be carefully dug up with brushes and small chisels. Before you know it I'll be saying 'take me, I'm yours.'"
"Did you just ask me to talk dirty?" Liara smirked.
Shepard stopped for a moment, in brief and happy shock before she caught up again. "Oooh, look at the asari, learning her human idioms," Shepard chuckled.
"I'm beginning to find most of them are less than innocent," Liara smiled at her. "Or maybe my wife who uses them is less than innocent. She taught me that one quite a while ago, or at least encouraged me to do a little research."
Shepard couldn't help blush, remembering now.
"So Liara," Shepard leaned on the Mako in the SR1's shuttle bay. Her, Ash, and Liara had just returned from a side mission. "Tell me more about archeology, about what you did before I kidnapped you."
Liara smiled "I'm afraid it is not very interesting, Commander."
Ash grinned, watching. "I think the Commander just wants you to talk dirty to her, Doctor."
Shepard took off a boot and threw it in the direction of a disappearing gunnery chief who was already near the lockers in safety before the boot landed. Shepard scowled after her before Liara's voice brought her back.
"What did she mean, Commander? I'm afraid I'm not fluent in human idioms."
Shepard's eyes widened, backing away as she rubbed her neck in awkwardness. "It means…You…um…I'll uh…"
Liara tilted her head, an amused smile played on her lips. "Are you stammering, Commander? I thought I was one who tended to become socially clumsy when we talk."
"Well," Shepard smiled at the turn in conversation. "You did just call me socially clumsy which itself, I think, is socially clumsy, so I'm still ahead."
Liara blushed. "I'm sorry, Commander. I didn't mean—"
"Only joking, Liara. Don't worry about it." Shepard waved and bolted for the elevator before their previous topic might come up again.
"Shep?" Kasumi called Shepard back from her memories. "One of my spy drones just disappeared."
MASS EFFECT
Shepard ducked behind a crate while Kasumi scoped ahead in stealth. How did crates always end up everywhere? Everywhere! Not that she minded. They were great cover. It was just an odd constant in her otherwise chaotic life. I'm Captain Shepard, and crates are my favorite thing in the galaxy, Shepard smirked to herself. Nah, that would be the omni-blade, no the Board's device thingy. Slooooows it down. My models? Ah hell, this is just like the stores on the Citadel. I don't feel like picking…because I get them allll, mwahaha. Shepard grinned now, entirely too amused in her thoughts.
Liara raised a brow at Shepard's expression, wondering what could be amusing Shepard in the middle of a mission just before ambushing the Board. She considered melding with her briefly to find out, but shook her head to focus. Goddess, she's sexy when she grins. She shook her head again. She looked up to see that this time it was Shepard raising a questioning eyebrow at her. She waved her hand a little to motion 'it's nothing'.
Shepard sent out a spy drone. It had been awhile since Kasumi had gone ahead to investigate. Al loomed behind them, not bothering to take cover. Why had she decided to bring a giant, red geth that sticks out like… well, a geth prime, on this mission? Oh right, because it's a GIANT GETH PRIME that wants to shoot for her, not at her. Sweet.
The spy drone stopped reporting. Just stopped. And Kasumi had gone silent. Shepard frowned. She raised two fingers and motioned the rest of the party forward, taking point. After ten meters she felt her tech, all of it, power down and raised a backward palm to her squad to signal them to stop in their tracks. She stepped back toward them and her tech came back on. She turned around, signaling for her squad to watch her. She took a step into the dead zone and her usual slight glow with geth shields evaporated. Liara raised a hand to her mouth in study, Miranda frowned, Jack shrugged, and the prime remained motionless.
Of course the quarian Board member would do something techy, Shepard thought in complaint, regretting Tali's absence. Still they had a geth. Her biotic squadmates put up their barriers; Shepard's armor would have to do. Her team's shields faded as they stepped forward. Shepard shook her head at the prime to not follow any further and Al seemed to understand. Who knew if whatever had shut her stuff off might power down Al as well. Besides, Al could watch their six.
Shepard crept forward as silently as she could in her armor and gear. No longer able to see with her goggles and helmet inactive, she reached with her feet in front of her as she continued to creep through the darkness. A slow, but consistent drip was directly in front of her, the only sound she heard other than her squadmates' breathing.
