"I...I'd like that. But I find it odd that news of the Normandy being found hasn't spread around the news networks," said Shepard.
"Well, when we arrived on Earth, the Alliance deemed it necessary to dock the Normandy and the ship with integrated Reaper technology in an area with a lot of space and very few people," answered Liara.
"That isn't very clear. Most large cities had up to 80% of their populations killed. Smaller towns and rural areas didn't fare that much better," said Shepard.
"It's not on Earth, Jane. The two top ships in the Alliance fleet are on Mars. The Alliance found a way to disguise them by way of adjusting their hailing frequency. I know human engineers are going to integrate reaper technology into the Normandy, and if the Alliance cruiser is any indication, all of the changes are in the engine room and helm. I hate to admit it, but humanity is gaining an edge over the rest of the council races." Liara stood up and started walking away from the Unisphere.
Shepard stood up to follow her. "So, the Alliance wants to keep it secret for now. But the secret's gonna get out sooner or later, won't it? You're here. What about Garrus, Tali, and Javik? They can easily go back to their people and spread the word…well not Javik…" said Shepard, keeping an eye on the smattering of people giving them dirty looks.
"I suppose letting us go on our own recognizance was a power play. My intel states the asari and quarian are not far behind. I'm not entirely sure about the turian," she answered, walking a little faster. "On the surface, everyone seems to be rallying behind the reconstruction of the Citadel and getting the mass relays back online, but I know better. Things haven't changed at all."
Shepard stopped walking. It took Liara a few moments to realize Shepard wasn't next to her and she stopped and turned around. The look on Shepard's face was a mix of confusion and slight anger.
"Jane, what-"
Before Liara could finish speaking, her biotic barrier absorbed several projectiles shot her way. Surprised, she let out a biotic push in the direction of the shooting. A human carrying a tempest sub-machine gun bounced off a nearby tree and fell to the ground with a thud, his body glowing with remnants of Liara's biotic energy. Shepard drew her weapon and ran toward the body. On the periphery of her vision, she saw other armed figures, about 30 meters away. On instinct, she began to roll, in hopes of taking cover behind the tree.
A barrage of bullets flew at her, blocked by her kinetic shields. She shuffled behind the tree, waiting for her shields to recharge.
Damnit, the one time I go out into the field without armor.
She peered over her cover and saw the couple approaching; one armed with a Phaeston assault rifle, the other an Eviscerator shotgun. She let an area overload, which stunned the two armed men. One of the men's fingers seized on the trigger of his Phaeston. Her shields absorbed several bullets before she managed to aim three shots at the man with the Phaeston.
"Liara!" she called out, scanning the area for her partner. She heard Liara's voice in her earpiece. "I'm not far, Shepard; heading to your location now."
Shepard pressed her back against the tree once more and reloaded. She peered past the tree again, but could not see the remaining shooter. She tightened her grip on her weapon when she felt a strange charge to the air around her. She felt the presence of biotic energy but it did not feel like Liara's. "This is Commander Shepard, Council Spectre and Alliance Navy. Stand down!" she yelled.
Suddenly, the other man was six feet away from her, a deep purple biotic field emanating from his body. He had closed the gap between them with a biotic charge. He began to raise his weapon to her. "If you're Shepard, I'm the goddamn fleet admiral. Either way, I'm putting an end to you, you alien-loving bitch!" he said, words dripping with hate.
Thinking fast, Shepard raised her left hand to release an incineration blast. She managed to aim it squarely at his chest and release it before swerving her head away. As she turned her head, she saw a bright light come from the barrel of his gun. Shepard immediately felt the force of the shotgun blast, which spun to her left side, destroying her left arm. Shrapnel and other debris from the blast pierced through her arm and dug into her shoulder. The impact pushed her back a few feet before falling to the ground with a thud. Once she opened her eyes, she tried to sit up, but found it impossible. In immense pain, she let out a guttural yell. She turned her head to look over at her attacker, and saw him badly burnt and fumbling around on his hands and knees, as if lost. "I'll get you, I'll get you..." he mumbled. Shepard's vision began to blur as she attempted to focus on her surroundings.
