Note: This is about the attempt on Liara's life in the ill-fated endeavor to gain access to the vast inheritance from Benezia. Occurs at the end of First Life and rolls into the very beginning of Only Hope Remains, Ch 1. Their transport to Thessia is the Jorius II Corvette, not yet named as the Aletheia, procured by Captain Tanni. The Echo Game is explained in QS 8: Blaze of Glory, and used w/permission from Elizabeth Carter's 'Phoenix' series (Rising from the Ashes, Ch 13).
ardat - demon
nara - literally "bearer"; one who shoulders another's burden, aids others in difficult times
Tides - Asari saying commonly invoked to put aside frustration; an expression of exasperation.
Do Not Pass Go
Liara was pressed tight to the Spectre's side, and Shepard could tell she was tense, so she grabbed her hand and gave a look that translated into "meld with me." After some initial resistance, Liara finally acquiesced and Sam was assaulted by a swirl of emotions, indicating just how unsettled Liara's thoughts were. Shepard pushed a wave of steady, loving support across the meld and waited for Liara to settle her emotions enough to tell her what was wrong.
{You're ok, Blue. Breathe. I'm here for you. Talk to me...}
Liara was unable to find the right words, but finally managed to at least get a start. {I haven't been home in almost thirty years, Shepard. Not since...when I...not since my mother and I had our falling out. I... I always assumed my homecoming would involve a reconciliation...seeing Thessia again, knowing she is not here... It is...difficult.} Silent tears found their way out of the corners of Liara's eyes, and Shepard turned to pull her in close, cheek to cheek.
There was no attempt to stop the tears; Shepard let her cry to release all her bottled emotions. {You know I'm here for you. You are not alone. We'll face this together, and together there is nothing we can't handle. I love you, Liara T'Soni. Don't you ever forget that and don't you ever doubt that I'll support you, whatever your choices and where ever your path may take you.}
As the transport touched down, Liara took a deep breath and withdrew from the meld, loving the devoted pillar of support that stood rock-solid before her. Separating from Shepard, she wiped away her own tears and put a light smile on her face as she reached out and took Samantha's hand, saying simply, "I know." Hand-in-hand, the pair walked back to the main compartment. As the door of the transport opened, they looked at each other, smiled, and knowing the obstacles that lay before them, carefully stepped out into the brilliant Thessian sunshine.
Liara was met at the ship by a commando honor guard and escorted into the house. Shepard felt the homecoming to the Armali townhome was somewhat awkward, more so for Liara than anyone because she was basically taking her mother's place in the household. It was an odd dynamic, because even though Liara was now the principal of House T'Soni, she was still someone who the Asari regarded as a very young maiden, and the House Steward, Aratiana Axeuss, was a mature matron. It was even worse when Liara was introduced to the appointed Regent selected by Tevos; Matriarch Mozia was an older matriarch, started into her tenth century. All three Asari ended up bowing to one other, for different reasons, and Liara's youth and inexperience definitely showed through when her deep blush indicated just how flustered she was having a matron and matriarch nod in respect to her as Lady T'Soni. It was made worse when Liara introduced Shepard solely by her Spectre title and Aratiana assumed she was merely an escort assigned by Councilor Tevos. Her assumption was somewhat validated by Shepard having emerged from their Corvette in full armor because of the threat made on Liara's life. Liara blushed again as she stuttered her way through a brief explanation as to just who Shepard was, and that she'd be staying with Liara in the master suite, not in the commando quarters. The difference in age and experience between the two Asari was blatantly obvious when Aratiana's graceful and sincere apology didn't contain even the slightest hint of discomfort or embarrassment. Shepard watched her own esteem rise within the household when Mozia articulated a welcome to Thessia to the Spectre in Galactic Standard and Shepard responded to her in near perfect Thessian; surprise and approval was openly reflected in Mozia's eyes and those of all the house staff within hearing distance. Shepard silently thanked her early exposure to Liara's native language through Arlyna and Niria, as well as the instructors of the N2 languages training block.