Liara stopped Shepard, able to see faint shapes and outlines in the dark with biotics pulsed to her eyes. Shepard had nearly stepped into a water hole. Goddess. She initiated a meld so that Shepard could see with her.
Thanks. Shepard watched through Liara's eyes as she peered down the seemingly endless pit that they knew must end only because of the drip that landed eventually every few seconds.
Be more careful.
Shepard reached for her pistol in response and focused on seeing through Liara's eyes while commanding her own body to move forward. Take it easy—just enough for me to see. You'll probably need your strength.
Ok, Shepard.
Shepard felt most of Liara fade, doubting they could communicate now, but she could still see the faint shape of the mine. The water hole interrupted the entire mine's path. They would have to reach the other side somehow. She started to skirt the edge of the slippery wall that dipped into oblivion to reach the other side, but Liara wouldn't have it. She lifted Shepard with her biotics to land safely on the other side and the rest of the team followed.
They pressed on until Shepard saw something piled ahead. She bent down to see an immobile geth. A gun she'd never seen before lay beside it. This is interesting. Shepard picked it up. The rifle was some sort of geth technology obviously, but she wouldn't know its specs without her tech or trying it out. She put it on her back and moved on. They seemed to go further and further into the mountain for hours, though they couldn't keep track of the time anymore. There was still no sign of Kasumi. How long had that geth been down here?
Shepard unwrapped a protein bar for Liara as quietly as she could and handed it to her firmly. Liara nodded and ate. Such a prolonged use of focused biotics for her and Shepard was taking its toll. Miranda and Jack took it as their cue to finally munch on their own bars.
Shepard felt a rush of air as something ran past her in the opposite direction they were headed. She hadn't seen what it was in such limited vision, but her adrenaline kicked in as she ran to follow it. Her vision faded with the distance from Liara, but she knew it was safe for a long while to just keep running. She caught whatever it was, tripping it. She heard a few clicks and a male quarian came into view, his tech was apparently just fine. "Please, let me go. I can't stay here," his voice quivered.
"Veetor?" Shepard asked the dark. "Veetor'Nara?"
He took her arm and with a few adjustments, her omni-tool and the rest of her tech came online. Through her goggles she saw the too familiar sight of a frightened Veetor'Nara.
"Veetor, what are you doing here?" She asked calmly.
"I was taken. No swarms, just darkness." The quarian shivered.
"Who brought you here?"
"I don't know. I was enjoying Rayya's meadows for the first time at the base of the mountain. My suit began to malfunction." Shepard waited patiently as Veetor wrung his hands then sat down to rock against the mine's wall. "I woke up in darkness. Only now found a way for my omni-tool to come online. Something jammed it before. I escaped and found you. You are always here when…" he started to shake as he rocked.
Shepard bent down. "Hey, Veetor…" she tried to sound soothing. "It's ok. You're safe now. I got you out last time there were bad guys, right?"
"Yes," he responded, but continued to rock.
Shepard's team had found them. Liara approached, scanning him for injuries.
"Why do you think you were taken?" Shepard asked him.
"I don't know. I've only been in darkness. I have seen no one."
"Ok, Veetor. We're going to get you out of here. Is there anything you can tell us about what we might see ahead?"
"Nothing. Darkness."
Shepard stood. "Jack…" To her surprise Jack didn't fuss.
She approached Veetor and leaned down. "Hi. I'm Jack. I'm getting you out of here, kid." Jack reached out her hand.
He stood with her help. "Th thank you."
"Alright, Shepard. Want me to take him to Al and come back or stick with him?"
Shepard leaned in so that Veetor couldn't hear. "I think you should stay with him. Not sure how he'll respond to a prime in his condition and you've calmed him down. Thanks."
Jack nodded, leaving. "Take care of Cheerleader, Shepard."
"Of course."
"Jack…" Miranda began.
"Yeah, Princess?" Jack turned.
"Don't break a nail." Miranda smiled.
Jack scoffed. "I'll be fine, Princess," she said with only mild contempt. "Later Blue."
MASS EFFECT
They had spent the entire day combing through the mines in the Rayya mountain and still were into the night according to their now functioning omni-tools. There was only what Veetor had said—darkness. At least with his help, they're tech was back online.
"Well, ladies," Shepard sighed at last. "It's close to one in the morning. I think it's camp time, unfortunately. We'll set up spy drones to keep watch."
"We could go a bit further, Shepard." Miranda protested.