A blue biotic explosion sent the attacker hurtling several yards into the air before landing a few feet away from Shepard, motionless. She then saw Liara kneeling over her, a look of grave worry written on her face.
"You'll be all right, Jane," Liara said softly. She activated her omni-tool and administered two packets of medi-gel, one on what remained of her left arm, the other to her left shoulder. The bleeding slowly subsided. A crowd had begun to gather around the pair. Liara held Shepard close to her. "I've already called for help. We'll be out of here soon," she said.
Liara looked up at the growing crowd. She grabbed Shepard's Carnifex and fired two warning shots at the ground, inches away from the feet of a few curious on-lookers. "Stay back, all of you! Don't come any closer!"
The people moved a few feet backward, but did no one left the immediate area. "Can you stand?" asked Liara.
Shepard nodded. "I think so, but I'll definitely need your help," she whispered.
Shepard struggled to sit up. Liara draped Shepard's right arm over her shoulders and they stood up together. Shepard winced as she leaned on Liara for support. A shuttle approached them, causing the crowd to disperse. The side door opened and Liara gingerly placed Shepard a seat, buckling her in. Shepard looked over to see Javik driving the shuttle. Liara took a seat across from Shepard. "Let's get out of here, Javik."
"Understood," answered Javik. He looked over the Shepard. "You are injured, Commander Shepard," he added plainly.
Shepard let out a small grunt. "It's just a scratch," she replied.
"Belittling an injury that serious benefits no one," he said harshly.
"It's good to see you too, Javik," said Shepard, leaning her head against the window. She looked down at her left arm and immediately looked away. She felt no pain since Liara administered the medi-gels, but even she knew recovery would be difficult. She shut her eyes and drifted away.
# # #
"You can never stay in one piece for an extended period of time, can you, Shepard?"
Shepard lay in a hospital bed in Reykjavik, feeling a little loopy. Her vision was slightly burred. Everything seemed like an out of focus photograph and her head felt heavy. Her entire left side in a stasis bubble. Her surgeon, claiming this would be the most efficient way to keep Shepard comfortable post-surgery, urged her to agree to this. Unsurprisingly to Shepard, this doctor was Miranda Lawson.
"No, Miranda, it seems as if the world has decided to periodically pulverize me," she answered, with a slightly smug look on her face. "Isn't it weird? You're my boss and my doctor at the same time. Should I be worried?"
Miranda raised an eyebrow. "No. In that department, there isn't any need to be worried. I've done all I could. The rest is up to you. Recovery will not be pleasant. The bones in your left arm have been shattered in multiple places into multiple pieces. You didn't have much of a left hand left either. With the Cerberus implants, regeneration and recovery should be quicker, but it won't be easy. With this much damage, scarring might be permanent" she said.
"Nothing worth doing is ever easy, is it?" said Shepard. It isn't the first time I've said that.
"Your left side will be in stasis for a few more hours, as the implants I added on do the work. I can't look after you as long as I would like, considering my other obligations, but the hard part is over. Your hand has finally taken shape, but you will take a few days for you to operate at full strength. Later today the stasis field will automatically dissipate and you can begin recovery in earnest," said Miranda.
Shepard nodded her head in understanding. "With your placement on the Council, how the heck you were able to set time off for little old me anyway?" asked Shepard.
Miranda paused for a moment before answering. "I moved a few things around. Let's face it, no one knows you like I know you," she said with a wink.
Shepard groaned and rubbed her temples. "Ugh! Right when I've finally pushed it out of my mind the sheer number of times you've seen me naked and unconscious, you bring it right back!"
Miranda shrugged her shoulders and let out a small smile. "In all seriousness if Liara got to you any later, the damage could've been worse. It's good you pulled through. A shotgun blast of that caliber at short range would have killed anyone else."
Shepard looked over at Miranda, trying to study the emotions her face. "Well, I'm just hard to kill," she said.
Miranda then projected a photograph from her omni-tool. "Have you seen this? It's been plastered all over the extranet and gossip rags for the past few days."
The projected photo was of Liara kneeling over Shepard, with an activated omni-tool. Liara's face emanated sheer worry for the human below lying on the ground. Shepard's face remained obscured, covered by the hood she wore. Her entire left side was covered in blood, her sleeve and arm in tatters. Liara was cradling her with one arm, omni-tool on the other. The image shook Shepard.