Because of their late arrival, it was close to dinner by the time they finished their hellos, so the couple retreated to change from their travel clothes. The second the door closed behind them, Liara's facade crumbled and a slightly pale and trembling Liara was in Shepard's arms. Shepard said nothing; she just started releasing her armor clasps and Liara pitched in to help. Once the armor was removed and laid to the side, Samantha took Liara in and wrapped her in a tight, supportive embrace, lending confidence and strength to the anxious Asari. After a few moments, Liara took a deep breath and her grip relaxed as she murmured, "I suppose I need to let go so we can get dressed for dinner."
Shepard laughed gently, "Yeah. Something tells me they don't want me at the table in nothing but my under-armor skins."
The actual dinner was very informal, much to Shepard's relief, and relatively small. The table only had eight people; Liara and Shepard, Mozia and Aratiana, Captain Nayla Axoni visiting from the Country Estate and Captain Livos Tanni with the two additional commando team leads, Teana Seloni and Aressa T'Saptos. Conversation was casual, with the usual questions of how Liara and Shepard met, and they purposely avoided any business discussions until they were ready to retire, and then it was only to set the next day's schedule. Liara and Mozia would be spending their days in the office discussing estate plans while Shepard would spend her time with the commandos, everyone again converging for a common dinner to end each day. Everyone went their separate ways and Liara and Shepard retreated to their private suite.
Liara went to the huge closet and was starting to get undressed for bed when Shepard approached her from behind. As the Asari shrugged her gown off her shoulders and it dropped to the floor, Samantha's thumbs briefly applied pressure to Liara's sensitive lower back folds. The intimate touch caused Liara to close her eyes and draw in a sharp breath, her hands reaching forward to steady herself against the wall. The breath of her words feathered enticingly across the Asari's crests as Shepard whispered softly, "You are positively striking, Liara. How did I ever get so lucky?"
Shepard's hands slid smoothly around her lover's hips and as the heels of her hands rode up the Asari's sides, her fingertips played upward along Liara's abs until her hands cupped the swell of firm breasts. She gave them a gentle squeeze, ending in a light pinch on both nipples simultaneously, eliciting a gasp of pleasure and a surge of desire from her lover. Liara felt Shepard's body push against her from behind and her head fell back, her body arching in pleasure. Samantha took advantage of the bared neck to nuzzle into the exposed neck folds and ran her tongue through their sensitive valleys.
Shepard heard Liara swallow hard, and as the Asari opened her mouth to answer what was meant as a rhetorical question, Shepard sucked a neck ridge into her mouth and lightly gripped it with her teeth as she caressed it with her tongue, all while continuing to massage Liara's breasts and roll the hardening tips of her nipples with her thumbs. The attempt to speak was aborted and all Liara managed was a blissful moan between her increasingly ragged breaths as her heart started to race wildly in her chest.
Shepard's right hand slid smoothly back down Liara's abs, and just the idea of where it was headed proved Liara's undoing. She felt a spike of heat in her core and her knees threatened to give out with her ardent anticipation. Shepard caught her around the waist and splayed her against the wall before her, Samantha's full body contact from behind keeping Liara upright as she wantonly pleasured the Asari. Liara's needy hunger grew quickly, and gasping for breath, she finally managed to growl out two words. "Sam! Please..."
Shepard knew what her lover was begging for, and soon enough she felt the mental knock, requesting a meld. Shepard could feel Liara's powerfully desperate desire and doubted the Asari could refrain from melding in her current emotional state, even if Shepard said no. Not that she would ever deny Liara, but she steeled herself before letting her lover in, because she wanted this to be all about Liara, to ease her raw nerves and help her to not think ... even if for just a few moments. Samantha opened her mind and as Liara tried to steamroll in, she was met with a wall... a wall of Shepard's memories of all the times they had made love.
Caught completely off guard and nearly overwhelmed by the clarity of the memories, Liara peaked quickly and her whole body shuddered as she surged with release, but Shepard wasn't done with her. She continued to hold Liara in place and fed her more pictures, then added the feelings of sincere devotion, undying love and total commitment she felt toward her beautiful Blue. The physical attentions continued, unabated, and Liara came again, her second orgasm much stronger than the first, before she slumped weakly into her lover, emotionally spent. The meld dropped as the Asari panted against the wall, dazed by the intense experience. Shepard carefully wrapped her up, swept her off her feet, and carried her tenderly to the bed. Instead of laying her down, Shepard slid quietly onto the bed and leaned back against the headboard while she kept Liara on her lap and cradled in her arms.