"I don't like Kasumi waiting either, but we're all getting tired, especially you two with having to use your biotics so much earlier today to see in the dark. We wouldn't be at our best if we did finally find someone. I can keep watch if that'd make you feel better."
"I'll stay up with you," Liara offered.
"What did I just say, Doctor?" Shepard used her formal title to make it an order. "You're exhausted. You had to see for both of us earlier." She stepped closer and into wife mode. " It'll be fine."
MASS EFFECT
Shepard smiled down at Liara sleeping in her lap facing her abdomen. One of Liara's arms curled limply around Shepard's waist. The damp, stifling air of the mines was beginning to irritate her and she thought maybe she could understand the onset of Kepral's syndrome just a bit more tonight. She looked over at Miranda who was somehow sleeping sitting up. The woman was as disciplined as many a marine Shepard had known.
She let a few hours pass, enough for a couple of rem cycles before she woke them both up. "Liara, love, eat another bar. Miranda, you too." They obeyed and chewed in sleepy silence. Shepard stood up.
"What about you, Shepard?" Liara asked. "You must be tired."
"I'm fine, love. I slept for two years, remember?" she joked.
"I hardly think that counts," Liara frowned.
Shepard smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine. Let's go. Kasumi's waiting."
MASS EFFECT
They walked for a couple more hours. Shepard knew the Rayyan mountains were the largest on Rannoch, but was only beginning to understand what that truly meant as they continued to weave through it. She'd messaged their status and location to the Normandy. The first rule of survivalism N7 training had taught her was to always let your people know where you were. Once she'd had to trek nearly 500 kilometers in a snowy wasteland on some planet they'd dropped her off on with nothing but a basic pack. Even if she had made herself an igloo, no fire could be built on the planet. It was why N7s were taken there. This with her limited rations which didn't include a thermo-regulated sleeping bag meant she couldn't sleep the whole time or she would have frozen to death. The basic pack only came with enough food for one 400 calorie meal per day.
To occupy her mind away from the hunger, thirst, and cold, she'd tossed a thermal clip from one hand to the next; anything to distract her and keep her alert. On one of the last days she'd dropped it on accident and it had shattered instantly on the ground from the sheer cold. 500 kilometers later, she collapsed on a ground vehicle's floor and was a survival graded N7 soldier. If she had collapsed on her way, she would have been picked up by the Alliance thanks to her status reports, but unable to continue as an N7. There was a reason she always wore an N7 stripe on her armor. It meant she was a survivor and she'd always finish a mission.
She saw another geth ahead of them, in the same position and with the same gun beside it. She frowned, but kept her pace.
Hours later, she felt a rush of air as something ran past her back in the opposite direction they were headed. Déjà vu. She turned, able to see this time, and tripped the runner right away. "Please, let me go. I can't stay here," his voice quivered.
"Veetor?" Shepard asked incredulous. "How is this possible? Where's Jack? I thought you both left."
"I was taken. No swarms, just darkness." The quarian shivered, repeating his earlier self.
"What?" What's happening? Why is everything repeating? She reached out to touch him, to try to calm him down if it was really Veetor'Nara. He felt solid, real, but she couldn't shake that something was off. Liara began to scan him for injuries. "Liara, Miranda, what's going on?"
"What do you mean, Shepard?" Liara asked, confused.
"Where's Jack?"
"Jack?" Miranda asked. "She didn't come with us."
Shepard blinked a few times blankly. Either they've gone insane or I have. "Veetor, where did you come from?"
"Nothing. Darkness." Veetor repeated himself again.
Shepard pulled her pistol from behind her and began shooting at the mine's wall.
"What are you doing, Shepard?" Liara demanded. "You'll kill us all!"
Shepard ignored her, pulling the trigger endlessly, kicking in thermal clips when she had to. The wall began to turn orange. Yes! Shepard thought. One final shot and pixels started to disintegrate. So it is like the geth reality after all. She stepped out of the mine's tunnel onto a platform that rose into more darkness; she saw nothing except herself. A few minutes of silence in the dark and she became impatient. "Who are you? What's going on?" She asked no one.
Silence.
"Coward," Shepard muttered under her breath and began walking along the platform in the dark, but found no change in scenery except a slight hiccup every ten paces. She was repeating a loop. She stood still. After waiting longer, she began to shoot the platform.