"No, I haven't," she replied. She hadn't realized the extent of her injury until actually she actually saw it.
"There's been a lot of speculation about the identity of the human in the picture. I'd recognize that Asari anywhere, so I suppose the chances of it not being you were slim. Still, this photograph is warming people up to inter-species relationships…well, human-asari relationships, at least," said Miranda, looking at Shepard with a half smile and a gleam in her eye. Shepard thought she almost looked somber.
If Shepard could shrug both her shoulders, she would. "I know you don't really approve, Miranda."
"Shepard, it doesn't matter what I think. I hope you know me well enough to know I'm not anti-alien. It just…isn't for me. Either way, you're my friend first and I'll support whatever harebrained decision you make…within reason of course," she said with a weak smile.
"At least it took only a third of my body getting shot off to get people talking," Shepard said a little sarcastically.
"All conversations worth having start somewhere, I suppose," answered Miranda. She walked over to Shepard's bedside. "I'll be heading out now. You're in good hands." She stroked Shepard's right arm and activated her omni-tool again, opening the door to the room. Another doctor walked in, causing Shepard to beam.
"Dr Chakwas!" she exclaimed.
"I'm glad you made it through all right, Commander Shepard. After we had lost contact with you at the Citadel we had all assumed the worst," she said, with a look of relief on her face.
"I take it you're here to relieve Miranda?" asked Shepard.
"You certainly won't be my only patient, but yes, I'm here to monitor your recovery due to Ms Lawson's other obligations," she answered.
"I figured you'd like to see a familiar face every now and than," said Miranda.
"I appreciate what all of you are doing. I wouldn't be where I am without the help of my friends," said Shepard.
"Sometimes, your humility disgusts me. Just for once, I'd like you to take credit for being resilient in the face of all the shit thrown at you, Commander," said Chakwas.
Shepard chuckled, amused with Dr Chakwas' candor. "All right then. I'm pretty fantastic aren't I?"
"It's a start," responded the doctor.
Miranda leaned toward Dr Chakwas and they spoke to each other in hushed tones. Miranda then looked toward Shepard. "I'll be heading out. You're now in Dr Chakwas' capable hands. I'll be in touch when I can, but you'll be fine," she said with a soft smile.
"I'll be making my rounds as well. I'll be back once the stasis field is lifted," added Dr Chakwas.
Shepard waved them off. "Don't let me keep the two of you," she said as they exited the room.
She turned her head and looked at the scene that greeted her from her bedside. Floating in the sky, she could see a faint outline of the Citadel. She closed her eyes, in an attempt to focus her thoughts. Her vision was still a little unclear and hoped resting them would speed her vision's recovery.
"I've lost you before, Jane. When I brought you to Cerberus, a part of me hoped that they could bring you back to me. I knew their intentions were less than noble, but I couldn't bear it," said Liara.
The pair of them sat in Liara's dig-site cavern. Her memory.
"It's all right, Liara. You saved me. I can only imagine what you risked," answered Shepard. Shepard sat on the ground, leaning against a stone wall. Liara sat down next to her and grasped the human's hand and leaned her head on Shepard's shoulder.
"I've never been this close to someone before. You, Shepard, are…unique…and I am so glad to know you," she said with a tinge of sadness in her voice.
Shepard put her arm around Liara. "Well, once this is all over, let's go away, just the two of us."
Liara looked at Shepard incredulously. "Oh? And what of our responsibilities?"
Shepard shrugged. "We'll find a way."
The surrounding cave disappeared and Shepard found the pair of them back in the dilapidated building in London.
"Thank you, for everything. I love you, Shepard. Now let's do what needs to be done," said Liara.
Shepard opened her eyes, and her vision was no longer shaky. She tried moving her left arm, but remembered the stasis field and felt a little silly. She let out a loud laugh to no one in particular and wished someone had left her a book or datapad to help alleviate her boredom.
She then heard a flush from an adjacent doorway and was caught off-guard. She then heard sounds of running water. At that moment, Shepard had wished she were free so she could properly defend herself. A figure emerged from the doorway
"Going crazy there, skipper? I thought I heard laughter in here," said the figure.
