"Ten more seconds out there and we would've been swimming in molten sulphur. The Normandy isn't equipped to land in exploding volcanoes. They tend to fry our sensors and melt our hull. Just for future reference." Joker said through comm. Ashley rolled her eyes although she had a bit of smile on her face.
"We almost died out there and your pilot is making jokes?" Liara asked John in surprise.
"It's a coping mechanism. You'll get used to it." John answered smiling.
"I see it must be a human thing. I don't have a lot of experience dealing with your species, Commander." Liara said embarrassed her eyes towards the floor. Then she looked up towards John with gratefulness in her eyes, "I am grateful to you, Commander. You saved my life back there and not just from the volcano. Those geth and especially that krogan would have killed me or dragged me off to Saren. The krogan could've killed us all, hadn't for you. You saved us all."
"Listen Liara. I may have somehow defeated that krogan but I blacked out in the end. If I was alone I would've died. Only because of my team I am still alive. This is what a team is built so you can help each other out. And all of you are not only my team-mates, you all are my friends." John said.
Liara smiled, "I understand, Shepard."
"What did Saren want with you? Do you know something about the Conduit?" Kaidan asked Liara.
"Only that it was somehow connected to the Prothean extinction. This is my real area of expertise. I have spent the past fifty years trying to figure out what happened to them." Liara explained.
Past fifty years! Wow! John thought, although he knew an asari lives for almost a thousand year. "How old are you?" He asked.
"I hate to admit it, but I'm only a hundred and six." Liara answered.
"Damn! I hope I look that good when I'm your age." Ashley said watching the Commander from the corner of her eyes. I wish he looked at me the way I want him to. She thought but she never saw any hint of affection for her in his eyes.
"A century may seem like a long time to a short-lived species like yours. But among the asari, I am barely considered more than a child. That is why my research has not received the attention it deserves. Because of my youth, other asari scholars tend to dismiss my theories on what happened to the Protheans." Liara sighed.
"Did your research turn up anything interesting?" John asked.
"What is interesting is what I did not turn up. There is remarkably little archaeological evidence of the Protheans and even less that might explain why they disappeared. It is almost as if someone didn't want the mystery solved. It's like someone came along after the Protheans were gone and cleansed the galaxy of clues." Liara explained.
"If the Protheans weren't the first, then who was?" John asked again.
"I don't know. There is barely any evidence on the Protheans. Even less on those who came before them. I cannot prove my theory, but I know I am right!" Liara said confidently.
"I can sense there is more…" Garrus said.
"Yes. The galaxy is built on a cycle of extinction. Each time a great civilization rises up, it is suddenly and violently cast down. Only ruins survive. The Protheans rose up from a single world until their empire spanned the entire galaxy. Yet even they climbed on top on the remains of those who came before. Their greatest achievements – the mass relays and the Citadel – are based on the technology of those who came before them. And then, like all other forgotten civilizations throughout galactic history, the Protheans disappeared. I have dedicated my life to figuring out why." Liara explained.
Everyone listened to Liara silently. John realized it all came down to one thing – The Reapers. They were behind the extinction of the civilizations. "They were wiped out by a race of sentient machines. The Reapers." He said to Liara.
"The…. The Reapers? But I have never heard of – How do you know this? What evidence do you have?" Liara asked confused.
"There was a damaged Prothean beacon on Eden Prime. It burned a vision into my brain. I'm still trying to sort out what it all means." John said as his voice trailed off. He could still remember what he saw next. The vision of her getting dead. He got out his trance when Liara started to speak again.
"Vision? Yes…. That makes sense. The beacons were designed to transmit information directly into the mind of the user. Finding one that still works is extremely rare. No wonder the geth attacked the Eden Prime. The chance to acquire a working beacon – even a badly damaged one – is worth almost any risk." She said excitedly. Then she looked towards John curiously. Noticing her stare, he asked, "What?"
"The beacons were only programmed to interact with Prothean physiology. Whatever information you received would have been confused, unclear. I am amazed you were able to make sense of it at all. A lesser mind would have been utterly destroyed by the process. You must be remarkably strong-willed, Commander." Liara said looking towards John with admiration in her eyes. Ashley noticed it and her eyes narrowed in jealousy. "This isn't helping us find Saren or the Conduit." She interrupted.
"Of course. You are right. I am sorry." Liara apologized. "My scientific curiosity got the better of me. Unfortunately, I do not have any information that could help you find the Conduit. Or Saren."
"I don't know why Saren wanted you out of the picture. But I think we'll be a lot better off if we bring you along." John said.
"Thank you, Commander. Saren might come after me again. I cannot think of anywhere safer than here on your ship. And my knowledge of the Protheans might be useful later on." Liara said.