This time someone appeared. "I doubt that will come to anything, Captain." A vaguely familiar voice was muffled and gargled by a mask. Quarian.
"Who are you? Where am I?"
"You are in the Rayyan mine, but within my system's grasp. As for me, you know who I am, Captain Shepard."
The space lit slightly and Shepard was better able to see the mysterious figure. "Admiral Xen?"
"Quite, Captain." The admiral replied. "I have you to thank for this system, actually. Without a peaceful end to the war, I couldn't have begun my experiments on the geth to create this place. It has proven quite fruitful. The Board may begin implementing similar systems throughout the galaxy and I will finally return the geth to their rightful place under quarian authority. How convenient to harness intelligence," she looked at Shepard, "not just synthetic. For all your firepower in reality, you cannot leave this place. Your mind is trapped."
"What about the others? Is Veetor in here somewhere? My squad?"
"No, no, that is one of the ingenious aspects of this system I have created. You are able to rewrite aspects of it so that your mind does not break. Veetor'Nara has never been here and your squad did not follow you into my trap. I would question their loyalty, personally."
Or they're smarter than you think, you arrogant…Veetor…"Nothing. Darkness." There hadn't been anything because she'd made him up. She collected her thoughts. How could she get out of here? Stalling…that was the only option until she could figure it out. "Tali was right. You're insane. You've only just gained peace with the geth. How could you justify risking another war?"
"Do you know what 'geth' means, Captain?"
"I have a feeling you're going to tell me." I know what it means and you're probably sick enough to believe it. Can I just shoot her? Will that do anything? Surely not. She wouldn't have brought herself in here if it was that easy.
"It means 'Servant to the People', Captain. My people. I will be restoring harmony when the geth return to their place. True peace will be achievable. As long as the geth are free, they can choose to strike against my people. I cannot allow that."
"I thought Board Members were all about equality?"
"I was opposed to their motion to include all sentients. AI are 'artificial'; they were created by organics and are therefore inferior. It is not prejudice as you might believe it, Captain. It is fact."
"I traced the human Board Member's position to Rannoch. It's you, isn't it? You're representing two races."
"Why should I tell you anything, Captain? You are my slave now just as the geth shall be."
"That's exactly it. If I can't do anything, why not tell me?"
"Because I am smart enough to recognize an equal match in intellect. You have survived and outwitted too many enemies to count. I will not be placed among their number," Xen crossed her arms.
"You're already my enemy. I'll come after you either way."
"Somehow I am not compelled by your argument," she said unimpressed. "And this has proven a waste of my time. Good day, Captain."
She left. Shepard paced. She went back to the platform, willing and expecting it to descend as much as she could and it obeyed. She returned to the mine through the pixelated wall. "Liara?" She knew this Liara wasn't real, but she might help just the same. She had 'melded' with her, right?
"Shepard!" Liara stood from kneeling beside Veetor. "Where were you? We really should see to Veetor'Nara. He isn't well."
"I know, love, but we have bigger issues right now. We need to figure a way out of here. Can you meld with me?"
Liara frowned. "I have little energy, I'm afraid, Shepard. I wouldn't be of use later in combat."
"I think this is more important," Shepard took Liara's hands in hers. "Miranda, can you feed her some of your biotics?" You can. You will say you can. She hoped the system's 'rewrite' capabilities would be enough for Miranda to do it.
Miranda frowned this time. "I suppose, Shepard."
"Good. Ok, Liara. Let's try."
Shepard felt what she would expect for Liara to feel like in her mind. Ok, love. I need you to find something. There's something else in my mind. There's something that's hiding me, keeping me. Can you help me find it?
What's going on, Shepard?
Just trust me. Help me.
'Liara' felt through her mind and found a snag of consciousness. It was as if Shepard's mind was at odds with her body. For one, Shepard's body was laying down, though Shepard was sitting next to her.
There! Shepard grasped at the snag. Can we fix it?
We can try…Shepard. Something is tangled. It's as if there are two realities taking place in your mind.
Show me.
Liara shifted through the meld and a picture of an unconscious Shepard next to Kasumi came into view. Another Liara was pacing in front of Miranda and Jack just outside a barrier that the prime had made visible. The geth was trying to do something, typing into a drone that floated 'attached' to the barrier. "Why are her eyes open?" the other Liara looked terrified. "What's happening?"
