Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! I hope I make up for it with this chapter and the next! Yes... I am going to post two chapters today instead of the usual one! Well, if any of you read my other stories, I am technically posting five chapters today for four different stories! One story is an all new Dragon Age story that I have thought about for quite some time. The story is called Traps, Treasures, and Other Things and it is based on Dragon Age 2. It's actually a sequel to the story The Tale of the Hero and the Champion, so if you enjoyed my other Dragon Age stories check it out! For now though, please enjoy this update and the one that follows!
"The best things in life
come to those who wait."
Liara stares at the console in front of her, monitoring news feeds from throughout the galaxy. Her vision blurring around the edges slightly after hours of staring at the screens in front of her. The asari stretches her neck to relieve the tension that had built up. 'Where are you, Jaelyn?' she asks herself as she continues to monitor the screens in front of her.
Before she had left the Normandy a few weeks before, Liara had placed a small tracking device in the cargo hold so she could monitor the crews location as Shepard and her friends travelled across galaxies in search of the Collectors' base. A few days ago, the asari couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the blip, that was the Normandy, disappear into the Omega 4 relay. "There is absolutely nothing there but black holes!" Feron had exclaimed when she had discussed her findings with him minutes after her discovery. "Are they suicidal?" He asked when she didn't respond to his outburst.
"I knew this was going to happen, but not this soon," Liara said softly as she pulled up another screen and started reading charts and schematics pulled from a derelict Collector's ship. "No wonder they needed the IFF from the Collectors."
"What are you going on about?"
"Think about it Feron... what better place to hide for a species that has remained hidden for so long?! If the rest of our civilisation knew where they lived, what would stop them from taking back all the people who had been captured as slaves? The Collectors need a location that only they can travel to and from. Only their tech can allow them entry into such a desolate and dangerous place. Any other ship that has tried to venture into the Omega 4 relay has never came back."
"So you are saying it was a suicide mission?"
"No. I know Jaelyn, she would never endanger her crew like that. She has a plan."
Since then, the asari has not strayed from her monitors. Forgoing sleep for as long as possible so she could know firsthand when the Commander would return out of the relay. Her whole body racked with nervous energy that did not seem to dissipate. Liara rubs her eyes and reaches for the cup of coffee on the table beside her. Grimacing at the coldness of the once piping hot liquid, she realises that time has evaded her again. 'Did I fall asleep at the monitor again?' She questions herself as she slides the drink away from her and glances at the time. 1400. Three hours had slipped out of her grasp. Shaking her head, she toggles a switch next to the screen. "Feron."
"Yes, Liara?" the drell answers through the intercom.
"Has there been a change in the screen within the last few hours?"
"Negative, I've been watching the feeds down here on the engine deck. Nothing has surfaced from the relay. Do you think..."
"No. I told you before that she had a plan. She always has a plan. We all thought that Ilos was a suicide mission, but Jaelyn made sure we all escaped. I know they will make it." 'They have to make it.'
Suddenly, a jarring sound pierces through the ship as the warning signal goes off. "Ship incoming, Liara."
"Is it Cerberus?" she asks as her fingers fly over the holographic keyboard as she brings up the exterior camera footage.
"I don't think so," Feron answers. His words coming out staccato and slightly out of breath.
"Where are you now?" She questions as she tries to triangulate the location of the new ship.
"Heading to the docking bay," he sputters. "I want to make sure that someone is there to head them off if they're not friendly."
"Do you have a visual?" Liara asks as she taps her communicator, steps away from the console and walks towards the door.
"No."
"Then how do you know it isn't Cerberus?"
"We would have been able to ID them as soon as they dropped out of FTL. Whoever this is, there are massive radiation spikes coming off their shielding. And it's jamming our tracking software."
A sinking feeling starts to reside in the pit of the asari's stomach as realisation of the only specie that could bypass their state of the art security systems. She reaches for her pistol in its side holster and checks the thermal clips. "Are you thinking Collectors?" Liara asks as she hurries down the long corridor to the docking bay.
"I'm unsure. But if the Commander failed, then it is a possibility."
"She did not fail," the asari states through cliched teeth. "She always comes back. Jaelyn promised to come back!"
"Liara..." Feron says softly over the comunicator. "You have to accept that there is always a possibility that..."
"No," the asari states resolutely. "I will not accept anything until we know for certain. Where are you now?"
The drell sighs before answering, "I'm in the docking area now."
"Good, I'm nearly there myself. We need to come up with a plan before encountering the..." Suddenly the blaring siren, that both of them had become accustomed to during the past few minutes, shuts down and leaves them in an even more daunting silence.
"I know I shouldn't ask this, but... did you shut down the alarm, Liara?"
"It wasn't me," the asari answers as she slows her progress into the docking area and hides behind an empty container near the back of the bay. "Feron, can you see anything yet?"
"Not yet," he whispers. "Wait a minute... the light for airlock two has changed. Someone's coming through."
"I'm coming toward your location, Feron," the asari states as she rounds the corner of the container she was behind and jogs towards the far end of the bay.
"That might not be a great idea, Liara. If this is a Collector ship, we both can not risk getting captured. Stay where you are."