Shepard let out a big smile. "Ash! It's good to see you!" said Shepard, adjusting her bed so that she would be in a seated position. Ashley leaned toward Shepard to give her former commander a hug.
"Likewise, Shepard," she answered. She then grabbed a nearby chair and sat by the bed.
"I'm very proud of you, Ash. You brought the Normandy back in one piece. It must have been tough," said Shepard.
"It was…it wasn't easy, Shepard. Every day was a task to keep everyone hopeful. To make everyone believe that we could make it back without the mass relays…"Ashley trailed off, averting her eyes.
Shepard craned her head to get a better look at Ashley's face. "You did good. If not for your leadership, who knows what could have happened?"
Ashley crossed her arms and let out a smirk. "I'm sure your girlfriend had nothing but sterling things to say about me," she said.
"Well, she didn't say anything, but it looked to me that you both need some time away from each other," answered Shepard.
Ashley looked at the stasis field that surrounded Shepard's arm and shoulder. "I heard about what happened. I hope you know the fucker that did that to you is six feet under. His two friends are locked up, too. The crazy thing is, is that no one knows it was you that was attacked. Not sure, if that's a good or bad thing," said Ashley
"I'm inclined to say that it's a good thing, for now. The last thing I need is more publicity," said Shepard. She finally got a good look at her friend and saw that she looked immensely tired. "What are you up to these days, anyway?" she asked.
"I'm stationed in Beijing…what's left of it, anyway. I'm leading a recovery team. We've found insane amounts of reaper tech. I'm sure we'll eventually make good use of it. I have two days of leave, so I figured I'd see you," she said, with a weak smile on her face.
"How is it over there?" asked Shepard.
"The same as with every big city. It's not easy. There are so few of us left, compared to how it was before the reapers attacked. An unofficial census was taken. Including spacer refugees, Earth's human population stands at around four hundred million, and that's being generous. That's not even close to a billion, Shepard," said Ashley.
Shepard rubbed her temples before answering. "It isn't anywhere near how it was before the reapers attacked, but at least there's more than enough of us to keep the race going. We can't really say that about the others, can we?"
"How can you think of the other races at a time like this? We're stuggling enough as it is!" exclaimed Ashley, sounding a little more angry than she intended.
"I'm thinking like this because if every other race decides to band together and take away our resources, they can. The asari still have the Destiny Ascension, the Quarian have their whole damned fleet, and are backed by the turian. We can't afford to burn bridges when we're struggling build our own! I didn't work this hard uniting everyone under a cause just to have it be for nothing!" Shepard exclaimed. She then took a few deep breaths before adding, "Sorry, Ash. I'm not angry at you."
Ashley looked thoughtfully at Shepard for a few moments. "You're right, of course. I still don't understand why you haven't decided to become a politician yet," she said.
Shepard looked at her friend wearily. "I'm not one for politicking. Leave that to people who look good in the limelight."
"…and is that why I have to answer to that ex-Cerberus operative Miranda Lawson now?" asked Ashley with a raised eyebrow.
Shepard let out a laugh. "She isn't that bad. She has humanity's best interests in mind and is nowhere near being the fanatic the Illusive Man was. Considering we both had to deal with Udina not too long ago, she's definitely an upgrade."
Ashley let out a smile. "Yeah, I suppose she's better than having Udina down our throats. Then again, facing a geth army is more appealing to me than either of them. It seems like so long ago, like another century. Udina, Anderson, Kaidan…"
They sat in silence for a few moments. "I'm glad you're here, Ash," said Shepard.
"Thanks, Shepard," she answered, as she stood up. "I should go, it's a long way back to Beijing," she said.
"Sure thing, Ash. Thanks for visiting."
Ashley began walking away to leave, but stopped a few steps before the doorway. "With all due respect, Commander, I think it was a dumb move to decline the seat on the Council," she said with a sly grin.
Shepard raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Yeah…kiss my ass, Williams. You'll just have to deal with Miranda as your new boss. Now, get outta here," she said lightheartedly.
Ashley let out a chuckle. "See you around, Shepard," she said before leaving.