"And her biotics might come in handy, when the fighting starts." Wrex said.
"Good to have you on the team, Liara." John smiled at her.
"Thank you, Commander. I am very gratef….." John quickly caught her from falling when she staggered. "Whoa! I am afraid I am feeling a little light-headed." She said not meeting John's eyes. One of her hand was on his chest and the other one was gripping his biceps. She could sense that how close she is to him and most of all she liked it. What is this feelings? She thought. But she didn't realize that her cheeks were turning pink.
"Liara, you should go to Dr. Chakwas. Your face is turning red." John said with concern since he didn't realize that Liara was blushing.
"When was the last time you ate? Or slept?" Kaidan asked.
Liara pushed herself away from John. "It is probably just mental exhaustion, coupled with the shock of discovering the Prothean's true fate. I need some time to process all this." She said, still blushing. "Still it could not hurt to be examined by a medical professional. It will give me the chance to think things over. Are we finished here, Commander?"
"We can talk again after you've seen the doctor. The rest of you…. Dismissed!" John replied.
Liara left the room along with the others.
"Mission reports are filed, Commander. You want me to patch you through to the Council?" Joker said through comm.
"Patch them through, Joker." The Council's image appeared in the room after Joker linked the communication.
"We've received your report, Commander. I understand Dr. T'Soni is on the Normandy." The asari councilor said.
"I assume you are taking the necessary security precautions?" The turian councilor asked.
"Liara is on our side. The geth were trying to kill her." John said.
"Benezia would never allow Saren to kill her daughter." The asari councilor said.
"Maybe she doesn't know." The salarian councilor said.
"Or maybe we don't know her. We never expected she could become a traitor." The turian councilor added.
"At least the mission was a success." The salarian councilor commented.
"Apart from the utter destruction of a major Prothean ruin. Was that really necessary, Shepard?" The turian councilor asked with slight irritation in his voice.
"The geth were crawling all over those ruins. We were lucky to make it out alive." John answered.
"Of course, Commander. The mission must always take priority." The Salarian councilor nodded in understanding.
"Good luck, Commander. Remember we are all counting on you." The asari councilor said before ending the transmission.
"Commander, message coming in. Patching it through." Joker said.
"Commander, I'm glad you were in the area. We've got an emergency situation, and you're the only one I trust to get the job done." Admiral Hackett said.
"How can I help, Admiral?" John asked.
"Biotic fanatics have hit a medical research station with psychotropic drug. The drugs have temporarily driven researchers crazy, and the biotics are effectively using them as human shields." Hackett informed.
"I'll take the biotics down, Admiral, and I'll try to limit the casualties." John said.
"I know you will, Commander. I'm sending you the station coordinates now. Fifth Fleet out." The transmission ended.
[==]
LOCATION UNKNOWN
So they are going to stop that drug from spreading? As far I read and heard about the Commander, he won't fire on the civilians even to defend himself. He is too idealistic. He needs someone to watch his back. I trust no one else in keeping him safe. If Shepard dies whatever hope the galaxy has against the Reapers will be gone. Time to take the matter in my hands now. Miranda thought.
She got up from her seat and walked inside the bathroom to freshen up. She doesn't know what will happen next. She even doesn't know whether she will survive the mission or not. She wasn't worried about sacrificing herself for the sake of the galaxy but she was sad that if she dies she won't see him ever again. And there are other matters also. When she was near the unconscious form of the Commander in the med-bay of the Normandy, she felt something which she couldn't explain. She felt some sort of connection which she hadn't felt for years since….. She was with him – her John. This only confuses her more. She didn't knew the Commander at all because they have never met. But still….. These feelings is confusing her more and more. After returning from the Normandy she did a background check on him. His father died protecting his family and his mother is none other than Admiral Hannah Shepard. When he grew up he joined Alliance and the N7 training program. Later he earned the Star of Terra for his accomplishment in battlefield. But these were the facts that everyone knows. There was nothing suspicious about it except that there is no record about his childhood. That made her curious. She tried to dig in the extranet but found nothing. It seems that the information regarding his childhood is omitted from being recorded on purpose. But now she is planning to join his squad and after that she will solve the mystery of his childhood. She must for her own sake. She sighed and exited the bathroom but something fell from her pocket. She bent down to pick it up and then she opened it. Inside was two pictures. It was her and the other picture was of her one and only love, anchor, life and her world. She caressed his face on the image as a single tear leaked from her eyes and dropped on his picture as old memories filled her mind. Then she composed herself because she had a mission to accomplish. If she fails this mission then along with everyone he will also die and she cannot allow that, until her last breath. Her destination – Feros.
[==]
A/N: Next chapter - will Miranda join the squad? Well let me know what you guys want. Should she join the Normandy or not? Let me know by PM's.