"Unknown," the prime responded. "Nearly through. Executing sudo command."
Can I talk in this other reality? Walk? Move? Shepard asked the virtual Liara beside her.
I'm not sure, Shepard. You can only try.
"Liara," the other Shepard started.
"Shepard!" Liara stared at her. "What's happening?"
"I'm in some sort of virtual reality like when I entered the geth consensus. Admiral Xen took advantage of the new peace with the geth and created her own system using their technology to hold people in. She wants to control the geth. I need to figure a way out so we can stop her. What happened?"
"You motioned for us to move forward to find Kasumi, then collapsed ahead of us. Al stopped us from following you. We've been trying to get you both out ever since. If you're trapped, how are you talking to me?" Liara studied her.
"I'm not really sure I am. I asked the version of you in here to meld with me and help me find true reality. I hope this is really happening and I'm not just imagining it in that system."
"What about Kasumi? She is in the system too, isn't she?"
Shepard shook her head in both realities. "I haven't seen her, but maybe she's in a different part. This place seems to be on some sort of loop. Maybe if I stay still long enough, she'll run into me."
"Shepard…I wonder…" Liara was pacing again, thinking.
"What is it?" Shepard asked, seeing the clockwork of her wife's thoughts taking off.
"I wonder if I could meld with you here without entering the system myself. I'm outside the barrier. Maybe I could pull you out."
Shepard furrowed her brows, wondering herself. "I'm not sure. Seems risky. Send Tali a message to tell her what's going on. She needs to inform the other admirals and see if she can locate Xen."
"Already on it, Shepard," the other Miranda typed away at her omni-tool.
"Al?" the other Shepard regarded the prime.
"Yes, Shepard Captain?"
"What do you think? Should we try it? You know more about this type of system than we do, being a geth."
"Organics within a system are unknowns. Organic thought processes are unpredictable. Anything is possible. Your deaths or your freedom."
"Helpful," the other Shepard gave Al a thumbs up in sarcasm.
"Shepard Captain, you are used to taking risks and succeeding. The geth hold consensus that you should have…faith in your odds."
Shepard frowned again, looking at Liara. "As much as I want out, I don't want you trapped in here too."
Liara smiled. "I'll hardly be trapped if I'm with you and if that happens, we'll figure out another way. Miranda, Jack, and Al will be here as well."
"Ok," Shepard sighed. "Let's try."
Shepard felt the presence of Liara twofold. Her mind whiplashed in response and the Liara sitting next to her in the mind didn't recoil, but fought to reassure her that she was the true Liara, trying to keep the other Liara out.
No, Shepard thought. I don't think you are. Liara?
I'm here, Shepard. I'm trying…
Shepard felt the outside Liara pushing the one next to her out of her mind. Shepard, wanting to believe this would work, encouraged the Liara next to her to leave, if just for a moment.
"Are you sure?" the virtual Liara asked her aloud.
"Yes," Shepard replied. "I have to try."
The Liara next to Shepard in the system sat with worry knit across her brow as she left.
This is a bit…odd. Liara inside her mind regarded the virtual Liara with Shepard's eyes.
You're telling me? Shepard asked. I just had to tell one version of my wife to leave me for the other.
Yes, and I was the one who had to force her to for a moment. I had to feel myself fighting against me.
Like me with my clone, you mean.
Only if I was the one who had made your clone. She was a pale imitation of you. Whereas she is the version of me that you know, which is all of me.
Ok, you win. Trippy. Can we get out of here?
I think so, but we'll have to fully join.
Oh no! Anything but that!Shepard smirked and the virtual Liara studied her in confusion, not in on the conversation. She patted the virtual Liara's knee, unable to not sooth her worried expression. She closed her eyes to concentrate.
Hush. Liara meant for her tone to be harsh, but her amusement bled through. She deepened the meld. They merged together: their nervous systems, their minds, their very beings. Their breathing became one and their hearts beat together. They sighed together, feeling whole. Shepard, now as much Liara as herself, immediately recognized true reality and opened her true eyes, looking up at Liara who was sitting on a crate just before the barrier, her eyes black. She stood and walked to her. Liara's physical form wrapped her arms around her. "Welcome back, Shepard."
"I always come back. Thanks to you." She sighed against Liara's shoulder, holding her close and breathing her in, the sensations rippling through their meld.