The smile on Shepard's lips faded as she was left alone in her quarters. She looked over at the stasis field as it glowed with a soft purple hue. She had no control over her other arm and wondered when it would eventually disappear. She ran the finger tips of her right hand across the stasis field. It felt cool to the touch. Impatiently, she slammed her fist against it and it felt as hard as hitting a solid wall.
A part of her wished Ashley stayed a little longer. Heck, she wouldn't have minded if Ashley recited a few lines of poetry. Still, she knew there wasn't enough time for leisure on a planet struggling to survive. Was she right to decline the Council seat? Shepard still believed it was the right decision, even if her friends thought otherwise. In the long run, Miranda would be a better fit as a politician.
She tapped her fingers against the field, making a rudimentary drumbeat. She then began to hum to herself. She closed her eyes, trying to visualize a setting for her tune. She imagined a star-filled night sky: space. Floating aimlessly, the only thing protecting her between the vacuum of space being the fabric and technology in her space suit, she drifted through space, staring up at the sea of stars that greeted her.
"You seem to be enjoying yourself there a little too much, Jane," said a voice.
Shepard snapped out of her daydream and saw Liara standing over her, looking slightly amused. Shepard blushed. "Well, what would you do if you were partially paralyzed with nothing to do?" she asked.
"Well, you know what I did…pathetically waited for rescue," she answered with a tinge of embarrassment in her voice. She then leaned down and gave Shepard a quick kiss.
Shepard chuckled. "Well, you've come a long way since then. I…admire that about you."
Liara took a seat at the edge of Shepard's bed and raised an eyebrow. "The hero of the Citadel and savior of the galaxy admires me?"
"You bet I do. There are things about you I more than admire," said Shepard her voice deepening a little.
"Oh, is that so?" asked Liara suggestively. She leaned across the bed and traced her fingers against the stasis field that covered Shepard's arm. "We'll just have to wait, won't we?" She leaned away from Shepard and removed something from a small box. "Here, I have something for you."
Liara took Shepard's right wrist and placed the small metal cuff on it. She let go and it sparked to life, illuminating Shepard's arm in an orange glow.
Shepard's face brightened. "A Savant X omni-tool!? I… this is…thanks so much, Liara," she said, briefly hugging Liara before playing around with her new gift.
"It was no problem at all. I knew you would like it," she answered, standing up to admire the view from the hospital room. She leaned her forehead against the window.
"The Citadel is so close to being finished. It's taken all the great scientific minds of the council races to figure out how to rebuild it. There were sections of the Citadel archives that were originally hidden away from us due to the keepers' maintenance, but with the help of various translation programs and hard work, engineers from all the races managed to figure out the next steps," said Liara.
"Yes, but you don't sound optimistic," said Shepard. "When we were in the park, you mentioned nothing changing."
"Oh, I'm thrilled that things are moving in the right direction as far as space travel is concerned. Earth is nice, but I miss Thessia. It's just….with all the information I get, with all the conversations I listen to and private messages I read…it's hard to be optimistic. Mountains of data, all pointing to secret alliances or desires to expand empires once the relays are back in order. I…" she paused, rubbing her temples.
"Take a break, Liara. You've spent too much time in front of screens," said Shepard.
"I can't take a break, Shepard," she answered, her voice rising. "I can't stop, lest some hacker stumble upon the schematics to an asari warship and sell it to a privateer. Or prevent racists from tainting quarian food supplies. Or…" she said, pausing and turning her body to face Shepard: "forgetting that a faction of Terra Firma has its headquarters less than a kilometer from where we were attacked."
Shepard let out a sigh. "What happened to me isn't your fault. If you really want someone to blame, I guess you can blame Aria T'Loak, since she originally bought that apartment in that area for me. How about the parents of the guy who shot me, for raising such a stand-up guy? Heck, let's blame society. I blame society!" said Shepard, sounding a little manic. She then let out a small laugh, "I can't wait until I can use both my arms to give you a huge hug…because you're too cute to look that miserable."
Liara took a seat at Shepard's bedside and let out a small smile. She held Shepard's hand in hers. "The truth is, Jane, neither of us can really stop, no matter how much we want to. I'll always be in the background, watching. You'll always be in the spotlight: acting and reacting," she said plainly.