They sat there for quite a while as Liara's breathing slowed and became too rhythmic and relaxed to be anything other than a peaceful doze. Shepard held her close, simply enjoying the warm presence of her lover in her arms, a comfortable weight relaxed against her chest. Eventually Liara woke and stirred. She picked her head up off the soft pillow of Samantha's chest and turned glassy blue eyes to loving greens, stroking Shepard's cheek with slender blue fingers in an affectionate caress. "I love you, Shepard. So very much."
Shepard smiled in return. "You feel any better?"
Liara let loose a quiet, husky chuckle, her voice thick with sleep. "I'm not sure if I honestly feel better, or if I'm just too drained to care right now." She paused for just a moment before continuing. "No. I care. Very deeply... about you, at least. But I think I can honestly say I wouldn't care if all the rest simply... went away... at least for a little while." Liara dropped her head back to Samantha's chest and wrapped her arms lovingly around her. "Thank you, love. For being here. For loving me and somehow always knowing exactly what I need."
Shepard stroked Liara's top crests soothingly as she whispered. "It's not really a matter of 'knowing' anything, but more an instinct. You were tense all day and had a lot of emotional energy that needed to be released. I did the only thing I could think of to let that emotional energy out in a positive way."
Desiring more direct contact, Liara swung her legs over and slid off of Samantha's lap before tugging on her shirt. "You, my love, are way overdressed to be in bed."
Shepard stood and started stripping. "I wasn't 'in bed.' I was just sitting on top, holding a particularly beautiful, yet exhausted, Asari in my arms while she took a little nap." Shepard beamed at her endearingly, "You know, you're very cuddly... especially when you're sleeping."
Shepard couldn't get out of her clothes fast enough as she watched Liara stretch out lazily in the bed. "Then come cuddle, Samantha." Shepard dropped the last of her clothes into a nearby chair and slid in next to her gorgeous Blue, partaking of one last, lazy, sensuous kiss before snuggling in for full body contact lasting the remainder of the night.
They slept soundly and awoke the next morning greatly refreshed, starting their new day exactly like they finished their last... with a deep, sensuous kiss. Unfortunately, they had things to do and people to see, so they couldn't linger. Before they actually left the room, Shepard drew Liara into a long, comforting embrace as she whispered a positive affirmation in her ear. "You are Lady T'Soni. You grew up here. You were born to this. We have a plan; all you need to do is execute it. If you need anything from me, don't be afraid to take a break and come find me, no matter how trivial you feel it may be. But I'm sure you'll be fine. No. I'm sure you'll be great... because that's what you are."
For the next few days, Liara would spend her time with Mozia, laying out the plan she and Shepard had put together, discussing the legal points, and getting everything put into a digital record for presentation to a Matriarch Quorum for validation and recording. In the meantime, Shepard met with Captains Axoni and Tanni to go over the recommended equipment upgrades and the budget required to do them before getting a tour of their training facility. They stepped into a large central room and Shepard froze. "You have an Echo facility?"
Nayla Axoni stared at her, wondering how next Commander Shepard was going to surprise her. "You know of the Echo Game?"
"Know of it? I trained to it with an Asari instructor. This one, though... what? Is it controlled by a VI, like a training drone?"
Livos Tanni smiled. "Yes... and it has an obscene number of random patterns available, so you never know what's coming at you when you turn it on. Would you like to try it, Shepard?"
Shepard grinned like a kid in a candy store and quickly stripped down to her under-armor skins. "Hell, yeah! Gosh, I haven't done this in probably ten years. I'll need to meditate for maybe five minutes to get myself centered. I'll do that while you set it up!"
Shepard promptly grabbed a set of blinders and sat in a lotus position in the center of the mat. The outside world faded away as she gradually found her place of calm. She stood, silent and ready in the center of the drum circle. Little did she know, all but the three commandos guarding the business office had gathered to watch, and a runner went to announce this amazing spectacle to those guarding Liara and the Matriarch, as well. Being assigned as Liara's personal guard, Riana was guarding the office and daringly interrupted their business proceedings. Liara stood hastily, "Goddess! She shouldn't be doing that! She's been out of the hospital for barely a week since the fight with Sovereign...she's not supposed to do anything for at least two!"