"Negative. If it is an enemy ship, we need to work together to stop whoever it is," she states coldly as she rounds the corner of another container and catches the first glimpse of the drell.
Feron looks towards Liara as when he hears her footsteps echoing off the metal floor. He lowers his pistol when he recognises her and shakes his head. Raising his right hand to his face, he puts a finger in front of his mouth to remind her to keep quiet and then points towards the bulkhead in front of them.
Nodding her head in understanding, the asari hunkers down behind a hulking toolbox. A hiss permeates the silence as the door slides open to allow the intruder entry. How did they bypass security? Liara wonders as she grips the pistol in her hand tighter and peers from around the corner of the toolchest. She stares at the door as it slowly opens. The asari can feel her heart beat rapidly in her chest as the space opens more to reveal a shadowed figure. Why are the lights so dim? She thinks as she leans further out from her hiding spot to peer into the shadows.
As her eyes adjust to the dimness, a smile crosses her lips as she recognises the person in the gloom. Liara puts away her pistol and walks towards the opening. "What are you doing?" Feron hisses from behind the container she walks past.
"It's Jaelyn, Feron," the asari says with a smile as she quickens her pace. "EDI must have hacked our system so she could surprise me." She shakes her head as she finally reaches the person next to the docking bay door. "You gave us a bit of a scare, Jaelyn."
"Sorry about that Liara," the human says as she wraps her arms around her lover. "I just wanted to surprise you. I know you have all those agents looking out for us, so I tried to be as subtle as possible."
The asari, though relieved to see the soldier uninjured, feels a stab of pain lance through her stomach. How long had she waited to see Jaelyn? How long did she stare mesmerised by the glowing hue of her console? Too damn long in her opinion.
The pain radiates outward to every neuron in her body. A sob escapes her mouth as tears run down her face. She grips Jaelyn's uniform shirt as she lets out all the fears and pain that she had held on to during the past few weeks.
"What's wrong, Liara?" Shepard asks as she cups the asari's cheek.
"What's wrong?" Liara parrots after calming her sobs. "How could you even ask such a thing? No contact with you in over three weeks and all you can say is 'what's wrong'?" The asari steadies her breathing as she tries to rein in her emotions. "Why didn't you tell me you were allright? You could have let us know that you were the one breaking into my ship. I have been so worried about you that I could barely sleep. I didn't know if you were alive or dead. The only report out of the Sahrabarik system was that a ship went into the Omega 4 Relay. No one knew who had went in. Of course there was speculations... even the Alliance was concerned."
"So nice to know they cared," Shepard mutters before looking into the asari's eyes. "Liara, I am sorry that I didn't keep you in the loop; but the magnetic field inside the Collector base was so strong that it fried our communication system. Hell, we even had crashed landed on the base." Jaelyn stops as memories of the inside of the base ravaged her mind. Shaking her head to clear the thoughts, the human takes a deep breath. "Two weeks ago, we made it out of the relay."
"Where were you? Why did you still keep silence?" Liara asks softly as she steps away from the human and glares at her. Two weeks ago, they came back from the Omega 4 relay... why didn't she contact me then? How did I not find out about it from my agents? All of the asari's thoughts suddenly enveloped her mind in a deep dark fog. Too many questions ravage her brain and her synapses were misfiring into all sorts of directions. Did I honestly think that things would have went back to normal? Just less than a month ago, I was treating her as if I did not need her anymore. She probably even thought that I had moved on from her. Maybe even thought that my insistence on finding Feron was because I had started a relationship with him. I should have never treated her as a pariah when she first landed on Nos Astra. I knew she was hurt back then... maybe if I explained things more thoroughly... just told Jaelyn everything that had happened before her- before her...
Instantly after that thought, Liara feels herself being engulfed into the commander's strong arms and feels her forehead nestle into the human's neck. Tears trickle down her cheeks before she could even register their presence. She wraps her arms around Jaelyn's neck and clutches her tightly.
Feron looks on at the two women and rubs the back of his neck. "Since this is a false alarm, I'll... I'll go check to see if there are any updates from the agents we placed on Illium."
Jaelyn watches the drell's retreating back as she still holds onto the asari in her arms. Maybe I shouldn't worry about them working together. It's obvious that he only sees her as a good friend that he worries about. The human is brought out of her musings when she feels one of Liara's arms slip down from her neck. "Are you okay?" she asks as she takes a step back to look at the asari's face.
"Yes. No. Do you really want me to answer that question, now?" Liara replies as she runs her hands under her eyes to dry the last errant tears that had fallen. Taking a deep breath, the asari asks, in a much calmer voice, "Why did you wait two whole weeks before contacting me? Do you know how worried I've been? I thought I had lost you again!"
Jaelyn runs her hand through her short red hair and sighs, "I wanted to let you know that we made it out alive. God, the only person I wanted to see once we got out of that hell-hole was you, but I couldn't."
Liara cocks an eyebrow and stares at Shepard. "Care to elaborate?"
The human looks around the docking bay. Her hands worrying themselves together in an obvious nervous tic. "Is there somewhere we can sit down and talk privately?"
Confusion mars Liara's face buts she doesn't question the commander's request. "Of course, follow me," the asari replies as she walks toward the door at the end of the bay.