"Damn, I've never seen Shepard so pissed. What was she even saying? I couldn't understand half of it!" Kaidan said to the rest of the specialists gathered around in the mess hall. They had all been surprised when Shepard went off, even more by Tevos's accusation.. He wasn't sure what to make of the whole situation. He genuinely liked Liara, no matter how jealous he was of her relationship with Shepard. However, as far as he knew, she had been acting this whole time.
"She was speaking in asari tongue. She's done it before," Wrex chimed in. "I doubt blue has been spying on us for Benezia, she doesn't have it in her."
"You don't know that," Ashley spoke up. She had fallen in line after Shepard blew up at her for her behavior. In her mind, however, this was all the evidence she needed to prove Liara was guilty. "They're sending people to kill her if Shepard doesn't give her over. Why would they do that if they weren't sure she was guilty?"
"I just don't believe it. Liara has always been very kind to me," Tali replied. She and Liara had grown somewhat close in their time on the Normandy, both finding common ground in being shy and claiming a high social status within their cultures. "If she's really doing it, she should be in the vids, because she would be the best actress I've ever seen."
Aidan stepped forward from the outskirts of the group, positioning himself in the center of them. "This is really none of our concern, and we should stop talking about it," he said.
"None of our concern?!" Ashley asked, dumbfounded. "If there is a spy on our ship, I damned well think it is our concern. She could be putting our lives at risk!"
Aidan shook his head and turned his attention to Ashley. "Are you calling the shots on this ship?"
"No," Ashley replied. "That doesn't change the fact that she is a traitor and is still on this ship."
Aidan sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "You aren't the captain. It is up to Shepard to determine what to do with her. None of you have any right to condemn her without knowing all the facts. I personally don't think that she is guilty. Perhaps you should have an actual conversation with her before you go around making assumptions."
The chatter cut down as the crew saw Shepard moving towards them, Liara by her side. "We're going to Binthu to extract Admiral Kahoku from a probable Cerberus trap. Liara will be joining us on the mission. Is this going to be a problem?" she asked, scanning over her squad. When nobody spoke up, she nodded her head, pleased. "Good. Get back to work, we'll be at Binthu within two days."
The crew went their separate ways, only Ashley and Aidan remaining where they stood. After everyone was clear, Ashley turned to Aidan to speak. "Sorry about all that. It's just hard for me when I'm told there's evidence that she's a traitor. I'll sit down with her and have a chat, get the facts straight."
Aidan nodded, happy that Ashley was trying to be open. "That would be wise. How's my rifle coming?" he asked.
A bright smile came across Ashley's face. She had worked extremely hard on upgrading Aidan's Barrett, and was proud of her work. "It's all done, wanna go check it out?" she asked, jerking her thumb toward the elevator.
"Sure. Be nice to have something familiar to shoot again."
"I gotta admit, this is pretty sweet, Ashley," Aidan said, looking over his rifle. It looked extremely clean and sleek, giving off a deadly beauty. Looking over the design, he was caught by surprise when he saw a wolf's paw imprinted on one of the sides. "What's this?" he asked.
Ashley blushed a bit, and pointed to the scar on Aidan's arm. "I saw your scar, and it looked like it came from a wolf. I asked around just to be sure, I hope you don't mind. I just thought that you reminded me of a wolf, so it seemed fitting to put it on there. Hope you don't mind," she said, anxious to see whether Aidan appreciated the hard work she had put into this weapon.
Aidan smiled at the gesture. He was starting to get used to people being nice to him for a change. "It looks pretty bad-ass. Thanks, Ashley," he said, throwing an arm around her to give her a hug in thanks.
"You're welcome," Ashley said, beaming. "Ready for your next weapons training lesson?" she asked, hoping for more one-on-one time with him.
While Aidan was enjoying learning this new technology, and found Ashley an excellent teacher, he wanted to temper the time that he spent with her. He really didn't want to give off the wrong impression to her. He was about to give some lame excuse when he saw Tali walking through the garage, and it reminded him that he needed to talk to her. "Maybe later, sorry. I've got something I need to do," he said, running off to catch up with Tali.