Growling in frustration, she excused herself to go stop Shepard. Mozia was actually interested in seeing the commander attempting to Echo and quickly caught up to Liara, walking with her to the training room. By the time they got there, Shepard was already to level eighteen and going strong. Liara was angry and just as she was getting ready to break in, Mozia restrained her gently by the arm, speaking very quietly so as to not interrupt Shepard's concentration. "Liara. Don't. She is doing remarkably well, and you may cause more harm than good if you disturb her. You could cause her to make a misstep, rather than prevent one."
Liara's face expressed surprise. "Goddess. You're right. Last thing she needs in the middle of a tumble or flip is distraction! Thank you, Matriarch." Liara's focus went back to Shepard, now working level twenty, and showing no signs of distress. Her N-school training and the battles while chasing Saren had honed her reflexes well past her capabilities during her early biotic training. Liara was dumbfounded. She had no idea Shepard even knew of Echo, never mind that she was able to perform at this level. Liara had trained on it almost daily as a concentration exercise and her best performance ever as a young maiden had been level seventy-two. The game maxed out at level one hundred, and Liara had only seen one commando ever complete it; her instructor, Shiala. Liara was now curious as to just how far Shepard would be able to progress.
Liara was surprised but very thankful when the game sounded an end tone after Samantha successfully completed level twenty five. At least Shepard wasn't completely insane, but Liara still had words she felt she must speak. As Shepard peeled her blinders off, the commandos started cheering and slapping their leathers. Shepard was a complete ham, flashing a huge smile and bowing to her adoring fans... until she caught Liara's annoyed stare. She immediately bolted upright and strode quickly to her lover. "Liara! What happened? What's the matter?"
Liara glared and practically hissed. "You really have no idea, do you?" Silence, along with Shepard glancing wildly about as if looking for a physical solution to the question was her answer. "Goddess, Shepard! You just got out of the hospital and aren't supposed to do anything stressful for at least two weeks! It's only been ten days!"
Shepard had the good sense to look ashamed, but still lamented, "Li, you know the docs are always overly cautious and it's not like anyone was taking shots at me... And, Nayla put it on the shortest and easiest settings it has." Shepard's enthusiasm got the better of her and excitement replaced contrition. "And man, I haven't had a chance to do that for over ten years... and last time I only completed level twelve! I really had no idea I'd complete twenty five without a problem..." Shepard suddenly remembered she was in a bit of trouble and tried to curb her enthusiasm, "but I swear to you, if something started hurting, I would have stopped right away."
"So you have done this before! You obviously looked like you knew what you were doing, but I didn't realize you even knew how to Echo. When did you learn?" Liara recognized what had just happened and shook her head, her concern obviously evaporated with Shepard's apparent wellbeing. A quiet growl of frustration aimed at herself escaped the Asari's throat. "Never mind, we'll talk about it later. Why is it so impossible for me to stay angry with you?" She had to work at keeping her mouth from bending into a smile.
Shepard darted forward, knowing she was to be spared Liara's wrath, wrapped her in a tight embrace and kissed her deeply, ignoring everyone in the room other than the light of her life. Liara resisted only briefly before becoming unable to deny the draw of such a passionate kiss and melted into her lover's arms. She returned the embrace whole-heartedly, one hand going to the back of Shepard's head and running her fingers through her hair, completely forgetting they were surrounded by fourteen commandos and Matriarch Mozia...until the commandos started to hoot and whoop in encouragement. Liara instantly broke off, a dark blush suffusing her face. "By the Goddess! You make me forget myself!" She turned to Mozia in embarrassment. "I am so sorry, Matriarch! I don't..." Liara's apology faded out with Mozia's wide smile and waving hand.
"Don't worry about it, Liara." Mozia laughed and glanced at Shepard who, judging by the grin on her face, was not nearly as penitent as Liara. "I'd forget the world, too, if I was being kissed like that. Shepard. You are quite intriguing. I'd like to get to know a bit more about you. Can you join us for lunch?"
A still grinning Shepard touched her right-hand finger tips to her forehead before she lowered her hand out flat, palm up, in a show of respect, once again surprising the matriarch. "It would be my honor, Matriarch. I will see you for the noon meal."