"Are you sure you're back, Shepard?" Miranda chuckled. "Maybe you're still in there and this is just a more convincing version of reality your mind has created."
"It didn't work with the clone thing and it's not working now, Miranda," Shepard breathed against Liara's neck.
"Get a fucking room," Jack complained, relieved enough to be angry at Shepard now.
"I thought you were mad they already had two?" Miranda quirked a brow.
"As long as I don't have to watch their interpretation of Vaenia they can have the fucking ship."
Shepard chuckled and her lips parted Liara's as Liara ended the meld. She sighed finally at the loss. She had long accepted that she could never feel complete without Liara again.
"Sudo command successful, Shepard Captain," the prime turned to her.
"Excellent," Shepard grinned until she saw Kasumi unconscious next to where she had been. "Can we get Kasumi out now?"
"Yes, Shepard Captain. We can simply take the system offline. Any organics trapped within will be free and able to support themselves with their own thought processes."
"Do it," she ordered. "We need to find us a Board Member."
MASS EFFECT MASS EFFECT MASS EFFECT MASS EFFECT MASS EFFECT MASS EFFECT MASS EFFECT MASS EFFECT MASS EFFECT MASS EFFECT MASS EFFECT
Kasumi had been shuttled back to the Normandy with Miranda and Jack, her transition from one reality to the other not nearly as smooth as Shepard's. Liara and Shepard had decided they better see Tali about what had just happened. Tali sat at a desk in a prefab office. Shepard frowned in confusion. Had she ever seen Tali at a desk? Ever? She shook it off. "Tali? Have you or the geth found Xen?"
Tali tapped away at a terminal with tech screens surrounding her. "I'm afraid not, Shepard. The other admirals do not want to ask or receive the geth's help in this matter and I actually agree."
"Why's that?" Shepard stepped back and raised a hand at her mouth to study Tali, picking up on Liara's common stance.
"I already have people wanting the geth to leave the planet despite the geth being instrumental to resettling Rannoch. If the geth were to help bring down an admiral?..."
"Ah," Shepard stood straight upon understanding. She turned to Liara. "Is there anything you can do?"
"Of course, Shepard, but I'd be better equipped on the Normandy."
Tali shifted from the terminal to several datapads. "It seems Xen hasn't actually been seen on Rannoch for quite some time. She may not have ever landed."
Shepard and Liara both frowned before Shepard spoke. "We received intel that the quarian Board Member was here, though and she basically admitted she was that quarian. Could she be hidden still in the mountain?"
"Negative, Captain," Al spoke as he stepped forward. "The geth further investigated Rayya after we left and disabled Creator Xen's system. The mountain is empty."
"She must be using some sort of proxy for her movements on Rannoch as we discussed Shepard," Liara began working out the puzzle. "Glyph has finally determined that there are absolutely no humans on Rannoch. It cannot be the human Board Member's doing either. The ex-Cerberus base was a mere trap for us. I suspect we were also right in assuming there is no human Board Member. Xen could have been faking activity for herself and the human from anywhere."
Shepard frowned. "She could've taught the Illusive Man a thing or two. So where does that leave us?" she asked all of them. "No Xen and no human."
Liara nodded, "Yes, but we now know that Xen is the quarian we are looking for. She will not be able to hide as well now. We should finish any business we have here on Rannoch and return to the Normandy."
"Agreed," Shepard nodded.
"Shepard Captain?" Al piped up again.
"Yes?"
"We would like to join you."
Shepard tilted her head. "You mean on the Normandy? Why?"
"If you encounter another system similar to the one in the Rayyan mountain, the geth will be useful to you."
Shepard smiled. "Probably, but there's a favor I'd like to ask if you join us."
"Favor?"
"The Normandy's AI, EDI, needs a body, er, a 'physical interface'. Do you think you can help us with that, Al?"
"Al?" Tali interrupted.
"Short for 'Ally'; he chose it as a name I could call this unit," Shepard explained before turning back to the prime.
The geth's head flaps fluttered. "The geth are well-equipped to create hardware, Captain Shepard."
Shepard rubbed the back of her neck, not sure how to broach this next part with the prime that might not understand its significance and in front of her wife. "Uh…I think she'd like more than just any hardware, Al. She was…for lack of a better word…Liara, don't kill me," she looked at her wife who raised a brow before she continued, "She was 'sexy'." She air-quoted to be safe. "She seemed to like her previous body and she's in love with our pilot who I think also…appreciated it." She kept stealing glances at Liara who to her relief was smirking and rolling her eyes.