"Hey, Tali, wait up!" he called out.
Tali whirled around and waited for Aidan to get closer to her. "What's up, Aidan?" she asked. She hadn't really talked to the human much, so she was a little surprised that he was doing so now.
"I know you're good with tech, so I was hoping you could help me out," Aidan said, rubbing the back of his neck. He really hated not being able to figure things out for himself, but told himself that he was a fish out of the water and the best way to learn was to ask.
"Sure," Tali said, moving to a more relaxed stance. "What do you need help with?"
Aidan pulled out his omni-tool and gestured to it. "I was hoping you could teach me how to use this."
Tali smiled, though Aidan couldn't see it. Omni-tools were her favorite, and she loved teaching people about them. "Absolutely! Where would you like to begin? Stun programs, hacking devices, shield boosters?" she asked, going over the possibilities in her head.
"Wait, this thing can do all of that?!" he asked, shocked. Guess that's why they call it an omni-tool.
"That, and more," Tali said in a bubbly tone. She loved talking about technology with anyone, though most of the other crew had stopped asking her when the conversations turned from minutes to hours.
"You'll have to teach me those some other time, but for now I was thinking about the communication feature," he said, trying to hide that he wanted to know how to work it so he could contact Kyrie.
Tali nodded and tinkered with Aidan's omni-tool. "That's actually quite simple. You input the contact information here," she said, pointing to a spot. "Then you press this button and you're connected. Pretty simple, though not very secure."
Aidan frowned. He figured security would be a good idea to have. He didn't want any unwanted ears getting in on his conversations. "Is it possible to create a secure connection?"
Tali hummed, then crossed her arms. "Yes, but I'll only show you if you tell me why you're asking me this." Being a quarian, Tali was naturally interested in the affairs of others. She couldn't help but wonder what Aidan was up to.
Aidan sighed and slightly lowered his head. "I... met someone on the Citadel. I just wanted to keep in contact with them, and thought that secure connections would be for the best." He hoped that would be enough for Tali, he really didn't want to share more.
Tali let out a squeal and clapped her hands together, embarrassing Aidan. "I'm happy for you. What's her name? What does she look like?" Tali had dozens of questions on her mind, but seeing the annoyed look on Aidan's face she let it go. "I'll just need the contact information so I can set up the secure connection."
Aidan told her the information and waited as she tinkered with his omni. It only took a minute or two, then she stepped back.
"There, all done," Tali said. "I copied the contact to my omni in-case something happens to yours." When she saw Aidan began to protest, she held up her hands. "Relax, I'm not going to message whoever it is. Your secret is safe with me."
Aidan looked down at his omni-tool and nodded. "Thanks, Tali."
"Anytime, Aidan. Come back and I'll teach you the really cool stuff," she said with a wink, even though Aidan couldn't see. She had been fascinated by the gesture ever since she saw it in a vid.
Aidan walked off to find a quiet corner to make his call. He wanted to check in with Kyrie and figure out why she hadn't told him about Tevos.
Liara examined her notes on the Protheans, looking for anything that could help them figure out more information on the Conduit. She felt embarrassed that she did not know what it was, despite all of her knowledge and expertise. Seeing once again that there was nothing that could be even remotely related to the Conduit, she sighed and pushed her chair away from the desk, leaning back and closing her eyes.
She reflected back to her steamy encounter with Shepard in the comm room, giggling as she could still feel Shepard's lips pressed up against her. While she had been frightened when Shepard had held a pistol to her head, it had all melted the second Shepard picked her up in her comforting arms. She was still uneasy at how strong the meld between them was, not quite sure how deep she would have taken it if they hadn't stopped.
Her mind drifted to the feeling she had gotten from Shepard. She knew about bonds and how bondmates could sense each other, sometimes to the point of feeling each other's pain, but that only occurred rarely and could be controlled. However, the times she and Shepard had melded could be counted on one hand. She wondered if it was normal to already feel Shepard this early, and decided that she would do some research later.
Her train of thought was interrupted as she once again felt faint feelings from Shepard, and this time it was remorse. Telling herself that she had nothing better to do, Liara exited her room and headed straight for Shepard's cabin, knocking on the door. She could hear rustling inside for several moments before Shepard called out for her to enter.