Immediately following lunch, Axoni and Tanni briefed Shepard on latest intelligence acquired while Shepard and Liara traveled. They had narrowed down the threat to a half-sister, Matron Rylis Iressi. Benezia was her father, but since Asari inheritance flowed through the mother's side, Rylis had no rightful claim on the estate unless Benezia had either named her in a will, which she had not, or had no birth daughter, which she did... Liara. Rylis was from a lesser house, she was over 600 yrs old and looking at her upcoming matriarch years with no standing or status. Apparently, this had made her criminally desperate. Now the senior House T'Soni Captain, Axoni had coordinated with the Armali police and it was to be a joint raid on the Iressi compound early the next morning. She was hesitant to let Shepard come along, knowing now that she had recently gotten out of the hospital, but Shepard promised she just wanted to observe the commandos in action, and she would only jump in under dire circumstances. Shepard's only request was that Judea guard Liara for the day; she wanted to see Riana Iregos in action. Captain Axoni grinned, knowing Shepard wanted to evaluate Liara's personal guard; she would have done the same thing and quickly added Riana to the roster.
Axoni was bringing Team 1 from the Country Estate, led by Lyria Tremi, and Livos Tanni took her team from Armali. They wanted two teams for the attack, but wanted two Armali Teams to stay back and provide townhome security for Liara and Matriarch Mozia while they were gone. Shepard approved of the plan, as it would also allow her to see if there were any significant differences between the training or performance of House Armali and the T'Soni Estate commandos. That night, Shepard and the commandos begged off the after-dinner social time and turned in early, claiming an early morning field exercise. Once Shepard swore she was merely going as an observer, Liara willingly approved, not sensing any deception and pleased that Shepard was really getting to know the commandos and participating with them to the fullest in their standard training regimen.
They both groaned when Shepard's omnitool rang at 4AM. Samantha rolled and gave Liara a gentle kiss on the cheek, promised to be careful and said she'd try to be back in time for lunch. Liara cast her a sleepy smile and admonished her to remember her promise to only observe, before quickly returning to her slumber.
The Armali police strike force was impressive. They came with fifteen personnel, primarily armed with stun guns and biotic suppressors, and their deployment was quick and professional. Shepard discovered they were the gang response force, used to deal with merc gangs engaged in various criminal activities on the outskirts of the major cities. Add in Captains Axoni and Tanni, their two commando squads, Riana and Shepard, and their total force was thirty strong. Two infiltrators went in first, just before dawn, to disable all the vehicles, so if anyone tried to get away, it would have to be on foot. Given the compound's distance from Armali, they wouldn't pose any immediate threat and could be easily rounded up after the main raid. When the time came, the infiltrators also disabled the two guards in the garage and secured the garage exit with the assistance of the team's two snipers.
Ground penetrating imagery had shown a single tunnel leaving the house that came up in a small wooded area off to the east, so the strike force dispatched four officers with the containment vehicle in the event anyone attempted to use it to leave the premises. That left twenty one Asari to handle three entrances to the home; they quickly divided into three groups of seven, with Axoni, Tremi and Tanni each taking a separate group. Since it was the team Riana had initially been assigned to before becoming Liara's First, she was part of Tanni's group going in the side kitchen door, and Shepard tagged along with them so she could observe Riana while still keeping track of overall mission progress. Riana knew very well why Shepard decided to shadow the same team that she was assigned to. She had been hand-picked by the Armali guard captain to become the new Lady T'Soni's personal guard, and there was no doubt in Riana's mind that the commander was there to make sure she was capable. Riana knew she was up to the task, so didn't care if Shepard was watching her. Being Liara's 'First' was a tremendous honor, and Riana was going to make damn sure she kept the position for a very long time.
At exactly 6 AM, sedation darts launched, three exterior door guards dropped, and less than fifteen seconds later the three groups moved in and entered the facility through separate doors at the same time. Strike force officers paused only briefly to place biotic suppression cuffs on each of the Iressi personnel as they were taken down. According to the information they gathered, they expected a very small household staff of only three, augmented by a dozen commandos along with Matron Rylis. With five commandos down, that left only seven more, plus Rylis and the three staff. The house cook was already up and working in the kitchen and her quick reaction was the first bump in the plan. As soon as the side kitchen door was breeched, she screamed and set off an alarm, alerting the entire household to the intruders. She was quickly silenced and the kitchen and basement entrances were quickly secured, but it was too late; the damage had been done.
