Chapter 24: Liara's First Mission

"Keep it up, Li!" Garrus said dodging the asari's blows. It was another early day of training in the cargo hold for Liara and the woman was driven, more than she's ever been since she came on board. Garrus thought it must have been the revelation of her mother, Matriarch Benezia, was brainwashed into working with Saren. Liara kicks Garrus high with a round kick, but the turian blocked it easily, and swept her legs, sending her to floor. "You're too predictable, that's an easy way of getting yourself killed"

Liara nodded and got up and tried again, punching and kicking Garrus while he dodged, she had improved slowly but surely. The first time she started to train, she barely could hold her own, but after a while she was keep up with them. Garrus had a growing sense of pride in her improvements; then again she was now mostly spending time with him. Although Shepherd and Ash was still helping with training Liara, things were tense between Shepherd and Ashley. He would have to talk to Shepherd later. The training continued, as Liara was now on the defensive dodging Garrus' blows, she was reacting faster, and then something surprising happened. She grabbed his arm, swept his leg and tossed the turian over the shoulder, Garrus found himself on the floor with a really bewildered look on his face. He was not alone, as Ash and Shepherd looked shocked too; Liara had a grin of satisfaction on her face as she helped Garrus up.

"I hope I didn't hurt you too much" Liara joked.

"Lucky move, I'll get you next time" Garrus huffed. Then he smiled at her. "But really nice job, Li" Liara blushed, just then the intercom opened.

"Commander, incoming message for you, patching through" Joker said.

"Commander, we need your help again" Hackett said. "A group of biotic extremists has captured Chairman Burns from the Systems Alliance Parliamentary Subcommittee for Transhuman Studies. They are holding him hostage on board the Ontario, protesting his vote against providing reparations for L2 biotics."

Shepherd frowned. "What kind of resistance should I expect?"

"The biotic were seen bringing equipment on the ship, so expect traps" he said.

"And the chairman's priority?"

"I would like for him to live, but we have to make it clear, that such tactics is unacceptable" Hackett said. "Top priority is to neutralize the biotics"

"Okay, on it" Shepherd said.

"Updating your galaxy map, Hackett out" Shepherd looked back at Liara, and smirked, if they were going toe to toe with biotics, they were going to need the best in that department, it was time to take off the training wheels for the asari.

"Liara, suit up you're with us" Liara looked at him with surprise, but eventually nodded and went to her locker. Shepherd went upstairs to get ready also.

The Ontario is a Kowloon class modular conveyor of human design, configured for mixed freight and passenger hauling. It is making a hard burn for the cover of an asteroid cluster.

Registry: Private Owner, Citadel Station-Codex

The Normandy docked with the Ontario quietly and safely, with the ship dead in space it was easy enough to do. Shepherd, Kaiden, and Liara came on board expecting trouble, but luckily there weren't any enemies in the entry area. As they went further in, they could here footsteps coming from the main cargo hold, from the sound of it there were lots of them.

"Everyone, watch your backs and expect traps" Shepherd said. Kaiden and Liara nodded, as the team came in, alerting the biotics, the terrorists started to glow blue and threw a couple of throw fields at the team, Kaiden went in front and created a barrier blocking it. Shepherd and Liara created their singularity fields, lifting box and other biotics in the air. Kaiden saw a canister and overload it causing explosion. The comm opened.

"Shepherd, we got movement in the front" Joker said.

"Got it, Joker, wipe these clown off the map" Shepherd ordered. Liara and Kaiden nodded, and glowed blue the onslaught continued as the biotics try to slow down Shepherd's team. A canister was then thrown at the team, and pierced, they moved out-of-the-way as the canister exploded. Shepherd threw one of the biotics back hard against one of her allies, Kaiden sabotaged the biotic's weapons and took a lot of them out. Liara engulfed the rest of the biotics in a singularity field and shot them one by one with her pistol. The comm opened.

"Shepherd, better hurry, the chairman's on his knees" Joker said. "I think the leader is getting ready to execute him"

"Right, we're done here" Shepherd said. "Everyone to the front" Once the squad reaches him; they now had to deal with the leader of the extremists who is holding Burns at gunpoint. The team was in a delicate situation, if they become hostile, the extremists will shoot Burns and then it would turn into a bloodbath.

"See how it is? You write letters, and everyone ignores you. Force is the only thing they appreciate" the leader said.

Shepherd frowned. "It's also a way to get people killed, now let him go, and stand down"

"You don't get to order me around; I'm holding all the cards" He was right, of course the team couldn't down anything crazy, Hackett may have wanted the threat neutralized, but Shepherd wanted it to at least end peacefully, or at least close to peaceful. Shepherd looked back at his team and ordered them to lower their weapons for now. Shepherd also lowered his weapon.

"Please, I was trying to help you people" Burns said.

"Everyone just calm down, let's not do anything we'll going to regret" Shepherd said.

"Why not? What do we have to lose?" the leader asked. "Since the Chairman decided that we don't get reparations, we have nothing left"

"B…But I've changed my mind! Seeing you all, i…it's clear to me…you all deserve…" The leader frowned and held his gun deeper to the chairman's head. This situation was getting out of control fast, they were dealing with a very desperate man and there was nothing more dangerous than a desperate man.

"Don't patronize me! You had your chance, some L2s are nearly crippled because of the implants, but you voted against reparations!" the leader said angrily.

"Don't be stupid, if you kill Burns, not only you'll be on the Alliance's shit list, but you'll lose the one man who can help you!" Shepherd said. The leader looked at Shepherd, with narrow eyes looking any trick the spectre may try.

"Yes if you release me, then I can take another look at the reparation request" Burns said.

The leader scoffed. "We're supposed to believe you?"

"I'm sorry to say this, but you don't have choice, because if that human dies we will be forced to kill you" Liara said. "And your efforts will be for nothing, please see reason"

"Look I'm a L2 like you, trust me I know what you're going through" Kaiden said. "My commander can make sure Burns follows through, you can trust him, but only if you give him a chance"

The leader frowned. "Sure, you promise us freedom, but as soon as we surrender, you'll double cross us"

"I never said I was letting you go, all I'm saying is that Burns will take another look" Shepherd said. "Isn't that right, Burns?"

"Absolutely, I had no idea the L2s were this desperate. If I had known…" Burns said. Shepherd smiled at that, it looked like Burns was getting it from the remorse in his voice. "The reparations will come, for whatever its worth, I promise" The leader looked on thinking about it for a while, he sighed and dropped his weapon on the floor, ending the standoff peacefully.

"You're right, I don't want to die. Maybe something will happen this time. We surrender" the leader said.

Burns stood up facing the team. "Thank you Commander, I'll see to it the reparations come"

Shepherd smiled and nodded. "A fifth fleet cruiser will come and pick you and the prisoners up" The team left the Ontario, to give his report to Admiral Hackett.

"Thank you for dealing with the hostage situation, Commander" Hackett said. "Chairman Burns was quite impressed with how you ended this situation peacefully"

"Your assistance above and beyond formal duties has been noted, Commander" he said. "Fifth fleet out" Shepherd smirked at that, and went down to Liara's room, she was on the cot exhausted from the mission, not surprising considering it was her first one. The asari jumped up when she saw Shepherd, to this day he doesn't know why she keeps on doing that.

"Commander!"

Shepherd chuckled and shook his head. "At ease, T'Soni, I just came in to tell you good job on today's mission"

"Oh, thank you Shepherd" Liara said smiling.

"We'll still continue your training, but expect being called on for missions" Shepherd said smirking. "Welcome to the ground team, Liara"