Liara stepped into the room and stared at Shepard. Shepard's hair was wet, and had a beautiful smile on her face, but Liara could sense that she was hiding something. Scanning the room, she caught sight of the med-kit she had used to help Shepard in the shower hastily hidden under some clothes. Upset, she folded her arms and gave her a disapproving look. "You cut yourself again," Liara said, concerned.
Shepard sighed and rubbed her right thigh. "I messed up, Liara. I doubted you when I never should have, it won't happen again."
Liara walked forward and grabbed Shepard's chin, forcing her to meet her gaze. "You do not harm yourself for me. You had every reason to believe what you were told, and I have forgiven you. That should be the end of it." Liara hated that Shepard harmed her body, no matter how much she understood why she did it.
"Okay," Shepard said, smiling at Liara's determination. "How did you even know, though? I thought that you'd be relaxing for the next mission?"
Liara bit her lip, unsure if she wanted to continue. She was afraid Shepard would push her away if she knew about their growing bond, but to keep it from her seemed wrong. "That is something I'd like to discuss with you. I'm not sure how much you know about relationships with asari, but are you familiar with bonding?"
Shepard nodded her head, though she was confused. "Yeah, I understand some of it. Why?"
"Well, an asari and her chosen bondmate over time develop a bond between each other that goes beyond time or space. They begin to feel each other, sometimes to a very extreme point." Liara paused, thinking of how she wanted to word what she was going to say next. "When you were in the comm room, I... felt something. Anger. I believe it was coming from you."
Shepard's eyes widened with shock. "Wait, are you saying that we're bondmates?"
Liara shook her head, trying not to laugh at Shepard's misconception of bondmates. "No, Zoe. Bondmates are chosen, it does not just happen. The human equivalent would be marriage, I guess."
"So you... felt my anger? Is that why you rushed in?" Shepard asked. It concerned her if Liara could feel her, and the point she made about feeling each other to the extreme frightened her.
Liara nodded. "It was very faint, but it was there. I don't quite understand it, but we are bonding, Zoe."
Shepard was growing increasingly worried. The thought of something she was feeling hurting Liara was unacceptable to her. "Liara, I don't want to hurt you with this bond. Maybe we should call things off." It was the last thing she wanted, but she would rather die than hurt Liara.
"No!" Liara practically yelled out. "It's not like that, Zoe. To get to the point where you could hurt me would take most of your lifetime, and by that time, I would be able to control what we both feel." Liara stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Shepard. "It would hurt me more if you were to leave me."
Shepard smiled at how sweet Liara could be, and also felt relieved that this bond between them wouldn't hurt them. Still, she found it curious why she hadn't felt Liara at all. "If we are bonding, why haven't I felt you at all?" she asked.
Liara shrugged. "It will come as the bond becomes stronger. Because you are not an asari, it may take longer for you to recognize it and adjust."
The thought of being able to feel Liara even if she wasn't in the room excited Shepard, though she had to warn herself to keep the pace slow to protect both of them. "So, how does this bond get stronger? Do we just have to meld a lot more?" She loved melding with Liara, since it was the only time she was truly at peace and relaxed.
"That is one way. Another is to simply spend more time together," Liara replied, smiling at Shepard's enthusiasm.
"We could get some practice now," Shepard said suggestively. After their meld in the comm room, Shepard found herself wanting more. Perhaps not to the overwhelming level of the previous meld, but she definitely wanted to continue growing with Liara.
Liara smiled, but shook her head. "There is no rush, Shepard. We are both exhausted. Perhaps when we are more rested, I can show you some memories from my childhood."
"I'd like that," Shepard said, wanting to know more about her beautiful asari. I feel so alive, it's amazing. She silently thanked whatever gods there were for crossing their paths. "I suppose I should catch some shut-eye then. If the crew give you any trouble, send them to me immediately."
Liara nodded. "I don't think that will be necessary, Zoe, but thank you. Enjoy your rest." As Liara exited Shepard's cabin, she was extremely happy with herself. Things had gone much smoother than she had anticipated.