A thermal scan indicated two personnel in the basement, so Riana dropped two flash-bangs down the stairs, the second with a three second delay. As the second one flashed, Riana, a second commando and one of the officers flew down the steps to dart and cuff both Asari, meeting with no resistance... it's hard to fight back when you can't see or hear. The dining room became the collection point and the five outside guards were quickly secured to chairs at the table, soon to be joined by the cook and the two from the basement. Two commandos and two officers stayed to guard the group while Riana made sure she was selected to accompany Tanni and one of the strike force officers as they joined the front door team led by Tremi. Shepard was very pleased with Riana's initiative and contentedly followed the group up the stairs to the main living quarters to find Matron Iressi, the Steward and the housekeeper. The whole attack was more difficult now because once the alarm was sounded the defenders had activated their shields and barriers. That meant Shepard's team was forced to use potentially lethal weapons until the protections dropped and the enemy could be darted. It was a delicate balance as the fight went on to take them alive without accidentally killing anyone, especially since the Iressi household had no such reservations.
Captain Axoni's group had the toughest challenge, coming in the back door, because that was closest to the commando living quarters. They ended up facing an organized resistance squad consisting of the last five standing commandos. Axoni got help from the four who secured the garage, so while it was eleven against five, they were still extremely limited in mobility by the confines of a narrow hallway. Two commandos went down before the first two Iressi guards were yanked up the hall with biotic pulls to where they could be darted and subdued. One of the huntresses from House Armali risked herself to pull her two compatriots out of harm's way and then stopped to provide them medical treatment. That still left eight against three, and when an angry Captain Axoni made an offer they couldn't refuse... of surrender or be introduced to multiple grenades... their weapons slid out into the hallway and they backed out down the hallway, one at a time, their hands on their heads. Once in the dining room, they were also sedated and cuffed. The strike force lead called in her four officers out at the end of the tunnel, along with the prisoner transport, and once it arrived the available officers started moving all the Iressi house commandos into the ship.
Meanwhile, things upstairs had not gone smoothly either. It was quickly obvious that Rylis was steadfast in her ambition and had no intention of surrendering peacefully, and the two staff by her side were not just a steward and a housekeeper, but also very highly trained commandos. Rylis and the steward quickly proved themselves more dangerous than any of the commandos the T'Soni team had already faced. Their barriers were exceptionally strong and, of the eleven people who had gone up the stairs against them, one had already been severely injured by a powerful warp and three others were taken out of the fight by weapons fire. The Iressi trio's barriers finally flickered when Shepard got frustrated and lobbed a series of concussion grenades into the end of the hallway. Unfortunately, that got the personal attention of Rylis and before Shepard realized what was happening, she found herself flat on her back staring up at Riana, who had inexplicably bolted across the hall and tackled her. Shepard's initial reaction was anger at the huntress, until the corner where the commander had been standing mere milliseconds before exploded violently, raining debris down on them after a massive biotic flare shattered the wall. She looked at Riana with a new respect and as the huntress gave her a hand up, Shepard hung on for a moment, just long enough to gain her attention. "Thanks, Riana. Having ducked back around the corner, I never saw that coming. I owe you one."
Riana shook her head. "No, Commander, you don't. I am Lady T'Soni's First. All that she is and all that is hers is mine to protect. What hurts you would hurt her, and I cannot let that happen." With a quick nod, Riana turned and rejoined the battle.
That was the beginning of the end for House Iressi. Livos Tanni dared not let anything befall the commander, or she knew their days as commandos serving House T'Soni would be over. She growled at Tremi, "That was too close! Take them down, damn it!"
Two more concussion grenades and a flash-bang rolled up the hall and a burst of weapons fire immediately followed the explosions. When the smoke cleared, the housekeeper was out and the steward was down on one knee. A strike force officer quickly fired darts and took the two wounded completely out of the picture. Still shielded, Rylis bared her teeth and collected a huge ball of power into her hands. Riana realized Rylis was readying herself to do it again and shouted "Flare!" a fraction of a second before she risked everything, pulled a biotic charge, and vaulted herself forward to literally bounce Rylis off a wall, stunning her and dispelling all the biotic energy she had harnessed before the matron had a chance to unleash it against them. An officer quickly followed and slapped a pair of suppression cuffs on her wrists before she recovered her senses.