Shepard squeezed her hand. "Not unless we have to blow something up. I'd like you to be by my side, then."
"If I were to make a graph of my life in terms of explosions, I think the data would show an exponential increase in explosions and firefights after having met you…not that I'm complaining, but a nice breather in between dusting ourselves off would be good," said Liara.
Shepard rested her hand on Liara's nape and pulled her in for a kiss. "I like it when you talk about charts and graphs. How's that paper on Protheans coming along?" she asked. She proceeded to play with the clasps of Liara's jacket, undoing them.
Liara pulled away. "We're in a hospital!" she exclaimed, turning a deep shade of blue. "If you really must know, I'm almost done with my paper. I'll need to send it to the review board for publication, which might take a , that stasis field puts us in an awkward situation. You've only got one free arm."
"Hey, sometimes one arm is all I need," said Shepard with a wink.
Liara simply stared and turned an even deeper shade of blue, almost indigo. They both began to laugh. Liara tousled Shepard's hair and grinned. "Sometimes, you're insufferable."
"Hey, my hair! I'm not a kid!" she said, attempting to smooth it down.
"Oh? And what are you going to do about it with your *one* good arm when I've got two?" said Liara, keeping Shepard's hand down with one arm, and messing her hair up with another.
"Now this just isn't fair!" said Shepard.
Liara pressed her body against Shepard effectively pinning her down. She then engaged her bondmate in a deep kiss. She pulled back slightly, keeping her face a few centimeters away from Shepard's, taking in all the facets of the human's face. "I want us to work. I want us to be together," she said seriously. She shifted her weight so that she lay on the edge of the bed instead on top of Shepard.
"We can be. We are," replied Shepard.
"The way I see things…the way I see things potentially unfolding; it scares me. People will try to use you for their own ends. Miranda's done a pretty good job so far with protecting you from dangerous figures within the Alliance. I'll admit you were wise to choose her," said Liara.
Shepard couldn't figure out the direction Liara was going in. "What do you mean?"
"The Alliance Parliament. The members that passed when the Reapers attacked Earth have all been replaced, mostly with the politically inexperienced. Miranda and Hackett can only do so much to influence their decisions, but once the Citadel is complete there will definitely be a need to be vigilant concerning colonizing and maintaining treaties among the Council races," she said.
The stasis field dissipated and Shepard attempted to move her left arm, which felt weak. She made a fist, but couldn't maintain it. She tried to suspend her arm in midair, but held it for a few seconds before her shoulder began to feel stiff and began to tremble. She rested her arm again and looked down at it. It was riddled with scars. A few scars reflected light off the Cerberus implants that lay beneath the skin. "It looks hideous," she said.
Liara sat up at traced her fingers up and down Shepard's regenerated arm. "It looks fine," she said. She stood up and looked down at Shepard, buttoning her jacket and smoothing out any creases. She gave Shepard a quick kiss on the forehead. The door to her room opened and Dr Chakwas walked in.
"Oh, Liara, I didn't realize you were here."
"I was just about to leave, Doctor," said Liara. She looked over at Shepard sympathetically. "I'll talk to you later," she said, closing the door behind her.
Dr. Chakwas stood over Shepard, scanning her body with an omni-tool. "Miranda was right. Not only did she predict when the stasis field would shut down, she even predicted the rate at which your body will heal. You're right on target," she said.
"That's a good thing, right? I know it won't be easy, but I'm eager to get back to work," said Shepard.
"I wouldn't recommend engaging in combat for the next two weeks, but some light exercise should do you good. A brisk walk, for example."
Shepard rolled her eyes and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She stood up and stretched her muscles. "Please Doctor, a brisk walk? What do you think I am, a geriatric?"
"Well, I can't let you do what you want. For crying out loud, you were shot at point blank range with a shotgun and survived. Rest is good for you," said Chakwas.
"Yeah, I also fell from space and was up and at it two months later. I think I can handle getting shot at," said Shepard smugly.
Chakwas looked at Shepard sternly. "All right then, I'll humor you for a few moments. What shall I tell Miranda after seeing you now?"
"Tell her I need to see her. Tell her I want to talk to her about our next move."