"Nero, what do you have for me?" Jack asked, curious to see how his scheme was developing.
"It is done," Nero replied. "The Matriarchy bit, and forwarded it to Councilor Tevos."
Jack smiled, knowing what would come next. "Excellent. With Shepard distracted by taking Dr. T'Soni to the Citadel, we can move forward and clean up Binthu. I have word that the Alliance knows and will be sending Shepard to investigate."
"What if she doesn't turn Dr. T'Soni over?" Nero asked.
Jack took a sip of his scotch and lit up another cigar. "She will. She won't risk getting herself killed by Justicars for a single asari. Move forward with our plan, I need Binthu completely sterilized. Shepard will find nothing when she arrives."
"The evidence I gave the Matriarchy is only going to last so long before they realize it is fake."
"I am aware of that, Nero," Jack replied, taking a long draw from his cigar. "Binthu will be clean, Shepard will be rid of that asari, and she'll be executed as a traitor fairly soon. We have nothing to worry about."
Nero bowed, turning to exit the room. "As you say, sir."
Kyrie returned to her apartment after a long day of working at the bar. Since Aidan had roughed up those turian thugs, nobody had bothered her. She kicked off her shoes and made her way to the sofa across her vid screen, melting into the relaxing surface. She had earned a decent take in tips today, but it was not as much as she would have liked. Her mother had offered her a better paying job, but she declined. She wanted to prove that she could make it on her own. So far, her mother's job offer was starting to look more appealing.
She was about to turn on the vid screen when she heard her omni-tool ring. Curious she opened it up and was elated when she saw who it was, instantly accepting the call. "Aidan!" she exclaimed, happy to see his face. "I see you figured out how to work omni-tools."
"I had to have our quarian tech expert show me how, but yeah. Turns out it's not that hard," Aidan replied, an embarrassed smile appearing on his face.
"I'm glad you called. How are you doing? How is your mission going?" she asked. There were tons of questions floating around in her mind, but she remembered that Aidan didn't do well with being bombarded. She then caught sight of his injured hand and winced. "What happened to your hand?"
Aidan laughed a bit and lowered his head. "I'm fine. Just was a little... frustrated, I guess," he replied. "I got a call from Councilor Tevos earlier."
Kyrie groaned. She didn't know that Tevos had spoken to him as well. Sometimes she thought that Tevos was a bit too overprotective of her. Aidan wasn't going to let her be hurt like her sister. "I'm sorry about that, but that doesn't explain your hand."
"She tried to tell me that if I wasn't seriously interested in you, I should leave you alone," Aidan said, remembering how angry he was at Tevos. "I lost control after she hung up, and punched a wall as hard as I could."
Kyrie winced and had a sympathetic look on her face. She hated that Tevos had upset him like that, it wasn't her place to meddle in who she was talking to and who she wanted to see. "I'm sorry that she did that, she still tries to protect me even though I'm old enough not to need her. Why did you punch the wall, though?"
Aidan sighed, absently rubbing his injured hand. "Because for all of my life, I feel like I haven't had a say in what happens to me. It feels like everything was decided for me. It would be nice for once to just do what I want to do, without anyone trying to make my decisions for me."
Kyrie understood, having seen his memories. "I just want you to know that however much time you need to decide what you want with me, I will wait," she said with a smile.
Aidan smiled back, happy that she responded that way. "Thanks, Kyrie. I appreciate that." Wanting to change topics, he searched his mind for something else to talk about, cursing at himself for his lack of social skills. "So... you haven't said much about your family. You said you have a sister?"
"I'm adopted, actually. It's easier to call her my sister, though we have hardly ever spoken or seen each other. She was almost ready to leave the house when I was brought into the family," Kyrie responded.
Aidan nodded, finding that talking to her wasn't so bad. "What are your mother and sister's names?" he asked.
"Well, my sister's name is Liselle. My mother is Aria T'Loak."
A/N: Bet you didn't see that one coming ;) I'm on a bit of a roll, so expect yet another chapter this week. Thanks to Rae for being an amazing Beta, and to all of you who read this and are enjoying it.