Shepard was initially surprised; she had never seen a commando use a biotic charge in battle, but quickly recognized that Arlyna was the one who had taught her how to do it, so obviously Asari knew how. She grinned for the briefest moment when a flashback took her to the time of her Vanguard selection evaluation and the simulator pirate captain; Riana was very much like her younger self, right down to being willing to take an 'all or nothing' approach to solve a difficult problem. That was the exact moment Shepard realized there would be no better commando on the staff to be Liara's personal guard. She refocused on the task at hand when the Asari laying cuffed on the floor climbed to her feet still wanting to fight, forcing Riana and the strike force officer to physically restrain her between them. Shepard walked up and stared at her. "I am Spectre Shepard, and by the rights vested in me by the Citadel Council, I order the Armali Police Department to take you and your entire house into custody for conspiracy to take the life of Lady Liara T'Soni, all in an attempt to gain unlawful access to the inheritance left her by the now deceased Lady Benezia T'Soni."
Matron Rylis Iressi was fuming and spit her words at Shepard, "She's a pureblood ardat who doesn't deserve a penny! She ran away from the great Lady Benezia and from Thessia, only to return for the money!" The hysterical Rylis sneered, "Why the hell does the Council or a Council Spectre even care about a single inbred maiden on the Asari homeworld, anyway?"
Shepard was livid, her rage barely contained. "You are so centered on yourself, you really have no idea what's going on out in the galaxy do you? Dr Liara T'Soni is the leading galactic expert on the Protheans and a valuable member of the Spectre team that just saved the Citadel and every member of the Council from a rogue Spectre and a Reaper! She also just happens to be my future bondmate!"
Surprisingly, talk of rogue Spectres and Reapers had little effect, but the Spectre's last statement, brash and unexpected, almost stopped everyone in their tracks. They had all assumed Shepard was just the first of the maiden's expected many lovers. Having been just recently introduced, they knew little of Spectre Shepard other than her reputation and even less about her relationship with the Lady T'Soni, but the reality of their current situation kept anyone from considering the implications in any depth, as silencing the Matron Iressi's incessant ratings once again consumed their thoughts. An officer finally sedated her, shaking her head and mumbling, "Tides, Rylis! You never did know when to shut the hell up!" They then hauled her and her two compatriots downstairs and put them in the transport with the rest of the miscreants.
Shepard didn't move. She stood with her fists clenched staring blankly down the hallway, trying to rein in her seething anger. One glance at her expression and no one dared go near her; the commandos retreated down the stairs with their wounded and told Captain Axoni what had transpired. Over the last couple of days, Nayla had developed a decent relationship with the commander and slowly approached. As she got close, she spoke quietly. "Nara. Do not let the ravings of a lunatic bother you. Her hurtful words are not one of the burdens you need to bear." She continued as the Spectre unclenched her fists and turned to face her. "The strike team has left, taking all of House Iressi with them. We too are ready to go, to return to House T'Soni knowing our lady is safe once more."
Shepard's anger gradually turned to sadness; the pain evident in her face. "Liara spoke only once of being a pureblood. She thinks perhaps her father is not in her life because she was ashamed of her. It must be a horrible burden for a young maiden to bear, to think a parent is embarrassed solely by the fact that you even exist. I realize there is nothing I can do to help her...it is not a burden I can share. But I am still very glad she was not here for that outburst." Shepard closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and rolled her head around, stretching her neck. She opened her eyes and clapped Nayla on the shoulder. "Let's go home, Captain, and take care of our wounded."
Overall, Shepard was very pleased with the day's events; Captains Axoni and Tanni, along with all their commandos, performed magnificently under difficult circumstances, coming out of the day with no casualties on either side, and Riana was superb. She was intelligent, quick, a great shot, possessed great situational awareness and of all things, a type of Asari Vanguard! Shepard realized Liara would be as safe as she possibly could be, under Riana's protection. That night, when they were alone in their room getting ready for dinner, Liara asked how the training exercise went and Shepard finally told her the whole real story.
Initially, Liara was furious. "Shepard! What were you thinking? How could you not tell me you had identified the threat... and were going after her?" Liara paced, her hands clenched into angry fists, wisps of blue trailing behind as she stalked back and forth on the floor. "I can't believe you kept that from me!" She stopped and stared at the Spectre, who met her only with a calm gaze. No denials, no words of protest.