"It should not be difficult, Captain Shepard, to create any physical interface an AI previously yielded," Al answered.
"Excellent," Shepard smiled. She turned to Tali. "We'll leave when you're ready, Tali."
"Thank you, Shepard," Tali nodded. "It is nice to know I'll be leaving Rannoch at least a little safer and aware of the Board's movements than when we came."
The prime approached her desk. "This unit will remain in contact with geth on Rannoch and report any anomalistic activity at your inquiry, Creator Zorah. Rannoch will be in both the Creators' and the geth's keeping. Together."
Tali looked up at the towering geth. "That will be …appreciated, Al. Rest assured that if I have any say in the matter, the quarians will never attempt to enslave your people again." She faced Shepard. "I'll let you know when I have things settled for us to leave, Shepard. It won't be long."
"It's fine. I'm going to go find your boy toy. I think he wants to try out Rannoch's gravity with a little bottle target practice," she grinned.
Tali shook her head, too busy to be truly annoyed and returned to her work. "Chatika, send in Captain Veetek."
"Very smooth, Shepard." Liara chuckled after they'd left. "Garrus needs help with the proposal?"
"He asked me to set up a meeting with Admiral Raan," she grinned still. "Soooo much fodder will be had."
Liara punched her shoulder lightly. "Be nice. Some of us get nervous about that sort of thing."
Shepard reached for Liara's wrist to stop them with Al moving ahead. "You were nervous?" she smiled sweetly, cupping Liara's cheek.
Liara bit her lip and looked away, slightly more lilac on her cheeks. "A little." She looked at Shepard. "It wasn't nervousness at the question, my love. Everyone was staring and you know I'm…"
"'Socially clumsy?'" Shepard smiled, recalling the memory from earlier again. "You've come a long way out of that Prothean expert shell, Doctor. Not that I mind that shade of purple," she caressed Liara's cheek softly.
"I had to do it in front of everyone, including, let me remind you, your mother. As much as we were already getting along at that point, that woman is intimidating."
"She gave you her blessing and then some, didn't she?" Shepard's voice was soft and reassuring.
"Yes," Liara smiled. "She is very eager for grandchildren, Shepard. I think anyone who promised her that would have won her over," Liara laughed a little.
Shepard shook her head. "Nope. You know what she told me when you were in your office during her visit?" Liara tilted her head questioningly before Shepard continued. "Aside from telling me how much she admired you, she said it was as if you were made just for me—that I'd never looked happier, more alive. I wasn't just soldiering on anymore. Not just anyone who could promise her grandchildren could do that for me, Liara, and she knew that." She kissed Liara gently. She chuckled as they parted. "Besides, she thinks you're a total babe."
"Shepard!" Liara half-whispered, admonishing her, but smiling.
Shepard wrapped her arms around Liara finally, pressing into her as she grinned against her lips. "I happen to agree."
"Well, if she is any indication as to what I have to look forward to…" Liara grinned back. "I won't be disappointed."
"Um, thank you? I think? I'm not sure if I should be flattered or grossed out."
Liara rubbed her nose on Shepard's back and forth playfully. "Let's go with flattered, then," she grinned as Shepard smirked and caressed her lips with hers. She cursed her armored gloves inwardly for disallowing her to fully appreciate it when she gripped Shepard's hair, settling on lowering her arms to Shepard's waist to pull her further into her. She lost all focus when Shepard trailed her crest with her cool, armored fingers. She shivered and grew impatient for that seemingly constant 'later'. She sensed a shadow and opened her eyes to see the prime hovering over them. Her lips froze and Shepard's brows furrowed at the loss. "Shepard…"
Shepard turned and nearly jumped at the prime's proximity. "Al? Sorry, we, uh…we're coming."
"We are not rushed Shepard Captain, but curious that amorous activities stopped you for so long. Geth exchange information much faster."
Shepard became a fluster of incredulous bewilderment and Liara pulled her lips in to not laugh, looking away. "Uh..um.." Shepard stammered.
Liara took Shepard's hand in hers and motioned for Al to follow as she pulled Shepard along. "Come on. Garrus is waiting, remember?"
Shepard grinned at that. "Oh sweet Goddess, this is going to be good."