Liara continued on her path, her hands alternating between waving at imaginary points and rubbing her forehead. "I trusted you! I trusted you to keep me safe!"
Liara suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. "What am I saying? You didn't violate that trust. You did keep me safe." Again she glanced at Shepard, who hadn't changed her expression nor her demeanor. "I just wish you had told me about it!" She resumed her pacing, slower now, and not quite so angry. Her hands no longer trailed blue.
"But you went out on a mission and I had no idea... you lied to me and said it was a field exercise! You just left me here, working with the matriarch, completely oblivious to the danger... to your danger. And you aren't even supposed to be doing anything yet!" The glare got angry again and shifted back to the commander.
"I didn't do anything! I really did just observe..." Shepard shrugged apologetically. "Well, I did lob a couple grenades, there, towards the end. I got frustrated, not being able to help... and their pointless resistance made me miss lunch with you. By the time we got back, you were back to work."
"That's not the point, Shepard." Liara stared intently at the commander. "Don't ever lie to me again, even if it does seem the right thing to do. We can do without a lot of things in our relationship, but complete trust isn't one of them."
Shepard's heart thudded heavily in her chest and she glanced down to the floor before hesitantly raising her eyes back to Liara's. "You're right. We have to be able to trust one another, and I violated that trust. I'm so sorry." Her face had paled significantly and her hands were held open, palms up in supplication and anxiousness. "Forgive me?" The stalwart commander who faced down a Reaper was worried, and her feet shifted nervously as she awaited Liara's judgment.
Liara rolled her eyes and huffed as she resumed her slow walk and somewhat ignored the entreaty for clemency. "I understand you meant well, but what is that Human saying? The one about the road to hell?"
Shepard groaned, immediately knowing where Liara was headed. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Shepard closed her eyes and her shoulders sagged, wishing Liara wasn't such a dedicated scholar. She had worked hard at learning Human idioms and could fight Shepard on her home turf. She shook her head, admitting defeat. "You're right. I'm sorry, Blue. I'll never do it again. A lie is still a lie, no matter the intent."
"Thank you, Shepard. Apology accepted." Liara had every reason to look smug, but her face remained contemplative. "But I did work, and got a lot done. Had I known what you were doing, we wouldn't have gotten anything done today. I would have paced, been worried sick about you, or demanded to be by your side, just knowing you wouldn't keep your promise to stay out of harm's way... but you did keep your promise. And I would have been wrong." When that word came out of her own mouth, she stopped short and shook her head before looking at Shepard again. "Goddess. I would have been wrong! You did your job so I could do mine. Just like you going on missions while I stayed on the ship to do Prothean or Conduit research. Goddess, I'm almost as bad as you. I can be so... obstinate... sometimes."
Liara stopped her pacing completely, her hands relaxed, she stretched her fingers, and she gestured at Shepard. "And you. You knew. In all my days, my logic and my instincts have never been in such conflict as they have been since I met you." Liara got a gentle smile on her face. "And you... just stand there, letting me rant and rave, taking it all in while being incredibly reticent, not saying a word."
Shepard chuckled quietly, an engaging twinkle in her eyes as she looked upon her love. "I know better. I couldn't have said anything that would have convinced you. Not after the fact, and especially when I was obviously at fault. And I know you've always faced your own dangers head-on, because you always had to. You didn't have me to share the load with, and learning to trust and share can be extremely difficult for strong willed people. Believe me, I know. Humans have another saying... 'old habits die hard.' It's been around a long time, but it is oh. so. true." Even for Liara, that adage required no explanation.
Liara had a light smile on her face, so Shepard knew she was forgiven. "Even though I know you did it to protect me from myself, we still need to be completely honest with one another, Shepard. But you're right...it is hard for me to let go of control sometimes. Especially here on Thessia. My home." She paused briefly. "But while I may not be willing to forego honesty in our relationship, I know one thing we can do without ... Rylis Iressi." Liara shook her head and then planted a light kiss on Shepard's warm lips. "Let's go eat dinner."
Shepard smirked as one last thought of Matron Rylis Iressi crossed her mind.
Do not pass Go. Do not collect 200 credits. Go. Directly. To. Jail.